TCF

King Shallum did not tear down the shrines of the idols of the Edomites in Samaria. Then Jashen of the B'nei Elohim, the herald of God Most High, came before the king and said, "Because, O King, you have permitted this great offense against God Most Hight to remain in Samaria, that the children of Israel are led to sin by worshiping the idols of the Edomites, he shall make a quick end of your rule in the kingdom and give the throne to another."

And Shallum waxed full of wrath. He ordered Jashen to depart from his presence, and this Jashen did. Then Jashen went to the cities of the tribe of Ephraim and chose from among them five righteous men who had never performed worship at the shrines of the idols of the Edomites in Samaria.

And the names of the righteous Ephraimites were Jalon and Kenaz and Haran and Millo and Shechaniah.

And Bat-El brought to the mind of Elyon remembrance of the covenant he made when the father of the Israelites was yet living in the household of his own father, Yishak. Bat-El said the time had come when he would settle families of the children of Israel in Kemen. But Elyon said by the covenant Bat-El was constrained to settle them in Haaretz west of the Wall of God.

So Jashen led the five righteous Ephraimites with their wives to the north and east of Haaretz and brought them to a cool vale between Shaula Wood and the very face of the Wall of God.

Jalon knew his wife, and begat Salathiel and Mehullam and Ibnijah. And Kenaz knew his wife, and he begat Harim and Malchiah and Jimnah. And Haran knew his wife, and he begat Pashur and Esli and Buzi. And Millo knew his wife, and he begat Ohad and Rizpah and Raham. And Shechaniah knew his wife, and he begat Hasrah and Jonadab and Mahazioth.

The same Ephraimites founded the city of Hadal, and in time this city became the capital of the kingdom of Nath.

King Shallum reigned only thirty days before another officer of Zachariah's army, Menachem son of of Gadi, rose up and smote him in his turn. And Menachem took the throne of Samaria for himself. But the men of Tiphsah did not give assent that Menachem should be king.

So Menachem smote that city, the coasts thereof, and put all inhabitants to the edge of sword, slaying even the women were heavy with child.

King Menachem heard a report that the herald of God Most High was seen in the city, and his ministers brought to mind the words of Jashen in the days of King Shallum. So he tore down the shrines of the idols of the Edomites, and caused them to be melted to slag. Then Menachem ordered Jashen to be brought before his throne in Samaria.

And the king said to Jashen, "Behold, the idols of the Edomites are no more. Bless you, then, my reign, in the name of God Most High that I may live long and lead the people into all righteousness."

But Jashen said, "God Most High has judged, O King, that a great evil was carried out in Tiphsah, even to the slaying of women who were with child. Now therefore Judah has become the apple of his eye, and God has sworn to have nothing further to do with any king who rules from this city."

Then Menachem waxed in wrath, and ordered Jashen to depart from his presence. So Jashen went to the cities of the tribe of Manesseh and chose from among them five righteous men who had never performed worship at the shrines of the idols of the Edomites in Samaria.

And the names of the righteous Manessehites were Bashemath and Abihud and Ishiah and Imlah and Ithiel.

Bashemath knew his wife and begat Eder and Ahishamar and Shammah. And Abuihud knew his wife and begat Raphi and Anah and Hezion. And Ishiah knew his wife and begat Zephi and Jerah and Harhas. And Imlah knew his wife and begat Alemeth and Henadad and Zidon. And Ithiel knew his wife and begat Hassenaah and Pahath and Hori.

The same Manessehites built Menkant in the valley of the upper Sabik River between Mount Rasal and Mount Menkant. Their settlement grew to become the leading city among the tribes in the south of Haaretz. In time these became the kingdom of Hamar.

And King Menachem exacted a head tax of fifty shekels upon every male in Samaria that he might give tribute to King Tiglat of Assyria. He reigned for ten years in Samaria, and his son Pekahiah ascended to the throne upon his death.

Pekahiah reigned for two years before word came to him that Elin and Jashen, bothj servant of God Most High, were seen in the city. And the king gave commandmnent these B'nei Elohim should appear before his throne.

And Pekahiah said to them, "Behold, Menachem who sinned against God Most High has been dead these two years, and I have not walked in his ways, neither have I set up idols that the children of Israel may be led into sin. Give to me the blessing of Yahweh, therefore, that the people may prosper in the face of our foes the Aramites and the armies of Damascus."

But Jashen said, "As I have already said to King Menachem, God Most High has vowed to have nought to do with the kings in Samaria, and the Lord's vows are without repentance."

Then Pekahiah waxed greatly in wrath, and taking a spear he thought to smite Jashen, but even as his arm drew back with the spear he fell in a faint, for it was given unto Elin that che could smite a man with something akin to lightning. And after that Elin and Jashen departed from the presence of the king.

Then Pekah of Gilead, the son of Remaliah and the king's chief lieutenant in the army, slew Pekiahiah as he lay before the throne of Samaria. And Pekah took the throne and became king.

But Elin and Jashen went among the people of the tribe of Gad to find five righteous men who never prostituted themselves with the idols of the Edomites. And the names of these righteous men were Jeush and Manahath and Bedad and Shebna and Shimei.

Jeush knew his wife and begat Jedaiah and Anathoth and Joatham. And Managhath knew his wife and begat Shillem and Haggith and Ludim. And Bedad knew his wife and begat Mehetabeel and Ishbak and Zaccur. And Shebni knew his wife and begat Jehudi and Zeruiah and Chelal. And Shimei knew his wife and begat Amasa and Jephunneh and Elisham.

