[Testament] In the Shadow of Sinai

[humble minion]

Pacing back and forth, off to one side of the tent. Paqad yowls eerily, a low sound deep in the back of his throat. Melech shoots a quick glance at the hyena. Paqad's agitation may be due to the sullen, menacing weather that has everyone in camp edgy, or it may be a response to the unfamiliar humans in the tent. Or it may be a sign...

Thunder shakes the sky, and from far off towards the centre of the camp rises the distant sound of angry, shouting voices. Warily, Melech motions for Hadar to continue.

 

[Ghostknight]

Looking around him Avram speaks out

"Yes, once I was one of the taskmasters. Once I stood and mocked. Called trhe Sons of Israel the Sons of a nonexistet God. But the miracles that hashem has brought down, the might he used to show that there are none but him, convinced me! Why not you?

Did you not see the darkness that lasted three days for the Egyptians but not for us? Did you not see the burning hail fall from the sky? Did you not slay and eat the Egyptian God, showing your rejection of the idols by smearing that animal's blood on your doorpost!"

 

[Maerdwyn]

Pacing back and forth, off to one side of the tent. Paqad yowls eerily, a low sound deep in the back of his throat. Melech shoots a quick glance at the hyena. Paqad's agitation may be due to the sullen, menacing weather that has everyone in camp edgy, or it may be a response to the unfamiliar humans in the tent. Or it may be a sign...

Thunder shakes the sky, and from far off towards the centre of the camp rises the distant sound of angry, shouting voices. Warily, Melech motions for Hadar to continue.

"You see, in recognition of all of this, our father, and several others who were concerned went to Aaron and have convinced him to take action. Now, some were hesitant to allow people like...that is, people in your situation to take part, but our father was insistant that everyone be allowed to participate in the coming of Baal-El. " He nods at Melech, "That's right, hunter, tonight, Aaron shall make for the people a god who will go before us, protecting us and vanquishing our enemies! All he asks is that we contribute our gold and jewelry, so that the god might be forged from things precious and close to us. Think of it, Hunter, your earring, part of a god! Not merely adorning your face but protecting the people for all time. They will thank you for it! They will love you, and our family. The tanner has given all he could, and a place for him is assured. What will yuo give, honored Hunter?"

 

[Maerdwyn]

Roused by a commotion from outside, Asenath leaves the tent and finds a number of her brothers arguing amongst themselves, the charms the Egyptian was selling scattered on the ground. One of the Israelites was holding an amulet.


"How dare you!" she shouts. "Doubting your faith, the faith of your fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers before you, abandoning it to accept the false gods of these Egyptian dogs? Phaugh!" She spits on the ground. "Ra take that!"

Asenath hears a quick gasp behind her, and turns to see Miriam standing there, clearly firghtened, "Don't do that, Mommy! Honi says if we make him mad, Ra will take us back to Egypt! That's not true is it, Mommy?" As she listens to her daughter, she also hears Amin continue, his face going between the crowd around him, while ignoring the faces of those who have challenged him. His tone is sweeter now, more reasonable than mocking.

"I do not say the God of Abraham does not exists - we know he does. He helped bring us out of Egypt. But where was he when our grandfathers were taken captive in Egypt? Where was he all those years? He abandoned us then, and he has abandoned us now, or will again. A god must stay with his people! Where he can see and watch over us, and we can see and be reassured by his presence! We worship the God of Abraham - but we need gods who will help us, stand with us, when the God of Abraham will not or cannot!"

There are a few nods in the crowd, but just as many people leave, faces downcast, ashamed.

 

[Ghostknight]

"You fool yourself. Does not the manna yet come? Are we not still being fed and kept warm at the will of Hashem?

Some stand here and have the grace to feel shame, others stand here and proudly proclaim you will abandon hashem, he who brought you out of slavery, who slew the first born of the Egyptians, who drowned their chariots in the Red Sea, who purified us and brought us to this place to receive his law. Who places food out for us to collect with ease each day, letting us live with now ants. Yet you proudly remove yourselves from his people? Do so then, leave the camp and let the rest of us await the return of Moses, he said he would return and when has he ever lied?

You ridiculed him when he first appeared out of the desert, and he proved his worth. Now you belittle him and Hashem, yet he has proved his worth many times over!"

 

[humble minion]

"You see, in recognition of all of this, our father, and several others who were concerned went to Aaron and have convinced him to take action. Now, some were hesitant to allow people like...that is, people in your situation to take part, but our father was insistant that everyone be allowed to participate in the coming of Baal-El. " He nods at Melech, "That's right, hunter, tonight, Aaron shall make for the people a god who will go before us, protecting us and vanquishing our enemies! All he asks is that we contribute our gold and jewelry, so that the god might be forged from things precious and close to us. Think of it, Hunter, your earring, part of a god! Not merely adorning your face but protecting the people for all time. They will thank you for it! They will love you, and our family. The tanner has given all he could, and a place for him is assured. What will yuo give, honored Hunter?"

