Ephron Son of Zohar Read online

Chapter Two Anah's Village

  And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.

  (Ezekiel 38:11)

  The tents of the sons of Anah spread along the top of a cliff nearly three bowshots above the Marashantiya River. Though it raged when swollen with spring snow melt and summer monsoons, by now, in early November, the Marashantiya was clear, tame, and easily forded. After the late start and an easy ride, they arrived well before noon. The shallow river, thanks to well-trained horses, was easily forded. It was only about half a bowshot wide under the cliffs. When Ephron and Tawananna left the cover of the cliffs, they were met by armed men on foot. Guards allowed them to ride to the top, but made them dismount as they approached the tents. Very young children took the reins of their horses and led the horses away. The sons of Anah were ten times the sons of Zohar, nearly a thousand. Like the sons of Zohar, everyone, including the women and children, was armed. Among the tents this meant carrying a short knife. When they left the camp, they added swords, spears, shields, and bows. The sons of Anah outnumbered Zohar’s children ten to one, yet they still lived in tents.

  “Your wife is young,” said an old man whose shoulder-length hair was entirely white. His hair was short for male. He remained seated, also unusual for a man. “She is not old enough to bear children. Why did you marry so young?”

  “She’s my sister,” said Ephron.

  “A gift then?” asked the old man.

  “No,” said Ephron. “Are you Anah?”

  “I am” he replied.

  “We are also sons of Heth,” said Ephron. “And we follow the customs of the sons of Heth.”

  “Then why is your sister here?” asked Anah.

  “It was the will of my mother,” said Ephron.

  “Ah!” said Anah. “The will of your mother. That would be Nebajoth. She’s still a youngster. Sixty-four, if I recall?”

  Ephron smiled. “Your memory is good. I would like to leave with my sister, if you do not mind.”

  “Nebajoth.” Anah laughed and clapped his hands twice. “Less than half my years. Much less.” A group of young women appeared. “Please, daughter of Zohar, enjoy your brief stay with us. I understand that the daughters of Zohar are taught the art of the bow. Perhaps you can help our daughters learn some your skills.”

  Tawananna hesitated and the women encouraged her to leave with them by grabbing her arms. She looked back at her brother as she left.

  “Now,” asked Anah, “to what do I owe the honor of this visit? I am so sorry. Where are my manners? Please be seated.”

  A boy unfolded a small stool padded with many soft skins. Ephron sat and crossed his legs, the most comfortable position for the seat. Anah made several gestures and a half dozen young men quickly erected a leather awning to shield them from the sun. The sides were open and the breeze was cool but not cold. Both men received wine in small, ornate bronze goblets. A woman with a larger pitcher stood by to refill the goblets if either of them should go empty.

  Ephron sipped just enough from the goblet to be polite before beginning. “My brothers have reported that the gazelle migration is larger and earlier than usual this year.”

  “Of course.” Anah laughed, along with a dozen other men. “We have heard the same reports. They should be within hunting range in just two days. I am certain that we will cooperate like we did last year. Your stone village is the best protection outside of the cities of Shinar. You also have the best ovens to cure and cook the meat. Your cool caves can store enough meat to last the entire winter. We have more men and the ability to kill far more than we could possibly eat. But you could have sent your sister with that message.” The men were still laughing.

  “How many of Gilgamesh’s men did you see?” asked Ephron. He set the goblet down and gazed intently into Anah’s eyes. “How many were there that you did not see? And what about the strange noises they made?”

  Like a waterfall quenching a roaring fire, the laughter ceased. Anah motioned and one of his sons who was considerably older than Ephron, perhaps older than Zohar, stepped forward.

  “Yovav,” said Anah, “Please tell this man what you saw yesterday.”

  “We had just killed a lion. I have not seen a lion on these mountains in years, so we were in good spirits when a lookout signaled. I did not want to interrupt the celebrations, so I mounted my steed and rode alone to the lookout. He did not indicate any danger and I thought he might have seen another lion, or at least more game. He was on the other side of a small canyon. He had a good spot and could see for more than a day’s ride to the southeast. We saw the caravan we met the day before heading toward Yadiya. At the base of the mountain, and clearly heading toward us, were a few men on foot. I signaled for the entire hunting party to join me because these men were obviously from one of Nimrod’s cities and well-armed. I thought that enough men might prevent any trouble before it started.”