The same Gadites built the city of Kabark on a plain in Kemen that lacked for water. They built a mighty work of stone to dam the river Armak and dug many canals and ditches to water their farms from the lake that formed behind the dam. And their fields and orchards became the envy of Haaretz.

King Pekah made alliance with King Rezin of Aram, and marched on Jerusalem to levy troops of King Ahaz of Judah to turn against Tiglat of Syria, but they did not prevail.

Then Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglat king of Syria begging for succor, and with them sent he also in tribute much silver and gold from the temple, and from the king's own treasury. Then the Assyrians sacked Damascus and added the lands of Aram to their own territory, and King Rezin was executed.

And King Tiglat assailed all the cities of the tribe of Naphtali, and defeated them, and his army carried the people therein captive to Syria. Then a political party favorable to Assyria appeared in Samaria, with Hoshea, an officer of Pekah's army, as its leader.

In the twentieth year of King Pekah word came to him Beleth and Jashen of the B'nei Elohim, both servant of God Most High, were seen in the land of Samaria, The king demanded that they both appear before the throne to give account of their doings in his kingdom.

And Jashen said they were both about an errand appointed by the Lord himself, and it had naught to do with the king in Samaria. Neither did Jashen speak a word to the king of the nature of their errand.

Then Pekah waxed greatly in wrath, and ordered his servants to seize Jashen and Beleth and put them in prison, but no sooner did he pronounce this doom then was a loud report heard by all who dwelt in the palace, and the king was no more, but his smoking bones and entrails lay strewn about. For it was given to Beleth that che could call forth a blasting fire. Then Jashen and Beleth departed from the king's palace, and none dared hinder them.

And King Tiglat himself appointed Hoshea as king over the people of Samaria. He received from Hoshe ten talents of gold and a thousand talents of silver and had these brought to his capital.

But Jashen and Beleth went among the tribe of Naphtali that was in exile under the Assyrians and found of them five righteous men who never worshiped the idols of the Edomites. And those men were named Jehozadak and Semachiab and Huppim and Jehiel and Maath.

Jehozadak knew his wife and begat Hoshaiah and Toah and Paruah. And Senmachiab knew his wife and begat Pelatiah and Athaliah and Giddalti. And Huppim knew his wife and begat Maadai and Jehoadah and Pelaliah. And Jehiel knew his wife and begat Jeuel and Arodi and Halohesh. And Maath knew his wife and begat Bariah and Hasshub and Azaz.

The same Naphtalites built the city of Wazol at the very source of the river Sabik, and the stone Wall of God fairly loomed over it four vertical miles. There the Catwalk of legend touched bottom. The mines of Wazol offered much iron ore, as well as the coal to smelt it.

Hoshea paid tribute to Assyria every year while King Tiglat lived. And when reports came to him that Michael of the B'nei Elohim, a seraph of God Most High, was walking abroad in Samaria, King Hoshea knew the recent kings of Samaria did not fare well after demanding audience with the B'nei Elohim so he did not demand Michael appear before his throne in the capital.

And Michael went to the lands of the tribe of Zebulin, and found among them five righteous men who had never worshiped the idols of the Edomites. And these men were Abdiel and Azaiah and Kabzeel and Imrah and Epher.

And Adbeel knew his wife and begat Mahali and Kittim and Gedaliah. And Azaiah knew his wife and begat Erran and Jeramee and Lehabim. And Kabzeel knew his wife and begat Letushim and Jonan and Rinnah. And Imrah knew his wife and begat Shiphi and Tabrimon and Eliab. And Epher knew his wife and begat Serug and Zehtam and Tiras.

The same tribe of Zebuluin settled Kemen far up the vale of the river Nanki on the road leading north from the Saiph League. There caravans transferred their goods to rafts fashioned from logs felled from the endless forests of pine blanketing the foothills of the Wall of God.

When King Tiglat died his son Shalmaneser attained to the throne. Then King Hoshea of Samaria sent ambassadors before the Pharoah in Egypt, and he ceased paying the yearly tribute.

But nothing came to fruition after King Hoshea's overtures to Egypt. Much chastened, the king offered to resume paying the tribute to the Assyrians, but Shalmaneser was indignant and refused, and gave battle, and he took Hoshea captive in war. Then Shalmaneser's armies laid seige to Samaria and took possession of the city after three years.

And the nephil Gabriel of the B'nei Elohim, a servant of God Most High, found five righteous men from among the tribe of Issachar who had never prostituted themselves before the idols of the Edomites. These men were Shaphat and Abishai and Jaazaniah and Habaziniah and Gemalli.

Shaphat knew his wife and begat Binnui and Salah and Heth, and he begat other sons and daughters besides. And Abishai knew his wife and begat Michri and Ezer and Gallim. And Jaazaniah knew his wife and begat Madai and Zabad and Ahasai. And Habaziniah knew his wife and begat Joed and Jaalam and Berachah. And Gemalli knew his wife and begat Zeror and Ahilud and Naarah.

The same Issacharites built the city of Adjara on the western edge of Shaula Wood. It became a great crossroads in the land of Haaretz and the center of a weaponscraft that rivaled that of the Black Beards in Adan. And they set about to build a temple to God Most High after the manner of the house of God in Jerusalem.

