Regnum Iudaeorum - The Lost Ten Tribes Of Israel

For three days the Hebrews rode without rest. They did not stop to sleep, rather, what little sleep they got was found in the saddle. They did not stop to eat or drink. This also was done in the saddle. At last, the horses grew so exhausted that the group was forced to stop, lest they kill the only horses they had. They found a rocky hill and made their camp on the top, where there was a small patch of grassy soil. It was a very defensible site, with only two easy ways up: from the north and the east. To the west, the hill was very steep, and all but impossible to climb, and to the south, the hill ended abruptly in a sheer cliff wall. Granted, the cliff only descended about fifteen feet, but still, it was too sheer to scale.

During the three days of riding, no one had spoken. They were all still in too much shock at the sudden change in fortune. Jehu had, however, noticed that he knew all of the men accompanying him. Obviously he already knew Caleb the Benjamite. But the other five companions were all known to him, as well, because they were all Ephraimites and Manassites. Three were Ephraimites: Abner Bar-Geshan, Joab Bar-Boaz, and Pekah Bar-Omri. The other two were Manassites, brothers infact, Benoni Bar-Jesse and his twin brother Ezekiel.

The Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh had always held a closer bond than was shared between any of the other tribes, and this was because they were, in essence, one tribe: the Tribe of Joseph. The Twelve Tribes were named after the twelve sons of Jacob, and each Tribe was descended from its namesake: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, and Benjamin. However, because the sons of Levi, the Levites, were forbidden from owning land, the divisions of the tribes would only be 11 land owning tribes. Because of this, the Tribe of Joseph was sub-divided into two tribes, the tribes of his sons: Ephraim and Manasseh. So, in essence, both Ephraimites and Manassites were infact, Josephites. This is where their close bond came from.

As night covered the camp on the little hill, the first watch began. Caleb and Benoni would stand the first watch. The others were to sleep. When he thought that all the others were asleep, Benoni spoke to Caleb. He was unaware that Jehu was still wide awake, and listening intently.

The Manassite whispered to Caleb, “I do not think we should go to Olbia.”

“Why not?” was the whispered reply.

“Olbia is every bit as Greek as Kerkinitis, and you saw what good came to us there. If anything, the people of Olbia are more likely to hand us over to Iason for slaughter, than to give us refuge.”

“Perhaps. But what other choice do we have?” That was the last Caleb said on the matter.

Now Jehu’s mind was spinning. Benoni was right. Olbia was not the wise decision. Yet… Caleb was also right, what other choice was there? The only other option that came to mind was to turn back and fight. But Jehu and six men could not hope to overcome the thousands of men under the command of Elihu and Iason. He thought about the ancient prophecies which Moses had made about each of the tribes over a thousand years ago, and remembered the prophecy for the Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh:


Why? He wondered. Why did Adonai not bring this prophecy to fulfillment? It had been some 1200 years since Moses made this prophecy. But the Hebrews had not gone to the ends of the earth. They had only gone to Canaan, and then to slavery in Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. From there, only to suffering in the lands of the Skythians. And now, to treachery. And where were the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh? There weren’t even a thousand members of either tribe left alive! The last head count, which had been last year, placed the number of Ephraimites at 983, and the number of Manassites at 745. This was not “ the ten thousands of Ephraim” nor “the thousands of Manasseh”. This was a puny, pitiful excuse for a couple of tribes.

He began to despair. But he remembered what his teacher Eleazar had taught him, “Never despair, Jehu. When the depths of despair are about to overcome you, pray. Pray to Adonai, and He will hear you.”

So Jehu prayed. He thought he was shouting this prayer to the high heavens, yet not a sound actually left his mouth. But vocal words are not needed in prayer. This is what he prayed, “El Shaddai! El Shaddai! El Elyon! Adonai! Do not fail to fulfill the promise you made for my Tribe and for my brother Tribe of Manasseh! You promised that one day we would push the people of Israel to the ends of the earth! You promised that the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh would lead your people in glory! Remember your promise, O Adonai! Do not forget your people! And do not forget your humble servant Jehu! Deliver us, your people! Deliver us!”

And then he slept.


As dawn broke over the horizon, two of the Ephraimites, Abner and Pekah, were standing watch. Then, off in the distance, Abner saw something. He nudged Pekah, and said, “Look there! What do you see?”

Pekah squinted, trying to clear his vision, and said, “It looks like… a man! A man on a horse! Quick, wake Caleb and the others!”

Within moments the group was awake. They were all watching the figure on the horse as he drew closer. Benoni suggested putting out the fire, but Caleb said, “No, he’s already seen us. Besides, even if he hadn’t, and we put out the fire and all hid on the ground, how would we hide the horses? No matter what, it’s obvious we’re here. Let us see what his intentions are.”

