Keepers of the Covenant (7 page)

B
ABYLON

N
ear the end of another disheartening day, Ezra stood before all the people in the house of assembly to lead evening prayers. Night would fall while they prayed and another day would end, bringing them one day closer to their execution. He cleared his throat, feeling inadequate, wondering if he would ever become accustomed to standing here as their leader. “This evening, I want to encourage you with this prophecy from Jeremiah,” he began. He was desperate to feel the promise conveyed in the prophet’s words, desperate to disguise his own growing hopelessness. Only eight months left to live. Thirty-two weeks. “‘This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord Almighty is his name: “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me.”’”

Ezra paused to glance up for a moment, and his knees went weak. The Babylonian sorcerer who had brought the devastating news of King Xerxes’ decree stood in the rear doorway. Ezra gripped the podium, trying to draw enough air to speak.
The assembled men turned to see what Ezra was staring at, and when Jude spotted the sorcerer, he quickly pushed his way toward him. “You’re back! Is there more news?”

The old man showed him a square of parchment. “The king issued another decree.”

Ezra longed to sit down. He didn’t think he could bear more bad news. He took a shaky breath and said, “Please come forward and share it with us.” The sorcerer hobbled to the front of the long, narrow hall to climb the bimah. Even after all of Ezra’s hard work these past few months, studying with his colleagues day and night, praying with the Jewish community, showing them God’s promises, their hope seemed tenuous, their faith as fragile as cobwebs. Were his efforts going to be undone by another decree?

The hall fell still as the Babylonian handed the parchment to Ezra. “This just arrived from Susa. I brought it right away.”

Ezra was afraid to read it. He wanted to know the gist of it first, to soften the blow. “What does it say? Does it cancel the first decree?”

“No, that cannot happen. But Haman is no longer in power. The king executed him.”

Excited murmurs chased through the crowd. A sliver of hope made Ezra’s heart pound. “Executed! Do you know why?”

“We’ve heard rumors, but no one knows for certain. The first decree cannot be changed or repealed, but the king has issued a new one. Read it.”

Ezra swallowed and began to read. “‘By order of King Xerxes, the Jews in every city throughout his kingdom are hereby granted the right to assemble and protect themselves. . . . ’” He paused to read the words again, his heart beating faster.
They had
the right to
protect themselves!
His voice grew louder as he continued reading. “‘The Jews have the right to destroy, kill, and annihilate any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children, and to plun
der the property of their enemies.’” He looked up, repeating the news. “We have been granted the right of self-defense! A miracle! ‘The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all of the provinces of King Xerxes’ reign is the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar.’”

The room erupted into chaos. “What kind of craziness is this?” Jude shouted above the noise.

“What does it mean?” someone else called out.

Ezra held up his hands, attempting to quiet the crowd. “Can you explain this to us?” he asked the Babylonian.

“I know it doesn’t seem to make sense,” he replied. “But those of us in the governor’s palace interpret it this way: Since the king’s first edict can’t be rescinded, he’s now granting all Jews the right to strike back and defend themselves. As you know, the first decree didn’t allow for self-defense.”

“So we’re saved from execution?” Ezra asked. He was afraid to believe it, afraid to hope.

“Not exactly. . . . No document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring may be revoked, but a new law can go into effect alongside it, and this new one—”

“Allows us defend ourselves!” Jude shouted. “We don’t have to die after all!”

Another great cheer went up. The deafening noise filled the hall. Ezra leaned against the podium, weak with relief. “Praise God! Our prayers have been answered,” he murmured, trying to control his emotions. “O Lord, forgive us for doubting your mercy.”

Everyone began talking at once, laughing and weeping and cheering. Ezra looked down at the decree again and saw a new signature in place of Haman’s:
Mordecai son of
Jair, son of Shimei, the son of Kish.
He read it a second time, then a third, unable to believe his eyes. These names were Jewish. This man was a descendant of King Saul from the tribe of Benjamin—
Jewish
!

He turned to the Babylonian sorcerer, pointing to the parchment. “This name . . . Mordecai. Does he serve in Haman’s place?”

“Yes.”

Tears filled Ezra’s eyes but he no longer cared. “Listen!” he shouted above the noise. “Listen! The Almighty One has not only heard our prayers, but He has replaced our enemy Haman, with a son of Abraham!” Once again, deafening cheers filled the hall. Ezra moved closer to the sorcerer to ask another question. “You said there were rumors concerning the reason for the king’s change of heart. What are they?”

