The Story Keepers - Main Characters

Main Characters

• Benjamin bar Simeon, called Ben for short, is a 45 year old Jewish baker and underground church pastor. He grew up in Galilee, where as a boy he watched as Jesus used his lunch in the feeding of the 5,000. He was forced to emigrate to Rome because the Romans loved his bread so much. He and his wife Helena foster four children who were separated from their parents in the infamous fire of July 18, 64 AD. At first, Ben's church remains a well-kept secret, and he even achieves the status of Caesar's official baker, which comes in handy on more than one occasion. When he is discovered to be a Christian leader, he is arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion. He is saved by a centurion with whom he has been sharing the story of Jesus' resurrection. Upon escaping Rome for Shem Hadar, Ben is captured along with a former centurion named Tacticus and forcibly marched across the desert without water. He is eventually rescued by his family, and settles in Shem Hadar, where he continues pastoring his church.

• Helena bar Simeon is Ben's sweet and soft spoken wife. She is a leader in Ben's underground church, and a mother figure to the children she and Ben have taken in. She is just as skilled as Ben in baking and telling stories, and it is she who usually leads the church in Ben's absence. She has apparently never been to Israel herself, but her parents once passed through Nazareth. At one point, Helena and three of the children are trapped in the bakery as Nihilus sets it on fire in an attempt to flush Ben out of hiding. They are rescued when Ben, Tacticus, and the servants of the local miller tunnel into the bakery from the catacombs. When Ben is captured by Nero's soldiers, it is Helena who plans and leads the rescue operation, and arranges the church's escape from Rome. She and the kids are captured in the process, but they escape with the help of Capella, one of Nero's centurions. When Ben and Tacticus are captured again by Nihilus in the desert on the way to Shem Hadar, Helena helps track and rescue them.

• Zakkai, called Zak for short, is a teenager who has been living with Ben and Helena. His late father was a leader among the Jewish zealots, and Zak has, in his own way, taken up that fight. His uncle Mordecai, also a zealot leader, once traveled to Rome to see him. He gave Zak an amulet of the Star of David, the symbol of the Jewish nation, saying that the amulet once belonged to Zak's father. It was a symbol of Zak's own coming-of-age. Zak is hot-headed, and often gets himself into trouble with the Roman soldiers. His zealous attitude once got him captured by Tacticus, who questioned him about his faith. In spite of Tacticus' help in escaping Nero at one point, Zak is reluctant to trust the centurion. Eventually though he comes to accept Tacticus as a member of the gang. When a miller betrays Ben and nearly gets Helena and the children killed, Zak confronts the miller, sword in hand. Zak is naturally suspicious, refusing to trust even an old trail guide with whom Ben and his family travel on two occasions. He's also very sarcastic, making fun of the guide for talking to his horse. Zak's faith is rewarded when Milo's horse Regis saves his life.

• Justin ben Judah is the 12 year old son of a Jewish carpenter named Joshua ben Judah. He lived with his family in Rome until the persecution that followed the outbreak of the fire on July 18. Justin did not always get along with his brother Marcus. He became jealous when their father made Marcus a wooden chariot. Justin dared Marcus to hitch the chariot to the family goat and ride down the hill. This resulted in Marcus getting dumped out of the chariot, and Justin getting lectured for his irresponsibility. When the boys were separated from their parents, Justin claimed guardianship of Marcus, and became very protective of him. Even after Ben and Helena took the boys in, Justin still took care of his brother, displaying a lot more patience and maturity than he had before the fire. Ben sees a future church leader in Justin, and at one point offers him an opportunity to tell the story at a church meeting. Justin, however, is afraid of speaking in public. He overcomes this fear later, though, when he tells some Christian prisoners the story of Jesus' trial before Pilate. He searches harder for his parents than the other kids, persuading Ben at one point to allow him to search the slave hold of a Roman ship where he believes his father may be imprisoned. When the ship is suddenly called out to sea, Justin volunteers to take the place of an elderly slave at the oars. And when the ship is damaged in a battle and starts taking on water, Justin risks his life to free the slaves before they drown. He later finds out that his father escaped his ship and went to search for his mother on a farm. Justin and Marcus are later both reunited with their parents in Shem Hadar as a reward for their faith.

• Marcus ben Judah is the 4 year old brother of Justin and the youngest son of Joshua ben Judah. He has a typical child's view of the world, which is barely affected by his separation from his parents. He looks up to his older brother, and treats Ben and Helena like a second set of parents. Of the other three children in the house, Marcus gets along best with Anna. He loves animals, and has a pet goat named Thastus. He also adopts two lion cubs temporarily, until he finds them a family and a home in Africa. He christens the cubs Leo and Theo. Marcus serves as Justin's accountability and encourager, helping Justin overcome his fear of public speaking by encouraging him to, "Tell the story to me, only louder." He is the most optimistic member of the group, refusing to let them give up hope when all seems lost. His faith is rewarded when he and Justin are finally reunited with their parents.

• Anna is the street wise member of the group. Her mother taught her how to navigate the catacombs long before the fire, and after she was separated from her parents in the fire, she usually stayed in the tunnels, gradually making her way to Ben's bakery. She met Justin and Marcus on the streets, and led them to the bakery as well. Anna is certain her parents were killed in the fire, and compared to the other children, she spends the least amount of time focusing on searching for her parents. She is an unashamed witness, and will gladly invite people to attend the church meetings, much to Zak's chagrin. She befriends Cyrus, a young black street entertainer, and makes him a part of the church. When Cyrus is captured in a raid, Anna and Helena go to his house to inform his parents of what happened, only to discover the house burned, and Cyrus' parents missing. Anna insists that they rescue Cyrus before he and other Christians captured in raids are thrown to the lions. It is often Anna who comes up with an idea to rescue friends in danger, and it is she who usually guides the gang through the catacombs. She is compassionate, taking Jesus' command to love her neighbors and her enemies seriously. She is also a romantic, encouraging the flirting that occurs between Tacticus and a Christian servant named Miriam. Anna's faith is rewarded when Tacticus and Miriam adopt her after they get married.

• Cyrus is the 8 year old son of circus performers Sabin and Risa. He is the most widely-traveled of the children, being part of an international circus. His family was living in Rome when the fire broke out and he was separated from his parents. Sabin and Risa were convinced Cyrus had been killed and left Rome, swearing to never return (though they did anyway). Cyrus is somewhat street-wise, as he relied on his skill as a juggler and acrobat to keep himself fed until Ben and Helena took him in. Cyrus is ashamed of his status as an orphan, and tries to hide this fact from Anna when he first meets her. He is also a show-off. He teaches Anna how to juggle, and often runs interference during Ben's rescue operations. It is during his act as a decoy that Cyrus is captured and sold to a merchant named Flavian. Flavian gives him special treatment as his star entertainer, even though the other slaves are suffering. Cyrus becomes quickly accustomed to his new-found lifestyle, and at first rejects Ben and Helena's attempt to rescue him, which puts him at odds with Justin. But when the slaves revolt and burn Flavian's estate, Flavian turns on Cyrus, and Cyrus flees back to Rome. Justin, hearing about the revolt, waits up for Cyrus and encourages him to return to Ben and Helena. When Ben, Justin and Marcus are later captured, Cyrus introduces Helena to a friend of his parents, Zemo, who can help them smuggle the gang out of Rome. Zemo informs Cyrus that his parents will be in Rome very briefly, and Cyrus accompanies Zemo to the docks, where he is reunited with Sabin and Risa as a reward for his faith. Together the circus friends help rescue Ben and the others, and they all make their way to Shem Hadar.