Larissa clung to Jehu in fear. He wrapped a strong arm around her. Though he was only twelve, he had already developed some rather impressive biceps, and as these held the girl close to his muscular chest, she felt safer.

At last the figure reached the foot of the hill. He stopped, and called out in Hebrew, “Friends! May I come up?”

Caleb called back, “What makes you think we are your friends?”

“I am an Ephraimite!”

Benoni nodded to Caleb, “He is. His accent is the same as ours.” It was true, Ephraimites had a distinct accent. Ofcourse, thought the Benjamite, this man could be a master of tongues, and could possibly also fabricate a Greek, Persian, Skythian, or one of any other hundred accents. But Benoni seemed confident, and Benoni was rarely wrong. So Caleb granted him permission.

The man dismounted, and ascended the hill with his hands on his head to prove he had no malicious intent. When he reached the small band, he was thoroughly frisked by Abner and Pekah. He was clean. Not a weapon on him. Now that they were certain he was no assassin, Caleb asked, “What business do you have with us?”

The Ephraimite smiled and said, “I am Micah Bar-Jotham. I’ve come to join you in your flight. I cannot live under Elihu’s rule, not after what I’ve seen. I’ve been following you for two days now, riding hard and trying to catch up, now I have.”

“We know that Elihu has killed Ahaz and usurped power. But other than that, we know nothing,” said Caleb. “Anything you could tell us would be greatly valued.”

Micah shook his head, “None of it is good. Not only has Elihu usurped power, but he has forbidden True-God-Worship. Worship of the Most High is forbidden now within the Hebrew realm. Instead, Elihu has reinstated the worship of the old Canaanite gods of Baal and Molech. He has ordered that anyone who will not bend the knee to his gods is to die.”

Jehu’s eyes widened with fear. He knew that Eleazar was a devout believer. The Rabbi would never have turned to worship pagan gods. He asked, half already knowing the answer, “What became of my beloved Rabbi? What became of Eleazar?”

Micah bowed his head in sorrow, “I apologize, my Chief, but Eleazar was among those who would not forsake the Most High. For this, he was slaughtered on the new altar to Baal.”

Jehu bowed his head, trying not to weep in the presence of his companions. Larissa stroked his back to comfort him, and moved herself to shield his face from the others, so that he could weep without shame. He buried his head in her shoulder and wept bitterly.


“What’s more,” continued Micah, “Letters have been sent to all the Greek poleis on the coast of the Pontos Euxinos. Not one polis will offer you refuge.”

“Where can we go then?” asked Caleb.

“North, into the wild lands,” said Micah. “It is the only way. I met a Greek who had served under Nikodemos, one who had deserted the army after he heard about the treachery. He told me how we can escape. In order to reach Olbia, you would have had to cross a great river. The Skythians call it ‘Dniepr’, but the Greek call it ‘Borysthenes’. However, further to the north, there are some fierce rapids. If you can make it across those rapids, the Greeks will not follow you there. Not only are the rapids very dangerous, but so are the barbarian tribes who live beyond them. It is a very wild and untamed land.”

“That’s your great idea?” asked Benoni. “To cross deadly rapids into a land filled with hostile savages? How on earth does that help us? Our odds of survival would be slim!”

“Indeed,” said Micah. “But if you continue to Olbia, you have no hope of survival. So, if given only two choices: little hope or no hope, which would you choose?”

Caleb said, “As much as I don’t like this idea either, Benoni, we have to admit that Micah is right. When choiced with two evils, we must choose the lesser evil. In this case, braving the rapids and barbarians which will bring us to almost certain death, is the better choice than riding to Olbia which will bring us to certain death.”

Suddenly, Joab cried out, “To the east! Horsemen!”

Caleb, Benoni, and Micah rushed to look where he was pointing. Indeed there were horsemen riding their way. Armed horsemen. At least fifty of them.

“To horse! To horse!” Shouted Caleb. “Everyone! To horse!”

They all mounted quickly, and Caleb shouted to Micah, “Do you know where those rapids of yours are?”

“I do!” came the reply. “They are about six hours ride from here! Northwards!”

“Take us there! Now!” Caleb called back.


It was like nothing the Hebrews had ever seen-or heard-before. The river Dniepr, wide and violent, raging water that seemed to steal your very soul away if you did but look at it. The noise was loud and terrible, drowning the cry of the birds into nothingness. The roaring, raging water was almost deafening.


Caleb looked over to Micah and shouted, barely heard, “You expect us to cross that!?”

“What other choice is there?” Micah shouted back, again, barely heard.

“We’ll drown!”

“Maybe! But it’s better than letting those Greeks slit your throats, isn’t it?”

Caleb looked back, and sure enough, there were the Greeks, closing in every second. Suddenly, an arrow struck the ground only three yards behind where the Hebrews waiting on their horses. That was all the convincing Caleb needed. “We go through the river! Now!”

