Ephron Son of Zohar Page 3

Chapter Three Return to Hattus

  “The camels do not want to cross the river,” said Yovav. “I see that you have trained your horses for fording water. Fording here is not risky. Still, the camels do not like it. It will be more work for us than the camels.”

  All six people had to pull, coax, and push each camel across the river. The work was not too difficult, because the river was wide and shallow, but the camels did not want to cross. In spite of their unwillingness, all six camels joined the horses on the north bank and soon they were on their way to Hattus.

  “The Marashantiya River is the boundary between our father Zohar and his brother Anah’s territory,” said Ephron. “It makes a large loop around our lands.”

  The muddy sand of the riverbank was thick with trees, grasses, and thousands of birds. The path was only wide enough to ride double file. The going was easier on the camels than the horses. The soil changed to hardpack when they had climbed about a bowshot above the waterline.

  “You will be very glad you are wearing cloth, my sister,” said Shelometh. “I do pray by Adonai Elohim who made heaven and earth that you are not offended by me calling you sister.”

  “Why, no,” said Tawananna. “But why will I be glad I am wearing cloth?”

  “In this wind,” said Shelometh, “you will be dry very soon. Your brother in his leather clothes will still be wet when we arrive at your village. The cloth that did not get completely wet is already dry.” Shelometh motioned to Tawananna to allow her horse to separate from the others just enough so the rest would not hear them.

  “You have really never been to a city?” asked Shelometh.

  “Really,” said Tawananna. “I have never left our own land before today. I crossed the river before, but I only came back.”

  A camel brayed and headed towards the girls. Shelometh laughed. “Has that ever happened to you before?”

  “Has what ever happened to me before?”

  “That camel. He sniffs you. You are ready to bear children.”

  Tawananna sat up straight. “We have never met before. Is this not … inappropriate?”

  “I am so sorry. I did not mean to offend. Do you not know what that means?”

  “Peace children?”

  “I will marry a son of Zohar and you will marry a son of Anah and that will marry our tribes. It is a common practice among cities fighting each other. It is the most peaceful and permanent way of joining two tribes.”

  “Peace children,” repeated Tawananna. “No, I have never heard that term.”

  “You were being inspected, examined if you like, the entire time you were there. The women will be asked what they think of you, how well they believe you will fit in. How well do you ride a horse? What do you know about camels? Can you keep quiet? Do you know how to work? Are you willing and quick to learn? You’ll have no problems with the men. All men care about is how good you look.”

  “This was not at all what I expected.”

  “What did you expect?”

  “Some time with my brother. He’s busy all the time.”

  “And you are not?”

  “That’s different. I’m always with the other girls; cleaning, cooking, taking care of the horses, making clothes, decorating, keeping the fire going, gardening outside the walls…”

  “I get the picture,” laughed Shelometh. “I’ve always wondered what living in the same place all the time was like. To go to sleep without being concerned that a raiding party would kill you in the middle of the night. Being able to go inside a building to get out of the rain. Having a place that was yours where you could keep more things than what would fit a camel’s saddlebag.”

  “You ride camels?”

  “Horses are for war. Horses are easier to control and are more maneuverable. But camels carry more, a lot more. Horses and camels eat about the same amount of the same thing, grass or hay. Camels are much better traveling through deserts with less water.”

  “What is a desert?”

  The trail was now higher than the top of the cliff south of the river where Anah’s tribe pitched their tents. The trees, however, blocked the view behind them. Continuing on, the trees thinned and gave way to grassland with a steady uphill slope.

  They rode in silence for several minutes before Shelometh answered. “There are places on earth where you can ride for more than a day without finding any water to drink. There are few if any plants and nothing to eat. You must bring water to drink with you and horses need more water than camels and must drink more often. Caravans, at least the caravans I have seen and heard about, only use camels because camels are better than horses in the deserts. Horses are more likely to die in the deserts.”

  They rode on in silence several more minutes when startled birds arose, circling their small caravan, through the lush, nearly waist-high grasses by the pathway. Elon, riding point, sharply wheeled back off the trail, stopping where everyone could hear him.

  “What do the birds tell you?” Elon asked.

  “That we startled them,” said Shelometh .

  “Not us,” said Elon. “They flew toward us. Look back in direction they came from. They were startled by something over there.”