“Mind you, they are only rumors, and they may turn out to be false, but . . .” He moved closer, cupping his hand near Ezra’s ear to be heard above the joyful din. “They say that the queen herself is Jewish.” Ezra could only stare at the man in astonishment. He’d guessed that Mordecai might be a Jew, but the queen, as well?

“The queen?” he repeated. “The Persian king’s
wife
?”

“Yes—according to the rumors she is related, somehow, to this Mordecai. If it’s true, then King Xerxes issued this new decree to spare his queen’s life and the lives of her people.”

Ezra felt laughter bubbling up. Unable to control it, he laughed until the tears rolled down his cheeks. They truly were saved—and by a daughter of Abraham! Only the Almighty One could arrange such an astounding miracle. Below him, someone began singing a song of praise to the Almighty One. Others joined him, linking arms to dance in circles as they sang.

“I need to return before dark,” the sorcerer said.

“Wait. One more question. Will this new decree go into effect everywhere?”

“Yes. The news is being sent out on swift horses to all 127 provinces in the king’s empire.”

“And what will happen here in Babylon? Do you know? Will the local government and the Persian army help us?”

“Not directly. But the man who has replaced Haman wields a great deal of power. The nobles and satraps and governors will likely favor you Jews because they fear Mordecai.”

They feared Mordecai. And they feared the Jewish queen, the wife of King Xerxes. Unbelievable! “Thank you for bringing this news,” Ezra said as he helped the man step from the platform. “We’re very grateful to you.”

Ezra didn’t want to interrupt the celebration—the people must have a chance to rejoice—but in spite of this miracle, the reality of his community’s plight still concerned him. Later, as he sat with Jude and Asher after dinner, he shared his thoughts, leaning forward across the dining mat so his brothers’ wives wouldn’t hear him. “I didn’t want to diminish everyone’s hope earlier, but we’ll still need to fight for our lives. The new decree gives us the right to defend ourselves, but our enemies still have the right to kill us and ransack our homes and businesses under the first decree. And I’m sure many of them will still want to do that.”

Asher smiled as he watched his wife tend to the supper dishes, as if he saw hope now for his unborn child and was reluctant to return to despair. “Maybe our enemies will be afraid to attack us now that this second order has been issued.”

Jude leaned forward, as well, lowering his voice. “No, the Babylonians will still want to kill and pillage. Remember those dogs who’ve been eyeing our pottery works? They’ve been planning to steal it for months and won’t accept defeat. We need to start gathering weapons right away and prepare to defend ourselves.”

“But this edict is a miracle,” Asher said. “Can’t we trust God for more miracles?”

“Miracle or not,” Jude replied, “our enemies have had more time to prepare and strategize than we’ve had. If we’re not ready to fight back in eight months, we’ll die.” He turned to Ezra. “Do you think we can gather enough weapons and learn to use them in the few months remaining?”

“I have no idea.”

“We aren’t warriors—” Asher began.

“We’ll only have to fight for one day!” Jude said, then lowered his voice again as both wives looked up from their work. “We must be ready for their attack at sunset on the eve of the thirteenth of Adar, when both decrees go into effect. And we must be prepared to fight until the sun sets again the following evening.”

“Where are we going to get weapons?” Asher asked. He and Jude both looked to Ezra for the answer.

This ordeal wasn’t over for him. As the leader of his people, the task of arming his fellow Jews and training them in warfare would fall to him. “I’m not a warrior,” Ezra said, “but since they numbered me among the condemned, I’m willing to be numbered among those who will fight. The Almighty One helped Joshua fight the pagan Gentiles, and He’ll help us. We’ll need to forge weapons or purchase them and—”

“I know a Jewish blacksmith,” Jude interrupted. “A very skilled one. He lives in Casiphia, where we trade our pottery. He’s a Levite, in fact. I met him when I prayed in their house of assembly the last time I was there. There are dozens of Levite families in Casiphia.”

“Good. You need to go there right away and talk to him, Jude. I’ll talk to the other men tomorrow morning about raising funds. We’ll need money to purchase weapons and other supplies—”

“No, Ezra. You need to go to Casiphia, not me.” Jude glanced at Devorah before looking back at him. “I won’t leave my family alone and unprotected. You can’t imagine how it feels to know someone has been watching Devorah, lusting after her. You’ll have to go in my place.”

Ezra hesitated. Ever since hearing the good news, he had been imagining that he could return to his teaching and his studies.

“You’re our leader,” Jude continued. “Everyone depends on you, especially now that you’ve brought us this victory.”

“I did nothing. It was the Almighty One—”

“He gave you this role as our leader.”