The horses were just as frightened of the water as the men. But with a little coaxing, and a couple of arrows whizzing right past them, the beasts overcame their fear and pushed into the raging water.

Progress was slow. The current continuously threatened to sweep the Hebrews away, horse and rider alike. Every man held on tightly to his horse, and Larissa clung desperately to Jehu. Were this a less serious situation, Jehu might have been pleased by how tightly she held him. But right now, his mind did not dwell on that at all, only on spurring his horse through the rapid river.

Arrows whizzed through the air and struck the water all around them. The Hebrews called encouragement to each other, and to their horses. After what seemed like an eternity, but was in reality perhaps no more than a minute, Caleb realized that they were not yet even half way through the river. He silently cursed the fact that it was spring. The winter snows were melting and making the river more violent than it normally would have been.

Suddenly, an arrow struck the water right beside the head of Ezekiel’s horse. The beast became terrified, and bucked in fear. Ezekiel was thrown from the horse and into the water. The beast lost its footing and was swept away, but Ezekiel tried to swim against the current, to reach someone, anyone.

Benoni called out to his brother, and tried to steer his horse towards him, but Caleb shouted, “No! Don’t! You’ll only be lost as well!”

“I can’t leave him! He’s my brother!” called the Manassite.

“He’s lost already! He’ll never make it to you, and if you go after him, you’ll never make it back!”

Ezekiel now began to panic. “BENONI!” he shouted.

“EZEKIEL!” called his brother! The Manassite was about to disregard what Caleb had said and push for his brother, who was steadily slipping away in the violent current, when, suddenly, and arrow struck Ezekiel through the neck. The Hebrew stopped struggling and sank beneath the surface of the water. He was never to be seen again.

Benoni cried out in disbelief. Caleb and the others called for him to continue. Suddenly, and arrow struck the water near him. He regained his senses. Adrenaline coursed through his body. His pain and sorrow were, for the moment, forgotten. He urged his mount onwards through the water.

Arrows continued to strike the water around the Hebrews. Then, Abner cried out. An arrow was sticking out of his back. He fell off of his horse and into the water. His body, like Ezekiel’s, was swept away. Caleb was nearby and had managed to grab onto the horse’s reins. Now he urged his own beast onwards while tugging the now riderless mount behind.

“Come on!” He called to the others.

At last, after what felt like a thousand lifetimes, they reached the far bank. The horses struggled to climb out of the water, but at last they were able to. The Greeks had reached the water’s edge now, and continued to shoot, but none of them dared enter the river. The Hebrews rode on, and made good their escape. Jehu, Larissa, Caleb, Joab, Pekah, Benoni, and Micah. Abner and Ezekiel were gone for good.

Once they were out of range of the Greek archers, they stopped and made camp. Everyone broke down into tears, for those they had lost in the river, and those who had been lost before. When the tears were over, a new emotion filled them. Hope. They were across the Dniepr. They were beyond the reach of the Greeks. They were free. But what fates awaited them in this wild, barbaric land? It was anyone’s guess, but only Adonai could know…

AlexanderPrimus: Poor Jehu indeed! But don't worry, happier times are coming soon. I'm glad to hear my tale is so compelling! That's very encouraging. Thanks for the compliment on the poster, but canonized really deserves more credit. I just picked out a picture and the names to go on it, and he made it look so professional.

Enewald: Not quite Goths, my friend. But you do have some rather close guesses there...

gis: Don't worry, Jehu will regain all ten of his tribes one day. I would be interested in hearing the correct version of that blessing. I used the NIV translation (silly me, that one has so many errors in translation). If you could give me a more accurate translation, I would appreciate it.

stnylan: Indeed there is!

Tanttu: Well, I guess it depends on how loosely you define "nearby".

Eber: Thankyou, Eber! I'm glad I got the feel right. That is often what can make or break an important scene, is setting the mood. It is good to know I got the mood right.

That night, Caleb and Micah were the first to stand watch. They kept silent guard over the others for at least an hour before they began to speak quietly. They were certain that everyone was asleep. However, Jehu was not. As he often did when there was something interesting to hear, Jehu was eavesdropping. He never meant to, it was just a natural reaction for him. Tonight, though his eyes were shut, his mind was awake and his ears were wide open.

He heard Caleb say, “Micah, tell me everything that happened when Elihu took power.”

“I don’t want to relive that day,” replied Micah.

“Please,” pleaded the Benjamite, “I need to know. Who resisted? Who took Elihu’s side? Are there any potential allies we could contact?”

