by Lynn Austin
Nib wore a sly grin on his face as he tugged on the tassels dangling from Reuben’s robe. “You aren’t joining them now, are you, Reuben?”
He brushed Nib’s hand away. “They have women and children with them. I don’t want to put them in danger. Look, send the other men away. Tell them the robbery is off. All we need is the five of us, got it?”
Digger and Ram started to protest, but Bear stopped them. “Fine. Whatever you say, Reuben. Just don’t turn traitor on us now. Remember, we’re friends.”
“Right. We’re friends. But you’re going to have to do this my way or not at all.” He hadn’t told them yet how to find the tent with the gold, hidden among thousands of other tents. He could walk away right now and call the whole thing off. But if he did, they would probably overpower him just like they had on the night he’d met them, forcing him to tell. They’d keep Reuben here, pressing him for details until he helped them rob the caravan. They would never let him go.
“Give me your word you’ll send the others away,” he insisted. He waited for each of his friends to raise his hand and swear. Only then did he tell them how to find the gold.
Reuben walked back to camp with a sick feeling in his stomach. Why did they have to recruit more men? What were they thinking? They’d been carried away by greed, obviously, and they hadn’t been thinking. Could he trust Bear and the others to send these extra men away as they’d sworn to do? Reuben scrubbed his face with his hands, wishing he’d never gotten involved with this robbery to begin with. He didn’t even want his share of the gold. But it was too late to back out now. He made his way to the treasury, his feet dragging, and approached the chief Levite.
“I’d like to volunteer to stand guard tonight,” Reuben said. “I’m not tired at all.”
“Are you sure? After all the walking we did today?”
“I’m sure. I don’t need much sleep.”
“Go get a weapon, then.” The man gestured to the smaller tent beside the treasury where the weapons were stored. Reuben ducked inside and nearly collided with his uncle.
“What are you doing here, Reuben? You aren’t one of the assigned guards.”
“I volunteered. I need a sword.”
His uncle studied him for a long moment, and Reuben’s temper flared beneath his scrutiny. He was about to unleash it when Hashabiah said, “I have a special sword for you, son.” He carried the oil lamp to an open crate and searched through it for a moment before pulling out a sword and handing it to him. “Here, use this one. It belonged to your father.”
Reuben stared in disbelief. This was the sword Abba had made for himself, the one he had fought with on the Thirteenth of Adar. Reuben helped him make it. Abba had engraved his own symbol on the handle along with the words, “Dedicated to God.” The sword disappeared after the battle, and Reuben thought he’d never see it again.
“I’ve wanted to return it to you for a long time, Reuben, but I’ve been too worried about you. Now . . . now Rebbe Ezra believes in you . . . and so do I.”
Reuben mumbled his thanks and quickly left before his emotions overwhelmed him. He strapped the sword onto his belt and took his assigned position among the other Levites guarding the perimeter of the tent. Time crawled as he watched the shadows for any sign of movement. Reuben’s anxiety soared. Midnight seemed like hours from now. After this robbery, he would be shackled to his gang forever, an outlaw for the rest of his life. Where could he go? Where would he live? And had Bear really sent the other men he’d recruited back to Casiphia?
The more Reuben thought about it, the more he realized that even if Bear tried to dismiss these unknown mercenaries, they probably would never agree to turn back without the promised gold, especially after a long day’s journey. Greed caused men to do terrible things. The Jewish people’s enemies had attacked them on the Thirteenth of Adar because they’d wanted the Jews’ plunder. They would have murdered every man, woman, and child to get it. Men like these Babylonians would think nothing of killing innocent people in this caravan for their gold.
Reuben drew the sword from its scabbard. His hand fit perfectly on the hilt that Abba had made. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling linked to Abba, who had died defending his fellow Jews from their enemies. Why was Reuben helping them? Rebbe Ezra and the other men had fasted and prayed for an entire day, asking the Almighty One to protect the caravan. According to Ezra, God had already answered that prayer. Had the Almighty One foreseen the defeat of Reuben’s gang?
