But There Was No King In Israel.
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I love how you rely on the writing more than images. For someone with a terrible internet connection and a love of reading, I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I'm only about halfway through right now, but I wanted to let you know that I've enjoyed this AAR immensely.
Great work!
Great work!
Good news people. I have finally gotten around to the next chapter, which should be up tomorrow or the next day.
My apologies for the long delay, work has been hectic, lots of students taking exams. I swear I get more stressed about them than the students
My apologies for the long delay, work has been hectic, lots of students taking exams. I swear I get more stressed about them than the students
Well actually a little sooner than I had thought. Here you are:
Chapter Twelve
Basil was King of the Kittim, a mighty hunter before the Lord, and his armies and might stretched far across the lands, from the island of the Sicels to the mountains of Ararat, from the balmy shores of Mitzraim the Black Land, from Kittimia to the lands of Gog and Magog, but his heart was troubled and doubts and bitterness assailed his sleeping, for he was unpleased and unmoved by what tiding he heard from across the seas and the deeds of Israel made wroth grow within his breast.
“Go you forth, seek out this Benjamin, who once I would have called brother, and tell him true the words of Caesar, that all the revenues and tributes owed to me must be delivered up, and that there must be no worship done in the land save only in places where I command it.” For so did Basil speak to his Envoys and they heeded these words and crossed the sea and issued these words unto Benjamin, who heard them gravely and with sorrow.
And Benjamin listened to the speaking of the envoys and he said to them, “the Lord has given us all that you see. Over the might of Pharoah we had the victory, before our arms the Great House was humbled, the men of Chinneroth, and of the cities of the plains, and the warriors of Moab, and Midian, have prostrated themselves before us; and this was G-d in this, and none of these things were the deed of Caesar. All that we offer we will give up to the Lord, and to Caesar nothing, for the world lies before him, he can take whatsoever he desires save only that which is sworn to G-d”
But the Envoys replied to this with hot words, and with threats, such as would chill the hearts of lords and kings.
Yet Benjamin was not affrighted and he took himself to prayer, and with prayer received wisdom for the Lord spoke with him, and gave him counsel, and gave him comfort. And so Benjamin replied, “recall to Caesar, the dreams which once he dreamt, and recall to him that these were the sights which the Lord had sent by His Angels. Recall to Caesar the dread he felt once, when we were but boys together in fellowship. This I say for the love that I bore him, and for the love that I bear him still.”
And the Envoys returned to Basil, king of the Kittim, and he heard these tidings in silence like stone, and he grew hot, and wroth when he heard them, and he called forth all the might of his power, and he gathered together on the shores of the sea a host of multitude and it was known that he was to make war upon Israel, for to humble them and bring them low.
When word of this came to Israel the elders of the tribes came to Benjamin and wept, rending their garments and keening of sorrow, they begged him to go to Caesar and to offer tribute. “It is no shame to bow before the powers of the world” they bade him, “for when Nebuchadnezzar came in fury all the city was shaken and dashed. When Titus came in fury, all the city was shaken and dashed. And now when Basil comes in fury all the people will be shaken and dashed.”
But Benjamin had received the words of the Lord and he was not troubled, and he would not heed the cries of the Elders.
The child Jubilee, whom the Kittim named Leo, when unto his father and spoke “father I have dreamt of blood, and wolves and dragons, and mighty monster and foes. I fear what I have seen and I fear that it will be so. You once dreamt this dream, I beg you to turn apart from this course.”
But the heart of Basil was hard and stony, and he heeded not these pleas.
The child Eudokia, daughter of Caesar, when unto her father and spoke, “father I have loved the words of the Lord and long as a child dwelt amongst the Israelites in their tents and their cities, as you bade me, I worshipped with them and took them as kindred. I beg you to turn apart from this course.”
But the heart of Basil was hard and stony, and he heeded not these pleas.
On the shores of the sea, and in the harbours of Alashiya proud and strong grew the hosts of Basil, in all gathered on the shores of the sea, 400,000 spears, and 100,000 chariots, and bowmen and horses, numberless as the sand on the shores.