Jehu heard Micah sigh, and from the way the sigh shifted, he guessed that Micah was shaking his head, “There are no allies. Anyone who might still secretly remain faithful to Adonai and to Jehu is keeping quiet to the sake of their own lives. Elihu has killed so many good men. As you know, he killed Eleazar. He also killed Chief Abijah of Manasseh, when he refused to accept Elihu as Chief of the Tribes. Hundreds were slaughtered. That was when I left. I heard talk among the Ephraimites of leaving the Ten Tribes, but nothing substantial, and not from any man who could have been a leader.”

“What of Ezra?” asked Caleb.

“You mean Ezra Bar-Jonah? You don’t want to hear it…”

“Tell me…”

Jehu heard another sigh from Micah, “Men like him make me ashamed to be an Ephraimite. He was standing at Elihu’s side as the Faithful were being slaughtered. He has gone over to the Enemy.”

Upon hearing this, Jehu shot up from where he lay and shouted, “Never!”

The others were all in a deep, exhausted sleep, and so were not awakened by his cry. But Caleb and Micah heard him and turned in shock to find him standing and indignant. Among the others, only Larissa was not in a deep sleep. She quickly awoke and rushed to Jehu’s side, in case he should need her.

“Jehu?” the two men said in unison.

Tears were welling in his eyes, “Take back what you said about Ezra! He would never betray my father! Ezra has always been faithful to us!”

Micah said, “I wish it weren’t true! But I cannot deny what I saw with my own two eyes! Ezra Bar-Jonah stood at Elihu’s side as the Faithful were massacred, and I did not see him shed one tear.”

This was too much for the boy. He cried out in disbelief and ran off into the woods. Micah called after him, and Larissa ran to follow him, but Caleb stopped them both and said, “Let me speak to him, alone.”

By now the others were awake as well, and very confused. Caleb looked at Micah and Larissa and said, “Stay with the others.” With that, he ran off to follow Jehu, who was already out of sight. Caleb now turned to the skills his father had taught him, for they were many. Simeon had learned many things during his time serving Seleukos, and had wasted no time passing them to his son. The chief skill had been cartography, but Simeon knew many more which he also passed on. One of these, was tracking. Even in the dark of night, Caleb could see in the leaves where Jehu had run to, and followed the trail.

He found Jehu sitting on a large rock, curled up in a near-fetal position. His legs were tucked up against his chest. His arms were wrapped around his legs, and his head was buried in the little basket formed by his appendages. Caleb could hear the boy crying, and decided not to announce his presence just yet.

After about an hour, Jehu’s tear ducts ran dry. He wiped his face, and rose from his curled up state, only to see Caleb standing there. “How long… have you been there?” he asked.

Caleb shrugged, “Not long.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Don’t believe what?”

“I don’t believe that Ezra would betray us!”

Caleb nodded his head, “It is indeed difficult to believe. I remember the first time I met him, along with you and your father. From that first moment, I could see in his eyes a fierce loyalty to your father. And remember, we only have Micah’s account right now. You have not heard Ezra’s side of the story.”

“But now I never will!”

“You don’t know that, Jehu. Perhaps one day we will return and oust Elihu.”

“How?”

“I don’t know how. But Adonai will find a way. He always does. He most certainly helped your namesake, King Jehu. You know about King Jehu, don’t you?”

The boy shook his head. There were many lessons he had not yet learned, he said, and now would never learn, because Eleazar was dead.

“Then permit me to tell you about your namesake,” said the Benjamite.

Jehu nodded.

Caleb began his story. Jehu Bar-Nimshi had been a soldier in the army of King Ahab. As Ahab continued to give in to the influence of his wicked wife, Jezebel, the Ten Tribes fell deeper and deeper into sin and idol worship. So deep, in fact, that the prophet Elijah had once despaired and said that he was only one of Adonai’s followers left in Israel. But Adonai promised Elijah that He had kept a remnant. That 7,000 people in Israel had not submitted to Jezebel and her priests of Baal. Jehu Bar-Nimshi was one of these 7,000.

Adonai had promised to eradicate Ahab’s line because of the king’s many sins. But Ahab repented, and so Adonai promised that this would not come about during Ahab’s lifetime. After Ahab was killed in a battle, his son Ahaziah became king, but did not live long. Ahaziah was succeeded by his brother Jehoram. Jehoram was as wicked as Ahab had been, and continued to worship Baal and the other false gods. And so Adonai sent the prophet Elisha to anoint Jehu Bar-Nimshi, now the highest ranking general of Jehoram’s army, as King of Israel. Many of the soldiers and people of Israel now served Adonai once more, and trusted the words of his prophet. Upon seeing their commander anointed, the soldiers cried out, “May Adonai save King Jehu!”

Jehu Bar-Nimshi led his men to Jehoram’s palace at Samaria and laid siege to it. At last, when it fell, Jehoram and his wicked mother Jezebel were slain. Soon after, all seventy of Ahab’s sons and nephews were rounded up and slaughtered. King Jehu was crowned officially. However, his mission from Adonai was only half complete. Baal worship had to be removed from Israel.