  “Nimrod? Do you mean Gilgamesh?” asked Ephron.

  “Yes,” said Yovav. “That is what you call him. Gilgamesh – Nimrod – two names for the same man.”

  “Were they following the gazelle migration?” Ephron asked.

  “I do not know why they were here,” said Yovav. “They were less than a half-day’s ride away. That was too close to the women, children, and the tents. At first I only saw a couple of men. But by the time the rest of the hunting party arrived on horseback, there were at least seven or eight men. And I don’t think they were the same men either, unless they ran hard up the mountain. They wore ensigns on their breastplates and helmets in a pattern I had never seen before, a thin crescent moon with the points upward which made the moon look like horns. They wore semicircular bronze helmets over plain headbands. The helmets came to a point at the top. One of them had feathers or cloth coming out of the top of the point.”

  “I have never seen anything like that,” said Ephron, “nor have I ever heard of anything like that.”

  “Nor have we,” continued Yovav. “When we could see them, they walked and acted like men, but they seemed to travel faster than anything I could imagine when we could not see them.”

  “Perhaps there were more of them and it was some type of trick,” said Ephron.

  “Perhaps,” said Anah.

  “They also carried some type of weapon I have never seen before,” said Yovav. “I saw one of the men use it in the distance. It was almost as long as the arm of the man throwing a spear. He set a short spear in it and used it to throw the spear faster and farther. Much faster and farther.”

  “More news,” said Ephron. “Did they tell you what they wanted?”

  “Another caravan, this one coming from Yadiya told us the cities of Nimrod were fighting among themselves,” said Yovav. “That must be why they need ensigns. So we stood still, waiting for them to tell us what they wanted. But when they opened their mouths and started talking, all we could hear were strange sounds, not words. But this is even stranger. They were all making the same kind of sounds. Somehow, they were … I don’t know how to say this, but somehow they were communicating with each other.”

  “So they just didn’t want you to know what they were saying?” asked Ephron.

  “That doesn’t make sense,” said Yovav as he shook his head. “They gestured, shook their fists, and began yelling, as if they expected us to understand. When we spoke to them, they looked puzzled; confused. Then they began making those strange sounds again. We still had no idea what they were saying, which made them angry again. So they began screaming at us with those odd noises. We all found that so funny that we began laughing at them. They flew into a rage, looked around at us, but finally just walked off. I gave the lookout some extra men and told them to signal us if they turned around, but they didn’t. We watched them until nearly dark.”

  “I sent several of my great-grandchildren to ask Heth about this,” said Anah.

 
; “Your father?” asked Ephron. “Where is he?”

  “Only a two day’s ride to the North,” said Anah. “He's your grandfather as well. Do you not know this history? Heth’s father Canaan took land which his grandfather Noah had given to his uncle Shem. Because of this, Heth left the presence of his father Canaan. But all of us, Heth’s sons, had to learn war and have kept moving around because of Canaan’s nephew Nimrod. You call him Gilgamesh. He wants to enslave everyone to work on that cursed tower. But enough of what you already know. Once again, why are you here?”

  “I believe Gilgamesh’s people want us to hunt, capture, kill, cook, and prepare the gazelles,” said Ephron. “They will then steal the fruits of our labors for themselves. We need you help not only for the hunt, but afterwards, when Gilgamesh’s men attack us.”

  The entire camp erupted in laughter.

  Ephron stood up and looked quickly back and forth. “What’s funny?”

  “You were right Yovav,” said Anah. “They don’t know.”

  “Know?” asked Ephron. “Know what”

  Yovav walked up to Ephron, put his right hand on Ephron’s shoulder, and looked him straight in the eye.

  “We,” said Yovav, “need your protection.

  For several seconds there was silence.

  “Is his sister ready?” asked Anah.

  “She is ready,” said a female voice in the back.

  The people parted to make a path for Tawananna as she slowly stepped forward.

  “What are you wearing?” asked Ephron.

  “They call it ‘cloth,’” said Tawananna. “It is smooth. And it bends. And it can be washed. It is beautiful. It is wonderful and comfortable. And I can keep it!”