"My gold?" Melech's bitterness, never far from the surface, is evident in his voice. "Do you see much gold in my tent, son of Tzuriel? Am I weighed down with jewellery like some Egyptian princeling?" His sweeping arm gesture encompasses the rough, worn furnishings of his tent, his home-cured lionskin the only item of value among them.

His brief flare of anger subsides, however, and he drops his head wearily.

"You ask much of me, Hadar. I am not a young man any more. I have lived many years, and followed the Lord of Israel all that time. He is a god I know. He appeared to Moses as he wandered in the desert and his sacrifices are of kids and lambs and young bulls. This new god of yours I do not know. He is been made by the priests and the elders and the wealthy men, and he demands tribute of gold."

"I am a hunter, Hadar, and I am not a wealthy man. I have dwelt long in the wilderness, and I have often felt the need for meat. The God of Abraham is a god who knows the wastes where I walk, and who understands those of us whose bellies are not always full. But this new god is a god of riches and precious things, and of these I have none. What use would your golden god have for the likes of me?"

 

[yangnome]

Caleb stands near his grandfather, watching him arrange the stones. He looks broken Caleb thought to himself. He must not allow the Erav Rav to walk over him so. They trample upon his soul.

Caleb had an idea of what trasnspired inside the tent. The Lord did not free us from our bonds so that we could hand the whips back to the hands of the Egyptians. Those that follow with us now are vultures, looking for the opportunity to enslave us once again. What is worse is our own people, those who have seen God’s power with their own eyes now wish to turn their backs on him.

Caleb, lost in his silent thoughts continued to stare at his grandfather for a few minutes. His mind remained silent and he felt the burdens of his grandfather. Then Aaron glanced up at Caleb for a brief moment and Caleb responded with an understanding smile, one tat showed his support. As Aaron looked back towards the rocks, Caleb turned and walked towards the tent. He had duties to attend to.

 

[Maerdwyn]

"My gold?" Melech's bitterness, never far from the surface, is evident in his voice. "Do you see much gold in my tent, son of Tzuriel? Am I weighed down with jewellery like some Egyptian princeling?" His sweeping arm gesture encompasses the rough, worn furnishings of his tent, his home-cured lionskin the only item of value among them.

His brief flare of anger subsides, however, and he drops his head wearily.

"You ask much of me, Hadar. I am not a young man any more. I have lived many years, and followed the Lord of Israel all that time. He is a god I know. He appeared to Moses as he wandered in the desert and his sacrifices are of kids and lambs and young bulls. This new god of yours I do not know. He is been made by the priests and the elders and the wealthy men, and he demands tribute of gold."

"I am a hunter, Hadar, and I am not a wealthy man. I have dwelt long in the wilderness, and I have often felt the need for meat. The God of Abraham is a god who knows the wastes where I walk, and who understands those of us whose bellies are not always full. But this new god is a god of riches and precious things, and of these I have none. What use would your golden god have for the likes of me?"

Arel speaks. "Have you not wondered why you are not a wealthy man? Why your belly is so often empty? Baal-El will not leave you - or your family - thusly, if you follow him. But if we are to follow him, he must have a form, and he asks that we give it to him; he will reward those who give what is precious to them so that he may have shape. I know you do not have much, Melech. But we want you to have a place at the table. The beloved of Baal-El will be first among the people. You will not know hunger, and your wife will know comfort. All he needs is a symbol."

Hadar takes over: "Melech, if you did have gold, would you give of it to join Baal-El's chosen?"

 

[Maerdwyn]

"You fool yourself. Does not the manna yet come? Are we not still being fed and kept warm at the will of Hashem?

Some stand here and have the grace to feel shame, others stand here and proudly proclaim you will abandon hashem, he who brought you out of slavery, who slew the first born of the Egyptians, who drowned their chariots in the Red Sea, who purified us and brought us to this place to receive his law. Who places food out for us to collect with ease each day, letting us live with now ants. Yet you proudly remove yourselves from his people? Do so then, leave the camp and let the rest of us await the return of Moses, he said he would return and when has he ever lied?

You ridiculed him when he first appeared out of the desert, and he proved his worth. Now you belittle him and Hashem, yet he has proved his worth many times over!"

"Fine, dog. We shall wait," he smiles thinly and opens his arms expansively to the crowd. "Moses promised to return in forty days - this is the fortieth. We shall see if he returns tonight, or if he has lied! We shall see as the sun sets whether Moses has abandoned us!"

Amin strides out of the center of the crowd without looking at Avram, Tsedeq, but stop as he passes Asherah, bending down to speak to Miriam. When he does, it is loud enough for most nearby to hear. "Don't worry, Little One, we will not have to go back to Egypt! Ra will not be angry with us!" He stands up, to stride back toawrds his tent.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Asenath hears a quick gasp behind her, and turns to see Miriam standing there, clearly firghtened, "Don't do that, Mommy! Honi says if we make him mad, Ra will take us back to Egypt! That's not true is it, Mommy?"

Asenath turns. "No, of course not." She pauses for a moment, looking in the direction of the altercation at the amulet stand, a far-off look in her eyes. She listens as Amin speaks to Miriam. "See? Now run along," she says, watching as her daughter goes back into the tent.