King Jehu decided to use deception to eradicate the foul practice from his realm. He sent a proclamation throughout the Ten Tribes, saying, “Ahab served Baal but a little. Jehu will serve him much!” He declared a feast day in honour of Baal, and called every Israelite who served Baal to come. No follower of Baal was permitted to be absent for any reason, and no follower of Adonai was allowed to participate. Once King Jehu had gathered all of the priests and worshippers of Baal into the great temple of Baal which had been built during Ahab’s reign, King Jehu ordered his soldiers to lock the doors and slaughter everyone. And so it was that Baal worship was eradicated from Israel, and made illegal. Adonai established King Jehu’s dynasty for four more generations, and under each of them, Baal worship was prohibited.

“Now,” said Caleb, “Hopefully you will not have to use such harsh measures as King Jehu did, but hopefully now you can see that when Adonai chooses someone to rule, they will rule. You are the anointed heir of your father, not Elihu. Adonai will one day restore you to your rightful place. Trust Him.”

The boy’s hands clenched into fists, and he said, “One day, I will kill Elihu!”

“As long as you do it for the right reasons, and not for revenge,” said Caleb.

“I don’t understand,” was the reply.

“There is much you do not yet understand, much that your father, and Eleazar, would have taught you. But you have been deprived of them. Now no one could take your father’s place, and I could never hope to be the equal of Eleazar, but if you will permit me, I will do my best to teach you in their stead.”

Jehu was struggling not to cry. “I… I… I would be honoured if you would tutor me, Caleb Bar-Simeon.”

The two embraced in friendship, and traveled back to the camp together. There, Larissa also embraced Jehu, hoping to comfort him. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. “Thankyou,” he whispered to her.

It was still the middle of the night, and Caleb told everyone to get some sleep. This time, when Jehu laid his head down, he sank into a deep, peaceful sleep.


The next day, as the band of seven exiles proceeded to ride further away from the Dniepr, and further away from their enemies, the encountered the first of the many tribes which inhabited this wild land. A band of four horsemen, dressed much like Skythians, rode up to them and blocked their way. They had short, curved blades at their sides, and bows slung across their backs. But no weapons were held in their hands. It did not appear as though they wanted to fight. The leader rode forward and said something. Jehu recognized it as a Skythian dialect, but still could not understand the words, as he had never learned the meaning of the Skythian words.

To everyone’s amazement, Caleb replied to the man in an almost identical language. Benoni looked over to the Benjamite and said, “You can speak with this man?”

Caleb said something to the barbarian, something that the other Hebrews guessed meant “excuse me for a second”. The Benjamite then said to his companions, “This man is from a tribe that calls itself the Ixibatai. I believe they are the tribe which the Greeks call the Iazyges. They are Sarmatians, one of the many Skythian races. Like all Skythians, they speak a dialect similar to that of the Persians. That is how I can communicate with them.”

“Wait,” said Benoni, “You can speak Persian?”

“I can. Remember, my father served Seleukos Nikator. Seleukos holds fast to Alexander’s dream of a united world, and, like Alexander, he believes the first and most important step is to unite the Greek and Persian worlds. Seleukos’ army is a mixture of Greek and Persian soldiers and tactics. His empire is a mixture of Greek and Persian cultures, and Seleukos encourages his servants and generals to speak both Greek and Persian. Since my father, Simeon, was in the service of Seleukos for over ten years, he learned Persian, and taught it to me. These Sarmatians speak a similar dialect, similar enough that we can communicate.”

Caleb now turned back to the barbarian, and said something. The barbarian replied, and Caleb said, “He wishes to speak with our leader. Jehu, that would be you.”

“Me?” asked the lad. “But I’m only twelve! And I can’t even speak his language!”

“Jehu, you are our leader. He will speak with no one but you. And don’t worry, I’ll interpret.”

Jehu took a deep breath and said, “Ask him what he wants with us.”

Caleb translated, waited for the reply, then translated that into Hebrew, “He wants to know what business we have in the land of the Ixibatai.”

“We are refugees, fleeing from traitors who seek to kill us.”

“He asks you what right this gives you to trespass upon his tribe’s land.”

“It gives us no right to trespass. But we have nowhere else to go.”

“He respects your admission that you have no right to trespass. This shows you have honour. But now he asks why he should care that you have nowhere else to go.”

“His people are nomadic, are they not?”

“Semi-nomadic, yes.”

“Then they understand the movement of nomads, do they not?”

“They do.”

“We are but simple nomads. We do not wish to take land from his people, and we will not hunt their animals. We shall live off the berries and other foods we can forage. And we will be gone from here soon. Ask him if he knows of anywhere we could go to.”

