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Jehovah's Witnesses
Watchtower Bible & Tract Society (world headquarters).jpg
International headquarters in Brooklyn, New York
Classification Nontrinitarian,Restorationist
Organizational structure Hierarchical
Region Worldwide
Founder Charles Taze Russell
Origin 1870s: Bible Student movement
1931: Jehovah's witnesses
Pennsylvania and New York, US
Branched from Bible Student movement
Congregations 113,823
Members 7.9 million
Official website www.jw.org
Statistics from 2014 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses[1]
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity.[2] According to the 2014 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, as of August 2013, the organization reports worldwide membership of over 7.9 million adherents involved in evangelism,[3] convention attendance of over 14 million, and annual Memorial attendance of over 19.2 million.[4][5] They are directed by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, a group of elders in Brooklyn, New York, that establishes all doctrines.[6][7][8] Jehovah's Witnesses' beliefs are based on their interpretations of the Bible[9][10] and they prefer to use their own translation, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.[11][12][13][14] They believe that the destruction of the present world system at Armageddon is imminent, and that the establishment of God's kingdom on earth is the only solution for all problems faced by humanity.[15]
The group emerged from the Bible Student movement—founded in the late 1870s by Charles Taze Russell with the formation of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society—with significant organizational and doctrinal changes under the leadership of Joseph Franklin Rutherford.[16][17] The name Jehovah's witnesses, based on Isaiah 43:10–12,[18] was adopted in 1931 to distinguish themselves from other Bible Student groups and symbolize a break with the legacy of Russell's traditions.
Jehovah's Witnesses are best known for their door-to-door preaching, distributing literature such as The Watchtower and Awake!, and refusing military service and blood transfusions. They consider use of the name Jehovah vital for proper worship. They reject Trinitarianism, inherent immortality of the soul, and hellfire, which they consider to be unscriptural doctrines. They do not observe Christmas, Easter, birthdays, or other holidays and customs they consider to have pagan origins incompatible with Christianity. Adherents commonly refer to their body of beliefs as "the truth" and consider themselves to be "in the truth".[19][20] They consider secular society to be morally corrupt and under the influence of Satan, and most limit their social interaction with non-Witnesses.[21] Congregational disciplinary actions include disfellowshipping, their term for formal expulsion and shunning.[22] Baptized individuals who formally leave are considered disassociated and are also shunned. Disfellowshipped and disassociated individuals may eventually be reinstated if deemed repentant.
The religion's position regarding conscientious objection to military service and refusal to salute national flags has brought it into conflict with some governments. Consequently, some Jehovah's Witnesses have been persecuted and their activities are banned or restricted in some countries. Persistent legal challenges by Jehovah's Witnesses have influenced legislation related to civil rights in several countries.[23]
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Background (1870–1916)
1.2 Reorganization (1917–1942)
1.3 Continued development (1942–present)
2 Organization
2.1 Funding
3 Beliefs
3.1 Sources of doctrine
3.2 Jehovah and Jesus Christ
3.3 Satan
3.4 Life after death
3.5 God's kingdom
3.6 Eschatology
4 Practices
4.1 Worship
4.2 Evangelism
4.3 Ethics and morality
4.4 Disciplinary action
4.5 Separateness
4.6 Rejection of blood transfusions
5 Demographics
6 Sociological analysis
7 Opposition
7.1 Persecution
7.2 Legal challenges
8 Criticism
8.1 Suppression of free speech and thought
8.2 New World Translation
8.3 Failed predictions
8.4 Handling of sexual abuse cases
9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links
History

Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses
Overview
Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
and Tract Society
Corporations
History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predicitions
Demographics
By country
Beliefs Practices
Salvation Eschatology
The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns God's name
Blood Discipline
Literature
The Watchtower Awake!
New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography
Teaching programs
Kingdom Hall Gilead School
People
Watch Tower presidents
W. H. Conley C. T. Russell
J. F. Rutherford N. H. Knorr
F. W. Franz M. G. Henschel
D. A. Adams
Formative influences
William Miller Henry Grew
George Storrs N. H. Barbour
Notable former members
Raymond Franz Olin Moyle
Opposition
Criticism Persecution
Supreme Court cases
by country
v t e
Main article: History of Jehovah's Witnesses
Background (1870–1916)

Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916)
In 1870, Charles Taze Russell and others formed an independent group in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to study the Bible.[24] During the course of his ministry, Russell disputed many beliefs of mainstream Christianity including immortality of the soul, hellfire, predestination, the fleshly return of Jesus Christ, the Trinity, and the burning up of the world.[25] In 1876 Russell met Nelson H. Barbour; later that year they jointly produced the book Three Worlds, which combined restitutionist views with end time prophecy. The book taught that God's dealings with humanity were divided dispensationally, each ending with a "harvest," that Christ had returned as an invisible spirit being in 1874[25] inaugurating the "harvest of the Gospel age," and that 1914 would mark the end of a 2520-year period called "the Gentile Times,"[26] at which time world society would be replaced by the full establishment of God's kingdom on earth.[27][28][29] Beginning in 1878 they jointly edited a religious journal, Herald of the Morning.[30] In June 1879 the two split over doctrinal differences and in July Russell began publishing the magazine Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence,[31] stating that its purpose was to demonstrate the world was in "the last days," and that a new age of earthly and human restitution under the reign of Christ was imminent.[32]
From 1879, Watch Tower supporters gathered as autonomous congregations to study the Bible topically. Thirty congregations were founded, and during 1879 and 1880 Russell visited each to provide the format he recommended for conducting meetings.[33] As congregations continued to form during Russell's ministry, they each remained self-administrative, functioning under the congregationalist style of church governance.[34][35] In 1881 Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society was presided over by William Henry Conley, and in 1884 Charles Taze Russell incorporated the society as a non-profit business to distribute tracts and Bibles.[36][37][38] By about 1900 Russell had organized thousands of part- and full-time colporteurs,[31] and was appointing foreign missionaries and establishing branch offices. By the 1910s, Russell's organization maintained nearly a hundred "pilgrims," or traveling preachers.[39] Russell engaged in significant global publishing efforts during his ministry,[40][41][42] and by 1912 he was the most distributed Christian author in the United States.[41][43]
Russell moved the Watch Tower Society's headquarters to Brooklyn, New York, in 1909, combining printing and corporate offices with a house of worship; volunteers were housed in a nearby residence he named Bethel. He identified the religious movement as "Bible Students," and more formally as the International Bible Students Association.[44] By 1910, about 50,000 people worldwide were associated with the movement[45] and congregations re-elected him annually as their "pastor."[46] Russell died October 31, 1916, at the age of 64 while returning from a ministerial speaking tour.[47]
Reorganization (1917–1942)

Joseph F. Rutherford (1869–1942)
In January 1917, the Watch Tower Society's legal representative, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, was elected as its next president. His election was disputed, and members of the Board of Directors accused him of acting in an autocratic and secretive manner.[48][49] The divisions between his supporters and opponents triggered a major turnover of members over the next decade.[50][51] In June 1917 he released The Finished Mystery as a seventh volume of Russell's Studies in the Scriptures series. The book, published as the posthumous work of Russell, was a compilation of his commentaries on the Bible books of Ezekiel and Revelation, plus numerous additions by Bible Students Clayton Woodworth and George Fisher.[52][53][54][55] It strongly criticized Catholic and Protestant clergy and Christian involvement in the Great War.[56] As a result, Watch Tower Society directors were jailed for sedition under the Espionage Act in 1918 and members were subjected to mob violence; charges against the directors were dropped in 1920.[57]
Rutherford centralized organizational control of the Watch Tower Society. In 1919 he instituted the appointment of a director in each congregation, and a year later all members were instructed to report their weekly preaching activity to the Brooklyn headquarters.[58] At an international convention held at Cedar Point, Ohio, in September 1922, a new emphasis was made on house-to-house preaching.[59] Significant changes in doctrine and administration were regularly introduced during Rutherford's twenty-five years as president, including the 1920 announcement that the Jewish patriarchs (such as Abraham and Isaac) would be resurrected in 1925, marking the beginning of Christ's thousand-year Kingdom.[60][61][62] Disappointed by the changes, tens of thousands of defections occurred during the first half of Rutherford's tenure, leading to the formation of several Bible Student organizations independent of the Watch Tower Society,[63][64] most of which still exist.[65] By mid-1919 as many as one in seven of Russell-era Bible Students had ceased their association with the Society, and as many as two-thirds by the end of the 1920s.[66][67][68][69][70]
On July 26, 1931, at a convention in Columbus, Ohio, Rutherford introduced the new name—Jehovah's witnesses—based on Isaiah 43:10: "Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen"—which was adopted by resolution. The name was chosen to distinguish his group of Bible Students from other independent groups that had severed ties with the Society, as well as symbolize the instigation of new outlooks and the promotion of fresh evangelizing methods.[71][72][73] In 1932, Rutherford eliminated the system of locally elected elders and in 1938 introduced what he called a "theocratic" (literally, God-ruled) organizational system, under which appointments in congregations worldwide were made from the Brooklyn headquarters.[58]
From 1932 it was taught that the "little flock" of 144,000 would not be the only people to survive Armageddon. Rutherford explained that in addition to the 144,000 "anointed" who would be resurrected—or transferred at death—to live in heaven to rule over earth with Christ, a separate class of members, the "great multitude," would live in a paradise restored on earth; from 1935, new converts to the movement were considered part of that class.[74][75] By the mid-1930s, the timing of the beginning of Christ's presence (Greek: parousía), his enthronement as king, and the start of the "last days" were each moved to 1914.[76]
As their interpretations of scripture developed, Witness publications decreed that saluting national flags is a form of idolatry, which led to a new outbreak of mob violence and government opposition in the United States, Canada, Germany, and other countries.[77][78]
Worldwide membership of Jehovah's Witnesses reached 113,624 in 5,323 congregations by the time of Rutherford's death in January 1942.[79][80]
Continued development (1942–present)
See also: Development of Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine and Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses

Nathan H. Knorr (1905-1977)
Nathan Knorr was appointed as third president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1942. Knorr commissioned a new translation of the Bible, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, the full version of which was released in 1961. He organized large international assemblies, instituted new training programs for members, and expanded missionary activity and branch offices throughout the world.[81] Knorr's presidency was also marked by an increasing use of explicit instructions guiding Witnesses in their lifestyle and conduct, and a greater use of congregational judicial procedures to enforce a strict moral code.[82][83]
From 1966, Witness publications and convention talks built anticipation of the possibility that Christ's thousand-year reign might begin in late 1975[84][85] or shortly thereafter.[86][87][88][89] The number of baptisms increased significantly, from about 59,000 in 1966 to more than 297,000 in 1974. By 1975 the number of active members exceeded two million. Membership declined during the late 1970s after expectations for 1975 were proved wrong.[90][91][92][93] Watch Tower Society literature did not state dogmatically that 1975 would definitely mark the end,[86] but in 1980 the Watch Tower Society admitted its responsibility in building up hope regarding that year.[94][95]
The offices of elder and ministerial servant were restored to Witness congregations in 1972, with appointments made from headquarters[96] (and later, also by branch committees). In a major organizational overhaul in 1976, the power of the Watch Tower Society president was diminished, with authority for doctrinal and organizational decisions passed to the Governing Body.[97] Reflecting these organizational changes, publications of Jehovah's Witnesses began using the capitalized name, Jehovah's Witnesses.[98] Since Knorr's death in 1977, the position of president has been occupied by Frederick Franz (1977–1992) and Milton Henschel (1992–2000), both members of the Governing Body, and since 2000 by Don A. Adams, not a member of the Governing Body.
Organization

Main article: Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses are organized under a hierarchical arrangement, which their leadership calls a "theocratic organization", reflecting their belief that it is God's "visible organization" on earth.[99][100][101] The organization is led by the Governing Body—an all-male group that varies in size, but since November 2012 has comprised eight members,[note 1] all of whom profess to be of the "anointed" class with a hope of heavenly life—based in the Watch Tower Society's Brooklyn headquarters.[102][103] There is no election for membership; new members are selected by the existing body.[104] Until late 2012, the Governing Body described itself as the representative[105][106] and "spokesman" for God's "faithful and discreet slave class" (approximately 10,000 self-professed "anointed" Jehovah's Witnesses).[107][108] At the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Watch Tower Society, the "faithful and discreet slave" was defined as referring to the Governing Body only.[109] The Governing Body directs several committees that are responsible for administrative functions, including publishing, assembly programs and evangelizing activities.[101] It appoints all branch committee members and traveling overseers, after they have been recommended by local branches, with traveling overseers supervising districts or circuits of congregations within their jurisdictions. Branch offices appoint local elders and ministerial servants, and may appoint regional committees for matters such as Kingdom Hall construction or disaster relief.[110]
Each congregation has a body of appointed unpaid male elders and ministerial servants. Elders maintain general responsibility for congregational governance, setting meeting times, selecting speakers and conducting meetings, directing the public preaching work, and creating "judicial committees" to investigate and decide disciplinary action for cases involving sexual misconduct or doctrinal breaches.[111] New elders are appointed by branch offices after recommendation by the existing body of elders. Ministerial servants—appointed in a similar manner to elders—fulfill clerical and attendant duties, but may also teach and conduct meetings.[101] Witnesses do not use elder as a title to signify a formal clergy-laity division,[112] though elders may employ ecclesiastical privilege such as confession of sins.[113]
Baptism is a requirement for being considered a member of Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses do not practice infant baptism,[114] and previous baptisms performed by other denominations are not considered valid.[115] Individuals undergoing baptism must affirm publicly that dedication and baptism identify them "as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization,"[115] though Witness publications say baptism symbolizes personal dedication to God and not "to a man, work or organization."[116][117] Watch Tower Society publications emphasize the need for members to be obedient and loyal to Jehovah and to "his organization,"[118][119][note 2] stating that individuals must remain part of it to receive God's favor and to survive Armageddon.[120][121][122]
Funding
Funding for all activities of the organization is provided by donations, primarily from members. There is no tithing or collection.[94][123] In 2001 Newsday listed the Watch Tower Society as one of New York's forty richest corporations, with revenues exceeding $950 million.[124] The organization reported for the same year that it "spent over 70.9 million dollars in caring for special pioneers, missionaries, and traveling overseers in their field service assignments."[125][note 3]
Beliefs

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Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs
Sources of doctrine
Jehovah's Witnesses believe their religion is a restoration of first-century Christianity.[126] Doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses are established by the Governing Body, which assumes responsibility for interpreting and applying scripture.[51][127][128] The Watch Tower Society does not issue any single, comprehensive "statement of faith", but prefers to express its doctrinal position in a variety of ways in its publications.[129] Its publications teach that doctrinal changes and refinements result from a process of progressive revelation, in which God gradually reveals his will and purpose,[130][131][132][133] and that such enlightenment results from the application of reason and study,[134] the guidance of the holy spirit, and direction from Jesus Christ and angels.[135] The Society also teaches that members of the Governing Body are helped by the holy spirit to discern "deep truths", which are then considered by the entire Governing Body before it makes doctrinal decisions.[136] The religion's leadership, while disclaiming divine inspiration and infallibility,[137] is said to provide "divine guidance"[138] through its teachings described as "based on God's Word thus ... not from men, but from Jehovah."[139][140]
The entire Protestant canon of scripture is considered the inspired, inerrant word of God.[141] Jehovah's Witnesses consider the Bible to be scientifically and historically accurate and reliable[142] and interpret much of it literally, but accept parts of it as symbolic.[143] They consider the Bible to be the final authority for all their beliefs,[144] although sociologist Andrew Holden's ethnographic study of the religion concluded that pronouncements of the Governing Body, through Watch Tower Society publications, carry almost as much weight as the Bible.[145] Regular personal Bible reading is frequently recommended; Witnesses are discouraged from formulating doctrines and "private ideas" reached through Bible research independent of Watch Tower Society publications, and are cautioned against reading other religious literature.[146][147][148] Adherents are told to have "complete confidence" in the leadership, avoid skepticism about what is taught in the Watch Tower Society's literature, and "not advocate or insist on personal opinions or harbor private ideas when it comes to Bible understanding."[149][150][151][152] The religion makes no provision for members to criticize or contribute to official teachings[153] and all Witnesses must abide by its doctrines and organizational requirements.[154]
Jehovah and Jesus Christ
Jehovah's Witnesses emphasize the use of what they consider to be God's name, represented in the Old Testament by the Tetragrammaton.[155][156] In English they prefer to use the name Jehovah.[157] They believe that Jehovah is the only true God, the creator of all things, and the "Universal Sovereign". They believe that all worship should be directed toward him, and that he is not part of a Trinity;[158] consequently, the religion places more emphasis on God than on Christ.[159][160] They believe that the holy spirit is God's applied power or "active force", rather than a person.[161][162]

The Tetragrammaton
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is God's only direct creation, that everything else was created by means of Christ, and that the initial unassisted act of creation uniquely identifies Jesus as God's "only-begotten Son".[163] Jesus served as a redeemer and a ransom sacrifice to pay for the sins of humanity.[164] They believe Jesus died on a single upright torture stake rather than the traditional cross.[165] They believe that references in the Bible to the Archangel Michael, Abaddon (Apollyon), and the Word all refer to Jesus.[166] Jesus is considered to be the only intercessor and high priest between God and humanity, and appointed by God as the king and judge of his kingdom.[167] His role as a mediator (referred to in 1 Timothy 2:5) is applied to the 'anointed' class, though the 'other sheep' are said to also benefit from the arrangement.[168]
Satan
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Satan was originally a perfect angel who developed feelings of self-importance and craved worship. Satan caused Adam and Eve to disobey God, and humanity subsequently became participants in a challenge involving the competing claims of Jehovah and Satan to universal sovereignty.[169] Other angels who sided with Satan became demons.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Satan and his demons were cast down to earth from heaven after October 1, 1914,[170] at which point the end times began. Witnesses believe that Satan is the ruler of the current world order,[169] that human society is influenced and misled by Satan and his demons, and that they are a cause of human suffering. They believe that human governments are controlled by Satan,[171] but that he does not directly control each human ruler.[172]
Life after death
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and salvation
Jehovah's Witnesses believe death is a state of non-existence with no consciousness. There is no Hell of fiery torment; Hades and Sheol are understood to refer to the condition of death, termed the common grave.[173] Jehovah's Witnesses consider the soul to be a life or a living body that can die.[174] Watch Tower Society publications teach that humanity is in a sinful state,[174] from which release is only possible by means of Jesus' shed blood as a ransom, or atonement, for the sins of humankind.[175]
Witnesses believe that a "little flock" go to heaven, but that the hope for life after death for the majority of "other sheep" involves being resurrected by God to a cleansed earth after Armageddon. They interpret Revelation 14:1–5 to mean that the number of Christians going to heaven is limited to exactly 144,000, who will rule with Jesus as kings and priests over earth.[176] Jehovah's Witnesses teach that only they meet scriptural requirements for surviving Armageddon, but that God is the final judge.[177][178][179] During Christ's millennial reign, most people who died prior to Armageddon will be resurrected with the prospect of living forever; they will be taught the proper way to worship God to prepare them for their final test at the end of the millennium.[180][181]
God's kingdom
Watch Tower Society publications teach that God's kingdom is a literal government in heaven, ruled by Jesus Christ and 144,000 Christians drawn from the earth.[182] The kingdom is viewed as the means by which God will accomplish his original purpose for the earth, transforming it into a paradise without sickness or death.[183] It is said to have been the focal point of Jesus' ministry on earth.[184] They believe the kingdom was established in heaven in 1914,[185] and that Jehovah's Witnesses serve as representatives of the kingdom on earth.[186][187]
Eschatology
Main article: Eschatology of Jehovah's Witnesses
A central teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses is that the current world era, or "system of things", entered the "last days" in 1914 and faces imminent destruction through intervention by God and Jesus Christ, leading to deliverance for those who worship God acceptably.[188] They consider all other present-day religions to be false, identifying them with "Babylon the Great", or the "harlot", of Revelation 17,[189] and believe that they will soon be destroyed by the United Nations, which they believe is represented in scripture by the scarlet-colored wild beast of Revelation chapter 17. This development will mark the beginning of the "great tribulation".[190] Satan will subsequently attack Jehovah's Witnesses, an action that will prompt God to begin the war of Armageddon, during which all forms of government and all people not counted as Christ's "sheep", or true followers, will be destroyed. After Armageddon, God will extend his heavenly kingdom to include earth, which will be transformed into a paradise similar to the Garden of Eden.[191] After Armageddon, most of those who had died before God's intervention will gradually be resurrected during "judgment day" lasting for one thousand years. This judgment will be based on their actions after resurrection rather than past deeds. At the end of the thousand years, a final test will take place when Satan is released to mislead perfect mankind. The end result will be a fully tested, glorified human race. Christ will then hand all authority back to God.[192]
Watch Tower Society publications teach that Jesus Christ began to rule in heaven as king of God's kingdom in October 1914, and that Satan was subsequently ousted from heaven to the earth, resulting in "woe" to humanity. They believe that Jesus rules invisibly, from heaven, perceived only as a series of "signs". They base this belief on a rendering of the Greek word parousia—usually translated as "coming" when referring to Christ—as "presence". They believe Jesus' presence includes an unknown period beginning with his inauguration as king in heaven in 1914, and ending when he comes to bring a final judgment against humans on earth. They thus depart from the mainstream Christian belief that the "second coming" of Matthew 24 refers to a single moment of arrival on earth to judge humans.[193][194]
Practices

Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses practices
Worship

Worship at a Kingdom Hall.
Meetings for worship and study are held at Kingdom Halls, which are typically functional in character, and do not contain religious symbols.[195] Witnesses are assigned to a congregation in whose "territory" they usually reside and attend weekly services they refer to as "meetings" as scheduled by congregation elders. The meetings are largely devoted to study of Watch Tower Society literature and the Bible. The format of the meetings is established by the religion's headquarters, and the subject matter for most meetings is the same worldwide.[195] Congregations meet for two sessions each week comprising five distinct meetings that total about three-and-a-half hours, typically gathering mid-week (three meetings) and on the weekend (two meetings). Prior to 2009, congregations met three times each week; these meetings were condensed, with the intention that members dedicate an evening for "family worship".[196][197] Gatherings are opened and closed with kingdom songs (hymns) and brief prayers. Each year, Witnesses from a number of congregations that form a "circuit" gather for one-day, and two-day assemblies. Several circuits meet once a year for a three-day "district convention", usually at rented stadiums or auditoriums. Their most important and solemn event is the commemoration of the "Lord's Evening Meal", or "Memorial of Christ's Death" on the date of the Jewish Passover.[198]
Evangelism

Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their preaching from house to house.
See also: Jehovah's Witnesses publications
Jehovah's Witnesses are perhaps best known for their efforts to spread their beliefs, most notably by visiting people from house to house,[199][200][201] distributing literature published by the Watch Tower Society; some literature is available in 500 languages.[202] The objective is to start a regular Bible study with any person who is not already a member.[203] Once the course is completed, the individual is expected to become baptized as a member of the group.[204] Witnesses are told they are under a biblical command to engage in public preaching.[205][206] They are instructed to devote as much time as possible to their ministry and are required to submit an individual monthly "Field Service Report".[207][208] Baptized members who fail to submit a report every month are termed "irregular" and may be counseled by elders;[209][210] those who do not submit a report for six consecutive months are termed "inactive".[211]
Ethics and morality
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant;[212][213] homosexual activity is considered a serious sin, and same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder.[214] Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden.[215] Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.[214]
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered to have authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous and legally registered.[216][217] Marrying a non-believer, or endorsing such a union, is strongly discouraged and carries religious sanctions.[218][219] Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce".[220] If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adulterous unless the prior spouse has died or is since considered to have committed fornication.[221] Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.[222][223]
Disciplinary action
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and congregational discipline
Formal discipline is administered by congregation elders. When a baptized member is accused of committing a serious sin—usually cases of sexual misconduct[111][224] or charges of apostasy for disputing the Watch Tower Society's doctrines[225][226]—a judicial committee is formed to determine guilt, provide help and possibly administer discipline. Disfellowshipping, a form of shunning, is the strongest form of discipline, administered to an offender deemed unrepentant.[227] Contact with disfellowshipped individuals is limited to direct family members living in the same home, and with congregation elders who may invite disfellowshipped persons to apply for reinstatement;[228][229] formal business dealings may continue if contractually or financially obliged.[230] Witnesses are taught that avoiding social and spiritual interaction with disfellowshipped individuals keeps the congregation free from immoral influence and that "losing precious fellowship with loved ones may help [the shunned individual] to come 'to his senses,' see the seriousness of his wrong, and take steps to return to Jehovah."[231] The practice of shunning may also serve to deter other members from dissident behavior.[232] Members who disassociate (formally resign) are described in Watch Tower Society literature as wicked and are also shunned.[233][234][235] Expelled individuals may eventually be reinstated to the congregation if deemed repentant by elders in the congregation in which the disfellowshipping was enforced.[236] Reproof is a lesser form of discipline given formally by a judicial committee to a baptized Witness who is considered repentant of serious sin; the reproved person temporarily loses conspicuous privileges of service, but suffers no restriction of social or spiritual fellowship.[237] Marking, a curtailing of social but not spiritual fellowship, is practiced if a baptized member persists in a course of action regarded as a violation of Bible principles but not a serious sin.[note 4]
Separateness
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and governments
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Bible condemns the mixing of religions, on the basis that there can only be one truth from God, and therefore reject interfaith and ecumenical movements.[238][239][240] They believe that only their religion represents true Christianity, and that other religions fail to meet all the requirements set by God and will soon be destroyed.[241] Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that it is vital to remain "separate from the world." Watch Tower Society publications define the "world" as "the mass of mankind apart from Jehovah's approved servants" and teach that it is morally contaminated and ruled by Satan.[242][243][244] Witnesses are taught that association with "worldly" people presents a "danger" to their faith,[245] and are instructed to minimize social contact with non-members to better maintain their own standards of morality.[246][247][248][249]
Jehovah's Witnesses believe their highest allegiance belongs to God's kingdom, which is viewed as an actual government in heaven, with Christ as king. They remain politically neutral, do not seek public office, and are discouraged from voting, though individual members may participate in uncontroversial community improvement issues.[250][251] They do not celebrate religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter, nor do they observe birthdays, nationalistic holidays, or other celebrations they consider to honor people other than Jesus. They feel that these and many other customs have pagan origins or reflect a nationalistic or political spirit. Their position is that these traditional holidays reflect Satan's control over the world.[252][253][254] Witnesses are told that spontaneous giving at other times can help their children to not feel deprived of birthdays or other celebrations.[255]
They do not work in industries associated with the military, do not serve in the armed services,[256] and refuse national military service, which in some countries may result in their arrest and imprisonment.[257] They do not salute or pledge allegiance to flags or sing national anthems or patriotic songs.[258] Jehovah's Witnesses see themselves as a worldwide brotherhood that transcends national boundaries and ethnic loyalties.[259][260] Sociologist Ronald Lawson has suggested the religion's intellectual and organizational isolation, coupled with the intense indoctrination of adherents, rigid internal discipline and considerable persecution, has contributed to the consistency of its sense of urgency in its apocalyptic message.[261]
Rejection of blood transfusions
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and blood transfusions
Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions, which they consider a violation of God's law based on their interpretation of Acts 15:28, 29 and other scriptures.[262][263][264] Since 1961 the willing acceptance of a blood transfusion by an unrepentant member has been grounds for expulsion from the religion.[265][266] Watch Tower Society literature directs Witnesses to refuse blood transfusions, even in "a life-or-death situation".[267][268][269] Jehovah's Witnesses accept non-blood alternatives and other medical procedures in lieu of blood transfusions, and the Watch Tower Society provides information about current non-blood medical procedures.[270]
Though Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept blood transfusions of whole blood, they may accept some blood plasma fractions at their own discretion.[271][272][273] The Watch Tower Society provides pre-formatted Power of Attorney documents prohibiting major blood components, in which members can specify which allowable fractions and treatments they will personally accept.[274][275] Jehovah's Witnesses have established Hospital Liaison Committees as a cooperative arrangement between individual Jehovah's Witnesses and medical professionals and hospitals.[276][277]
Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Jehovah's Witnesses
JWStats1931-2010.png
Jehovah's Witnesses have an active presence in most countries, but do not form a large part of the population of any country.
As of August 2013, Jehovah's Witnesses report an average of 7.69 million publishers—the term they use for members actively involved in preaching—in 113,823 congregations.[1] In 2013, these reports indicated over 1.84 billion hours spent in preaching and "Bible study" activity. Since the mid-1990s, the number of peak publishers has increased from 4.5 million to 7.96 million.[278] In the same year, they conducted Bible studies with over 9.2 million individuals, including Bible studies conducted by Witness parents with their children.[3][279][280]Jehovah's Witnesses estimate their current worldwide growth rate to be 2.1% per year.[1]
The official published membership statistics, such as those mentioned above, include only those who submit reports for their personal ministry; official statistics do not include inactive and disfellowshipped individuals or others who might attend their meetings. As a result, only about half of those who self-identified as Jehovah's Witnesses in independent demographic studies are considered active by the faith itself.[281][282] The 2008 US Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey found a low retention rate among members of the religion: about 37% of people raised in the religion continued to identify themselves as Jehovah's Witnesses.[283][284]
Sociological analysis

See also: Sociological classifications of religious movements
Sociologist James A. Beckford, in his 1975 study of Jehovah's Witnesses, classified the religion's organizational structure as Totalizing, characterized by an assertive leadership, specific and narrow objectives, control over competing demands on members' time and energy, and control over the quality of new members. Other characteristics of the classification include likelihood of friction with secular authorities, reluctance to co-operate with other religious organizations, a high rate of membership turnover, a low rate of doctrinal change, and strict uniformity of beliefs among members.[285] Beckford identified the religion's chief characteristics as historicism (identifying historical events as relating to the outworking of God's purpose), absolutism (conviction that the Watch Tower Society dispenses absolute truth), activism (capacity to motivate members to perform missionary tasks), rationalism (conviction that Witness doctrines have a rational basis devoid of mystery), authoritarianism (rigid presentation of regulations without the opportunity for criticism) and world indifference (rejection of certain secular requirements and medical treatments).[286]
Sociologist Bryan R. Wilson, in his consideration of five religions including Jehovah's Witnesses, noted that each of the religions:[287]
"exists in a state of tension with the wider society;"
"imposes tests of merit on would-be members;"
"exercises stern discipline, regulating the declared beliefs and the life habits of members and prescribing and operating sanctions for those who deviate, including the possibility of expulsion;"
"demands sustained and total commitment from its members, and the subordination, and perhaps even the exclusion of all other interests."
A sociological comparative study by the Pew Research Center found that Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States ranked highest in statistics for getting no further than high school graduation, belief in God, importance of religion in one's life, frequency of religious attendance, frequency of prayers, frequency of Bible reading outside of religious services, belief their prayers are answered, belief that their religion can only be interpreted one way, belief that theirs is the only one true faith leading to eternal life, opposition to abortion, and opposition to homosexuality. In the study, Jehovah's Witnesses ranked lowest in statistics for having earned a graduate degree and interest in politics.[288]
Opposition

Controversy surrounding various beliefs, doctrines and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses has led to opposition from local governments, communities, and religious groups. Religious commentator Ken Jubber wrote that "Viewed globally, this persecution has been so persistent and of such intensity that it would not be inaccurate to regard Jehovah's witnesses as the most persecuted group of Christians of the twentieth century."[289]
Persecution
Main article: Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses
See also: Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany

Jehovah's Witness prisoners were identified by purple triangle badges in Nazi concentration camps.
Political and religious animosity against Jehovah's Witnesses has at times led to mob action and government oppression in various countries. Their doctrine of political neutrality and their refusal to serve in the military has led to imprisonment of members who refused conscription during World War II and at other times where national service has been compulsory. In 1933, there were approximately 20,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany,[290] of whom about 10,000 were imprisoned. Of those, 2000 were sent to concentration camps, where they were identified by purple triangles; as many as 1200 died, including 250 who were executed.[291][292][293][294] In Canada, Jehovah's Witnesses were interned in camps[295] along with political dissidents and people of Chinese and Japanese descent.[296] In the former Soviet Union, about 9300 Jehovah's Witnesses were deported to Siberia as part of Operation North in April 1951.[297] Their religious activities are currently banned or restricted in some countries, including China, Vietnam and some Islamic states.[298][299]
Authors including William Whalen, Shawn Francis Peters and former Witnesses Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, Alan Rogerson and William Schnell, have claimed the religion incited opposition to pursue a course of martyrdom under Rutherford's leadership during the 1930s, in a bid to attract dispossessed members of society, and to convince members that persecution from the outside world was evidence of the "truth" of their struggle to serve God.[300] Watch Tower Society literature of the period directed Witnesses to "avoid unnecessary opposition or prejudice", stating that their purpose is not to get arrested.[301]
Legal challenges
Main article: Supreme Court cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses by country
Several cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses have been heard by Supreme Courts throughout the world.[302] The cases generally relate to their right to practice their religion, displays of patriotism and military service, and blood transfusions.[303]
In the United States, their persistent legal challenges prompted a series of state and federal court rulings that reinforced judicial protections for civil liberties.[304] Among the rights strengthened by Witness court victories in the United States are the protection of religious conduct from federal and state interference, the right to abstain from patriotic rituals and military service, the right of patients to refuse medical treatment, and the right to engage in public discourse.[305] Similar cases in their favor have been heard in Canada.[306]
Criticism

Main article: Criticism of Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses have attracted criticism over issues surrounding their Bible translation, doctrines, their handling of sexual abuse cases, and what is claimed to be coercion of members. Many of the claims are denied by Jehovah's Witnesses and some have also been disputed by courts and religious scholars.
Suppression of free speech and thought
Doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses are established by the Governing Body, without consultation with other members.[6] The religion does not tolerate dissidence about doctrines and practices;[140][307][308][309] members who openly disagree with the religion's teachings are shunned.[226] Watch Tower Society publications strongly discourage followers from questioning its doctrines and counsel, reasoning that the Society is to be trusted as "God's organization".[309][310][311][312] It also warns members to "avoid independent thinking", claiming such thinking "was introduced by Satan the Devil"[313][314] and would "cause division".[315] Those who openly disagree with official teachings are condemned as "apostates" and "mentally diseased".[316][317][318]
Former members Heather and Gary Botting compare the cultural paradigms of the religion to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four,[319] and Alan Rogerson describes the religion's leadership as totalitarian.[320] Other critics charge that by disparaging individual decision-making, the Watch Tower Society cultivates a system of unquestioning obedience[146][321] in which Witnesses abrogate all responsibility and rights over their personal lives.[322][323] Critics also accuse the Watch Tower Society of exercising "intellectual dominance" over Witnesses,[324] controlling information[226][325][326] and creating "mental isolation",[327] which former Governing Body member Raymond Franz argued were all elements of mind control.[327]
Watch Tower Society publications state that consensus of faith aids unity,[328] and deny that unity restricts individuality or imagination.[328] Historian James Irvin Lichti has rejected the description of the religion as "totalitarian".[329]
Sociologist Rodney Stark states that while Jehovah's Witness leaders are "not always very democratic" and members are expected to conform to "rather strict standards," enforcement tends to be informal, sustained by close bonds of friendship and that Jehovah's Witnesses see themselves as "part of the power structure rather than subject to it."[92] Sociologist Andrew Holden states that most members who join millenarian movements such as Jehovah's Witnesses have made an informed choice.[330] However, he also states that defectors "are seldom allowed a dignified exit",[316] and describes the administration as autocratic.[6]
New World Translation
Main article: New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
Some Bible scholars including Bruce M. Metzger, former Professor and Bible editor at Princeton Theological Seminary, have said that the translation of certain texts in its New World Translation of the Bible is biased in favor of Witness practices and doctrines.[331][332][333][334][335] A British Bible editor, Harold H. Rowley, criticized the pre-release edition of the first volume (Genesis to Ruth) published in 1953 as "a shining example of how the Bible should not be translated."[336] On the other hand, in his study on nine of "the Bibles most widely in use in the English-speaking world", Bible scholar Jason BeDuhn, Professor of Religious Studies at the Northern Arizona University, said that the New World Translation was not bias free, but that he considered it to be "the most accurate of the translations compared" and "a remarkably good translation".[337]
Metzger said, "on the whole, one gains a tolerably good impression of the scholarly equipment of the translators", but goes on to criticize their insertion of the name Jehovah in the New Testament since it does not appear in the extant Greek manuscripts.[338][339] Watch Tower Society publications have said the name was "restored" on a sound basis, particularly when New Testament writers used the Greek Kyrios (Lord) when translating Old Testament Hebrew scriptures that contained the Tetragrammaton.[340] BeDuhn said that the insertion of the name Jehovah in the New Testament "violate[s] accuracy in favor of denominationally preferred expressions for God".[337]
Failed predictions
Main article: Watch Tower Society unfulfilled predictions
Watch Tower Society publications have claimed that God has used Jehovah's Witnesses (and formerly, the International Bible Students) to declare his will[341][342] and has provided advance knowledge about Armageddon and the establishment of God's kingdom.[343][344][345] Some publications also claimed that God has used Jehovah's Witnesses and the International Bible Students as a modern-day prophet.[note 5] Jehovah's Witnesses' publications have made various predictions about world events they believe were prophesied in the Bible.[346][347] Failed predictions have led to the alteration or abandonment of some doctrines.[348][349] Some failed predictions that the Watch Tower Society had claimed were presented as "beyond doubt" or "approved by God".[350]
The Watch Tower Society rejects accusations that it is a false prophet,[351] stating that its teachings are not inspired or infallible,[352][353][354] and that it has not claimed its predictions were "the words of Jehovah."[351] George D. Chryssides has suggested that with the exception of statements about 1914, 1925 and 1975, the changing views and dates of the Jehovah's Witnesses are largely attributable to changed understandings of biblical chronology than to failed predictions.[84] Chryssides further states, "it is therefore simplistic and naïve to view the Witnesses as a group that continues to set a single end-date that fails and then devise a new one, as many counter-cultists do."[355] However, sociologist Andrew Holden states that since the foundation of the movement around 140 years ago, "Witnesses have maintained that we are living on the precipice of the end of time."[356]
Handling of sexual abuse cases
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses' handling of child sex abuse
Critics have accused Jehovah's Witnesses of employing organizational policies that make the reporting of sexual abuse difficult for members. Some victims of sexual abuse have asserted that they were ordered by certain local elders to maintain silence so as to avoid embarrassment to both the accused and the organization.[357][358][359][360] Jehovah's Witnesses maintain that they have no policy of silence, and that elders are directed to report abuse to authorities when there is evidence of abuse, and when required to by law. In 1997, Jehovah's Witnesses' Office of Public Information published their policy[361] for elders to report allegations of child abuse to the authorities where required by law to do so, even if there was only one witness.[362][363] Individuals known to have sexually abused a child are generally prohibited from holding any position of responsibility inside the organization.[364] Unless considered by the congregation elders to demonstrate repentance, such a person is typically disfellowshipped.[213]
In June 2012, the Superior Court of Alameda, California, ordered the Watch Tower Society to pay $21 million in punitive damages, in addition to compensatory damages, after finding that the Society's policy to not disclose child abuse history of a member to parents in the congregation or to report abuse to authorities contributed to the sexual abuse of a nine-year-old girl.[365][366] A subsequent motion in September 2012 resulted in a reduction of the punitive damages to $8.61 million.[367] The Watch Tower Society appealed the revised ruling, and the case is ongoing.[368]

Daniel Daly

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Jan 17, 2014, 8:56:12 PM1/17/14

Adamic Covenant

Information on Haven Adamide Fellowship - Created and founded by Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

The Book of Karaite Adamidism

Created by

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

6177 SC

Lesson One

The Scripture - the Tanakh. The Foundation - Genesis 1 - 5.

The Purpose - Sanctification. The Result - Life Eternal.

Lesson Two

The Religion - Descendants of Adam. The Sign - Creation.

The Purpose - Protection from Destruction. The Result - Everlasting.

Lesson Three

The Doctrine - A Moral Life. The Reason - Civilization.

The Purpose - Law and Order. The Result - Eternal Peace.

Lesson Four

The Community - A Family of Faith. The Structure - Faithful Genealogies.

The Purpose - A Sense of Belonging. The Result - Meaning in Life

Mission

To Proclaim the Religion to Mankind. To Uphold the Teaching of Scripture.

To Build an Everlasting Fellowship. To Live Long, Prosper and be at Peace with God and the World.

Adamide Rules

Introduction

In the year 2012 CE (7DF 6176 SC), mankind has travelled along its pathway of living, going through many spiritual occurrences, yet the truth remains the same. God Almighty is God, he is the Creator of the physical universe, and he has expectations on a way of life called 'Holiness'. Children of Adam today (Adamides) are guided by religious obligations in the Torah from Genesis 1 to Genesis 11:9. Yet, in Jeremiah 12:14-17 we find the teaching that God generally expects the nations of the world to learn the ways of holiness of his people Israel, and conform to principles of Torah law and way of life. YET it never expounds the exact degree of righteousness required. Just a sense of general Torah observance is all that is ultimately expected from a complete reading of the Tanakh. The law, in every detail, is for Israel. Yet mankind is not exempted from following a degree of lawfulness either. For Talmudic Noahides the 7 Laws of Noah approach seems to suffice. For the first six of the Seven Divine Fellowships we follow specific Noahide ways of doing things, focusing on the religion of Noah himself. Yet for Adamide faith, our faith is intended to be broader still, to take more into observance the idea of the people of Israel and their way of life, and apply a specific code of behaviour for Haven Adamide Fellowship. And this can be created, after the basics of the Rainbow Torah are addressed, by our own choices before God. Further, these ideas are intended towards Noahide-Adamides, yet in the heavenlies, pre-Noahide Adamides may make use of these judgements as they see fit.

Thus I, Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly, lay down this interpretation and application of the Torah principles, and other judgements I have made, in my own sense of appropriate judgement, God voicing his concerns through my words as he sees fit.

THE LAW CODE - THE 30 RULES

Rule 1

Sermon 1 of HNF IS BINDING.

Rule 2

Worshipping idols or false deities is not permitted

Rule 3

Stealing and robbing people is not permitted

Rule 4

Moving boundary markers of property is not permitted

Rule 6

Kidnapping people is not permitted

Rule 7

Poisoning food is not permitted

Rule 8

Raping women is not permitted

Rule 9

Bestiality is not permitted

Rule 10

Hurting people is not permitted

Rule 11

Practicing Witchcraft is not permitted

Rule 12

Practicing Astrology is not permitted

Rule 13

Practicing Tarot is not permitted

Rule 14

Adultery is not permitted

Rule 15

Sexual relations with parents and siblings are not permitted

Rule 16

Speeding to fast in public in vehicles is not permitted

Rule 17

Blackmailing people is not permitted

Rule 18

Bribing people is not permitted

Rule 19

Honouring parents is encouraged

Rule 20

Lies are not permitted. White lies for a good purpose are permitted

Rule 21

Vandalism is not permitted

Rule 22

Bullying is not permitted

Rule 21

Deriding and slandering people is not permitted

Rule 22

Charity is required in the form of paying tax to a government with welfare, or personal giving to poorer people in your own society or nation

Rule 23

Violence is never permitted

Rule 24

Sexual harassment is never permitted

Rule 25

Torture is never permitted

Rule 26

Coveting your neighbours belongings is not acceptable

Rule 27

Harming animals is not permitted. They may be slaughtered humanely for food.

Rule 28

You must take care of the environment

Rule 29

You must show proper respect for God

Rule 30

You must abide by the rules of your nations when they are Torah faithful and not corrupt. This does not include any 'Positives' within the Torah, but only a refrainment of negatives, if that is what your nation has judged

Holy Scripture

I

Creation

In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. But the earth was empty and unoccupied, and darknesses were over the face of the abyss; and so the Spirit of God was brought over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light.” And light became. And God saw the light, that it was good; and so he divided the light from the darknesses. And he called the light, ‘Day,’ and the darknesses, ‘Night.’ And it became evening and morning, one day.

God also said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide waters from waters.” And God made a firmament, and he divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament. And so it became. And God called the firmament ‘Heaven.’ And it became evening and morning, the second day.

Truly God said: “Let the waters that are under heaven be gathered together into one place; and let the dry land appear.” And so it became. And God called the dry land, ‘Earth,’ and he called the gathering of the waters, ‘Seas.’ And God saw that it was good. And he said, “Let the land spring forth green plants, both those producing seed, and fruit-bearing trees, producing fruit according to their kind, whose seed is within itself, over all the earth.” And so it became. And the land brought forth green plants, both those producing seed, according to their kind, and trees producing fruit, with each having its own way of sowing, according to its species. And God saw that it was good. And it became evening and the morning, the third day.

Then God said: “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven. And let them divide day from night, and let them become signs, both of the seasons, and of the days and years. Let them shine in the firmament of heaven and illuminate the earth.” And so it became. And God made two great lights: a greater light, to rule over the day, and a lesser light, to rule over the night, along with the stars. And he set them in the firmament of heaven, to give light over all the earth, and to rule over the day as well as the night, and to divide light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And it became evening and morning, the fourth day.

And then God said, “Let the waters produce animals with a living soul, and flying creatures above the earth, under the firmament of heaven.” And God created the great sea creatures, and everything with a living soul and the ability to move that the waters produced, according to their species, and all the flying creatures, according to their kind. And God saw that it was good. And he blessed them, saying: “Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea. And let the birds be multiplied above the land.” And it became evening and morning, the fifth day.

God also said, “Let the land produce living souls in their kind: cattle, and animals, and wild beasts of the earth, according to their species.” And so it became. And God made the wild beasts of the earth according to their species, and the cattle, and every animal on the land, according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And he said: “Let us make Man to our image and likeness. And let him rule over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and the wild beasts, and the entire earth, and every animal that moves on the earth.” And God created man to his own image; to the image of God he created him; male and female, he created them. And God blessed them, and he said, “Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” And God said: “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant upon the earth, and all the trees that have in themselves the ability to sow their own kind, to be food for you, and for all the animals of the land, and for all the flying things of the air, and for everything that moves upon the earth and in which there is a living soul, so that they may have these on which to feed.” And so it became. And God saw everything that he had made. And they were very good. And it became evening and morning, the sixth day.

And so the heavens and the earth were completed, with all their adornment. And on the seventh day, God fulfilled his work, which he had made. And on the seventh day he rested from all his work, which he had accomplished. And he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. For in it, he had ceased from all his work: the work whereby God created whatever he should make.

II

Adam and Eve

These are the generations of heaven and earth, when they were created, in the day when the Lord God made heaven and earth, and every sapling of the field, before it would rise up in the land, and every wild plant, before it would germinate. For the Lord God had not brought rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the land. But a fountain ascended from the earth, irrigating the entire surface of the land.

