by Lior Akerman
He hesitated for a few more seconds.
“Hello, who is this?”
He hung up. He spent the night sitting on his parents’ sofa and staring at the old city walls. When the sun rose, he stood in the garden and watched the spectacular sight of the sunrays on the ancient walls. When he heard the call of the muezzin to morning prayers, he left the house. He walked on Derech Hevron Street towards the walls, continued up Hativat Yerushalayim Street and he turned towards the Tower of David. He entered the gate into the old city, continued on David Street, crossed the Jewish Quarter and descended towards the Wailing Wall. Instead of continuing towards the Wall, he walked up the wooden bridge to the Temple Mount. On his right, he saw the Al-Aqsa Mosque and he turned left towards the small dome to the west of the Dome of the Rock. This was the site where, according to Islamic tradition, Mohamed ascended to the heavens on his horse Buraq.
He did not know why he was there and what he was supposed to do but he had the feeling that he could find answers there. He sat down on a stone bench beneath a Cypress tree, slightly easing the oppressive heat. After a few minutes, an old Sheikh approached him. The Sheikh looked deep into his eyes, sat down next to him and sighed. Mike waited for him to speak.
“Welcome Musa, I am Sheikh Almahadi,” he said in Arabic.
Mike looked at him with surprise and then the Sheikh continued in Hebrew with a heavy Arabic accent.
“In Islam, we have two different groups: Sunni and Shia. The Shiites believe that there were seven or twelve holy Imams who were the successors of Mohamed. The last Imam, Mahadi, disappeared but he lives in hiding and will return. Most of us Sunnis do not believe in this. We believe that on judgment day, the world will be destroyed by Allah and rebuilt. On this day, Allah will judge all nations and people by their actions.”
The Sheikh stopped for a moment to take a deep breath before he continued:
“The prophet Moses said to the Jews” and then he began to recite Chapter 18 of the Book of Deuteronomy.
A prophet will the LORD thy God raise up unto thee, from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; according to all that thou didst desire of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying: `Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.' And the LORD said unto me: `They have well said that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him. But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’And if thou say in thy heart: `How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?’ When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken; the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.
After reading the verses, the Sheikh looked at Mike and continued:
“The prophet that Moses was speaking of on Mt. Sinai was Mohamed. We know that Jesus, the son of Miriam, was the son of God and that he failed in completing his mission and refused to accept God’s rule. He did not consider himself a prophet, as he told his followers in the Book of John in the New Testament. He could not have been a prophet, since the prophet needs to come from your brothers, your cousins, the sons of Esav and Ismael, as is written in Deuteronomy 2.”
He took a deep breath and continued:
“That means that the prophet is Mohamed, Allah’s last prophet. He does not have any emissaries. But know this - on that day all religions will be cancelled, and all men will become one people, unified under the same human principles. I know you are not a religious leader, a prophet or a messiah. Be on your way and save the world, prevent its destruction by the forces of evil attempting to destroy it. Once there is peace, we will continue to await the end of days.”
The Sheikh slowly rose from the bench and headed towards the mosque without looking back at Mike, disappearing inside. Mike continued to sit there. He did not know who this man was and how he knew to approach him. All he understood was that Islam had also agreed to his mission. He now realized that there was a consensus that the future of the world was in the hands of man and depended on their actions. He learned that in the future, they would all be one nation, with one belief. He thought of what Rabbi Yochanan Aharon Hacohen had said, that everyone had come from the same source and would return to the same place in the end. No more religions, parties, nations and states. No more pointless religious wars, no more pointless bloodshed.
He did not have much time to ponder. The sight that flashed in his mind shocked him. He saw the two figures in black in front of the Dome of the Rock, about to blow it up, along with the Wailing Wall next to it. This was the ultimate strike they had planned to hit mankind with. A blow that would lead to a bloody war between the religions of the world.
Samael and Charnbog had no intention of carrying out their plan quietly. Everyone was supposed to be watching it live, sending their final message to everyone. They were the only ones who would decide from now on how the world would operate. According to the anonymous announcement released at 10:00 on all media channels and reaching the security and intelligence forces, this day was going to be monumental. The message said:
“Tonight at 18:00, the great revenge will come. The gates to hell will open and fire will sweep through the land and over the holy sites. Streams of golden flames will burn the hills and a new world order will appear.”
Large police and firefighting forces were deployed at the holy sites in Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel. Roads were blocked and life came to a stop in Jerusalem. Hundreds of reporters and news photographers prepared at positions overlooking the old city. They waited tensely for 18:00, the time the attack was planned to take place. The city was silent as hundreds of millions watched on television in suspense.
23.