Caleb smiled, Jehu was being very diplomatic here. Seeming eager to move on. The lad must have learned more from his father than he knew. The Benjamite relayed this and translated the Sarmatian’s response, “You have won his respect, because you have not arrogantly presumed any right to trespass, and because you do not desire to linger, nor have you asked him for any supplies or goods, but only for directions. Out of respect for you, he grants you safe passage, and will even give you permission to hunt for your party of seven. But only if you leave his people’s lands within ten days. After that, you will be considered to have broken your word, and you will be killed.”

Jehu nodded to the Sarmatian and said, “Thank him for his generosity. And tell him we promise to be gone before the ten days are over.”

“He sends you his regards, and hopes that the spirits will watch over you. He says that the wisest choice for continuing your journey would be to travel north. For to the south are brutal tribes called Thrakians, and to the west are dangerous and inhospitable mountains, populated by savage wild men called Getai. But to the north you will find safer passage.”

“Thank him once more for me.”

After Caleb relayed the thanks, the Sarmatian bowed his head for a moment, then called out in his language, and he and his men rode off.

Caleb patted the boy on the back and said, “You handled that very well, Jehu.”

Jehu nodded and said, “Thankyou. Let’s keep moving. We want to be out of the lands of the Ixibatai before the ten days are up.”

And so they rode on, traveling northwards.

Eber: Northward indeed! And don't worry, soon, very soon, you shall see just what land will want them.

AlexanderPrimus: Thanks! I'm glad that it is getting better. And don't worry, I plan on keeping up the good work.

Enewald: Mr. Winter? He'd probably try to kill them all. I'm not sure if they are ready for a Scandinavian winter!

gis: Well, you're not entirely wrong, gis. You're on the right track there...

stnylan: Good insight, as always, my friend. Elihu indeed has much to answer for, and that does indeed include the premature loss of Jehu's childhood.





Next chapter is coming later tonight, guys!

Sorry its a little late. Some things came up last night with a friend of mine, and I had to be there for them. But now the chapter is up!
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Larissa knelt down to pick up a flower. She smiled, it was good to see flowers again. Spring had at last returned. She reflected upon how it had been almost a year since that fateful day that had driven her and Jehu, along with their few loyal guards, into exile. Both her and Jehu were now 13. She had not grown much taller, but Jehu now stood a whole head taller than her. As she put the flower in her basket, she said to herself, “That one is for Jehu.”

She found a berry bush and knelt down to inspect the berries. Caleb had taught her how to tell the difference between the edible berries, and the poisonous ones. That man was such a repository of knowledge. Sometimes she was amazed that he could know so much and only be ten years older than herself. He said his father was the smartest man he had ever known, and during his family’s time serving Seleukos, Caleb had learned much, both from his father, and from other wise men of Seleukos’s court.

Satisfied that the berries were indeed edible, for they matched the descriptions Caleb had taught her, she picked them from the bush and placed them in her basket. She continued to think about Caleb. He had become both a teacher, and a father-figure to both Jehu and herself. He taught them science, history, botany, mathematics, and the Scriptures. Granted, there were no copies of the Sacred Writings to be found amongst the refugees, but Caleb’s father had told him to memorize as much of Adonai’s Word as possible, and he had done so. Caleb taught them the Law, the Histories, and the Prophets. But he was also careful not to overstep his boundaries. He was not a Levite. It was not his place to teach them the meaning of the Scriptures. But at least they could memorize simple verses such as “Fear thee not, for I am with thee, declareth Adonai”.

The Manassite, Benoni, was also a good teacher for Jehu. Benoni had been one of the Warriors, the full-time soldiers amongst the Ten Tribes. He was very skilled with weapons, and spent much time teaching Jehu how to fight. Larissa loved to watch them spar. Jehu was becoming better every day. And he looked so handsome in his Greek armour. But when that Corinthian helmet came down over his face, he became a frightening image. But every day, Jehu grew closer and closer to reaching what Benoni called “the epitome of fighting prowess”. That point in a Warrior’s development when his sword no longer becomes a weapon, but an extension of his body. When it is no longer a tool for butchery, but a force of nature.

Her musing were interrupted by a voice, a deep, unfriendly voice. She did not understand the words, but she knew the deep, guttural tongue. Sweboz. She turned to see a giant Germanic warrior standing not two feet behind her, a savage grin on his face. She gasped, and dropped her basket. All the berries and flowers she had picked were now scattered along the forest floor. She began to back away slowly, and the giant kept pace with her. She looked around for help. But all she saw were two other warriors. One of them was holding a prisoner, a boy of no more than 15, his head bowed.