And then the Lord God formed man from the clay of the earth, and he breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Now the Lord God had planted a Paradise of enjoyment from the beginning. In it, he placed the man whom he had formed. And from the soil the Lord God produced every tree that was beautiful to behold and pleasant to eat. And even the tree of life was in the midst of Paradise, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And a river went forth from the place of enjoyment so as to irrigate Paradise, which is divided from there into four heads. The name of one is the Phison; it is that which runs through all the land of Hevilath, where gold is born; and the gold of that land is the finest. In that place is found bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is the Gehon; it is that which runs through all the land of Kush. Truly, the name of the third river is the Tigris; it advances opposite the Assyrians. But the fourth river, it is the Euphrates.

Thus, the Lord God brought the man, and put him into the Paradise of enjoyment, so that it would be attended and preserved by him. And he instructed him, saying: “From every tree of Paradise, you shall eat. But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat. For in whatever day you will eat from it, you will die a death.” The Lord God also said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. Let us make a helper for him similar to himself.” Therefore, the Lord God, having formed from the soil all the animals of the earth and all the flying creatures of the air, brought them to Adam, in order to see what he would call them. For whatever Adam would call any living creature, that would be its name. And Adam called each of the living things by their names: all the flying creatures of the air, and all the wild beasts of the land. Yet truly, for Adam, there was not found a helper similar to himself. And so the Lord God sent a deep sleep upon Adam. And when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and he completed it with flesh for it. And the Lord God built up the rib, which he took from Adam, into a woman. And he led her to Adam. And Adam said: “Now this is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh. This one shall be called woman, because she was taken from man.” For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh. Now they were both naked: Adam, of course, and his wife. And they were not ashamed.

III

The Temptation

However, the serpent was more crafty than any of the creatures of the earth that the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Why has God instructed you, that you should not eat from every tree of Paradise?” The woman responded to him: “From the fruit of the trees which are in Paradise, we eat. Yet truly, from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of Paradise, God has instructed us that we should not eat, and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we may die.” Then the serpent said to the woman: “By no means will you die a death. For God knows that, on whatever day you will eat from it, your eyes will be opened; and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” And so the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and beautiful to the eyes, and delightful to consider. And she took from its fruit, and she ate. And she gave to her husband, who ate. And the eyes of them both were opened. And when they realized themselves to be naked, they joined together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves. And when they had heard the voice of the Lord God taking a walk in Paradise in the afternoon breeze, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God in the midst of the trees of Paradise. And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard your voice in Paradise, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and so I hid myself.” He said to him, “Then who told you that you were naked, if you have not eaten of the tree from which I instructed you that you should not eat?” And Adam said, “The woman, whom you gave to me as a companion, gave to me from the tree, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the woman, “Why have you done this?” And she responded, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed among all living things, even the wild beasts of the earth. Upon your breast shall you travel, and the ground shall you eat, all the days of your life. I will put enmities between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. She will crush your head, and you will lie in wait for her heel.” To the woman, he also said: “I will multiply your labors and your conceptions. In pain shall you give birth to sons, and you shall be under your husband’s power, and he shall have dominion over you.” Yet truly, to Adam, he said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, from which I instructed you that you should not eat, cursed is the land that you work. In hardship shall you eat from it, all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it produce for you, and you shall eat the plants of the earth. By the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, until you return to the earth from which you were taken. For dust you are, and unto dust you shall return.” And Adam called the name of his wife, ‘Eve,’ because she was the mother of all the living. The Lord God also made for Adam and his wife garments from skins, and he clothed them. And he said: “Behold, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Therefore, now perhaps he may put forth his hand and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and live in eternity.” And so the Lord God sent him away from the Paradise of enjoyment, in order to work the earth from which he was taken. And he cast out Adam. And in front of the Paradise of enjoyment, he placed the Cherubim with a flaming sword, turning together, to guard the way to the tree of life.

IV

Cain and Abel

Truly, Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, “I have obtained a man through God.” And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. But Abel was a pastor of sheep, and Cain was a farmer.

Then it happened, after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord, from the fruits of the earth. Abel likewise offered from the firstborn of his flock, and from their fat. And the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his gifts. Yet in truth, he did not look with favor on Cain and his gifts. And Cain was vehemently angry, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said to him: “Why are you angry? And why is your face fallen? If you behave well, will you not receive? But if you behave badly, will not sin at once be present at the door? And so its desire will be within you, and you will be dominated by it.” And Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go outside.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and he put him to death. And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he responded: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And he said to him: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the land. Now, therefore, you will be cursed upon the land, which opened its mouth and received the blood of your brother at your hand. When you work it, it will not give you its fruit; a vagrant and a fugitive shall you be upon the land.” And Cain said to the Lord: “My iniquity is too great to deserve kindness. Behold, you have cast me out this day before the face of the earth, and from your face I will be hidden; and I will be a vagrant and a fugitive on the earth. Therefore, anyone who finds me will kill me.” And the Lord said to him: “By no means will it be so; rather, whoever would kill Cain, will be punished sevenfold.” And the Lord placed a seal upon Cain, so that anyone who found him would not put him to death.

And so Cain, departing from the face of the Lord, lived as a fugitive on the earth, toward the eastern region of Eden. Then Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he built a city, and he called its name by the name of his son, Enoch.

Thereafter, Enoch conceived Irad, and Irad conceived Mahujael, and Mahujael conceived Mathusael, and Mathusael conceived Lamech. Lamech took two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. And Adah conceived Jabel, who was the father of those who live in tents and are shepherds. And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of those who sing to the harp and the organ. Zillah also conceived Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artisan in every work of brass and iron. In fact, the sister of Tubalcain was Noema. And Lamech said to his wives Adah and Zillah: “Listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, pay attention to my speech. For I have killed a man to my own harm, and an adolescent to my own bruising. Sevenfold vengeance will be given for Cain, but for Lamech, seventy-seven times.” Adam also knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Seth, saying, “God has given me another offspring, in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos. This one began to invoke the name of the Lord.

V

The Genealogy

This is the book of the lineage of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him to the likeness of God. He created them, male and female; and he blessed them. And he called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. Then Adam lived for one hundred and thirty years. And then he conceived a son in his own image and likeness, and he called his name Seth. And after he conceived Seth, the days of Adam that passed were eight hundred years. And he conceived sons and daughters. And all the time that passed while Adam lived was nine hundred and thirty years, and then he died. Seth likewise lived for one hundred and five years, and then he conceived Enos. And after he conceived Enos, Seth lived for eight hundred and seven years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Seth that passed were nine hundred and twelve years, and then he died. In truth, Enos lived ninety years, and then he conceived Cainan. After his birth, he lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Enos that passed were nine hundred and five years, and then he died. Likewise, Cainan lived seventy years, and then he conceived Mahalalel. And after he conceived Mahalalel, Cainan lived for eight hundred and forty years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Cainan that passed were nine hundred and ten years, and then he died. And Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and then he conceived Jared. And after he conceived Jared, Mahalalel lived for eight hundred and thirty years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Mahalalel that passed were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and then he died. And Jared lived for one hundred and sixty-two years, and then he conceived Enoch. And after he conceived Enoch, Jared lived for eight hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Jared that passed were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and then he died. Now Enoch lived for sixty-five years, and then he conceived Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God. And after he conceived Methuselah, he lived for three hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch that passed were three hundred and sixty-five years. And he walked with God, and then he was seen no more, because God took him. Likewise, Methuselah lived for one hundred and eighty-seven years, and then he conceived Lamech. And after he conceived Lamech, Methuselah lived for seven hundred and eighty-two years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah that passed were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and then he died. Then Lamech lived for one hundred and eighty-two years, and he conceived a son. And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will console us from the works and hardships of our hands, in the land that the Lord has cursed.” And after he conceived Noah, Lamech lived for five hundred and ninety-five years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Lamech that passed were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and then he died. In truth, when Noah was five hundred years old, he conceived Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The End of Holy Scripture

Psalms of Haven Adamide Fellowship

A Psalm of Daniel

Psalm One

Yahweh, the Lord, is the Centre of all that is.

He is the Supreme Power, the Omnipotent One,

Full of Glory and Majesty, Eternal in Sovereignty.

Yahweh is gracious to us mere mortals,

Granting us blessings and peace,

Giving prosperity to the works of our hands.

Yahweh watches over those who call on his name.

He watches and blesses those who repent of sin,

And Grants his grace to the humble of heart.

Yahweh is a trustworthy foundation.

Yes, in God himself I place my trust,

Forsaking the strength of my own hands,

Forsaking the strength of men, whose fidelity is fleeting.

A Psalm of Daniel

Psalm Two

How the heart of man can choose a crooked path.

How the heart of man can choose a crooked way.

Oh, heavenly father, that your grace would be upon us all,

Leading us in the right way, leading us against our own evil inclinations.

Yahweh, enthroned in heaven, looks down upon the children of men.

He knows their heart, from their youth he has known them,

Caught up in their evil ways, caught up in their malicious intent.

Oh Yahweh, how great your grace is. Oh Yahweh, how superlative your mercy.

Majestic Lord of Glory, redeem me I pray.

Hear my prayer and rescue me from the darkness of my own heart.

For only in thy goodness can the gift of eternal life be realized.

Only in thy goodness can the gift of forever have hope.

A Psalm of Daniel

Psalm Three

God

Can we not be so hypocritical, unfair and double-minded

Can we not be so duplicitous, fork-tongued and unfaithful

Can we not pretend to be paragons of virtue yet find shame in our hearts

Shame at betraying ones we claim to love

Lord

Let not my boasts be great, of words I can not live up to

Let me not say of my virtues qualities which I later betray as lacking

Let me be truthful in how much I can truly commit to and foreswear vain oaths

Guide me to be faithful

Father

Show me the way of holiness which will not be questioned as shallow

Help me to grow up maturely, yet not reach for heights I later tumble from

Give me grace and mercy and remind others I am only human, not God himself

Forgive me for my shortcomings

Yahweh

I am only human. I can not be more than what I am. And I am so complex

That I don’t even understand myself half of the time.

But you, Oh Lord, know all the ways of humans and the choices of the heart.

Please, if you will in your mercy answer my prayer, give me the gift of wisdom

To love others in a manner which will last eternally and not be a vain oath of

Allegiance soon forgotten.

Alleluia

A Psalm of Daniel

Psalm Four

Let my soul rest in the calmness of nature,

the calmness of God’s creation.

Let my soul slumber and be at peace with the

simplicity of the song of the songbird

and the chirping of the sparrow.

Let the buzzing of the bees bring joy to me,

even to the days of my age and let

the sound of the sheep at pasture and the joy of the

newborn babe be always pleasant in my heart.

Let the sight of a spider’s web fill me with mystery,

and let the early morning mist always fill me with

happiness and aliven me to the new day.

Let the rushing geyser be a source of fascination,

and let me fear in the presence of the tornado and

be awestruck by the power of the lightning.

Let the gentle flow of the stream soothe my soul,

and let the thunderous waves entertain my thirst

for adventure.

Lord God Almighty, I thank you for the wonders

of creation, which give joy and happiness to my

life each and every day. This world is a wonderful

and marvellous world, and all the children of Adam

thank you for your great kindness in creating it

For us.

We are your people, Almighty God, and the servants

of your covenant. And let the sign of the Covenant,

the ‘Rainbow’, one of the greatest signs of nature,

always remind us of the beauty and wonder that comes

forth from the heart of the Almighty.

Alleluia

A Psalm of Daniel

Psalm Five

Lord God - You are the solace of my heart’s anxiety.

You are the peace in the storms of life which remains

Faithful and ever unchanging. You are the strength

In my weaknesses and the power of my right hand

In all that I say and do. Lord, you are God, and even

In my wrongdoing my heart still remembers the graces

And love you have shown me.

Lord God – From generation to generation mankind

Searches out the way of truth. For so many finding

God is not easy, but you have always been there, waiting

To be found. You love us, children of Adam and Eve,

Children of Enoch, children of Noah. You love us and

Teach us the right way through the teachings of our

Fathers. Lord, I pray, remain faithful to the heart which

Wants truth above all else, and remember the struggle

We have all gone through in finding our salvation.

Lord God – Remember our fathers who have gone before

Us, and our mothers who bore and fed us. Remember forever

Those who have struggled to build our wonderful world, and

The many sacrifices they have made. I pray and ask of you,

Eternal God, prepare a home of eternal joy and life as reward

For their struggle, and share with them the fruits of their

Labours and the joy and consolation their hearts truly desire.

Forget not the children of Adam who, even those who have

Not known you or understood your ways, still tried in their hearts

To live good and decent lives. Forget them not in your mercy

I do pray Lord God Almighty, and prepare a home of eternal

Blessing for each and every one of them.

Lord God – The children of Adam praise your name. We lift

Up the name of Yahweh and declare that he is God and that

There is no other. Heavenly Father, we will serve you for

All eternity, building a Haven of Salvation in your name, a

Haven of love, peace and prosperity, in true service to your

Eternal Glory. We will feed the hungry, nurse the sick and

Wounded, give homes to the homeless, and give peace and

Love to the broken of heart. We will care for all as you have

Cared for us, and we pray watch over us eternally for we are

The sheep of your eternal pasture, the children of mankind,

And we need you in all our weaknesses and all our struggles.

Alleluia

Maxims of Haven Adamide Fellowship

Daniel’s Maxims

Know what you believe and why you believe it

The truth will defend you against all enemies

Evil will not prosper

Life simply is

To succeed – persevere

God is truth

Knowledge of truth helps you to make the best decisions

Finding something useful to do in life gives it meaning

Study knowledge of truth

Be honest with people

Love people

Practice Kindness

Show people grace

Stay true to your commitments

Pray for people

Be Patient

Turn away from evil

Teach people the right way

Walk with God

Keep on learning

Study the Bible

Help people

Watch your words

Respect your parents

Do the right thing

Obey the law

Seek God’s will

Help the poor

Be factual

Be consistent

Be tolerant

Be peaceful

Study Wisdom

Work on your spirituality

Increase your knowledge

Be faithful to your occupation

Show yourself friendly

Eat good foods

Watch your health

Exercise

Be careful

Avoid danger

Do not hurt people

Keep the faith

Be in the hearts of Men

The Tree of Life

By

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

The angel Daniel, firstborn of the angels of the Holy World of Love, looked up at the ‘Tree of Life’. The Tree of life was vast – it overlooked half of the world of love, towering 20 miles into the sky, its branches spread out another 20 miles over half of the world. It truly was the ‘Tree of Life’.

Ever since he had been a young angel, the Tree of Life had been there. Watching over the world – watching over everyone. It had been young, then – only a few hundred yards high, and they had used ladders to climb up to reach the fruit. These days an extensive ladder system ran all the way up the tree, over the branches, to reach the delicious fruits of all sorts which the tree provided for everyone to eat. Oh, of course there were other fruits, basic fruits which the world offered, but the tree of life was special – you lived forever, then, when you ate it – and it tasted wonderful.

Of course, there could be no tree of life without the tree of death, and holy angel Saruviel guarded the tree of death with his life. It was a tiny tree, a few yards high, and Saruviel’s fortress surrounded the tree. If you needed to die, you would eat that tree’s fruit, but nobody wanted to die – not yet anyway, and Saruviel said he was unlikely to permit death anyway.

Daniel sat down, on the grass, and his lover, angel Estellabel, came over to him. She undressed, and they made love quickly and passionately, and as she lay next to him, they stared up at the tree.

‘There are new fruits, up near the top, they say,’ said Estellabel.’

‘I know,’ said Daniel. ‘I haven’t tried any yet, and the gardeners are waiting for them to ripen properly. But it will be marvellous to enjoy new life.’

‘I look forward to it,’ said Estellabel, and kissed him again.

As they lay there, an angel flew down. It was Saruviel. He had a dark fruit – an unpleasant looking fruit.

‘This is the fruit of the tree of death,’ said Saruviel. And he ate it in front of them.

‘And I feel – amazing,’ said Saruviel. ‘It is a total rush – I feel like a million credits. I feel – high. Totally zonked out. It is incredible. Here, have some,’ he said, offering a piece of the dark fruit to Daniel.

Daniel looked at the fruit. It sat there, staring at him, seductively. It stared at him and said to his heart, go ahead. Who cares. Who really wants to live forever anyway.

But Daniel looked at Saruviel, shook his head, and said ‘You eat it. Obviously you are in love with death.’

And Saruviel nodded, ate the fruit, and buzzed away.

Saruviel died not long later, and they buried him under the tree of life. God’s theophany said Saruviel would be reborn soon enough, but was in the world of the dead, currently, learning his lesson. And death was a hard lesson to learn, according to God.

Later, Daniel sat there with Estellabel, staring up at the tree of life. ‘Poor, poor Saruviel,’ said Estellabel.

‘Yes, poor poor Saruviel,’ responded Daniel.

‘Anyway, let’s make love,’ said Estellabel. And as Daniel passionately thrust away he thought on Saruviel, and the gift of passion he was currently not enjoying. Poor poor Saruviel, he again thought to himself. Poor, poor, Saruviel.

The End

see http://noahidebooks12.angelfire.com for access to the 7 Divine Fellowships, which includes the Rainbow Bible of Haven Adamide Fellowship

Daniel Daly

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Jan 17, 2014, 9:00:30 PM1/17/14

Adamic Covenant

This information has been deemed pseudepigraphal and non-historical by many. For the Adamic Covenant community this is not an issue. Regardless of any historicity, it is a CORE text of our spirituality. Here it is:

The Latin text has been supplied by Mr. Wilfried Lechner-Schmidt. It basically follows the Group I text from which Meyer printed in his critical edition ["Vita Adae et Evae" Abhandlungen der koeniglichen Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philsoph.-philologische Klasse. Munich: 14.3: 185-250] It has been translated by B. Custis with the assistance of G. Anderson and R. Layton
THE LIFE OF ADAM AND EVE

Expulsion - [go to original Latin]

1.1 When Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise they made for themselves a tent and spent seven days mourning and lamenting in great sadness.
2.1 But after seven days they began to be hungry and sought food to eat and did not find any.
2.2 Eve told Adam: "Adam, my lord, Then Eve said to Adam: "My lord, I am hungry. Go, seek for us something to eat. Perhaps the Lord God will look upon us and have mercy on us and will call us back to the place where we were previously."
3.1 And Adam arose after seven days and And Adam arose and walked for seven days over all that land but did not find food such as they had in paradise.
3.2 Eve said to Adam: "My lord, would that I might die. Perhaps then the Lord God would bring you back into paradise, for it was because of me that the Lord God grew angry with you. Do you wish to kill me, that I might die? Perhaps the Lord God will bring you back into paradise, since on account of my action you were expelled from there."
3.3 Adam responded: "Don't say such things Eve lest the Lord God bring upon us some other curse. How could it be that I should raise my hand against my own flesh? Let us arise and seek for ourselves something by which we might live so that we might not perish."
4.1 Walking about, they searched for many days but did not find anything like they had in paradise. They only found what animals eat.
4.2 Adam said to Eve: "The Lord gave these things to animals and beasts to eat. Ours, however was the angelic food.
4.3 But justly and worthily do we lament before the face of God who made us. Let us perform a great penitence. Perhaps the Lord God will yield and have mercy on us and give us something by which we might live."
Penitence and Second Temptation - [go to original Latin]

5.1 Eve said to Adam: "My lord, tell me what is penitence and how long should I perform it, lest perhaps we place on ourselves a labor which we cannot endure, and he not hear our prayers,
5.2 And the Lord turned his face from us because we did not fulfill what we promise.
5.3 My lord, how much penitence are you thinking of doing since I brought labor and tribulation upon you."
6.1 Adam said to Eve: "You cannot do as much as I, but do as much so that you might be saved. For I will do forty days of fasting. You, however, arise and go to the Tigris River and take a stone and stand upon it in the water up to your neck in the depth of the river. Let not a word go forth from your mouth since we are unworthy to ask of the Lord for our lips are unclean from the illicit and forbidden tree.
6.2 Stand in the water of the river for thirtyseven days. I however, will do forty days in the water of the Jordan. Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on us."
7.1 Eve walked to the Tigris River and did just as Adam told her.Ê
7.2 Likewise, Adam walked to the Jordan River and stood upon a rock up to his neck in the water.
8.1 Adam said: "I say to you, water of the Jordan, mourn with me and separate from me all swimming creatures which are in you. Let them surround me and mourn with me.
8.2 Let them not lament for themselves, but for me, for they have not sinned, but I."
8.3 Immediately, all living things came and surrounded him and the water of the Jordan stood from that hour not flowing in its course.
9.1 Eighteen days passed. Then Satan grew angry and transfigured himself into the brilliance of an angel and went off to the Tigris River to Eve.
9.2 He found her weeping, and then, the Devil himself, as if mourning with her began to weep and said to her: "Come out of the water and rest and weep no longer. Cease now from your sadness and lamenting. Why are you uneasy, you and your husband Adam?
9.3 The Lord God has heard your lamenting and accepted your penitence. All of us angels have pleaded for you, praying to the Lord,
9.4 and he sent me to lead you forth from the water and to give you the nourishment which you had in paradise and for which you have grieved.
9.5 Now, therefore, come out of the water and I will lead you to the place where your food is prepared."
10.1 Hearing this, Eve believed him and went out of the water of the river. Her flesh was like grass from the waters coldness.
10.2 When she had come out, she fell to the ground, but the Devil stood her up and led her to Adam.
10.3 When Adam saw her and the Devil with her, he cried out with tears, saying: "O Eve, O Eve, where is the work of your penitence? How have you again been seduced by our adversary, through whom we were alienated from the dwelling of paradise and spiritual happiness?
11.1 When Eve heard this, she knew that it was the Devil who had persuaded her to go out from the river and she fell on her face on the ground and her grief was double, as was her wailing and lamentation.
11.2 She cried out, saying: "Woe to you, Devil. For what reason do you fight against us? What concern do you have with us? What have we done to you that you should persecute us so grievously? Why does your malice extend to us?
11.3 Did we ever take your glory from you or cause you to be without honor? Why do you persecute us, O enemy, impiously and jealously unto death?"
Fall of Satan - [go to original Latin]

12.1 Groaning, the Devil said: "O Adam, all my enmity, jealousy, and resentment is towards you, since on account of you I was expelled and alienated from my glory, which I had in heaven in the midst of the angels. On account of you I was cast out upon the earth."
12.2 Adam answered: "What have I done to you?
12.3 What fault do I have against you? Since you have not been harmed nor injured by us, why do you persecute us?"
13.1 The Devil answered: "Adam what are you saying to me? On account of you I was cast out from heaven.
13.2 When you were formed, I was cast out from the face of God and was sent forth from the company of the angels. When God blew into you the breath of life and your countenance and likeness were made in the image of God, Michael led you and made you worship in the sight of God. The Lord God then said: 'Behold, Adam, I have made you in our image and likeness.'
14.1 Having gone forth Michael called all the angels saying: 'Worship the image of the Lord God, just as the Lord God has commanded.'
14.2 Michael himself worshipped first then he called me and said: 'Worship the image of God Jehovah.'
14.3 I answered: 'I do not have it within me to worship Adam.' When Michael compelled me to worship, I said to him: 'Why do you compel me? I will not worship him who is lower and posterior to me. I am prior to that creature. Before he was made, I had already been made. He ought to worship me.'
15.1 Hearing this, other angels who were under me were unwilling to worship him.
15.2 Michael said: 'Worship the image of God. If you do not worship, the Lord God will grow angry with you.'
15.3 said: 'If he grows angry with me, I will place my seat above the stars of heaven and I will be like the Most High.'
16.1 Then the Lord God grew angry with me and sent me forth with my angels from our glory. On account of you we were expelled from our dwelling into this world and cast out upon the earth.
16.2 Immediately we were in grief, since we had been despoiled of so much glory,
16.3 and we grieved to see you in such a great happiness of delights. 16:4 By a trick I cheated your wife and caused you to be expelled through her from the delights of your happiness, just as I had been expelled from my glory."
17.1 Hearing this, Adam cried out with a great shout because of the Devil, and said: "O Lord my God, in your hands is my life. Make this adversary of mine be far from me, who seeks to ruin my soul. Give me his glory which he himself lost."
17.2 Immediately the Devil no longer appeared to him.
17.3 Adam truly persevered for forty days standing in penitence in the waters of the Jordan.
Separation of Adam and Eve - [go to original Latin]

18.1 Eve said to Adam: "Long may you live, my lord to you is my life submitted, since you did not take part in either the first or second collusion. But I conspired and was seduced, because I did not keep the commandment of God. Now separate me from the light of this life. I will go to the west and I will be there until I die.
18.2 She then began to walk toward the western regions and began to wail and weep bitterly with great moaning.
18.3 She made there a dwelling, being three months pregnant.
19.1 When the time of her delivery approached, she began to be distressed with pains, and she cried out to the Lord, saying:
19.2 "Have mercy on me, O Lord, help me." She was not heard, nor was the mercy of God toward her. She said to herself: "Who will tell my lord Adam? I beseech you, lights of the heavens, when you turn again to the east, tell my lord Adam.
20.1a In that very hour Adam said: "The lament of Eve has come to me. Perhaps the serpent has fought with her again."
20.2 Walking, he found her in great distress. Eve said: "How is it that I see you, my Lord. My soul has grown cold being in such pains. Now pray to the Lord God on my behalf that he might hear you and look down upon me and free me from my very bad pains."
20.3 Adam then prayed to the Lord for Eve.
21.1 And behold, twelve angels came and two Virtues, standing to the right and to the left of Eve.
21.2 Michael was standing to her right and touched his face to her chest and said to Eve: "Blessed are you, Eve, on account of Adam, for his prayers and supplications are great. I was sent to you that you might receive our help. Arise now and prepare yourself for birth."
21.3a She brought forth a son who shone brilliantly. At once the infant stood up and ran out and brought some grass with his own hands and gave it to his mother. His name was called Cain.
Death of Abel - [go to original Latin]

22.1 Adam took Eve and the boy and led them to the east.
22.2 The Lord God sent various seeds by Michael the angel, who gave them to Adam and showed them how to work and tend the ground, in order to have fruit, from which they and all their generations might live.
22.3 Afterwards, Eve conceived and bore a son, whose name was Abel, and Cain and Abel remained together as one.
22.4a Eve said to Adam:
22.4b "My lord, while asleep I saw a vision like the blood of our son Abel on the hand of Cain who tasted it with his mouth. On account of this I am pained."
22.5 Adam said: "Woe, let not Cain kill Abel, but let us separate them from each other and make separate houses for them."
23.1 They made Cain to be a farmer, and Abel to be a shepherd that they might thus be separated from each other.
23.2 But even after this, Cain killed Abel. Adam was then 130 years old. Abel was killed when he was 122 years old.
23.3 After this Adam knew his wife and begot a son and called his name Seth.
24.1 Adam said to Eve: "Behold, I have begotten a son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed."
24.2 After Adam begot Seth, he lived for 800 years and begot 30 sons and 30 daughters 63 altogether and they were multiplied over the earth in its nations.
Adam's Vision - [go to original Latin]

25.1 Adam said to Seth: "Let me recount for you what I have heard and seen. After I and your mother were cast out of paradise,
25.2 when we were at prayer, the archangel Michael, the messenger of God, came to me.
25.3 I saw a chariot like the wind, and its wheels were afire, and I was caught up into the paradise of the just. I saw the Lord seated, his face like fire burning intolerably. Many thousands of angels were at the right and the left of his chariot.
26.1 Seeing this, I was disturbed and fear seized me and I worshipped before God above the face of the earth.
26.2 Then God said to me: 'Behold, you shall die because you transgressed the commandment of God, because you harkened more to the voice of your wife whom I gave over to your control that you might have her in your will. You listen to your her and transgressed my words.'
27.1 When I heard these words of God, falling down on the ground I worshipped the Lord and said: 'My Lord, Almighty and merciful God, holy and faithful, do not let the name of the memory of your majesty be destroyed, but turn my soul around, for I will die and my spirit will go forth from my mouth.
27.2 Do not cast me out from your sight, whom you formed from the dust of the earth, nor put me out from your grace whom you nourished.
27.3 Behold, your word has come over me.' Then the Lord God said to me: 'Since your days are numbered, you have become attentive to knowledge. my very bad pains." On account of this no one shall ever be taken from your offspring to minister unto me.'
28.1 When I heard these words, I prostrated myself on the ground and worshipped the Lord God saying: 'You are the eternal and most high God. All creatures give you honor and praise.
28.2 You are above all, the shining light, the true light, the living life, the Virtue of incomprehensible greatness. To you the spiritual virtues give honor and praise. With the human race you show the great deeds of your mercy.'
28.3 After I worshipped the Lord God, straightway Michael, the archangel of God, took my hand and threw me out of the paradise of God's visitation and commanding.
28.4 Michael, holding in his hand a rod, touched the waters which surrounded paradise and they froze.
29.1 Then I crossed over, and Michael crossed over with me and brought me again to the place from which he had taken me.
29.2 Hear also, my son Seth, the other mysteries and promised things to come which have been revealed to me. By eating of the tree of knowledge I have known and understood the things which are in this age,
29.3 which God will do to his creature, the human race.
29.4 The Lord will appear in a flame of fire. From the mouth of his majesty he will give commandment and precepts to all (from his mouth will go forth a sword, sharp on both edges) and they will sanctify him in the house of the dwelling of his majesty. He will show to them the marvelous place of his majesty.
29.5 Then they will build a house for the Lord God on my behalf that he might hear you and look down upon me and free me from Lord their God in the land which he will prepare for them, and there they will transgress his precepts. Their sanctuary will be set afire, and their land shall be desolate, and they themselves will be dispersed because they provoked God.
29.6 But again, (on the third / seventh day ?) he will save them from their dispersion and they will build once more the house of God, and it will then be higher than it was before.
29.7 But once again, iniquity will conquer justice. After this, God will dwell, living with men on the earth. Then justice will begin to shine, and the house of the Lord will be honored forever. The opponents will no more be able to kill men who believe in God. God will then receive unto himself a faithful people, who will be saved forever and ever. But the impious who did not wish to love his law will be punished by God their King.
29.8 Heaven and earth, night and day, and all creatures will obey him and will not transgress his commandment, nor will they alter his works. Men who forsake the law of the Lord, however, will be changed.
29.9 On account of this, the Lord will cast away from himself the impious, but the just will shine like the sun in the sight of God. At that time, men will be purified by water of their sins.
29.10 Those unwilling to be purified by water will be condemned. Blessed will be the man who shall amend his soul when the judgments and great deeds of God will be among men. Their deeds will be investigated by God, the just judge."]II,III,IV
Illness of Adam - [go to original Latin]

30.1b After Adam reached the age of 930 years, knowing that his days were ended, he said [to Eve]: "Gather about me all my children that I might bless them before I die, and that I might speak with them."
30.2 They were gathered before his sight, in front of the oratory where he worshipped the Lord God. [They numbered 15,000 men, not counting women and children.]
30.3 They asked him [and when they all had been gathered, they said with one voice]: "What is wrong with you, father, that you have gathered us together? Why are you lying on your bed?"
30.4 Answering, Adam said: "My children, I am in great pain." All his children said to him: "What does mean, father, to have great pain?"
31.1 Then his son, Seth, said: "Lord, do you perhaps long for some of the fruit of paradise, which you used to eat, and therefore you lie there saddened? Tell me and I will go up to the gates of paradise and cast dust on my head and throw myself on the ground before the gates of paradise, mourning in great lamentation, beseeching the Lord. Perhaps he will hear me and send his angel to bring me some of the fruit you desire."
31.2 Adam answered and said: "No, my son, I do not desire it, even though I am suffering infirmity and great pain in my body."
31.3 Seth answered: "What is pain, my lord, father, for I do not know. Do not send us away, but tell us [for inwardly we do not know.]"
Adam's Story of the Fall - [go to original Latin]

32.1 Adam answered and said: "Hear me, my children. When God made us, me and your mother, and placed us in paradise and gave us all fruitbearing trees for food, he forbade us, saying: 'Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is in the midst of paradise, you may not eat.'
32.2 God, however, gave part of paradise to me, and part to your mother: to me he gave the tree of the eastern and northern part (which is against the north ?), and to your mother he gave the southern and western part.
33.1 The Lord God gave us two angels to watch over us.
33.2 The hour came for the angels to ascend to the sight of God for worship. At once, the Devil, our adversary, found the place.
33.3 Then she ate and gave to me to eat.
34.1 Immediately, the Lord God grew angry with us and said to me: 'Because you have forsaken my mandate and have not kept my word which I entrusted to you, I will bring upon your body seventy afflictions. You will be racked with pains from the top of your head, eyes, and ears, to the bottom of your feet, and in every single member.' This he counted as punishment fitting in suffering [to the seriousness of our transgression] concerning the trees (of suffering for the transgression of the fruit of the tree?)
34.2 The Lord sent all these ills upon me and all our generations."
Comand to Retrieve the Oil - [go to original Latin]

35.1 Saying this to all his children, Adam was seized with great pains, and crying out with a great voice, he said: "What shall I do, I who am unfortunate, being in so much pain?"
35.2 When Eve saw him, she began to cry and said: "My Lord God, transfer his pain over to me, since it was I who sinned." Eve then said to Adam: "My lord, give me part of your pain, since by me this blame came upon you."
36.1 Adam then said to Eve: "Rise, go with my son, Seth, near to the gates of paradise and cast dust on your heads, and prostrate yourself on the ground, lamenting in the sight of God.
36.2 Perhaps he will take pity and send his angel over to the tree of his mercy from which flows the oil of life, and will give you a little of it with which to anoint me so that I may have rest from these pains with which I am consumed."
Encounter with the Beast - [go to original Latin]

37.1 Seth and his mother went away to the gates of paradise. As they were walking, there suddenly appeared the serpent, the beast, who attacked and bit Seth.
37.2 When Eve saw this, she said: "Alas, woe is me, for I am cursed because I did not keep the precepts of the Lord."
37.3 Eve said to the serpent in a great voice: "O cursed beast, why are you not afraid to cast yourself at the image of God, but dare to fight against it? Why have your teeth prevailed?"
38.1 The beast answered in a human voice: "O Eve, was our malice ever not against you? Isn't our anger against you?
38.2 Tell me, Eve. How could you open your mouth to eat the fruit which the Lord God commanded you not to eat. Now, however, you are not able to bear it, if I should begin to reproach you?"
39.1 Then Seth said to the beast: "May the Lord God reproach you. Be mute, grow silent, close your mouth, cursed enemy of the truth, disorder of destruction. Fall back from the image of God until the day when the Lord God shall order you to be brought in for trial."
39.2 The beast said to Seth: "Behold, I am going away, just as you have said, from the face of the image of God." At once the wound from its teeth disappeared from Seth.
Arrival at Paradise - [go to original Latin]

40.1 Seth and his mother then walked to the region of paradise for the oil of mercy to anoint the sick Adam. Arriving at the gate of paradise, they picked up dust from the ground and cast it on their heads, and prostrated themselves on the ground and began to lament with a great moan, beseeching the Lord God that He might have mercy on Adam in his pains, and send his angel to give them some oil from the tree of his mercy.
41.1 41:1 [FROM THE GOS. OF NICO. 41:1 [After they had prayed and pleaded for many hours, behold, the angel Michael appeared to them and said: "I was sent to you by the Lord. I was given power over the human body.
41.2 I tell you, Seth, man of God, do not weep, praying and pleading for the oil of the tree of mercy to anoint your father Adam on account of the pains of his body.
Michael's Reply - [go to original Latin]

42.1 For in no wise can you receive any until the last days, 42:2 after 550 years have passed.
42.2 Then the most loving king of God will come upon the earth to resurrect the body of Adam, and, with him, the bodies of all the dead. The very Son of God, when he comes, will be baptized in the river Jordan, and when he comes forth from the water of the Jordan, he will then anoint all who believe in him with the oil of his mercy.
42.3 42:4 This oil of mercy will be from generation to generation on those who are reborn of water and the Holy Spirit into eternal life. 42:5 Then, the most loving Son of God will descend into the earth and lead your father, Adam, back into paradise to the tree of mercy. END NIC]
Return to Adam - [go to original Latin]

43.1 But you, Seth. go to your father, Adam, for the time of his life is complete. Six days hence, his soul will go forth from his body, and, when it does, you will see great wonders in heaven and on earth, and in the lights of heaven."
43.2 Saying this, Michael at once withdrew from Seth. Seth and Eve went home, carrying with them [a small branch and] spices -- nard, crocus, calaminth, and cinnamon. [III "Legend of the Holy Rood"]
44.1 When Seth and his mother reached Adam, they said to him [III all that had been done on the way, and said] that the beast, the serpent, had bitten Seth.
Adam's Rebuke of Eve - [go to original Latin]

44.2 Adam said to Eve: "What have you done? You have brought on us a great affliction, fault and sin unto all our generations.
44.3 What you have done will be passed on to your children after my death, for those who arise from us will not have all they need from their labors, but will be lacking. They will curse us, saying:
44.4 "Our parents, who were from the beginning, brought all these evils on us.'" Hearing this, Eve began to weep and moan. [III "Legend of the wood of the Cross"]
Death of Adam - [go to original Latin]

45.1 Just as Michael had predicted, after six days the death of Adam came.
45.2 45:2 When Adam knew that the hour of his death had come, he said to all his children: Now I am 930 years old, and if I die, bury me beside the great garden of God near his dwelling."
45.3 And it happened that, when he had finished all his words, he gave up his spirit..
Angelic Liturgy - [go to original Latin]

46.1 The sun, moon and stars grew dark for seven days. Seth embraced the body of his father and mourned over it. Eve cast her eyes upon the ground with her hands clasped above her head and her head placed on her knees. All her children wept with very bitter tears.
46.2 46:2 Then Michael the angel appeared, standing at Adam's head, and said to Seth: "Arise from the body of your father, and come with me and see what the Lord God has arranged for him. He is his creature and he has taken pity on him.
Assumption of Adam to Paradise - [go to original Latin]

47.1 Then all the angels, playing trumpets, said: "Blessed are you, Lord, for you have taken pity on your creature."
47.3 Then Seth saw the hand of the Lord outstretched, holding Adam. He handed him over to Michael, saying:
47.5 "Let him be in your care until the day of retribution, in supplication until the last years when I shall change his mourning into joy. Then he will sit on the throne of him who beguiled him."
Adam and Abel's Funerary Rites - [go to original Latin]

48.1 Again the Lord said to the angels Michael and Uriel: "Bring me 3 linen shrouds and stretch them over Adam. Bring other shrouds and stretch them over Abel, his son. Then bury Adam and his son."
48.2 And all the virtues of the angels processed before Adam, and thus was the dormition of the dead sanctified.
48.3 The angels Michael and Uriel buried Adam and Abel in the regions of paradise which Seth and his mother saw, but no one else. Michael and Uriel: "Just as you see us doing, likewise bury your dead." [III+***Legend of the Wood of the Cross*** ]III
Two Stelae Legend - [go to original Latin]

49.1 Six days after Adam's death, Eve knew her own death [was near], so she gathered together all her sons and daughters, who were Seth along with his thirty brothers and thirty sisters. Eve said to them all:
49.2 '"Hear me, my children, that I might recount for you how I and your father transgressed the precept of God. Michael the archangel said to us:
49.3 'On account of your conspiracies, our Lord will bring upon your race the wrath of his judgment, first by water, and second by fire. By these two will the Lord judge all the human race.'
50.1 But hear me, my children! Make tablets of stone, and other tablets of earth, and write on them my whole life, and that of your father, which you have heard from us and seen.
50.2 If he judges our race by water, the tablets of earth will dissolve, but the tablets of stone will endure. If, however, he judges our race by fire, the tablets of stone will be destroyed, but the tablets of earth will be fired."
50.3 When she had said all these things to her children, she stretched out her hand toward heaven, knelt upon the earth, worshipped God, and giving thanks, gave up her spirit.
Eve's Funeral and Epilogue - [go to original Latin]

51.1 Afterwards, all her children buried her with great weeping. After they had mourned her for four days, Michael appeared to them and said to Seth:
51.3 "Man of God, mourn no longer than 6 days, for the 7th day is the sign of the resurrection, the repose of the coming age, and on the 7th day the Lord rested from all his works. [III+ from all his work. Indeed, the 8th day is [the sign] of the future and eternal blessedness, in which all the holy will reign throughout endless ages with the Creator and Savior himself, in both soul and body, never again to die. Amen. III]
51.3 Then Seth made tablets.
History of the Stelae - [go to original Latin]

52.1 52 Then Seth made 2 tablets of stone and two of earth, (and he devised the caps of letters?) and wrote on them the life of this father, Adam, and his mother, Eve, which he had heard from them and seen with his own eyes. He placed the tablets in the middle of his father's house in the oratory where he prayed to the Lord. After the flood, these written tablets were seen by many men (these written stones?) but were legible to no one. Solomon, however, being wise, saw the writing and prayed to the Lord. There appeared to him an angel of the Lord, saying: "I am he who held the hand of Seth, that he might write these stones with his finger (with an iron finger/ with an iron stylus?). You will be knowledgeable of these writings, so that you might know and understand (Whence they are ) what all these stone contain, and where the oratory was where Adam and Eve worshipped the Lord God. You must build there the temple of the Lord, which is the house of prayer. Then Solomon completed the temple of the Lord God, and called these letters 'achiliacae,' that is, written without the teaching of words' ('achiliacae' stones, which is in Latin, teaching written without lips' / achiliacae' which is in Latin, parchments 'written without the teaching of books' ?) by the finger of Seth, while the angel of the Lord held his hand.
53.1 On these stones was found what Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied before the flood about the coming of Christ: "Behold the Lord will come in his sanctuary (in his holy soldiers, in his soldiers, in his holy clouds ?) to render judgment on all and to accuse the impious of all their works by which they have spoken concerning him Ñ sinners, impious murmurers, and the irreligious who have lived according to their feelings of desire, and whose mouths have spoken pridefully.] [Those whose mouths have spoken pridefully will go to Hades, but the just will surely go rejoicing into the kingdom of heaven.
54.1 (Adam entered paradise after forty days, and Eve after eighty. Adam was in paradise for seven years and near to the day they moved each one of the beasts [?])IV.
Octapartite Adam - [go to original Latin]

55.1 It must be known that the body of Adam was formed of eight parts. The first part was of the dust of the earth, from which was made his flesh, and thereby he was sluggish. The next part was of the sea, from which was made his blood, and thereby he was aimless and fleeing. The third part was of the stones of the earth, from which his bones were made, and thereby he was hard and covetous. The fourth part was of the clouds, from which were made his thoughts, and thereby he was immoderate. The fifth part was of the wind, from which was made his breath, and thereby he was fickle. The sixth part was of the sun, from which were made his eyes, and thereby he was handsome and beautiful. The seventh part was of the light of the world, from which he was made pleasing, and thereby he had knowledge. The eight part was of the Holy Spirit, from which was made his soul, and thereby are the bishops, priests, and all the saints and elect of God.
Place of Adam's Creation - [go to original Latin]

56.1 It must also be known that God made and formed Adam in that place where Jesus was born, that is, in the city of Bethlehem, which is in the center of the earth. There Adam was made from the four corners of the earth, when angels brought some of the dust of the earth from its parts, viz. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. This earth was white and pure like the sun and it was gathered together from the four rivers, that is, the Geon, Phison, Tigris, and Euphrates. Man was made in the image of God, and he blew into his face the breath of life, which is the soul. For just as he was gathers from the four rivers, thus from the four winds he received his breath.
Adam's Name - [go to original Latin]

57.1 When Adam was made, and there was no name assigned to him yet, the Lord said to the four angels to seek a name for him. Michael went out to the east and saw the eastern star, named Ancolim, and took its first letter from it. Gabriel went out to the south, and saw the southern star, named Disis, and took its first letter from it. Raphael went out to the north, and saw the northern star, named Arthos, and took its first latter from it. Uriel went out to the west, and saw the western star, named Mencembrion, and took its first letter from it. When the letter were brought together, the Lord said to Uriel: "read these letters." He read them and said, "Adam." The Lord said: "Thus shall his name be called. "Here ends the life of our protoplast, Adam, and his wife, Eve.

Daniel Daly

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Jan 17, 2014, 9:23:16 PM1/17/14

Adamic Covenant

Fiction Literature Copyrighted 6178 SC to the Eternal Property of Adamic Covenant spiritual community. This foundation work may be used as the basis for Fanfiction by members of the Adamic Covenant community. This is a work of fanfiction itself and now that Mr Arnold Lobel has died, within 70 years from now his works become Public Domain, legtimizing the publication of fanfiction works legally in press format at that time. Till then such works remain classified as Fanfiction only.

Frog and Toad Climb Mt Everest

By
Danny

For
Mum

Copyright 6176 SC
Adamic Covenant Books

Chapter One

Frog was nervous. ‘Toad. Are you ok?’
‘I don’t really know what the problem is,’ said Toad, holding his belly. ‘But I feel sick.’
‘You ate too much porridge this morning. You must be sick.’
‘Ooooh. Mummies porridge,’ said Toad, drooling.
‘Yes. Mummies porridge. Now go to bed. And drink some water.’
‘I don’t want to,’ complained Toad.
‘You’ll have a bellyache all day and you will get sick otherwise,’ reprimanded Frog.
‘Ahhlllrigght,’ responded Toad reluctantly.

Later on, sitting up in bed, feeling a bit better, Toad was looking at a picture map of the places of the world. One of them had the Great Wall of China, which Toad could imagine walking over. Another had the pyramids. Toad thought of climbing to the top and yelling to the world ‘Toad has conquered the pyramids.’ But then he turned the page, and there it was – the biggest mountain of the universe – Mt Everest.’
‘Golly gosh,’ said Toad. ‘Imagine climbing that.’

That night Toad dreamed, and he was all alone on a mountain. It was cold and it was snowing. He looked down at his feet and they seemed even more green than usual. And his belly rumbled and he was hungry. ‘Oh, no,’ said Toad to himself. ‘I am going to starve to death on this mountain with nobody to help me. Oh, woe is me. Woe is me. What am I ever going to do?’
Toad wailed and wailed, and he cried until he could cry no longer. And then he sat there, staring at the snow, wishing he would be rescued, ready to give up. And then a large dog, a St Bernards rushed in, and Frog appeared, and Toad yelled, with the last of his hoarse voice, ‘Hooray. Frog has rescued me.’ And then the dream ended, and Toad dreamed no more that night.

In the morning, Frog was cooking bacon and eggs, and Toad was at the table reading the newspaper. He put the paper down, turned to Frog and said ‘I had a dream last night.’
Frog looked at him. ‘What was it about?’ he asked Toad.
‘I was on a mountain. I was cold and starving, ready to die, but you rescued me.’
‘That’s what friends are for,’ responded Frog. ‘And I will always be your best friend Toad.’

Toad nodded, and picked up the picture book. ‘Why don’t we do it, then?’
‘Do what?’ asked Frog curiously.
‘Climb a mountain.’
‘Oh. That could be dangerous,’ said Frog.
‘But we are brave.’
‘Yes,’ responded Frog. ‘Which Mountain?’
Toad opened up the book, and showed him the picture of Mt Everest.
‘The biggest mountain in the world!’ exclaimed Frog.
‘Yes,’ responded Toad confidently.
‘Golly gosh,’ said Frog, and said no more that day.

Chapter Two

Toad went to the shops the following morning.
He went up to the camping store and said to the man 'I want to climb Mt Everest.'
'Golly Gosh,' said the man. 'You will need a long, long rope. Hundreds of yards long.
And lots of hooks.'
'Then give me that,' said Toad.
So the man gave him those things.