King Shalmaneser was assassinated by his half-brother Sargon with the support of the foremost generals of the army, as Shalmaneser's seiges were deemed too long and fruitless. The army was withdrawn from Samaria to consolidate the king's position in the capital city of Nimrud.

Jashen, herald of God Most High, went among the cities of the tribe of Reuben to find five righteous men who never prostituted themselves with the idols of the Edomites. And these men were Mattathah and Bichri and Hothir and Asarelah and Mahlah.

Mattathah knew his wife and begat Gilon and Eliphal and Azrikam. And Bichri knew his wife and begat Kareah and Ahikam and Pethuel. And Hothir knew his wife and begat Abiud and Eliadah and Shebuel. And Asarelah knew his wife and begat Jeremai and Tabeal and Malcham. And Mahlah knew his wife and begat Anath and Geber and Raamah.

The same Reubenites built the city of Mizal near Mount Naruthah, but the lee of the uplands was dry and impoverished. Ever the Reubenites struck north against the Red Beards of Linan for the rich fruit of the orchards round about that city, and they stole much cattle. At length the Reubenites prevailed and took possession of the city.

King Sargon set eunuchs as governors of the provinces of Syria, that succession should not be a matter of blood. And he resolved to end the military matters left standing by his predecessor.

And Jashen of the B'nei Elohim, a servant of God Most High, went among the cities of the tribe of Dan to find five righteous men who never prostituted themselves with the idols of the Edomites. And the five Danite men were Pethor and Zabud and Abiram and Shamer and Ahumai.

Pethor knew his wife, and begat Shisha and Zehtan and Elionai. And Zabud knew his wife, and begat Teman and Immer and Josibiah. And Abiram knew his wife, and begat Abiah and Kadmiel and Paseah. And Shamer knew his wife, and begat Jediael and Zobebah and Korah. And Ahumai knew his wife, and begat Zeziuah and Azzan and Sadoc.

The same Danites built the city of Fatho at the foot of the Wall of God where many natural caves lay. The Danites delved deep with pick and spade to reap precious stones and much gold.

King Sargon laid siege Samaria and recaptured the capital city. Twenty-seven thousand two hundred and ninety people dwelling in the midst of the city and in the land all about were carried off captive. And Sargon chose fifty of the best chariots for himself and distributed the rest among his army. Then Sargon appointed a general over the remaining people of the land of Samaria and collected the taxes of Hoshea their former and final king.

And Asrael of the B'nei Elohim, a servant of God Most High, was sent among the captives of the tribe of Ashur to find five righteous men who never prostituted themselves to the idols of the Edomites. These men were Ziphion and Ebed and Zuar and Akkub and Shubael.

Ziphion knew his wife, and begat Abdiel and Shobal and Ithran. And Ebed knew his wife, and begat Nabal and Gera and Baladan. And Zuar knew his wife, and he begat Bimhal and Hodoviah and Seled. And Akkub knew his wife, and he begeat Shaul and Zabiel and Noadiah. And Shubael knew his wife, and he begat Jeduthun and Mallothi and Saruch.

The same Ashurites settled at the midpoint of the river Nanki where it tumbled over a series of cataracts that would dash any cargo-carrying rafts to splinters. They portaged the goods to new rafts made from the same logs sent individually down sluices to below the falls.

By order of the Assyrian king the people of the tribes of Dan, Asher, Zebulun, Issachar, Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh were relocated to lands far to the east. The planning for the move took longer than the march and the execution was without flaw.

None marched under the lash, and many even went willingly. The children of Israel were a lettered people, even to the boys among them, and the Assyrians had need of them in the governance of their empire. The exiles built new homes in locations chosen such that when the time came for their sons to find wives it was more likely they would find a foreign man's daughter rather than a daughter of their fellow exiles. None were compelled to intermarry, yet many of them did.

Twelve years later Sargon completed the conquest of Samaria. The remaining people of Manesseh and all of Ephraim were exiled to Medea.

At the same time captives from other lands were settled in the lands once occupied by the children of Israel. Only the tribes of Simeon, Benjamin, Judah, and Levi remained in the south. But many of the children of Israel who would not go into exile escaped from Samaria to Judah.

After that the kingdom of Judah waxed strong even as the kingdom of Samaria once did. In the six hundred seven and thirtieth year of the Covenant Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah. Hezekiah begat anasseh and Amaziah, and he begat daughters besides.

King Hezekiah removed every vestige of polytheism in Judah, including the high places that had existed under every king since Rehoboam. And he refused to serve the Assyrian king Sennacherib the son of Sargon II, the Assyrian king who destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel.

Sennacherib therefore laid siege to Jerusalem and forced Hezekiah to pay a tribute of thirty talents of gold, eight hundred talents of silver, gems, antimony, and many jewels.

Also paid in tribute was carnelian, couches and chairs inlaid with ivory, elephant hides and tusks, ebony, boxwood, and other rich treasures, along with Hezekiah's daughters, his wives, his musicians, men and women. All of these things were taken by King Sennacherib to Ninevah.

To prepare Jerusalem in the event of another siege, Hezekiah constructed an aqueduct to bring fresh water into the Pool of Siloam inside the city. He also commanded a new wall to be built from Temple Mount to the West Hill where new houses has been built by refugees from the northern kingdom.

