I felt shame for furthering what fools and evil men held to be holy

epub or mobi, with thanks to the original sharer

We took a table and benches apart from the others who ate and drank. A few, mostly Roman soldiers, regarded us askance, but with little malice or pronounced disapproval. I could not tell if it was because he was a Jew, or because he was unwashed and disheveled, or both. We were told what was on offer. I took a portion of roasted baby pork, he a plate of deep-sea oysters and garum. Two fresh breads were brought to us, oyster-bread for him, bread of emmer for me, and wine.

“I am forbidden by the Book to eat such things,” he said, gesturing to the oysters.

I looked at him.

“All that have not fins and scales in the seas, they shall be an abomination unto you,” he said in a tone of mock gravity. Then in the tone that was his own: “So commands the Book.”

He savored the oysters and garum, tore off a piece of bread, ate it, washed it down with wine.

“And the swine,” he said, returning to his tone of mock gravity, “though he be cloven-footed, he cheweth not the cud, and thus he is unclean to you.”

I cut off a piece of the charred suckling pig, placed it with my knife on his plate. His eyes closed with pleasure as he ate it.

“It seems to me that your Book denies you much,” I said.

“It denies me nothing. It denies to my people any delight in this world which their God is supposed to have created.”