Draft99

CHAPTER 99

For all the days of Boel there was peace on the banks of  the  Menkal River. From season  to season the harvests never  failed,  and  the flocks multiplied  to fulfill the needs of all the Roshites. In the midst of this bounty Boel founded the city of Akamar on the shores of the bay where the River Menkal flowed into the Great Sea.

In time Boel begat a son named Mered. When Mered was of age he began to learn  the  writings in the White Scroll. Boel told his  son  the presence of the Ark of the Covenant was all that stayed the  Roshites from dwindling in unbelief.

After many happy years there came a time when Boel grew so old as  to fall  into ill health. He told his son to gather the people  together outside of the city so he could formally announce what he had already done in practice. For Mered already held the authority of high priest and God had accepted him on the most recent Day of Atonement. It re- mained only to declare Mered the chieftain of the people.

Near the head of the valley of the Menkal a large hay farm was select- ed, and a tower was built a number of cubits up the north wall of the valley. The people arranged themselves around the twoer in tents, with each family separated one from another. The door of each tent  faced the twoer so they could stay in their tent yet still hear the words of Boel, which was to be delivered one phrase at a time by a yang  among the B'nei Elohim named Azrael. This yang could repeat the words  of Boel with great power, such that all the people could hear them.

Through the voice of Azrael, Boel spoke of his life in service to the people, and  how he even labored with his own hands that  the  people would not be unduly burdened with taxes. Yet, said Boel, he did  not bring this up to boast, only to affirm that he has really been in the service of God. Boel said he served God simply by serving his fellow human beings.

Boel also  said if he, their chieftain and high  priest,  labored  to serve the people, then the people ought to be inspired by that example and labor to serve one another. And if he, their earthly  chieftain, merited any thanks from the people, how much more did God, their  di- vine chieftain, merit much greater thanks from them.

Yet, Boel said, even if the people served God with all  their  power, they would still remain, quite frankly, unprofitable servants, because God literaly caused them to exist from instant to instant. So the only thing God really required from them in return for keeping them  alive was for them to simply keep his covenant.

Boel told the people he could no longer be their high priest nor their chieftain because  he was very close to going the way of  all  flesh. Indeed, it was only by the power of God that he was able to stand  on the  tower platform and speak to them without collapsing. He declared that his son Mered was to be the high priest and ruler over them.

Boel died soon after making this speech and slept with  his  fathers. And Boel did what was right in the sight of God for all of his days.

As chieftain, Mered commanded that a group of Roshites soldiers should return to the settlement of Shedal near Eliath Wood to seek  out  the Benjaminites who had remained behind when the Remnant was first divid- ed. But the company, led by Captain Peresh, soon learned the Benjemi- nites had grown mighty over the intervening years, and they still re- membered when  Abidan came seeking tribute. The force commanded  by Peresh  was summarily turned away by the Benjaminite  chieftain  named Parnach.

Then Peresh rode with his men north to the upper reaches of the river Menkal only to discover the Benjaminites had built a second city there called Glenah, and there Chief Hammuel also remembered, through  oral history, how  Abidan came seeking to subjugate them. He also  turned away Peresh and his whole force. Then Peresh departed, to ride down the vale of the Menkal. In Akamar he gave his report to Chief Mered.

Hearing all the words of Peresh, Mered saw how it had been a  mistake to unite  the office of high priest with the office of  chieftain  as Rosh had done in the days when the Remnant wandered Eliath Wood. With his last act as chieftain Mered established a system of elected magis- trates to  rule the land of Menkal and to judge the people  in  their day-to-day affairs. Higher magistrates could overrule lower  magis- trates, but the Chief Magistrate could himself be impeached by a coun- cil of lower magistrates.

The people of Menkal valley gathered to cast their votes and a  Juda- hite named  Neriah became the first elected chief magistrate  of  the Roshites. But Mered remained high priest and made yearly intercession with God for all the children of Israel in Haaretz.