The Characters

"You haven't listened to the Lord, who has commanded you, saying 'Do not serve other gods, which are but the mere work of your hands. Therefore I am about to pour out my wrath upon you,' declares the Lord." Jeremiah paused again. Now people were coming to him to listen to his words. More than two hundred surrounded the dais on which he stood. He could see temple guards begin to move on the perimeter of the court. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Daniel milling about with a group of about twenty youths of his age. While the sight of his young friend registered with his subconscious, it did not distract him from what he had to say.

"...Thus says the Lord of Hosts, 'Because you have not obeyed My words, behold, I will exile the families of Judah. Even now, I am gathering all the armies of the north under Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, whom I have appointed my servant. I will bring them against this land and its people. I will bring them against all the nations surrounding you, to destroy them.'" The crowd was beginning to grow restless. This was the point which Baruch had feared, had begged Jeremiah not to make. Not here. Not in public. Many believed that the Lord would never allow such a thing to befall His people and His temple.

They were wrong.

"This whole land shall be a desolation and a horror, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. With fire he shall consume this Temple, and all ..." A roar went up from the crowd. A hand grabbed him from behind, dragging him off the dais. The force which wrestled him backward wrenched his shoulder. Suddenly, the wind was knocked out of him as his back hit the ground below, his head slamming into the cobble stones. As he was dragged into the midst of the crowd, darkness surrounded him. Jeremiah struggled to retain consciousness, and failed. Return to Main Characters

Daniel: A disciple of Jeremiah, he must follow in his mentor's footsteps to lead his people in a foreign land.

Daniel looked back at his parents for what he knew would be the last time. He could see his mother crying. Beside her, his father stood straight and tall, his face displaying no emotion. But to Daniel's surprise, his father had given him something of infinite value. Once again, to reassure himself that he had it on his person, he grasped the bulge in the nap sack which hung on his back. And once again, he felt the outline of two scrolls nestled within. One was his father's copy of the Torah - the five books of the law given word for word - some said even letter by letter - to Moses by Jehovah God.

The document had been missing for over one hundred years, hidden during the reign of the evil king Manasseh. Workers restoring a portion of the temple wall had found it only a few years before Daniel had been born. When King Josiah was yet a lad, his father had been one of the scribes assigned the task of recopying the Torah. So exacting were the requirements of making the copy - not one letter could be changed - that Daniel's father had only managed to make two copies. It was said that the Torah contained the secrets of the universe, but only those blessed by God would ever unlock its them. For the first time in years, Daniel realized that his father truly loved him.

He walked on, his train of thought distracted by the sight of other exiles who, like himself, were no friends of King Jehoiakim. There were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three of Daniel's friends who had helped in the rescue of Jeremiah. So this is how Jehoiakim would rid himself of those who opposed him! But not all were Jehoiakim's enemies. Shemaiah, a rival of Jeremiah, was also going - no doubt to spy on Jehoiakim's foes in exile.

As they marched, Daniel could see the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, watching them leave. Beside him stood his hated right-hand man, Naaman, the Captain of the Guard. Daniel thought bitterly of the note that Ezekiel - who would be allowed to remain in Jerusalem - had slipped him. It had been written by Jeremiah, now in hiding. "Upon your shoulders God has placed the burden of His people. You are the key to returning them safely. Remember, things are not always as they may appear. You must be a father to Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord will provide a way for that to happen. May the Lord bless you and keep you."

Words! Just words! Ezekiel and Jeremiah weren't being forced to abandon their homes! Daniel cursed the day he had ever become involved with Jeremiah.

Just then, Daniel saw flying above the head of Nebuchadnezzar a large bald eagle. He watched it high above, and became mesmerized as he watched it circle. Once, twice, three times ... it circled seven times, and then flew East in the direction of Babylon. Daniel's thoughts were jerked back to the second scroll hidden in his pack - the Scroll of Isaiah. Like the Torah, it too contained wisdom and prophecy. Daniel had committed much of it to memory already. At the sight of the eagle, those words came rushing at him now:

"Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They shall rise up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint."

With those words, all the bitterness flowed out of him. Just as quickly, he felt an abiding peace. He thought of Jeremiah's message. Mere words? No. Daniel realized that they were much more than mere words - God did have some great purpose in store for him.