Larissa sized up the man who was towering over her. He was easily over six feet tall. He was hairy. Very hairy. His brown beard was a mess, and his hair was even messier. His skull was misshapen, but it did not look like a birth defect. If she were to guess, Larissa would have said that this skull was intentionally bent that way. He wore a tunic made of animal hides. And he stank to high heaven. At his side was a long sword, and strapped to his back was a heavy, two-handed battle axe.

The giant said something in his guttural tongue, and reached for Larissa. She screamed at him, slapped his hand away, and began to run. She could hear him running after her. She called out for Jehu. She kept running. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her, her instinct for survival urging her legs to run faster than she had thought possible. She knew the penalty if she was caught. Suddenly, she tripped on a root. She landed face first in the dirt. She quickly rolled onto her back, and stared up at the towering barbarian. He smiled at her, but it was not a friendly smile. She backed away, crawling, until her back hit a tree. Now she was trapped. She screamed. The barbarian laughed, and as he reached for her again, she closed her eyes, and began to weep.

All of the sudden, she heard Jehu’s voice shout in Hebrew, “If you touch her I will kill you!”

The barbarian clearly did not understand the words Jehu had spoken, but he did understand the lad’s tone of voice. He let out a dark chuckle, muttered something in that disgusting language of his (at least, Larissa found it to be very disgusting), drew his long sword, and rushed at Jehu.

Larissa saw Jehu brace for the impact. He was dressed in his full armour. His giant Hoplon shield was held high, ready to receive a blow. Its white Lambda shone brilliantly in the sun. For a moment, a happy memory returned to her, when Jehu had once commented that the Lambda on his shield no longer represented Lakedaimon, the country of the Spartans, but rather, Larissa, the girl he loved.

But now her mind returned to the here and now. Jehu looked like a terrifying, inhuman killing machine with that Corinthian helmet covering his face. He brandished his Xiphos sword high in the air, and shouted in his native tongue, “That’s more like it you stupid brute! Focus on me, you moron!”

It all happened so fast. Before Larissa was even entirely sure what had happened, the melee had begun. Jehu had deflected the barbarian’s initial blow, and had scored a hit on the brute’s arm. The titan merely laughed, and swung his blade again. This time, it met with Jehu’s Xiphos. The Greek sword held firm against the German iron. The fight continued. Suddenly, Jehu scored a lucky hit. He had swung with such force that as he connected with the barbarian’s sword arm, that his Xiphos had sliced the appendage right off. The barbarian roared, not in pain, but in rage. Suddenly, with his remaining arm, he pulled the massive two-handed axe from its resting place at his back, and held it firmly. Larissa could not believe the show of strength this barbarian was presenting. He proceeded to swing about violently at Jehu. Larissa noticed that the other two villains had now arrived, still holding their prisoner. She feared for Jehu’s life, and began to pray fervently, shifting unconsciously between Greek and Hebrew.

Suddenly, she heard Jehu cry out. The giant axe had struck his shield with such force that it had thrown him to the ground. He quickly slid his arm out of the grip cord as the brute brought the axe down for the killing blow. The Hebrew managed to roll out of the way, and out of sheer instinct, he quickly shot up and thrust his blade into the titan’s chest, striking the heart. The barbarian stopped. He let out a small groan, then sank to the ground as Jehu’s sword slid out from its bloody sheath. The giant hit the ground with a thud, and muttered something in his tongue, probably either a curse, or a statement of disbelief. Then he breathed his last, and died.

The other two brutes looked at Jehu, then at each other. They dropped the ropes with which they were holding their prisoner captive, and the ran like hell. Jehu called after them in Hebrew, “That’s right! Run you cowards! Don’t ever let me find you near her again! Get out of here! Go!”

Once they were out of sight, Jehu cast his sword away, quickly pulled his helmet off, and rushed to Larissa. She was sill leaning against the tree. He embraced her and said, “Are you okay?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She buried her face in his shoulder and said, “I thought… I thought I was done for… I thought they were…”

Jehu gently shushed her and stroked her hair as he said, “It’s alright. He’s dead now. And the others have run away. You’re safe now. Nobody is going to harm you. I’m here.”

They hadn’t noticed the prisoner creep up to them. He waited for them to finish, and once the rush of emotions was over, he spoke in Greek, though with a very strange accent, “Thankyou for freeing me.”

Jehu turned to face him, and said, “I came to rescue her. But if it has also won your freedom, I am glad to have been of service.” Then, after a moment, he asked, “How is it that you speak Greek? Where are you from?”

“Pretannia,” came the reply.

“I have never heard of this place before,” said Jehu.

“It is a collection of Islands north of Gaul.”

“And… Greeks live there?”

The prisoner laughed, “Oh no! Not at all!”

“Then… how is it that you can speak Greek?”

“Pytheas taught us.”

“Pytheas?”

The prisoner smiled, “It is a long story. I shall tell you some other time, if the gods permit. But alas, I have forgotten my manners! I am Commius, son of Chief Kimarcus of the Regnenses. And who might you, my saviour, be?”