  Elon pointed to an area less than half a bowshot in front of them, not far from a turn in the path. A slight rise lead to an area of taller grasses. Behind the rise was a short embankment with a small stream on the other side. Though they could see the stream cross the path, the stream went behind the embankment on their left.

  “Food,” said Ephron. “Stop the animals. Tawananna, your bow.”

  “Be careful,” said Elon. “I don’t think it’s food. It might be a pride of lions smelling this meat. You don’t want to be the prey instead of the hunter.”

  “The horses do not seem to smell anything,” said Ephron. He strung his bow and rode ahead.

  Tawananna strung her bow while positioning her quiver in easy reach. She then nocked an arrow. She slowly followed her brother, allowing him to put a little space between them. Finally she slowed her horse even more to steady her aim.

  “That's the problem,” said Yovav. “The animals should smell whatever it is. We are downwind. The animals, especially the horses, should be reacting. Something is not right. I do not think this is an animal. Spears!”

  Yovav, Mahalath, Elon, and Shelometh put their spears into the battle-ready position, held high overhead, and followed close behind Tawananna. As Ephron approached the crest, Tawananna stopped her horse completely and drew her bow. When Ephron crested the rise, an armored man jumped out at him welding a long knife.

  As soon as he appeared, Tawananna released her arrow. It hit him in the right shoulder, knocking him over and onto the path, causing Ephron’s horse to rear slightly and knock the bow out of Ephron's hand. The attacker was no closer than three cubits from Ephron. He jabbed at Ephron with his spear and missed. At the same time, two more men topped the ridge and quickly moved to attack Ephron. Each man received an arrow from Tawananna’s bow in their shield. The force of the arrows knocked both men over the ridge and out of sight. While Tawananna knocked a fourth arrow, the four horses with Yovov and his family passed her and the man on the ground disappeared over the ridge.

  Tawananna raised her bow and brought it around to check for threats from other directions. Seeing nothing, she lower her bow and caught up to the others. They were all stopped in a small stream as the sound of horses running downstream could be heard for a great distance.

  “Let them go,” said Ephron, retrieving his bow with his spear then unstringing it. “We have to take care of the camels. Besides, it might be a trap.”

  “They are from the cities of plain,” said Yovov. “If we were plainsmen, we would be dead now and they would have our loaded camels. They did not expect to be attacked by arrows, especially not from a woman. They thought that a surprise attack would take out the lead male quickly and easily. Then the odds would be in their favor; three men with weapons ready, mounted on the high ground against two me
n who had to protect property and women. They are not acquainted with bows nor women warriors.”

  Tawananna turned to Shelometh, unstrung her bow and put away her weapons. “Did that impress you?” asked Tawananna.

  “Yes,” Elon. “Very impressive.”

  “Then it might surprise you to learn,” said Tawananna, “that this is the first time I ever shot a man. Targets and animals, yes, but never a man before. I have never even shot at a man before.”

  “It’s level until we get to Hattus,” said Ephron. “We should be inside the walls well before dark.”

  After several minutes of silence, Shelometh dropped back to be next to Tawananna. “Can you teach me how to shoot like that?”

  “Have you ever shot a bow before?”

  “Yes, but I never even hit the target. Well, I hit the target once.”

  “How straight were your arrows? Do you know how to check your fletchings? How heavy are your arrowheads? How long are your arrows? How long was your bow? What kind of wood do you use? How was it cured? What do use for your anchor point? What do you use for bowstring?”

  The horses took a few steps in silence. Shelometh asked, “What is fletching?”

  Tawananna pulled an arrow from her quiver and without any hint of either sarcasm or arrogance said, “These feathers are called fletching. They stabilize the arrow in flight. Without fletching, arrows travel in unpredictable flightpaths. With fletching, arrows travel in straight lines. Fletching is so important that I make all of my own arrows.”

  “And for many others as well,” called Ephron from his lead position. “She makes much of our archery equipment. We have thousands of arrows ready for the hunt. Look, the tower of Hattus.”

  The white tower of Hattus reflected the last rays of the evening sun like a mirror. It transformed the small limestone village into an impressive fortress.

  Inside the walls of Hattus, Zohar’s tribe and guests feasted until long after the sun had completely disappeared and the stars dominated the night sky. The few original Hattics, now less than a dozen total, lived in small houses outside the walls. The Hattics were invited and joined in the feasting and festivities. These Hattics were the only ones who had not intermarried with the sons of Heth. Except for living outside the walls, they were treated as family.

