Enchantress: A Novel of Rav Hisda's Daughter (3 page)

Acha (b. 311)—
Hisdadukh and Rava’s fourth son

Achti—
Hisdadukh’s older sister, wife of Ukva bar Chama, in Sura

Adda—
Rava’s student in Machoza

Adhur Narseh—
Persian king (309), eldest son of Hormizd II

Adurbad—
magus in Machoza, high priest under Shapur II

Ardeshir—
Persian prince, younger son of Hormizd II and Cashmag

Ashmedai—
king of the demons

Aspenaz—
wife of Isaac the Butcher, in Pumbedita

Avimi bar Rechava—
one of Homa’s twin sons

Rabbi Avahu—
rabbi in Eretz Israel, heads school in Caesarea

Babata—
Abaye’s second wife, in Pumbedita

Bahmandukh—
sorceress in Machoza

Bar Hedaya—
dream interpreter

Beloria—
basket weaver and wife of Hisdadukh’s brother Pinchas

Bibi—
Abaye’s son and oldest child

Cashmag—
Persian queen, widow of Hormizd II, mother of Ardeshir

Chama bar Rami (b. 291)—
son of Hisdadukh and Rami bar Chama

Chanina (b. 308)—
Hisdadukh and Rava’s third son

Chatoi—
young woman in Pumbedita, wife of Dakya

Choran—
Rava’s first wife, in Machoza and Nehar Panya

Dakya—
young man in Pumbedita, husband of Chatoi

Daru—
Rav Nachman’s slave-manservant

Diya—
sorceress in Machoza

Donag—
daughter of Rav Nachman and Yalta, in Machoza

Dorti—
Homa’s daughter with first husband, Rechava

Dostai—
Rava and Hisdadukh’s household steward in Machoza

Efra—
Rava and Hisdadukh’s land steward in Machoza

Eliezer—
Yochani’s son, in Tiberias

Elisheva—
daughter of Abaye and his first wife, in Pumbedita

Em—
enchantress in Pumbedita, Hisdadukh’s teacher

Fulvius—
circus animal supplier in Sepphoris

Gabrilus—
Salaman’s son, in Sepphoris

Gerbita—
Dakya’s mother, in Pumbedita

Gidel—
Pazi’s father, Tachlifa’s father-in-law, Rava’s business partner in Machoza

Haifa bar Rechava—
one of Homa’s twin sons

Hamnuna—
Rav Hisda’s colleague on Sura
beit din

Hanan—
Hisdadukh’s brother, husband of Mariamme

Hannah—
Mari and Rahel’s daughter, wife of Sama

Haviva—
Hisdadukh’s mother, wife of Rav Hisda

Rav Hisda—
Babylonian rabbi, judge on
beit din
in Sura

Hisdadukh (b. 275)—
Rav Hisda’s daughter and youngest child, nicknamed Dada

Homa—
Abaye’s third wife, a
katlanit

Hormizd II—
king of Persia (302–09)

Hormizd—
Persian prince, son of Hormizd II

Hoyshar—
Chaldean astrologer in Machoza

Huna—
Hisdadukh’s nephew, son of her brother Tachlifa

Ifra—
daughter of the exilarch Nehemiah, widow of Persian king Hormizd II, mother of Persian king Shapur II

Isaac the Butcher—
Homa’s brother, in Pumbedita

Ispandoi—
sorceress in Machoza

Issi—
Homa’s nephew, son of her brother Isaac

Jacobus—
Salaman’s son, in Sepphoris

Joseph (b. 301)—
Hisdadukh and Rava’s eldest son

Judah Nesiah—
patriarch, ruler of Israel’s Jewish community

Kahana—
Rava’s student in Machoza

Kardar—
Persian high priest under Hormizd II

Kiomta—
Chatoi’s mother, in Pumbedita

Leuton—
Hisdadukh’s slave-maidservant

Mahadukh—
client of Hisdadukh in Pumbedita

Mar Huna—
exilarch (313–37), ruler of Babylonia’s Jewish community, son of Nehemiah

Mar Zutra—
son of Rav Nachman and Yalta

Mari (b. 259)—
Hisda’s son and fourth oldest child, a flax dealer

Mariamme—
family treasurer and wife of Hisdadukh’s brother Hanan

Matun—
sorceress in Machoza

Mesharashay (b. 315)—
Hisdadukh and Rava’s fifth and youngest son

Nachman (b. 251)—
Hisda’s son and second oldest child, a judge

Rav Nachman bar Jacob—
colleague of Rav Hisda, heads
beit din
in Machoza

Narseh—
king of Persia (294–302)

Nebazak—
widowed sorceress in Machoza

Nehemiah—
exilarch (270–313), ruler of Babylonia’s Jewish community

Rav Oshaiya—
Rava’s teacher of secret Torah, in Pumbedita

Pabak bar Itay—
Chaldean astrologer in Pumbedita

Papi—
Rava’s slave-scribe

Pappa—
Rava’s student in Machoza

Pazi—
wife of Hisdadukh’s brother Tachlifa, weaves silk

Pinchas—
Hisda’s son and fifth oldest child, a brewer

Rabbah bar Huna—
Rav Hisda’s colleague on Sura
beit din

Rahel—
wife of Hisdadukh’s brother Mari, inscribes magic bowls

Rami bar Chama (b. 268)—
Hisdadukh’s first husband, now deceased

Rechava—
Homa’s first husband, father of Dorti and twin sons

Rishindukh—
sorceress in Pumbedita, Shadukh’s cousin

Salaman—
mosaic floor artisan in Sepphoris

Sama (b. 304)—
Hisdadukh and Rava’s second son

Samuel—
Tachlifa’s business partner and brother-in-law

Sarkoi—
slave-nursemaid to Hisdadukh’s children

Seoram—
Rava’s younger brother, in Machoza

Shadukh—
sorceress in Pumbedita, Rishindukh’s cousin

Shalom—
Gidel’s wife, mother of Pazi and Tazi

Shapur—
Persian prince, older son of Hormizd II and Cashmag

Shapur I
—king of Persia (241–70)