'What if you get cold?' asked the man.
'What will I need?' asked Toad.
'Coats and a tent.'
Then give me that,' said Toad.
So the man gave him those things.

'What will you eat?' asked the man.
'What will I need?' asked Toad.
'Lots of bacon and eggs.'
'Then give me that,' said Toad.
So the man gave him those things.

'How will you get there?' asked the man.
'What will I need?' asked Toad.
'A Train ticket. Two, if you are taking someone.'
'Then give me that,' said Toad.
So the man gave him those things.

'Now how will you pay?' Asked the man.
'Golly gosh,' said Toad, looking in his empty pockets.
So the man took everything back. Poor Toad.

But Frog came in, handed over lots of money, and Toad celebrated.
'Yay. We are going to climb Mt Everest,' said Toad.
'And I'm broke,' said a glum Frog.

Chapter Three

So they travelled.
By Bus
And then by Train
And then by Boat
And then by Train - Again
And then by Bus - Again
And then

They were at Mt Everest!

'Golly gosh,' said Toad. 'It's enormous.'
'Let's get stuck in,' said Frog.

And so, they ate their food

And they made their camps

And they sang their songs

And they saw spectacular views

And they climbed. They climbed. And they climbed. And, eventually, when Toad was sure he couldn't climb any more, there they were - they had done it. They had climbed Mt Everest.

'Whoa!' said Toad. 'I can see forever. And that is our house. All the way over there.'
'I can see it too,' said Frog.
They stood there, conquerors of the world's greatest challenge, and Frog finally, and at last, turned to Toad. 'Well, now what?'
Toad looked at him. 'I .... Don't know. I guess we go home, now. I suppose.'
'Oh,' said Frog. 'Well I guess so.'

And so, they ate their food

And they made their camps

And they sang their songs

And they saw spectacular views

And they climbed down. They climbed down. And they climbed down. And, eventually, when Toad was sure he couldn't climb down any more, there they were - they had done it. They had climbed down Mt Everest.

'Now we go home,' said Frog.

So they travelled.
By Bus
And then by Train
And then by Boat
And then by Train - Again
And then by Bus - Again
And then

'They were home again.'

'Thank the Maker for that,' said Toad, and they snuggled in for a long, long good night's sleep.

Chapter Four

Toad sat back, with a lemonade, looking out at the setting sun.
'It's been a good year, Frog,' he said to Frog, who was lying on the hammock, still exhausted after their long journey home.
'Yes Toad.'
'And we have had a very good time, I must say. All things considered. With Mt Everest and all.'
'Yes Toad.'
'Yep,' said Toad, sipping on his lemonade. 'Of course, we are still young, and we have our whole lives yet to live, don't we frog?'
'Yes Toad.'
'So much more ahead of us. So many possibilities. So many exciting things to do. Don't we frog?'
Finally Frog stirred. 'You know, Toad. Of all my friends in the world, you are definitely the best. But sometimes, toad. Sometimes.......'
Toad looked at Frog, and sipped on his lemonade, and returned his gaze to the sun.'
'It's been a good year, Frog,' he said to Frog.
'Yes Toad,' said Frog, and sighed a final sigh.

The End

Daniel Daly

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Jan 17, 2014, 9:28:34 PM1/17/14

Unitarian Catholic Church

This is a work of fanfiction for the Unitarian Catholic Church, and can serve as the basis of other fanfiction works set in the same specific 'Middle Earth' of Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly.

The Hand of Eternity
(Being a Trilogy of the Events of the Fourth Age of Middle Earth, following on from the events of ‘The Lord of the Rings’)

(NOTE: THIS WORK IS J.R.R.TOLKIEN FANFICTION, WHICH IS PERMISSIBLE BY THE TOLKIEN FOUNDATION, HAVING BEEN THE WISHES OF J.R.R.TOLKIEN TO ALLOW FANFICTION OF HIS WORK)

Volume One

‘Father of Time’

by Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

© 2008

Prologue

Glaurung awoke. Mordor had fallen. He sensed it in his blood – his spirit. He sensed it, and knew it to be true. Morgoth would not be pleased. In his tenure in the pit below, dark creatures who had been chained near him from time to time had spoken of Mordor, Sauron and the final battle. Yet they had not known its fate. Yet, now he knew. Now he sensed in the air, in the realm of spirit, the fate of Mordor and Sauron.

At the top of the crag, overlooking the pit of torment, Glaurung stared downwards into the pit of the netherworld – the place he had just finally escaped from, after being cast down by the Valar. Morgoth, still, dwelt there – his final resting place according to the judgement of the Valar. Morgoth, greeting Glaurung after having just shattered the Door of the Night and being judged by the Valar and condemned to the netherword, still lay somewere in the pit below, searching for escape. Yet, when they had parted just the evening before, each taking a differing direction to what was believed would be sanctuary, Glaurung knew – the dragon of darkness knew – that Morgoth would soon escape as well.

He sat there, staring downwards. He sat there, and as days passed to weeks, feeding occasionally, he stared down into the pit, carefully awaiting the lord of the dark he knew would arise. Time passed slowly. Carrion surveyed him from time to time, assessing wether he was actually alive and available food. Occasionally he threatened them, and they soon departed. Other birdlife hovered around the edge of the pit. Eagles, hawks, sparrows, owls and various others. It seemed each of them had come to witness for themselves the emergence of Glaurung and, perhaps, the soon emergence of the dread Morgoth from the pit of despair.

He thought on the Valar who, having passed judgement, had cast them into the pit, never to return. In his dark heart, Glaurung would have vengeance upon them, and all in league with them. They would be punished, nay, destroyed. And he would feast on their very souls.

Yes, the Valar would feel his wrath, and, of course, so would any of the other seed of Turin who yet lived. Turin had slain him with the dreaded sword Gurthang above the ravine Cabed-en-Aras of the river Taeglin. The scar from that wounding still ran across his belly, even in the netheworld were their Valar judges had sent them.

As time passed with no sight of his dark lord, Glaurung thought on the tale Morgoth had shared with him in the pit below. For too long – for far too long – Morgoth had been cast to the outer void. Yet Morgoth had finally escaped that place, defeating the Door of Night.

In the void, Morgoth had brooded and the darkness – the power of the dark – had grown within him. Eru, the creator, had been there, talking to Morgoth from time to time. Talking to his son and sharing destiny and prophecy. Dagor Dagorath awaited, Eru told him often. The final battle. The final defeat of the shadow of doom. And in that battle, so Eru chided him, Morgoth would taste final and bitter defeat at the hands of Turin and the sword Gurthang. And to fulfil that prophecy Eru gave Melkor dark power. Power of evil and hatred beyond what he had known in earlier days.
And, when his power had grown sufficient, Melkor had spoken the word ‘Nothingness’ to the Door of Night, and through the power of infinite dark, the nothing placed within Melkor by Eru, the Door had ceased to be, the only way that it could be overcome.

And, now, destiny awaited. Morgoth hated Eru, yet knew he was powerless against him. He suffered the fate Eru planned for him, regardless of his own choice. His fate beckoned him onwards each moment – it beckoned him onwards for, in his mind and heart, he sensed that beyond the realm of death, should it occur at the hands of Turin, there awaited something. Something which Eru had only whispered and hinted at. Something which Eru had only placed subtley into his evil mind and heart. Yet Morgoth knew – at one point in the whisperings of Eru he knew – that beyond his service to the fate of death, something awaited. Something new, something different awaited. And on that, despising the very word, yet on that hope Morgoth placed his faith.

When the Door of Night had been shattered, and Morgoth had re-entered Arda, the Valar had been there. They had caught Morgoth, naming him Melkor, and Tulkas had condemned him to the fate of the pit of the netherworld, were the dead spirits of darkness lay. He had been cast down by the Valar, down into the deepest, darkest and most hate-filled pit. He had been cast down to were Glaurung lay chained, having now grown wings.

He had been chained next to Glaurung, with the impenetrable chains of Angainor forged by the Vala Aulë. He had been chained there and, left with little else to do, spoke with Glaurung and shared his story. And he had plotted. He had plotted and told Glaurung, once they were free, what he would plan on doing, of the vengeance that would belong to him.

And the darkness within Melkor – the darkness had continued to grow. And, in time, the chains had been shattered. He then shattered Glaurung’s own chains, and they began their journey upwards – a journey of a million steps.

And then they had parted, sensing they were near the surface, to see if either could find the quickest way out and tell the other. Glaurung had found freedom first, and now waited his dark lord, his dark master. He knew it was inevitable, that Melkor would find freedom. He knew that. And as he sat and waited, Glaurung thought on the vengeance that would soon be his.

Sleeping in the early cold of the morning, Glaurung was wakened by a noise. He looked down into the pit in the early dawn light, and there, accompanied by three Balrog’s, Melkor was climbing up to him. He watched him, and after the half of an hour had passed, his master stood before him.

Melkor motioned to the three Balrog’s. ‘They are former servants, Glaurung. They will come in useful.’
‘Yes master. And now?’ Morgoth climbed up onto the back of Glaurung and bid him take to the skies. As Glaurung began his flight upwards, Melkor finally responded to his query. ‘And now destiny awaits.’

Chapter One

‘The Fellowship Anew’

In truth, new life – new beginnings – are sometimes not that easy to adjust to. Legolas, sitting next to Gimli, observing Samwise Gamgee in conversation with Frodo, contemplated what had become their new life and new beginning.

They had been a fellowship once, all those years ago in middle earth, and then they had each gone to the far west of the grey havens, and then beyond.

And now, in their new home of Tarador, Tarador on what had become known as the ‘Emerald Isle’ of ‘Eire’, they had tasted the water of life, the elixir of the Valar, which kept them everlasting like the sun. They had been granted this for their service in the war of the ring at the end of the third age. Tulkas had granted them the elixir, from the pool of eternity in Tarador, and they had drunk deeply.

And now, four centuries later, they were again in the prime of life, the elixir having fully restored them.

‘And this quest of yours Gimli, to see home again. When shall you be departing?’
‘Dwarves are unpredictable creatures, my elven friend. Who can say when a Dwarf will make up his mind for certain on a matter.’
‘Unpredictable you say. How so, valiant dwarf?’
‘Yes valiant dwarf, how so?’ Gimli and Legolas turned to the familiar voice that had spoken, finding it to be indeed the one they had hoped for. ‘Gandalf,’ said Legolas. ‘You have returned.’ ‘Apparently like the unpredictable dwarves, the return of one of the Istari can never be quite fathomed. But yes, Legolas, to answer your question, I have returned. And is that Frodo and Samwise Gamgee I see approaching.’ Frodo and Sam, who had noticed the appearance of the ancient wizard, had wandered up from the fountain they had been sitting by, and greeted their old friend. ‘Hail Gandalf,’ said Frodo. ‘You’ve returned then,’ said Samwise. ‘Yes, I have returned master Gamgee. And it is good to see you all looking so well, and in fine spirits as well. This past century must have been good to you.’ ‘It has been that long, hasn’t it,’ said Frodo. ‘A hundred years since you left us.’ ‘Yes indeed Frodo. As I told you all on my departure, there were still things that needed to be looked to in middle earth. And I have much news of that to share with you over these next few weeks. But first, were is Bilbo? Is he nearby?’ Frodo looked at Samwise, a little hesitant to speak of Bilbo. ‘Bilbo is with Elrond, Gandalf. He left near a quarter of a century ago.’ Gandalf had a look of concern on his ancient demeanour. ‘With Elrond? Why has he left his home?’ Samwise blurted it out. ‘He wants to be wizard. Like you, master Gandalf.’ Gandalf looked at Samwise and Frodo. He turned to Legolas. ‘Is this true? Bilbo is attempting to learn the ways of magic?’ Legolas nodded. ‘I am afraid so, Gandalf. It started when your Istari brother, Radagast, returned. Bilbo grew fascinated with the stories Radagast shared of his time in middle earth, and when Radagast and Elrond departed for Valinor with Morwen, Bilbo had convinced Radagast to let him accompany him and to teach him the ways of magic.’
Gandalf nodded. ‘That is a tale. The funny thing is I was with Radagast early this year in eastern Mordor and he made no mention of such a thing. Perhaps it slipped his notice.’
‘I dare say it did,’ commented Frodo.
‘What were you doing in eastern Mordor?’ asked Samwise. ‘I would have thought you would have tried to forget that forsaken land.’
‘Samwise Gamgee! How good it is too see you,’ said Gandalf, sitting down on the stone steps of one of the gardens of Tarador. ‘I was in Mordor discussing things with two very close friends of mine, Samwise. The Blue Wizards they are known as. Fellow Istari. They go by the name of Alatar and Pallando.’
‘Blue wizards?’ queried Sam. ‘How many of the Istari are they’re anyway, master Gandalf.’
‘That is an interesting question Samwise,’ said Frodo. ‘I don’t think Gandalf has ever answered that question.’
‘The ways of Eru Illuvatar are often beyond knowing, Frodo. And, likewise, we of the Istari, who are of the Maiar, servants of the Valar, have ways also beyond the knowing of mere mortals.’
‘Yet, now we are no longer mere mortals, Gandalf,’ said Frodo softly.
‘Aye lad,’ said Gimli. ‘That we are no longer.’
‘Indeed,’ said Gandalf, placing his hand of affection on Gimli’s shoulder. ‘And, I suppose as you now partake of immortality through the elixir of life, that you should now be privy to the ways of eternity?’
‘Perhaps such knowledge is now appropriate, Gandalf,’ said Legolas. ‘They are no longer youths – no longer children. Perhaps, as such, they should likewise share in some of the mysteries of Arda.’
‘A fair comment, Legolas,’ said Gandalf. ‘Very well, then. I will speak of things ancient. You know me as Gandalf, yet that is a name given to me by men. It means Wand Elf, of all things.’
‘Elf?’ queried Samwise.
‘I was once mistaken as such. Yet I am not Elf, nor human. This form you see before you was chosen. It was chosen for the task we of the Istari were given – the nurturing of the children of Eru Illuvatar. The Istari are five in number. Saruman was the head of our order, dressed in white. I myself was Gandalf the Grey, now in white. Radagast, who you have met, is Radagast the brown, third in seniority. And, finally, Alatar and Pallando, the blue wizards. Those two are equal in rank in our order of the White Council.’
‘You said five in number, master Gandalf. Don’t you mean four, now that Saruman is dead?’ said Samwise.
‘No, Samwise. There were, and still are, five of the Istari. While Saruman did die a mortal death, from there he returned to the Timeless Halls of Heaven, and saw once more the face of Eru Illuvatar.’
‘And how do you know this? Asked Frodo.
‘Because I told him,’ said a familiar voice, just then making itself known.
The fellowship turned to see a wizard, dressed in grey, with an all to familiar face.
‘Saruman!’ exclaimed Legolas, reaching for his sword.
‘Be at peace, Legolas,’ said Gandalf, calming him. ‘While this is indeed Saruman, he is no longer what – no longer who - he was. He is redeemed and he is once again among the Istari. And now he is Saruman the Grey.’
‘Saruman the Grey!’ exclaimed Frodo to himself.
‘And you trust him!’, exclaimed Samwise.
‘Master Samwise,’ began Saruman. ‘When one has been lectured to by Eru Illuvatar himself, one begins to remember the purpose his life serves. I am no longer who I was. No longer of the power of darkness.’
Samwise looked at Saruman. ‘God lectured you?’
‘Yes, God,’ Saruman said to himself. ‘The westron word they now use about Eru. But to answer your question, yes master Samwise, God lectured me. He makes himself known to all the Valar and Maiar. It is from him we have come to be. It is from Eru Illuvatar that life begins. And, so, when I received a correction to my former thinking, a new life, as it were, began. I once again rekindled my love for and passion for middle earth and its people, and Eru entrusted to me once more my position amongst the Istari, now as Saruman the Grey, under Master Gandalf.’
‘Why would Eru trust him, Gandalf. After all he did?’
‘Samwise, I know you are not the most trusting of souls.’
‘With good reason,’ said Samwise, eyeing Saruman.
‘Yet all of us – from the greatest to the least – deserve a second chance. Would you not agree.’
‘Come on Samwise. Saruman is now our friend.’ said Frodo, nodding in the direction of Saruman, who nodded likewise in response.
‘Your friend, Frodo. I will never trust him.’
‘Be that as it may, master Gamgee, Saruman is now a friend of ours. Isn’t that right Gandalf?’ said Gimli.
‘Indeed that is true,’ responded Gandalf.
‘Tell us. How fairs Arwen at Rivendell?’ asked Legolas.
‘I am afraid, since Aragorn’s passing, she is still in mourning. She promises me that, in the course of due time, she will rejoin the land of the living, as she has so elegantly stated. Yet, for now, she dresses in black and mourns her lost love. Yet, I sense, her mourning is near complete. She has finally accepted that Aragorn was a man, and she an immortal elf. And that the life of love between them, which indeed was true love, was and could only be fleeting, as the snows of winter likewise melting with the onset of spring.’

Saruman spoke up. ‘The affairs of the heart, as my brother would put it, are dark and hidden at times, often never showing their true selves. Arwen’s love for Aragorn, though, was plain to all. Even I at Isengard knew of this love. Her heart though, as all do, will mend. It will heal and come, one day, to the brightness of a new day dawning and realize that new life inevitably draws one onwards, as dawn moves onwards to a brand new day. She may never forget Aragorn, yet her spirit will move inevitably and inexorably forwards. She is elven. She is of the blood of immortality.’
‘Well said, Saruman,’ said Gandalf.
Samwise looked at Saruman and, somewhat consoled, nodded softly.

Frodo spoke up. ‘What news of the Shire? How fares life in Hobbiton?’ Gandalf smiled. ‘My dear Frodo, as much as life in the past age had its comings and goings, rarely familiar with the ways of Hobbits and the Shire, Hobbiton stands much the same. And upon my last visit, Bag End was again being occupied. By one certain young female hobbit by the name of ‘Jando Baggins’.
‘Jando Baggins!’ exclaimed Frodo. ‘Bag End is still in Baggins ownership?’ ‘Indeed it is, Frodo my friend. I spoke with her of you and Bilbo. I did not mention your being still alive, but did not quite deny that either, and I feel with some of the things I had said and some of her queries, she may have gained suspicion. We had a wonderful evening with her father, tracing Baggins ancestory and finding yourself and Bilbo amongst their ancestory. She is something of a neice of yours it would seem. A fiery, redheaded Baggins. A handful even on a good day.’
Frodo smiled, ever so pleased to learn Bag End was still in Baggins ownership, and curious about his new ‘neice’ Jando.
‘Yes, I see Jando in you,’ said Saruman. ‘Really, quite a strong resemblance. And the same passion for life, it would seem.’
Frodo smiled, ever so pleased at news of new blood in the Baggins clan.

‘And the Gamgee’s?’ asked Samwise. Gandalf turned to Sam and placed his ancient hands upon Sam’s shoulders. ‘I believe, Samwise, if I have it correct, you are now a great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.’
‘How many greats was that Gandalf? I lost count,’ bemoaned Samwise.
‘Too many, it would seem, for you dear Samwise. Suffice to say you are a father yet again. Meriadoc Gamgee was the latest addition to your household upon my parting from the shire. A young wee lad, barely eighteen.’
‘Meriadoc?’ queried Frodo.
‘Yes Meriadoc,’ replied Gandalf. ‘I can only hope that the foolishness of ‘Merry Brandybuck’ does not run in his veins. But no, forgive me. Merry was dear to me, as to all of us, and his passing his missed.’
The fellowship paused for a moment, reflecting on one now gone from them, along with the beloved Peregrin Took.
‘Really, my friends,’ began Gandalf, ‘life in middle earth comes and goes much as you have always known it too. The kingdoms of men are currently at peace, a much needed peace, and little it seems would disturb our pleasant slumber. Little yet, perhaps, not nothing.’
‘You would speak of the rumblings,’ queried Saruman to Gandalf. ‘Are you sure they should yet know.’
‘It is best, often, to air things when hearts are affected, Saruman. And I think that this fellowship of ours, having grown strong from past battles and adventures, can warrant news such as we have.’
‘What news?’ asked Frodo, whose curiousity had been aroused.
‘Yes, tell us Gandalf,’ said Legolas, a comment echoed by the others present.

Gandalf stood and walked over to the fountain, looking down into the pool were goldfish were swimming around. He turned, looked at Saruman, and looked up at the heavens. The news he had was rumour – and perhaps just that; nothing but rumour. Yet, if true – if indeed true – then the lives of the fellowship would soon be set on a course of action. An inevitable and unalterable course of action. He took an apple out of his vast cloak, from a hidden pocket, and took a bite. He savoured the freshness, just picked in a garden of Tarador, and looked at the fellowship. He would now speak of things he himself feared.

‘Rumour has it, friends, of an ancient enemy having returned to Arda. An ancient enemy, surpassing the might of even Sauron.’
Frodo and Samwise looked at Gandalf, a look of concern on their faces, yet neither spoke. Eventually Legolas spoke up.
‘There is, Gandalf, only one greater in might than Sauron. And he is gone, lost in the great void. He can not return.’
‘Legolas, I can only wish that that were true. Yet, it would seem in the mysteries of prophecy, that the ancient oracle of Mandos, once known as Namo of the Valar, judge of the dead, the oracle of ‘Dagor Dagorath’ may now, in the eternal wisdom of Eru Illuvatar, be, dare I say it, coming to pass.
Legolas looked at Gandalf, and turned away. He remembered, then, that prophecy taught him in youth, knowing the fate of the world and the final great battle.
‘What is Dagor Dagorath, Gandalf?’ asked Frodo.
‘Perhaps I can answer that,’ began Saruman.
Mandos, or Namo as he was once known as, is of the Valar. Yet he does not reside here in Tarador, choosing to remain in Valinor. He uttered, and never by his own cognition, the oracle of Dagor Dagorath.
According to the prophecy our ancient enemy, Morgoth will discover how to break the Door of Night, and will destroy the Sun and the Moon. Out of love for the sun and moon, Eärendil will return from the sky and shall meet Tulkas, Fionwë, and Túrin Turambar on the plains of Valinor. Supposedly, all the Free Peoples of Middle-earth will participate in this final battle, Elves, Men and Dwarves alike.
There the forces of the Valar shall fight against Morgoth, or Melkor as he is known, who will have resurrected many of his old followers, including our dread enemy Sauron. Tulkas will wrestle with him, but it will be by the hand of Túrin that finally death and destruction will be dealt to Melkor. Túrin will run his black sword Gurthang through Melkor's heart, thus avenging the Children of Húrin. Then the Pelóri Mountains will be levelled, the three Silmarils will be recovered from the Earth, sea, and sky, and Fëanor's spirit shall be released from the halls of Mandos to give them to Yavanna, who will break them and rekindle the light of the Two Trees. The battle will end and renew Arda's existence: all the Elves shall awake and the Powers will be young again. Also, according to Dwarven legends, they will help their maker Aulë recreate Arda in all its glory again.
Following this, there will be a Second Music of the Ainur. This song will sing into being a new world. Men will sing it with the Ainur. It is unknown what the fate of the old races, or of the old world, will be in the new one, as Mandos did not say. Even the Ainur do not know anything of the second world or the Second Music. All the Ainur know is that the Second Music will be greater than the First Music.
Strangely, Mando uttered two of such prophecies, each with slightly differing detail, which suggests numerous possibilities. In the original prophecy Mando wrote that none of the dooms he had declared showed whether the Marring of Arda would ever be repaired. Whereas the Second Prophecy explicitly states that the Elves and Valar shall be renewed after Dagor Dagorath and that the fate of Men is unknown.’
The fellowship, thinking on the words of Saruman, contemplated the great day of Dagor Dagorath.

Frodo, having made the connection in his mind about the rumours of an ancient evil having returned, spoke up.
‘Morgoth has returned. They are the rumours, aren’t they.’
‘I am afraid so, Frodo,’ responded Gandalf.
‘Did I hear correctly that Sauron will be resurrected? I thought we were rid of him for good,’ said Sam.
‘Yes, that is the prophecy. Sauron, and many other servants of Morgoth, will re-awaken, to partake in the final battle. To show the final wrath of the Hand of Doom,’ responded Saruman.

‘Again with a war to end an age.’ Stated Gimli, a slight tone of sarcasm apparent to all.
‘Yes, Gimli. It would appear this battle is to end the fourth age. I dare say little else could.’
‘And beyond that,’ asked Frodo.
‘A time, perhaps, my hobbit friend, in which the ways of the Istari may gradually be less and less called after. There are other tales, traditions as it were, connected to Mandos prophesy, which speak of a new emerging world. A world much less like this current one and dominated, in the main, by the children of men. A world in which hobbits, dwarves and elves are spoken of in myth and legend. A world in which the children of men have emerged as the final great victors.’
Samwise looked concerned. ‘If that happens Gandalf, what will happen to the Hobbits.’
‘I feel, master Samwise, that perhaps only Eru Illuvatar himself could answer you that question. But, in speculation, they will have withdrawn from the world, in the main. Withdrawn into lost and hidden cities, away from the new world of men. Alongside them the elves and dwarves will remain hidden as, supposedly in the most ancient prophecy shared with the Istari, the children of Men and their great King, the chosen one, rule middle earth.’
‘Great King?’ queried Legolas?
‘The anointed one, Legolas. The one upon which Eru Illuvatar will place his spirit – his essence. The one hidden from us for the ages, to be revealed in the last days – in the times of the last things.’
‘We elves know nothing of such a prophecy.’ Stated Legolas flatly.
‘Nor would you, began Saruman. It is of the domain of the Valar and Maiar, and of them alone. It is shared rarely at that, and with only the chosen few who will show responsibility with such information. And, from Gandalf’s judgement, it appears you are among the chosen.’

‘And this age of men. Will it last forever? Will elves return to middle earth?’ asked Legolas earnestly.
Gandalf looked at him, understanding his natural concerns. ‘There is much in the ancient prophecy, yet much not remembered, as it was forbidden to be recorded, but to live on only in memory. Yet, there is a figure. A figure in opposition to the anointed one. An opponent – an adversary. A power, greater in darkness and might than even Morgoth himself.’
‘And who is this power? asked Frodo.
Gandalf looked at Saruman. ‘That power is the power that tempts us to evil, even still to this day as we are tempted. It goes by many names. Ha Satan. The Devil. The fallen one. It comes from the realm of the anointed one, hidden from us – a realm created, it would seem, parallel to our abode in the timeless halls. Yet, its spirit lurks even here, and would one day conquer and destroy us also, if it were to prevail. It is at the end of the age of men that the fallen one will take part in the final battle with the anointed one. And, if the elves are to return to middle earth, it is perhaps beyond then, a time we know nothing of, that middle earth will call them home once again.’
Legolas nodded, seemingly satisfied at that answer.

Samwise stroked his head, his head full of news. ‘So much to take in, Gandalf. This Morgoth, who you named Melkor. I have heard the Valar speak of him from time to time. Who is he exactly?’ asked Samwise, turning to Saruman.
‘It is best you sit Samwise, for I shall speak at length. Morgoth Bauglir, originally known as Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turning to darkness, became Morgoth, the "great enemy", the ultimate antagonist of Arda, from whom all evil in the world of Middle-earth ultimately stems. Sauron, one of the Maiar of Aulë, switched his allegiance and became the principal lieutenant of Morgoth.
Before the creation of Arda, Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur. He contended with Eru, via the Music of the Ainur. Melkor was jealous of Eru, and wanted to create and rule other wills himself. He spent a long time looking for the Secret Fire, the “Flame Imperishable”.
Unlike his fellow Ainu Aulë, Melkor was too proud to admit that his creations were simply discoveries wholly made possible by, and therefore belonging to, Eru. Instead, Melkor aspired to the level of Eru, the true Creator of all possibilities.
During the Great Music of the Ainur, Melkor attempted to alter the Music and introduced what he believed to be elements purely of his own design. As part of these efforts, he drew many weaker-willed Ainur to him — creating a counter to Eru’s main theme. Ironically, these attempts did not truly subvert the Music, but only elaborated Eru’s original intentions: the Music of Eru took on depth and beauty precisely because of the strife and sadness Melkor’s disharmonies, and their rectification, introduced.
Since the Great Music of the Ainur stood as template for all of history and all of material creation in the Middle-earth cycle, asit was first sung before Time, and then the universe was made in its image, there was an aspect of everything in Middle-earth that came of Melkor’s meddling – everything had been corrupted.
After the Creation, many Ainur entered into Eä. The most powerful of them were called the Valar, or Powers of the World; the lesser, who acted as their followers and assistants, were the Maiar, of who myself and Gandalf as Istari belong to. They immediately set about the ordering of the universe and Arda within it, according to the themes of Eru as best they understood them. Melkor and his followers entered Eä as well, and they set about ruining and undoing whatever the others did.
Each of the Valar was attracted to a particular aspect of the world that became the focus of their powers. Melkor was drawn to terrible extremes and violence — bitter cold, scorching heat, earthquakes, rendings, breakings, utter darkness, burning light, and so on. His power was so great that at first the Valar were unable to restrain him. Arda never seemed to achieve a stable form until the Vala Tulkas entered Eä and tipped the balance.
Driven out by Tulkas, Melkor brooded in the darkness at the outer reaches of Arda until an opportune moment arrived when Tulkas was distracted. Melkor re-entered Arda and attacked and destroyed the Two Lamps, which at the time were the only sources of light. Arda was plunged into darkness, and the island of Almaren, the first home of the Valar on Earth, was destroyed in the violence of the lamps' fall.
After the fall of the Lamps, the Valar withdrew into the land of Aman in the far West. The country where they settled was called Valinor, which they heavily fortified. Melkor held dominion over Middle-earth from his fortress of Utumno in the North.
Melkor’s first reign ended after the Elves, the eldest of the Children of Ilúvatar, awoke at the shores of Cuiviénen, and the Valar resolved to rescue them from his malice. The Valar waged devastating war on Melkor, and destroyed Utumno. Melkor was bound with a specially forged chain, Angainor and brought to Valinor, where he was imprisoned in the Halls of Mandos for three ages.
Melkor had captured a number of Elves before the Valar attacked him, and he tortured and corrupted them, breeding the first Orcs. Yet, also orcs were bred as corruptions of Men, or alternatively as soulless beings animated solely by the will of their evil lord.
Upon his release, Melkor was paroled to Valinor, though he was not trusted by some of the Valar. He made a pretence of humility and virtue, but secretly plotted harm toward the Elves, whose awakening he blamed for his defeat. The Noldor, wisest of the three kindreds of Elves that had come to Valinor, were most vulnerable to his plots, since he had much knowledge they eagerly sought, and while instructing them he also awoke unrest and discontent among them. When the Valar became aware of this they sent Tulkas to arrest him, but Melkor had already fled. With the aid of Ungoliant, a dark spirit in the form of a monstrous spider, he destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor, slew the King of the Noldor, Finwë, and stole the three Silmarils, jewels made by Finwë’s son Fëanor, which were filled with the light of the Trees. Fëanor thereupon named him Morgoth, ‘Black Foe of the World’, and the Eldar knew him by this name alone afterwards.
Morgoth resumed his rule in the North of Middle-earth, this time in Angband, a lesser fortress than Utumno, but not so completely destroyed. He rebuilt it, and raised above it the volcanic triple peak of Thangorodrim. The Silmarils he set into a crown of iron, which he wore at all times. Fëanor and most of the Noldor pursued him, along the way committing the Kinslaying and incurring the Doom of Mandos. On arriving in Beleriand, the region of Middle-earth nearest Angband, the Noldor established kingdoms and made war on Morgoth. Soon afterwards, the Sun and the Moon arose for the first time, and Men awoke. The major battles of the ensuing war included the Dagor-nuin-Giliath, Dagor Aglareb, Dagor Bragollach at which the long-standing Siege of Angband was broken, and the battle of Nírnaeth Arnoediad when the armies of the Noldor and the Men allied with them were routed and the men of the East joined Morgoth. Over the next several decades, Morgoth destroyed the remaining Elven kingdoms, reducing their domain to an island in the Bay of Balar to which many refugees fled, and a small settlement at the Mouths of Sirion under the protection of Ulmo.
Before the Nírnaeth Arnoediad the Man Beren and Elf Lúthien the daughter of Thingol entered Angband and recovered a Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown. It was inherited by their granddaughter Elwing, who joined those dwelling at the Mouths of Sirion. Her husband Eärendil, wearing the Silmaril on his brow, sailed across the sea to Valinor, where he pled with the Valar to liberate Middle-earth from Morgoth.
During the ensuing War of Wrath, Beleriand and much of the north of Middle-earth was destroyed and reshaped. In the end, Morgoth was utterly defeated. His armies were almost entirely slaughtered. The dragons were almost all destroyed, and Thangorodrim was shattered when Eärendil slew the greatest of them, Ancalagon the Black, who crashed upon it as he fell. The few remaining dragons were scattered, and the handful of surviving Balrogs hid themselves deep within the earth. Morgoth fled into the deepest pit and begged for pardon, but his feet were cut from under him, his crown was made into a collar, and he was chained once again with Angainor. The Valar exiled him permanently from the world, thrusting him through the Door of Night into the void, and he is not expected to return until the prophesied Dagor Dagorath, of which we have just learned.
The name Morgoth is Sindarin, and means ‘Black Enemy’. Bauglir is also Sindarin, meaning ‘Tyrant’ or ‘Oppressor’. ‘Morgoth Bauglir’ is actually an epithet: his name in Ainulindalë is Melkor, which means 'He Who Arises In Might' in Quenya. But this too is an epithet since he, like all the Ainur, had another true name in Valarin, the language of the Ainur before Time, but this name is forbidden to be mentioned. The Sindarin equivalent of Melkor is Belegûr, but it was never used; instead a deliberately resembling name Belegurth, meaning 'Great Death', has been used, though still rarely.
His name of 'Morgoth' did not arise until Melkor destroyed the Two Trees, murdered Finwë and stole the Silmarils in the First Age. Prior to this point, he was called only Melkor. But after these events, Fëanor, son of Finwë, dubbed him 'Morgoth', and the Elves called him thereafter by that name alone.
Like Sauron, he had a host of other titles: Lord of the Dark, the Dark Power of the North, and Great Enemy. The Edain called him the Dark King and the Dark Power; the Númenóreans corrupted by Sauron called him the Lord of All and the Giver of Freedom.
In the legend of the Children of Húrin, there is a more complete version of a story summarized in our revered text ‘Quenta Silmarillion’. Húrin along with his younger brother Huor were leaders of the House of Hador, one of the three kindred of elf-friends. At Nírnaeth Arnoediad they covered the escape of Turgon to Gondolin by sacrificing their army and themselves. Huor was slain, but Húrin was brought before Morgoth alive. In revenge for his aid to Turgon and his defiance, Morgoth cursed Húrin and his children, binding Húrin to a seat upon Thangorodrim and forcing him to witness all that happened to his children in the succeeding years.

Melkor could initially take any shape, but his first recorded form was "...as a mountain that wades in the sea and has its head above the clouds and is clad in ice and crowned with smoke and fire; and the light of the eyes of Melkor was like a flame that withers with heat and pierces with a deadly cold." At the time he slew the Two Trees and stole the Silmarils, he took to himself the shape of the great Dark Lord: gigantic and terrifying. The diminution of his power in this time and his own desire for lordship destroyed his ability to freely change shape, and he became bound to this one terrible form. His hands were burned by the theft of the Silmarils, and never healed. In his fight with High King Fingolfin, he suffered several wounds; his foot was hewn by Fingolfin's Sword of Ice Crystal, Ringil. At the end of this battle, Thorondor, the great Eagle, swooped down and scarred Morgoth's face with his talons, a wound that also never healed. In battle he wore black armour and wielded Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld. The great battering ram of Mordor was named for this weapon. He also wielded a black spear, and a poison sword.
Melkor's powers were originally immense – greater than those of any other single Ainu. He shared a part of the powers of every other Vala, but unlike them used it for domination of the whole of Arda. To accomplish this Morgoth dispersed his being throughout Arda, tainting its very fabric; and only Aman was free of it. His person thus became ever more diminished and restricted.
Pity is beyond Morgoth’s understanding, as is courage. As he alone of the Valar bound himself to a physical, and therefore destructible, body, he alone of the Valar knew fear.
Because Morgoth was the most powerful creature in Arda, many "flocked to his banner." Morgoth's chief servants were Maiar he corrupted or monsters he created: Sauron, later the Dark Lord of Mordor and his chief servant; the Balrogs, including Gothmog, the Lord of Balrogs and High-Captain of Angband; Glaurung, the Father of Dragons; Ancalagon "the Black", greatest of the Winged Dragons; Carcharoth, the mightiest wolf that ever lived; Draugluin, Sire of Werewolves; and Thuringwethil, Sauron's vampire messenger.
Ungoliant, a demon in spider form, helped Melkor destroy the Two Trees. But this alliance was temporary; when Melkor refused to yield the Silmarils to Ungoliant, she attacked him. He had spread his power and malice too thin, and had weakened himself too much to fight back; he escaped only through the arrival of the Balrogs.
When the race of Men awoke, Morgoth temporarily left Angband to live among them. Some men worshipped him, banning Ilúvatar from their hearts.
Morgoth was known to betray his own servants. After the Noldor were defeated, he confined all Men in his service to the lands of Hithlum, their only prize the pillage of that land, though they had fought to win richer lands in Beleriand. Since he could never fully dominate Men, he could never really trust them, and indeed feared them.
There is often a distinction between the Ainu Melkor, the most powerful of Eru’s created beings, and Morgoth, the diminished being that styled itself Dark Lord of Arda. This distinction is not limited to the change in name.
As described in “Ainulindalë”, Melkor’s discord marred the Music of the Ainur in Heaven. Melkor’s thematic variations in that Music amounted to his own self-elaboration. Each Ainu arose from a divine theme, existing beforehand only in the mind of Eru. Eä, or the World that Is, is shaped after the Music. Thus, the evil that Melkor weaves into the Music was mirrored in Eä by the evil he wove into the fabric of reality. As a result, the Arda was ‘Marred’: the conceptions of the Valar never came about, and Melkor's very essence was present in all creation.
Melkor’s inability to perform true creation is tied to the idea that something of his actual being must pass into the things he ‘created’, in order to give them an effective substance and reality. Melkor could not create something as he did not possess the imperishable flame; thus he could only create a mockery of those things in Arda. From his Trolls to the Sun, which was made from a flower from a Tree poisoned by Ungoliant, and was thus itself imperfect, Melkor’s power and essence was poured into Arda. Melkor's individual self was diminished as a consequence. He was reduced to Morgoth, the ‘Dark Enemy.’
Morgoth, once the most powerful being in Eä, spent his will on his vast armies and followers, so that in the War of Wrath, as his armies were swept away before the host of Aman, he was captured by Eönwë and cast off his throne. And as we know, Morgoth's spirit was cast out beyond the Walls of Night.’
Samwise spoke up. ‘And it is from there he has returned then? He has broken the walls of night?
‘That we do not yet know for sure, Samwise,’ said Gandalf. ‘Our information comes from Radagast, who in turned learned this news from the Blue Wizards. They have a palantir, and they claim they have seen something. A vision, as it were. A vision of a figure riding a dragon who they were certain was ‘Glaurung’, yet strangely now with wings. And they sensed within the vision a voice of evil, one which spoke these words, ‘I see you.’ And then nothing more.
Legolas grimaced. ‘Those words sound all too familiar, Gandalf. Words of evil, once spoken to those we have once known.’ Gandalf nodded, recalling the event in Rohan all those years ago.
‘Then he has returned then. It is certain?’ began Samwise.
‘Nothing, truly, can be certain, Samwise. It was once deemed certain that the Sun will always shine, yet perhaps that, soon, may not be. In this life we live so much happens that is, in some ways, as unpredictable as our dwarven friend Gimli.’
Gimli nodded, a little embarrassed in response.
‘Yet, if I were to say wether I believed Morgoth had returned, I fear I could not now deny this proposition. And, it is because of this reality, amongst many, that I have returned to you. For now we have work – again work – and a quest to undertake. If, indeed, Dagor Dagorath approaches, then there is much to prepare for and much to be concerned with. A battle approaches. A final, dark and bitter battle. A battle which will resolve much in middle earth and prepare the way for the new age dawning. It is a battle, my dear friends, that we need to be prepared for. A battle which will change us, once and for all.’
Heads nodded at Gandalf’s words. Faces which had seen evil and bitterness before, nodded, understanding the war which lay ahead. Understanding, yet not knowing, that the fate of their world was to again be put to the ultimate test.
‘Yet, let us retire to the palace. I wish to speak with Manwe, as I have not seen him since returning. There is still so much to speak of. So much to be readied and prepared for. So much, yet again, ahead of us my dear friends.’ Upon those words, Gandalf turned and made his way up the stone steps towards the palace of Manwe, at the heart of Tarador on the Emerald Isle. The fellowship fell in line behind him and each of them contemplated the future. A future that was, as inexorably as the hand of Morgoth himself, now moving towards them. A future most uncertain indeed.
Chapter Two

‘An Unexpected Return’

‘Well, all things considered Radagast, I have had the time of my life. And now, so many years gone, but now, to see the Shire once more. To see home again. And to see if Bag End is still there, as I left it.’ Radagast smiled at his companion of a quarter of a century, one whom he had now taught much of the ways of wizardry. ‘I will, of course, visit you from time to time Bilbo. Yet my brothers in Mordor and I have still much to do in Middle Earth. And while I have accompanied you thus far, I yearn to return to them.’
‘As soon as we get to Bag End and I am settled, I will let you go then. As we agreed Radagast.’
‘As we agreed then.’

Radagast the Brown of the Istari, and his travelling companion, Bilbo Baggins, had left Rivendell three nights prior and were approaching the shire. For 25 long years Radagast had taught bilbo many lessons of wizardry, first in Valinor, and then in his journeys in middle earth. Radagast had been disappointed when Bilbo had missed seeing Gandalf in Mordor, Bilbo having been holed up in restored Isengard, studying various texts of wizardry that Radagast had devised in his early years upon middle earth. At first, Radagast had been somewhat reluctant to teach Bilbo things. At Valinor, Radagast had given Bilbo a small gem. A small, firey gem, in the form of an amulet to wear around his neck. He had not explained to Bilbo the origin of the Amulet, which he knew he mustn’t for fear of what it could do in evil hands. Yet he had explained the basic notion that Bilbo’s newfound powers of wizardry drew their strength from the gem. And then he had taught him much in the way of the code of ethics of those who stood on the white council in their service to Eru Illuvatar and the Valar. And, perhaps foolishly, yet in a spirit of patience, Radagast had allowed Bilbo to discover the ways of the Istari and tutored him on the responsibilities that followed.

His new apprentice had studied carefully, attentively listening to Radagast’s every word. He had studied, and carefully applied his art under Radagast’s careful eye.

In the end, Radagast understood that, as befitted his mandate amongst the children of Eru Illuvatar, that Bilbo be allowed to learn those things which his heart desired. To grow in knowledge and skill, as a child now chosen for immortality, was rightfully due. And while he suspected that he may not have the complete approval of the new head of order of the Istari, Gandalf the white, Radagast had been willing to take any rebuke upon himself to guide his new steward.