Daniel set his mind to the task at hand, and settled into a steady pace. It would be a long march. Return to Main Characters

Naaman: The Captain of the Babylonian Guard who's heart is conquered by the Queen of Ashkelon.

Naaman scanned the Egyptian line as he jogged forward to battle. The Greeks were clearly trying to angle toward the Banner of Marduk, signaling the location of Nebuchadnezzar in the Babylonian ranks. With a clash, the lines of warriors were engaged. A spear lunged for his gut. He parried and then spun inward toward his opponent wheeling his sword in an arch which met with the head of the enemy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw three guards defending Nebuchadnezzar against four Greeks. The Prince could not be kept from the fray, but weighed in with his double handed sword. Naaman slashed his way toward the prince's side. At that moment, one of the Greeks smashed the Babylonian closest to Nebuchadnezzar and was upon the prince. Wielding his sword above his head, he brought it down with a speed which seemed impossible for a man of his girth. Nebuchadnezzar, able only to partially deflect the blow, took the side of the sword against his head. As he crashed to the ground, Naaman bellowed for help and charged the Greek.

At six feet, he was not a small man, yet still gave up fifty pounds and several inches to his new adversary. Charging him from the side, Naaman smashed his shield into the Greek's sword arm. Quickly, Naaman swung at his opponent's legs only to have his blow blocked by his sword. Immediately, the Greek brought his sword up in a 360 degree arch over his head and down at Naaman's skull. To avoid the blow, he tucked his head and rolled somersault fashion forward under the brute's left arm.

Now behind the Greek, he sprang to his feet and ran his sword into the man's back up to the hilt. The warrior slumped to one knee. Naaman ripped his sword from the man's body as the warrior collapsed, face forward into the dirt. Chest heaving, Naaman looked around him. Nebuchadnezzar was conscious, kneeling to gather his strength. His men had pushed the Greek mercenaries back. Their Egyptian masters were in complete disarray and running away from the field of battle. Naaman, though dizzy, was on his feet and cheering his men to pursue them. There would be much celebrating this night! Return to Main Characters

Troas: A Greek mercenary in the employ of Tyre who will use any means to complete his mission.

Troas awoke, thankful that it had all been a nightmare. No! Not a nightmare! A reliving of last night's horror. He had come to Ashkelon, the capitol of what had once been the Philistine nation. His assignment was to meet with King Ohlm, to win his approval of the alliance now being formed under the leadership of Tyre and Egypt. Because Troas had arrived in the city at the time of the Spring Planting, he had been told that any audience would have to wait until after the sacrifice to their god, Dagon.

Troas had heard rumors of their god, but last night was the first time he had encountered those who worshipped him. Their ceremonies had begun innocently enough. The people had gathered around mid-afternoon in the city square. Food was prepared, and magicians plied their trade among the growing crowds. The priests of Dagon received tribute from all who came, paid in the form of goats, chickens, and coins of gold or silver. As dusk approached, the court musicians began to play a low, rhythmic beat. Seemingly out of nowhere, families with infants began to appear. They formed a semicircle around the center of the square, where the priests of Dagon gathered at a twenty foot high statue of their god. The god sat cross legged. In a pit hollowed out in its lap burned a bonfire. Above the leaping flames, Dagon held out his hands, palms up, the elbows resting against his ample belly. As the bonfire roared, tips of the flames would engulf his hands like waves crashing onto a beach.

As Troas had watched, lots were cast among the families gathered there. Seven families were chosen. The babies were snatched from their mothers' arms and taken to the chief priest. Troas had watched in horror as the priest would take the babies one by one and place them into Dagon's outstretched hands. The piercing screams of the infants fell on deaf ears as the bonfire burned away their flesh. Using a shovel, the priest would remove the remains of each baby and dump it into a clay pot before feeding his next victim to the voracious god. Incredibly, the mothers of these babies simply watched without any display of emotion. More incredible still was what happened next.

Seven priestesses came out from behind the idol. They danced to the beat of the music before leading the fathers of the sacrificed babies to the foot of Dagon. There, the seven couples engaged in sexual intercourse, as the crowd nodded their heads to the beat of the music and began to chant. At that point, Troas had left the scene and returned to his room. While many cultures incorporated fertility rights into their religion, whereby the male god of the air was enticed to fertilize the female god of the earth, he had never seen the sacrifice of infants practiced! Troas could not help but wish they would choose a different way to entice their god to grant them a successful springtime planting! He shook his head violently to try to wipe the memories from his sleepy head. He had a job to do. His own personal moral sensibilities would have to be put aside.