Caleb, son of Ahred, and Hisdai son of Chassin, came together in fear and in trembling, and they resolved to do away with Benjamin, saying “for if we had not him as judge over us, we could make our peace with Caesar and live without fear.” They came together with swords and men of steel and plotted with murder in their hearts. But the Lord knew.
And Caleb, son of Ahred and Hisdai son of Chassin came before Benjamin and took him with might and were upon the moment of slaying him when fire came from heaven and consumed them.
And so it was that the Israelites knew that the Lord was with them, and though they were troubled in their hearts and in their minds they trusted in G-d and they trusted in the Judge.
The time came for the host of Caesar to issue forth and orders were given in readiness, but all awaited only the coming of Caesar to lead them. And Basil stood on the walls of the city of Kittimia, and he had sent away the arms of Caesar to gather for his war, and he looked out across the sea. And he saw coming for him the doom of the Lord, and he recalled his youth and the dreams he had dreamt and he recalled Thrassylus the seer and the recalled the counsels of Benjamin and he wept.
From across the seas, and out of the north came hungry ships seizing upon the city, upon their prows were dragons carved from wood and painted with fire, and Basil went out to meet them with what few men he had with him, but he was taken and slain by the men from the north and his body was thrown to the sea and devoured by the serpents. Thus it was that third dream he had dreamt came to pass and Basil fell into death.
The child Jubilee rose as Caesar and he made it known that all the men of the host were to disperse and he sent tidings and Envoys to Benjamin and swore peace between them.
And Benjamin rejoiced that the Lord had delivered Israel from the threat of Caesar, but alone he wept bitter tears for his friend. And the Lord saw these tears and was angered, for these were tears impious.
Chapter Twelve
Basil was King of the Kittim, a mighty hunter before the Lord, and his armies and might stretched far across the lands, from the island of the Sicels to the mountains of Ararat, from the balmy shores of Mitzraim the Black Land, from Kittimia to the lands of Gog and Magog, but his heart was troubled and doubts and bitterness assailed his sleeping, for he was unpleased and unmoved by what tiding he heard from across the seas and the deeds of Israel made wroth grow within his breast.
“Go you forth, seek out this Benjamin, who once I would have called brother, and tell him true the words of Caesar, that all the revenues and tributes owed to me must be delivered up, and that there must be no worship done in the land save only in places where I command it.” For so did Basil speak to his Envoys and they heeded these words and crossed the sea and issued these words unto Benjamin, who heard them gravely and with sorrow.
And Benjamin listened to the speaking of the envoys and he said to them, “the Lord has given us all that you see. Over the might of Pharoah we had the victory, before our arms the Great House was humbled, the men of Chinneroth, and of the cities of the plains, and the warriors of Moab, and Midian, have prostrated themselves before us; and this was G-d in this, and none of these things were the deed of Caesar. All that we offer we will give up to the Lord, and to Caesar nothing, for the world lies before him, he can take whatsoever he desires save only that which is sworn to G-d”
But the Envoys replied to this with hot words, and with threats, such as would chill the hearts of lords and kings.
Yet Benjamin was not affrighted and he took himself to prayer, and with prayer received wisdom for the Lord spoke with him, and gave him counsel, and gave him comfort. And so Benjamin replied, “recall to Caesar, the dreams which once he dreamt, and recall to him that these were the sights which the Lord had sent by His Angels. Recall to Caesar the dread he felt once, when we were but boys together in fellowship. This I say for the love that I bore him, and for the love that I bear him still.”
And the Envoys returned to Basil, king of the Kittim, and he heard these tidings in silence like stone, and he grew hot, and wroth when he heard them, and he called forth all the might of his power, and he gathered together on the shores of the sea a host of multitude and it was known that he was to make war upon Israel, for to humble them and bring them low.
When word of this came to Israel the elders of the tribes came to Benjamin and wept, rending their garments and keening of sorrow, they begged him to go to Caesar and to offer tribute. “It is no shame to bow before the powers of the world” they bade him, “for when Nebuchadnezzar came in fury all the city was shaken and dashed. When Titus came in fury, all the city was shaken and dashed. And now when Basil comes in fury all the people will be shaken and dashed.”
But Benjamin had received the words of the Lord and he was not troubled, and he would not heed the cries of the Elders.