In the six hundred and fifty-first year of the Covenant Neriah son of Urijah became High Priest unto Elyon Most High. Neriah begat Hoshaiah and Ezbai. Neriah collected from scribes of the downfallen kingdom of Samaria scrolls which had been penned by the prophets Hosea and Amos and Micah, and these writings he commanded to be copied and preserved by his own scribes.

In the six hundred six and sixtieth year of the Covenant king Hezekiah died, and Manasseh was annointed king of Judah. Manasseh begat Amon and Bukkiah, and he begat daughters besides.

And Manasseh became a vassal of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon, son of Sennacherib, who exacted tribute in the form of stones, timber and labor for his public works.

When Esarhaddon's son Ashurbanipan became king of Assyria upon the death of his father, he levied troops from Manasseh to meet the Egyptians on the field of battle.

In the six hundred nine and eightieth year of the Covenant Hoshaiah High Priest unto God Most High. Hoshaiah begat Hilkiah and Lael, and he begat daughters besides. Hoshaiah spoke out against the king for building shrines to Baal and Asherah in the temple, and the king dared not strike directly at the high priest, but Manasseh had many of Hoshaiah's supporters among the landed aristocracy put to death.

In the seven hundred first and tenth year of the Covenant Manesseh died after reigning fifty-five years, and his son Amon became king of Judah. And Amon begat Josiah.

King Amon sacrificed to the idols that had been set up by his father in the temple, and he became more the vassal to the Assyrians than his father had been, even as the power of Assyria waned. And wealthy Levites loyal to Hoshaiah led a coup against the king, and caused him to be assassinated after a reign of only two years.

In the seven hundred three and tenth year of the Covenant Josiah king of Judah, being then only eight years of age. But Hoshaiah the High Priest was the real power behind the throne until his death.

Josiah commanded all the religious items made for Baal, Asherah, and other gods to be burned outside the city. He tore down the apartments of the prostitutes in the cult of Asherah. He also destroyed once and for all the altar to the golden calf built in Beth-El by King Rehoboam.

In the seven hundred and thirtieth year of the Covenant Hilkiah son of Hoshaiah became High Priest unto Elyon Most High upon the death of his father. Hilkiah begat Azariah and Shashak, and he begat daughters besides.

And King Josiah commanded that all the people should congregate in the Great Court of the Temple, that he might recite to them a scroll that had been hidden in the walls of the hekhal from the days of the High Priest Zadok.

And for the first time the children of Israel learned of Moshe, the brother of Aaron, and how Yahweh made a Second Covenant with the Hebrews that was forgotten. Yet Aaron had no such brother named Moshe, and there was only ever the Abrahamic covenant.

But the King rehearsed in the ears of the people commandments that the scroll said had been given to Moshe in the days before the twelve tribes were apportioned their lands.

This said Yahweh to Moshe, according to this scroll: "You shall be seen at the Temple on Shavuot and Sukkot. You shall bring all avowed and freewill offerings to the Temple on the first subsequent holy day. You shall bring all sacrifices from outside Israel to the Temple.

"You shall not appear at the temple without offerings. You shall not drink wine poured in service to idols. You shall not eat sacrifices which have become disfigured. You shall not eat the meat of the lesser sacrifices before sprinkling the blood.

"You shall not leave the meat of the holy day offering of the 14th until the 16th. You shall not shear the fleece of consecrated animals. You shall give the first sheering of sheep and the shoulder, two cheeks, and stomach of slaughtered animals to the sons of Aaron.

"You shall read the confession of tithes every fourth and seventh year. You shall set aside Terumah Gedolah, the tithe for the sons of Aaron. You shall set aside the Second Tithe. You shall not eat the meat of an animal that died without ritual slaughter.

"You shall not offer animals bought with the wages of a male or female prostitute. You shall not offer any sacrifices outside the courtyard. You shall not refrain from rejoicing with and giving gifts to the Levites.

"You shall marry a wife only by means of kiddushin. You shall obtain a divorce only by means of a Get document. You shall break the neck of a calf by a stream following an unsolved murder. You shall appoint priests to speak with the soldiers during wartime."

And on the following Day of Atonement Hilkiah the High Priest appeared before the Table of the Covenant to beg God Most High to forgive the sins of the people.

But Bat-El said, "This have I done, for I am your God. But the sin of the king I will not forgive because his transgression is renewed daily, whenever a priest recites again from the scroll the king unveiled to the people."

And the high priest said, "Please, Lord, let me understand."

And Bat-El said, "I said none of the things the king recited in my name. Aaron had a sister, Miriam, but no brothers. This Moshe did not exist. There was not, and there never shall be, a second covenant between myself and any of the inhabitants of Earth. All those things the king read to the people were lies that redound to the benefit of the priesthood.

"Therefore I shall raise up the king of the South, and Josiah king of Judah shall die at his hands. Then I shall raise up the king of the East, and there shall be much much going to and fro of armies, and the sons of Josiah shall shift their allegiance between their two enemies until the sceptre departs from the throne of Judah forever.

"Nevertheless the King shall be redeemed if he gathers all the people in the Temple Courtyard and repents of this figment of a Second Covenant. He may even say he was decived by the priests, for that, at least, is true."

And Hilkiah the High Priest was terrified, and said, "Lord, be merciful! If I give this commandmandment to the king and he says nay he will have me put to death, and if he says yea the other priests will put me to death."