North Maine, Portland, September 25th
Despite the beautiful landscape and serenity of the clean air blowing in from the Pacific Ocean in mid-September, the past weeks had been unbearable for Alice. The family’s estate in the northern part of the city, on the end of Alice Road, which was named after her, was huge. It was surrounded by a forest. The cool family swimming pool hardly managed to ease the terrible heat and the tension she was feeling. Since they had last parted, she had not been able to speak to him. She only received one voice message from him, four days earlier. He had disappeared and no one knew where he was.
Alice had given the police a detailed statement on their actions in the days prior to his disappearance. She knew he was innocent but she did not understand why he had suddenly vanished from her life. In that part of the U.S., the war was hardly felt and the news they received came from the television and internet reports. Alice and her parents followed the updates on the fierce struggle between the figures in black and the figure in white. She watched live the occurrence beneath the Statue of Liberty. She heard the reports of the mysterious explosion at the apartment on Edgecombe Street and the white figure seen fleeing the scene. Her parents were with her at this difficult time and noticed how upset she was. They tried to get her to talk to them but were unsuccessful. Life in the house continued at leisure and Alice made an effort to maintain a calm routine but it was not easy. Something told her that the man she loved was out there on his own, without friends or love, facing great difficulty.
Alice had spent the last two weeks riding her beloved horse Athena, in the forests and grass fields around their home, reading books and watching the old films that were on television all the time, an attempt the networks were making to get their viewers’ minds off of the dramatic events. Sh
e tried to call him several times but he never answered. At some point, his phone stopped ringing and she realized it was turned off.
Her days were relatively calm but her nights were unbearable. She kept reliving the explosion she had been in, buried under the metal cabinet. She recalled how he picked her up and carried her in his arms such a long distance to her apartment. She felt like she was going mad not knowing what had happened to him.
It was 08:00 on the east coast. Alice and her parents were following the live coverage from Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Everyone was waiting in suspense to see if the anonymous threat to attack the holy sites would materialize. The main concern was what consequences such an attack would have on the world, especially with the world being at war already for two months. All the news channels broadcast analyses in different languages, passing the time, as everyone waited tensely.
Jerusalem, September 25th, 18:00
The digital clock on the television screens showed the seconds passing. The broadcasting crews of all the networks were gathered on the streets around the walls of the Old City. Photographers took position on the Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus, zooming in on the center of the Old City and Temple Mount. Millions of people around the world were watching. Everyone knew something was going to happen but no one knew what exactly.
Steve Hudson, a 36 year old independent television photographer, worked regularly for a number of international networks. He still did not know this but he was about to have more success than the other photographers. With the footage he was about to take in the coming hours, he would be making a large amount of money. He was acquainted with Hassan Abu Nimer, the janitor of the Al-Omria School in the Old City and with his help he was able to access the Al-Rawanima tower, right next to the school. He was in perfect position, overlooking the Temple Mount area south of him. Several hours earlier, he had climbed up to the top of the tower with all his equipment and took position. He passed the time eating the sandwiches he had bought in the Old City market and drinking coffee from the thermos he always had with him.
The Israel Police central command center at the Kishla station in the Old City was packed with officers. The television screens covering the western side of the hall showed live footage of the Wailing Wall, Temple Mount, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and all the streets of the Old City. All the commanders were there - Commissioner Arieh Leshem, Shin Bet Director Ilan Eshel, the police and Shin Bet commanders of the Jerusalem district and senior officers from the police, the Border Police and the Shin Bet. Ido, the commander of the Jerusalem District, notified Ilan Eshel that they did not have any new or old intelligence on what was about to happen.
All of the technological means failed to give them any information regarding plans to attack anywhere. The many police agents in Jerusalem also had no information on what was about to take place. The senior officers sat there without taking any action, waiting to see what would develop. This was also the update that the Prime Minister gave U.S. President Gerald Lindon:
“So far nothing, we are waiting.”
It was 18:00, the blue light of the clocks in the room lit the room. There was silence in the headquarters and in millions of rooms around the world. Everyone was waiting. The entire city was silent. Uncharacteristically, the Israeli police and Muslim Wakf guard were working together, patrolling Temple Mount, in search of suspicious indications. But besides a few birds chirping peacefully on the trees above them, they did not see or hear anything.
Suddenly, irregular movement was identified on the screens in the police command center. The cameras focused on two figures dressed in black, slowly making their way from the northern exit of Al Aqsa mosque towards The Dome of the Rock. Their heads were covered in black hoods and they were unidentifiable.
Steve Hudson, up in the Al- Rawanima tower, also identified the movement. The large networks realized that he had the best position and connected him on his mobile line to their broadcasts, showing his live footage. The pictures were shown all over the world and all the television networks bought the footage from the American channels that hired Steve Hudson’s services.