‘Tell me a tale, Radagast. Tell me another tale. A tale of days long ago,’ asked Bilbo of his teacher.
‘Another tale, Bilbo. You seem never to get sick of them. Yet, as you wish.’ Radagast looked up at the trees along their road and thought on the many ancient tales he could share. And then one, in particular, came to him.
‘I will share with you, Bilbo, of the opening words of Ainulindalë, which tells of the time before Time. Eru Ilúvatar, as his names imply, existed before and independently of all else. He could take a particular concept, thesis or theme, and ‘give a secret fire to it’, will it into being, so it existed as a distinct object or entity. Such existence itself is a representation and concretization of divine conceptualizations: there is first the idea, then the concrete, or ‘objective’, manifestation commensurate with that idea. The ‘Ainur’, meaning ‘Holy Ones’, were the first such concepts-embodied or themes-realized; they were and are the children ‘of Ilúvatar’s thought.’ Upon their creation, when nothing else existed, Ilúvatar taught the Ainur the art of ‘Music’, which became their life and work. So Heaven became filled with the making of Music.
With each Ainu comprehending at first only those secondary ideas and themes most closely related to that primary idea-theme-thought of Ilúvatar’s which pre-figured itself, these creative musical elaborations only gradually, through exposure to each other, become collaborative. The compositions revolve around themes given to each Ainu by Ilúvatar, which themes correspond respectively to those primary themes or concepts embodied in each Ainu – that indeed are each Ainu. Through listening and contemplation, an Ainu becomes aware of other Ainur, other musics, and the cultivation and adornment of other themes.
After a time of Music, Ilúvatar proposed a first ‘great’ design to all the Ainur at once: a symphony for His pleasure. He then charged them with the collective elaboration of this great theme. They were to play themselves at composition.
While it is true that the Ainur are Ilúvatar’s thoughts embodied, they each have a life of their own, and were expected to utilize their ‘freedom’ by cultivating the grand theme. Only in the future, at the ‘end of days’, will all the created beings of Ilúvatar fully understand not only the divinely provided concepts and themes they each personally embody, but how each relates to all the others and fits, as per Ilúvatar’s intentions in the entire greater scheme.
In the grand theme, Melkor is introduced, and the Ainur begin their Chorus. Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur and as knowing much of Ilúvatar’s thoughts, including something of each of the primary themes that prefigure the other Ainur. He developed impatience with the schoolish process of thematic elaboration: like a precocious child, Melkor began thinking of certain musical ideas and themes as being ‘all his own’, and he felt compelled to develop them apace. Melkor even harboured the desire to externally manifest his own ideas, private ideas, as he thought them, and to become a creator of beings himself. When the choir of the Ainur finally embarked on the fully collaborative elaboration of Ilúvatar’s grand plan, Melkor participated with all the others, yet he stood forth and inserted his very different thematic adornments, which disrupted the harmony. One reason his music was so different is that he’d spent too much time 'alone,' so his themes appear to have a singular, rather than contextual, origin. The ‘battle’ in the choir of the Ainur raged back and forth with the ‘pro-Ilúvatar’ Music described as "deep and wide and beautiful, but slow and blended with an immeasurable sorrow, from which its beauty chiefly came." Melkor’s music, on the other hand, is said to have been "loud, and vain, and endlessly repeated … And it essayed to drown the other music by the violence of its voice … " But, despite Melkor’s best efforts to mar and utterly overthrow the Great Music, his discordant music’s "most triumphant notes were taken by the other and woven into its own solemn pattern."One was very great and deep and beautiful, but it was mingled with an unquenchable sorrow, while the other was now grown to unity and a system of its own, but was loud and vain and arrogant, braying triumphantly against the other as it thought to drown it, yet ever, as it essayed to clash most fearsomely, finding itself but in some manner supplementing or harmonizing with its rival.’ “The other had grown to a unity and system, yet an imperfect one, save insofar as derived still from the eldest theme of Ilúvatar
The Great Music of the Ainur progressed thus: Ilúvatar introduced a First Theme to the choir of the Ainur and Melkor ‘spoiled’ it, converting many of the Ainur to his cause in the process. These fallen Ainur became at latter times characters like the Balrogs, Ungoliant and Sauron himself. Next, Ilúvatar imposed a Second Theme, and again Melkor corrupted it. Ilúvatar then proposed a Third Theme that Melkor also corrupted, so that the Music became a raging disharmony. Ilúvatar put an end to the disharmony with the conducting of one chord, deeper than the Abyss, higher than the Firmament, piercing as the light of the eye of Ilúvatar. After the Great Music stopped, Ilúvatar promptly praised Melkor, chastised him, and then leaves the Ainur for time to their own thoughts.
Ilúvatar later called the Ainur together and ‘showed’ them a ‘Vision’. The Vision was of what the transliteration of their collaborative Great Music into a material reality would be like. They were shown that the Music has a point, has a result and effect beyond its composition and singing: it amounted to no less than a highly detailed template commensurate with the entire history – beginning to end – of a material, ‘physical’ Universe that could exist inside ‘time’. During this preview of the Birth, Life and Death of Ea, the Ainur beheld and contemplated all the aspects of material reality, which aspects were each associated with themes associated with particular Ainu. As the Ainur gazed out on this preview, Melkor saw in detail how even his most private ideas and themes, even his most disruptive and destructive efforts, in the end served only to fully elaborate Ilúvatar’s master plan, design, theme and will. Melkor was shown that his private themes, as Melkor thought them to be, were in fact elements of that plan and tributary to its glory."
The Ainur saw in the Vision that there were things none of them remembered composing, and things they perhaps remembered composing but did not at the time fully understand. The Children of Ilúvatar are first mentioned here, the future home of the Children, being Arda, becomes known, and some positively fascinating advice was given: do not read too much into the relative size of Arda as compared to Ea, or be overly impressed with the immensity of Space compared to, say, the delicacy and complexity of design in a mustard seed. Many of the Ainur, including Melkor, became enamoured of the Earth, though Melkor still wanted to dominate it and the Children. The Ainur, looking out at the preview of all creation, came to believe that Water, of all the substances and energies of material reality, most completely echoed the collaborative elaboration that was the propounding and cultivating of Ilúvatar’s entire creative plan. The Ainur rejoice in Light, but at the sounds of the Sea they feel “a great unquiet.
While Melkor is the first Ainu properly named, and the first Ainu to whom Ilúvatar directly spoke, Ulmo ‘The Pourer’ or ‘The Rainer’, is the second on both counts: right after the point is made that Water is the fullest echo of the Music of the Ainur, Ulmo was introduced as the Ainu most identified with that element, and the Ainu most educated in the matter of Music. Ulmo was the second Ainu to whom Ilúvatar specifically spoke when he pointed out to Ulmo that Water has from Melkor’s meddling benefited beyond Ulmo’s earlier conceptions. Melkor, then, attempted to disrupt water with the use of fierce heat and severe cold, but could do nothing to ruin Water as he must have hoped: this did no less than push Manwë and Ulmo more closely together. Ulmo, first of all the Ainur, Melkor spoke as such “’Truly, Water is become now fairer than my heart imagined, neither had my secret thought conceived the snowflake, nor in all my music was contained the falling of the rain. I will seek Manwë, that he and I may make melodies for ever to thy delight!’” And so Ulmo and Manwë were revealed as the two chief servants of Ilúvatar’s intentions.
The Vision ended: Ilúvatar’s preview was snatched away before any of the Ainur could fully see or comprehend the whole work of their music-made-into-substance. Because of this, and because of their nature as beings that must grow to an understanding of themselves in the context of the interplay of all creation, the Ainur knew quite a bit of the past, present and future of the Universe and its inhabitants, yet they don’t know everything, the later days, especially, being hidden from them. When the vision was taken away, the Ainur became restless, having fallen in love with the Universe, the Earth and the Children. Even Melkor thought that he wanted to be a benign part of their manifestation, though his tendencies must have lead more toward dominance than cultivation.
In the end of the Beginning, Ilúvatar took the entire musical work of the Ainur, including Melkor’s destructive efforts, and made it manifest, existing as Eä, or what can be called the Universe. Many of the most powerful and influential Ainur entered into Eä, but they entered on condition that the life of the Universe, which has a beginning, middle and end corresponding to the Great Music of the Ainu, would be binding on them, and would become their lives as well. The Valar, or‘The Powers’, the most powerful Ainur that entered into the Universe entered into and became a part of the World at the very beginning of Time, Melkor amongst them.
The remaining paragraphs of Ainulindalë summarize the first efforts of the Valar to fulfil the destiny described in the vision of the Universe they had foreseen in Heaven. The Valar entered into Eä only to find it at the very beginning of its history – unformed and embryonic. The history of the Universe had been only ‘forsung’. The Valar, thus, laboured to unfold that history and to build its constituent parts from scratch. The four Valar who were most involved in the crafting of the Earth were Manwë, Ulmo, Aulë and Melkor. Melkor laid claim to the Earth as his own, and made the initial going very rough indeed. Manwë collected those Valar and Maiar to himself who were friendly to him. The Maiar were lesser Ainur who entered into Eä with the Valar of whom we Istari belong to. Manwe then set up on Earth a resistance to Melkor. At the moment of this act, a reminder is provided of the fact that Manwë was the chief instrument of Ilúvatar in the Second Theme of the Great Music. Melkor withdrew from Earth and Manwë’s resistance, but later formally, and quite impressively, reentered and made open war on Manwë’s throne. But Manwë’s rule was established nonetheless, and subsequently saw the Earth finished and made habitable and ready for Elves and Men.
The Valar assumed physical forms as others wear clothes, though the Valar do have temperaments commensurate with the genders these forms reflect. For example, Melkor re-entered the Earth in a form of terrible majesty, and the war for Earth began in earnest. The history of the first battles are little recorded, but the reports point to Melkor trying to undo everything the Valar did, which were things the Valar did mostly to prepare the Earth for the Children. Melkor’s actions could change, but not destroy or wholly spoil, the original, as they were understood, plans and intentions of the Valar. Despite Melkor, the Earth is made ready.’
And that, my dear Hobbit friend, ends the Ainulindalë.
Bilbo smiled, ever so pleased at the tale. ‘Another marvelous legend, Radagast. Another marvelous legend.’
Radagast nodded, happy to bring pleasure to his steward.
‘How goes your chronicle, Bilbo. Now that you have spoken with Arwen, the last voice you desired to learn from, is it in fact now complete?’
Bilbo smiled, ever so pleased to be able to share the mountain of his lifes work since the end of the third age. His first chronicle, ‘There and back again,’ which the Valar had kindly dubbed ‘The Heroes Tale’, had proven lovingly adored by all whom he shared it with. And elves amongst the Valar in Valinor had faithfully transribed the text onto 150 of their sacred scrolls – to be kept for the ‘Ages’, so they had said. Yet, he had since its completion, begun a new work – a second greater and mightier work – of the times of the Fellowship of the One Ring until their departing to the Grey Havens. A history of the War of the One ring.
‘It is now, in content, complete Radagast. Only editing and rearranging of the material into the final form need be done.’
‘And do you have a title for this master’s work,’ Radagast inquired.
‘It is to be a work in three parts – a trilogy, as it were. And the saga is to be known as, if my elven friends again faithfully transribe it, as ‘The Lord of the Rings’, with each volume bearing their own title, as yet unformulated.
‘The Lord of the Rings,’ echoed Radagast. ‘A grand title if I do say so. And, dare I ask, just who was the ‘Lord of the Rings’, master Bilbo.
‘Who indeed,’ Bilbo said quietly to himself.

They traveled along the road and Bilbo’s thoughts turned to Arwen, whom they had just 3 days earlier left behind them at Rivendell. He thought on the death she had gone to, after Aragorn, then King Elessar’s, passing. She had gone to the grave of Lothlorien, having given up immortal life. Yet, such a choice was, ultimately, not her own to make. And while she had rested many years, her body had never decayed and in time, her mourning in death for Elessar’s own death had been completed and her body returned to the immortal life of the Elven kind. Yet still she had mourned. Still she had, from Rivendell to which she returned, shown sorrow for her lost one. Sorrow of a heart that could not mend. But, as there is a season and a time to all things, her heart had, finally, healed. And that, in fact, seemingly around the time of Bilbo and Radagast’s arrival at Rivendell. They had seen her in black the first day, other elves telling him she had dressed always as such since her rebirth, yet utterings of surprise when the next day she appeared in all the splendour she was once known for. It would seem an old friendly face, Bilbo’s own, had finally cheered her up. And she had returned, once more, and finally so, to the land of the living.

Bilbo spoke much to her and queried much of the history of the time of the War of the Ring, her having shared much information. She spoke to him, though, of other details, details that were relevant to his work of chronicling the events of the war of the Ring. He had, from Isengard, studied the manuscripts surviving from the Red book of Westmarch, to which he had contributed much of the material before leaving middle earth. Yet, later, he had again in his new youth rewritten down the accounts afresh, with the best of the memories of the fellowship also at his disposal. And then Arwen had mentioned that amongst the Tooks in the Shire existed, likely, the most complete stories of the war extant on middle earth. And so, although he felt his work likely now complete and suitable for the attentive eyes of the elven scribes of Valinor, he would finalise once and for all in Hobbiton with the Took families, the legend of ‘The Lord of the Rings.’

*   *   *   *   *

Gothmog, lord of the Balrogs, having been freed from the pit of despair by his lord Melkor, stood at the base of Angband restored, the fortress of his former captaincy under Melkor’s authority. Melkor, having arrived with the three Balrogs upon the back of the now flying Glaurung, having been brought back to life from the pit of despair, had departed him with Glaurung and the two other Balrogs for other affairs, not shared with Gothmog. His duty was simple, though – the restoration of Angband, which the Valar had destroyed. And as the months had passed, he had worked tirelessly in the rebuilding of the keep, a solitary worker beneath a barren sky. He had worked, sweated, and grown many callouses. Yet he had not tired. He had not tired until that very morning, when the final stones had been put in place, and the upper level completed, now towering high above Thangorodrim, almost as a tower touching the heavens. And now, for the moment, he would rest.

His duty now, until the return of Morgoth, was the gathering of orc-kind to Angband. He would, to accomplish this task, travel to the land of the east. It would be a long journey swimming the ancient ocean of Beleager to middle earth, but his dread form was capable of it. And from there he would travel to Mordor to seek beneath the mount of doom and its region, those ancient dead orcs, who would be restored to Morgoth's service. He felt Mordor the best of the places to seek the beginnings of the dread army of darkness, although other choices remained. Perhaps he would think of some other, yet for now Mordor, as Melkor had given him no directive on the issue, would suffice to bring the armies of dark to the life of the blood and death of their ancient enemies before them. They would, inevitably, bow the knee to Gothmog, and later Morgoth, and until his return would populate Angband and restore it to its former glories.

Perhaps, now so more than ever, Gothmog feared Morgoth. The power, now, within his dark lord was immense. As immense as the dark of night surrounding Arda. For in that dark power, he had raised Thangorodrim from the depths of Belegaer’s watery graves. He had raised, a score of leagues long and wide, the island of Thangorodrim, home to Angband. He had stood on the back of Glaurung, above the ocean of Belegaer, and had spoken ancient words. And from his body came forth darkness – a great, enormous and powerful darkness – the shadow of doom itself, which, in its evil omnipotence had sundered the waters surface, diving down, deep down below, to grab hold of the very foundations of the world, to raise forth, once more to the world above, the dread peaks of Thangorodrim.

Morgoth feared that hand, that shadow of the dark, having been so near to its presence, sensing a spirit of hatred and despair within it, ancient and devastating in its malevolent intent. He feared that hand and swore to himself that no matter what task Morgoth set him, he would faithfully undertake it, for otherwise the power he had felt – the power of absolute evil – could one dark and fateful day claim him to its malicious might.

And so, when rested, he would make final decisions of were to start his work, and await the returned of his beloved, yet feared, dreaded dark lord.

*   *   *   *   *

Morgoth stood in the heart of mount doom, upon the bridge overlooking the firey pit of lava below. Having left Gothmog at Angband to rebuild the fortress, and then Lungorthin and Grohlmor, the other two Balrogs, at Utumno to see to its restoration also, Melkor had flown on Glaurung to Mordor to Mt Doom. Like what he had gifted Glaurung with in the pit of torment, Melkor could intimately sense the realm of spirit and history – as if the two were fused as one in a pattern of the great music – and in the heart of Mt Doom he knew that such was the place were he would bring forth to new death in life, his former servant Sauron. And, yet, also another. A minor figure – a figure of no consequence – yet one who, perhaps, may one day come in useful.

The hand of doom reached down from Melkor, into the lava. It reached down and sought out spiritual particles, gathering them together, uniting them in a form – a form born of fire. And it undertook, also, the work on the minor form, far easier to complete. And, finally, a solitary small object.

The darkness knit blood and bone together – flesh and spirit – and then, work completed, it raised the two forms and the object up from the firey pit, to stand them before him. He took the object into his hand, and then, he touched one, and then the other of the figures, on the mouth, and spoke a single ancient word.

And then life came to be within the two figures.

The larger figure, Sauron, opened his eyes, and stared at Melkor. He stared with a hatred having, it seemed, grown even more malevolent. And Sauron spoke, saying one brutal word, ‘Vengeance.’

‘Come,’ said Melkor. ‘We have much to do.’ Sauron began following as he strode along the bridge outwards. Yet, he turned to see the other, small, miserable figure. And, looking at the object in his hand, a ring with elvish markings made visible from the heat, he tossed it to the small pathetic figure. ‘Here, cretin. Take this,’ spoke the dark lord. The figure took the ring and, with a glee as if rising from the dead, held it to the air and said two soulless words – ‘My precious.’

*   *   *   *   *

The music sparkled throughout Bag End, melodious trill after melodious trill and suddenly, without warning, Jando’s young cousin, Merridae, began singing with the voice of a Valar under inspiration, and Bag End came alive with Song. Jando played on the keyboard passionately as her cousin sang with all her heart and soul and the joyful melody played along in the hearts of nearby neighbours, used to such musical delight from the Baggins of Bag End.

Eventually, though, the song came to an end and Jando spoke joyously, ‘Oh well done, Merridae. So beautiful your voice has become.’
‘Why thank you, dear cousin. But how could I ever sing such joy without your masterly accompaniment.’
‘You are so sweet. Well, time is getting on, Merridae. Methinks the day has gotten the better of us and here we are, still not dressed for this evening’s revelries.’
‘Oh, we have time enough,’ responded Merridae. ‘There is still much sand in the hourglass by my reckoning.’
‘Yet have you given no thought to Master Took’s desires to dance with thee this evening?’ queried Jando to her young cousin. ‘I would have thought you would have liked to be early to wait upon his desires, for I know he likes thee.’
‘Like all gentlemanly hobbits, he can wait upon his lady. If his intentions are honourable and good he will gain the pleasure of my company soon enough.’
‘Ooo. The fair company of Maid Merridae. I am sure he is beside himself with anticipation,’ responded Jando, the tone of her loving sarcasm quite obvious to Merridae.
‘Well he had better be,’ responded Merridae quite dramatically, but with a subtle smile on her face, leading to both of them bursting out in laughter.
‘Well, enough with song. We had better get ourselves ready, for tonight we celebrate old one-eye Tooks birthday. Eleventy Seven, a grand old age if there ever was one,’ said Jando, to which the two of them made to their rooms.

Jando was in her room in bag end, in her undergarments, holding her nights dress to her front, looking in the mirror when suddenly, without warning, a face appeared in her window – a rather ancient looking hobbit. She screamed, ‘Peeping tom, peeping tom,’ and slammed the window in his face, closing the blinds. Merridae came running in to see what all the fuss was about, Jando explaining they had an unwelcome visitor. Just then the front door of Bag End resounded with a solid sharp series of knocks and Jando put on a cloak and Merridae accompanying her, went to see what all the fuss was about.

She opened the door and, standing in front of her, the peeping tom of a hobbit and an old looking human. The hobbit smiled warmly at her, came forward and gave her a hug, and bustled his way into Bag End, coming into the main living room. Jando just looked on, completely and utterly amazed, a look of bewilderment upon her face. She followed the hobbit into the living room, and the elderly human with the pointed hat came in following them.

‘Home. Bag End. Home at last. Thank the maker.’ Bilbo spoke those words, looking adoringly and affectionately at his home, and turned to look at Jando. ‘And are you a Baggins?’ he asked her.
Jando looked at him, and suddenly became furious at the intrusion. Just who was this stranger to come bustling and charging in as if he owned the place.
‘Yes, of course I am a Baggins. Bag end has long been in Baggins hands.’
‘Oh, that is good news.’
Radagast spoke up. ‘I think, Bilbo, a little introduction might put the ladies worries to rest.’
‘Oh, yes of course. I was forgetting myself.’ He turned to Jando. ‘I, dear lady Baggins, am Bilbo Baggins. I once resided here many long years ago.’
Jando looked at him, instantly puzzled and turned her head, looking at Merridae. She returned her gaze to Bilbo. ‘The only Bilbo Baggins who ever lived here, a great uncle of mine, left for the grey havens to live with the elves centuries ago. And unless you are claiming to be him, then I know of no other Bilbo Baggins who has resided here.’
‘One in the same,’ responded Bilbo. ‘Oh my. Is that my grandfather clock,’ he said, walking over to the clock against the wall. Jando looked at him, quietly puzzled over his claim to be her great uncle Bilbo. Perhaps the old hobbit was just turning senile, but he looked harmless enough.
‘Look, Bilbo. If that is your name. I am the housemaster of Bag End now. It was left to me in the will of my parents who are unfortunately gone from us, so if you are trying to claim ownership, well you would need to be quite persuasive.’
‘Oh, I am not trying to cheat you out of your inheritance, dear neice. I have come for a visit. To touch bases with home.’
Merridae spoke up, amused somewhat by this bustling character. ‘If you really are Bilbo Baggins, you should know this. What is the inscription on the inner lid of the stove. The inscription of the maker. The stove has been in the family for generations, so you should know that.’
Jando turned from looking at Merridae to Bilbo. ‘Yes, dear uncle. What is the inscription.’
Bilbo smiled. ‘Why BB, for Balbo Baggins. Who else.’
Jando turned to look at Merridae, who raised her eyebrows in amusement. ‘Well he got that right,’ said Jando to Merridae.
‘Of course I am Bilbo Baggins,’ responded Bilbo. I have been with the elves for many a long year, drinking from the elixir of life. And time has come for me to see home at last. To see what has become of Hobbiton and the Shire.’
‘Yes, I know of the ancient stories. I have read them myself,’ responded Jando.
‘Which is the reason for my visit,’ responded Bilbo, opening his sack and bringing out his manuscript for ‘The Lord of the Ring’s’. I have come to complete my work. To finalise once and for all the saga of the ‘Lord of the Rings.’ He handed the text to Jando, saying, come. Take a look. You will soon see the truthfulness of my claim. Jando looked at the old hobbit and, silently wondering to herself if he was indeed her ancient uncle, took the leather-bound manuscript and opened it up.
‘Do you speak the elven tongue,’ Bilbo asked Jando.
‘A little,’ she replied.
‘Then read on.’
Jando again looked at Bilbo, a soft look of affection towards this old hobbit, and sat down. Merridae spoke up.
‘Well, dear Bilbo. And you,’ she said turning to Radagast. ‘Would you like some tea?’
Radagast nodded, taking a seat. ‘That would be wonderful dear hobbit. And what may I ask are your names?’
‘I am Merridae. And this is my cousin Jando. We live here in Bag End. Baggins, the both of us.’
Radagast nodded, smiling happily at his new acquaintances. ‘I am Radagast. Radagast the Brown. It is a pleasure to meet you miss Merridae.’
‘The pleasure is all mine,’ responded Merridae. ‘Well I will get that tea,’ she said and made her way to the kitchen.

Jando was seated next to Bilbo, who was warming himself at the fire, turning page after page in the fascinating text. Eventually she spoke. ‘Yes, these are the old legends, Bilbo. I read them in my youth.’
‘Your youth,’ queried Bilbo, noting she seemed not older than 30.
‘Well, in my teens.’
She looked at him and the Radagast fellow. ‘Well, if you really are Bilbo Baggins, welcome home. I am sure many in the Shire will want to meet and talk with you.’
‘That is the idea,’ responded Bilbo. ‘You know, there are others who still live. My dear young nephew Frodo, the hero of this chronicle. He himself has also partaken of the elixir, amongst others.’
Jando nodded, turning again to the text. ‘It is a most unexpected homecoming, dear Bilbo.’
‘But a long awaited one, Jando,’ said Bilbo, placing his hand affectionately on her knee. ‘A long awaited one.’

The four of them talked much longer, into the deep of the evening, the Baggins ladies foregoing that nights celebrations. And as Jando drifted to sleep that night, her guests staying in the guest quarters, she wondered to herself just what the next few days would hold for herself and young Merridae.

*   *   *   *   *

‘The reason,’ began Elrond, after much thought as to the words he should speak with his friend Gandalf. ‘The reason the Valar have removed themselves to the realm of the sky, is that they await the final confrontations and wish to leave the transpiring of the events on middle earth in the hands of its earthborn inhabitants until the time is necessary for their intervention. I am afraid, Gandalf, that Morgoth and his legions will be our responsibility to combat and defeat in the meantime.’
‘And this is Mandos’ decision on behalf of the Valar, is it? To remain impartial and let the sufferings of elves, dwarves and men no longer concern them?’
‘You should know well dear Gandalf that the ways of the Valar are often difficult to discern at the best of times. They are often very ‘other’ to us Elves, strange and reclusive in their behaviour. Almost as if they are aware of things to do with the mystical in life, things divine and of Eru’s unknowable ways. Things beyond the revelations we elves have yet encountered.’
Gandalf sat down on a marble chair inside an upper room of one of the higher towers of the Palace of Manwe, contemplating Elrond’s words. Elrond had just returned from Valinor, accompanied by a small group of elder Elves. War was coming, as Elrond knew it, and forces were marshalling. For Elrond of elvenkind the assistance of Gandalf the White was of dire necessity to face the oncoming darkness and, gazing at his old and dear friend, he too felt the worries and concerns shown on that ancient wrinkled brow.
‘Then we shall do what we shall do,’ stated Gandalf resolutely. ‘Middle earth has beforetimes struggled without the help of the Valar, and come through in triumph. We will succeed again.’
‘About Bilbo,’ began Elrond. ‘Please, don’t be too hard on our hobbit friend. He is dear to us elves and learning the ways of your arts can not be too great an imposition can it?’
‘The magical arts are not for the likes of Bilbo Baggins,’ said Gandalf gruffly. ‘Radagast has always had a rebellious streak. Why he is third in the order. I will sort that out.’
‘Dare I say it, master Gandalf, that Bilbo might become the unlikeliest of heroes just when we need it most. Things like that have an uncanny sense of happening in middle earth.’
Gandalf looked at Elrond with firm eyes, but softened. ‘Yes, yes they do. But woe is me if it comes down to the magical abilities of Bilbo Baggins.’
Elrond smiled. That would be quite ironic, indeed.
‘So when is the leave-taking, and who travels?’
‘The fellowship, as it once was. We are to Hobbiton, were I feel we will find Radagast and Bilbo. And then to Rohan and Eriador and Gondor. The kingdoms of men must be prepared now, sooner than later. And then to the dwarves, who Gimli will speak to on our behalf. This dread war, a war I fear will end our age, will call on all of us yet again. Yet, I sense something. A calmer time coming beyond the darkness. A new age yet again, yet a calmer age. An age of grace.’
‘Let us hope that such it will be, Gandalf. Let us hope.’
Gandalf gathered up his hat and staff, and came over to Elrond, putting his hands on his shoulders. ‘We will be back before we have even gone, Elrond. And I know you will be ready. And should the Valar by that time have roused themselves, well destiny can only be good to us. Good day to thee.’
‘Fare well Gandalf. Till we see once more.’
The wizard tipped his hat and left off to rejoin the fellowship. And Elrond, taking a seat by the window, gazed out into the forest, thinking of dark things, dark lords, and dark choices which yet lay ahead. Very dark choices.

*   *   *   *   *

Merridae awoke to the morning sun streaming gentle rays through her window, enshrouding her with glory. She laid there, looking at the light, thinking over her new visitors, wondering wether or not they really, in truth, were what they claimed. Indeed, it seemed quite strange to really believe it was her lost ancient uncle. But she too knew the legends and such things with the elves were always possible she guessed to herself. It would be wonderful, she thought to herself, to have been living all that time, lost in the world of the elves, singing beautifully, living so gracefully, walking in harmony with nature and all that is. It would be so wonderful. She thought on her passed mother who had taught her all of the elves and their magical ways and remembered back to those tales of youth of splendid Rivendell and otherland cities and places belonging to the elder people. It would really be so wonderful.

She looked at the old clock against the wall. Time to rise, to prepare the morning meal, and feed her guests.

Coming into the main room she found Bilbo curled up in front of the fireplace, his writings clutched to his chest, snoring peacefully. Looking at the old hobbit she felt she did indeed notice a resemblance. If he was Bilbo Baggins then she really must make him welcome. And if he wanted to reside here in Bag End, something he had so far denied, but if he really did then perhaps she should make way for her old uncle. She let him be and went to the kitchen to stoke the fire. Perhaps much fried bacon and eggs and some Lamas bread for breakfast. And some fresh apple juice. That should be a perfect breakfast.

Half an hour later, a pile of bacon in cut strips on the table, some buttered lamas bread, 2 large pitchers of fresh apple juice and a dozen fried eggs, Radagast came into the room, still yawning and wiping his eyes.
‘Good morning to you fair maiden. It appears as if we have a splendid breakfast before us. You are so gracious.’
‘You can go raise Bilbo if you like. I am sure he is famished after your long journey.’
Radagast stood staring at the food, his mouth watering, and then nodded, ‘Oh, of course, and left to get Bilbo. No sooner had Radagast left than Jando entered, smiling at her cousin. ‘Uncle Bilbo is yawning madly, Meri.’
‘No surprise at his great age,’ responded Merridae. No sooner had she spoken then Bilbo came into the room, Radagast following. Bilbo came to the table, looked at the bacon and said, ‘Yum, bacon,’ pinching a piece. Merridae made as to swipe at him, but he pinched it before she could refuse him. ‘Shall we sit?’ asked Merridae. In response the four of them took seats at the table and began their morning breakfast.

Taking a drink of juice, Merridae looked at Bilbo. ‘So, uncle, what exactly have you been doing all these long years? You must have quite a tale to tell.’
Bilbo finished off a mouthful and began, ‘Why, busily about the affairs of an elderly hobbit. What else?’ he said, with a tone of humour she was beginning to get used to. ‘What is it like? In Valinor, I mean,’ asked Jando.
‘Much like Rivendell. Have you been?’ asked Bilbo.
‘Not yet,’ said Jando. ‘But I would like to.’
‘Then we must take you,’ said Bilbo. ‘We must certainly do that young neice.’
Radagast spoke up. ‘Your uncle has been learning the arts of magic, under my tutelage. He persisted in such an endeavour in asking it of me, so I finally succumbed. He has talent, if not great wisdom.’
‘Very funny,’ said Bilbo, and Radagast smiled at him.
‘So you’re a wizard, uncle Bilbo.’
‘Perhaps. One day, perhaps. Suffice to say I am learning and we will leave it at that.’
‘Very good,’ said Jando.
‘So, are there still Tooks in Hobbiton?’
Jando looked at Merridae. ‘He asks of the Tooks. Fancy that.’
Merridae would not bite. ‘Yes, there are still Tooks in Hobbiton, uncle,’ responded Merridae.’
‘Then we must visit them shortly. For such is a large reason for my visit. Oh, for yourself of course. And the rest of the Bagginses.’
Jando began slowly. ‘Unfortunately there are not a great deal of us Bagginses left. Oh, the Shire has a certain number, but we have dwindled. I know not why, but it as if some power has caused us to leave of in our children in a significant way. It is quite a concern to the family at the moment.’
Bilbo looked concerned. ‘Well, young neice. You must soon marry and rectify such a situation. We Bagginses must continue, it is a high priority.’
‘Marry another Baggins? A little unusual.’
‘Not without precedent, dear neice. The family name is important. We have a strong reputation in the Shire, and it would be best for it to continue.’
‘I will take that into account,’ responded Jando. ‘And I am sure Merridae will do her best to bring forth the children you desire.’ Merridae looked embarrassed, but nodded.

After they had finished their meal Jando asked if they would like to hear some music, and Bilbo smiled at them.

That morning the music came forth merrily from Bag End, and Hobbiton sensed something different was in the air. As if an old face had returned, and was about to announce its presence. A long unexpected presence.

Chapter Three

‘Uncle Bilbo’s Machinations’

Gollum was a hobbit, of sorts. An ancient hobbit of preternaturally long life. Reborn, anew, from the fires of destruction, from the fires of Mt Doom, his coveted prize of glory was once more in his possession. Poor old Gollum. Hobbitdom’s rejected child, cast asunder from his world for the murder of dear old Deagol. He didn’t reject hobbits because of that. Despite the hate which had been there for so long, cast aside, into the nether regions of the world, a lost and lonely, tortured soul, the bane of dwarves and men, the ridicule of his own kind. No, he didn’t hate them. But how could he really ever love them again. For all his struggles, how could he ever forgive them. But, sleeping in the heart of Orthanc rebuilt, down in the underworld basements, were Goblins gave him food, and looked to his needs, and the dark one, Sauron, visiting him once each evening to speak of horrible things, things once more of doom to plague middle earth’s desired salvation, Gollum, a wretched creature, looked into his heart, and looked daily at the one ring which he cradled in his palms, and a soft voice, a gentle voice, the voice of the father of time spoke to him. In the evenings, when an elf, chained in the cell opposite him, sang laments, heartaches of a free spirit longing for his beloved, Gollum, a creature devoid of compassion, a creature devoid of joy, a creature devoid of love, for all things but his blessed ‘Precious’, took pity. He listened to the elven song, and thought. Long and hard he thought, and as the dark lord of evil spoke his diabolical will upon the children of middle earth, speaking of his plans, speaking of his glory, Gollum looked deep into the heart of the one ring and now, finally, his precious eternally his, the heart of Eru Illuvatar, the Father of time, changed Gollum’s heart. And he took pity, and he resonated with the laments of the elf, and he saw anew just what fate, just what destiny, just what glory should behold the heart of a murderer like him. And the One Ring sang in his palms, and glowed brightly, and Gollum was anew.

*   *   *   *   *

Merridae had not known a hobbit, in the intimate way. A virgin child, sure and true, she’d dared not even kiss a child of the Shire, for her raising had been strict. Uncle Bilbo, though, seemed a character of extraordinary eccentricities in many ways, from his ramblings of his adventures, he penchant for magic, and his gentle wit and calm demeanour, yet, one thing became also quite apparent in this relic of the shire. He was a family man, of no great uncertainty to herself now, for the quiet hints of heirs and lineage had been made clear to Merridae and the finding of a man for the family name, at this present moment, something of a priority. She looked into the mirror that morning, gazing at the somewhat attractive face, the somewhat attractive figure, the somewhat congenial personality she knew in truth to possess and wondered to herself why it had to take the persuasions of a long forgotten hobbit uncle to finally get her motivated.

Jando came in momentarily, yawning, her hair a mess, and gawked at her. ‘You are up early, dear cousin. Why such, may I ask, a concerned look?’
‘Jando. Are we, you know. Getting too old? Are we becoming, dare I fearfully say, old maids?’
‘Hardly,’ she said, and went to the sink. She seemed, though, to be thinking on that idea. ‘I suppose I know what you are saying. Here we are, pretty hobbits, but past 30 and still no mates. It has been a concern, since my coming of age, naturally. But things some times take time, Merri. Life works in mysterious ways. Like uncle Bilbo suddenly appearing. I don’t know how to say it, but it is like a new lease of life has come over Bag End. Like an unexpected presence has finally returned.’
Merridae looked at her cousin, and turned to look into the mirror. ‘I have noticed that. Like Bag End has an old friend restored to her. Like she is happy once more.’
‘At peace, perhaps,’ responded Jando.
‘Perhaps,’ finished Merridae.

The two of them went about their lady business, and when Bilbo greeted them that morning, ready for a proper introduction to the community of Hobbiton that evening after some surprising introductions at the Tooks the prior night, all seemed suddenly well in the world. All seemed suddenly good. And once more devouring bacon, Bilbo smiled at them, and winked, and the two Baggins cousins eyed each other, for something was quite apparently on the old foxes mind.

* * * * *

Gothmog stood on the top of Isengard restored, and looked down at the mad and wild orc slavery going on below. The dead – resurrected – brought to life, fowl and decrepit life, once more. He felt it, even now, the dark power in his body, raising them through Morgoth's strength endowed into himself and his own dark evil.

He raised his hands again and again, urging them on, and they cheered vile cheers up at their new dark lord as they went about their task.

'Wormtonuge,' spoke Grima. 'You dead carcass still reaks, albeit quite pleasantly. I take it you perfume your foul wretchedness.'
'Only to please my lords,' said Grima, watching the activity. 'Shall the Lord Melkor be arriving soon?'
'He is in Mordor,' said the dark Lord. 'Gathering the forces. We battle in Eriador, on the shores, where we shall marshall 3 months hence. We have commited an act of honour and sent note to the powers of middle earth who are indeed now aware of our presence. They shall fall into slavery beneath us should we prove victorious in Eriador by their own oath, or we shall wreak havoc upon havoc upon their innocents.'
'They would agree to such a covenant?' inquired Wormtonuge.
'Elves are weak. Men more so. They will not risk their loved ones to the fate we should rightly bestow.'
'Then your wisdom is supreme,' said Wormtongue.
'Melkor's wisdom is supreme,' commented Gothmog and raised his arms once more.
'Yes. Melkor is supreme,' said Wormtongue, gazing down upon the madness.

'And Middle earth shall feel our wrath,' finished Gothmog, as the bowels of Isengard turned again, unleashing even more of the pitisome and loathsome creatures.

* * * * *

'Here we are,' said Samwise. 'The Grey Havens.'
'Has it been so long,' said Frodo, looking over the once familiar landscape. 'And the shire, just a little further.'
A misty look came over Samwise Gamgee's eyes. 'How to see her one last time.'
'One last time?' queried Frodo. 'The elixir has not failed us yet.'
'Nor shall it,' stated Legolas. 'It is of the Valar. It will work eternal its beneficience.'
'I am not sure it is the Elixir which worries me,' said Sam. 'I fear darker things may claim our fellowship in this final hour.'
Frodo put his hand on Samwise's shoulder. 'Good friend. Loyal Sam. We have been through dark things before. Fret not. I fear even Eru Illuvatar would not wish more evil upon us.'
Samwise looked at his friend. 'If you believe in such a being.'
'I do,' said Frodo. 'We are from somewhere, ultimately. Not from chaos. Not from nothing.'
'Eru Illuvatar crafted all Samwise Gamgee,' said Legolas. 'It is from where we elves were born, and we have deep memories.'
Yet Samwise said nought.

Saruman spoke up. 'Is it to the shire, then, that we travel? Perhaps we should be seeing ourselves to Gondor in a time as this.'
'And why would you suggest that?' asked Samwise accusingly.
'Master Samwise. The Saruman you see now is not what he was. Even one who has known the presence of Eru Illuvatar and turned his back can, ultimately, redeem himself. I am not who I was.'
Samwise softened. He had seen something of that Saruman in the past few weeks. A different wizard. An older wizard, in many ways. Not so forlorn in hope of good things, for which Samwise trusted his heart to act upon and swear by.

'We shall go to the shire,' said Gimli. 'To reclaim the affections of Bilbo. And then to Rivendell as we planned. For they will have the knowledge we need for this impending encounter we are surely headed for.

'They are gathering,' said Samwise to Saruman. 'In Isengard. The elders here made that apparent.'
'I dwell there only in memory,' said Saruman.
'Yet it is your home,' said Samwise.
'And it shall be once more. But not for the purposes of Melkor.'
The group went silent and looked at Saruman. That seemed enough said of that particular name.

'How are the forces of middle earth?' Frodo asked Saruman. 'Is their strength still in them.'
'They are not what they were. But neither is our enemy. This final battle is the testing. The final testing, I perchance suspect.'
But Legolas looked grimly forward, for he knew that not true.

'To the shire,' said Frodo.
'To the shire,' responded the Fellowship.

* * * * *

'Yet Aradorn was infertile,' continued Gandalf. 'It is not known to the common man, and rarely a courtisan of Gondor is privileged to such news, yet he was in truth unable to bear.'
'Yet Galdra was raised,' said Bilbo. 'Who fathered him?' queried the hobbit in the front room of Bag End, smoke rife in the air, Radagast enjoying his roast chicken, Jando and Merridae happily knitting by the fireplace, listening intently.
'Galdra is a consequence of history, in the most unlikely of ways, rectifying itself, would seem to me,' replied Gandalf.
'You could say that,' said Radagast,' and burped.
'The love of Eowyn to Aragorn was well known. Yet Arwen claimed his heart. Yet not completely his soul.'
Bilbo's ears were attentive as Gandalf continued his story.
'She sired Aragorn a child, who was taken into my own steadfast protection, and who strode the northlands many years, alike his father, yet never knowing him.'
'Eowyn and Aragorn had a child? By the maker,' said Bilbo in amazement.
'And later on, I spake with Aradorn and told him of Galdra, who was descended through Eowyn from Aragorn, and they chose in secrecy the redemption of the house of Gondor through Eowyn.'
'Then King Araborn is of Eowyn!' stated Bilbo in certain terms.
'Indeed the child is,' responded Gandalf. And he looked at Bilbo. 'And more besides, Bilbo Baggins. But you will see that in time to come I am sure.'
Bilbo looked quizzically at Gandalf, but did not query further.

'They will be here soon, won't they,' said Radagast.
'Again,' who will be here soon,' interjected Jando. 'You keep speaking of these special guests yet you name them not. What, are we to be apprehended with yet more famed Baggins of days past?'
And Bilbo looked at Gandalf, who smiled, and bowed softly to Jando. 'In the fullness of time, Jando Baggins.'
'Do you have any more raisin cakes?' asked Bilbo. 'I've eaten the lot.'
'You eat well for an ancient,' said Merridae, eyeing her indeed ancient uncle. 'Are you sure you really are as old as you say?'
'I would profer,' said Gandalf. 'It is Bilbo's admiration of fine Baggins cuisine which inspires him to his acts of digestion.'
'Better than any Tooks,' said Bilbo, from the corner of his mouth, and Radagast chuckled at the comment.
'Tea would also be pleasing,' said Gandalf politely,' and Jando and Merridae rose and hastened to the kitchen.

'Lovely, aren't they,' said Bilbo proudly. 'No finer and prettier Baggins I've ever laid eyes on.'
'Their looks speak nothing of their manners,' responded Gandalf. 'I am duly impressed Bilbo.'
'So you should be,' responded the old hobbit.

Gandalf puffed on his pipe and Bilbo sipped on his tea and Radagast had laid back in his armchair, happily digesting the chicken. Bilbo, though, was smirking to himself softly, something the wizard had noted this last day and a half.
'Bilbo Baggins. Sometimes I feel I know you better than I know myself. What is that mischevious look in your eye. You are planning something, I sense. Something you are not sharing with us.'
'The machinations of Bilbo Baggins,' stated Bilbo,' are not always known to the wisdom of Master Gandalf. Indeed he may be of the Maiar and gifted with powers and abilities I have yet to even dream of, but you can't read my mind yet you old duffer.'
'Bilbo Baggins,' reacted Gandalf.
'Oh, sorry,' said Bilbo, and produced a raisin cake magically from his sleeve and continued munching away.
'Do you know, Radagast, of this hobbits, of what I can be sure to be afraid of, most intemperate fantasies. He has been giggling like a youth all morning.'
'Oh, I wouldn't worry about Bilbo,' said Radagast. 'Let the old fool have his fun. He's not getting any younger you know.'
'Nor are any of us,' said Gandalf in a serious tone, eyeing the happy Bilbo.
'Oh, I shall not have you interfere Gandalf,' said Bilbo. 'Off on adventures straight away, with no time for real life and important things.'
'What important things?' demanded Gandalf.
'Baggins things!' exclaimed Bilbo, and munched again on his raisin cake in defiance, and again started giggling.
'Mmm,' said Gandalf, puffing on his pipe, his eyes fixed firmly on the most animated old halfling.

* * * * *

Bilbo was at the front window of Bag End all the following morning, looking out from time to time, waiting on his friends. Gandalf was firmly entrenched in an armchair, reading through various tomes he had brought with him, while Radagast was still in bed, snoozing happily, the two female hobbits sitting in the kitchen, slowly tending the cooking of lunch. Jando and Merridae were not workers in Hobbiton, by any occupation, and as inheritors of Bag End they'd been fortunately left with a sizeable income apart from the property itself. Yet both taught music to many of the Hobbits of the Shire, from which an adequate income was gained, and they were considered perhaps the Shire's finest pianists, known for the concerts held from time to time in Hobbiton Town Hall.

And then, just before noon, he spied them. Coming along up the road, headed direct for Bag End. The fellowship.

'Merridae, Jando!' yelled Bilbo immediately. 'Come here you two.' The fair ladies soon presented themselves, concerned for the sudden outburst of their uncle. Gandalf looked on with amusement.
'Now, straight down to the mill, and return hastily with some flour.'
'We have ample,' said Jando puzzled.
Bilbo took out some coinage, pressed it into the ladies hands, and repeated himself. 'Go – now. That is your uncles order.'
'As you wish,' said Merridae and the girls,' puzzled, took their coats, and exited Bag End.

Bilbo made it straight for the door.

Just the moment earlier Frodo and Samwise headed the fellowship and they came up to the front of Bag End.
'It's hardly changed,' said Frodo.
'Hobbiton has hardly changed,' said Samwise.
'Then we are most fortunate,' responded Frodo, and put his hand affectionately on Samwise's shoulder.

Just then the two lady hobbits came out of Bag End, looked briefly at their guests, but seeing Bilbo shooing them on, curtsied and continued on their way.

Yet Frodo had noticed Jando immediately. Very much noticed her.
And Samwise had not been shy in his observation of the person of Merridae Baggins.

'Who where they?' asked Samwise.
'Guests, I guess,' responded Frodo, but his eyes wandered after them.

They turned, and noticed Bilbo in the window, gawking at the two of them.
'Its Bilbo,' said Frodo, full of joy.

'Come, let us find rest, for we are home,' said Frodo to the fellowship trailing and, Bilbo at the door suddenly, opening it wide, he hugged Frodo and nodded to Legolas and the remainder, and the fellowship, once more, found itself in Bag End, a suspicious looking Grey Wizard very carefully eyeing of a guilty looking Bilbo Baggins.

* * * * *

'The Father of Time,' began Gandalf slowly, to his audience in Bag End, the gathered fellowship and Jando and Merridae, 'is the father of all that came before and all that comes afterwards. But, most of all, he is the father of all that happens right here and now. In this time we have, in this short time, so fleeting, in which we live our lives and make our proud boasts of adventure and daring, we strive to live a life, for most honest citizens of Middle Earth, in a way of merit. In a way of goodness and kindness, which it would seem is so inherent in the way we live. The gentle kiss of a mother to her child, the hand of a father on his son, the kiss of wife to husband. All of this is love and all of it is expressed in our living and our being alive, here in time. Here and now. Every decision we make is here and now. Yet the father of time watches over all our past choices and he remembers them all, and in the future ahead he is there, in his caring, in his benevolence, shaping it for us, surely and only for our good. There are those, those who challenged the might of Eru, who did not understand him, in rightness. In his glory, as one might say. The creator of things, the creator of life, surely we wizards say, knew all things in most ways. All knowledge. All understanding. And in the life he gave us he gave us goodness and kindness to guide us. But not without challenge. For in the making of our lives, and in treading down this time before us, he has challenged us, like in the past, for reasons of his wisdom.'
'And what is that wisdom?' asked Samwise. 'Play things for his entertainment?'
'Who can rightly say,' interjected Radagast. 'Perhaps even for our own. Perhaps all this evil before us is only there to strengthen us in the end. To teach us those good things. Those right things against those wrong things.'
'As Radagast must rightly say. It is the making of us, Samwise. Bilbo's book. Those adventures. Those tales of bravery and foolishness, of wisdom and honour. In such books we find meaning yet, while life has its beautiful pleasantness, perhaps....'
'Go on,' said Frodo.
'Perhaps without adversary there is no testing of us. No challenge to our life to make us what we may need to be. To make us what we have to be,' finished Gandalf.
'I don't think I need to destroy a ring for it to be the making of me,' said Samwise.
'But perhaps I did,' said Frodo softly.

'Melkor serves his own evil,' said Gandalf. 'But even in that evil, goodness contrasts and is shown so much more clearly and beautifully for the virtue it truly is. And the Father of Time, who goes before each and everyone of us, surely does not put us to a testing beyond our abilities to cope with. It is for goodness that evil comes forth, as wrong and as utterly ridiculous as that might sound.'
'What's life without a little bit of adventure,' said Bilbo comically, and the fellowship laughed in response.

'Whatever trials may come,' continued Gandalf,'we can know this. Eru already knows, and this destiny, this fate, we follow to the end, written in legends and prophecies in days gone from us, is for our ultimate good. And because of that we can be confident we will prevail.'

'If he even exists at all,' said Samwise, and stood and left the room.

Merridae looked after Samwise as he left and Gandalf nodded to her that she should go after him.

'I do believe in God,' said Frodo.
'Aye. I think, in the end,' said Gimli. 'Only God could have made female dwarves. For no accident of nature could be responsible for such abominations.' And the group burst out laughing on Gimli's joke.

'Eru watches over us and guides us and we may intercede to him for assistance,' said Legolas. 'Yet we choose our words carefully, for he is a great being, and worthy of our respect.'

'And our love,' said Jando suddenly, and the eyes of the fellowship fell upon her.

'In a time like this, in this greatest of challenges, we may indeed need to call on the benevolence of Eru Illuvatar dear Legolas, for I fear this evil will be greater than that gone before. Perhaps never the like to be seen again,' said Gandalf.

'Then we shall pray,' said Frodo solemnly, and the fellowship fell quietly upon his words.

In the kitchen Merridae had seated herself next to Samwise who was sipping on an ale he had poured himself, sitting their quietly, waiting upon him.
'Do you not believe?' she asked him softly.
'It's not that,' said Samwise. 'It's wether I trust. That he even cares. That being, that spirit. Probably there, I guess. But it is above these things. These mundane matters. They don't bother him. We are like little bugs, which entertain him. Nothing more.'
'But surely God loves us,' responded Merridae.
And Samwise turned and looked into the eyes of the fair maiden Baggins, and nodded softly despite himself.
'I guess so. If you say so Merridae. If you say so.'
And she put her hand on his shoulder, and she pursed her lips and said, 'Be brave master Gamgee. Be brave.'
And he touched her hand lightly, and nodded softly in reply.

The End for Now

Thanking for every John Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien

Daniel Daly

unread,

Jan 17, 2014, 9:34:42 PM1/17/14

Monotheistic Interfaith

Mastering the Walk

Are you still at it? Getting it right I trust? Go Masterers.