Troas dressed and ate a quick breakfast before leaving the inn where he was staying. He made his way to the Well of Ashkelon where he knew the daughter of King Ohlm would come to draw water. He had been advised by local townspeople that it was Ohlm's daughter, Timnah, who was the power behind the throne. Troas had observed her from a distance, so he would be sure to pick her out at the well. He did not have long to wait.

The woman came alone. At five feet ten inches, she carried her lithe, athletic frame erect, not stooped like some overly tall girls trying to mask their height. Her long, black flowing hair framed her somewhat slanted eyes which flashed a glint of cunning intelligence. Her every move communicated strength and aloofness.

"Fair maiden, would you draw a drink of water for a thirsty traveler?" Troas said to the girl as she drew near to the well.

"Other women have come here. Would they not draw water for you?"

"I don't know, for I have asked only you," Troas replied. He watched her reaction as she displayed just the slightest blush at his words. Without a word, she let down her basket into the well. When she had drawn it up, she grasped a ladle hanging by the well, dipped it into the water, and offered him a drink.

After Troas had drunk his fill, she asked, "What is your name, and why are you here?"

"My name is Troas, and I have been sent by King Ithobal of Tyre to seek an audience with King Ohlm. And what is your name, fair lady?"

She looked him over from head to foot. The 190 pounds Troas wore on his six foot two inch frame were all muscle. If this Greek thought, however, that he could walk into her town and win her with his charms and looks, he would be sadly disappointed. "My name is Timnah." She paused, a look of concentration suddenly clouding her face. Just as quickly, it disappeared. "Come, I will take you to him." Return to Main Characters

Timnah: Taken from her native Ashkerlon, her thirst for revenge gives way to the power of love.

"On your feet, you lazy swine!" Timnah heard as she tried to brush the cobwebs of sleep from her eyes. A Babylonian guard was rousing the exiles and hustling them to a food line. Vague recollections of what she and Shala discussed the night before came grudgingly into her mind. She knew what she would have to do.

Timnah ate her meal surrounded by her countrymen, surprised at the quality of food she was given. Though simple, it was hot and filling.

"Come, we haven't got all day!" barked the chief guard watching over the group Timnah was in. "Get up, fall into line. Now!" All but Timnah rose to obey his commands. The burly guard walked over to her, and planted his hands on his hips, bent over and looked into her eyes. His breath stank. "Move it, wench, or feel the sting of my lash!"

"Do so and I will make sure Lord Naaman has your head for your insolence. I am the Queen of Ashkelon, and I demand to be treated accordingly. Furthermore, I demand to see Lord Naaman, now!" Timnah glared up at the guard with all the spite and bravado her quaking shoulders could muster.

The guard stared at her for a moment, hesitating over what to do. After a few seconds, he relented. "Come with me," he growled.

"No. You tell him to come to me!" Timnah wasn't sure just how far she could push the issue, but felt she had no other choice.

"Why, you insolent dog. If you will not come voluntarily, I will drag you." The guard reached out to grab her by her hair.

"That will not be necessary, Mag," a voice said from behind the guard. "I will bring her along momentarily." Naaman said, suddenly appearing from seemingly nowhere.

The guard looked sheepishly at his commanding officer, clearly surprised by his presence. "Yes, my lord," he said, and then withdrew.

"So, yesterday you would have nothing to do with me, and today you seek to throw your weight around. You live dangerously, woman!" Naaman said as he extended his hand to her.

Timnah took his hand and rose to her feet. She drew a deep breath. Everything depended on what happened next. "I was rude yesterday. You did not catch me at one of my better moments." She watched his expression. It seemed that he invited her to go on. "I wish to accept your hospitality of a horse of my own to ride. I do not do this for my own sake, but as a symbol to my people that their queen will be treated with respect, as will they."

Naaman threw back his head and laughed. "What makes you think that we need to treat you with respect? Our god Marduk has defeated Dagon, your god. You are not owed respect."

