Rabi Shimon remained silent but his wife rushed forward and said, “O Caesar, here is the child. I ask you to inspect him before you pass judgment on us.”
The Emperor took the child in his hands and looked at him.
“What is this?” he exclaimed. “This child is not circumcised! Is this a joke?”
The Romans who had accompanied the group were thunderstruck. How was it possible?
“The governor will hear from me,” the Emperor roared, ”You Jews may leave and return to your homeland.”
Once again the family stopped off at the hotel, this time to return the babies to their rightful mothers. They exchanged lasting vows of friendship and the friendship passed over to the two young children.
When the Roman baby, Antonius, grew up and assume the throne he never forgot his mother’s friend and son.