Here is some of my fanfiction of Hugh Cook. Hugh died just a few years back, so his 10 volume epic becomes public domain within 70 years. Till then fanfiction is generally acceptable by society these days (there are lots of people doing it) so this is fanfiction of my own, which I open up to ye masterers to develop the chronology of this particular Olo Malan universe, and write their own fanfiction at their inspiration. Do me proud, and Hugh too.

Chronicles of an Age of Darkness:
Volume 11

“The Wyvvern and the Warlock”
The Concise Version

By
Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

Copyright 6177 SC

Dedicated to Hugh Cook
Creator of the Chronicles of an Age of Darkness World and Author of Volumes 1 to 10

Day Suet had always fancied herself a maiden of quite serene and noble beauty. But of the host of maidens on the land of Sung that was not really saying that much. Sung was a backwater land, just offshore the continent of Argan which had become beset with wild beasts, known as the swarms, since the breaking of a certain barrier on the south of the continent. Day rarely gave thought to the concerns of the continent of Argan, so caught up in her beauty and maidenhood, which was a shame really. Because the questing hero, Togura Poulaan, her beloved was currently running as fast as he verily could away from the clutches of one of the said wild beasts, intent on reaching the safety of a certain bottle which was in the possession of a befriended wizard who was currently in the form of a giant eagle, doing its very beast to persuade an unpersuadable monster from deferring its hunger to find a more suitable appetizer than the scrawny and most definitely undelicious Togura.

‘Get the hell down here Kalphor,’ yelled the much distressed Togura to the giant eagle which was still attacking the three headed beast, having successfully pecked out 3 of its 9 eyes so far. The beast was enraged and currently preoccupied with the eagle, so much so that Togura had safely climbed a large pine tree and was signalling for the wizard to come down so he could board the bottle to safety and the eagle could fly away to a safer place. The particular bottle in question was modelled on another set of bottles, but this one was smaller, a dark bluey green in colour and on the vast interior, not quite as large overall as its predecessors had been. It was rumoured that these bottles, which had recently been claiming fame somewhat, were of a series of 7 special bottles used by an ancient kingdom in its wars for retreating soldiers. But that was a matter of speculation, as nobody on Sung really knew were the bottles had originated, and when Kalphor, a cousin of a wizard called Phyphor, had arrived with the bottle to Togura Poulaan’s address, seeking an audience with the challenger to the Odex with a plan for storing all the potential goods of the Odex in the bottle, with Togura’s assistance, Togura, while he had dismissed such an idea, had marvelled at the bottle and persuaded Kalphor to accompany him on a quest to pillage the abandoned treasures of the halls of Argan and store any treasures they happened upon in the said bottle.

Naturally, Kalphor had been reluctant. But greed was always a good motivation for a wizard who often lived on a shoestring. And armed with Togura’s definite and proud self belief and whatever wizardries the wizard could muster, they had set forth from Sung, Togura having kissed farewell his beloved Day Suet, and made the way towards Argan.

They had landed on the north-western shore of Argan and, carefully hiding from the beasts, the wizard in the form of a giant eagle, carrying the bottle in a brown satchel around its neck were Togura lived happily while they flew from keep to keep and town to town, they’d had many dark encounters but, so far, escaped harm. That was until this very moment when the questing hero, very concerned with the fate of his skin and trying to avoid the gaze of the beast, was signalling to the wizard to ‘get the hell down here.’ Fortunately the eagle obeyed the request and, gathering Togura in its claws, flew high up to the thickest part of the forest they were in and, resting on a branch, gave the satchel to Togura who took the bottle, and holding the pendant around his neck with a diamond on it, which for this particular bottle was the key to entering it, pushed the diamond while clutching onto the eagle wizard and saying the spell, quickly disappeared into a bluey green smokey substance which entered the head of the bottle.

A short while later, emptying the sack he had with him of their latest finds into the corner of the main upper sanctuary of the bottle, Togura announced to the wizard that, with the finds they had been successful in uncovering, they could perhaps now think of returning home to Sung to spend their fortune.
‘Methinks you speak wisely, Togura. But I have a plan,’ objected Kalphor.
‘A plan? Speak on. If it is to bring wealth I won’t object greatly. But we are wealthy now, Kalphor, and I don’t like the idea of facing too many more quests in my life for fortune or rescuing fair maidens, even ones as lovely as Day Suet.’
‘Yet this plan of mine, well, if we are able to make use of a certain resource we may perchance have available to us, the whole of the continent of Argan could be available to us for plunder without always having to risk ourselves in the fights with these demons from hell.’
‘Then what is this plan, Kally. Don’t keep it to yourself. Speak on.’
‘I know of a Warlock. A Warlock who owes me a life debt, fortunately enough. You see, he was held prisoner in this very bottle for over 1000 years and, upon me rescuing him from the bottle, he pledged to me that should I ever need his services, he would be available for even the most daring of quests.’
‘And how does that help us,’ asked Togura, now interested.
‘This Wizard was trained in the Cold West and has particular powers. Powers over the psyche of Wyvvern’s. Powers to make them do his will, for he has drunk much of their blood and knows them intimately. In fact, so he has told me, he has the power to summon several dozen Wyvvern’s to his service if he needs to.’
‘And the plan?’
‘We call in this life debt, travel to the Cold West, gain the services of our Warlock and recruit a dozen or so Wyvvern’s. With them as our fighting prowess we can quite certainly raid all the riches of Argan and become wealthy beyond even our wildest dreams.’
Togura, having listened intently, liked the idea. In fact he loved the idea and saw it, should they prove successful, as paving the way for him to become the next Baron Poulaan. Nay, with the money and the foreign mercenary hire he could afford with the wealth of Argan, he could verily challenge the supremacy of the Khmar himself. But ruling from Sung? Perhaps he could travel to a more suitable place. The Ravlish Lands. Parengarenga. Even the great eastern continent of Margenna were heroes were a dime a dozen, or so he had been taught from his youth, not really knowing how much value there was in a dime.

So, thus agreeing to the wisdom of Kalphor on this particular plan, Togura picked up a bottle of wine, toasted Kalphor to their inevitable success, and dreamed of the riches which would surely soon be his.

* * *

Blaz Durass was not exactly what you would call a competent Warlock. In fact, recalling his earlier days under the tutelage of Sarge Bramenday, one of the more highly respectable of the wizards of the Cold West, it was uttered on more than one occasion, in fact quite frequently, that Blaz Durass was far from being a competent student, and would never pass his exams for acceptance into the Guild of the Universal Order of Wizards, Witches and Warlocks. This particular guild, one of several such guilds of the Cold West, being a trend which had caught on centuries back, was one of the more established and respected guilds. So much so that they gave a cautious guarantee, as cautious as the word of a wizard could be, that all successful pupils passing their degree course in wizardry and magic would be competent enough for the slaying of any dangerous dragon or the successful practice of raising from the dead, or turning blood into Jelly or any of the other more ambiguous callings that a wizard may happenchance be called upon to perform. And because of the said guarantee from such an esteemed school of magic, Blaz had forthrightly enrolled, confident, despite his father’s constant objections that he should get a real job, that he would become a world class wizard, quite capable of turning blood into Jelly. In point of fact, despite the truth that he'd had years of wizarding adventures to master the art, Blaz Durass, as befitted his level of competency, was still unable to turn blood into Jelly. Actually, he usually vomited at the sight of blood, his complexion turning quite pale. But, nonetheless, he had in fact passed his exams in the end, albeit with straight D's, and happily took his membership in the guild at the reluctance of the head wizard and the board of executives, and proudly displayed his degree in his room, boasting to his father that the world was now at his doorstep. His father knew the better.

They didn't exactly come a knocking on the door of Blaz Durass, and despite his extensive advertising in the Wizarding Gazette, a popular publication in the Cold West, after one year of solid unemployment, Blaz was distressed. Most distressed. But fortune favours the brave, and for all that hard work and effort, for 7 years of constant worrying whether he'd mixed his reagents in the correct manner, or whether his enchantments would work in the prescribed way, or whether his wand was powerful enough, Blaz finally had his breakthrough when a warlord, having come into the ownership of a special magical bottle, engaged Blaz's services to see just how he could, apparently, store his army in the bottle for the purposes of sneak attacks and urgent retreats.

Blaz had, delightfully, taken to the task and spent several weeks, coming to months, in the archives of the guild, researching all he could on ancient storage bottles.

It had been incredibly dull work, but he was learning constantly and, finally, finding a meagre reference, he touched the pendant, said the spell, and was instantly transmogrified and taken into the bottle. But he'd made one simple mistake. The pendant needed to be worn around his neck in physical contact with his skin, otherwise it would be left behind outside of the bottle and, because of that, he would be left with no escape from the bottle should he have proven such a dullard to make such a mistake. Which is exactly why the competency of Blaz Durass had seriously been questioned by so many, for he in historical fact did make such a blunder. To his credit, he had been zealous, and when overcome with joy for the finding of the reference and uttering the spell once he had touched the diamond, he had failed to read further into the passage which proclaimed the importance of wearing the said pendant against one's chest or skin. And due to this unfortunate mistake, Blaz had found himself sucked inside the bottle, with no apparent way of escape. And there he had remained, for a solid millennium, wondering when on earth one of his wizarding compatriots would take the time to work out exactly were he had disappeared to. Alack and alas, not only had they in fact known were he had gone, and had a fair idea of how to get him back should they want to, the head of the guild had quietly taken the bottle, stored it up on the uppermost shelf of his library, and taken it to mind to give as much forgetfulness to the person of Blaz Durass and the said bottle as possible. And for 1000 years he was quite successful at this objective.

But pity is a strange beast, and despite, as the millennium passed, and thinking he really should know better, the head of the guild had sold the bottle at a hefty sum to a certain 'Kalphor' who was interested in acquiring magical items with useful purposes. The wizard had instructed him, quite carefully, that a mad wizard likely still resided in the bottle, and to be well and truly far away from the headquarters of the guild before he dared using the charm to enter the bottle. Kalphor, being a hospitable enough type of wizard, gladly accepted this obligation and, being a suitable distance from the home of the guild, used the pendant and entered the bottle.

A wizard, he assumed, greeted him. Or what was left of a wizard. Blaz was naked, as had become his custom, with a rather lengthy beard, and munching on what looked to be 40 Trillion years supply of stale crackers and bland wine, was suddenly quite surprised and overwhelmed to be visited upon.

And, for the salvation which Kalphor had given Blaz, he promptly promised him a life debt, should he ever have need of a highly trained wizard, and began to boast of his great powers and apparent abilities to utilize the services of Wyvvern’s, of all creatures, to any task he should so desire.

Kalphor believed him. Which was perhaps quite foolish, having not heeded the guild heads advice the Blaz was indeed mad, and as such, one fine afternoon in the Cold west, Blaz Durass busily studying a magic tome in the guild of wizards which, to many protestations and objections he had rejoined, them finding no legal avenue to refuse him re-entrance into the guild, Kalphor and Togura Poulaan were steadily making there way up Krozana highway, to the city of Krandor, home to the guild of Wizards, Witches and Warlocks.
Togura looked at the sun in the sky. Through the dismal grey clouds it seemed to hang limply, almost too scared to come out and shine its glory over the increasingly cold environs. The Cold West, which was perhaps a mark of genius in the naming of the said region by some wise geographer of ancient of days, was duly named as such simply because of that very fact – it was extremely, bloody cold. And Togura, used to the more pleasant environs of Sung, which while not famous for its hospitable climate – in fact, quite often the very opposite – was starting to look like paradise in comparison to the rather cold and unwelcoming frost of one of the cooler regions of Olo Malan. But the questing group had no real choice in the matter, for the wizard they sought, the venerable Blaz Durass, resided in Krandor of the Cold West, headquarters to the Guild of Wizards, Witches and Warlocks, and as such Togura’s certainty that his toes were starting to turn green looked like there would be no soon abating of his due concerns because of the said Wizards choice of residency. ‘Try to look on the bright side of things,’ said Kalphor. ‘We’ll be rich soon enough. And then you can buy all the slippers and mittens and fur coats your heart could possibly desire. Togura, currently weighed down in very thick clothing of such like muttered ‘Very funny.’
They continued to trudge on along the road, unable to find any suitable beast willing to bear them in winter in the cold west, when the horses simply froze up and stayed in their kennels, neighing subtle mockeries at the slightest suggestion they should brave the coldest part of the year in a land they had most lovingly come to hate. There were always the standard ‘Grizmak’s’, large bear like creatures which were the common beasts used for pulling sleds during this time of the year in the Cold West but, unfortunately for Togura, he sneezed incessantly whenever he was near such a beast and came out in a most terrible and undesiring red and very itchy rash. In fact, they had been holed up for several weeks near the beginning of their journey in the Cold West, laid up in an inn as Togura recovered from his most eventful encounter with one of the thick fur-cladded beasts.
And so they trudged. Slowly, carefully, inevitably they trudged along the roads and byways of the Cold West, steadily making for the city of Krandor. After 12 weeks of solid marches, though, the weather in truth did seem to be improving somewhat, and Togura’s constant bemoaning that Kalphor should resume his eagle form which, so far, had fallen upon deaf ears, was less often the stuff of their conversation as they came into sight of the city of Krandor.
‘We should be there in no time,’ exclaimed Kalphor, quite happy to have finally arrived at their desired destination.
‘It’s about bloody time,’ remarked Togura in response, but he was in truth quite pleased that they had finally arrived and, despite hating so much the fact of his unavoidable odyssey through the wilds of the Cold West, was starting to think of himself as something of a heroic athlete and man of worth for the great trudging epic they had just about completed. Yes, vanity was a lovely gift to man, and while he often suitably rebuked himself for such pretensions, the pride of his youth still lingered somewhat.
‘So what is the address,’ began Togura. ‘I mean, I assume you know were to find the guild after all.’ Kalphor looked at him, momentarily stunned, and then looking away uneasily answered ‘Of course I do. Of course I do.’ Yet, in truth, he had not the foggiest idea.
The first citizen they met and asked for instructions must have had quite a wicked sense of humour, for they had trudged all the way to the southerly edge of the city in search of the guild, only to befriend another welcoming citizen who told them they had been taken for a ride, which was not uncommon in Krandor, and that the very guild they sought was in fact on the northern edge of the city. Kalphor thanked the kind man, but could not deny his frustrations and Togura’s swearing reminded him instantly of the new march they now faced. Yet, thankfully, they found an inn, booked in for the night, and in the warmth of the burning fire in their room, Togura practically roasting his toes, he remarked that tomorrow should be a good day in which they would hopefully locate the desired wizard. Kalphor ensured him they would have no such troubles, despite Togura’s careful looks, yet nevertheless slept well that night, enjoying the rare consolation in these lands of a warm bed and warm broth.
The following morn, having amply rested and deciding to leave a little later in the day than their usual, to make full use of their allotted time in the warmth of the inn, in the weather which had fortunately started to improve somewhat, perhaps ironically in Togura’s viewpoint, just as they had arrived in Krandor, they managed to thankfully find a horse-driven sled willing to transport them to the guild they desired to frequent.
As they drove along Togura began again questioning Kalphor on the merits of the Warlock Blaz Durass, for on the long road to their destination Kalphor had said the occasional word regarding Blaz and his actual probable abilities that lead Togura to seriously question wether they had indeed sought out the most appropriate of Warlocks for the task in question. But all that Kalphor would say was ‘As my cousin Phyphor truly says, you can always trust a wizard,’ a remark at which Togura often muttered responses under his breath, always just a little to undiscernible to the ears of Kalphor.
As the midday approached and they neared the guild, a monstrous fortress it seemed on the edge of the city, Togura’s attitude generally began to finally improve. ‘You’ll see,’ said Kalphor. ‘Blaz will be only too willing to help us. I am sure of it.’
‘Let’s hope so,’ responded the Baron of Poulaan’s son.

*   *   *

Jak Tolkun, student of the Guild of the Universal Order of Wizards, Witches and Warlocks, studying as well as he could to ensure he passed all the requirements of his 7 year degree, moaned once again his frustrations in being suddenly and most embarrassingly covered with a shloss of exploding horse dung. His beloved teacher and guide in his studies, the venerable Blaz Durass, simply looked at Jak’s current state and said ‘Oh Bother, it has happened again,’ which were far from words of consolation to the dung laden Jak. For 5 solid weeks Jak had been the victim of such enchantments, all of them aimed towards the simple purpose of deliquidifying dung to make it a more palatable brown dirt-like substance. For in the cold west it was often the case that sewerage didn’t always flow that well and often, in winter in particular, strong smells wafted up into the upper chambers of the wealthy and elite abodes of Krandor, and other notable cities, much to the chagrin of the nobility and finery of the Cold West’s honourable ones. As for the poor, well they were poor, and would simply have to make do. But the situation had become such an ordeal for a particular Krandorian nobility that, having sought out the Guild for their expertise, and being pointed towards Blaz Durass who was deemed by the head of the guild the most suitable Warlock to deal with, as it were, the shit, he pleaded his desire of suitable enchantments being made available to deal with the problem of the most unsavoury sewerage.
Blaz, a radical thinker at most times, instantly came up with the plan to deliquidify dung so that the dryer substance, which would thus hopefully not smell, could simply be turned back into the earth and be the cause of no further anxieties. And while Jak Tolkun felt that, should they achieve such a result, which would prove quite a feat of accomplishment for Blaz Durass, it would be well and truly a good thing, bemoaned the fact that after 5 solid weeks of dealing with ‘The Shit’ as it were, being no closer to success than when they had begun their investigations, dealing with ‘The Shit’ was becoming a less and less attractive option all the time.
But, alas, he had no choice. In his time in the guild he had come to understand why he was the butt of so many jokes of his fellow students. For while they most definitely did not doubt his own potential and abilities, the reputation of Blaz Durass went before him in such a manner that, should you find yourself paired with the Warlock for any length of time, your future earning potential was deemed less and less attractive with each passing year of apprenticehood.
‘Why me,’ was what Jak Tolkun moaned to himself more often than not and, as he scrubbed himself in the shower and took to the washing of his garments, he pretended to not hear his teachers calling of his name for them to begin the resumption of their experimentations. But, fortunately for young Jak, he was saved on this one rare occasion by the summoning of Blaz by another student to the head of the guilds den for an important meeting.
Jak breathed a sigh of relief, continued scrubbing his clothes, and thought that the meal that night should somewhat, if only temporarily, make up for his current crop of miserable duties.
Blaz wondered through the large guild hall, working his way up the complex series of hallways and staircases, finally coming to the uppermost level and the grand office of the head of the guild, Crocus Dalbana. He knocked on Crocus’ door and, shortly, heard an ‘Enter’. Pushing the door open he came in and stood before Crocus desk, blustering that his work had been starting to show promising signs, which was not exactly true, and that he really needed to get back to it. ‘I am sure your dealings with the dung of Krandor can wait a while, Blaz,’ responded Crocus. ‘For you verily have visitors, and all the way from Sung and Argan of all places.’ Crocus motioned towards seats, the occupants of which Blaz had not noticed upon entering the office and Togura and Kalphor stood up to introduce themselves. Kalphor spoke, ‘Blaz. Blaz Durass. So good to see you again. I am sure you remember me.’ Blaz looked at him for a moment, instantly familiar with the face, which was a strength of his, but not quite placing were he knew the fellow from. And then it came back to him, the endless years trapped in the bottle, eating nothing but crackers and drinking nothing but bland wine, walking around naked and reading the same old magic tome on controlling Wyvvern’s time after time. And then, the appearance of his saviour. He yelled out then, quite happy to see the wizard again. ‘Kalphor!’ he exclaimed, instantly putting his arm around the wizard. ‘Kalphor my good friend. How good it is to see your face again. Tell me, what brings you hear to the Cold West and the Guild of Wizardry. You’re not in need of my services are you?’ Togura interrupted.
‘Perhaps we could retire to a more suitable place to converse. I am sure Crocus here has much to get back to.
‘Thank you Togura,’ responded Crocus. ‘I am sure the three of you can resume your conversation in Blaz’s laboratory. It is a most entertaining of places for reclining, that much I can assure you,’ responded the guild head, a subtle mocking grin on his face.
Blaz turned to Crocus, thanked him, and lead his two guests through the complex labyrinth of hallways and stairways back to his laboratory.
Coming into the laboratory Togura looked around. They had just wondered through a complex maze of walkways, Blaz often looking like he was lost from time to time, but they had finally made it to the Warlock’s laboratory and were greeted by a young apprentice of Blaz’s who introduced himself as ‘Jak Tolkun’ and asked if they were in need of any refreshments. Togura politely refused and the youth disappeared. The laboratory appeared quite hectic looking to Togura, who had no real idea how a Warlock’s laboratory was supposed to look. There were tables laden with all sorts of magical equipment strewn around the room in something of a haphazard fashion, clearly not organized in any sort of logical manner you might expect of or hope for in a Warlock whose services you were seeking to employ. There were what appeared to be a small group of young rodents in a corner amongst some hay which appeared to have full access to crawling around the laboratory at will. One table was piled high with notes and tomes of magic, all looking like the confused desk of a public servant too stressed with life and its problems to do any real work. And there was a smell, a most notable and distinct smell, which Togura instantly was familiar with, as most people were in fact familiar with the smell of decaying dung. But, amidst all these problems, Blaz seemed to take it for granted that his laboratory should be as such, and pushing some tomes from two recliner couches against a far wall, Blaz indicated that they should sit.
Blaz looked at Kalphor, again seeming overjoyed to be in his presence once again, and said ‘Now tell me. Why the visit? Is it happy friendship or do you need my services.’ Kalphor looked nervously at Togura, sensing immediate disapproval, but began their planned conversation. ‘Well, Blaz. It is like this. My friend here, Togura, was visited upon by myself in his homeland of Sung one fine day for the purposes of utilizing the bottle which you entrusted to me for the storage, hopefully, of a cavalcade of products from a certain magical device in the possession of a group known as the Wordsmiths. For Togura has the uncanny ability to be able to draw forth items from this device, this device known simply as ‘The Odex’. In my travels I have come across what is called an ‘Index’ and with Togura’s help I planned on using the Index to access the Odex and, keeping all the goods and properties emanating from the Odex, storing them in our beloved bottle for safekeeping. Yet Togura refused my request, another idea on his mind.’
‘Which was?’ queried Blaz.
‘The travelling to the abandoned land of Argan, taken over by the swarms of the deep south, to ransack as many of the emptied villages and cities for any left behind treasures we could find. It has certainly been dangerous work, and we have acquired a number of treasures, but alas the threat of the swarms has simply become too much to deal with and risk our lives against. Which is why we have sought out you.’
Blaz nodded. He was following the conversation so far. ‘What do you want from me then?’
‘As you may recall,’ continued Kalphor, ‘You swore a life debt to me for the redeeming of yourself from the bottle. And I have come to call in this life debt. You claimed to me that you have power of wyverns? To control their minds? Is this still the case?’
Blaz looked at Kalphor nervously, too frightened to say that he had never really quite put his knowledge to the test in attempting to control wyverns, the practice of he had studied for a millennia reading the magic tome in the bottle, but never trying to do so in the real world, but, to save face, simply nodded to Kalphor that he could.
‘Then our plan is this. We travel to the region of the Wyvvern’s here in the Cold West and you utilize your abilities to take control of a Wyvvern or many Wyvvern’s and, having gained the services of the creatures, we travel back to Argan to continue our work, armed with the fierce creatures as defence against the swarms.’
Blaz stammered nervously but, finally, realizing his promised life debt had been called in, and being a man of his word as his father taught him, simply nodded his agreement.
‘Well, if it is not too much trouble then,’ began Togura,’ we will stay the night here at the guild and begin our journey tomorrow.
‘That, that should be ok,’ responded Blaz, just starting to realize the predicament he had suddenly gotten himself into.
The following morning Blaz organised for some horses to be obtained from a nearby stable and rising early Togura and Kalphor found themselves fitted out with fine looking steeds pulling a carriage which seemed quite suitable for their travels. A far more amenable option than they had so far been used to in the Cold West. Blaz excused himself from the group, claiming he wanted to see his guild head before leaving and, as he made his way back into the guild headquarters he wondered to himself if there was still any way he might be able to excuse himself from this little adventure. But a debt was a debt and he knew he had to show himself a man of honour, for his reputation would be at stake because of it.
Coming to Crocus Dalbana’s office he knocked and was bidden to enter. After explaining his life debt and need to be away from the guild for perhaps several months to years even, Crocus told Blaz all was quite well with that and he would be sorely missed. But upon Blaz leaving Crocus office, Crocus took down a bottle of ancient brandy he had been storing for a special celebration, opened it and smiled to himself. Today was a good day for the Guild of the Universal order of Wizards, Witches and Warlocks.
Blaz rejoined his group and Togura, looking at the sun gradually crawling its way up the skyline, said it was a good time to begin their journey. As the carriage pulled out from the grounds of the guild hall, Blaz gave one last look behind him, one last longing look, and gritted himself for the adventures ahead.

*   *   *

As the carriage began its travels through the Cold West, heading out on to the Krozana highway headed for Chi Ash Lan, Blaz began sharing with the group tales from his childhood. He had been the third son of a businessman who had little time for magic. His elder two brother’s had gone into the same clothing business as their father, but Blaz had always felt himself different somewhat, as if called for greater things than the dying of cloth which had been his regular work growing up. His father, Jon Durass, had said Blaz needed to settle and get over his fanciful notions of wizardry but, nonetheless, had supported Blaz’s ambitions and paid for his 7 year degree course at the Guild of Wizards. Blaz exaggerated his learning abilities and outcomes of the course, giving his best attempt to show himself a wizard of great merit, and for a while his two fellow questers seemed suitably impressed. For a while anyway.
They arrived in Chi Ash Lan and decided to stay a few days to familiarise themselves with the current goings on in the political life of the cold west. Staying in an inn known as ‘The Disgruntled Goat’, the barmaid spent a number of afternoons answering Togura’s questions of life in Chi Ash Lan, for she seemed well informed. Togura and the small group came to know that political tension in Chi Ash Lan were currently on knifes edge. The ruler of the Cold West, ‘Bailiff Vok’ was starting to be held in something of a disdain by not only the emerging political democratic movement, but with dissatisfaction by the usually loyal warriors of Rovac who for so long had supported him. But Bailiff was a survivor and so far had used his cunning to ward off all complaints. The main protagonists behind the call for democracy stated that a monarchy was never in the best interests of the people, aimed at serving the lusts of the king, and that for true economic prosperity to come forth for the Cold West they needed a Prime Ministership and Government of elected representatives, as was supposedly the main form of Government on the continent of Margenna, to best advance the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all the citizens of Chi Ash Lan and the Cold West. So much was the fervour amongst some factions that talk of revolution and a coup to remove the King was not that uncommon. Marni Bonniker, the barmaid who Togura had slowly been thinking of trying to bed, despite his promise to Day to stay true to his marriage commitment, said she had overheard many a conversation on the dissatisfaction towards the current monarch. It seemed they did live in intriguing times.
As they moved on from Chi Ash Lan, now travelling northwards, Togura kept his eyes alert for the spying of any flying Wyvvern’s which, so Blaz assured him, should shortly be seen in this area of the world. ‘There is an area known as Black Sparrow Forest were a community of wyverns is held to often congregate. I am sure we will find wyverns there.’
‘And the controlling of them?’ queried Togura.
‘I have this vial of Wyvvern blood,’ said Blaz, producing a small corked vial in front of them which he assured them was the blood of a particularly fierce Wyvvern he had once encountered. ‘All I need do is drink the blood in the presence of a Wyvvern and the ability to control its mind should be available to me with the uttering of certain incantations.’ That seemed to satisfy Togura and as they travelled northwards, and he yelled excitingly at spying what appeared to by wyverns flying in the distance, Blaz assured the group they were nearing their destination.
It was a week out from Chi Ash Lan that they had finally come to ‘Black Sparrow Forest’ and, Togura having spotted over a dozen Wyvvern’s flying around from time to time, they parked their carriage and began a trek into the forest to locate any wyverns they should hopefully encounter.
‘Just have that vial ready,’ began Togura. ‘We don’t want to be caught unawares.’
As they travelled through the forest, eyes alert, Blaz shared with him his own adventures of his youth with his father and brothers of hunting in a forest near Krandor for deer and their encounters with wild wolves. Togura shared that Sung was pretty crappy for hunting, but had a small number of dangerous predators, which was perhaps something of an exaggeration for that tiny land.
A full day and a half into the thick forest they suddenly came into a clearing and there before them, just a number of yards away, sitting eating berries from a bush, a Wyvvern in all its glory, seemingly oblivious to them. ‘Quick, get the vial,’ Togura motioned to Blaz. The Wyvvern, hearing Togura speak, turned to look at them but all it seemed to do was continue eating the berries and ignore them, returning its attention to the berry bush.
‘It doesn’t seem very wild,’ said Kalphor to Blaz. ‘Are you sure these Wyvvern’s are good at fighting?’
‘They have all the strength of small dragons. Believe me they can be quite fierce, especially when provoked. But the Wyvvern is not worried about us, that is all. Why would it need fear mere men after all?’
‘Aren’t they carnivores,’ queried Togura. ‘Shouldn’t it want to eat us?’
‘Omnivores, I think,’ responded Blaz. ‘Besides its eating berries. Perhaps it is satisfied with them for its lunch.’
‘Well, whatever. Now drink the blood and cast the spell. With this Wyvvern working for us we can travel to Argan and use it to protect us from the swarms and gather all the treasures we can possibly desire.’
‘Yes, the blood,’ said Blaz, somewhat disconcerted. Trying to look brave and very wizardly, muttering incantation, which really was abstract words from a backwaters Cold West disused tongue, Blaz swallowed some of the blood and started pointing his hands in the direction of the Wyvvern, doing his very best to remember how the spell from the magic tome he had spent a millennia studying actually worked in real world practice.
Now the Wyvvern in question, which had a very long name in its own particular Wyvverndom culture, but which he usually abbreviated himself to Vanderskar, was quite adroit in knowledge of the tongues of humans. He was quite an old Wyvvern now, had seen many adventures, but was starting to get on a bit and now, simply because it was so much easier than hunting wild game, with all the frustrations of catching it, killing it and going to the trouble of gorging out its best bits, was usually in the habit these days of feasting on the simple berries of the forest which grew in abundance, and had now developed quite a taste for them. And due to its knowledge of the human tongue and aided with its very good hearing, had overheard what the humans were speaking about and the intentions of the apparent wizard to try and cast an enchantment to enslave him to the wizards desires, something the Wyvvern knew all too well would not work anyway. But Vanderskar, suddenly with all his life flashing before his eyes, and all the adventures he had lives, also realizing he had never in fact travelled to Argan, and might want to see the splendour of that continent before his passing, looking at the frustrated wizard who was doing his very, very best to summon Vanderskar into his service with words such as ‘I compel you’ and ‘You must obey’, deciding now he may as well go off on one last adventure before his passing, decided to play along for the hell of it and, trying some Wyvvern humour, started pretending to shake as if he was suddenly possessed by an enchantment, gradually walked over to the wizard in most dramatic and drawn out steps, bowed to the wizard and said ‘I am ready to do your service oh exalted master.’ The wizard, suddenly coming to the conclusion that he must have somehow remembered how the spell worked, grinned to himself and his two companions now looked suitably impressed at the abilities of the wizard they had almost started to question.
Togura spoke up. ‘Ask it for its name, if it speaks our tongue.’
The Wyvvern, in response to Togura’s question, turned to Togura and said ‘My name is Vanderskar, oh exalted master.’ Togura looked suitably impressed with the response.
‘Well, now we have the services of the Wyvvern,’ said Kalphor. ‘Should we seek out more? I do believe that Blaz has more of the blood still in the vial so perhaps another Wyvvern or to could come in useful.’ Quickly Blaz thought on the ideal excuse.
‘Unfortunately, the enchantment, now that it has been cast, will only work once for me powers in a very long while. It may well be months before I have the ability to summon another Wyvvern to service. If there had been two or more wyverns here present I would have been able to summon them at the same time, but alas there was only one. I am afraid we will have to make do with one.’ He looked at them hopefully and nervously, trusting that his ruse would be believed.
‘No worries, then,’ said Togura. ‘One in the end should be sufficient to deal with our worries. He looks like an impressive Wyvvern. I am sure he will be able to deal with any swarm creature we come up against.’
The Wyvvern, listening to the conversation, decided a brag at this point might just be appropriate and said ‘I can defeat all your enemies, oh master,’ and stood up, stretching its wings and displaying its might, at which Togura and the group looked very suitably impressed.
‘Now what,’ asked Kalphor.
‘Now, to Argan, and our fortune,’ said Togura. He turned to Blaz. ‘Now, you are sure the Wyvvern will obey us from now on? I mean, how long will this enchantment work.’
‘Oh, it should work until we release him from the spell,’ replied Blaz, having no idea how long the spell would last at all, but lying as was his current practice about his abilities.
‘Good, then we can use him for as long as we need him. Now let us get underway.’
As they moved off, Blaz signalling that the Wyvvern should follow along behind them, Togura dreamed of their return to Argan and the riches that would surely be his. Having a Wyvvern, and one who looked so impressive as the one they had found, in their services should surely be enough to defeat any of the wild swarms they would likely once again encounter.
As they travelled along through the forest, marching towards the carriage at the edge of the forest, Vanderskar gave his home one last longing look and carried on with what may well be his final grand and great adventure. Or if not that, certainly what appeared to be a most entertaining outing.

CHAPTER TWO

Togura sipped from the ale, looking out at the foaming waves having not long left the lesser teeth behind them. Day was on his mind, his beloved wife, and thoughts of her sweet breasts, her shapely thighs, and her delightful womanhood. He’d had a most embarrassing dream the night prior and, having needed to wash away his embarrassment with the basin in his ship room, he had laid awake the rest of the night, thinking on his beloved.
They had been married just a few short years, now. But they had been most delightful in their sexual intensity, something the longsuffering Togura was eternally grateful for. At first he had really wondered what all the fuss had been about. Sure, it was alright bedding a maiden, but masturbation seemed to suffice somewhat for that thrill which he had become accustomed to. But it soon dawned on him, through the simple thrill of continual practice, that the ways of womanhood had been coveted by men for so long simply because the female form, in truth, was something to be desired and behold. Caressing the form and figure of a fine woman, tasting her delicate nectar, being seated next to her at celebrations and just being around their joyful playful ways, well, Togura could now see what all the fuss was about.
Yet, of course, there was always the other more disdainable members of the opposite sex which perhaps drove a man to virginity, such as the most indelectable Slerma who could give a man nightmares at the thoughts of being trapped between her most demanding thighs. He shuddered at the though and praised the stars that woman was far from him at this very moment.
He looked over at the two wizards engaged in some game they labelled as popular amongst certain wizarding communities, ‘Dragon Chess’. Togura was not one for strategy games, so took to his ale as the ship they had hired for a considerable sum continued its journey to the coast of Argan. The Wyvvern seemed content, lazing in the sun, seemingly oblivious to its company, munching on the meal of fruits they had provided for it. The ship they were aboard was titled the suitable name of ‘The Confident’ and Togura trusted that the captain had enough confidence in his crew to sail them to the treacherous shore of Argan and get away before being beset with the swarms.
The ship was a newly built ship, just a few years out of the docks so Captain Haggis maintained, well suited for this journey. Haggis sailed many of the seas of Olo Malan, plying his trade as both a passenger ship and deliverer of cargo between seaports. He seemed a very traditional sort of Captain, but the wooden leg, gained supposedly from a victorious encounter with a shark, which Togura suspected was probably from a fall or some similar accident, or perhaps a defect of youth, and the parrot which seemed to flock to his shoulder half of the day gave Togura the very strong impression that this particular captain may indeed have had adventures in his younger years not quite in line with his current profession. But, be that as it may, they were successfully crossing the ocean to Argan and should arrive within the next 24 hours according to the Captains estimations.
He stood against the railing of the ship thinking over there journeys through the Cold West, having been the subject of a spectacle with so many of the inhabitants staring at such an unusual group to have a Wyvvern in tow. Children with their families would stare at the beast, gasping and yelling that it was a monster. Of course, it was a monster, but so far on their journey it had proven tame enough, and Togura had been thankful that the Warlock’s enchantment had held firm so far, worried that the potential of a Wyvvern going mad at having been held captive and rising up against its captors, tearing them limb from limb, could end his dreams of glory. But Blaz ensured him he’d had nothing to worry about, but Togura kept his eye on the beast from time to time to ensure that remained the case.
He drained his ale, gazed up at the sun and gulls following the ship and gave a last thought to Day before deciding to head down to his bunk and sleep the rest of the afternoon off. They would be in Argan soon enough so he may as well be well rested before resuming their treasure hunting activities.

*   *   *

The following day they arrived at Argan, in the mid afternoon and Captain Haggis, telling the group once again that they should have their heads examined, but conceding they had paid enough gold to have made the trip worthwhile for him and his crew, departed on ‘The Confident’ glad to be putting Argan and its Swarms far behind him. Coming onto the shore line Togura spoke to the Wyvvern. ‘We are in Argan, now. So if any beasts threaten our group you must destroy them. Is that understood?’
‘I live to do your will, oh master,’ responded the old jaded Wyvvern, still amused by the humans commands.
Togura gathered the group, hid the bottle in a safe place under some rocks and they took shelter in the bottle. They agreed to wait until the following morning before beginning their quest again, in the meantimes discussing what should be their next objective. Togura, though he had not a great deal of knowledge of Argan, remembered from his days of youths stories of the ‘Pinnacle of Platinoth’, a great plateau on Argan, supposedly home to a fortress. Kalphor confirmed his knowledge of the location of the pinnacle and it was agreed that it would suffice as their next location for scouring for gold and silver.
That evening, as they sat around the fireplace in the upper sanctuary of the bottle, Blaz once again shared some of his tales from youth. As he talked the Wyvvern listened in and found much of Blaz’s frustrations of his lack of success quite familiar to his own life story. Vanderskar had never been that much of a Wyvvern, really. He was looked down upon in his community as an underachiever, never really that successful in the hunting, and frowned upon when it came to his disastrous mating attempts. He could well understand, because of it, Blaz’s frustrations at being rejected by so many, and started finding himself drawn to the Warlock and sympathetic with his course. Perhaps it was a true saying that birds of a feather flocked together, and Vanderskar began to feel more at home with this incompetent Warlock then he ever had with his own Wyvvern community.

*   *   *

The flight to the Pinnacle was calm and uneventful, Togura, Blaz and the Wyvvern secure in the comforts of the bottle as Kalphor, again in the form of an eagle, made his way towards the Pinnacle. It took them a number of days of flying, but arriving at the Pinnacle and landing, the group emerged from the Bottle and surveyed the vegetation encrusted old stone pyramid like structure before them. It appeared uninhabited, but of course they could never know for sure. Togura had brought out torches from the bottle and they lit them, getting ready to dare the temple. Yet, before this could occur, the flames seemed to attract the attention of a lesser of the swarm creatures, which came out of the forest and lurched towards the group, growling at them. Togura thought quickly. He motioned to the Wyvvern to attack the beast and he drew his sword, the two wizards coming to stand behind him. The Wyvvern, though, seemed unbothered by the beast and simply stood between the group and the snarling creature. The creature came forward and lunged at the Wyvvern, who simply stepped out of the way, seemingly unworried about the attack. The beast attacked again and this time managed to make a scratch on the Wyvvern’s wing which, this time, stirred the Wyvvern into action. The Wyvvern stood up on its hinds legs, hissed at the creature, and lunged forward with its beak and claws, latching onto the neck of the beast.
The struggle was ferocious and the beast attacked with its claws the head of the Wyvvern, which continued to strengthen its grip on the beast’s neck. Togura, bravely, came in and hacked at the caught beast and after minutes of hacking and blood dripping from the beasts neck, it seemed to finally breathe its last breaths and go limp. The Wyvvern bit into it then and, snapping off the beasts head, it was deemed by all as well and truly dead. And then the stench began.
This particular Swarm creature had plasma in its blood which reacted very negatively to too much exposed oxygen and it started rotting the creatures blood very quickly which let off a vile smell. Togura held his nose and, thinking fire his best friend at the moment, tossed nearby browned deadwood onto the body of the beast, making a fire and burning it up. After half an hour the body had largely been consumed and the stench had dissipated.
‘I have never seen a Wyvvern fight before,’ began Togura, ‘but they seem quite ferocious when provoked.’
‘In the West,’ responded Blaz, ‘The Wyvvern used to be worshipped as a god in the old days and they are still held in very much respect by the community. They rarely, for reasons we know not, attack humankind and we have lived side by side for many a year. But we are not foolish enough to think we can tame such ferocity as you yourself have observed.’
‘Obviously not,’ responded the awestruck Togura. ‘Well, Kalphor, it seems you were wise indeed to seek out Blaz, for this Wyvvern, I feel, will prove undoubtable help in our objectives. For it to have dispatched the beast with such strength means we can have all the gold of Argan if we are patient enough to search it out.’
‘It is as you say, but still we must have our wits about us,’ responded Kalphor.
‘Naturally,’ finished Togura. He turned to the Temple and, once again, torches at the ready, signalled to the group that they should enter in to search for any treasures the Platinoth held.
Torches burning brightly they entered the Temple of Platinoth. The temple itself was quite a large complex of interlocking stone buildings, all formed together in a shape which looked like a large pyramid from the distance. It was quite a large temple and, having entered it from the southern side, they were unaware that on the northern side of the temple buildings a ruthless warlord and his growing community took residence. Yet they knew this soon enough for about 10 minutes into their journeys into the labyrinthine temple structure they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a host of soldiers who told them to come with them. Togura said to Kalphor ‘Let’s go peacefully. Tell the Wyvvern to do nothing,’ but the Wyvvern seemed quite content to simply follow the soldiers anyway.
Following a winding trail between buildings they came into a courtyard on the northern side of the temple were a community was living its life, animals tethered close by in fenced paddocks and the humdrum of a small village at work. A guard dismissed all but 3 of the soldiers and signalled for Togura and his group to follow him inside a nearby building. Coming into the building it was elaborately decorated and seemed to serve as some sort of temple for worship, perhaps of Platinoth or some other great creature. They came to a large throne and seated on the throne, gorging on a plate of meat and vegetables, a mug of wine on the side of the throne, sat a man, likely in his early 50s, with a trimmed beard, an eye-patch covering one eye, and a long scar down his left cheek. He continued eating his meal but, as Togura and his crew entered, looked up at them, munching away. The soldier spoke up. ‘We found them, on the southern edge of the grounds. There is also a small dragon with them just outside, but it has caused no real problems. I don’t know why they are here, so we brought them to you.’
The man, who was quite likely the leader of the community in Togura’s estimation, eyed them for a while, continuing to chew on his meat and drink from his wine mug. Eventually, finishing off and burping, wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he stood, came close to them and looked them over, and, returning to his seat, stared at them. He finally spoke. ‘So what is your business in Platinoth then? Have you heard of our community and come to join us? If so I can perhaps offer you a good position in our fighting forces.’
Togura thought quickly. ‘Uh, no. We are but lost travellers, on our way northwards to Tameran. Our ship went astray and crashed on the eastern coast of Argan, and we have been battling the Swarms carefully making our way northwards. We beg your hospitality as we continue our fine adventure.’
The man considered that, picking up a bone from his plate and chewing at it, taking another sip of wine. Eventually he spoke again. ‘Well, we can certainly use a few good hands with the animals for a while. That is, if you are prepared to work for your keep.’
‘That won’t be a problem,’ said Kalphor. ‘We will be glad to work for our food. And perhaps you could be so kind to share with us your knowledge of the terrain northwards of here. It would be invaluable for our travels.’
The man looked at them, nodded, and waved them away. The soldier who had brought them to him signalled for them to follow him and they exited the building and were taken not far away to some animal skins on some hay which was stored at the side of a large building which, fortunately, had a covering extending over them so, should it rain, they would not get wet. ‘You can sleep here,’ began the soldier. ‘General Ashdyne will likely want to see you in the morning and here of your story, but we will feed you and you are welcome to share our food. It is good in these troubled lands to have all the extra men we can get.’
‘I am sure it is,’ responded Togura. The soldier nodded at them, and departed and the group slumped down onto their makeshift beds. They Wyvvern, who young children had been staring at, made its way towards them, and sat nearby under the shelter, settling down to go to sleep. They were unlikely, now, to find any treasure here, but Togura suggested to the group that they not try to escape for the meantimes anyway, as the community did not seem to pose them any threat, and they could learn what they could of them for now. ‘We will wait it out to start with,’ said Togura. ‘See what they are all about and why they are living here in Argan. It could prove useful information one day, so far now we sit tight.’ Blaz and Kalphor nodded and Blaz, looking to see that nobody was looking, quickly entered the bottle and returned with the Dragon Chess set and he and Kalphor began another of their games. Togura looked at the Dragon, stared out at the sky which had quickly turned grey and was looking to rain, gave thought to his beloved Day, and settled down on his bedding, pulled a moth ridden blanket over him, and searched for whatever sleep he could find. Soon enough they would be back to their treasure-hunting, but for now they were stuck with General Ashdyne and his desperate community.