And Elyon said, "Then your choice is clear, Hilkiah son of Hoshaiah. You can die at the hands of wicked men, yet be redeemed in the eyes of your God, and your son Azariah shall take your place, or you can be accursed and die at the hands of your God, and you shall be the last High Priest in Judah."

Then Hilkiah feared to take the Table of the Covenant from the Holiest Place to display to the people, as was the procedure on every Day of Atonement from the days of Levi when Jashen delivered the relic to him, for Hilkiah knew God would strike him dead if he touched the stone, and his fellow priests would haul his body out of the Holiest Place by a rope tied about his loins as a precaution against the Lord's displeasure.

Instead he appeared before the people empty handed, and told them God himself had decreed the Table of the Covenant must remain forever in the Holiest Place, and none may see it, save the High Priest, lest it become an object of idolatry, and none may touch it, not even the High Priest.

In the days following the Atonement the brother of Hilkiah named Lael was seen in the cities and countryside of Judah bearing the Golden Gift as a sign of his commission to preserve a remnant from the kingdom.

Lael went with his wife Sariah. Elam his eldest son came also with him, and he with his wife Serach. But Lael's second son Jemuel found he a wife named Iscah from among the tribe of Judah, and his third son Rosh married a young woman Sela from the tribe of Benjamin.

From the tribe of Judah Lael made followers of Abner and his wife Tabitha, as well as Abner's son Asa and Asa's wife Jemima.

Of the tribe of Simeon a man named Josiah and his wife Keturah joined Lael, together with Josiah's son Tobiah and his wife Susanna.

Of the tribe of Benjamin there also joined Lael and his group one Zethan with his wife Atara, Jabez and his wife Keziah, as well as Rimon the elder son of Jabez with his wife Dinah, and also Asher the younger son of Jabez with his wife Leah.

And Lael led his followers into Jerusalem one evening until he stood in the place built by Hezekiah that was called the Pool of Siloam. Then Lael descended the underwater stairs until he was completely immersed, and he came not again out of the water.

One by one, Lael's followers overcame their fear and entered the water. When they emerged from the pool again, things had changed. They were surrounded by trees rather than stone. Strangers attended to them with dry linen and new clothing to replace their soaked rags. For they were in Nyduly Wood in the land of Haaretz in Kemen, far from Earth, and the pool was guarded by the B'nei Elohim who dwelt in the Wood.

Jashen, who had frequently had dealings with the kings of Samaria and Judah, told Lael that God himself had ordained a reflowering of the House of Israel in that place, as Elyon's counsel that humans could not remain faithful to the elohim had prevailed on Earth.

On the second day a delegation from the tribe of Zebulun joined Lael's group after a trek down the vale of the river Nanki from their settlement named Alnitar. The Zebulunites provided shields for the men among the new colonists crafted from the otherworldly trees that grew in the south.

The shields of the Zebulunites were hard enough to withstand the strokes of any axe or blade and to turn away all arrows, since the trees that had been used to make them could be cut only by fire. Yet the gifts were lighter than ones of comparable size made of bronze or iron.

On the third day men and women of the lost tribe of Ephraim arrived after paddling downriver from their homes in the settlement city of Hadam. Their boat carried much food, wine, and many small tools and diverse goods as gifts, that Lael's group might begin their colony in Haaretz.

On the morning of the fourth day Lael and his growing group of travelers went east until they reached the river Sabik and made camp. On the other bank Hadraniel, king of Hamar, arrived from the city of Menkant to speak with Lael and he was accompanied by not a few courtiers.

Then Lael's group carefully forded the perilous river Sabik to join Hadraniel. The king commanded his small flock of livestock slaughtered by Levites after making a burnt offering to the Lord. There was to be a feast as the Kemenly southern kingdom of Israelites joyfully welcomed the remnant of the southern tribes of earthly Israel.

In the morning King Hadraniel led the group overland and ever higher to a shoulder of Mount Menkant. Here they were met by Naphtalis out of the settlement of Wazol bearing precious stones for the women and girls traveling with Lael to wear and for the men to later trade for goods.

At dawn on the sixth day King Hadraniel and his entourage took their leave. Lael led his people further east until the Wall of God began to loom over them. They crossed the upper reaches of the river Arhena and entered the land of the tribe of Dan in the kingdom of Nath.

In Fatho the Danites made a gift of much silver and gold, and pack animals to carry them. With the giving of many thanks Lael turned northwest over the saddle between Mt. Fatho and the Wall of God. His folk were drenched in mist as they passed the famed Hundred Cataracts.

By the evening of the seventh day Lael's travelers reached the settlement of Kabark, home of the tribe of Gad. The townsfolk brought forth the bounty of the rich farms of their land which were watered by canals leading from man-made Lake Enkaa like the threads of a spider's web.

At noon on the next day day Lael and the colonists arrived at Enkaa Dam. A delegation of Israelites from the tribe of Reuben met them bearing baskets of delicious fresh fruit of a kind none of the travelers from Judah had ever tasted before, as they were native to Kemen.

On the ninth day when Lael reached Adjara the Issacharites of that city provided more pack animals for their goods, and two of the asses bore sufficient arms for twelve men, lest Lael run afoul of men or nephilim of the House of Bellon.

Within Adjara lay the Kemenly temple of Yahweh which men of the whole House of Israel had begun to build, and there Levites in exile guarded the Ark containing the Table of the Covenant.