The child Jubilee, whom the Kittim named Leo, when unto his father and spoke “father I have dreamt of blood, and wolves and dragons, and mighty monster and foes. I fear what I have seen and I fear that it will be so. You once dreamt this dream, I beg you to turn apart from this course.”
But the heart of Basil was hard and stony, and he heeded not these pleas.
The child Eudokia, daughter of Caesar, when unto her father and spoke, “father I have loved the words of the Lord and long as a child dwelt amongst the Israelites in their tents and their cities, as you bade me, I worshipped with them and took them as kindred. I beg you to turn apart from this course.”
But the heart of Basil was hard and stony, and he heeded not these pleas.
On the shores of the sea, and in the harbours of Alashiya proud and strong grew the hosts of Basil, in all gathered on the shores of the sea, 400,000 spears, and 100,000 chariots, and bowmen and horses, numberless as the sand on the shores.
Caleb, son of Ahred, and Hisdai son of Chassin, came together in fear and in trembling, and they resolved to do away with Benjamin, saying “for if we had not him as judge over us, we could make our peace with Caesar and live without fear.” They came together with swords and men of steel and plotted with murder in their hearts. But the Lord knew.
And Caleb, son of Ahred and Hisdai son of Chassin came before Benjamin and took him with might and were upon the moment of slaying him when fire came from heaven and consumed them.
And so it was that the Israelites knew that the Lord was with them, and though they were troubled in their hearts and in their minds they trusted in G-d and they trusted in the Judge.
The time came for the host of Caesar to issue forth and orders were given in readiness, but all awaited only the coming of Caesar to lead them. And Basil stood on the walls of the city of Kittimia, and he had sent away the arms of Caesar to gather for his war, and he looked out across the sea. And he saw coming for him the doom of the Lord, and he recalled his youth and the dreams he had dreamt and he recalled Thrassylus the seer and the recalled the counsels of Benjamin and he wept.
From across the seas, and out of the north came hungry ships seizing upon the city, upon their prows were dragons carved from wood and painted with fire, and Basil went out to meet them with what few men he had with him, but he was taken and slain by the men from the north and his body was thrown to the sea and devoured by the serpents. Thus it was that third dream he had dreamt came to pass and Basil fell into death.
The child Jubilee rose as Caesar and he made it known that all the men of the host were to disperse and he sent tidings and Envoys to Benjamin and swore peace between them.
And Benjamin rejoiced that the Lord had delivered Israel from the threat of Caesar, but alone he wept bitter tears for his friend. And the Lord saw these tears and was angered, for these were tears impious.
I imagine it's a stylistic choice, along with the inflated numbers.
They did, well a raiding group did, basil died in the battle which linked in nicely with the prophecy from chapter two. Well in truth why the prophecy was there to begin with.
Indeed a stylistic choice, il biblical texts are no stranger to anachronism, as witnessed by phillistines in the book of genesis.
The inflated numbers also.
Okay so the Byzantines declared war on you but it ended when Basil was killed by the Vikings?
And I'm very glad you found the time for a new update this was and remains one of my favourite AARs on Paradox forum.
And I'm very glad you found the time for a new update
this was and remains one of my favourite AARs on Paradox forum.
Okay so the Byzantines declared war on you but it ended when Basil was killed by the Vikings?
And I'm very glad you found the time for a new update
Yea the byzzies attacked, and basil fell, the rng god was on my side in this was sure.
I am glad you enjoy, and i am glad to have been able to return the story is not yet done after all, and i should like to finish it. I have an idea for my next project as well, so when this is complete a new saga for the summer.
Next chapter should be done by the weekend.
Why do you type G-d instead of God? Seems strange. Maybe you could say Yahweh instead?
To paste a rough answer
As a general rule of thumb, practicing Jews do not write the name God because of the laws delivered by Moses that are found in Deuteronomy 12:3-12:4. In this passage, the Jews are instructed to destroy anything and everything associated with their rival’s gods, and they are not to let this happen to their own God. Writing "G-d" instead of "God" is one way to prevent others from destroying the name of God.
Basically it was an immersion thing, to keep with the overall biblical theme of the piece.
I am sad this aar failed actually. Perhaps I will write a chapter concluding the story, even though the save has been lost to the Lord of Patches.