Shapur II—
king of Persia (310–76), son of Ifra and Hormizd II

Shapurdukh—
Persian queen, widow of Hormizd II

Shayla—
healer and wife of Hisdadukh’s brother Nachman

Rav Sheshet—
blind colleague of Rav Hisda in Nehardea

Susanna—
Rabbi Avahu’s wife in Caesarea

Tachlifa (b. 266)—
Hisda’s son and sixth oldest child, a merchant

Tamar—
Abaye and Homa’s eldest daughter, Joseph’s wife

Tazi—
Pazi’s twin sister, Samuel’s wife

Timonus—
Rav Hisda’s slave-steward, a captured Roman soldier

Tobia—
Rava’s slave-manservant

Ukva bar Chama—
Achti’s husband, Rami’s older brother, guardian of Chama bar Rami

Warazdukh—
wife of Persian prince Hormizd III

Yalta—
Rav Nachman’s wife, exilarch’s daughter

Yehudit—
daughter of Hisdadukh and Rami, died young in Sepphoris

Yenuka (b. 248)—
Hisda’s son and oldest child, a brewer in Kafri

Yochani—
Hisdadukh’s friend in Sepphoris, daughter of Reish Lakish

Rav Yosef bar Hiyya—
Rava and Abaye’s teacher, head of
beit din
in Pumbedita

Zafnat—
Rav Nachman and Yalta’s daughter, a sorceress

Rav Zeira—
colleague of Abaye and Rava, travels between Tiberias and Pumbedita

PART ONE

King Narseh’s Reign

ONE

SIXTH YEAR OF KING NARSEH’S REIGN
• 299 CE •

on the Euphrates River south of Pumbedita, Babylonia

“D
on’t stand up, mistress.” My slave Leuton put a cautionary hand on my shoulder. She had rarely strayed from my side since I was widowed. “That man who brought you back from Eretz Israel, Abba bar Joseph or Rava or whatever he calls himself now, just came aboard.”

I slumped down in my seat. “Can he see us?”

“Not from where he is.”

Heart pounding, I made my way to where Rava was sitting with his scar-faced slave, Tobia. Wiry to begin with, Rava looked wan and thinner than when we’d parted a few months before. His big eyes were closed, and he was mumbling softly—undoubtedly some Mishna, Baraita, or other rabbinic teaching he didn’t want to forget.

“Shalom aleichem, Rava. It’s good to see you again.”

As I feared, he jumped up and took a step toward the loading ramp, only to halt when he saw it pulled up and the distance from the dock lengthening.

“Hisdadukh,” he said sourly. “Fate seems to have conspired to bring you into my life sooner than I anticipated.”

All hopes for a quick reconciliation evaporated. “Whatever has passed between us, I am still the daughter of your teacher Rav Hisda.” I straightened up and looked him in the eye. “And for his sake, I deserve a proper greeting.”

He stared back and intoned in his deepest, most serious voice, “Aleichem shalom to you, Rav Hisda’s daughter. Did you have a good New Year?”

There was something rich and resonant about Rava’s voice that made people listen when he talked.

“I had a very good New Year, and I am exceedingly grateful to you for making it possible.”

When Rava said nothing, I expanded my gratitude. “I cannot express the joy I felt at seeing my son again.” I paused when tears of happiness filled my eyes. “And at hearing how well his Mishna studies are coming—he and Abaye’s son Bibi have become study partners. If that weren’t enough, there has been more demand for my
kasa d’charasha
and amulets than I can supply . . . despite my previous misfortunes.”

I rambled on, until Rava interrupted just as I finished saying, “Imagine my surprise when I saw Achti with a baby in her arms.”

“I thought your sister was barren.”

“She still is. Ukva took her maidservant as his concubine, and the little girl is theirs.”

“Considering your indignant refusal to become my second wife, I would have thought your sister shared your sentiments.”

Rava knew our situation was different, that his first wife was barren while I was the fertile one. But I said only, “Achti’s not happy about it, but she prefers a slave-concubine as her rival rather than another, younger wife.” I paused and added, “It gives her children in the house again.”

“So Ukva has finally fulfilled the mitzvah of procreation.”

The bitter longing in Rava’s voice was so strong I flinched and hurriedly changed the subject to his favorite, Torah study. “While my father certainly missed me and worried about me during those five years I was in Eretz Israel, the hundreds of Baraitot I brought back more than repaid his anxiety,” I said proudly.

Rava gazed at me hungrily. “Teach me what you taught him,” he demanded. “We have hours until we reach Pumbedita.”

I shook my head. “I cannot pour Baraitot from my memory like a grain merchant spills out wheat from a sack. I need a Mishna or Torah verse to remind me of it first.”