The police and Wakf patrols identified them, as they received the reports on their radios from the command center. Three patrols headed towards the figures. A minute later, the two men were surrounded by six armed Israeli police officers and 20 Muslim Wakf guards, unarmed but preventing them from moving forward. Their response was very swift, startling Steve who lost his balance for a moment. The camera was out of focus for a moment but he acted quickly and corrected the focus and the footage continued, terrifying and clear.
It happened in a split second. A ring of fire took hold of the police and security guards. The intense heat and flames burned the force surrounding the men in black. A few seconds later, all that remained of them were flames coming from the ground, as the two figures continued to move forward towards the Dome of the Rock.
The District Commander, who had left the Kishla station and was on his way to the site, gave the order. Tens of police officers, wearing bullet proof vests and fireproof shields entered the Temple Mount area. The large force that came in from three directions managed to block Samael and Charnbog. They stopped and looked around and then at each other. They knew that plastic shields or fireproof suits could not stop their fire. The problem the police had was that they didn’t know this. The sights that millions of viewers all over the world saw on the live broadcasts were terrible. A huge flame took over the entire area, covering the entire police force. The flame was enormous, the rising smoke was seen for miles. The fire was seen in the cameras on Mount Scopus but the most dramatic footage was taken by Steve Hudson, who stood there stunned at what he was seeing. Terrible cries of suffering and pain came from the pile of police officers burning in front of Samael and Charnbog. The forces that were not hit, turned and started to run towards the exits.
The Police Commissioner looked over at the Head of the Shin Bet and the Minister of Public Security who had joined them, they were in despair, shocked and helpless. The cameras continued to film the two figures. They walked through the fire that was still burning the forces, straight towards the Dome of the Rock mosque. It seemed that nothing could stop them.
Sheikh Ali Hassan Manzur, the Head of the Wakf Muslim force on Temple Mount, was sitting in his office, watching the horror and was helpless. He picked up the phone and called the police command center, asking to speak to the Commissioner.
“Please, General, do something. It will be a world disaster.”
Commissioner Leshem answered him in a weak and lifeless voice:
“We are doing everything we can to stop them from damaging the mosques. I will keep you updated.”
Samael and Charnbog continued towards the golden dome. Only then did the Head of the Shin Bet understand the meaning of the words in the anonymous threat sent that morning: “Streams of burning gold will wash the hills.” They stood in front of the dome, looking up, preparing to carry out the final stage of their plan.
At first, Steve Hudson’s camera was the only one to film what happened at that moment. It took the police at the command center a few seconds to respond and aim their cameras in the right direction. An enormous rectangular stone was thrown with extreme force from the stairs descending to the Solomon’s Stables mosque on the southern side of the hill. The stone hit the structure where the two figures in black were standing with great force and there was a sound similar to a huge explosion. The stone broke in two, damaging the floor of the Temple Mount, the building beneath it collapsing on the two figures. The viewers saw what Steve’s camera filmed - the figure in white was standing on the roof of the Al Aqsa mosque with his hands raised in the air. He remained standing there for a while, waiting for the cloud of dust to disperse, to make sure the danger was averted.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world applauded with joy and shock. The senior officers in the command center were stunned. The p
olice forces were ordered to stay away from the site and to wait outside Temple Mount. After ten minutes passed, the Commissioner and the District Commander headed towards the hill. Minutes later, they were standing, with the Head of the Shin Bet and a large police force, near the huge stone that was on the damaged ground. By the time they got there, the figure in white was gone.
Two hours later, after the police and the Wakf guard reached an agreement, a huge crane was brought in to remove the stone. They were amazed to find that beneath it were the remains of the structure but not of the black figures. They had disappeared.
But everyone else discovered this much sooner.
Minutes after the unbelievable incident on Temple Mount ended, a report was received of a fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Helena Street in the old city. The police cameras captured the fire catching the wooden scaffolds that were placed on the church walls as well as the wooden ladder hanging out of the second-floor window. The viewers around the world were watching the footage from Steve’s camera and could only see the pillar of smoke rising from the Christian Quarter. Then the police cameras spotted the two figures in black approaching the entrance to the church, on their way to the tomb at the center of the church.
This time Samael and Charnbog were in a hurry. The viewers were following the developments now, thanks to the camera of Roi Ron, the photographer of the Israeli government press office, who had arrived at the scene with his camera, just as the incident began. His camera was broadcasting through the Channel 1 network, to the national television channel and from there to the rest of the world. The black figures were standing at the entrance where the Stone of Anointing was positioned, with the tomb in the hall to their left. But then he appeared from inside the church. The figure in white was suddenly there blocking the entrance. The quick reaction of the two was to hit him with their flames. The entrance to the church went up in flames but the figure in white walked through the fire towards them. He raised his hand creating a huge thrust, throwing the two against the wall with great impact. The wall collapsed on them, covering them with stones as they fell.