*   *   *

The following morning they spoke again with General Ashdyne and gave him greater information. Togura saw no actual harm in using their real names with a semblance of a story based on real life, but altered to protect their interests. Kalphor and Blaz were introduced as a Wizard and a Warlock respectively, which made the General raise an eyebrow. Togura was a master-fighter, who had travelled the world, hailing originally from Sung of the Lesser Teeth. And the Wyvvern was under the power of Blaz, which was supposedly true anyway, supposedly, and posited no threat to the General’s community. Having taken in all that information the General shared with them his own tale. ‘I am from Tameran were you seek to travel to. I served in the Khmar’s army and was an honoured general, until I was betrayed, betrayed with a kiss from my wife, who slept with another general. They desired my death and so, framing me for a murder I did not commit, I escaped with a band of loyal men who knew my innocence, and now reside her, in Argan. We live here on the Pinnacle of Platinoth for rarely do the Swarms bother to climb this high onto the plateau, and we are hardly ever bothered. For now we live here, with the soldiers families who ventured along with us, but not forever. We will add to our numbers, slowly and carefully, peradventure with men such as yourselves, and with the memory of my name living on in Tameran as a soldier of bravery and merit, I hope to one day return and regain my name. And if not, the Khmar be damned and I will raise up an army to throw him off his precious throne.’ Those last words were said with something of passionate vengeful tone, and Togura did not doubt the seriousness of the General’s intent. The general inquired then, should they perhaps be willing to join his community and put off their travels to Tameran to a later date, when his soldiers and entourage could accompany them. But Togura declined, declaring they would stay with them a week or so before continuing on their adventure. The general then offered them much money and rewards in Tameran, yet Togura continued to decline saying they had family waiting for them in Tameran and could simply not delay for too long. The general, realizing that taking them hostage for their services would be more trouble than it was worth, conceded and wished them well while they stayed on with the community. Thus, returning to their sleeping abode near the wall under the covering, Togura opened a bottle of cold wine the General had graciously given him, started drinking it, and thought on what they were to do next.
For two weeks they stayed in the community, Togura delaying their plans of leaving simply because, after all his long travels, he felt he needed a sense of stability for a while, and the friendly enough community of soldiers and wives seemed to offer him that much. Days were spent drinking wine, looking after the animals and gathering fruits and vegetables from the cleared fields north of the temple, and slowly learning Dragon chess, a game which Blaz and Kalphor had been playing avidly ever since arriving in Argan. There was a maiden of 16 who gave Togura many lustful looks, and one afternoon she found him alone in the fields, came up and kissed him, and offered herself to him. He honestly felt that adultery should really not be hoohaahed so much because, really, the young female was quite ravishing to look at, and when she lifted her skirt to show him her vagina, he almost denied his vows to Day. But, no, he didn’t sleep with her in the end, and he was satisfied with a few hours of heavy snogging before returning to the camp.
Finally, after coming into the second week, Togura felt the group had rested enough and, late one night signalled for them all to enter the bottle while he, firstly, search for some gold so their voyage to the plateau not necessarily go unrewarded and then, secondly, make his escape from the community.
It was dark, and he had entered the main building were the General set up residence. The community were used to them as guests now and seemed not to suspect them, which was perhaps a good thing. Coming to the doorway behind the throne, he turned the latch and entered the room, having grabbed a burning torch from the entranceway of the building. The room appeared mostly empty but, coming over to a table with a large chest on it, he opened the chest to find what they had been seeking – an ample supply of gold Tameran coinage, a suitable reward for their efforts. He filled his sack with gold, quickly returned to the bottle to dump the treasure and told the other two he would now sneak out from the camp to a distance away before they could fly off.
Togura was nervous, crawling his way carefully out of the camp, a tinge of guilt on his conscience. Although he knew, in a way, they had been stealing the whole time they had been ransacking Argan, it had always been money which had been abandoned and was going to no useful purpose. But this, stealing from the general who had befriended him, well he was not quite as comfortable with the idea as he was telling himself he should be.
As he clambered through the scrub, he suddenly heard some shouting and saw torches coming towards him. He hid in some scrub and waited as soldiers were all about the area, searching for their missing guests. He had hoped he would be safe but, suddenly, a soldier dared the thicket he was hiding in and, finding Togura, yelled to the others. Soon he was dragged back to the camp and the General, looking at him, with a most disappointing look on his face said ‘Togura. Your friends may have gotten away, but your punishment will be swift and sure. Take him away.’ They led him off to another building and locked him inside, soldiers stationed at the doorway to guard him.
In the morning a crowd gathered and the general pronounced his judgement. ‘You will be executed Togura, decapitated as suits your crime. And should we find your companions they will suffer the same fate.’ The community murmured that justice needed to be done and looking at the angry faces Togura suddenly knew just why he had felt so much guilt. But he was a survivor, and would not let a death penalty do him in so, reaching into his pocket to retrieve the bottle, he summoned the others with the Wyvvern, and a hectic fight began. Fortunately the Wyvvern was too much of a match for the community of soldiers and as they carefully retreated, coming to the edge of the temple, Kalphor suddenly turned into the form of the Eagle, grabbed the bottle were the other three escaped to, and took off.
10 minutes later, having put the pinnacle of Platinoth far behind him, Kalphor landed, resumed his human form, and entered the bottle.
For a few days they stayed in the bottle, feeding on the foodstuffs they had purchased in Chi Ash Lan, while they discussed were they would travel next. ‘I know of a place,’ began Kalphor, ‘Not that far to the west of here. In the city of Riknaah, which surely has many treasures anyway. But there was a particular place in the city, known as the Rainbow Parade, were a host of wealthy warlords resided. It could be the best next place to search for hidden treasures.’
‘Then to the Rainbow Parade we travel next,’ said Togura.

*   *   *

The fowl creatures of the Swarms, being sent into Argan by the Skull of the South, are unpredictably mad at the best of times, and one particular ogreish looking beast, having found a cute little green bottle, of all things to do with it, decided to shove it up its nose. When the questing group of heroes decided to exit the bottle, ready to resume their journey, they exploded onto the scene being instantly covered with the bloody remains of a wild swarm creature, which had duly exploded upon their exiting the bottle. The mess was indeed quite significant, and Togura spent much of the morning washing himself again and again trying to remove a stench which stubbornly, it seemed, refused to dissipate. Kalphor had a grin on his face because Togura had copped the worst of the bloody mess, but everytime he looked at Togura and smiled, Togura looked at him with daggers in his eyes.
Eventually, ready to continue on their journey, they boarded again the bottle as the Eagle began its flight to Riknaah. Kalphor, as wizards of great age were wont to do, had spent many years learning the geography of various places and locations on the world of Olo Malan and was, fortunately, well equipped with information on the various places of Argan in which they were likely to find the wealth they desired. So far on their journeys they’d had a number of sticky encounters, but for now it seemed worth their troubles to continue and all the time he knew they were getting wealthier and wealthier.
As he flew along, his eyes scanning the horizon before him, he thought on another wizard who he had frequented the company of from time to time with the power of flight, a certain Hostaja Torsen Sken-Pitilkin, and wondered to himself were Hostaja was at this time. They had been friends for a long time and in his years in the Confederation of Wizards at Drangsturm, Hostaja had shared many a drink of ale with him as they discussed the affairs of Wizardom and the future of their world. His cousin, Phyphor, who was now apparently dead, had been a source also of solace for the orphaned Kalphor, looking up to his cousin who had raised him in his younger years and seen to it that he had become a wizard. He missed Phyphor, who had raised him in the family cult of the Watermelon with their peculiar beliefs on religion, and often thought of visiting their small remaining family on Ashmolea. That was were the cult of the Watermelon was strongest and were figures from Kalphor’s youth still likely lived and remained. It was the Watermelon cult which had taught him his values since a young age, with their peculiar devotion to that particular fruit, and his regular attendance at the grand Watermelon Temple on Ashmolea, a large temple in the shape of a Watermelon and painted to resemble one. From a distance it was something to behold and often the butt of many of the unbelievers’ jokes, but Kalphor was proud of his heritage, and the ways of healthy living he had learned from the cult of his upbringing.
Of Course, no cult could truly exist without an adversary to oppose it, and the hated Watchtower of northern Ashmolea, ones full of ex-members of the Watermelon sect, who proclaimed that in the future there would be a grand day when ‘The Grand Guardian Watermelon’ would descend from the stars and lead them in the ways everlasting. The traditional Watermelon sect naturally refuted such notions stating they simply worshipped watermelons, mainly because they were bloody tasty and good for the health and every society needed an idol of focus to function properly, yet after centuries of advertising and promoting the beliefs of the cult, it really had gone to the head of certain members and ideas of ‘The Grand Guardian Watermelon’ who watched over its faithful devotees had emerged in the cult and, eventually, realizing the lukewarmness of so many of their own, the righteous separated off and formed ‘The Watchtower’ whose main purpose was to prepare the world, through their dedication to the ‘Grand Commission’ for the coming of the Grand Guardian Watermelon. Of course, in recent years there was even talk that the Grand Guardian Watermelon had already advented early on, and he was now preparing the world for his grand and glorious second coming, but this was a belief disputed by many devotees of the historical method of factuality.
Funnily enough, Kalphor still enjoyed watermelons, and whenever he was at a market or store which sold the product, he would lovingly walk over to the stall, pat the trustworthy watermelons, and purchase 2 or 3 of them and munch on them for days.
As he flew along observing the environment, he sensed that Riknaah was quickly approaching. Half an hour later, having spied the city on the horizon, he started slowly descending from his great height. 20 minutes later he had landed, hid the bottle in a suitable place, and entered to inform the others they had arrived.
Instantly Togura was aware that Riknaah had a significant number of Swarms scrawling around it. As they entered the city in search of the ‘Rainbow Parade’ a fowl looking beast suddenly lunged out of a building attacking them. The Wyvvern quickly sprang to their defence, but the fighting this time was much fiercer. Togura brandished a sword and attacked many times, but a wildly flung talon of the beast ripped out and caught the exposed part of Togura’s arm, cutting deeply. He yelled in agony, and with the fury of his uninjured sword arm went berserk and knowing no fear rushed in and plunged his sword straight into the head of the creature. It slumped into the dust, the familiar swarm stench quickly coming forth and its body shuddered for a number of minutes as it went through its death throes. This time they did not linger for too long and placed the bottle inside a safe building to enter in so they could tend Togura’s cut.
Blaz, who had become their medical doctor of sorts, carefully wound some bandages around the wound and Togura, thinking over the Warlock, whose magic skills so far on their quest had left something to be desired, found his competency in winding bandages quite the opposite – he seemed to have the natural care of a medicine man and seemed quite competent at the task. Also his manner of showing genuine care left Togura thinking Blaz had missed his calling in life.
Saying he was fine to continue they emerged from the bottle and resumed their search, more cautiously alert for the swarm creatures.
An hour later, after cautiously looking out for the swarms, they had found the Rainbow Parade and after raiding several of the grand looking domains, had accumulated a reasonable amount of treasure and useful looking items.
Coming into an unusual looking building, quite distinct from the others, Togura and the group searched through the place, Togura being the first to find the stairway into a basement. The basement looked different from other places they had seen so far in Riknaah. It was designed with strange looking stone furniture and against the wall was a grid with knobs on it, which appeared movable, underneath the grid being a stone doorway which was presently closed and seemed unopenable. He yelled to the others to come down and look at what he had found.
‘It is an ancient culture,’ said Kalphor. ‘Part of the old word, in the days of wrath or earlier. When Olo Malan was younger and society was different. It has survived since then.’
‘I reckon those knobs move in some way to access the doorway.’
‘And what lies beyond?’ queried Blaz.
‘Could be anything,’ responded Togura. ‘But we’ll never know if we don’t try and open the thing. I am going to try the knobs. Perhaps there is a pattern or a code which needs to be utilized to open the door. It is worth a try anyway – who knows what we will find.’
Kalphor, looking at the 8 knobs, realized Togura could well be occupied for some time, announced he and Blaz would retire to the bottle for the time being and play some Dragon Chess. The Wyvvern, however, indicated that it would stay with Togura and watch over him, which was not objectionable to Togura.
For three solid days Togura puzzled on the grid and the knobs. He had tried many different patterns which was his first idea to unlock the grid and then come to the conclusion that a nearly endless parade of combinations could be made, which could take him forever and he didn’t have that long. And then he noticed something which he really should have seen to start with. On the floor of the basement, not strikingly noticeable to begin with, but observable after a while of observation, was a very faint replica of the grid, and patterns showing the knobs were arranged on the grid on the floor. He quickly got the others from the bottle announcing that he had most probably found the solution to the grid.
As Blaz, Kalphor and the Wyvvern watched on, Togura took a little while putting the knobs into place and suddenly, as the last knob found its home, the stone door started making a whining noise and opened up. ‘Success!’ yelled Togura, so happy after all his earlier attempts had failed. But suddenly success was turned to fight as a grey mist emerged from the opening and settled on the ground. Suddenly the dirt on the floor started forming skeletons who stood up and began lunging towards the group. It wasn’t much of a fight in the end – the skeletons were kind of pathetic – and while they reanimated for a little while, eventually the mist seemed to have run out of its power and the skeletons stopped emerging.
‘Get the torches,’ Togura said to Blaz, who entered the bottle and shortly returned with 4 torches which Togura soon had alight.
The labyrinthine network of an old Nexus depository is generally something to behold for citizens of a vastly different culture another period, and Togura puzzled over the rooms filled with mechanical objects which seemed to serve no purpose and the endless supplies of little metal objects which Kalphor suggested were used to maintain whatever it had been.
Yet, while they searched valiantly for anything that might remotely prove valuable, they found nothing that they generally considered of worth and eventually gave up. But before they exited the network, Togura had managed to do something of impressive stupidity, by activating a panel on a control board which alerted a certain security device for the network. A security device which was soon to cause them quite a deal of trouble.
The following night, exploring more of the houses in the Rainbow Parade, Kalphor remarked that a strange metallic noise seemed to be emanating from the building of the labyrinth. They turned back along the street to investigate and suddenly, emerging from the building, a metallic beast in the form of a large metal dog, came towards them, suddenly blazing a red beam of fire from its eyes at them. Togura yelped, the group retreated. This particular robot was linked to the ‘Dorgi’ design from the Golden Gulag, a smaller version of a Dorgi simply known as a ‘Corgi’. It had been created for the purpose of acting as a watchdog over the labyrinth depository, and as it continued to pursue its prey, always aware were they were running off to, Togura in his frustration suggested they trap the object in the bottle and then work out what to do with it later.
The two wizards and Togura, each coming at the dog from separate angles, rushed it and Blaz was the victim of a scorch mark on his shoulder. Togura managed to get to the dog without it turning on him and soon sent it disappearing into the bottle.
‘Now what?’ asked Blaz. ‘We can hardly retreat to the bottle anymore with that thing in there? We need to find a way of destroying it.’
‘I know,’ responded Togura, who suggested they return to the building of the labyrinth in the time being to hide from any swarms that may come their way.
Sitting in the basement, staring at the opening to the labyrinth, Blaz had a suggestion to Togura. ‘Why don’t we search through the labyrinth again. We might find something useful to use against the beast, or find some way of destroying it. Togura shrugged – it was as good an idea as any he had.
They searched through the labyrinth for hours, this time Togura paying more careful attention to the various metallic devices they found, picking things up and pushing various buttons and levers.
He was down on a lower level of the labyrinth, Blaz further down the corridor, when he opened a wooden box of a series of 4 boxes, finding a strange looking object, which Togura surmised might be a weapon of sorts. He picked up what in fact was a heavy duty laser bolt rifle and messing around with it, found the on switch. Suddenly it started humming and Togura yelled for Blaz to come and see.
Staring at it Togura mentioned to Blaz that he felt it might be a weapon. ‘Then be careful with it Toggie. You don’t want to injure yourself again.’
‘I’ll be careful. I wonder what this lever does,’ he said, picking at the trigger. Suddenly a laser bolt blasted from the rifle, blasting a hole in the stone wall. ‘Fucking hell!’ yelled Togura. ‘This should be perfect. Grab one, Blaz, and we will go and get Kalphor. These should be perfect for fighting the beast.’
After they had tested the four weapons they found that only two of them came alive and it was decided Togura and Blaz would fight the creature. Crossing there fingers they used the pendant and entered the bottle. They found the beast in the second room of the bottle and as soon as it spotted them it set off another blast, just missing Togura’s ear. ‘Now!’ he yelled to Blaz and, aiming their weapons, they concentrated on firing at the beasts head, rewarded with moments later melting metal and the beast making chaotic noises. Eventually it stopped moving and they surmised it was in its death throws, whatever it was.
‘Ha, take that beast from hell,’ yelled Togura, happy with his fighting abilities.
‘I think we should get rid of it. Put it back in the labyrinth and close it up. We don’t want to risk it coming alive again.’ Togura nodded and using the pendant to return to Kalphor, they boasted of their victory and hauled the beast back into the labyrinth, moving the knobs again which resulted in the doorway closing up.
‘If I never see one of those things again it will be too soon,’ muttered Togura. ‘Anyway, these weapons should come in useful for all sorts of things.’ But, in an ironic twist of fate the weapon Togura was holding started dimming and soon went off. No matter what button Togura pressed, it didn’t seem to work anymore. Half an hour later the same thing happened to Blaz’s weapon. ‘We’ll keep them anyway. Some day we may find a way how to make them work again.’
‘What next?’ queried Kalphor. ‘Shall we finish off exploring the Rainbow Parade?’
Togura nodded.
For the next day and a half they gradually explored the remainder of the houses of the Rainbow Parade and then some of the more expensive looking abodes of Riknaah. They accumulated a fair degree of treasure in their scourings and a happy buzz was on Togura’s face as he realized he was getting richer and richer all the time. There was another encounter with a wild swarm creature, and the Wyvvern fought valiantly, Kalphor employing a fireball spell when he had finally felt strong enough in his magical ability to use. He had been drained in his strength flying around as an eagle, but that had been deemed the safest way to get around Argan. The same familiar stench emanated from the dead beast, and they left the scene as soon as possible.
Sitting around a fireplace in a building they had decided to spend the night in, Blaz shared more of his life story. He talked of working for the Guild of Wizards since his re-emergence from the bottle and the court case he had been involved in to ensure his re-entry into the guild. They had been reluctant, but the case was clear that they had no right to ban him, thus Crocus Dalbana had reluctantly readmitted him into the guild, albeit into a scungy laboratory in the basement of the guild hall. But it suited Blaz fine and, while they never sent much work his way, he felt proud of himself in finally achieving his ambition of being a fully fledged Wizard working for the Guild of the Universal Order of Wizards, Witches and Warlocks.
The Wyvvern, who for so long had said very little, although the group knew it could communicate with them, began to share unexpectedly something of its own life. It was quite an old Wyvvern now, several hundred years in fact, and it felt itself not long for this world. While it stated that because of the spell it was compelled to visit Argan with them, it spoke in a manner which suggested it didn’t really mind anyway. As if this was the last grand adventure of its life and it wanted to go out with a bang.
Togura listened with great interest as the Wyvvern spoke of Wyvverndom’s attitude to mankind. They were often viewed as pesky creatures, the humans, but never deemed too much of a threat. They generally left Wyvvern-kind alone and had not tried to hunt them down to much, unlike the common acts of bravery committed by valiant heroes in their boasting tales of dragon slaying epics. But that was typical for the dragons, their distant cousins, who had particular fetishes for virginal princesses and the like.
Dragon’s, of course, were far better fighters than Wyvverns, but the Wyvverns were quite nimble and could be quite deadly if provoked. Wyvverns were usually around half to a third of the size of Dragon’s, but it was believed in Wyvverndom that they originated from the same stock in the beginning, the Wyvverns being the result of midget dragons separating from the community and forming their own family. This was considered true as Wyvverns, occasionally now and then, sired particularly large Wyvverns who had a striking resemblance to Dragon’s, and often went off to find and mate with the larger creatures. But that was all just a matter of speculation amongst Vanderskar’s kind. And then, feeling he could trust this small group somewhat, the Wyvvern spent a full minute speaking its official birth name, which was quite lengthy indeed.
Finally, as they got ready to bed for the night, Togura declared that they were finished with Riknaah, and that in the morning they would decide upon their next target. As he slept Togura dreamed of Wyvverns and Dragons and, suddenly, turning into a Wyvvern, he found himself flying through the skies, turning and dashing in majestic movements, overcome with the joys of being a flying beast, daring the heights of heaven, a dazzling splendour to all who could possibly observe the majestic glory of Togura the Wyvvern. And then, in his dream, he suddenly found himself turned into a slug and he laughed to himself at the not so subtle irony.

CHAPTER THREE

Jaglag Daroko was nothing if not a hospitable captor. A renegade warlord from Yestron who had travelled to Argan with an ambitious plan - to see if he could use various magical items he had come across to enslave the swarms to utilise them in his ambitions of conquest back in Yestron. But, while Togura, Kalphor, Blaz and the Wyvvern were technically prisoners of sorts for the initial few days, Jaglag seemed to relax after a while and allowed them free access to his compound. Daroko was travelling with around 1000 troops and another 1000 servants, armed with the services of a quite expensive wizard by the name of Dalaka. Dalaka was currently attempting to use the magical devices Daroko had acquired to tame and use the swarms for his wargames purposes, but so far to no success. He was apparently, while quite expensive, not that competent a wizard as many of Daroko’s soldiers maintained.

Both Blaz and Kalphor were offered large sums if they could work out how the magical devices worked from Daroko’s basic knowledge of them. But after a week of solid tinkering both confessed they had not the foggiest idea.

Daroko, while not overly concerned about the wizard’s lack of success, seemed to have taken a liking to Togura, thinking him somewhat of a warrior, and had been wooing him to join his army.
‘I can offer you good pay, Poulaan. Good pay. Civil war is never to far from the average life of a citizen of Yestron, and pay is often quite good. You seem a strong warrior – your confidence with that sword I see you practice with suggests to me you have seen many a battle in your lifetime.’
Togura tried to stay humble, which was not easy as he liked to brag. ‘It is true, I am a swordsman. I once tackled a certain Guest Gulkan in a friendly duel and he bested me, but he said my abilities and natural talent were of a high quality. But I am a questing of my own desires in Argan with my wizard friend. Yestron is so far away and back in Sung my wife awaits my return. I could not leave her to go off a questing to Yestron.’
‘I understand,’ said Daroko, disappointed. ‘I could offer you a high position. My third in command, if you were willing?’
‘I thank you for the offer, Lord Daroko. But I must refuse.’
‘Very well. To your honour and your wife,’ he said, lifting a mug of ale, drinking it down quickly and belching shortly after.

The soldiers of the compound, Togura observed, were highly trained and seemed almost a crack mercenary unit in reality. Perhaps they’d had years of warfare in Yestron and were the best of the best.

Eventually Blaz and Kalphor admitted that they were no closer in finding out how to use the magical devices and, while they were somewhat dismayed at not achieving the reward promised, Daroko gave each of them a barrel of ale for their services, which they duly stored in the bottle.

When they bid Daroko farewell he stated he hoped to meet them again, and Togura felt the slightest tinge of regret, wondering how well he could have fared on Yestron in such a position of glory. Certainly one to return to Sung one day and boast of his heroic accomplishments.

For a few days later Togura simply waited it out in the bottle as the wizards drunk themselves into a stupor on the ale, but eventually they were ready to resume their questing for treasure.
‘There is a village nearby,’ said Kalphor, still quite hungover from the night before’s drinking. ‘We could search it out.’
‘Aye,’ agreed Togura.

* * * * *

They sat around the campfire that evening, telling tales of old adventures, many brags, many boasts, and steadily consuming a build up of wine from the bottle.
'When I was younger,' began Blaz. 'I had a terrible case of coclaphartis.'
'Sounds wonderful,' said Togura.
'Oh, it wasn't. Believe me it wasn't. My cheeks puffed up and, at first, the doctor prescribed mumps and bedrest. But then I stared farting uncontrollably. Really quite pongy farting as well. Father would walk in and say 'By the Black Balls of Bartimaeus, what on earth is that horrible stench. Oh, its you Kalphor,' and hold his nose, shake his head, and say he would disown me the following winter.'
'Did he? Disown you?'
'In fact he did,' remarked Blaz. 'Traded me temporarily in for a dwarve slut who he bedded often, from what I hear. I worked as a slave in a dark skinned blacksmith's forge, handling the heavy metal. It was hell, believe me. The number of times I burned myself.'
'Life's tough,' replied Togura.
'That wasn't the worst of it though. The blacksmith had a daughter. Hilda. She was 7 foot tall, fat as a dragon, and I do believe her regular farts were worse than mine at the peak of coclaphartis. Apparently she had a condition.'
'What did she want?' asked Kalphor.
'To rape me incessantly. She would come to me, while I was sleeping, pull down my breaches, and fondle me for hours.'
'How did you react?' asked Togura.
'Quiet embarassingly,' responded the wizard. The other two chuckled.
'When I was 17,' began Togura. 'Working for my father, Cromarty my brother had me cornered with his gang and they tarred and feathered me, parading me halfway around Sung. I got my revenge, though.'
'How so?' asked Kalphor.
'With a group I had Cromarty tied down one night, shaved his pubic hairs, and dipped honey all around his crotch.'
'Embarrassing,' said Blaz.
'Then we tied him down on an ants nest and had bloody good time watching him in agony. He hasn't forgiven me to this day.'
'I think I have the worst tale,' said Kalphor. 'In my early years of wizarding in Ashmolea, my brother Phyhphor cast an enchantment on me, temporarily turning me into a goat.'
Togura grinned.
'Yet then he put a female goat in my room, who was on heat, and I was unable to help myself.'
'Olo Malan!' exclaimed Togura.
'I am told I am a father of a proud herd of goats, prized for their milk, till this day.' They all burst out laughing on that one.

And so they bragged and boasted and, steadily consuming alcohol, whiled away the hours, lost in the heart of Argan, none the wiser to the all too possible presence of swarms and other dangers famed for inhabiting the now fallen continent.

Epilogue

To cut a long story short, the adventurers continued on with their harvesting of the abandoned villages of Argan for some time longer, and after a number of fateful adventures, each found their destiny and their wealth, and retired in comfort.

Togura farted a lot as he got older. Day, ever mindful of her fading looks didn't complain greatly, yet the move into the downstairs front bedroom was the nasal salvation she never regretted. Togura bemoaned the situation, yet did not want to lose his love, so let things be. He ended up king of Sung.

Blaz Durass started his own wizardry school on his wealth. The other guilds did not recommend transfers to challenged students. Better off life as a dung sweeper than suffer the tutelage of the Cold West's greatest magical oxymoron. Blaz was successful none the less.

Kalphor retired in Chi Ash Lan, in a small apartment, were he hid the green bottle in the basement and lived inside there in the colder weather. It looked 'pleasant' according to Toguras assessment of its decor upon a visit from Sung. Kalphor subsequently took up interior decorating.

And the Warlock returned home, bragged of his final adventure, scored a young filly excited by his tales, and rested in peace in his final days, the proud father of a redeemed Wyvvernly lineage.

And the world turned in Olo Malan, and the thunder rolled, and the rain poured, and the sun shone, and the world turned. And the world turned.

The End for Now

Daniel Daly

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Jan 17, 2014, 9:40:08 PM1/17/14

Assembly of the Living God - Original Faith Community

Hi guys. This work of David Eddings fanfiction is provided for the Original AOTLG community. David Eddings died a few years back, so his writings become public domain within 70 years. I invite other fanfiction writers to embellish this universe within the AOTLG community, making sure it all works as Canon compliant, and is properly organized by a committee in charge of the project.

‘The Belzandramanian’

Volume One
‘Wrath of the Mad God Torak’

by
Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

© 2010-02-28

Dedicated to
David Eddings – The Master

Prologue

Torak Brooded. Ul had chided him again and again, yet the god of destruction paid no heed. He cared not. His slaying had been the ultimate act of humiliation, unable to escape the prophecy of destiny that Ul had been mastermind behind. And now he brooded, caught up in a deathly afterlife, tormented by his father, unable to see any of his brethren.

And then, the gods took council, and forgave Torak, deeming he had learned his lesson. But Ul knew more wisely.

Sitting in the abode of darkness, beyond all light, Torak looked at the helpless figure, caught up in her wickedness. And an idea permeated his mind, and idea of revenge, wrath and delusion. And the Mad God Torak looked upon this figure and the name ‘Belzandramas’ entered his head. And then he chuckled with a most evil chuckle, and a new prophecy began forming in the mind of Ul, the eternal God.

Part One

‘The Doomsayers’

Chapter One

Belgarion studied the Mrin Codex. Ce Nedra, in the background, was busily at work, as had become her manner, preparing the nightly meal. It was simple now, Belgarian thought to himself. Very simple. Here he was, living on Faldor’s farm, away from the limelight of Riva and Kingship, which had been turned over to Belgeran. For he had, in a way, abdicated to choose the simple life. The life he had been brought up with, when things were innocent and new. When, perhaps, he had been a more naïve lad, unaware of prophecies and orbs and Mad god’s called Torak.

He had craved this for so long, living in Riva, with all his responsibilities. And, while for so long it had seemed as if the glory of Kingship would be a glory to last forever, something had seemed lacking. And so, Ce Nedra in tow, he had returned to Sendaria, purchased the land and farm, and reclaimed his lost youth. And he had never, really, been happier.

In fact, he was Garion again. He had made a decision, a simple decision, that Garion was who he was, and that the power of Bel did not need to claim his heart. Garion was his name, and that would suffice.

He looked over at the orb, sitting on the mantelpiece, glowing calmly and happily. It was like that these days, radiating warmth and friendliness. Teaching him, in his dreams and waking hour’s simpler things of life. Simpler things which took over from the grand epics of glory. And he was content in these simpler things, happily residing with Ce Nedra, occasionally partaking of visitors of his old friends.

Mr Wolf came every now and again, and Aunt Polgara. They came, chatting about this and that, often in heated disputation. But that was the charming life he knew in those two and, seemingly, things would never change.

He left off his studies and walked to the window, looking out at the farm. He remembered those days long ago, of bokking chickens and mooing cows. And how simple and easy life had been under Faldor’s guidance and Durnik’s steady walk. And thinking how good those simpler things were, a knock came to the door, and destiny intruded once more on the life of Garion, son of Geran.

Taking the message from the deliverer, Garion re-entered the house, and sat down to read it.

‘Things of life are never seen to eyes in shadowy realm,
By this it seems I truly mean the dark is where I dwell.
Your life is forfeit, deathly foe, my vengeance will be sure,
When death’s dark blade of purest might comes knocking on your door.’

An excerpt from the ‘Chronicle of Torak’

And that was all the message read.
‘Who was at the door, Garion?’
‘Uh, just a message Ce Nedra.’
‘For me?’
‘I don’t think so.’
He looked at the message again and considered its origin. It was a prank, surely. Surely a prank. He had never heard of the Chronicle of Torak and believed it some fraud, the product of a grudge from an old enemy of the king. Surely that was all it was. But he would show it to Belgarath when he next visited and ask his grandfathers opinion. He would not be too hasty to throw out this message – life had taught him caution, and ignoring threats was not always the best and wisest course of action.

He put it away, in a drawer, and went off to dinner. But it was on his mind all that night – most definitely on his mind.

* * * * *

Unreal. Unalive. Unbeing. Unknown. Undead. But now, suddenly, aware. Aware of herself and a name – a name which, somehow, was not quite what it had been, but was now something new. Born again, as it where, from a spirit of unbeing to a spirit of power, madness and wrath. Most definitely a spirit of wrath.

Belzandramas surveyed her surroundings. They looked familiar yet not. A mountain, a large mountain, covered with grass and trees. Yet, looking down to the base, ice everywhere. Nothing but ice as far as she could see. And then, turning her head, she surveyed the entire circumference of the mountain – a neverending parade of ice, in all directions. She was stranded. Yet, quickly, the instincts came to the fore. Finely tuned survival instincts, from a spirit of life carefully guided to the fulfilment of darkness, as she knew so truly. And then, a thought. A boy. A Man. A King. Belgarion, yes, that was his name. And another, a seeress. A seeress who had made a dreadful choice and vanquished her as a result. And then, peering into her own heart, she found the secret. The dreadful, wicked secret, some being had placed there.
‘Don’t be so obvious’, it had said. ‘Don’t be so obvious.’ And then she delighted in the dark, amazing evil in her soul. And vengeance seemed so pleasant. So deliciously pleasant.

* * * * *

‘How far you have fallen, Kheldar. How far you have fallen.’
‘Don’t call me that. It’s Silk, okay. Like the old days.’
Barak nodded. ‘So, what’s next for the prince of thieves? What next?’
‘I have business in Mallorea. Up north. There is a merchantman who has an item, a particular item, which is of interest to myself.’
‘What item.’
‘A Scroll. A scroll, just emerged. Beldin mentioned it. Said it is a new one, but an old one. Gave me some confusing explanation. Wants me to obtain it – said he’d make it worth my while.’
‘Then to Mallorea it is. Oh, and can we avoid going through Thull like the last time. I don’t want to run into Jandok. His threats were not nice, Silk. Not nice.’
‘The prettiness of Thullian maidens if often hard to resist, dear Barak, especially for one as smooth as myself. And now that I am alone again, well, she was willing and wanting and I could not say no.’
‘As befits a prince of your kind,’ said Barak, a grin on his face.
‘Oh, shut up.’
‘Where in Mallorea?’
‘Just across from the land bridge, up near the coast. A small village, Lameth. This merchantmen trades in pearls and gold and silver, but has interest in things religious and prophetical. Apparently he acquired the scroll from a mad priest, dressed in brown robes, muttering something about the end of the world. A ‘Doomsayer’ he called him.’
‘Doomsayer? What is all that about?’
‘No idea Barak,’ responded Silk. ‘But I surmise we will find out soon enough.’
‘Then to Mallorea it is. Are you paying for the ale?’
Silk gave him a look, was about to suggest something rather rude as to Barak’s current lack of funds, but went and paid for the ale. Exiting the inn from somewhere in southern Arendia they returned to their horses, and got under way. Looking at the sun, which was late in sky, Silk thought over his life. He was ageing, now. Much older. But adventure was still in the heart of Kheldar and he sensed with this scroll something new in the air. Something that was fundamental to all Alorns and Angaraks as well. Something quite fundamental.

* * * * *

Polgara sat on the donkey as her father led it carefully through the dark, enchanted forest. ‘I don’t think I have been to this part of Karanda before. Are you sure this is the right place?’
‘You keep asking, Pol. Have a little faith. Beldin insisted that the monastery, as they call it, was around here somewhere. Deep into the forest.’
‘Alright, I’ll trust you. I don’t like it, but for once old fool I will give you a break.’
‘Very funny.’
They travelled on through the dark twilight. Somehow, despite it being bright and sunny outside the forest, they seemed to have entered a twilight realm. A realm beyond Mallorea, almost otherlike. Yet, presumably, always having been there. He remembered what Beldin said.
‘When you cross beyond the edge of nothing, remember you will find darkness there. A darkness which Torak himself feared. So beware.’
Belgarath laughed to himself. High drama was not always the way of Beldin, but something had happened to him just recently. An encounter with Ul which had changed him. A dark, dramatic encounter, in which the Father God had given him portents of destruction to chill the bones.

As they walked along, the leaves rustling in the wind, both of them feeling as if dark eyes were watching them, eyes set on malevolence, eyes foreboding trouble, eyes with no good will. But perhaps they were just whispers of darkness, and perhaps that is all they were. Belgarath was old, now, ancient in many ways. But here, beyond the edge of nothing, he sensed something he had never quite encountered. A spirit, an aura, which could perhaps be only called evil. Or haunting at the very least.

He thought back to younger years, years encountering dark wizards and evil sorcerers. Years in which his knowledge, skill and talents had been put to the test. Yet somehow, in this dark place, his faith in his abilities had vanished, and it was with tender treading of foot that this warrior wizard walked onwards, carefully guiding the donkey, hoping not to disturb those dark whispers who wanted no disturbance.

And then, a clearing, and safety. For there, rising up in front of them, apparently what could only be the monastery and a lake beside it, with the most beautiful garden of trees.
‘Thank the orb,’ said Polgara, as they came out of the dark into the light.
‘This, then, looks like the place,’ said Belgarath.’
‘I would surmise as much myself, father.’
They continued to walk on, coming to the monastery itself, with large wooden doors. Belgarath looked around. ‘We knock I suppose.’
‘I would consider that a good idea,’ said Polgara sarcastically.
Belgarath knocked and they waited. After 5 minutes of patience, no response forthcoming, he knocked again, but still no answer. Frustrated he came to sit down next to Polgara who had just returned with 2 pieces of fruit from the garden, and handing one to her father, began eating.
‘Perhaps they are busy, or absent at the moment.’
‘Should we enter?’ inquired Polgara.
‘I’m not sure. They might consider that rude. Karandan’s are always difficult to understand.’
‘If they are Karandan’s. We don’t know were these doomsayers come from – they are so different, so other, to anything I have ever encountered.’
‘They come from Karadarak, and speak of ‘Auarii’,’ responded Belgarath. I have conversed with one in some detail. This is the next chosen ‘Realm’ as they call it to suffer the ‘Testing’.
‘What are you speaking of old man?’
‘They are now Karandan’s by choice, so they claim. But they are other in origin. An origin not of our world. The place, ‘Karadarak’ is on another world, another planet, were a testing took place. A testing in which the inhabitants came through on their faith. They passed the testing and the ‘Doomsayers’ have now come here. For we are the next world on their agenda.’
‘Why have you not shared this with me before?’
‘The time is right now, daughter. You did not need to know previously.’
She looked at him, thought of arguing, but then thought better of it. ‘So, what was it that Beldin asked of Silk?’
‘He is acquiring a scroll for us. Part of a new Chronicle. A new Chronicle which is part of an ancient Chronicle. Something beyond time and space.’
‘You speak in riddles. Become clear to me father.’
‘Beldin speaks of words Ul shared with him, but will say nothing more than that which I have said. Nothing much more, that is.’
She looked at him, just shook her head, and took another bite of her fruit.
‘Besides, you are still young daughter. Not ready, I think, for such things as I would speak of. For I fear your impetuosity in confronting that which you are not ready for.’
‘I am near as old as you, old man. Do not speak to me like a child.’
He came over, held her by the shoulders, and spoke softly. ‘But you are my child, Polgara. You have always been as such, and I love you dearly. And I would not lose you for your headstrong attitudes. I would not lose you.’
Polgara softened, and looked at him. ‘Yes, I understand.’

They sat there, after a while taking a drink from the well, and having a look around. The building was quite large, like Belgarath’s own tower, and similar in spirit in some ways. But after they gently tried opening the front doors, which appeared to be the only way in, and finding them locked, they were becoming quite frustrated. And then Belgarath noticed a button of sorts, a metallic button near the door. Coming over to it he pushed it, and with some effort it went in and immediately a bell inside the door began ringing.
‘We should have known that,’ said Polgara.
‘Perhaps we are just getting old,’ responded Belgarath.

Within a few moments they heard footfalls on the other side of the door, and a window opened with a man looking at them. He gazed at them, said nothing though, and then closed the window. Shortly though the door opened and he came out to greet them, dressed in long brown robes.
‘I am Napier. Are you the wizard? Are you Beldin?’
‘Close,’ responded Belgarath. ‘I am Belgarath, his associate.’
Napier nodded. ‘Good, good. Then please come in. We would have words with you, Belgarath. We would have words with you.’ With those words said Napier turned and entered the monastery, and Belgarath, giving Polgara a cautious look, followed Polgara into the unknown.

* * * * *

Silk looked at the ship. ‘Are you sure it’s safe?’
‘It might be old, but I am sure it will get us there. Don’t worry Silk. Don’t worry.’
‘Yes, don’t worry.’ They boarded the ‘Old Warrior’, as the ship was called, and Juntarr the captain gave them a nod, happy to have paying customers. The ship set sail a few hours later, and as they made their way towards Mallorea, the sea air in his lungs, Silk considered the future. Dark times lay ahead, it seemed, for the world. Dark times in which many would fear and worry. Common souls, not given over to concerns of prophecies and mad gods. Common souls, caught up in a frenzy of fear. This is what Beldin spoke of, what the doomsayers spoke of. A time of testing, a time of worry. As they sailed along, Barak handing him a leg of chicken and a mug of apple cider, Silk gave quiet thought to his own view on what Beldin had raised. Ul was approaching a new time in the realm of the gods, and choices were being made. Choices of life and death. There was a place prepared for the Alorns and the Angaraks and the Malloreans. And a place prepared for those of the other continents, Yulenthea and Junissa. But a testing was to come – a testing from these dread doomsayers. And to gain that place in the life hereafter, only those whose faith was sure would see the testing through. And this testing of faith, which Beldin spoke of, coming from the eldest god, was to sort them out. To make men of them. To bring forth a new world, unlike the old one, the one passing away, the one to be gone forever. Silk trusted Ul, though he knew him not, but the new world dawning. What that spoke of? Well, time would tell.

He sat down, drinking his mug of ale, smiling to himself. Life was good again, now. He was old, but felt young. Felt young in his spirit, alive to life. A quiet joy was in his heart, and things were good again. The vigour of youth was still in his bones, and Barak, as always, a brave companion through which he saw the struggles of life. Yes life was good, but the testing was at hand. And a quiet prayer to Ul was upon him later that night as he prepared for the trials of the heart.

* * * * *

Belzandramas found the cave after a week of eating berries and drinking snow. It led for a lengthy mile, illuminated by glowing rock. In the heart of the mountain she found the well. A pool, crystal clear, with liquid bluey green in colour. It wasn’t water. It wasn’t something she was at all familiar with. But it seemed to be all that this mountain had to offer and so, not thinking any thing could possibly go wrong, put her hand in the pool and stirred the water, almost instinct-like. And then something happened. Voices began speaking, quickly, many of them, mostly female, but the occasional male. And then, suddenly, springing up out of the pool little boxes of light, boxes in which faces were seen. And then, after a while, these faces were the voices speaking. They danced through the cave, some chasing each other, some having fun and laughing, some buzzing around over Belzandramas’ head. And then, seemingly satisfied, they came and hovered over Belzandramas, and looked at her. A male spoke. ‘Bellie, bellie, bellie. You do look pretty, don’t you.’ Belzandramas remained silent. ‘Well, no matter. No matter.’
A female spoke. ‘So, what next Belzandramas? Do you know?’
Belzandramas spoke. ‘Vengeance.’
‘And why?’ asked the male.
Belzandramas was about to answer, but softened, and sat on the floor to think about that. After a few moments of contemplation she began to sense something changing in her mind, something from a new choice she had made. A wiser choice. ‘Power, then. Ruling all, being goddess of glory?’
‘Why?’ asked a female.
Again, she thought on the answer, the most obvious one, but then considered it.
‘Well, it would be mine to decide the fate of all who are. They could be crushed by my merest whim.’
‘Sounds good,’ said a voice, and flew away to look over the cave.
‘So that is what you want then?’ asked the woman again.
Belzandramas looked at her, softened again, and thought of something new.
‘Then what do you suggest I seek, spirits of wisdom?’
‘That really is up to you. But some things are better than others. Some things are wiser than others. Some things last longer than others. And a matter of the heart always rules over a matter of the head, dear Zandramas. Always.’
Zandramas looked through cold eyes, but softened again. ‘My name is Belzandramas. That is my new name. The old one is gone now, gone forever.’
‘As you see fit,’ said the woman. ‘As you see fit. Well, we do have a task for you. Complete this task and you will gain a reward. A reward we are sure you will enjoy.’
‘And the task?’
‘What you wanted anyway. Torak needs a consort, and we have chosen yourself. There is a destiny now, and 3 nations are part of that destiny. Torak desires to rule each, but your task is this. Betrothe him, wed him, marry him, and help him to accomplish all he desires. Yet prevent him, if you can, from his goals. Prevent him from ruling these 3 nations, and let not your heart betray yourself, or be given away. For if you can lead him down the destiny we have chosen, those 3 nations will belong to you. But if you fail, and he gains one, you will not have your reward. But there are certain terms. You must tell him to conquer these nations, encourage him to rule, to raise up Mallorea and conquer the west. To be king and god and ruler of all. For war is in his heart, in his blood, and you must aid him to conquer each Kingdom. But if he does, if you can not through your charms and cunning ways prevent him from doing so, by whatever means you so choose, then he will reign, and you shall not have your reward. But if you succeed, if he fails, then the reward will be great. Indeed eternal, Belzandramas. Indeed eternal.’

And then they all smiled at her, played around one last time, and disappeared back into the pool. And Belzandramas knew then her mission, and was away, headed out of the cave, headed for Mallorea, and her meeting with destiny.

* * * * *

Garion sat in front of the fire. Ce Nedra was lying against him, drifting off to sleep, seemingly not concerned about things. And then he heard the crowd. Rising to his feet he went to the window to see many people gathered outside, holding torches. He went to the door, opened it, and a group of fifty or so local villagers stood there, looking at him menacingly. And then a figure dressed in brown robes came forth from them, looked at him and yelled ‘Heretic. The wrath of Ul is on you. You are an abomination in his eyes.’ And the villagers, all fearing the man, just glared at Garion.
He looked a little nervous, thought of fetching the orb, but told himself to remain calm. Words of Belgarath echoed through his mind.
‘Under pressure, stay calm. Think carefully.’ He surveyed the man who continued to glare at him, dressed in the brown robes with a rope around the waist. His head was shaved in a circular fashion at the top, a deliberate bald spot, and he held a black, leather-bound book. Garion spoke slowly ‘Friend. I am no heretic, I assure you. I am King of the west, King Belgarion. I simply dwell here now and my son rules in my stead at Riva. What concerns you?’
The man glared at him, turned to the crowd, and opened his book. And then he began speaking. ‘Thus saith Ul, the god of god’s. Beware the power of the king, for in his pride he shall exalt his heart above menfolk, believing himself superior, believing himself the one. He lives only to rule you, not to care for you, not to heal you, not to bring you wealth or goodness. He lives for himself and his own glory. So tear down these pillars, and be as one. The word of Ul has spoken.’
The crowd nodded. ‘Yes brother,’ one of the villagers spoke. ‘We believe that Ul has spoken, and we will follow Ul our God.’
‘Aye, we will,’ responded the crowd. The brother turned to Garion, a mad look of zeal on his face, seemingly satisfied with the victory of faith he had achieved. ‘You will come with us, now. And we will take you to judgement. You will taste fear, oh king. You will taste fear.’
Garion, looking at the villagers, knew they were serious. But he would have faith. ‘Let me kiss my wife, and I will come.’ The brother nodded, and Garion hastened inside. He grabbed the Mrin Codex, the orb, kissed Ce Nedra without waking her, and hastened outside. They took him then, brought him to a cart and placed him there, in chains, to lead him off. As they drove along Garion stayed calm. They would see reason, he knew as much in the end. The orb softly whispered as such to him. But for now he was concerned. Something was wrong in Sendaria, something was wrong. And he sensed, in the air, a new spirit had come forth. A new spirit which might, just might, not be for the good of everyone.

* * * * *

Errand was dead, gone. Gone to were he could not return. But another child had been born, born not far from Faldor’s farm, to an innocent Sendarian family, full of simple things and quiet joys. She was Gemma, a pleasant girl, now 12, full of life and love, friendly to all, with no enemies. And when she saw Garion being led away, she followed at a distance, hopeful to try and free him somehow, for she believed in her king, and new him to be a good man. They were wrong, the villagers, and the ‘Brother’ should not be listened to. There was something not right about him. Something in his eyes, in his manner, in the way he spoke to people. A sneering attitude. A pride which felt itself better than others, as if he was the special chosen one of Ul, which so he claimed. She didn’t believe him – she didn’t believe him at all. And if she had not known that her King had slain Torak, she would have believed the mad god risen from death.

As she followed along, the villagers began singing and praising Ul, and the brother seemed to grow in mad delight. Things were not good, now. Darkness was here, and it was not going away. But she had hope – she had hope. And with that hope she would persevere until the truth came forth, and the darkness left, left her land and left the west forever.

* * * * *

And then an hour of darkness befell the west, and the sun was dim for a while, and people fell to fear, and the doomsayers spread even more so, speaking of the final end of time, and the end of what was to be, and the final day of judgement.

Chapter Two

The three provinces long had a custom of infighting. But, hey, Yulenthean’s had never really given a damn about keeping peaceful ways, stuck down on the southern part of the world, away from the larger continents, in the cold extremes of the planet. Kmran, which never ceased to claim the founding of ‘Yulen’, always bragged of being the oldest of the three provinces, and suggested to the other two, quite often, they should show them the respect they deserved. Millennia of warfare, and occasional tribute, still had not brought such respect, but nobody cared that much in the end anyway. That was a Yulenthean spirit – not caring that much. The southern province, ‘Shrar’, liked to think itself superior due to its greater wealth. They had much gold and precious gems, and felt itself the true province of desire. Yet Braed, the eastern province, was the largest, and made its own boast based usually on this and other such arguments. They fought, it was Yulenthean civil war every century or so, but somehow, someway, in Yulen peace treaties eventually came forth and disputes were inevitably settled.