  The joyous music and games continued until Yovov asked for an audience, stopping the music. Tawananna and Ephron stored their lyres along with the other musicians. Every one of the sons of Zohar played some type of a stringed instrument.

  Over one hundred men, women, and children surrounded Yovov to hear what he had to say. Though the entire courtyard glowed in a near-silent semicircle of fires and torches, they moved into the dining area with its reflective stone walls, floor and ceiling. The dining area was almost as bright as day with additional oil lamps positioned around the benches and tables.

  “I want these back,” said Yovov as he walked around handing out pieces of clay. “Take a good look at them.”

  Yovov paused to make certain everyone had a good look. “The gazelles should be close enough to hunt in two days. We will work together just like last year. We have brought enough food so that we can spend tomorrow in preparation instead of going hunting. For tonight, I want you examine what I handed out. Do any of you know what these are? Have any of you seen one of these before?”

  “Kiln-fired bricks,” said Zohar. “They are made in abundance in the cities of the plain. But they do not fit together well, shaped like this. Why are the edges rounded? They are smaller than any brick I have ever seen. And what are these markings which cover the top and the bottom? Are they special decorations?”

  “These marking on the large flat areas are letters,” said Yovov. “Letters represent sounds. Combinations of letters make words. When it is all put together it is called writing. The dried clay is called a tablet.”

  “So what?” asked Dumu. “What are tablets and writing good for?”

  “You can talk to people without going to see them,” said Yovov. “You can write several tablets that are identical and send the same message to many different people in different places. You can leave records for other people to read.”

  “If someone has to deliver the tablet,” said Dumu, “they could just tell them. I still do not see the value of writing on tablets. It’s just a lot of work.”

  “Do you people trust your brother Taku?” asked Yovov. Everyone nodded in assent. “Taku, Would you please take my wife, Mahalath, my son Elon, and my daughter Shelometh far enough from here so that they cannot possible hear what we are saying.”

  The four left, went into a room at the far end of the compound, and shut the door.

  “Now Dumu,” said Yovov. “Tell me something they could not possibly know. Did you bring back any rabbits from your hunting today?”

  “We killed, skinned, and brought back twelve rabbits,” said Dumu. “And we saw a wild ox, but it ran away.”

  Yovov produced a large stick and smoothed the dirt in front of him. “Can everyone see this?” Again, everyone nodded in assent. “Anyone who can not see this?” Yovov then used one end of the stick to make the wedge-shaped cuneiform letters.

  “This is the word for killed. This is the word for twelve and this is rabbits. This is the word for skinned. These four words are all on the same line, which means they go together. This word on the next line means it is a new thought, a new sentence. It says we saw. The next word is wild ox. The last word says ran away.

  Yovov stood up and said, “Now bring my family back, one at a time.”

  His wife, Mahalath came first.

  “Did you hear or did anyone tell you what we said?” asked Yovov.

  “No.”

  “What does this message say?”

  “Killed twelve rabbits and skinned them. We saw a wild ox but it ran away.”

  Elon and Shelometh each returned separately and repeated the same words the same way their mother had.

  “If this were a clay tablet,” said Yovov, “we could fire it and give this message to someone who did not know it. They could give the tablet to someone else. They could keep giving the same message on the tablet to other people. Everyone who reads the tablets would know what it says.”

  “So what do these tablets of yours say?” asked Dumu. “That is what this is all about. Am I correct?”

  “And who wrote them?” asked Adah.

  “You are correct, Dumu and Adah,” said Yovov. He went around, collected all the tablets,and put them on a table. He picked one out and handed it his daughter, Shelometh.

  “This tablet,” said Yovov, “I brought to prove that I am not trying to trick you. Shelometh, please read that out loud.”

  Shelometh studied the tablet silently for a few seconds, looking puzzled, before reading loudly. “One hundred ephahs of barley. Two hundred ephahs of wheat. One hundred baths of olive oil. Fifty spindles of flax spun into linen thread. Three large jars of colored dye, one red, one blue, and one green. Given to Hamath by Jerzul in exchange for one talent of silver in Yadiya. Second copy.”

  “Does everyone understand the value of keeping records of trades?” asked Yovov.

  His audience nodded, almost in unison.

  “And more important,” continued Yovov, “does everyone trust that we are honestly reading what is written on the tablets?”

  After some hesitation, assents were given again. Yovov looked at several tablets before choosing one. He read in a loud voice.

