by Nancy Madore
Since Ornias was working with slaves and common laborers, he was constantly barraged by the feverish preaching of these most faithful among the Israelites. It made sense, he realized. They had the most to gain from faith—and virtually nothing to lose. The possibilities for their future—especially considering all that their people had achieved thus far—immobilized them from acting on their own behalf in the here and now. Their time would come!
In spite of Ornias’ growing disdain for the people of Israel, he was impressed by their temple. It was inspired by other temples throughout Syria—particularly those of Egypt and Babylon—and yet it was unique too. This temple would house their God and all of His many secrets. It was expansive and elaborate, and constructed with the utmost reverence and care. While the temple itself was built from stone, the inner chambers were adorned with the finest elements to be found on earth, such as cedar, olive wood and even gold. The most talented craftsmen and artisans were brought in to mold these elements into a masterpiece for their God.
The stones for the temple came from beneath the city, where extensive caves had been developed into quarries years before by the Anakim and the other Nephilim who dwelt in that region. What impressed Ornias most was how quietly the construction was executed. This, too, the Israelites had learned from the Egyptians, who were constantly building in and around their royal palaces while they were occupied. To the Egyptians, peace and quiet were every bit as important as the improvements themselves, and the Israelites agreed, making it a rule in the building of their temple. They drew up elaborate plans, calling for the masons and laborers to prepare the stones while they were still in the quarries beneath the city. This meant that each stone had to be meticulously measured and cut while still in its dark, underground home. When the stones finally reached daylight, they were ‘dressed’ and ready to take their place in the temple wall, each fitting as snugly as a cell within a beehive. And it was one of the most noted facts of Solomon’s temple that not one strike of the hammer was heard above ground throughout the building of it.
Ornias and the other djinn helped plan each stage of the construction. More and more, Ornias noticed that Asmodeous was missing from the workroom, but it was no mystery where he had gone. He was off, again, with the king.
Solomon was obsessed with the djinn, but he was particularly intrigued by Asmodeous. He had an inquisitive nature that made him susceptible to Asmodeous’ talent for answering questions in a way that left the questioner more confused than ever. Over time, Asmodeous would become an advisor, of sorts, to the Israelite King. As the completion of the temple drew near, they were never far from each other’s side. It was rumored that they were working together on other, more private matters, not the least of which was deciphering the secrets contained in the ancient library of the Essenes.
Around this time, Solomon ordered the construction of a new throne from which to reign over the land of Israel. This would become the highpoint of his many creations, rivaling even the tabernacle of the Holy of Holies, which was set within the Temple. The king’s new throne was constructed of the finest ivory, and flanked on both sides by enormous lion statues that had been dipped in pure gold. The throne sat up high, with six very broad steps leading up to it—each of which were adorned with two more of the golden lions at either end. Everyone wondered at the meaning of the fourteen lions.
It wasn’t until his new throne was completed that Solomon finally returned to the royal responsibilities he had neglected during his retreat into the ancient libraries in his never-ending quest for knowledge. Foremost among these activities was to call forth his djinn.
It was with dread that Ornias entered Solomon’s chambers that day, trailing behind the other djinn. Now that the temple was finished, it was rumored that the djinn would be put back into the ring. He wondered if this had already happened to Asmodeous, for he hadn’t seen him in weeks. Suddenly the procession stopped. There were a few outbursts of laughter. Ornias had been staring at the lions, awed by the spectacle they created on either side of the throne. Confused, he looked around at the others, and then his gaze followed theirs to the king. Something like laughter burst from his own lips, as he suddenly understood the meaning of the lions.
It was Asmodeous!
But how did the devil had he done it?
Asmodeous led the group into an inner sanctum just beyond the throne. Watching him, Ornias couldn’t help noticing how Asmodeous had adopted all the irritating little manifestations of supremacy that were so characteristic of their former king.
But once they were alone he dropped the fake mannerisms and got right to the point. “We must destroy the nation of Israel once and for ever,” he told them.
For a moment they all just stared at him.
“Sure,” one of them said finally. “Free us from the ring and we’ll help you.”
“No,” replied Asmodeous. “You will be freed when Israel is destroyed.”
There followed a shocked silence, which was quickly turning to anger.
“I know you want to move on,” Asmodeous told them. “So do I. But first we must eliminate this threat to our existence.”
There was more angry silence.
“Think about it,” Asmodeous went on. “This is our home—not theirs. Why not reclaim it?”
“As slaves?” one of them asked.
“No,” said Asmodeous. “You can be whoever you want. In fact, I need some of you in prominent positions.”
Ornias perked up when he heard this. As if reading his mind, Asmodeous met his eyes and smiled. ‘I have just the place for you,’ his smile seemed to say.
It would mean another painful transition, but it would be worth it if it put them back on top. And besides, what choice did they have?