“You can’t abandon us now,” Asher said.

Ezra leaned back with a sigh, running his hands through his hair. “But I’ve never traveled anywhere before. And I’ll be carrying money—”

“I’ll send a shipment of pottery with you. We’ll hire drivers. Asher knows the way.”

“It’s true, I do, but . . .” Asher looked at his wife, then exhaled. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“I can get a shipment ready and hire drivers in a matter of days,” Jude said. “You can be on your way before the end of the week. Will that give you enough time to raise money for weapons?”

“I suppose so.” Ezra was reluctant to protest again, but the journey seemed daunting to him. What did he know about buying weapons, much less using them?

“We can bring the good news about the second decree to the Jews in Casiphia,” Asher said. “Maybe they haven’t heard it yet.” He grinned and lifted his cup of wine in salute. Jude lifted his, as well.

Ezra lifted his but didn’t drink. His head spun even without the wine. The Almighty One had answered their prayers! He would keep His promise of an everlasting covenant with the children of Abraham. They were no longer sentenced to die. The reality of their salvation astounded him, and he bowed his head and closed his eyes, feeling the same awe and gratitude that Moses must have felt when Pharaoh’s chariots and horses drowned in the sea.

Today, God had granted Ezra and the others a glimpse of His power and glory.

C
ASIPHIA

R
euben held the sword to the grinding stone in his father’s dimly lit shop as he honed it into a sharpened blade. He and Abba worked every night until they were too tired to work any longer, secretly forging weapons so Casiphia’s Jewish community could go to their graves fighting. So far, they had used leftover scraps and bits of metal, but Reuben knew they were nearly out of materials.

Abba said he prayed while he worked, and tonight Reuben tried to do the same. His foremost prayer was that he and his family would survive somehow. But as the weeks passed and the thirteenth day of Adar drew closer, Reuben began praying for courage. For strength to disguise his fear and face death bravely. Most of all, he needed to control his tears and the sickening nausea that overwhelmed him every time he thought about dying. He was a man now, and he wanted to be like his father, strong in body and in heart. He wanted to make his father proud.

Reuben bent to his task, straining to see in the flickering lamplight, the grinding noise jarring his nerves. Then along with the sounds of hammering and grinding, he thought he
heard the rumble of wagon wheels. He stopped and raised his head to listen. The rumbling halted in the street out front. He turned to his father. Abba held his finger to his lips in warning before scooping up the weapons they were making.

“Go see who it is,” Abba whispered. “Stall for time while I hide these.”

Reuben removed his leather apron and walked to the front of the open-air forge, carrying an oil lamp. The wagon parked outside was loaded with clay pots. The driver and the two men standing beside the load of pottery were Jews wearing
kippahs
and beards and fringes on their robes. Reuben felt relieved but still wary. “Can I help you?” he asked.

“Good evening. My name is Ezra ben Seraiah, and this is my brother Asher,” one of the strangers said. His fair skin had never seen the sun, his smooth, elegant hands had no calluses or cuts, no dirt beneath his nails. He was neither a potter nor a caravan driver—although the younger man beside him had the lean, sun-browned look of a laborer. And they did resemble each other. “We’ve come from Babylon looking for a blacksmith named David, from the tribe of Levi. Do you know where we might find him?”

“My father’s name is David. And he owns this smithy,” Reuben said. “But he’s busy. Why do you need to see him?”

“We bring very good news that your father will be happy to hear.” Ezra’s smile seemed kind and genuine. “Has the Jewish community here in Casiphia heard about King Xerxes’ second decree?”

“No . . . there’s a second decree?”

“Yes, and it’s good news, son. Don’t worry. Your father and the others will want to hear about it right away. And we have a business proposition to make with your father.” The two men seemed trustworthy and sincere, but Reuben was afraid to hope for good news.

“Wait here, please. I’ll go get him.” He left the lamp with his
visitors and made his way through the darkened forge, slipping behind the partition. Abba was just closing the crate, covering it with a length of burlap sacking to hide it.

“Who is it, Reuben?”

“Two Jewish men from Babylon with a driver and a wagon full of pottery. They asked for you by name. They said they have good news about a second decree from King Xerxes.”

Abba hesitated for a moment. “I’ll talk to them. Grab that other lamp.”

Reuben followed his father outside where the stranger introduced himself again.

“I’m Ezra ben Seraiah, and this is my brother Asher. We weren’t sure if you’ve heard the news from Susa yet, but King Xerxes has issued a second decree, giving us the right to arm ourselves and fight back on the thirteenth of Adar.” It took Reuben a moment to realize what he’d just said. Abba seemed to have trouble comprehending it, too.