  “From Te’oma: Balawat burned by the Assyrians. Every male killed. Every female is captive. We cannot defend Ninawa Province. The entire province will fall to the Assyrians before Spring. Most of the cites of Ninawa Province are abandoned. We must move north. Regroup at Artap. Must have more soldiers to take the land to the north. Will make the people we find soldiers. We will take back Balawat and all Ninawa.”

  Yovov set the tablet on a table and looked around the tribe. Ephron walked forward and picked up the tablet Yovov had just set down. He stu
died it, then set it down again.

  “Yes,” said Ephron. “That is what the tablet says.”

  Surprised to learn that Ephron could read, Yovov continued.

  “The rest of the tablets have details of what happened to them,” said Yovov. “If you are interested, we will read them tomorrow. The important information is that these soldiers will be here in a few months. They intend to take your land and either make of you, and of us, slaves, or kill us. They also intend to kill many of your Hittite brothers because we are all weak.”

  “We have seen armed soldiers the last two days,” said Elon. “They all wear the same armor as the three men who attacked us today.”

  “You were attacked today?” asked Sephar. The child grabbed his father.

  “A man in armor hid behind the ridge to the south. You can see the ridge from the top of the tower,” said Ephron. “He waited for me to pass, then lunged with a drawn sword. Your aunt, Tawananna, shot him with an arrow which hit him in his right shoulder, knocking him over. Two more men came over the ridge behind him. Tawananna shot these those two men, hitting his shield. The force of the arrows knocked them over the other side of the ridge. All three then mounted horses and fled down the stream.”

  Yovov said, “We need your help. We and many other sons of Heth have nothing to fortify. Yes, we are better hunters, but we have no stone-cutting skills and no villages. Our land would make poor fortresses. The men of Nimrod – excuse me – Gilgamesh, have no stone cutting skills. They make their buildings out of brick. This mountain has forests which can provide timber, fields which could be cultivated, and water. Enough water to provide for everyone on earth. You could provide for caravans to come here in safety. Trade routes would come through Hattus. Perhaps caravans could come to Hattus from Yadiya, then return to Yadiya, then come back to Hattus.”

  “No, you do not have to help us and your other brothers,” Yovov continued. “But if you do nothing, you will either be killed or become their slaves. Of course you could flee. But where will you go? Zohar, will you be as wicked as your grandfather Canaan and take land that does not belong to you? Land our ancestor Noah gave to someone else? By Adonai Elohim, this is your birthright. This is the land Adonai Elohim allotted to you. Are you going to allow others to steal your land, murder your sons, and force your wives and daughters to be their wives?”

  “Zohar, my father, your brother Anah sent five sons to Heth today. They should be back next week,” finished Yovov.

  “Thank you for the meat,” said Zohar. “We enjoyed it and this was cause for rejoicing. It was a joyous occasion. Tonight we sleep. We will talk more about this after the morning sacrifice.”

  As the tribe dispersed, each family headed for their personal room. Zohar motioned to Yovov and his family. “My wife Nebajoth will show you to the guest room. It has a dozen beds and a bath. Do you need oils or soaps?”

  “No,” said Yovov.

  “If you want hot water,” said Nabajoth, “you will have to carry a pot. Use this one. It’s too heavy for me. The water in your room is cold.”

  “Thank you very much,” said Shelometh. “I’ve never slept in a room before.”

  “Let me take that,” said Elon as he lifted the bronze pot of boiling water.

  “Yovov,” said Zohar. “Let them go. May I speak with you a moment?”

  Yovov nodded and the rest began the long trek to opposite side of the courtyard. Zohar waited a few seconds until he believed the rest were out of earshot.

  “Yovov, if we do as you suggest, build fortifications, train to fight, make weapons, and are successful, how will we be any different from the people of Shinar?”

  “We will worship Adonai.”

  “I fear that we will become exactly what we are fighting against. I do not see any way of preventing it.”

  “Noah trusted in Adonai. We must do the same.”

  “When will your tribe be here?”

  “Two dozen men rode out on camels today to divert the gazelles further south. The rest of the tribe are packing up and should be here by noon tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, my brother.”

  “Oh, one more issue,” said Yovov. “We sent a delegation north to Heth today. They should return a few days after the hunt is finished. They are coming here.”

  Zohar nodded, “Thank you again. Good night, my brother.”