Homelessness, he could have retaliated and given her no money or taken away her freedoms, her father could refuse any future marriage offers or he could force her into a marriage she didn’t want. He could have forbade her practicing her religion.

Childhood nurse, cook, private secretary, body guard, jail guards, gardener, cook and server, home door attendant/guard.

It was unheard of because slaves were considered non-people. They were property only and could be beaten, raped, tortured, or killed on a whim, although clemency was advised.

In Philemon 1:15-16, a run-away slave Onesimus is being returned by Paul to his Christian masters.

For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.

Sabina felt her marriage prospects were dwindling. She was desperate to get out from under her father’s uncaring control. She had liked Xeno, he was kind. She felt life had little purpose if she wasn’t a wife and mother. Her father was hands-off and she didn’t have a mother to help arrange and shepherd the marriage process.

The decision was based on both, logical reasons and emotional worry that she wouldn’t find another spouse, desire for her own home, and wanting to get out from under her father’s control.

It would have given her a respectable status as a matron. It gave her the potential for children, also a status symbol. She’d be working and building a future for own family. She might have more control and money to spend – or not. Xeno may have been against Christianity and forbid her practice of it – or not. Her freedom stemmed from her father’s indifference; her husband could have a different opinion.

It placed her back in the perceived dead-end world she was trying to escape. Xeno’s death and the belief that Sabina was cursed, made her marriage prospects even worse. She is not getting any younger.

The silversmith Davos and Marcella, ended in arrest for counterfeiting and the young widow Livia who ended up dependent on her abusive mother-in-law.

Manual labor and craftsmanship, were common for lower-class women needing to support families. If a woman was on her own, or if their husband or head of the family allowed it she could work in commercial trade. Because Portia’s husband did not belong to the nobility, his family structure allowed Portia a management role few patrician women had.

Yechiel steadfast belief in his brother’s character provided the impetus to pursue inquiries beyond the obvious affair with Marcella or Livia. Benjamin’s dedication to his God, eliminated him worshipping the Gnostic deity. Benjamin’s disregard for personal glory. Yechiel provided access to the scriptorium and a protector for a single female. Another point of view and someone with whom to discuss the clues and possible suspects.

He refused to consider options that didn’t align with his perception of his brother, such as the rumors of the affair. Yechiel was married, which made this partnership a stretch. He was stubborn and egotistical. He kept secrets and wouldn’t share his involvement with the coin. His prejudice and cultural suspicion of women and gentiles (people not of the Jewish faith). His total distrust of Christians and he blamed the church for his brother’s murder.

It was Livia’s doubting about the resurrection of Christ that prompted Benjamin to bring her to the Apostle John. Her continued questioning led to her memorizing the quote from John’s original letter.

He took over Valerius’s religion/cult and continued to preach Valerius’s new gospel.

a. Worshipping Jesus wasn’t the crime. The issue was not worshipping the emperor and other local gods. You were considered an atheist if you did not worship the Roman gods who protected the empire. These peculiar Christians and Jews didn’t believe in the pantheon of gods, and they forbade their members from worshipping any god but the “One True God.” Christians didn’t join in the pagan festivals and sacrifices, thereby neglecting the worship of the Roman gods who would then vent their outrage and anger on the locals with famines, plagues, floods, etc.

b. The Christian prohibition of longstanding Roman conduct such as infanticide, suicide, and child and temple prostitutes, would have baffled and perhaps enraged a traditional Roman.

c. The civic offence was nighttime meetings, which Rome outlawed to limit rebellion and secret plots. Because the Christians had weekly meetings that needed to be kept out of public view, their night gatherings were breaking the law.

According to David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, two of the world’s leading religious demographers. “More Christians were martyred in the 20th century than in all previous centuries combined, The trend has not abated in this century. Though the statistics are uncertain and highly dependent on counting methodologies, the number of Christians killed for their faith every year almost certainly lies in the thousands and possibly tens of thousands. According to the International Society for Human Rights, Christians are estimated to make up 80 percent of those who are persecuted for their religion.”

She was risking her faith being discovered. Her father’s political nemesis would have destroyed her family, financially, socially, and physically. The wealth of any enemy of Rome was subject to confiscation and whoever was responsible for the arrest was awarded a share of the seized wealth.

At this point in her life solving a murder is a one-time event. She is lamenting Marcus sailing away. When Sabina is drawn into the next murder mystery. She will have to look more seriously at God’s plans for her future.

As Portia pointed out Sabina was the only person in a position to help. The challenge of being a pagan magistrate’s daughter was also the key to accessing the magisterial “ear.”  Apollos would surely have died. Valerius would have distributed the counterfeit letter causing potential chaos within the nascent church. For believing Christians, God’s will supersedes man’s schemes, and Sabina answering God’s call was the story.