[Footnote 1:  Matt. iv. 18; Luke v. 44, and following; John i. 44, xxi. 1, and following; Jos., B.J., III. x. 7; Jac. de Vitri, in the Gesta Dei per Francos, i. p. 1075.]

[Footnote 2:  Matt. ix. 1; Mark ii. 1, 2.]

One house especially at Capernaum offered him an agreeable refuge and devoted disciples.  It was that of two brothers, both sons of a certain Jonas, who probably was dead at the period when Jesus came to stay on the borders of the lake.  These two brothers were Simon, surnamed Cephas or Peter, and Andrew.  Born at Bethsaida,[1] they were established at Capernaum when Jesus commenced his public life.  Peter was married and had children; his mother-in-law lived with him.[2] Jesus loved this house and dwelt there habitually.[3] Andrew appears to have been a disciple of John the Baptist, and Jesus had perhaps known him on the banks of the Jordan.[4] The two brothers continued always, even at the period in which it seems they must have been most occupied with their master, to follow their business as fishermen.[5] Jesus, who loved to play upon words, said at times that he would make them fishers of men.[6] In fact, among all his disciples he had none more faithfully attached.

[Footnote 1:  John i. 44.]

[Footnote 2:  Matt. viii. 14; Mark i. 30; Luke iv. 38; 1 Cor. ix. 5; 1 Peter v. 13; Clem.  Alex., Strom., iii. 6, vii. 11; Pseudo-Clem., Recogn., vii. 25; Eusebius, H.E., iii. 30.]

[Footnote 3:  Matt. viii. 14, xvii. 24; Mark i. 29-31; Luke iv. 38.]

[Footnote 4:  John i. 40, and following.]

[Footnote 5:  Matt. iv. 18; Mark i. 16; Luke v. 3; John xxi. 3.]

[Footnote 6:  Matt. iv. 19; Mark i. 17; Luke v. 10.]

Another family, that of Zabdia or Zebedee, a well-to-do fisherman and owner of several boats,[1] gave Jesus a welcome reception.  Zebedee had two sons:  James, who was the elder, and a younger son, John, who later was called to play so prominent a part in the history of infant Christianity.  Both were zealous disciples.  Salome, wife of Zebedee, was also much attached to Jesus, and accompanied him until his death.[2]

[Footnote 1:  Mark i. 20; Luke v. 10, viii. 3; John xix. 27.]

[Footnote 2:  Matt. xxvii. 56; Mark xv. 40, xvi. 1.]

Women, in fact, received him with eagerness.  He manifested toward them those reserved manners which render a very sweet union of ideas possible between the two sexes.  The separation of men from women, which has prevented all refined development among the Semitic peoples, was no doubt then, as in our days, much less rigorous in the rural districts and villages than in the large towns.  Three or four devoted Galilean women always accompanied the young master, and disputed the pleasure of listening to and of tending him in turn.[1] They infused into the new sect an element of enthusiasm and of the marvellous, the importance