The city of Yulen lay at the crossroads, as it were, of the three provinces. Right in the heart of Yulenthea, on the coast of the main inlet of the continent, the provincial borders went northwards and eastwards, dividing the continent into three neat and even chunks. Yulen, for most Yulentheans, was usually were the action was, and home to over 20 million souls, divided evenly amongst each province as the provincial borders ran through the heart of the city. Right on the coast itself, right were the borders all lined up, sat the Palace of Yulenthea, the place of the Yulenthean Monarchy. As you may expect, it was a fractured monarchy much of the time, an endless parade of royal houses all usurping one another for a time period in traditional rules of combat and glory, claiming the throne, and ruling their world. Many a house had ruled more than once, some even three or four times. But that was the game, as it was called. The game of rulership, the monarchy of power, and no house really was given to quitting on that particular agenda.

The current house of glory were the Dalkindo’s, a traditional Braedan house. They had not ruled before, and had been in the seat of power for quite some time now. In fact, four centuries, and they still saw no sign of being taken. The current monarch, Jezabel Dalkindo, spoke of a more sensible spirit having pervaded Yulenthea, one of an apathy in which peace seemed suitable for a time, for a while. And most Yulentheans did not object that much, going about the regular humdrum of everyday life, pursuing their own private agendas, goals and dreams of glory. But there was one Yulenthean, one in particular, which had ambition. Definite ambition. Jek Barder saw himself fit to be king of the Yulentheans, and while he was gifted with intelligence and good looks, his lack of fighting ability spoke of a dream of kingship which, while hoped for dearly, remained just that – a dream. You see, the challenge was about the only way, in the end, to take the throne for any length of time. It was an unwritten custom, or perhaps expectation, in Yulenthea, that to take the throne a duel must ultimately take place. And Jek Barder could not fight. But he was smart, cunning and wise, successful in business, and with an aptitude to increase in knowledge. What he lacked in physical prowess he made up for with his wit, and with that particular wit he planned, every few weeks, about how he might just achieve the glory he sought. It would happen one day, of that he was certain. But for now, while he planned valiantly, it was business as usual, and their were customers to see to.

The bell rang and coming to the front of the shop, a figure stood before him, dressed in long brown robes, a rope tied around his waist, and his hair cut in a fashion which made a bald spot in the centre. And he was carrying a black leather book.
‘Yes,’ said Jek. ‘Would you like some fish? We have a fine catch today.’
‘I have not come for fish, brother. Not to catch fish at all. For I am a fisher of men, and he who is has called you into his kingdom.’
Jek looked at the man, and laughed to himself. ‘Well, if you don’t want any fish, how about an umbrella. We have a good stock in, all the way from Junissa. Sturdy, reliable ones. They work well.’
‘I fear not the rain, brother. For the latter rain is a blessing and it is now raining from heaven upon the kingdom of men. And you are chosen from this latter rain, brother. You are chosen for glory.’
Jek looked at him, now a little curious. ‘And what is this glory you speak of?’
‘You crave the rulership of Yulenthea, do you not? He who is knows all the desires of the heart.’
Now Jek took him a little more seriously. ‘I don’t know how you knew that, but yes. Yes I crave the fair kingship. But how can a man dressed as you are possibly offer me such a prize?’
‘He who is can offer you such a prize, Mr Barder. He has never failed.’
Jek nodded to himself. He was not a religious man, but knew of Ul. Perhaps there would be something in this madman’s hazy eyes which could grant him the glory he sought. Perhaps, for now he would listen. Perhaps, for now, he would consider this most tempting offer.
‘I am listening. Speak on.’
‘As I knew you would, child of he who is. As I knew you would.’

* * * * *

‘What is the charge?’ asked Garion, sitting in the local village hall, the villagers all looking in intently, the chief of the village looking reluctant about Garion being arrested, but fearing the man of God more. The ‘Doomsayer’, as the villagers had called him, responded. ‘Has not he who is granted you power, authority and wealth?’
Garion considered the question and assented. ‘Yes, I guess he has. What is your point?’
‘And what has thou done with this esteemed position?’
‘Ruled for a time being. My son is now responsible in my stead.’
The Doomsayer looked at the villagers. ‘You have heard his confession.’ He turned back to look at Garion, his eyes blazing furious flames. ‘You admit it then. You have ‘ruled’ he said, sneeringly.
‘And what is your objection to that?’ asked Garion. Yet the Doomsayer ignored him. He spoke again.
‘And, have you become wealthy? Wealthy beyond all mortal men?’
Garion nodded. ‘Yes. Yes the kingship is the wealthiest in the realm. The Arch Regent of Mallorea rivals me, but I am wealthier it is said.’
‘Again, another confession,’ said the Doomsayer. He is clearly guilty. What more need be said.
‘Guilty of what?’ asked Garion, now confused. The villagers looked at the Doomsayer, eager for him to speak. The Doomsayer glared at Garion and, finally, opened his leather-bound book. ‘Thus says the Gospel of the Lord Almighty. ‘Seek ye riches? Nay, I tell you, seek poverty. For the rich are beset with pride and seek to dominate and manipulate others with the power they achieve, to destroy livelihoods and make their fellow man, likewise made in the image of Ul, their slaves and servants eternal. Riches are for fools, dear disciples. Heed my words and take note.’ The man closed the book, looked at Garion, again with a sneer, and looked at the villagers. ‘The lord has spoken, let his name be praised.’ And all the villagers yelled ‘Praise the Lord.’ Garion looked worried. An angry mob was always difficult to calm down. He would have to speak with wisdom. He looked at the Mrin Codex but, just then, a little voice in his heart said ‘Let your own words suffice.’ And so he spoke truly.
‘It was prophecy which chose me for kingship. I was a simple lad, living at Faldor’s farm, not dreaming of such things. But such things chose me, as perhaps they have done for others in other times and other places. Could I truly refuse such a calling? For this Gospel of the Lord you speak of I have not heard of. I know of Ul and the other gods, but not this gospel, so feel perplexed in being judged by its words. I have never sought ill will towards another man, never sought to prevent his desires of wealth or his own dominion. I have never sought to manipulate or abuse my responsibilities. I deny such a charge, and while we may differ over the need for Kingship and authority, I understand your perspective and see your point. But I do not hold my self guilty of wrongdoing, and my conscience thusly bears witness.’ The Doomsayer glared at him for a moment, glaring madly, and looked at the crowd who had softened, and were looking at him. And then he came forward, held out his hand to Garion, who reluctantly shook it. And then he spoke in a new voice, a different voice, a calmer, more sedate, more humane voice. ‘Well spoken King of the West. It would seem they have chosen wisely to have your gracious decency rule for them. You are a good King, and the Lord Almighty is pleased with you. Your testing has come, and you have spoken words of honesty and truth. Go in the name of the Lord, and may he bless you with life everlasting.’ Garion looked at the ‘Doomsayer’, not really sure what to say, but stepped down from his seat, watched as the villagers gradually dispersed, and slowly, carefully, made his way out of the hall. The chief of the village came up to him, shook his hand, and apologized for the difficulties. And then he encouraged Garion to return to Riva saying the Lord’s will was for the King to return, now, for difficult times lay ahead. So the Doomsayer claimed. And, thus, Garion returned home to Ce Nedra, who was still asleep, placed the Orb back on the mantelpiece, and once again considered just what was going on in the world.

* * * * *

The ship landed at Lameth late on a sunny afternoon, and Silk and Barak exited, thanked the captain and the crew, and made their way to a local inn. ‘So where is this place?’ asked Barak.
‘On the northern edge of the village. The merchantman’s name is Davros. We shouldn’t have too much trouble tracking him down. The villagers are bound to know where he is.’
‘Let’s hope so,’ responded Barak. They came to the inn ‘The Golden Eagle’ and booked a room for the night. Drinking ale and eating supper they noticed the eyes of the inn upon them, and hushed and whispered voices exclaiming they were strangers and something about the Doomsayer needing to see them to judge them.
‘What are they whispering about,’ asked Barak.
‘The new cult. The Doomsayers. It looks as if they have reached Lameth. We will have to have our wits about us.’ They continued to drink their ale and eat their supper when the innkeeper came over to speak with them.
‘Look, we don’t want any trouble here, so when the father gets here, go along quietly, okay. It will just be trouble otherwise.’
‘What father?’ asked Silk.
‘The Doomsayer. Dressed in brown robes with a black book. You will know him when he arrives. Just go quietly – don’t mess with him. You will see. You will trust in the Lord then. You will trust in the Lord.’
The innkeeper left and Barak whispered to Silk, ‘Trust in the Lord, hey. Do they speak of Ul.’
‘I am not completely sure, Barak my friend. But we will find out soon enough.’ They finished off their meal, thanked the innkeeper and retired to their room. The coals in the fireplace were still burning, so Silk added a log, washed with the basin, and took to his bed.

They were sleeping soundly, and the night was passing by, when they were suddenly roused by a racket. Silk rose and Barak got up in his bed, yawning, and asked ‘By Belar’s beard, what is all this commotion?’
Silk went to the window and saw outside burning torches. Suddenly a man dressed in long brown robes appeared, looked up to them with a gleeful look, and entered the inn. Silk turned to Barak – ‘The Doomsayer is here. We had best get dressed.’ Barak reluctantly agreed, and they started dressing.

When they were just pulling on their boots there was a knock at the door and the innkeeper spoke up. ‘Guests, there is someone here to see you. I am afraid you must come out, or there will be trouble.’
‘We will be with you in just a second,’ responded Silk. He looked at Barak, nervously, but ready. Whatever was to come now, he would speak truthfully. Beldin had given him a hint at what was coming, so it was time. Time to face down his demon’s and speak true words. Prince Kheldar may have been a thief and a rogue, but he had a good heart, and surely that was what mattered the most in the end. Surely that was what mattered most.

They exited the room and came down to the heart of the inn. The Doomsayer was there, surrounded by a dozen villagers, and he glared at Silk and Barak. He spoke – ‘Barak, son of Cherek, you have justified this Prince Kheldar in your heart as worthy of your friendship and companionship.’ Barak looked at the Doomsayer stunned, not really knowing how he knew who he was, and amazed because of it. The Doomsayer continued. ‘And thus, Barak son of Cherek, because you have justified this rogue, we will judge you upon his judgement. If we deem him innocent, we will deem you likewise as such. But if he is guilty, you will suffer his fate.’ Barak nodded. He understood such judgement.

The Doomsayer turned to Kheldar, glaring at him wildly. ‘We will hold the judgement here – there is no need to go elsewhere. You may sit,’ said the Doomsayer, and Silk sat down calmly. Barak stood back and watched his own judgement as well.’ The Doomsayer stalked around the room, looking mighty and powerful in his robes, holding his book of judgement with pride, ready to accuse Silk for all his lifes wrongdoings.

‘Kheldar. You are a Prince of Drasnia,’ are you not?’
‘Yes, that is true,’ responded Silk.
‘Yet you forsake your divine responsibilities and run off on foolish childish adventures.’
‘That is not how I see it.’
‘Silence,’ yelled the Doomsayer, a mad look in his eyes. ‘I did not say you could speak.’ He continued to stalk the room and eventually continued.
‘You have been known to be prince of thieves. To deny others their hard earned rewards of work and glory in their wealth. Do you deny this charge?’
Silk hung his head, shamefully. ‘No. No, I don’t deny that. I have had a lifetime of roguish ways, I admit that.’
The Doomsayer nodded. ‘So it would seem, Kheldar. So it would seem.’ And then he opened up his book and read. ‘Thus says the Gospel of the Lord. My disciples, do not run with men of wickedness, who steal other’s belongings, and glory in their prowess of such an art. For they deny the work of those who pursued their rewards with an honest heart. Such men are wicked, do not consort with them.’ Thus says the Gospel of the Lord,’ and the Doomsayer closed the book. He looked around, again with a wild glare in his eyes, and gazed at the villagers. ‘He is guilty – who would disagree?’ And all the villagers assented as one.
Silk felt downtrodden. It was as if a lifetime of his roguish ways had finally caught up with him and now judgement had come. He was guilty and could give no defense. The Doomsayer glared at him, his eyes wildly alive. ‘Do you not have anything to say in your defense, Prince Kheldar, Prince of Thieves.’
Kheldar looked up, and spoke all that he really could say.
‘Tis true, Doomsayer. I am a rogue. I am not proud of that, and have beforetimes regretted my ways. But it almost seems as if it is a life I had no choice in living. As if it was a destiny inescapable and the thrill of the adventure was a drug I simply could not avoid. I will say this, though. I have only robbed the rich, and never left a poor man hungry. I have not really been a violent man, and have had adventures which have changed this world for the better. I believe I have a good heart, despite my many flaws, and more than that, well I can not say. It is just the way I am, I guess. Just the way I am.’ The Doomsayer looked at him sternly, and then spoke in a strict voice, but a voice which hinted at a previously unknown sense of compassion. ‘And that is your defence, child of he who is? Those are your own words?’
‘Yes,’ nodded Kheldar.
And the Doomsayer softened. ‘Then you have judged yourself, Prince Kheldar. And before these villagers as witness I declare that the Lord Almighty favours you and will give you a blessing. For you have, in truth, not been a burden to others and have given joy and friendship to those who, at times, have needed it the most. Go in peace Kheldar. The Lord’s blessing be upon you.’ Silk, uneasily, rose from his chair and looked at Barak. The Doomsayer spoke with the innkeeper and giving Silk one last look left the inn. The judgement had come and Silk knew, in his heart, just what that judgement had been.

* * * * *

‘The Doomsayers are necessary to every planet, Belgarath. Throughout all the worlds of life we bring the testing to each world, to each realm the judgements of he who is. For the eternal Gospel of the Lord Almighty is to be preached unto all worlds until the very end of time. It is our task, our sacred task, and each and every one of us has been chosen specially to bring the good news to all the children of men.’
‘And this Lord you speak of? He is Ul, so you claim?’
‘He has many names, and Ul is just one of them. He is the force of life, the superior God, the universal spirit. And we serve him faithfully in the duties he has called us to.’
Belgarath nodded. Beldin had voiced similar words. ‘So the testing has come to our world then. The testing of faith, as you call it.’
‘More than faith, Belgarath. More than simple faith. It is the testing of the very soul, and the future of your world is at stake. For should you ultimately fail the final testing the result would be very dire – very dire indeed.’
Belgarath stroked his long beard, contemplating those words. Polgara spoke up.
‘How exactly are we to prepare for this testing? And what exactly will the final testing be.’
‘That we will not speak of daughter of Belgarath. For should you know of your destiny you would undoubtedly seek to change the will of the Almighty. And that we will not allow. What we will say is this, prepare your heart, prepare your soul. Seek within those things you know you should be about and seek them with all your heart. For the testing will come, perhaps, when you want it least of all. So watch your heart and be ready, child of Belgarath. Be ready. Now, your time here is finished. The scroll your compatriot seeks will begin the quest outlined for you. If you fail this quest, then the testing may well be too much for your very soul. So be diligent and faithful, for the reward is great. And now we are finished. The brother will show you out.’ The chief father finished off speaking, left the room, and shortly the brother who had let them in came into the room and they followed him back to the entrance.

Once outside Polgara looked at Belgarath. ‘Not quite what you expected?’
‘I am not sure. They did not offer too much more than what we had known. But it seems a quest awaits us and, perhaps, the final quest of Belgarath. For I am feeling my age, daughter. Suddenly I am feeling my age.’
‘You have aeons left, father. Fret not,’ she said, comforting him.
‘Alas I fear not. I fear that the time of Belgarath the sorcerer is approaching and something else awaits. I don’t know why I feel this, but I just do.’
‘Then whatever will be will be.’
‘It is as you say.’

They returned to their donkey and as Belgarath led his daughter back through the forest he thought on the words of the father and of the final testing. It would be the culmination to his life, this much he knew, but whatever would be would be. Whatever would be would be.

* * * * *

Gemma looked in through the window. There he was, her king, and he was safe again. She had prayed to Ul that he would watch over her lord and protect him from the darkness to come, and it seemed he had done so. This pleased her and just then, noticing the glowing orb on the mantelpiece, seemingly glowing, somehow she knew, because of her presence, she felt a sudden burning in her chest. And suddenly she came alive and started glowing, burning white golden light, a light of pure energy and love, radiating the purest warmth, almost as if of a very god of glory.

Garion had quickly come outside and looked at the angelic being hovering before his eyes. Not knowing what else to do he kneeled down and payed homage, speaking. ‘Mighty angel. I am your servant. Speak your will.’
All Gemma could say, despite so much now in her mind, so much new knowledge, knowledge she had suddenly acquired, as if she had been prepared since birth to receive such knowledge, was ‘I am just Gemma.’ But then another voice spoke within her, a new voice which had found, finally, its chosen vessel, and found its new eternal chosen home.
‘You know who I am, Garion. For I have been with you for so very long now. You are a chosen child of mine, and my spirit will be with you always.’ And then the being who was Gemma started to glow a little less and hovered back down to earth, returning to a semblance of her previous form. Garion looked at her, perplexed, and as she came to herself, queried. ‘Gemma. Who, who are you?’ But then he suddenly knew, suddenly knew exactly who she was. And, racing inside, he looked at the mantelpiece. It was gone, of course. Gone, in one way, never to return. But returning outside, looking at the new and living Orb before him, Garion placed his arm around his ‘Glorious Lady’ and brought her inside.

He took her to a private room, gave her bread and wine, and waited on her. She puzzled about all the fuss, but Garion knew, somehow instinctively, what the fashioning and purpose of Aldur, all those long years ago, had been about. And the ‘Glorious Lady’ whom he knew he would serve forever had come to be. When she begged him finally to let her rest, he retired, and not waking Ce Nedra, laid down on his bed. A chosen vessel had been found, and an ancient plan of the God Aldur had come to pass. And Garion found peace in his heart, and rested, in a way, from a struggle which had been part of his entire life.

Chapter Three

After the ultimate choice of life by the Seeress of Kell, gradual reforms began happening through the continent of Mallorea. Fundamentally, the major shift was in a new direction of rulership. The old empire was to be replaced by a new Arch-Regency, one of lesser power, as it was deemed that too much power led to too much corruption, and such had been a lesson the Malloreans had gradually, through so much strife, come to learn. The Seeress of Kell, her job presumably finished, had disappeared from contact with civilization, a worry to some, but to most life simply went on.

The new Arch-Regent was a descendant of ‘Zakath, a former Emporer of Mallorea, but one of far more hospitable disposition. His family, while ancient worshippers of Torak, were now progressive in their thinking, with ideas of a new world, a new Mallorea, and presumably a new destiny for the Mallorean people. Arch-Regent ‘Zakandra was a mellow man in many ways, given over to travel throughout Mallorea to ensure he was seen doing his job and, in his intention, winning the hearts of the people. He sensed revolution in many ways as an undercurrent throughout Mallorea, as if the people desired a change, but were perhaps unwilling to go all the way to enforce such a change. And, as such, ‘Zakandra felt he was living on borrowed time in a way, King over a people who perhaps didn’t even respect him.

‘Zakandra had met the King of the West, Lord Garion, once. He had intended his visit to the lands of the Angaraks to be mostly about diplomacy, but upon hearing the news that the Arch Regent was to cross the ocean of the east, and tread on land not distant from Aloria, Garion forwarded a request for a meeting, and two nations sat down, once sworn enemies, now finding peace in a new world, and a world which had a new word of power running through it - ‘The Economy’. Trade – trade throughout Mallorea, the realm of the Angaraks, Alorns and other kingdoms of the West, was essential to a healthy and functioning society, so ‘Zakandra spoke in his wisdom with Garion. And while Garion thought marvellous the stuff of such conversation, he sensed in a way that his own son, in this new world emerging, might be the better choice to handle such responsibilities. And so, imposing Geran on the throne of Riva at the Isle of the Winds, Garion returned to Faldor’s farm, to live a life of simplicity, leaving such things as the ‘Economy’ in the hands of those better able to manage such responsibilities.

For ‘Zakandra, hearing from his various advisors the ways of the west, Geran, a younger man, nearer his own age, seemed a better choice to have dealings with. In fact, could they forge an alliance and form treaties of trade and peace, well, the future looked good for everyone. And a burgeoning economy would see the blessing of all the children of men. The furthest thing from his mind was war – a great and grand war with the west – but there were stirrings from these doomsayers, voices which spoke of an epic final conflict, the last of an old age, an old era, before the birthing of the new world. A time in which a woman was to go into the travail of birth to bring forth the desired child of her hopes and dreams. So ‘Zakandra, hoping against hope that such madness would not come to be, inevitably began plans for preparing his troops throughout Mallorea and carefully, so as not to be too obvious, enlarging his forces. They would not lose again, that much he was sure of. And even if the Mad God himself came back from death ‘Zakandra would have his new world and, most of all, his beloved economy.

* * * * *

Rtachek was a man on a mission – a mission in service of a Mad God who he believed, through the power of sacrifice available to himself, he could literally raise from the clutches of death itself. And so, the new High Priest of the western Grolims, in a new temple on the shores of the ocean in south-east Cthol Murgos, counted off one of an endless number of sacrificial virgins they had sacrificed to their beloved deity. They had scoured Cthol Murgos for virgins, and even taken a fair number from Thull and Nadrak, much to various protestations. But Rtachek was a man of great influence, if not direct power, and reviving the Mad God Torak was deemed in the best interests of the Angaraks.

Yet Rtachek was not alone in his sacrificial libations. For the pouring of virginal blood had been going on in the citadel of Night, Cthol Mishrak, by Brazadar, younger brother of the dead Zedar, Grolim priest of much power and influence in Mallorea. And while they were aware of the constant sacrifices of the western Grolims, they paid them no heed, determined to show they were the true servants of Torak, and that a worthy enmity should exist towards the western Grolims, ones which Malloreans had long disdained.

Yet, it seemed, the answer to their sacrificial madness did come one day, or night as it were, for in the twilight of the west, the moon did glow dark red, and the sign of a snake covered the moon in black and scarlet, a sign to many that Torak had been reborn. It lasted 3 hours, and afterwards many swore truly to no avail to the unbelievers that they had witnessed such a sign. Naturally, it seemed, the doomsayers took this as one of the portents they had spoken of, and a new wave of zeal for the doomsayer cult and its teachings emerged, more passionate then ever.

And then, the darkness of blackness emerged in the citadel of the night and Torak, awaking from the hell of his ordeal, came alive in a high tower of the citadel, Brazadar instantly notified at the God’s presence. And, with Torak reborn, war was coming. War with the west and the destruction of the Mad God’s most hated enemy, the western King Garion.

* * * * *

Brazadar carefully made his way down the spiral steps, downwards, into the hell of earth below him, treading a million steps it seemed, one endless parade, until finally, almost not believing he had reached the bottom, but the light from the torch telling him such was true, came to the thick wooden door. Beyond lay his God, Torak, in slumber. He could not, it seemed, yet bear the light of life, the light of the sun, nor the dread heat of the day, for in his slumber he had grown accustomed to the cold of nothingness, and the heat of life was foreign to him. And so he come to this deserted place, far beneath the citadel, were he rested and were Brazadar brought him occasional food and news of the affairs of men.

He knocked, carefully, fearing the rebuke of his lord lest he be too noisy. Torak could kill on whim, yet, in a strange way, the mad Grolim priest only revered him more because of it. After a moment a voice from within said ‘Enter’, and Brazadar placed the torch near the doorway, fearing to take it inside with him, and opened the door coming into his master.
‘Close the door quickly, fool,’ yelled Torak. ‘The light is too great.’
Instantly Brazadar closed the door and waited. After a while the very dim light from the torch streaming through the cracks of the door gave just enough light for him to see his master, laid out on a long bed, the scarring of his face as painful looking as it had always looked.
‘What news?’ queried Torak.
Brazadar came forward, kneeled and payed homage to his lord, and presented him with a scroll. Torak took it, and unrolled it. Seemingly, despite the darkness, he had no trouble reading it. When he had finished he threw the scroll on the floor and Brazadar retrieved it. Eventually, summoning the courage, Brazadar spoke.
‘I am afraid ‘Zakandra is an unbeliever, master. He denies the proof we have sent him of your new life and claims none shall take the throne of Mallorea from him.’
Torak remained silent, perhaps considering those words, yet who could really tell the thoughts of a God.
‘It is no matter,’ Torak finally replied. ‘He shall learn his place in the fullness of time. Now tell me, has the woman come yet? Has Belzandramas finally appeared? For my plans rest upon this child.’
‘Not yet my master. But as soon as we have word you will know within an instant.’
Torak remained silent.
As Brazadar stood there, anxiously waiting upon his master, a dripping sound of cold water echoed throughout the caverns. They were in the underheart of Cthol Mishrak, the waters of earth dripping through the stone ceilings, betraying their location. It was dark, cold and away from all life but, it was here, in the utter dark, were Brazadar felt the most alive. Serving his dark lord, serving his dark agendas.

Eventually Torak spoke. ‘I will know as soon as the woman is sighted. You will ensure this. Now go, leave me. I will eat in three days. Bother me not till that time.’
Brazadar nodded, took the scroll, and left, quickly closing the door behind him.

As he trudged the million steps upwards he thought on the woman Belzandramas and his master’s desires to have her found. Whatever role she was to take in the plan’s of her masters, it was imperative that she be found as soon as possible. For the glory Brazadar sought was in his master’s power to give, and thus his master’s needs came before all else. All for the glory of the mad God Torak.

* * * * *

Ce Nedra, all things considered for a Tolnedran queen who had become queen of the west took her husband’s constant labelling of a young lady, barely a teen, if that, ‘His Glorious Lady’ quite well. Tolnedra had long thought of itself as something of a cultured and refined society, and while marrying the Rivan King was certainly a marriage of honour, a lady of the Tolnedran court was not quite used to being treated in second place. But, if one thing that a life being lived with Garion, with acquaintances such as Silk and Barak and Belgarath had taught Ce Nedra, it was that humility was a much needed and desired virtue in a life which was often, fraught with prophecies and God’s and the like, a life of very hard testing. But she loved Garion and would allow him this grace of calling another maiden his ‘Glorious Lady’.

After a lengthy explanation that, in some strange way, Gemma, as she was known by her personal name, was the new living embodiment of the Orb, Ce Nedra, although having her doubts, inquired into the most obvious of questions. Who were the child’s parents? Garion, seeming to have neglected this careful, yet fundamental point, wished to avoid the issue, but upon Ce Nedra’s insisting and Gemma’s own desire to return home, they recruited one of the worker’s on the farm to drive them the few leagues to a nearby farm which Gemma claimed she was from.

Her parent’s, Ilk and Jandy were overwhelmed at a visit from the King and, while Garion tried to be subtle in his new desires to have a close proximation to their daughter, Ce Nedra was more forthcoming.
‘The child has merged with the Orb, Ilk. She is special, now. She appears to be chosen of Aldur himself. I am afraid she is now important, and Garion is calling her is ‘Glorious Lady.’ I know you will be missing a child, but if it is possible can she remain with us for the time being. It is an important issue, and we wish to travel to the Vale of Aldur for the matter to be looked into.’
Garion picked up the conversation, having been kneeling before Gemma, practically involved in worship. ‘Yes, Yes Sir Ilk. We will need to travel to the Vale and bring your daughter. This needs to be discussed, and we must see Aldur himself.’
Jandy looked at Ilk, who looked at her with a tear in his eye. ‘We will miss her. Be sure you keep her safe. But we trust you, Lord Garion.’ Garion nodded and signalled for the driver to give Ilk a bag of gold he had promised him. ‘This is for your troubles. We can not say how long we will be away, but it may be some time. But we will return her. She is in good hands. You need not fear.’
Ilk took the bag of gold, peered inside, and weighed it. He seemed pleased for the gold, but also had a look of concern for his daughter.
‘We’ll miss you Gem,’ said Jandy. Instantly Gemma came forward, hugged her parent’s, and spoke up.
‘I have changed, mother, father. There is something different in me now. Some new presence. And it is as Garion and Ce Nedra say. I must go find this Aldur. For the name means something to me now. There is a connection. A connection I can not really speak of, but so personal. So intimate.’
‘She is in good hands,’ said Garion, as they made their farewells.

As the cart drove off, Gemma turned and waved farewell to her parent’s. It was a new world she was heading for, and a new destiny. She wondered in her heart if she would ever see her parent’s again. So much had happened in the world recently, so much turmoil. But family could never be forgotten, no matter what destiny had to say on the issue. She smiled, waved one last wave, and turned to look at Garion. He lovingly placed his arm around her, again called her ‘his Glorious Lady’, and started humming a tune. A tune, at once new to her, but at once familiar as well. As if she had known it for a long, long time.

* * * * *

Belzandramas knew not the three nations which the spirits had spoken of, and had left hastily. But finding herself, having crossed the ice northwards, in land she felt sure was on the southern Antarctic continental region of Yulenthea, Belzandramas instantly reached a conclusion. Surely the three nations were ‘Shrar’, ‘Kmran’ and ‘Braed’, the long warring three provinces of Yulenthea. Surely these were such three nations as the spirits spoke of. She had not often visited Yulenthea, nor Junissa. This was for various reasons, but of course the cold weather was chief amongst them. The solid ice just to the south of these continents which marked the southern pole was extremely cold, and no life could live there. It was surprising, considering that, that brave souls had once decided to make Yulenthea and Junissa there homes, but indeed they had. Near the northern pole was the continent of ‘Ardannya’, smaller still than either ‘Yulenthea’ or ‘Junissa’, a place she had also visited infrequently. And, of course, the continent of ‘Zhadora’ in between the West and Mallorea beyond the Great Western Sea on the other side of the world. There were other islands scattered around the world, of course, but no other continents.

Torak was likely to be brought to life somewere in Mallorea, likely in Cthol Mishrak she guessed. So if she were to prove successful in her ambitions she would need to begin here, in Yulenthea, before times. She would need, to begin her agenda, gain power and influence, and see to it that these nations never surrender to the power of Torak. Certainly, it would be challenging and difficult. They were minor powers in comparison to the might of Mallorea. But her glory beckoned, and with a will which could make the impossible possible Belzandramas was determined to prevent the one she would marry from ruling these lands. By her power she would corrupt him, turn him to their conquest, yet betray him without his knowledge. For such had been the task set her, and such would be the reality.

Yet, in that cold and dark heart of Belzandramas, a little fire had been lit and, while she was bent on her mission, that little voice spoke soft words to her, encouraging her towards the day in which a choice would be made. A fateful choice, one made for her previously, but one which would inevitably come down to Belzandramas herself.

* * * * *

‘I know you must feel like the ultimate hypocrite, silk, but it can’t be helped. The merchantman is unlikely to simply hand over the scroll.’
Silk had been conversing with Barak over the ethics of theft, and had been questioning wether, since his encounter with the Doomsayer, he should really resort to theft. ‘Perhaps a price can be reached,’ concluded Kheldar. ‘It is the most preferable option for me currently.’
Barak drained his ale, swore softly to himself, and nodded. It would be for the best. Judgement had come, and his own words had spoken against him. Time to change the ways of a prince of Drasnia, it seemed.

They came to the merchantman’s abode and, simply, knocked on the front door. Shortly a servant answered, inquired as to their business, and stating it, ushered them inside. ‘You are not the first to seek the scroll,’ said the servant. ‘We have had numerous inquiries. My master is awake, now, in the library. Just in here.’ He led them into a large room, full of bookcases and many splendid items on display, the walls littered with elaborate artworks of all cultures Silk knew of. The servant made for a long chair by a fireplace which was turned from them, and spoke to a man hidden from them. Soon the man stood, a balding man, and came to introduce himself. ‘I am Draznak. You come to see the scroll, I take it?’
‘To purchase it, master Draznak, if such a thing is possible.’
Draznak considered that. ‘Nay. I think not. The scroll is to valuable to me now. But, if you are willing, we can negotiate on the price for a copy of the scroll.’
Silk grinned to himself. The merchantman was not stupid. He suddenly knew what all the seekers of the scroll would have come to – a merchantman who knew its value, and would sell copies for the right price.
‘Yes, we will pay for a copy.’
‘Then come, let us do business,’ said Draznak, indicating the table near the fireplace with luxurious wooden chairs.

Not much later, a copy of the scroll in his knapsack, which was empty a fair portion of gold, Silk was encouraged. It may have cost him money, but somehow he felt better for simply doing the right thing. Perhaps it was a turn in the life of Prince Kheldar, a turn which had long been put of, but coming, finally, at the right time.

Returning to the inn they were up late that night, studying the scroll, and in the morning, once again boarding the ‘Old Warrior’, heading for home and the Vale of Aldur, Silk knew a war was coming. The war which the ‘Doomsayer’s’ also apparently spoke of was coming to the world, along with the final judgement. And the ‘Chronicle of Torak’, should its prophecies come to pass, spoke doom for the world. Unless the west, with Garion championing them, could somehow prevent the perhaps inevitable, they would fail the ultimate testing. They were portents of destruction, and while Silk had passed his own little test of judgement, and felt the better man because of it, he feared for his world, and the darkness which approached. But it was always darkest before the dawn he reminded himself. And the new world dawning, well, hopefully that would put to rest all the fears of the past. And a new life could begin again for all, the wrath of a mad god called Torak finally and utterly having been laid to rest.

* * * * *

Sailing across the sea of the east, headed for Rak Goska in north-eastern Cthol Murgos, Belgarath had been silent for days. Polgara, noting this, had at first tried to persuade him to speak and resume their life long banter, but Belgarath, while occasionally encouraged, usually remained silent. Something weighed heavily on his mind.

They were heading home, now. Bound for Algaria and the Vale of Aldur. Hopefully Silk would be waiting for them upon their return, having acquired a copy of the scroll they sought. And then they would need to seek out Garion to speak with him. For the west would need prepare again, and its chief most guardian had a destiny awaiting him, a prophecy they had not known of to fulfil, and a dark road before them.

Sitting on a stool on the starboard side of the rig, Polgara considered her father who was standing, looking out at the ocean, seemingly weighing up his life circumstances. This quiet, this silence, was not like Belgarath. He was a boisterous and happy old man, still full of frivolity, still known to chase the maidens and acquire wealth by sometimes dubious means. But that was part of his charm, part of what made Belgarath Belgarath. But lately he had withdrawn from this behavior. In fact, since leaving the monastery he had totally withdrawn into himself, keeping away from his daughter, as if mulling over the long life he had lived, and reflecting over the many choices he had made. She feared for him, as for herself in some ways. This ‘Judgement’ which the father had spoken of was to come to all the children of the west it seemed, as if it was some way inescapable. And perhaps this was what weighed heavily on the heart of her father. All his lifes choices. All his mistakes. All his wrongdoings. Perhaps they had finally caught up on the heart of Mr Wolf and, right now, perhaps his heart was going through a phase. A phase of regret, which a Gorim priest of Ul might call a phase of repentance in their language.

Yet she feared that he may be taking such repentance too seriously. He could not help who he was. It was how the gods had made him. He was Belgarath, sorcerer and rogue, and she loved him dearly because of it. For him to be anything less than he was, well it would not be the same Belgarath. That was what she could honestly say, it would not be the same old man of charm she had come to know and love.

She looked at him, looked at his wrinkled brow, and out of the course of normality for her, prayed a silent prayer to Ul, the Father of the God’s, that Belgarath would make the right choices in front of him, and that the judgement would find him standing strong and proud.

She turned her thoughts to other matters. Durnik awaited her at him, back in the vale. He had asked many times to accompany them, yet Belgarath had insisted he remain in the Vale to be a friendly face for Kheldar should he return before the two of them. Durnik had reluctantly agreed, but Polgara missed her husband. He was becoming stronger in the ways of magic now, having learned much over the past number of years since that fateful choice of the seeress had been made. And while he was by no means a masterclass magician, he would prove a handful for any soul risking taking him on in a dark alley. She missed him and suddenly yearned to be with him, to feel the touch of the soul which had longingly looked at her at Faldor’s farm but been too shy, perhaps, to have ever made his feelings known. But that was Durnik. A gentle and kind soul, full of good things, and good words. And in her heart she knew she could have married none other.

She gathered her cloak to her as the wind blew drops of ocean-water into her face. The spray was salty and crisp, and the sea air brought a liveliness to the soul. If this was the place her grandfather was to find repentance, in the hustle and bustle of nature at its fiercest, then perhaps that was a good thing. For it would be a repentance of the soul not soon forgotten, one as fierce and powerful as the fury of the sea of the east.

Chapter Four

Travelling along the Great North Road into the mountains, having just left the town of Muros behind them, Garion reflected on his travels through this part of the world. Sendaria, in so many ways, was his true home, the home of his youth and upbringing. Naturally it was expected the Overlord of the West be a responsible and forthright descendant of Riva-Iron-Grip, ruling from the Isle of the Winds, and showing himself a proper and noble monarch. Especially amongst Tolnedran upper society there was a seeming expectation that Garion carry himself with an air of dignity that a King warranted. Suffice to say, the very fact he was married to a Tolnedran Queen, assumed in the mind of Garion that such expectations were not just for Garion himself and the dignity of the Kingship, but the respect towards Ce Nedra, the Queen Tolnedra adored. But while he was King over Aloria, King of the West, Sendaria was a separate Kingdom under Kalrach, child of the deceased Fulrach, and he a guest here in a sense, but feeling as if it was in many ways his true home, the home of his upbringing and, perhaps, fondest memories.

Every day since returning to Sendaria, living at Faldor’s farm, going through the same way of life Faldor himself had run the farm with, taking crops to market, although he had plenty of wealth and needed not to, yet doing that and the myriad of other things associated with the farming life, Garion had returned to his youth and felt, now, like he had been living a life he perhaps, had fate not interfered, he would have lived all along. He was a simple man in his heart, a farmer, with a beautiful wife. It was just that destiny had demanded more of him, and Kingship had almost been thrust upon him at a young age, slaying a God and becoming Overlord of a people.

Still, you did not always choose the destiny life made for you, seemingly at the hands of the God’s, and while Garion was enjoying his time at Faldor’s farm, he could not deny the way destiny had chosen and moulded him and made him the man he was today.

He thought on his friend, Errand, now gone from them. He was believed dead, but nobody knew for sure. His disappearance had been mysterious, and while he was presumed burned in the blazing fire which apparently claimed his final moments, they never found a body, and some thought he himself had perhaps arranged his own disappearance. Whatever the case may be, Errand was a child, like Garion in some ways, who’d had a life of adventure thrust upon him. The lad had reflected to Garion, upon coming to live in the Cottage in the Vale of Aldur, that he felt like he had gained a ‘Family’ with Polgara, Durnik and Old Wolf. Certainly, they were Garion’s own family, his own flesh and blood two of them, but he felt for Errand who had never known who his own parent’s were, abandoned in a foreign city, the tool and victim of the machinations of the sorcerer Zedar. But destiny had likewise chosen Errand for greater things and, wherever his soul may be, Garion wished well for him.

Of course, Errand was a child of innocence, touching the orb. And while he missed him, saddened by his death, new life had perhaps been chosen instead. Perhaps a different choice in the wisdom of the god’s had bypassed Errand and settled on the girl Gemma instead. Indeed, his Glorious Lady, the living embodiment of the Orb, was someone, Garion knew in his heart, who represented all the purity and best of ideals which Aldur spoke of, and in the shaping of the Orb he knew now that the Orb had long sought out one in which it could share its heart, its identity. They had been guardians of the Orb – Garion knew that now. Riva-Iron-Grip, and his descendants, down to his father, and to himself, had been champions, protecting the Orb. But they were only to protect it until the day of its choosing. Until a day in which a chosen vessel would become one with the Orb, and the Orb become that which it, in its heart, it had long yearned to be.

Garion looked at his hand. It was funny. The mark which the Orb had made from youth had now, finally, faded away. As if no longer needed. For it was not an object of stone anymore, no longer a pearl of beauty, but in his Glorious Lady to which the Orb found new form. And Garion knew, in his heart he knew, that he would protect this lady at all costs, nay even with his very life if such a thing were demanded of him.

‘What are you thinking of?’ queried Ce Nedra, who seemingly had just awoken.
‘Oh, you’re awake. Is Gemma?’
Ce Nedra looked at the figure sleeping beside her, gave her a gentle nudge, but soft snoring continued.
‘Not yet.’
‘Then don’t wake her. Let her get her sleep. It must be a momentous thing which has happened to the child, and it will take some getting used to for her.’
Ce Nedra nodded.

They chatted for a while, and soon Gemma, who must have heard them talking, came to life and raised herself from the back of the cart, yawned and scratched scuff from her eyes, and looked at the two of them. She looked around, wide-eyed at being so far from home, and spoke up. ‘Where are we, Lord Garion?’
‘We are on the Great Northern Road, my lady. Headed for Algaria and down to the Vale of Aldur.’ She nodded, taking that information in soberly.
‘Do you have anything to eat? And can we stop? I need to, you know.’ She looked at Ce Nedra who instantly understood the girl’s need for a private place, and asked Garion to stop the cart.
‘It looks like a good spot. And there is a brook just yonder,’ said Garion. ‘We will have breakfast here and then get under way in an hour or so. A good time to stretch the legs.’
Gemma disappeared behind some bushes to take care of her business, and Garion started to get a fire going, using the Will and the Word to start the fire with the sticks he had gathered. Ce Nedra began frying the bacon and eggs she had taken from the stores they had brought along with them for the trip, and when Gemma returned she looked hungrily at the mornings fare. ‘Mmm. I love bacon,’ she said. ‘Please make it extra crispy.’
‘As you wish,’ responded Ce Nedra.

After eating Garion allowed Gemma to explore a little and, as she wondered from this tree to that tree, her delicate feet easily finding footing in unfamiliar territory, a gift of her adventurous youth, Garion looked on at the child with an affection that was starting to grow, almost like the affection he had for his own beloved Geran.
‘You think fondly of her, don’t you?’ said Ce Nedra, almost gazing into Garion’s own thoughts.
He came to his wife, put his arm around her, and kissed her on the cheek. ‘She is special to me, Ce Nedra. I feel…. I feel as if there is suddenly a connection, an important and vital connection, between the two of us. Errand and I shared a bond, almost, because of the Orb. But this is so much deeper. She IS the orb, now. And she is someone I am sworn to defend with my life if necessary. I don’t really know why I am saying that, so suddenly, but it is just what I must say. It is the sense of honour within me towards young Gemma. She is a special child, Ce Nedra. And somehow, in these dark days of judgement ahead of us, her innocence just might be the saving grace which redeems us all.’
Ce Nedra nodded, gazing at young Gemma as she danced around the clearing, sipping from the brook, and looking like any adventurous young youth.
‘I can only pray, Garion, that she suffer not half the things both of us have been through. Whatever life throws at us I can only hope for that.’
Garion nodded. He too wished for good days upon this bright and cheerful young lady.

They got to again after a while and, as they continued along the road, drawing nearer and nearer to Algaria, Garion thought on the days ahead. The Chronicle of Torak was on his mind, as was the Doomsayer Cult. Things were afoot in the West and, seemingly, all over the world. He would speak with Belgarath as soon as possible, and while he hoped to find him at the Vale of Aldur, alongside his Aunt Polgara and Durnik, he would wait for them there if they were elsewhere, for he needed words with his grandfather. In the new pathways of destiny before them, and in someway a new challenge which Garion felt he would be facing, it would be his grandfather’s ancient wisdom which Garion felt he would need to rely upon, perhaps at the most difficult and challenging of times.

Riding along Garion looked up at the vast mountains of Eastern Sendaria which ran northwards up to the Gulf of Cherek and southwards down through Ulgoland, Tolnedra and into the heart of Cthol Murgos. Much of the Kingdoms of the West and the Angaraks was mountain land, perhaps habitable by only brave souls and daring mountain goats. Most of the western Kingdoms of Sendaria, Arendia and Tolnedra had ample grasslands, as did Algaria and Drasnia, these being the common farming lands were the majority of the people of the west lived out their simple lives. In many ways it had been a simple life which had gone on, unchanged, for 7,000 years, amidst the wars of god’s and men. Even in the climax of such struggles simple things remained: cows were milked, eggs were gathered and sheep were shorn. Yes, the simple life pervaded the heart of Garion’s world, and it was such a life he had been drawn back to in Sendaria, living out his memories of youth. But now destiny intervened once more, and a new fate awaited him.

Soon they would be nearing Algaria. There were a number of less used roads travelling down the edge of Algaria, alongside Ulgoland, and while he had felt of visiting the Stronghold briefly, he really wanted to return home. They would make for the Cottage, home, and once settled he would look for Beldin and Belgarath. And of course, if he was available, Aldur himself.

Right then, right at that moment in time, caught up in the beginnings of another, perhaps lengthy, quest of epic proportions, Garion was suddenly happy. Suddenly, as if he was in control of his life and control of the situation, this time heading out to meet destiny head first, Garion was suddenly quite happy with all the things which had ever happened to him in life. He started whistling a tune, a new tune he had whistled for the first time just recently, when he had encountered Gemma. And whistling it softly to himself he noticed Gemma staring at him, and then, slowly, joining him. Almost like she had known the tune herself, almost as if it had long been a part of her ways of life. It was an ancient tune, unbeknownst to Garion, and a certain God had whistled it himself, living in the Vale, expecting and hoping one day for his grand work of the orb to find the fulfilment it desired.

As he whistled, Gemma joining him, birds overhead began flocking around them, some landing on the cart, seemingly not afraid, and happily chirping away while Garion whistled. Ce Nedra gazed at them, alarmed that they could be so unafraid, totally unlike such creatures. But the more Garion whistled the more the birds chirped and it was truly a sight to behold, a humble cart carrying precious cargo, making its way along the Great Northern Road, headed for Algaria, with a whistling King and a merry chirping accompaniment. Truly, it was a sight not to be soon forgotten.

* * * * *

Rtachek had heard. Of course he had heard. He was not stupid, and saw to it that he was well informed, that his eyes were everywhere, acquiring all the knowledge his Lord Torak could possibly desire. But, no. Torak had rejected him. Had rejected the glory of the new temple ‘Cthol Torak’, built on the south eastern coast of Cthol Murgos, dedicated to the glory of the God of the Angaraks. Yes, the Mad God had rejected him and his countless sacrifices, spurned the adoration the Murgos had devoted to him and chosen, instead, the Mallorean Grolims and the Citadel of Night – Cthol Mishrak. And, suddenly, in a moment of madness, standing atop the sacrificial altar over the ocean, were the fresh blood of virgins still dripped downwards, into the place of their resting, Rtachek understood his destiny. It was alive in his mind, the sudden and most dreadful choice, the sudden and most dreadful work. He, Rtachek, would be God. He, Rtachek, would be the new God of the Angaraks. And he knew, in the fowl power of spirit, wrested from the life force of innocent virgins, just how he would achieve such glories. The sacrifices would, now, continue. Inevitably so. But it would be Rtachek himself who would now receive the power. And all would bow to him. And all would fear him. And all would call him a God. And that is what Rtachek would be – a God – the God of the Angaraks.