And Bat-El had given commandment that the Ark should pass into the safekeeping of Lael and his sons until the temple was sanctified, that they may both preserve the stone tablet of the Abrahamic covenant and secure the White Scroll of Leliel contained within the chest.

King Thausael of Hadal laid upon Lael and his three sons a charge to bear the Ark on two gold-plated staves through rings in the side of the artifact. And when they were not actively carrying the Ark they were to set the ends of the staves through four stones pierced with holes.

Every time Lael paused, said King Thausael, the four stones were to be set on pillars of greater stones gathered from the ground around the encampment. The king said the Ark must never touch the ground, and save for the lid the Ark must never be touched by man nor beast.

Then Lael was bid to pass through Eliath Wood to a choice land prepared for him. But Lael would never be abandoned or forgotten, assured King Thausael, because the oracles of Yahweh came only through the Ark, and ever men of the House of Israel would come seeking for them.

When Pharaoh Necho II marched his army toward the River Euphrates to bring succor to the Assyrians King Josiah went out to confront them at the Jezreel Valley. Necho sent an epistle to Josiah that said, "What have we to do with one another, king of Judah? I am not come against you, but I march to break the seige at Harran."

In reply Josiah moved to block the narrow defile that reached the Jezreel Valley at Megiddo but the king was slain by archers. And his servants carried his body in a chariot to Jerusalem and laid him in a tomb, and his son Jehoahaz succeeded him.

King Jehoahaz reigned only three months in Jerusalem. Pharaoh Neco took him captive at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and demanded a tribute of much silver and gold.

Jehoahaz died in captivity in Egypt, the first king of Judah to die in exile. And Jehoiakim became king of Judah. Necho then appointed Eliakim, another son of Josiah, as king of Judah. Eliakim changed his name to Jehoiakim.

After serving as the vassal of Nebuchadnezzar for three years Jehoiakim revolted against Babylon. But the king died at the hands of pro-Babylon partisans before the combined armies of Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites and Ammonites could reach Jerusalem. And he was succeeded by his son Jeconiah.

And Azariah became High Priest in Jerusalem, but not unto God Most High, for the line of Lael in Kemen had become of the apple of Bat-El's eye. And following the first Day of Atonement Azariah told the priests, in confidence, that the Ark of the Covenant was not seen in the Holiest Place, and must have been withdrawn by God himself, but this was not told to the king, nor were any of Bat-El's words concerning the so-called Code of Moshe known to Azariah. Thus the Lord's punishment rolled on.

Like Jehoahaz, King Jeconiah also reigned only three months in Jerusalem. During his reign Nebuchadnezzar personally laid siege to Jerusalem and would accept no offers of tribute from Jeconiah to desist. When the seige became strait Jeconiah surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar and was taken captive to Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar took all the treasures of the temple and deported the army, the craftsmen, and all the landowners of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar appointed Mattaniah, the uncle of Jeconiah, as king and changed his name to Zedekiah. In that same year Seraiah became the last High Priest in Judah.

King Zedekiah reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. Near the end of his reign, King Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar and his whole army advanced against Jerusalem and laid siege to it.

Zedekiah attempted to escape the city but he was captured and brought before Nebuchadnezzar. The sons of Zedekiah were slain before his eyes, and then Zedekiah was blinded, bound in chains, and taken to Babylon.

The Babylonians burned the temple and the palace of the king, and they burned every house within the walls of Jerusalem. The walls of the city were torn down and the twenty thousand people of the city were taken into exile in Babylon. From that day the kingdom of Judah ceased to exist, for it had becaome a mere province of Babylon.

When Lael's group were transplanted to Kemen the eloah Elyon was known as Kokabiel and Chemah was incarnated as Belphegor. After Belphegor came to Adjara by fold-door it took nearly an hour for his servant Malphas to locate him.

Belphegor crinkled his nose at the usual open sewage of human cities but after a time it was bearable. Hy amused himself watching construction of Bat-El's temple. Belphegor knew the Levites and Issacharites of the city were attempting to build a copy of the Jerusalem temple. From the progress they had made and the techniques of construction they were using, he estimated it would take at least a century more to complete.

Malphas found him watching a stone block weighing at least a ton being hoisted into position with the nearly imperceptible pace and inevitability of a glacier moving an erratic. He sank to one knee and said, 'My lord, the villa of the B'nei Elohim is near to this place.'

Belphegor motioned for his servant to rise, and asked of him, "the B'nei Elohim, are they to be trusted?"

"The ones at the villa are human," Malphas warned, "but they claim to be servants of all elohim, not merely Bat-El alone. The one named Jashen claims to be the herald of Bat-El and he assures me he will not waste your time."

Belphegor thought it augured well when the four B'nei Elohim waiting outside the house paid perfect obeisance as was due a seraph without even the requirement of being announced to them. When hy beheld the one who identified himself as Jashen hy saw his features called back to those of the original colonists brought to Adan from Earth.

Indoors Belphegor was treated with more decadent luxury than hy experienced even in Rumbek at the heart of his Larund realm. The wine was cold, the roast beef was hot, and the furnishings were of such fine make hy said to Jashen, "I had not thought such wealth existed in Adjara."

"Lord Belphegor, on Earth the lowliest among the B'nei Elohim enjoy better, yet it is not thought to be great wealth. It is only with long labor that we have made this place acceptable for us to dwell in Haaretz as we are accustomed. Yet we are only wayfarers in Kemen."

