Eden

*"Someone finally sees in you what I've always seen: you're more than a fisherman."*
―Eden to Simon.[src]
**Eden** is the wife of Simon Peter and the daughter of Dasha.

## **Biography**

Eden is a fiery, passionate young Jewish woman of strong faith. The daughter of Dasha and a so-far-unnamed (probably deceased) father, she grew up in Capernaum along with her two brothers, Jehoshaphat and Abrahim, their family somewhat infamous for their tempers. Though very compassionate, gracious, and hospitable, she also possesses a sharp tongue and passive-aggressive streak.

Simon and Eden met and married some point shortly before the series, sharing a playful and affectionate relationship and journeying together to Jerusalem when required during the holy assemblies. She shows great loyalty to him, though is not afraid to set him straight with hard truths. She is also devoted to Jesus, the Messiah and Rabbi to her husband, friends, and brother-in-law.

### Trouble in Paradise

In the first episode she scolds Simon for getting in a brawl with her brothers (who openly distain him), but is unable to stay mad because it’s clear her brothers started the fight and lied that Simon and Andrew attacked them when in reality they beat Simon by cheating. Unbeknownst to her, Simon has just made an agreement with Capernaum’s Praetor Quintus to turn in Jewish merchants fishing illegally on Shabbat in return for having his and Andrew’s debts cancelled.

In the passing weeks, she notices that his schedule has inexplicably flipped around, he no longer goes to the fishing docks, and seems greatly troubled. She realizes that her husband is hiding something from her. But when finally confronting him on it, Simon insists he has the matter well in hand and that she should trust him.

A few days later, Dasha has taken seriously ill, and Eden is the only one of the three siblings who has room for her to stay. Simon, having reneged on his deal with Quintus and facing probable arrest by week’s end, initially refuses to let his mother-in-law stay and add to their growing problems, but Eden refuses to turn her mother out when she desperately needs help.

Simon finally tells her about the deal with Quintus and the financial ruin the family is facing, admitting to nearly betraying fellow Jews to get out of it. Hurt and furious, Eden tells him it is because he’s been drifting away from his faith and relying more on himself than God, Who might finally get his attention now that he has nowhere else to turn. Though she demands he leave the house, she later sends Andrew, Zebedee, Big James, and John to help Simon try catching fish as a last-ditch effort to shrink the debt.

### A New Calling

The following day Simon returns and excitedly tells her that he has met the Messiah, Who’s called him to be His student and miraculously summoned enough fish to pay for all of the family’s needs. Though assuming she will be upset that he’s suddenly dropping everything to follow Jesus, Eden is instead overjoyed and declares he is finally acting like the man of faith she married.

Shortly before leaving with His growing number of disciples on their first mission trip, Jesus heals Dasha from her illness, and commends Eden for recognizing the greatness of Simon's faith, assuring her that He sees the sacrifices she's making in allowing her husband to undertake such a rigorous calling and that she has an important role to play still.

### Reunion

Eden reunites with Simon and the others many months later when she attends the Sermon on the Mount. Though Jesus sends husband and wife home with His blessing afterwards, their hopes of complete privacy and intimacy are dashed when Nathanael and Simon Z. need a place to stay in Capernaum. Eden graciously opens their house to them (despite Simon’s clear annoyance).

During one of their rare moments alone, she admits to struggling during his long absence, but says she took comfort in the memory of her conversation with Jesus and knowing He sees her. When Simon suggests they’re ready to try growing their family, she excitedly agrees.

A few days later, Jesus assigns the apostles (now numbering twelve) to go out two-by-two and preach His message, assigning Simon to Caesarea Philippi with Judas. Though visibly upset at being separated from him yet again, Eden refuses to let Simon ask Jesus for a shorter assignment.

### A Terrible Secret

Shortly after the men leave on the mission, Eden learns she’s pregnant, and seems to tell just her mother for the time-being, only to suffer a traumatic miscarriage several weeks later, resulting in damage to her body that leaves Eden possibly unable to bear more children. The only people who know of this are Dasha, Capernaum’s doctor, and his wife.

When Simon returns two weeks later, she still doesn’t know how to break the news and keeps finding reasons to put it off, partly because she’s hurt that he remains distracted and never wonders how she’s fared in his absence. But also to spare the pain it will cause Simon, fearing he will regret joining the ministry. When he finally asks if he’s done something to make her act upset, she only states is was something he *hadn’t* done, and he should be able to figure it out himself if he truly understands her.

During this time she meets a laundress named Veronica, who suffers from a rare malady that has made her bleed constantly for the last twelve years and remain constantly impure, yet still retains hope of finding a cure. Eden witnesses her healing by touching the fringe of Jesus’s garment, and hears that He also saves Jairus’s deathly ill daughter (though the fact she was actually dead for a short time is kept a secret from everyone who wasn’t present), and is in turmoil at watching God answer others’ prayers where hers were not.

Eden finally decides to try weathering the tragedy by herself, not wishing to distract or burden the others, but grows increasingly depressed and distant, having apparently lost all enthusiasm for the ministry that continues to take her husband away from her side, to the point he begins neglecting maintenance in their house.

After some weeks of dealing with guilt for hiding it from Simon and realizing she can’t handle the pain alone, she finally tells him shortly before Purim. He is initially hurt and furious at her for keeping such a thing from him, then despondent that it happened to them despite trusting Jesus to keep Eden safe. He ends up wandering off in his struggle to come to terms with it, leaving Eden alone once again.

### Intervention

While Jesus and the Apostles are away at the Decapolis to sort out turmoil caused inadvertently by Andrew and Philip’s preaching, Zebedee, Salome, and Mary Magdalene visit Eden to ask why Simon has been acting so distracted and upset all of a sudden, suspecting it may involve their marriage and offering their support.

At their gentle urging, Eden finally divulges everything to the two women, struggling to understand why Jesus won’t heal her emotional pain and bring her joy again. Mary and Salome encourage Eden to let herself grieve her baby, and suggest she seek council from a rabbi who can read her God’s words from the Torah.

The following day she goes to the synagogue with Dasha and asks to see Yussif, knowing he isn’t hostile towards her husband’s Rabbi. He offers his condolences, and asks if Eden is angry at her husband, to which she admits that she is. He decides to read her Psalm 77, in which the narrator describes the feeling that God is distant in his suffering, yet holds on to the memory of His great works and promises, trusting He is present even if not felt.

At Yussif’s suggestion, Eden then takes a ritual cleansing ceremony in the newly-restored *mikveh*, immersing herself while submitting to God’s refuge (not realizing that, elsewhere at the same time, Simon is walking on the water with Jesus and confronting Him on the miscarriage). She finally feels peace and healing, begging God not to let Simon go.

When he returns home Eden embraces him, husband and wife ready to reconcile and begin the journey to healing.

## Appearances

* *Season One*
	+ *I Have Called You By Name*
	+ *Shabbat*
	+ *The Rock On Which It Is Built*
	+ *The Wedding Gift*
	+ *Indescribable Compassion*
	+ *Invitations*
	+ *I Am He*
* *Season Two*
	+ *Matthew 4:24* (mentioned)
	+ *Beyond Mountains*

* *Season Three*
	+ *Homecoming*
	+ *Two by Two*
	+ *Clean, Part 1*
	+ *Clean, Part 2*
	+ *Intensity in Tent City*
	+ *Ears to Hear* (mentioned)
	+ *Sustenance*