The memory of her father's death flashed before her eyes. Timnah wanted revenge, but fought to remind herself that this was not the time. She kept her eyes down, looking at the ground between their feet. "Yes, Marduk has defeated Dagon. But now, your king has decreed that these people are to be trained in your ways. That we are to serve the 'new world order' of the Babylonian empire." Timnah paused and looked into Naaman's eyes. With as much matter-of-factness as she could place into her voice - without sounding as though she were making a threat - she added, "I can make the task easy, or difficult. If you want their cooperation, you must demonstrate that you respect me."

"You have spirit, and brains!" Naaman said, smiling broadly in genuine admiration. For his part, Naaman felt like a little boy for the first time in years. He had never met a woman like this before - one who negotiated as an equal, not in fear of him or his position. Few men could do that! "Come, you will ride with me for a while. Later, you shall have a horse of your own." Naaman led her over to his horse, helping her into the saddle before mounting the animal behind her.

Timnah grasped the horn of the saddle, felt the strong arms of Naaman encircle her as he guided the horse beneath them. She had succeeded in gaining access to this officer. She had done so on her terms, demanding to be treated as the queen she was. But she also knew that he would likely demand other things of her. If she did not comply, her newly won status could quickly disappear. Timnah determined that at least for the rest of the trip back to Babylon, what ever she needed to do to win and keep the trust of this barbarian, she would do.

She might even allow herself to enjoy it. Return to Main Characters

Hamon: The Chief Priest of Babylon, he will stop at nothing to gain the throne.

"So, King Nebuchadnezzar has returned," Hamon said to an empty balcony as he watched the army approach the gates of Babylon. As the Shatammu in the court of first Nabopolassar and now Nebuchadnezzar, Hamon wielded immense power. Serving as the Chief Priest, he controlled all of the temple estates, as well as the revenues generated by the sale of goods produced on them. Hamon also collected the taxes levied on those goods, and kept a percentage of the levies before passing them on to the civil authorities. The Shatammu was responsible for the spiritual well being of the kingdom, while the King was responsible for protecting the land and expanding the reach of the kingdom. But now, Hamon wanted absolute power, and he had devised a plan to attain it.

The plan was simple, really. Several years ago, Hamon had recommended that Nabopolassar institute a policy of bringing conquered exiles to Babylon for training in the ways of the Chaldeans. By deporting the nobility and skilled craftsmen from the conquered nations, the defeated vassals were deprived of those in the country most likely to foster rebellion. He had made the arguments for the political decapitation of the defeated nations sound so good that the old king, and now his son, had adopted his suggestions. But Hamon knew that by mixing people from different races, turmoil would ensue. As the Chief Priest, he planned to use that turmoil - perhaps even coax it along - to help himself gain the throne.

He walked back into his spacious chambers and, with a clap of his hands, had his cloak and staff brought to him by two servants standing in the corner. On cue, the guard outside his chambers opened the door, and the three of them walked out into the corridor.

Hamon's chambers lay in the temple of Esagila, "the building which is the Foundation of Heaven and Earth." Hamon's chambers were near the top of the temple, which had a commanding view of the terrain for miles in every direction. Descending to the ground level of the edifice, he climbed into a carriage that awaited to take him to the city gates where he would greet Nebuchadnezzar. Hamon had prepared a banquet to honor the king. Some of the finest Hebrew youth would be on display for Nebuchadnezzar's review. Their presence would also stir the hatred of the newly arriving Ashkelonites.

As the carriage carried him to his destination, Hamon thought again of his plan. It was one that would take five, maybe even ten years to implement. But then, he was a patient man. All the various peoples which Nebuchadnezzar was bringing to Babylon held an ancient and abiding hatred for one another. More specifically, these people - including the Ashkelonites - hated the Hebrews. Hamon smiled inwardly as he thought about them, with their fanatical religion. What fools! The Hebrews were an arrogant people who alone among the nations claimed that there was only one God - their God. They would tolerate no other. It was because of their intolerance and claim that they among all the people of the earth served the one and only true God, that they were held in contempt by the rest of the world.

Hamon was counting on that hatred to kindle a fire that would consume Nebuchadnezzar. When it did, he would step in to fill the void. He would magnanimously allow the exiles to return to their homes. He would then inherit the empire Nebuchadnezzar was building, and have allies in the different kingdoms controlled by Babylon loyal to him. Return to Main Characters
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