What should he do? Reuben reached up to run his fingers through his hair and knocked the kippah off his head. He bent to pick it up, and as he replaced it, he knew the Almighty One was watching. This gold belonged to Him.
Still gripping his sword, Reuben left his post and jogged over to the nearest guard. “Listen to me. There’s going to be a robbery attempt tonight. Stay alert while I go get more help.” He hurried to the next guard and the next, telling them the same thing. They looked baffled, but there was no time to explain. Instead, Reuben ran through the camp to Ezra’s tent. “Rebbe Ezra!” he called from outside the door. “Get up! Please! I have to speak with you.” The rebbe emerged a moment later wearing only his tunic, his hair tousled.
“Reuben . . . ? What’s going on?”
“We need more guards at the treasury. Now. A gang of Babylonians is going to rob us tonight.”
“What? How do you know?” As Ezra was speaking, Asher crawled out of his tent next door.
“What’s going on?”
“The gang of Babylonian thieves from Casiphia that I used to work with are planning to rob your gold. That’s why I convinced you to let me come. I know you can’t possibly forgive me for playing a part in this, but I’ve changed my mind. I want to help you, not them. Please, gather more men and weapons as fast as you can. We have to guard the Holy One’s gold.”
“I’ll wake the other men,” Asher said. He ran to each of the surrounding tents, calling for the men to wake up.
“How many robbers are coming?” Ezra asked as they hurried back to the treasury. The rebbe hadn’t taken time to dress or grab his sandals and walked barefooted.
“I don’t know. They didn’t say how many. There were only supposed to be four of them, plus me. But they changed plans on me and recruited more men to help. And they’re armed.”
“Should we light torches? Scare them off?” Ezra asked.
“No.” Reuben knew how determined his friends were. “They’ll only wait and come back another night and we’ll be forced to live in fear. The best thing we can do is lie in wait tonight and surprise them.”
“Good. That’s what we’ll do.”
“Rebbe . . . I’m so sorry—”
“Never mind about that right now. We have work to do.”
More men poured from their tents to join them. Ezra urged them to be quiet, to get weapons, find places to hide, and wait for the attack to begin. All the swords in the armory were quickly taken up. The rest of the men gathered clubs and knives. They hid in the shadows, silently waiting to spring out when the robbers appeared. “Let us do the fighting when the enemy comes,” Ezra told Reuben and the other guards. “You Levites need to stand your ground and guard the tent so nothing is taken during the distraction of the battle.”
“But I want to fight!” Reuben said. “This is my fault and—”
“Guarding the treasure is your only task. You’ve been consecrated to do it,” Ezra said, then disappeared into the shadows with the other men, still barefooted. Reuben didn’t know how many men Bear had recruited, but more than one hundred Jews now crouched in the shadows where they couldn’t be seen, including Rebbe Ezra and his brother. If any of these men were injured or killed tonight, it would be Reuben’s fault.
He took his position in the open where his friends expected to see him, clutching the hilt of Abba’s sword tightly in his hand. His heart thudded painfully inside his chest. Could he attack and kill his friends? He hoped he wouldn’t have to. He hoped they would scatter and run.
At last he saw movement between the tents. A mass of dark shapes crept forward toward the treasury, crouching low. Reuben couldn’t see their faces, but he thought he recognized Bear’s barrel-shaped body and massive shoulders. Then he spotted Digger, tall and gangly. They were his friends—Bear and Digger and Nib and Ram—and with them, were at least twenty other men. Swords glinted in the scant light. They intended to kill all of the guards. And maybe Reuben, too.
“Now!” Reuben shouted when he could see Bear’s face.
Bear looked at him in surprise. “You betrayed us?”
“You swore it would only be the four of you!” It was all he had time to say. Chaos broke out as the Jews sprang from their hiding places and the battle began. From where Reuben stood guarding the tent, he could see men fighting in the dark and hear the clash of swords along with battle cries and moans. It had to be nearly impossible to skirmish on a dark, moonless night with little space between the crowded tents. He longed to join them but remained at his post, tense and alert.