“Wait. Say that again, please.”

“Our people will survive after all. The Almighty One heard our prayers, and now the Persian king is allowing us to defend ourselves. We’re no longer sentenced to die! We have the right to kill anyone who tries to destroy us.”

Abba grinned and clapped Reuben on the back. “Did you hear that, son? We’re saved!” Reuben could only nod, too overwhelmed to speak.

“We’ve come to buy weapons,” Ezra said, lowering his voice. “A fight will ensue, and we need your services as a blacksmith.”

Abba didn’t hesitate. “Come with me. I want to show you something.” He beckoned to the men, leading them through his forge to the little alcove behind the partition. He opened the crate and showed them the weapons that he and Reuben had made. “The Jewish community here in Casiphia was already planning to fight to the death,” Abba said, “even though we were outnumbered and couldn’t possibly win.”

The younger stranger lifted a sword from the crate. “These are beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Abba said. “Unfortunately, I’m nearly out of materials. I can’t make many more.”

“I understand,” Ezra said. “We took up a collection to pay the cost of your labor and materials. We can raise more money, if needed.”

Abba grinned a second time. “I’ll put all my other orders on hold and start right away. But listen,” he said, clapping his hands. “This news is too good to keep to ourselves. Reuben, run to your Uncle Hashabiah’s house, and tell him to gather all of the men in the house of assembly, right away. Go! In the meantime, have you eaten anything?” he asked the men.

“We don’t want to trouble you.”

“I would be honored to have you as my guests. My wife can fix you something to eat while we wait for the men to assemble. Go, Reuben! Hurry!”

Reuben finally got his legs to move. He raced as fast as he as could through the dark, narrow streets to his uncle’s house near the assembly hall, wondering why life was so chaotic. One day the king sentenced him to death, and the next day he decreed that he could fight back. Reuben was still afraid to believe it, still afraid that he and everyone he loved would die. Why did the Almighty One do such crazy things?

He delivered the message to Uncle Hashabiah—who seemed afraid to believe it, too—then ran home again. The strangers from Babylon sat in Reuben’s courtyard, eating the hasty meal that Mama had prepared. “We’ve been praying for the Almighty One’s mercy,” Ezra was saying, “and He answered our prayers.”

“It’s not a very good answer, though,” Reuben blurted out. Everyone turned to him. “We’re still in danger, aren’t we? We still could die.”

“You’re right,” Ezra said. He didn’t seem surprised or offended
by Reuben’s outburst. “Do you remember the story from the Torah when our enemies backed us into an impossible corner at the Red Sea? Pharaoh’s chariots were behind us and there seemed to be no escape?”

“I know the story.”

“The Almighty One came to our aid and parted the sea—but we still had to step between the walls of water. We had to take a risk and trust that God wouldn’t let us all drown. It’s the same now. God has parted the waters and begun our deliverance, but we have to move forward in faith.”

“Rebbe Ezra is a Torah teacher,” Abba explained.

“The most brilliant one in Babylon,” Asher added.

“And I understand that you’re Levites,” Ezra said, breaking off another piece of bread. “Asher and I also descend from the tribe of Levi through the line of Aaron. Our ancestors were priests.”

“Tell me,” Abba said as he refilled their cups, “do you ever wish we could return to Jerusalem and serve in His temple?”

“Yes, of course. But I’m sure you know that immigration to Judah was halted sixty years ago. We’re not allowed to return.”

Abba grew still as he gazed into the distance, in the direction they faced every day when they prayed—toward Jerusalem. “If the king ever makes another decree like the one King Cyrus gave, I’ll be the first one to leave for Jerusalem. My greatest wish is for my son to serve his true calling as a Levite.”

Abba’s words surprised Reuben. This was the first time he had ever mentioned such a wish. “But I like being a blacksmith,” Reuben said.

“And you’re becoming a very skilled one,” Abba said, gripping Reuben’s shoulder. “He’s not quite thirteen,” he told Ezra, “but he’ll be a great help to me in the coming months as we forge weapons for you. But my wish for you, Reuben, is for something greater—that you could serve the Almighty One the way you were born to do.”

Reuben looked away. This wasn’t the time to tell Abba that
he wanted to fight, to use the weapons they’d made to kill his enemies. If Abba ever asked him what his greatest wish was, Reuben would say it was to become a man of courage and strength—to be a warrior. To make sure that no one could harm him or his family ever again.