They all listened to what Asmodeous had to say, and Ornias, for one, was obliged to admire his reasoning.
In the land of Israel, God ruled supreme. He was the all-important, most high—most everything. But since he wasn’t actually there (at least not in the physical sense) the second in command seemed the next best thing. These were the prophets.
Prophets were considered a kind of mouthpiece for the one true God. They delivered his messages and predicted the future. Whether it was through visions, dreams or the casting of lots didn’t matter, provided the prophet turned out to be right. If not, he would be killed. The very nature of the risk they were taking demanded that these ‘men of God’ be taken seriously. And they were. The prophets were the most influential people in all of Israel. They had the power to alter history.
One of the more prominent prophets of the time was a man called Ahijah. He was a powerful force in Israel, an advisor to priests in all of the twelve tribes of Israel. Ornias could hardly believe his ears when Asmodeous suggested this new position for him.
“But…I don’t know anything about prophesying,” he objected—though he was quickly warming to the idea. Ornias, a prophet! What would his brothers think if they could see him now?
Asmodeous shrugged. “It’s really not that different from what you did for our people in Kiriath Arba, is it?” he reasoned. “Instead of telling stories and singing songs, you’ll predict the future.”
“Yes, but…if the stories don’t come true I’ll be killed!”
Asmodeous waved this away as if it were a minor point. “I’ll be the one providing the prophesies,” he said, “so you don’t have to worry over their accuracy. All I need you to do is make them believable. Do whatever it is you do to convince the people that they’re true.”
Ornias was thoughtful. It was tempting!
“The worst that can happen is that you’ll be burned alive as a false prophet,” added Asmodeous. He seemed almost amused by the prospect. “In that case, you’ll just pop up as another prophet.”
Ornias felt a prick of resentment, mostly because Asmodeous wasn’t giving him a choice in the matter. Although he knew that he would do it either way. He shrugged. “Well, I suppose it’s worth a try,” he said, half excited
by the prospect of being such a prominent figure among the Israelites and half dreading what might happen to him if he messed up. “But what of their God?” he asked, giving voice to another of his fears.
Asmodeous smiled. “What about Him?” he asked.
“Well…,” began Ornias, glancing at some of the others he knew were harboring the same fear, “you have to admit that someone has to be helping them. Think of all they’ve done!”
In a rare moment of confidence, Asmodeous motioned Ornias closer. “Not someone,” he said. “Something. They’ve got our documents. And not just ours, but others as well! They found many of the secrets that were passed down by the Watchers.”
Ornias’ eyes grew wide. “What kind of secrets—did you find Lilith’s book?”
Ornias instantly regretted the question. He could see from Asmodeous’ expression that he had not.
“That’s another reason I need your help,” said Asmodeous. “The monks are acting strange. They seem more secretive than usual. I think they’ve suspected Solomon’s intentions for a while now. I fear they’re removing documents from the temple.”
“What can I do?” asked Ornias.
“You and the others will work together to influence the priests,” he said. “But we must be very careful. If they guess what’s happened, they still have the power to destroy us.”
“Why not infiltrate the monks with one of us?” asked Ornias.
“The monks would know,” he replied. “They live a very cloistered life, and as a result they are extremely close. They know all about us from studying our documents. They are waiting for one of us to try and get in.”
It was, indeed, a dangerous game they were playing.
“We must be subtle and slow,” Asmodeous told the djinn. “The destruction of Israel must appear to be a natural thing, brought about by their own corruption. We’ll tweak the nose of their God, creating dissention among the people.”
Ornias wondered if what Asmodeous was proposing was possible. The people were so numerous—and so united. And yet, even putting aside the ring, what choice did they have if they wanted to live in this world?
But Ornias needn’t have worried. He took to prophesying like a fish takes to water.
Years before, Ornias had gained a great deal of admiration from entertaining the people of Kiriath Arba, but being a prophet was even better. People not only admired him, they were afraid of him. He had a direct line into the will of God!
Things had been running smoothly under Solomon’s reign. The people were content. The priests were prosperous. There was not much for a prophet to do. Ornias listened to the trivial matters they brought before him and then tried to be clever as he doled out advice with his usual dramatic flair. The people were impressed. The best part of it was, as a prophet, Ornias was not required to marry. He was able to enjoy the temple prostitutes without anyone raising an eyebrow. Ornias felt that he had finally found his calling.
Asmodeous, on the other hand, seemed to be collecting wives—and not just from among the Israelites either. He’d begun taking foreign wives, who brought with them into Israel their foreign gods. When he wasn’t courting foreign princesses, Asmodeous was translating—and then altering—scrolls from the library of the Essenes. He’d infiltrated their lair with a young scribe who was sneaking the documents out for him. And he was becoming more secretive than ever.