Suddenly Reuben saw movement on his left and heard a ripping sound as one of the Babylonian mercenaries slit through the goat-hair tent with his sword. The man was taking advantage of the chaos to go after the gold. Reuben rushed him, sword drawn, and within seconds he was fighting for his life against a much larger and more skilled Babylonian. His enemy was relentless, and just as Reuben began to tire and lose ground, one of the other Levite guards came to his aid. Together they killed the man. “Thanks,” Reuben breathed. He wondered if the other Levite knew this attack was his fault. Would he have helped him if he had?
Reuben returned to his post and saw Babylonians falling all around him, one after the other. The battle seemed to go on and on, just as on the Thirteenth of Adar, but at last the fighting stopped. Bodies lay strewn all over the ground. Were Bear and Ram and Digger and Nib among them? Reuben didn’t look to see. He didn’t want to know. He listened as Ezra took a quick tally, and although a few Jews had been wounded, none had been killed.
Reuben sank to the ground, still gripping his father’s sword. He wanted to weep, but whether from grief or relief he didn’t know. As the men cleared away the bodies, and the excitement died down, Rebbe Ezra came to crouch beside him. “Thank you, Reuben.”
“For what? Planning to rob you? For telling my gang about the gold you’re carrying and how to find it?” He exhaled, disgusted with himself.
“Why did you change your mind?” Ezra asked quietly.
“I don’t even know.” He stared at the ground, ashamed. He still wore the kippah on his head, a symbol of his submission to God. “I’ll be returning to Casiphia in the morning,” he said, “but I would like to keep my father’s sword, if that’s all right.”
“You’re going back to the Gentiles? Why?”
“I don’t belong here with men like you.”
“Reuben, you did the right thing tonight. You fought well. We could use a strong Levite guard like you.”
“I don’t think the others will agree with you, especially my uncle. Once they find out I was involved—”
“Let me worry about that. For now, not too many men really know what went on last night. And I’m willing to give you a second chance.”
Reuben couldn’t meet his gaze. “Why?” he asked softly. “I lied to you and tried to rob you.”
“Because the Almighty One is a God of second chances. None of us deserves to be forgiven and set free from exile. But He did forgive us and made a way for us to return and serve Him in Jerusalem. He’ll forgive you, too.”
Reuben could only shake his head, unable to comprehend such an offer after what he’d done.
“Would you like a new beginning, Reuben? A chance to start all over and make different choices this time? . . . I think you do, or you wouldn’t have warned us last night or fought alongside us.” Ezra stood and gripped Reuben’s shoulder for a moment. “For my sake, please reconsider. I don’t want you to turn back. Look at this night as the death of your past. Let tomorrow bring a new beginning.”
Reuben nodded, glad no one could see his tears in the dark.
Chapter
43
JERUSALEM
Four months after leaving Babylon, on the fourth day of the fifth month, Devorah stood on a rise overlooking Jerusalem for the first time. Ezra had pulled their donkey cart to a halt to gaze in awe at the view neither of them ever dreamed they would see. Tears blurred her vision as she silently praised the Holy One.
To anyone else, the sight would have been unremarkable—a cluster of stone houses and buildings, all built from creamy Jerusalem limestone. But to Devorah, who had sung about Jerusalem and read about it all her life, this was the city of her God. The holy temple stood on a hill in the distance, a column of smoke rising from the altar. The setting sun bathed the sanctuary in golden light as if it shone with God’s glory. Below the temple on another hill was Jerusalem, a mere remnant of the magnificent city of King Solomon’s day or of Judah’s last kings, but she and Ezra were here to help rebuild it.
Devorah reached to take her husband’s hand in hers. “It’s so beautiful here! The mountains are so lush and green.”
“‘As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people,’” Ezra recited. She saw him wipe his eyes as their children gathered around them and knew this was an emotional moment for him, as well. “That’s the temple over there—do you see it?” he asked. “The Holy One’s temple. From now on, we can worship Him the way He commanded us to in His Torah. We’ll celebrate the sacrifices and new moons and festivals.”