“I am Jehu Bar-Ahaz, Chief of the Hebrews.”

Commius smiled, “You? A Chief?”

“My father was murdered a year ago by traitors and apostates.”

“My apologies.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” said Jehu.

By now, Larissa had recovered, and she rose and stood next to Jehu, and asked, “Commius? You said you were the son of a chief?”

“Indeed I am, young lady,” replied Commius.

Larissa smiled and said, “Don’t call me that! You can’t be more than two years older than us!”

Commius laughed jovially and said, “My apologies. But what else am I to call you unless I know your name as well, fair one?”

The girl blushed and told him her name.

Jehu grew jealous and quickly interjected, “How is it that you came into the hands of the Sweboz? We are a long ways from Gaul, and if your Pretannia is north of there, you have come a long ways indeed.”

Commius snorted, “That’s what happens when you hire mercenaries to rescue a prince.”

“Those men were mercenaries?” asked the Hebrew.

“No. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later, perhaps when I tell you about Pytheas. For now, I’m hungry. You got anything to eat?”


The three of them returned to the encampment. They told Caleb about what had happened. He thanked Adonai that they were alright, but made them promise never to go out into the woods again without at least one of the men accompanying them. They agreed.

They introduced Commius to the group, and he was given a portion of what little food they had. As they all ate, Jehu told Commius about his people’s history, where they had come from. He told his new friend about Elihu’s betrayal, and how it was only thanks to Caleb, Benoni, and the others that he and Larissa were still alive.

Then Commius reciprocated. He told them of Pytheas, as promised. Pytheas was a Greek explorer (or tourist, depending on your point of view), who had come to the islands which were inhabited by Commius’ people, the Regnenses, and their fellow tribes. Because some of the tribes wore body paint, Pytheas had called the people Pretani, which meant “Painted ones”. Thus, their islands became known as Pretannia, “Land of the Painted Ones”. During his travels, Pytheas had shared knowledge with the many peoples of Pretannia. He taught them his language, and he even learned theirs. From the Pretani, Pytheas learned of an island called Thule, and had set off to explore it. This was the last that many of the Pretani, including the Regnenses, would ever hear of Pyhteas. But the tribes he had interacted with decided to keep in practice with their Greek. Commius’ father, Kimarcus, had been one of the many people taught by Pytheas. And Kimarcus had taught Commius how to speak what the Regnenses called “The Language of the Gods”.

He then proceeded to explain how he came to be captured by the Sweboz. One of Kimarcus’ allies was Chief Catugnatus of the Atrebates, the tribe that lived to the west of the Regnenses. However, the Atrebates also had distant cousins in Gaul who were also called Atrebates. Catugnatus sought to bring his Gallic cousins into the alliance he had with Kimarcus, because Chief Dumnorix of the Dumnonii and his allies, the Durotriges, were seeking to expand their territory by conquering the Atrebates of Pretannia and the Regnenses. But the Atrebates of Gaul were powerful, and if they were to join forces with their cousins and the Regnenses, Dumnorix would think twice before invading.

Kimarcus was growing old, and so sent had sent Commius, his only son, to accompany Catugnatus as they sought alliance with the Atrebates of Gaul. However, Catugnatus had misjudged his Gallic cousins. They were just as greedy and wicked as Dumnorix, and took the two captive, killing their guards. The plan apparently had been to sell them to Dumnorix. But Kimarcus caught wind of this, and hired a band of mercenaries from the tribe to the east, the Cantii. These Cantic mercenaries were quick to accept Kimarcus’ offer of an acre of land per man, and rushed off to rescue Commius and Catugnatus. They succeeded, but then quarreled amongst each other. Some wanted to return and claim their reward, others wanted to up the price, and demand two acres of land each. In the end, they agreed to disagree, and to split the prisoners between themselves. Those who were content with one acre of land each took Catugnatus and returned to Pretannia. Those who wanted more stayed in Gaul with Commius. As they travelled, seeking more riches while they waited for a reply from Kimarcus, they crossed into Germania. While there, they encountered a band of warriors who called themselves “Sweboz”. These warriors attacked, and killed all of the Cantic mercenaries. But Commius had managed to explain to them who he was, and that he was more valuable alive than dead. The Sweboz believed him, and took him prisoner until such time as they could report to their chieftain and find out his take on the matter. But, thanks to Jehu, that would never happen.

Commius commented that if the Hebrews needed a safe place to stay, Kimarcus would be more than happy to grant them the reward promised to the Cantic mercenaries. “Bring me back to my father,” he said, “And you can live amongst the Regnenses in safety! My father will be very grateful!”

Caleb like the idea, and so did Jehu. So it was decided. They would make for the coast, and from there, find passage to Pretannia…