  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Ephron.

  “The women in the cities of Nimrod all wear cloth,” said Anah. “And they make cloth.”

  “I want to learn how to make cloth,” said Tawananna.

  “That is not for you,” said Anah. “Let the caravans bring you cloth. Do not waste you time making cloth. Making cloth is a time consuming process. You are far too valuable for that.”

  “What…” Tawananna stammered,. “…what makes me valuable?”

  “Have either of you been to a city?” asked Yovav.

  “No, she hasn’t,” said Ephron.

  “Who made the stone walls of your village?” asked Yovav.

  “We did,” said Tawananna, “like our father Zohar taught us.”

  “Did you ever see the tower of Gilgamesh?” asked Yovav.

  “Only our father Zohar has seen that accursed tower,” said Ephron. “He asked us to never go to the plains of Shinar.”

  “Zohar has the superior skills of master stone mason,” said Anah. “The cities of the plains of Shinar are made with brick and mortar, not stone. Your walls are stronger than any city on earth. And you are on a great mountain which can be fortified. You also have enough water on your mountain to slake the thirst of every person on earth. Build a stone ring fortification around your village. Then build another stone ring fortification around that. You will have the greatest city on earth. People are attacking the trade caravans. Let them stay in your city for protection, food, and water. You will have treasures you cannot imagine.”

  “What are ‘treasures’?” asked Tawananna.

  “Cloth, gold, jewels, spices, delicious foods you have never eaten before,” said Yovav. “Beautiful ornaments, knowledge, whatever you can imagine could be yours.”

  “I have heard of gold,” said Tawananna. “Though I have never seen it. I do not know what jewels and spices are.”

  “Why do you want us to build this city?” asked Ephron.

  “The tower of Gilgamesh has fallen,” said Anah. “The cities of the plains are fighting among themselves, driving many people away. They will either peacefully move somewhere else or they will take what they want by force. We must be too strong for them. Neither of us separately are that strong. I do not want you to be overrun by invaders. And I do not want to be overrun by invaders. Either we help you build a city or we move out of their reach. And we have no idea where that might be.”

  “These lands we roam so freely today will soon be overrun by armed, ruthless strangers,” said Yovav. “You do not know how to fight an army. You have never even seen an army. Your father Zohar is not an old man. He would be here now if he could. He is no coward, so I suspect that he is ill. He needs to supervise and pass on his stonemason skills while he still can. If we fail to act quickly, we will be slaves to the people of the plain and they will live in our mountains. Do you desire to work in brick kilns the rest of your lives?”

  “We have worked together for years. That is more than I can…I do not know the proper word. That is more than I can grasp. What do you think my brothers and sisters will say?” asked Ephron.

  “They will not believe you,” said Anah. “Even if they did, they would not act. They probably do not even know what needs to be done.”

  “That is why my wife Mahalath and our virgin daughter, Shelometh, and I are coming with you,” said Yovav. “We will attempt to make the case. What would they like as a gift?”

  “Meat,” said Tawananna. “Hunting has been poor.”

  “Then it has already begun.” Ephron turned to face the speaker. “My name is Elon.” The man was about Ephron’s age. “Yovav is my father and Shelometh my younger sister.”

  “Game is plentiful,” said Elon. “There is only one reason you are not finding game. Nimrod’s men, or some group which has broken away from Nimrod, attempts to weaken you. They want your city. They are either taking or driving away your game. I suspect that you are correct, and there are probably many of them around here. I will join you for the return trip. You might need the extra sword. Come, we need to get to your walls by sundown.”

  “Who is this Nimrod?” asked Tawananna.

  “You call him Gilgamesh,” said Anah. “We must remember that the sons of Zohar might not know the name Nimrod.”

  “The treasures of the sons Zohar,” said Ephron as they rose to depart, “are family, honesty, and the blessings of Adonai Elohim of Noah. We count the sons of Anah as our cousins and therefore part of our family.”

  A half-dozen camels were quickly loaded with as many carcasses as they could drag on travois. Many hands made the work go quickly.

  “We need Elon to help with the camels,” said Yovav. “And this might be an extended stay for Malalath, Shelometh and I.”