“It’s too wonderful to even believe,” Devorah said. “I feel like I’m dreaming.”
“When can we see the temple up close, Abba?” his son Shallum asked.
“We’re probably too late for the evening sacrifice today. We have to set up camp first. And then wash and change our clothes, of course, before we can go up to worship.”
“When do Shallum and I get to be priests?” Judah asked. “And sacrifice animals?”
“Not for a few more years, I’m afraid. You have a lot of studying to do first. But I’m glad to know you’re so eager to begin.”
On that long-ago day when the twins skipped classes, Devorah couldn’t have imagined it would lead them here. “Being a priest isn’t a job to take lightly,” she said, ruffling Judah’s dark hair. “Priests stand between the Almighty One and His people as intercessors. Your lives must be exemplary, you know—and that includes obeying your parents as the fifth commandment says.”
Judah gave a weary sigh. “We know, Mama.”
She returned her gaze to the temple. “I can’t believe we’re really here.”
“I’ve seen dozens of temples to false gods in Babylon and Susa,” Ezra said, “but this one, humble as it is, puts all of them to shame. I never thought I would be privileged to see it and to worship the Holy One here in Jerusalem.”
“Let’s go, then,” Shallum said, tugging his father’s sleeve. “Everyone else is passing us by!”
Ezra smiled at his son’s enthusiasm and yanked on the donkey’s bridle to start him moving again. As the children ran on ahead, he leaned closer to Devorah as if unwilling to be overheard. “I admit I’m overwhelmed by the task ahead of me. I hesitated when asked to lead our fellow Jews in Babylon—now God has given me the responsibility of leading the entire province of Judah.”
“But you don’t have to do it alone. You’ve always depended on the Almighty One, and He has never allowed you to stumble.”
“I’m under no illusions the people here will respond eagerly to my leadership. Enforcing the laws given in the Torah isn’t going to be an easy task. But I know from the writings of the prophets and from the history of our people that our future depends on our willingness to keep God’s covenant—and that means much more than merely attending the ritual sacrifices at the temple.”
Devorah could barely concentrate on her husband’s words as she gazed around, marveling at the view. Green hills
rolled into the distance all around her with terraced vineyards hugging their rocky slopes. Groves of olive trees rustled their silvery leaves as if in greeting. But Ezra had chosen this moment to confide his thoughts and fears, and she leaned closer to listen. “Have you decided where to begin?” she asked.
“Not exactly. The job of teaching the people is going to be an enormous one. If Reuben is typical of other young men his age, then their knowledge of the Almighty One and His Torah is sketchy, at best.”
“I’m glad you convinced Reuben to come with us.”
“My decision to give him another chance is still meeting with opposition from some of his fellow Levites. He’ll have to prove himself, and that may take time.”
As they neared the city, a delegation of elders came out to greet Ezra, wanting to welcome their new governor and other leaders. He surrendered the reins of their cart to the twins, and Devorah continued on without him to their campsite in the Kidron Valley. The sun had set by the time they chose a spot to set up their tent, and Devorah was hot and weary, the children whining and quarrelsome. She assigned chores and set about preparing dinner with her sister-in-law, Miriam, but tears filled her eyes again as the day’s accumulated emotions caught up with her. “What’s wrong?” Miriam asked when she saw Devorah wiping her cheeks.
“I don’t even know,” she said, laughing. “I’m overwhelmed and amazed to be here—and frightened at the thought of all the changes ahead. Where do we start?”
“I know what you mean.” Miriam sighed as she bent over the kneading trough to mix the dough for flatbread. “It would have been so much easier to simply stay in Babylon where we had nice homes and a good life and everything we needed. Now we’re camping in tents, cooking over piles of sticks, and starting life all over again. Our children are cranky and uneasy about all the changes, too, and I don’t blame them.”
“I’m sure things will get better in the days ahead.”
“Do you really believe that, Devorah? I mean, just look at all the work ahead of us. We’re unaccustomed to this rustic life.”