The Hebrew monks were also becoming more secretive, even separating themselves from Solomon’s temple to reside in the desert, where they hoarded their literary secrets from the rest of the world. It was a subtle defiance to their king, but Asmodeous was in a delicate position. Although God had been given the credit for all the Israelites had achieved, everyone seemed to understand that these keepers of the secrets had also played a part. It was not openly acknowledged, but it was there, like an irrefutable truth. King or no, Asmodeous could do nothing to stop them.
It was all rather perfect, in Ornias’ opinion. He and his two closest friends from Kiriath Arba, Ephippas and Rabdos, were together again in the land of Canaan, lording it over the twelve tribes in various positions of power. The monks might have their secrets, but the Qliphoth had a few of their own. The only fly in the ointment was their self-imposed leader. Ornias worried over Asmodeous’ behavior, taking foreign wives and even allowing them to bring their gods into Israel! It was unconscionably reckless of him. Always thinking of himself! What about the other Qliphoth, like Ornias, who didn’t want things to change? Why not simply enjoy their elevated positions in the most powerful nation in the world? Many of the Qliphoth agreed with Ornias. They resented Asmodeous’ continued control over them. Who was he to determine the fates of them all?
The Israelites were growing resentful of their king as well. Hearing their complaints, Ornias became alarmed.
“You’re going to push the people too far,” he warned, but this only amused Asmodeous.
“Spoken like a true prophet,” he laughed. “You’re taking your role rather seriously, aren’t you?”
“They could kill you…and the rest of us!” Ornias lamented.
When Asmodeous remained unconcerned, Ornias examined him more closely.
“You’re doing this intentionally?” he cried.
Asmodeous looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “We’re not here to live peacefully among the Israelites,” he said. “We must destroy the kingdom of Israel.”
Ornias sighed in frustration. “So you’re still on that.”
“They are a threat to our existence!” insisted Asmodeous. “Whether or not they’re working with the Others, there’s no doubting that they have the same agenda.”
This brought Ornias up short. “You think the Others are helping them?” he asked, suddenly terrified.
“They claim to have been communicating with angels all along,” Asmodeous told him. “Assuming they speak the truth—a big assumption, I’ll grant you—what other angels could they be communicating with?”
“How do I fit into all of this?” Ornias wondered out loud.
“You are Ahijah,” Asmodeous reminded him. “The esteemed prophet of the one true God. Isn’t He telling you anything?” His tone was mocking.
Ornias stared at him, not quite following. Asmodeous smiled.
“Not a whisper?” Asmodeous prodded. Ornias wondered what he was getting at. “I don’t think you’re concentrating Ahijah. False gods are coming into Israel. Surely you must have some feelings about this.”
“You mean…” began Ornias, pausing uncertainly, “you want me to openly condemn what you’re doing?” And yet, it wasn’t such a stretch, once he thought about it. Ornias had been silently railing against Asmodeous’ behavior since he first became aware of it. It was rather surprising that none of the prophets had spoken out yet. “But something like that could bring about an uprising!”
“No,” replied Asmodeous. “Not an uprising. Not yet. The people are still much too comfortable for this small seedling of discontent to have that much of an impact. They will have to be more personally affected before that occurs.” He was thoughtful, as if debating how much to share with Ornias. “I have taken a young man under my wing. His name is Jeroboam. He will have a large part to play when the time comes, as will you. For now, make your displeasure—or should I say God’s displeasure—known to the people of Israel. But inform them that they must await God’s instructions before they act. Play on their faith. ‘God will act in his own time’…that kind of thing.”
“But what if God…,” Ornias paused when he saw Asmodeous’ look—“I mean…the Others really do interfere before we complete your plan?”
Asmodeous just stared at Ornias until he squirmed.
“Well, you have to admit they have some kind of strange…luck,” Ornias insisted.
“Perhaps,” Asmodeous relented. “It’s possible that the Others are interfering in spite of the covenant. But more likely, the Israelites’ luck can be explained by the information they found in the tablets and scrolls. The E
ssene monks had been advising the priests throughout their takeover of their so-called promised land. I have no doubt that’s how they conquered Canaan. How they found the documents I really can’t say. Maybe the flood waters uprooted them from their burial places. Or maybe the Others helped them. It doesn’t matter. We have everything to gain by destroying these people. What have we to lose?”
Our lives, if they catch us, Ornias thought, but he kept his mouth shut. Yet he could see that Asmodeous had read his thoughts.
“We had already lost that to the Hebrews,” Asmodeous told him. “And we will never truly get it back until we stop them for good.”
Ornias left Asmodeous with a feeling of foreboding. And yet, it was rather nice to be able to express ‘God’s’ displeasure with their ‘king.’ But it was a brazen move. The priests were astonished, although Ornias could see that they silently agreed with him.