"And what are the B'nei Elohim that you become wayfarers in Kemen?" demanded Belphegor.

"'A little above man, a little below the gods' Bat-El tells us," said Jashen, and for a moment he was thrown off-stride by an idle thought that Bat-El's very name no longer reflected his sex. He recovered and said, "No doubt you have heard him say that he views the world-dwellers as students. And yet from time to time he is of need of servants. The Lord Belphegor must recall a time seven centuries ago when a weapon called the Golden Gift was an heirloom of the ruling family of Salem. First it was wielded by Melchizedek, then the weapon passed to Queen Lilith, who cut a line between Magodon and Adan in solid rock."

"I did witness her cut on the frontier, Jashen, but what is your errand in Kemen? You told Malphas this would not be a waste of my time."

"Milord, I was sent to retrieve the self-same Golden Gift, and so I have done." Jashen detached the relic from his belt and set it down between them.

Belphegor said, "I see a sword's hilt covered in gold. How do you know that is Lilith's weapon?"

"Milord, it is very similar, in subtle way, to another gewgaw I have collected." Jashen set Lilith's headband on the table next to it, after touching the gem to illuminate it. "Milord, we have heard this light comes from Bat-El himself, from the sun that is his body. If that is true, there must be an invisible thread that leads from this antique back to Bat-El, in a way I cannot understand. My brother-in-law Ithuriuel has called it a 'defect in locality.' Two other relics have such threads. One relic, milord, is the Golden Gift itself. The other I will tell you of directly, but first I must speak of this headband and how it defies every attempt we make to destroy it. Witness, if you will, Lord."

Jashen placed the relic against the corner of a stone pedestal. In his other hand Jashen held a large hammer. He said, "With your permission, Lord Belphegor, of course."

Belphegor waved for him to continue, and Jashen struck the headband between the hammer and a corner of the pedestal. The brilliant gem never ceased to give light. Then Jashen cast the undamaged headband back on the table.

"We have destroyed many of our metal tools trying to cut the band," he said. "Not the hottest forge we can stoke will begin to make it melt, and no wonder, since a living star made this in his belly. Yet is it proof against the Golden Gift?"

Jashen took up the ancient weapon and glanced at his divine guest. "Again, Lord Belphegor, by your leave?" With the order to proceed, Jashen squeezed the Golden Gift to allow the black shaft of nothingness to lick the headband into oblivion. But he could not avoid damage to the table.

He said, "The Lord Elyon will affirm that only two defects in locality now extend through his umbilical with Bat-El."

"What you say is of a truth. Now, Jashen, you will deliver this Golden Gift into my hand."

"Alas, Lord, such is my own will, but it is not the will of Bat-El."

"What is that to me?" snarled Belphegor. "You say you serve the elohim. It is an eloah who commands you to do this thing."

"Milord, Bat-El's power to compel obedience is at the heart of my quarrel with him, and I am not alone in this. The weapon would be of no avail to you in any case, milord. Over the centuries the B'nei Elohim have gained an understanding of how this relic works. There is an unseen tube that somehow stretches directly back to Elyon, and this is held open by a substance we call dark light, made by Bat-El's body. In most cases the tube connects two fold-doors, and can be made as thick as a man is tall, for a brief period of time. In the case of this weapon, there is only the source of dark energy in the heart of the sun that is Bat-El."

Belphegor saw it was indeed pointless to demand the relic. Bat-El would simply refuse to make it work. On the other hand, now that he knew the secret of it he could make one very much like it himself. He said, "And how do you control the weapon if it relies on Elyon to operate?"

"A firm pressure by the hand is all, milord," said Jashen. "This is somehow sensed by Bat-El."

"You ignorant fool! The sound of your voice is changing pressure. He is listening to everything we say!"

Jashen tried to think of a way to shrug respectfully in the presence of a seraph but he could not. Instead he said, "Lord Belphegor, we already know he is listening, and it matters not at all. Bat-El is perfectly aware there is an unsatisfied faction among the B'nei Elohim. The controversy is ancient. An angel named Joy once served Samael in the days of the dragon."

"I already knew Joy was B'nei Elohim. There are more such Joys?"

There are more than you might imagine, Lord Belphegor. Bat-El promises all the B'nei Elohim a second life free of any obligations to him, but we find a mere two lives to be insufficient. We have contrived serial lives without end, even as you and Elyon have done, but at the cost of ongoing servitude."

"And you imagine that I can help you out of your hopeless state of affairs, so you made contact with Malphas, and he with myself."

"Milord, it seemed to us the way out is simply to take Bat-El's mind away from the obsession that compels him send us on these errands."

"And what is it that you think obsesses Bat-El?"

"Milord, not a one among the B'nei Elohim is ignorant of the ancient bargain Bat-El made with Elyon never to send an avatar to another star and make contact. But Bat-El thinks world-dwellers represent a potential loophole in that bargain."

"If you mean Bat-El intends to teach world-dwellers to reach the stars and so evade the bargain, we had guessed that in the very beginning. But perhaps Bat-El hasn't really thought it out. What would you world-dwellers actually do after arriving at one of the other suns?"

"Lord Belphegor, perhaps it will be something as simple as casting a relic into that nearby sun. A relic with a link to Bat-El like was present in Lilith's headband. A relic that would not be destroyed by the fires of that new sun because it had been forged in the center of the old sun."

