The Bronze Bow Character Analysis

Daniel bar Jamin

The protagonist of the novel, Daniel is an 18-year-old Galilean living in Palestine under Roman rule. He grew up in the village of Ketzah, outside the city of Capernaum. When Daniel was eight, his father… read analysis of Daniel bar Jamin

Leah

Leah is Daniel’s younger sister. In the story, she is 15 years old, a graceful girl with long blond hair. (In appearance, she takes after their mother, who was half Greek.) However, she is… read analysis of Leah

Jesus

Jesus is a carpenter’s son and traveling preacher from the Galilean town of Nazareth. Daniel first hears Jesus speak when Simon takes him to the Ketzah synagogue where Jesus is a guest. While there’s nothing… read analysis of Jesus

Joel bar Hezron

Joel is Daniel’s former classmate at the synagogue school in Ketzah. He becomes Daniel’s first and closest friend. Malthace is his twin sister. Their father, Hezron, is a wealthy, scholarly rabbi. When Joel… read analysis of Joel bar Hezron

Malthace (Thacia)

Malthace is Joel bar Hezron’s twin sister. She is called Thace or Thacia for short. Thacia is a spirited, loyal, kindhearted girl with a gift for seeing the potential in others; she even becomes… read analysis of Malthace (Thacia)

Rosh

Rosh is a Galilean Jewish freedom fighter who has dedicated his life to resisting the Roman occupation. He lives with his band of rebels in a mountain cave overlooking Ketzah. After Daniel ran away from… read analysis of Rosh

Samson

Samson is an enslaved man whom Rosh’s group steals from a passing caravan. Daniel is placed in charge of him. Samson doesn’t appear to understand Daniel’s language, but after Daniel removes Samson’s chains, Samson… read analysis of Samson

Grandmother

Besides Leah, their grandmother is Daniel’s only living relative. After Daniel and Leah were orphaned, their grandmother cared for them. When she could no longer afford to feed the three of them, she… read analysis of Grandmother

Simon the Zealot

Simon, like Daniel, was once Amalek’s apprentice. Since then, he’s opened his own blacksmith shop. After Simon encounters Jesus and decides to follow him, he closes his shop, and after Daniel’s grandmother dies… read analysis of Simon the Zealot

Rabbi Hezron

Rabbi Hezron is Joel’s and Malthace’s father. He is a Pharisee, a devout Jew and religious scholar who is scrupulously observant of traditional priestly laws as well as the biblical Law.Hezron forbids Joel… read analysis of Rabbi Hezron

Marcus

Marcus is a blond Roman soldier who often visits Daniel’s blacksmith shop, to Daniel’s chagrin. Unbeknownst to Daniel, Marcus has befriended Leah and visits her when Daniel isn’t home. Marcus is from a German… read analysis of Marcus

Minor Characters

Amalek

Amalek is the blacksmith to whom Daniel was apprenticed as a boy. He had a reputation for abusing his apprentices, and Daniel ran away from him.

Nathan

Nathan, a young man from Ketzah, is Daniel’s first recruit to his and Joel’s band of fighters. Nathan is the son of a tax collector who is ashamed of his father’s maligned occupation. Nathan gets killed in the raid to rescue Joel, leaving a young widow behind.

Kemuel

Joel brings Kemuel to Ketzah as a recruit for their rebel group. He’s a wealthy young man from Capernaum who’s spirited and serious about fighting the Romans.

Simon bar Jonas

Simon is a fisherman and disciple of Jesus. Jesus stays in Simon’s house in the fishing village of Bethsaida, near Capernaum.

Jairus

Jairus is a synagogue ruler whose little girl is restored from death to life by Jesus.

Joktan

Joktan is a skinny, stuttering 12-year-old in Rosh’s band. After Daniel breaks ties with Rosh, Joktan joins Daniel’s group and later lives with Daniel, running errands for him.

Ebol

Ebol is one of Rosh’s sentries.

The Bronze Bow

Elizabeth George Speare

The Bronze Bow Characters