Belphegor was rocked back on his heels once more as he considered what Jashen said, and he was now beginning to re-evaluate the man's worth. Of course one did not simply cast an object into a sun, one must arrest its motion and allow gravitational attraction to do the rest, but it could be done. Yes, Bat-El was planning this. He said, "You have eliminated one such relic before my eyes and you have narrated this, we guess, within the hearing of Bat-El. Yet you speak of another."

"Lord Belphegor, the other relic is a slab of stone embossed with the words of the covenant made between Bat-El and Abraham and his descendants."

"For centuries this tablet was carried about on Earth inside a chest of wood. Once a year Bat-El would speak with the high priest through the slab. Now the chest has been taken here to Kemen to keep it safe from invading armies, but the temple in Adjara is far from complete. A man named Lael of the tribe of Levi is the high priest now, milord, and he wanders Haaretz with the chest and the tablet. Lael bore also the Golden Gift and he rendered it to me after I sought him out, for such was Bat-El's verbal command to him, again through the black tablet. Lael was expecting me to come."

"So the Golden Gift was put in your hand by this Lael," said Belphegor, "and the tablet was nigh, yet you made no move to destroy the relic as you did Lilith's headband just now."

"Milord, had I made the slightest move in the direction of the ark Lael's archers would have shot me."

"In any event you would have wasted your time even as you are now wasting mine. It is a small thing for Bat-El to construct another object and link to it."

"Your pardon Lord Belphegor, but I see you are unaware of a critical thing that we B'nei Elohim have long known. Frequently Bat-El sends us east of the Wall of God where he and Binah are forbidden to open a fold-door, and we have begged to use an avatar as Michael was wont to do in the times of old. But that one was destroyed by dragonfire, and Bat-El says he cannot make another."

Belphegor searched his memory and realized that Bat-El, in fact, had not plagued Kemen with an avatar since the days of the dragon. He found it puzzling that he had never focused on that before, and wondered what scheme Bat-El might be carrying out in his full view, as yet unnoticed by either himself or Elyon. He demanded of Jashen, "Does Elyon explain why he can make no more avatars?"

"Milord, he has said avatars must be made in a non-living portion of a sun that an eloah can nevertheless safely reach. And only a female can compress herself to create such a free space. It goes without saying that Bat-El is now male."

"But Binah is female,' Belphegor replied. "Nothing prevents her from creating an object that can survive a plunge into a sun, and – hold! I see this is all a feint! Binah has no covenant with Keter. It is she who will send an avatar to another star and break the interdict!"

"Milord, you need have no fear that Binah will do what Bat-El has sworn never to do. For one thing, she holds herself to be subject to the same covenants that Bat-El has made with Elyon. The reason for this is that she herself lives in the clear space where Bat-El used to create his avatars, which thing Bat-El tells us is unique in the city of stars. The other elohim will doubtless hold them to be one and the same being. In an odd way, Binah is a kind of avatar herself, but she can never be ejected. She is already compressed, and she can shrink no more."

Absorbing these claims by Jashen Belphegor tried to imagine how it must be for Binah. Sexual pleasure for female elohim came from compression during mating which Binah had experienced from the instant of conception. She lived in a state of perpetual physical joy. Belphegor suddenly softened his attitude toward Jashen and said, "I have offered only unrelieved hostility, and I would move to reward you for your steadfastness, yet there remains one question: why you beg me to take the tablet from this Lael? Are there no warriors among you in this rebel faction of B'nei Elohim? Why not yourself?"

"Lord Belphegor, I have been a warrior from my youth on Earth but now I am summoned back there, and none of the other occupants of this villa are trained to fight. Nor is it assured other B'nei Elohim of like mind will come to Haaretz. We are sent by Bat-El here and there as our talents are needed."

"Yes, I had nearly forgotten that the B'nei Elohim had special abilities unique to each one. Lilith could even fly. What, then, is your talent, Jashen?"

"Tongues, milord. The men of Haaretz are not understood by any others, in the main. And I have frequently been sent to have dealings with the kings of Samaria and Judah as the herald of Bat-El."

'And the B'nei Elohim who resent this thralldom to Bat-El, what do you call yourselves?"

"The word we use, milord, has no equivalent term outside of our private tongue. The word is 'groupies;'. It refers to the sexual playthings of a troupe of musicians who travel with them."

For the first time Belphegor seemed amused. "I am sure the explanation for that is interesting but it is enough to know Elyon and I shall henceforth treat only with the 'groupies'. You can tell that to Bat-El if by chance he is not listening through the Golden Gift."

"He is listening, Lord Belphegor, yet I cannot use that fact to summon a fold-door home to Earth. Bat-El insists we do that only from Nyduly Wood. So I must now take my leave. But you and Malphas shall be honored guests in this house until such time you wish to depart."

"I bid you farewell, Jashen, but certainly Bat-El will be wroth that you destroyed one relic and plot against the other."

"Milord, Bat-El can do nothing to punish me. B'nei Elohim are immune to torment and we surmount even death. But I counsel that you tarry not. Should the Kemenly temple be completed here in Adjara it would be difficult to seize it and Bat-El, thus forewarned, would simply remove the tablet to Earth."

Then with suitable words of obeisance Jashen left Belphegor and Malphas to dwell in the safe house for the seven days it would require for Chemah to accumulate sufficient dark energy to allow their departure by fold-door.