* * * * *

Gemma looked up at the god. There was something about him, something instantly connecting to the very centre of her being, and she knew immediately she had found a home, perhaps an eternal home, were she would never be forsaken or alone ever again.
‘Let me tell you of Errand,’ said Aldur, and she sat down on his lap, listening to the god’s tale.

Out in the other room, looking on at the two of them, Garion smiled to himself. He could not really say for sure wether Aldur had known about his lady’s coming or not, but he seemed to have been ready for them as soon as they reached the bottom of his tower in the Vale. But that was like Aldur, like he who was of the 7 gods.

Garion took a seat next to Beldin, the old hunchbacked wizard, who was steadily working his way through a bottle of Aldur’s finest ale. ‘It is not every day he shares his own supply with us wizards,’ Beldin had commented, and was enjoying his drink greatly. Garion smiled at that comment, remembering some of his own earlier years amazements at the wonders Aldur performed for him.

Ce Nedra was by a window of the tower, looking outwards, softer in a way since reaching the Vale. It was like that, the Vale of Aldur, in the heart of Algaria and the West. It was a spiritual recluse from the hustle and bustle of every day life, away from it all, a true sanctuary in many ways. Garion had once commented to her that not everyone could come and visit this sacred place, not at whim anyway. There seemed to be protective spells or charms which warded off unwelcome visitors. It was mainly a home for Aldur himself and his chosen wizards. It was, though, very rare that a new wizard came along. And while Garion had been called Belgarion for a while, and possessed the power of the Will and the Word, he had gone away from magic in some ways, back to the older ways of his youth, and his original name. It was not that he was against using magic but, perhaps, more in the mould of some Durnik’s attitudes, who still often preferred doing things the old ways, with his hands. Some people really didn’t change, and Durnik was one of them.

Durnik himself was at the Cottage presently, waiting on the return of Polgara and Belgarath, and the thief Silk who was expected with an important document. He kept himself busy most days, doing some farming and preparing of various foods which he and Polgara relied upon for sustenance. And he had slowly been learning more and more in the ways of wizardry. Recently, so he had shared with Garion upon their return to the Vale, one of the twins, ‘Beltira’, had called him Beldurnik without apparently thinking any better. Durnik had queried the name, but all Beltira would say was ‘Silly me.’ But Garion guessed to himself that such a title was appropriate in many ways. The old smith was a wizard now, and that was the usual prefix given to those who possessed the gift.

Beldin turned to Garion and again spoke on the subject which was currently the flavour of the day – the Doomsayers. ‘Ul is a mysterious god, Garion. Those at Prolgu don’t always readily divulge their knowledge and secrets of the father of the god’s, and Aldur doesn’t give us too many clues either. But he says of Ul from time to time that the Father of the God’s has powers and ways beyond their knowledge, as if he is aware of things and places and powers we have only heard mention of in legend. Stories of other worlds, supposedly places were these Doomsayers have themselves come from.’
‘So Aldur has told you that specifically. That the Doomsayers come from other worlds?’
‘He mentioned it once. Wouldn’t divulge anything more than that, but says they have been around for many ages.’
‘And these other worlds – did they likewise suffer the judgement of the Doomsayers?’
‘That we will learn of from Belgarath when he returns. And he should be back in the next few weeks, by my reckoning of his travelling ways.’
The old hunchback took another swig of the ale, and stroked his beard. He looked at Garion, his brow wrinkled at what he wanted to speak of.
‘This judgement you say the Doomsayer placed upon you. This they intend for all, do they? To suffer the judgement of their gospel.’
‘I assume as such, Beldin. If it is the will of Ul then, perhaps, we are all meant to suffer the testing. Fear not, Beldin, for you have lived a good life.’
But the old wizard seemed to have a look of fear in his eyes, as if the coming judgement would find his soul perhaps lacking, as if he was not worthy of the life he enjoyed in the Vale of Aldur.
‘I am an old wizard now, Garion. I have lived many a life of the average citizen, and in that time I have done many questionable things. Many things I truly regret.’
‘Which we have all done, old friend. Which we have all done.’
Ce Nedra spoke up. ‘Beldin, you should not fear. Whatever the purpose of these doomsayers, I don’t think they intend evil will upon people. They are probably, from what I have gathered, simply showing people for what they are. Showing people’s true selves. And we love you Beldin, dearly. Aldur chose wisely letting you live in the Vale.’
The old man took another swig of Ale, nodded, somewhat consoled at Ce Nedra’s words, but still the wrinkled brow remained.

Garion looked at Beldin and could well understand the fears and reservations of one who had lived so long as Beldin had lived. In fact, he did not know the exact age of the ancient wizard, but could imagine that, like his grandfather Belgarath, he had done deeds over the many years of his life that he now regretted.

In the other room Aldur had been telling stories to Gemma about his beloved Errand, and Gemma had been staring, wide eyed, up at her new master and friend. Aldur had told him of Errand’s first visit to the Vale and the story of him and the sled. And he had spoken of a choice Errand had made, to stay true to the sled’s journey, despite the crash he knew would come. And then he had asked Gemma if she would make the same choice, and Gemma had said she would like to think herself that brave, but admitted she would have jumped out of the sled for safety’s sake. And then Aldur had scruffed her head and smiled at the child’s wisdom.

Beldin spoke again. ‘There is something I fear happening, Garion. And I fear it has already begun, from what you say of the zeal these Doomsayers are gaining. I fear this spirit, this spirit of judgement, as if it will say things and make demands on all of us, demands differing to the way of life we have enjoyed for so long.’
Garion nodded. He too sensed something in the air with the coming of the Doomsayers. As if a change was coming on their world, and an older age and way of life was leaving them forever.
‘Whatever the future holds, Beldin, I believe it will end up for the good of us all. When Cyradis made her fateful choice that day, our destiny had been chosen for us. And perhaps this judgement which has come upon us is a result of that fateful choice, leading all of us to a new dawn, a new day in our world, in which the darkness will be vanquished. And I fear, because of that choice of life, we must make amends for our past choices of darkness. And this may well be what the Doomsayers represent.’
Beldin nodded. That much did in fact make sense to him.

They remained there at Aldur’s tower well into the afternoon, enjoying time with the Lord of the Vale. And Gemma seemed to be changing as a person from the brief time Garion had gotten to know her. A new confidence was suddenly upon her, having met Aldur, and a strength, a strength in his lady he felt even beyond his own powers in many ways.

* * * * *

In the heart of the citadel of Cthol Torak, Rtachek dreamed. A figure approached him in his dream and said to him, ‘The power to thwart Torak himself is in your grasp. For if you seek dominion over the Angaraks, you will need to defy this fallen god. And the power of darkness will serve you and do all your bidding, giving you the strength and might you will need to conquer all and do all your will. Yet, I say as an afterthought, there is a price to pay. But you will gladly pay this price, will you not, Oh Lord of the Angaraks?’ And Rtachek, in his dream self, assented that he would indeed pay that price.

* * * * *

Belzandramas, having acquired a stallion from a small village without purchase, taking it in the dead of night, looked upon the city of Yulen as she approached it from the south. It was indeed a remarkable sight, and she knew it home to over 20 million souls, stretching for leagues from the coastline inland, the heart of the continent of Yulenthea. She knew something of the game of power of the Yulentheans, the games of the court and the monarchies which had ruled her. And to such a game, with a wisely chosen vessel as her servant, she could achieve the glories she sought for herself.

She knew what she needed – a figure, probably a male, with ambition. Someone who was willing to serve for the glory she would promise him. And, in a way, she sensed that a power had already chosen this vessel for her. As if the spirits which had spoken to her in the Cave had already known of this person, and had prepared the way for her. And that had made her silently question their power and wether she herself was just another pawn of prophecy in the hands of those powers which ruled all. Yet, that mattered not in the end. She was certain enough that the victory and power she sought would be of her own making, and if those powers which be wanted to assist her in any way, then she would simply allow them. It just made it easier for her own goals.

As she kicked the stallion onwards, approaching the city, she thought again on those powers. To have the glory she desired, that was offered to her, would mean that she would one day be pulling the strings of fate and destiny that now manipulated her. And if she were to be the one doing that, well, what fates would Belzandramas choose for the souls which entrusted themselves to her? What strange destiny would she map out for her chosen few? For the choice of darkness had been taken from her, and Cyradis had given into the light. But now Belzandramas, reborn, was a child of prophecy with no role. And if she could not live in the power of darkness, in the glory she had once delighted in, what other possible future could await her? Whatever possible choice could there really be? Riding on towards the city she felt, in her inmost being, she would find that answer in the goodness of time. And, perhaps, not a choice she would once have made. Perhaps, in no way, such a choice at all.

The End for NOw

Notes
Plot For Volume 1 – ‘Wrath of the Mad God Torak’

The Doomsayers have come to the world of the 7 God’s. The father of the God’s, Ul, has brought the Doomsayers to judge mankind. His son, Torak, is reborn and plans a revenge on Garion. Torak is reborn at Cthol Mishrak and using his Grolim servant Brazadar he plans on regaining power over Mallorea.

In Yulenthea, the spirit servants of UL have given Belzandramas a task – both seduce the God Torak into conquering three nations, yet defeat him without his knowledge in conquering the three nations – to receive the power she desires.

And all through the world the Doomsayers preach of the final war and the final judgement.

In the vale of Aldur the gathering takes place and old friends must once again quest to save their world. The quest is unravelled in ‘The Chronicle of Torak’, which was written by Torak, yet masterminded by Ul who engraved every word upon his child’s mind. The Chronicle speaks of ‘The Oracle of Justice’, a warrior who was the first servant of Ul amongst the children of men, who is hidden somewhere in the world, to come again at the final day of justice. The Oracle is to come in ‘Judgement’ of the wrongdoings of mankind and to punish them with ultimate destruction. Yet, in the cryptic way the various prophecies are written, various figures, which seemingly are Garion and his band of heroes, are spoken of as thorns in Torak’s plans to rule, thorns who have the ability to locate the ‘Oracle of Justice’ BEFORE the day of Judgement, and prevent his grave judgement upon mankind.

As they begin their quest, seeking clues wherever they can find them, Torak uses Brazadar to attempt to corrupt the Arch-Regent of Mallorea to bring him into his power. For with the Arch-Regent as his pawn, Torak believes himself capable of defeating his foe, Garion, and ruling creation. Yet 3 nations, the 3 most unlikely of nations, oppose him. For while Belzandramas, seeking power in southern Yulenthea amongst the three provinces, the 3 nations she mistakenly believes Torak must conquer, the 3 nations of Angarak rebel against Torak, angered at his rejection of their many sacrifices in his honour to claim Cthol Mishrak as his new birthplace, instead of Cthol Murgos, the ardent desire of the mad high priest of the western Grolims, Rtachek. Instead Rtachek seeks the power of the King of the Murgos and, forming an alliance with Gar og Nadrak and Mishrak Ac Thull, Rtachek uses the abomination of virgin sacrifice to attribute the power of life to himself, creating himself his own God, the new God of the Angaraks.

Part One – The Doomsayers

Chapter 5
Belzandramas lodges at a newly established ‘Doomsayer’ chapel. The Doomsayers greet her calling her a ‘Daughter of Destiny’. Jek Barder is lodging at the chapel. He tells her of his ambitions to rule Yulenthea, and she just smiles to herself.
*****
Jek sells his store and home and buys a house nearer the centre of Yulenthea, not far from the palace. Jek has a cousin who works at the palace and Belzandramas influences the cousin to gain work for Jek. The cousin looks suspiciously at Belzandramas but arranges for Jek to work in the kitchen of the palace. Jek begins work.
*****
Belzandramas tells Jek to prepare a special meal for Queen Jezabel Dalkindo and to take it to her. He prepares a very exotic meal of the finest qualities and takes it to the queen. She surveys him with curiousity and it seems the spirit of Belzandramas is upon Jek. The queen, who is unmarried, asks if Jek is married. He says no, and she considers him for his consort, as he is quite attractive.
*****
Belzandramas gets Jek to start working out and after a few months of rigorous training he walks bare chested through the gardens of the palace, ensuring he is seen by Queen Jezabel. She summons him to her chamber and they make love.
*****
Jek is appointed the Queen’s official consort, one of many she has had, and Belzandramas is happy.

Chapter 6
Rtachek has started receiving the power of the sacrifices. He grows in the power of ‘Farsight’ able to see the plans and plots of his enemies and foil them.
*****
He grows in dark magical powers, and with the ‘Flame’ which comes from his hands he destroys a servant who failed him. The other servants fall down in fear of him and start worshipping him. One of the servants who Rtachek has trained says ‘He is a God. The God of the Angaraks.’ This idea starts spreading through those worshipping him and Rtachek looks on pleased.
*****
Torak has spoken to Brazadar to journey to Mal Zeth to court the Arch Regent of Mallorea ‘Zakandra. Brazadar is out the front of Cthol Mishrak, looking up at the night stars, thinking of his journey. Torak has told him to either persuade ‘Zakandra or threaten him if that doesn’t work.
*****
Brazadar arrives in Mal Zeth and is given an appointment with ‘Zakandra as Kal Torak’s official representative. He contemplates his words with ‘Zakandra.
*****
The presentation of Brazadar before the court of ‘Zakandra. The officials of Mallorea and the military generals are in attendance, all eager to hear the words Brazadar has to speak. Brazadar starts with diplomacy but in every effort ‘Zakandra says the old ways of Torak are outmoded and archaic, not suited to the emerging new Mallorea. Despite Brazadar’s threat the Arch Regent ignores him and sends him back to Cthol Mishrak unsuccessful.
*****
Brazadar journey’s back to Cthol Mishrak contemplating his next move.
*****
Brazadar speaks with Torak who calls him a failure, but then suggests Torak display his power and influence with The Arch Regent and use the Grolims to influence the people to rebel somewhat against the Arch-regents power. They use traditional tactics of fear and play on the words of the Doomsayers. ‘Zakandra ultimately fears the power of Torak and agrees to serve the mad God. Brazadar receives ‘Zakandra’s communication and passes that on to Torak. Torak laughs with mad glee.

Chapter 7
Belgarath, Polgara and Silk and Barak have returned to the Vale. They take counsel at Belgarath’s tower the group discuss the purpose of the Doomsayers and examine the Chronicle of Torak which Silk has returned with. They read out a section on ‘The Chronicle of Torak’. The Chronicle speaks of Torak’s planned vanquishing of Eriond, the new God of the Angaraks. For Ul had banished Torak to a deathly afterlife, yet had admitted that the Dragon God had indeed been his child and rebirthed him into the new world of the God’s, for the council of the God’s, including Eriond, had forgiven him.’ The group discusses how Eriond, who had been at Mal Zeth had apparently perished in a blazing fire. Nobody had known what had caused such a fire, and they had all feared that Eriond was dead and gone from them. And now Torak had been reborn and had composed the ‘Chronicle of Torak’ to speak of his judgements of death upon Garion and those who have opposed him, including Eriond the new God of the Angaraks who Torak called in his chronicle ‘The Grand Impostor’. They discuss how with the death of Eriond Cyradis had returned to Kell, once more as a Seer, and had then disappeared from Kell to an unknown place. ‘Zakath had perished in the great fire and ‘Zakandra had come to the throne, and subsequently becoming ‘Arch Regent’ instead of Emporer. As they continue to read through the Chronicle Silk points to a section speaking of ‘The Oracle of Justice’. The Oracle is to come in judgement at the ‘End of Day’s’ to judge and punish mankind for their sins. The group conclude with the advent of the Doomsayers that the end of days are upon them. Yet the message says if the ‘Children of Prophecy’ are to locate the Oracle ‘Aforehand’ and ‘Persuade him of the goodness of men’ then the judgement may perchance be avoided. The group wonder who ‘The Children of Prophecy’ are and Barak suggests that in the way their questing groups fulfilled the earlier prophetical utterances, thus they must be the ‘Children of Prophecy’. The group decides then that it must be their logical duty to find the Oracle of Judgement to avoid the great Judgement upon mankind. The Chronicle conclude with this word, ‘For the darkness can never perish eternally, despite the will of the Light and Goodness. For it is only in the balance of Good versus evil, in peace versus passion, in light versus dark, that the will of purpose, struggle and meaning is born in the hearts of God’s and Men, and without such a balance, without such an eternal struggle, life becomes empty, meaningless and without that spark of adventure.’ Beldin then starts speaking of the sacrifices to Torak in Cthol Murgos. He keeps an eye on the doings of the Angaraks, saying ‘Somebody has to.’ He talks of the new temple ‘Cthol Torak’. The group speculate that Torak has now been reborn, and that perhaps the sacrifices have awakened the mad God. It is decided that Beldin visit Cthol Torak to learn whatever he can of the reborn Torak and to learn of the Western Grolim priest ‘Rtachek’ who is growing in influence over Daggra, the new King of the Murgos, Urgit’s son (Urgit died of a heart attack from unhealthy eating). It is decided that the group will return to Riva and convene a council of the Western Kings to discuss what they should do. They speak that ‘If Torak has been reborn, then the west could be threatened, and all the Kings of the west must know of this.’ Belgarath says he will speak with Aldur to learn any knowledge of the ‘Oracle of Justice’ which Aldur is willing to share. Polgara says she will accompany her father, and Durnik goes along with them. Belgarath and Ce Nedra return home to Riva and Silk and Barak return to their respective Kingdoms to bring word of the council.

Chapter 8
Ul is dwelling upon the ‘Mountain of the God’s’ called ‘Zaphon’, a high peak in the centre of the continent ‘Zhadora’. Aldur has returned to the Mountain of the God’s, after having spoken with Belgarath, and asks his father of the ‘Oracle of Justice’. Ul goes into detail on some of his planning of good versus evil and of the ‘Oracle’ who has been hidden from the ages to be revealed at the ‘End of Days’. Aldur sits at Ul’s feet and learns from his father, hearing the words of eternal wisdom. Late in the discussion Belar enters the room and listens in on the conversation. He fears for the possible fate of the Alorns, his people, and asks his father’s permission to seek out Belgarath – he is intending to prepare Belgarath with careful words for the ultimate judgement that Belgarath must face.

***

In Yulen Jek Barder has become the consort to Queen Jezabel Dalkindo and sits by her throne. Various affairs of state are brought to the queen, and she seeks the advice of Jek, who answers with what she should do. She grows fonder and fonder of him. Belzandramas tell Jek to speak to Queen Dalkindo of Belzandramas, the goddess of darkness, and that she can offer Queen Jezabel power over Mallorea should she accept Belzandramas as her ‘Goddess’ and offer her tribute and allegiance. Queen Jezabel, overcome by her lustings towards Jek who has been sweet talking her, agrees to the worship of Belzandramas, who arrives in the throneroom with fire and lightning. All the court fall down to worship Belzandramas.

***

Brazadar is accepted as the high priest of Torak and co-rules from Mal Zeth with ‘Zakandra. There is an uneasy alliance between the two parties. Brazadar speaks of Torak’s will to rise up an army to conquer the west, which ‘Zakandra dislikes tremendously. But Brazadar uses fear and ‘Zakandra reluctantly agrees.

***

King Daggra of the Murgos is visited by one of the Grolim priest representatives of Rtachek. He tells Daggra that he must fall at the feet of Rtachek and worship him, for he is the new God of the Angaraks. Daggra swears at the priest, and tells him to return to ‘that demon lord Rtachek’. Rtachek listens to the words of Daggra from the priest, and gathers up his entourage to the new seat of the Murgos Monarchy in Rak Cthaka. They come upon the throneroom of Daggra and Rtachek uses the power of evil given to him to force Daggra to bow down and worship him.

Chapter 9
Belgarion and Ce Nedra return to Riva. Geran greets them with his sister Beldaran as well as Poledra and Polgara’s children. Garion speaks with his grandmother Poledra of the rumblings of the Doomsayers and the new quest for the ‘Oracle’ of Justice. Poledra relates to them of the continent of Zhadora, far beyond the western sea, which Garion had only little knowledge of. She speaks of the great sea currents which turn ships away from travelling to Zhadora, which is why Mallorea and the west has had little to no dealings with this continent. She speaks of the people of Zhadora and that, in the beginning, the gods dwelt on the mountain of Zaphon in the centre of Zhadora.
****
Garion spends time with his daughter Beldaran, now 19, who is being wooed by various young male nobility of the court of Riva. She speaks, however, of her love for Jack, the stable boy of the Citadel, and Garion just smiles at her. ‘If you love this Jack, then you will have my blessing, dear Beldaran.’ Beldaran throws her arms around her father and kisses him, thanking him.
****
Beldin has disguised himself as a Grolim priest and enters Cthol Torak. He speaks to other Grolim priests and learns that Torak has indeed been raised from the dead but has rejected their priesthood and that Rtachek has gained the powers of a God and has become the new God of the western Angaraks.
****
Brazadar journeys down into the darkness of the cavern underneath Cthol Mishrak and speaks with his master Torak that the woman is still not found, but that ‘Zakandra has submitted. Torak says ‘the woman will appear in time. But now that the Arch Regent has submitted our work goes ahead.’
****
Garion speaks with his son Geran about the council of the Kings who have just arrived at the citadel, and their grandfather Belgarath enters the room and the three of them walk together out into the chambers to begin the council.

Chapter 10
The council of the Kings discuss the Doomsayers, the Oracle of Justice, and Beldin talks of the emerging threat of Torak and Rtachek and the possible war with either the western Angaraks or the Malloreans, or even both. It is decided that Geran will lead a group of people on the quest for the Oracle of Justice and that they will prepare their armies for the possible attack of the Angaraks. Delegations are to be sent to Cthol Murgos and to Mallorea to sensitively affirm that peace is still the matter of course between the nations.
****
Poledra takes Belgarath aside and suggests that ‘Zhadora’ might be the hidden place of the Oracle of Justice. But Belgarath says they have no real way of reaching Zhadora and says ‘besides, I feel the Seeress has disappeared for a reason. We will send Geran to Kell to try and find her, for she may have some idea of were the Oracle is located.   Poledra acquiesces to her husband, but is convinced the Oracle is somewhere on the hidden continent of Zhadora.
****
Jack is introduced to Garion and Polgara looks him over. Beldaran swears her devotion and love towards him.
****
Geran with Silk and Barak and young Beldaran and Beldin and Polgara’s children and the newly named Beldurnik are sent out on the quest to Kell along with ‘Gemma’ the living orb. It is decided Beldaran’s new love ‘Jack’ will accompany them to protect Beldaran. Garion and Ce Nedra are to remain in Riva, while Belgarath and Polgara return to the Vale of Aldur.

Part Two – The Quest Anew

Chapter 11
The questing party arrive in Camaar, were they greet Dulliam who, Garion befriended. The young man joins the questing party at the invitation of Beldin.   There is a strong sense of camaraderie amongst the party, with Beldin the unofficial leader, but Geran making the decisions under Beldin’s guidance. Jack and Dulliam become fast friends, but Dulliam is instantly attracted to Beldaran. (There is ongoing tension in the love games between Jack and Beldaran and Dulliam as the quest progresses).

The questing party arrives in Boktor in Drasnia were Silk entertains the group for a while in the palace. Silk spends some time dealing with his business matters, and there is romantic dialogue between Dulliam and Beldaran. Jack is jealous. Eventually they return to their quest, headed for Gar Og Nadrak.

***

Belgarath is sitting alone in his tower, having asked Polgara not to bother him. His thoughts on his life and the moral choices he has made are weighing heavily on his mind. Aldur comes into the tower and speaks with his disciple kind but careful words.

Chapter 12
Belzandramas begins strengthening the armed forces of Yulenthea, and thinks on her plans to wed Torak. Queen Jezabel is hopelessly in love with Jek Barder as Belzandramas has bewitched her. The King of Junissa visits her and she impresses him. He swears his loyalty to the power of Yulenthea.
***
Rtachek replaces the coinage of Cthol Murgos with his own image, and temples throughout Murgos are rededicated to him as the new God of the Angaraks with idols of him put up by the Grolim priests. The king is now in fear of him, and fear sweeps through Cthol Murgos. The Doomsayers begin condemning the Grolim priests, yet Rtachek says to leave them be. He had a dark vision of a power of extreme might telling him to leave the Doomsayers alone lest his life be forfeit.
***
The questing party reach Nadrak, but Beldaran is kidnapped by an eager village chieftain overcome by her beauty. The group are holed up in a prison, and Jack suggests Beldin uses his magic to get them out of there. All Beldin says is ‘I think we will let diplomacy prevail.’

Chapter 13
Belgarath is drunk, and Polgara looks at him. He seems to be depressed, caught up with his heavy thoughts. She queries what he is worried about and all he says is that he feels like the weight of the world is upon his shoulders.
****
Beldin requests a meeting with the chieftain, and is taken to the chieftain. He says the King of the West would not take too kindly to his daughter being held hostage, but the Nadrak initially defies him, and Beldin is returned to his prison cell. Geran asks ‘What next?’ Beldin says ‘We wait for now. Let him think things over.’
****
Garion sits with Ce Nedra, worrying over things, and she tells him to return to the everyday affairs of the realm. He visits the peat bogs at the north western side of the Isle of the Winds and a dark creature emerges from a bog to fight him. Garion defeats it but it hisses and says ‘Torak will slay you, Lord of the West. Your fate is sealed.’

Chapter 14
Belzandramas starts growing in popularity amongst the Yulentheans and she delights in the power she has longed for for so long. She thinks over the power of life and death she has at her disposal but, when contemplating putting someone to death, she is bothered by the voice in her conscience, by the sudden unexpected guilt she finds within. Going into her private chapel she stares into the well of visions she has had made, and sees a dark, endless tunnel and somehow understands that if Cyradis had chosen evil, then only death would have ultimately prevailed and she would have been accursed, travelling a dark endless tunnel through hell, never again seeing the light, never again seeing the world. And then she understands that in a world that doesn’t progress, that remains immobile, inflexible, unchanging, that death results from boredom and hatred of things which begin to annoy and frustrate people, and that society must advance, mature and GROW to become what it is meant to be. And as she works through her philosophy slowly, within the heart of Belzandramas, choices of light and love are beginning to be made.
***
Rtachek continues to grow in power in Cthol Murgos. A party arrives from Mallorea on behalf of the eastern Grolim priest Brazadar who tells him he must now submit to the power of the reborn Torak. Rtachek has killed a number of the party and sends one of the surviving members back to Mallorea with the heads of the killed ones and tells him to tell Torak that such will be done to him if he dares to invade Cthol Murgos.
***
Brazadar receives the returning party and looks in disgust at the heads. He travels to Cthol Mishrak to tell Torak the news, and Torak goes mad with wrath. He swears vengeance upon Rtachek and tells Brazadar to start the work of invading Cthol Murgos. The Murgos are to be defeated and the head of Rtachek brought to Torak on a plate.

Chapter 15
Polgara is at the cottage, working in the kitchen, when Belgarath drops by. He asks her if she has any parchments of paper available to her. She asks why he simply doesn’t make some, but he tells her he needs the authentic manmade stuff for what he wants them for. That it is simply the best way for what he wants to do. She doesn’t question him, but goes off to the back room and returns with a large box full of paper and a number of bottles of ink with writing quills. He thanks her and leaves, and she puzzles about what he must be doing.
***
The chieftain, now feeling guilty and worried about what Garion may do, accedes to Beldin’s request and releases his prisoners and restores Beldaran to them. They stay in the village for a banquet in Beldaran’s honour, and then resume their quest.
***
Garion is brooding in the palace, walking around, restless. He moans to Ce Nedra and his grandmother that he really should be on the quest, but his grandmother reminds him that he is a King and that he has responsibilities and that Geran and Beldin can handle things well enough. He reluctantly acknowledges her point. Ce Nedra speaks comforting words to him and invites him to the bedroom for some private affections and Garion feels better.

Chapter 16
Belzandramas has gradually been uniting the 3 provinces, and in court she is starting to be hailed as the ‘Goddess’ of Yulenthea. She sits on the throne, though, restless, awaiting her Lord Torak’s attempt to perhaps conquer the three provinces. She knows some sign most come forth and decides to send Jek on a mission to Mallorea to learn of what is going on there. The queen opposes this idea, but Belzandramas removes the queen to the dungeon and tells the court the queen is unavailable, deeply involved in her prayers. Nobody’s dares question her.
***
‘Zakandra decides to try his strength against the Grolim priest Brazadar and against Torak. He orders his troops to gather up the eastern Grolim priests and imprison them. Yet Brazadar, armed with a staff which Torak placed a spell upon, arrives in Mal Zeth and splits the walls of the castle asunder, demanding ‘Zakandra come and bow to him and acknowledge the power of Torak. The court says to ‘Zakandra that Brazadar will kill them all unless he bows and swears fealty, so ‘Zakandra falls at Brazadar’s feet and begs for forgiveness. Brazadar sneers at him and says ‘Your death is postponed for now, but betray Torak again and your fate will be dire indeed.’
***
The Dalasians, who had been granted independence by ‘Zakath, intend to make war on Ancient Mallorea before the power of Torak overcomes them. The Melcenes and the Karandans watch on with interest.

Chapter 17
The questing group arrive at the land bridge and gradually make there way across into Mallorea. Silk takes them to Lameth and they hear news in the inn of the new struggles between the Dalasian Protectorate and Ancient Mallorea. War is imminent, and people fear. The doomsayer appears and hails silk, yet looks upon Beldin with disdain and says ‘We will meet soon enough, Beldin. We will meet soon enough.’ The people speak of the resurrection of Torak at Cthol Mishrak and the group discuss how they will have to be extra careful while in Mallorea.   The love triangle between Jack and Beldaran and Dulliam continues.
***
Belgarath is in his tower, writing his memoirs and reflections. He is thoughtful, thinking long and hard over all the life choices he has made and it comes to him in his writings that, now, there are perhaps wrongs he has done which need amending. People who he has not been the best with who he needs to make amends with. His repentance continues.
***
Polgara has her own reflective thoughts on her fathers troubles, taking him dinner, and sitting in the room just out from him were he is writing. She silently reflects over her own life and questions wether she has always done the right thing.

Chapter 18
The Dalasian army starts invading Ancient Mallorea. Brazadar instructs ‘Zakandra to go out and meet them and either persuade them to join with them or face destruction under the wrath of Torak. The Dalasian armies defy ‘Zakandra and a heated battle begins. Brazadar, near the 4th day of the battle, comes to a hill overlooking the fields of combat, raises his staff, and causes fire from heaven to come down and consume thousands of the Dalasians. They fall back in fear and the Dalasian delegate comes to ‘Zakandra and swears the Dalasians’ will now serve Torak. They fear for their very lives.

Chapter 19
Rtachek seeks out Nadrak and Thull and invites them to accept him as their overlord. They initially refuse, but the two kings, thinking it over and realizing the power Rtachek has grown into and the power of Cthol Murgos, and the threat of Mallorea over Rtachek’s snubbing of Torak, they reluctantly join forces with the Murgos and come into an alliance.
***
The questing party arrive in Mal Zeth and stay in an inn. Nobody recognizes them and Beldin says he wants to stay in Mal Zeth for the time being to study various texts in various libraries around Mal Zeth and to learn the current plans of Torak if they at all can. The love triangle continues.
***
Ce Nedra announces to Garion that she is pregnant and he is overjoyed. He again speaks with Poledra and she speaks again of Zhadora. Garion starts to think that the Oracle of Justice is likely located on Zhadora and thinks of going off to find the questing party to search for Zhadora instead, but Poledra persuades him to await their return.

Chapter 20
Beldin studies in one of the Grolim libraries of Mal Zeth, disguised as a Grolim priest. He goes through various ancient texts and scrolls and comes upon the Gospel of Justice. It paints vague pictures of a figure which Beldin assumes is the Oracle of Justice. The figure lives on ‘The Hidden Island’ which Beldin does not know what that means. A Grolim priest looks at him and invites him to come to the citadel of Mal Zeth to dine with Brazadar. Beldin, not knowing how to escape, agrees.
***
Geran is sitting on the banks of the Raku river, waiting on Beldin to exit the library, thinking on life. Beldaran comes and sit down next to him and they speak of her romantic liaisons. Geran speaks of his fears about their quest and what information Beldin may unearth. They talk about the Doomsayers who are all over the city who the Grolim priests now have an uneasy truce with – Torak will not touch the Doomsayers by the looks of it. Geran speaks of his fears of the coming judgment on mankind and wether they in the West have always been as noble as they would have liked to believe. Beldaran says they have always tried to do what is right, despite their many mistakes. As they watch Beldin walks past in the company of other Grolim priests, and signals to them frustrated by his capture and Geran and Beldaran follow him till they come to the citadel and disappear inside. They return to the inn and Silk suggests he breaks into the citadel to find Beldin. Geran says no but silk goes anyway.
***
Silk slithers around the citadel late at night, searching for Beldin. He finds him in a sleeping quarters with other Grolim priests, but Beldin says to Silk to leave him be because he may learn things from Brazadar which could come in useful. The Grolim priests do not know who he is and welcome him especially with all the knowledge he has at his disposal. Silk leaves and returns to the group and Geran wants to rebuke him but is consoled by his words about Beldin. ‘Hopefully the old fool can take care of himself,’ says Geran

Chapter 21
Brazadar holds council and speaks to his court and ‘Zakandra of the Karandans and Melcenes. ‘Do we really need them?’ asks ‘Zakandra. ‘It could cause more death of our own troops than we can afford to lose. We surely have enough to confront the Murgos with.’ But Brazadar is reluctant to agree. He turns to Beldin and asks him what his name is. Beldin says ‘Graldik’ and suggests diplomacy with the Karandans and Melcenes would be wise, but the threat of warfare and the power of Torak will always demand their submission. Brazadar nods, agreeing, and calls Beldin wise. Beldin is then to be sent to the Karandans to represent Ancient Malloreas interests and persuade them of their need to join the Malloreans. Beldin is frustrated, but sees no other option available to him, and escape would surely draw attention to the questing party.
***
Beldin leaves with a group of Grolim priests for Karanda and the Melcenes. He manages to call a crow from a tree and ties a short note to its leg. Casting an enchantment on the bird he throws it into the air. The bird flies around for a while, but soon finds the inn and lands on the windowsill of Geran’s room. Geran looks at the bird which is chirping madly and notices the note on its leg. He takes the note, thanks the bird, and reads it. He shares the news with the group and they are undecided as what to do next. Beldurnik makes the decision that Beldin is wise enough to take care of himself, and will need to know were they are upon his return to Mal Zeth, so they decide to not leave the inn. Geran decides to occupy himself with the study of various texts at the libraries around Mal Zeth. Meanwhile the love triangle continues.

Chapter 22
Belgarath continues on his memoirs but reaches a decision. He will now start his atonement in preparation of the judgement he fears coming upon him. He speaks with Polgara and tells her he is travelling to Sendaria to see a baker. She asks him what about, but he remains silent.
***
Garion is entertaining the King of Tolnedra, and they talk of various affairs of state and Ce Nedra’s pregnancy. The King suggests that the child, if a man child, could perchance take the throne of Tolnedra, which Garion finds a happy suggestion.
***
Ce Nedra is in her quarters with Poledra who is knitting. ‘Can you feel the baby kick?’ she asks Poledra.
***
Belgarath arrives in Upper Gralt in Sendaria were the baker Fendak lives. He gives thought to his many thefts of Fendaks delicious pies when he had fallen upon hard times a number of years back, living in Upper Gralt for a few months. He confesses his sins to Fendak who simply gives him some free pies and tells him not to worry himself about it.

Chapter 23
Beldin speaks with the Karandan representative who says he looks familiar but can’t quite place him. The Karandan’s reluctantly agree to join Mallorea’s desires to conquer the Murgos.
***
Geran in a Mal Zeth library. Gemma accompanies him and they speak of Aldur and Errand.
***
Beldin speaks with the Melcene representative and they agree that as Karanda has joined they too will rekindle the alliances. Beldin returns to Mal Zeth and fronts Brazadar with the news, who heaps praise upon Beldin. Beldin sends another crow and Beldaran and Geran meet Beldin near the entrance to the Citadel just as Brazadar with a group of priests is coming out, catching them by surprise. Brazadar queries who Beldaran is and Geran says ‘She is my sister.’ Brazadar is immediately entranced with the maiden and orders her to the citadel to be his consort. Geran says ‘But she is my sister’ to no avail.
***
Beldaran, in her new chambers, is confronted with the ‘Vile’ affections of Brazadar. He promises her riches beyond measure if she will consort to be his maiden. She remains polite to him in person, but shows her disgust when he has left the room

Chapter 24
Geran worries about Beldaran, but Beldin says Brazadar will not harm her. He is a man, like so many of us, and your sister is quite beautiful are Beldin’s words, and Geran is consoled that his sister will be alright.
***
The kings of Nadrak and Thull are talking together in the court of Cthol Torak about events in the worlds. They have come to swear homage to Rtachek. He comes into the chamber, with much pomp and circumstance, and is pronounced a ‘God’ to those assembled. He is very vain and proud and demands the kings kneel before him which they do, glancing at each other whispering that Rtachek is a madman. Rtachek glows with pride.
***
Jek Barder arrives in his ship on the southern coast of Mallorea, in the Dalasian protectorates, with his party and has various thoughts about his service to Belzandramas. He starts to seek the knew his mistress demands of him.

Chapter 25
Beldaran, at midnight, has tied together her sheets and climbs down the wall of the citadel, escaping back to the inn. The group depart that night, putting Mal Zeth and Brazadar as far behind them as possible. They are now travelling for ‘Kell’ as Beldin says.
***
As they travel the mountain looms up before them and they discuss various things about the scrolls, about Kell, and about Cyradis.
***
Brazadar confronts Torak and says ‘All is going as planned, my lord. And Torak laughs a mad laugh

Part 3 – Kell

Chapter 26
The questing party arrive in Kell. A new seeress of Kell greets them. They ask of Cyradis, but the seeress is evasive in her answers. She invites them to stay in Kell, which they accept.
****
Velvet in Boktor with Silk. They discuss various things and silk is with his son.
***
Polgara is doing her washing, looking off in the distance, thinking about her father.
*
Belgarath is travelling to Camaar, heavy thoughts on his mind

Chapter 27
The group enjoy the sights of Kell. The new seeress begins to tell them of the ‘Oracle of Justice’. She speaks of Zaphon, which prefigures Kell. Geran asks ‘Then the Oracle is in Kell’, but the seeress says no.
*
Brazadar now turns his attention to the western Angaraks. He sends a delegation demanding submission and tribute.
*
Ce Nedra gives birth. The child is named Garridan

Chapter 28
Geran and Beldin are studying in the library of Kell, find references to the Oracle and a place called Zhadora, but are unable to find were Zhadora is located.
*
Belgarath comes to the home of the washer woman, confesses his carelessness in the death of her husband. She weeps but tells him not to worry about it

Chapter 29
The Love triangle continues
*
Rtachek decides to use Thull to threaten Brazadar and sends for General Castravar
*
Jek Barder arrives in Mal Zeth

Chapter 30
General Castravar of Mishrak Ac Thull is possessed by a Demon Lord who has been summoned by Rtachek from the ‘Dark Realms’. The Demon Lord gives General Castravar great power and authority over men. He speaks with a charisma which makes his armies willing to sacrifice their lives for him, and they fight passionately because of it. General Castravar, in the Name of his new God ‘Rtachek’ sends a tribute of a pile of horse shit to Brazadar in response to Brazadar’s demands for submission and tribute, or facing war. Accompanying the horseshit is a letter of many derogatory statements towards Brazadar and Torak.
****
Brazadar receives the shit and the letter and frowns. He speaks to Torak who says let the war begin, and to strike first against Mishrak Ac Thull, and to torture Castravar upon capture, drilling holes in his teeth etc
****
Having been unable to find any further information on Cyradis the questing party decide it is now time to return to Riva to take further counsel with Garion and Belgarath.
****
Belgarath sits on the docks of Camaar, staring out at the ocean. He reflects on his repentance of the accidental death of the washer woman’s husband caused by his own hands, and thinks about a grave sin he once committed and what he should do in response.

The End of Volume One

The 7 Gods

Ul – Father of the God’s – The Ulgo are his people
Belar – The Youngest of the God’s – The Alorns are his people
Aldur – A separate God with no people – he dwells in the Vale and Belgarath, the first
wizard, sought him out
Torak – the Most beautiful of the God’s – The Angaraks are his people
Chaldan – Bull-God – the Arends are his people

Daniel Daly

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Jan 17, 2014, 10:50:53 PM1/17/14

The Unitarian Catholic Church - Established Today, Saturday 18th of January 2014.

Foundational Document

The Unitarian Catholic Church

Our Beliefs
We are a New Catholic Church. Yet we are a Catholic Church in many ways. We follow human behaviour of modern 21st century thinking. We may draw spiritual ideals from all sorts of spiritual writings of various communities, though, true, primarily Catholicism. We couldn't care less the denomination, religion or status of an individual. It all depends just on that – how decent the individual is to God. We draw on all this spirituality to be holy to God. We believe in God the father, and follow this prayer of Jesus and the Church.

Our Father who art in heaven
Hallowed by thy name
Thy Kingdom come thy will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
Deliver us Lord from every evil
And grant us peace in our day
For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory
World without End
AMEN

Yes. This earth will go on forever. Jesus probably won't come back. We are a bit more rational about it. Jesus is not really God or Messiah to us, or he may be very dear and personal to us. We may have progressive views. We may have traditional views. We are Unitarian, and there is only one God, the Father. Jesus is our Lord and we love him. Mary is the mother of Jesus, and we think well of her. And, above all things, we believe in LOVE.

Here is some of Daniel's writings – Spiritual Fiction for the Unitarian Catholic Church. Please, church, feel free to develop the ideas further, for I am finished with this writing for the most part now. Finish of the basic first volume and develop a saga with many contributors. I humble ask that of you.

AMEN

Chronicles of the Children of Destiny
The Catholic Version

“Stars of the Morning”

by
Danny Daly

Unitarian Catholic Church
Prologue

Deep and strange. Almost weird, but, perhaps not. But deep and strange was working for him. Elohim was puzzling. What to do, what to do. A child – that was what he desired. The word he had formulated many times, and now desired to see it see fruition – to see it be realized in a most real sense. And he had a name. A name for the one who would be his firstborn child and son – the one who would shepherd his flock to come, the children of Israel. And that name was Gabriel.

But Michael was his firstborn as well. He had decided on that quite firmly. And in that decision, he saw possibilities. Possibilities of realms – yet again alternative realms – in which his dreams, desires and ambitions could be realized.

* * * * *

And much time passed, and histories of realms came and went. And God thought on what had come to pass:…….

The Realm of Infinity had not worked out quite as he had wanted it. So many of his children within that realm were stubborn, defiant almost, not easily malleable and so proud of their status as children of God. But the children of the Realm of Eternity had proven far more decent and faithful in relation to holiness and love. It would seem his fourth work, which had been the first planned, had come to represent the best of his works.

But God knew what his heart was and had to be impartial. He needed to show each of his children that he cared deeply for all of them and, although he perhaps in his heart did favour some more than others, he would treat them with equality and show each of them his grace, kindness and love. They were all special to him, all dear to him. His first created flock – the children of heaven – were the most eccentric, for want of a better word, than the later offspring. They were unusual and different which, although seeing the beauty in simplicity of his latter children of the third realm, did in their way stand out and appeal to his heart. The children of Infinity were far more harmonious than the children of heaven, and the children of Eternity were so polished and perfect and he adored being with them because of it. But his own special children – the last planned but the firstbegotten – they were so, in a way, alive in a way the others weren’t. They were expressive, passionate, fantastically good (some of them), and the epitome of evil at their darkest.

However, the children of Eternity – the third flock - were to be given a blessing. Each of the Seraphim in turn would gain a realm in which their spirit would manifest in a new angelic form, were each in turn would be firstborn. In that realm they would have the position of authority and their own influence would decide the administration of their realm. Firstly the 70 male Seraphim would have the position of authority. But, after that, the 70 female Seraphim would have the ascendancy. The male, after his characteristics, had been his first planned, but he had always realized that a companion – a twin – of sorts would be a very appropriate idea. However, because the males were planned first, they would receive the glory first. But he wanted his daughters to know that they were in deed special to him and that he wanted them to likewise express their views and hearts.

And so, as he had done previously, God continued to plan.

Parte One

“Children of the Kingdom”
Chapter the Firste

Deep and – well, whatever else, not quite strange – was how Gabriel felt. He sat there on the white floor of marble (not actually knowing what a white floor of marble was, not yet anyway, but, as one could assume, he eventually would come to know as) thinking very deeply. He knew his name – it was Gabriel. He did not (as with the prior notion relating to marble floors) quite yet know what a name was, but he sensed in his thoughts that Gabriel was what he was – was who he was.

He sat there, in those beginning and formative moments of his life, thinking on his name. He looked around. The marble floor extended, as it did appear to, in every direction, seemingly endlessly so. Where was he? Why was he here? How had he come to be? He puzzled on these thoughts, thinking deeply, quite and oh so deeply.

‘Gabriel, isn’t it?’ Gabriel reacted, shocked at the voice which appeared to come from behind him. He had been sitting there (one hour in our time, but young Gabriel did not yet know how to measure time) for he knew not how long. But for some time. And then the voice. He turned to look.

Before him stood a being which looked quite similar to himself. The being spoke, ‘Well, Gabriel. I am Raphael. I am the firstborn of the Seraphim. You are the firstborn, though, of God’s children. You preceded me by 21 minutes, according to God’s time, of which he informed me. At 40 minutes, my younger brother, the second of the Seraphim, young Uriel was born. Uriel lies about 5 minutes walk from here. It is in that direction. Raphael pointed back in the direction he had apparently come from, Gabriel following his gaze. He could not see any other being, though. Raphael spoke. God asked me to come and get you to bring you to Uriel. In 10 minutes from now, at the 70th minute, we will be gaining another Seraphim, our newest brother, who will be called ‘Saruviel’. A thought came to Gabriel, and he spoke his first words. ‘How many Seraphim will there be?’. Raphael smiled. ‘Father said there would be 70 male Seraphim, followed then by your younger brother. His name is to be Michael. And after him, our first sister, Aquariel, is to be born. Following her, 70 female Seraphim, and then our second sister, Elenniel is to be born.

Gabriel nodded at those words. ‘Aquariel?’ he asked. ‘When will she be born?’ ‘Not for a while, Gabriel. Not for a while. Come, Uriel is waiting for us.’ Gabriel got to his feet and followed Raphael as he led the way off.

5 minutes later (although time being still not knowable in measurement to our friend Gabriel) they passed through a white cloud and came to a large, lush meadow of green, which went off well into the distance. All around were trees, shrubs, animals of various kinds, ponds, a river in the distance and various rocks jutting out from the ground. Raphael led the way just around a bend ahead of them, and sitting on a rock eating an apple was (so Gabriel presumed) his younger brother Uriel.

Gabriel smiled at him. ‘Hello Uriel. Are you feeling good?’ ‘Very interesting question, Gabriel,’ Uriel replied. ‘This fruit is very tasty. My body is reacting to it in a most positive and delightful manner. I am most grateful to our Father for allowing me to partake of and experience this fruit. ‘What is it called?’ asked Gabriel.
‘‘It is an apple,’ replied Uriel. Uriel pointed to the landscape around them. ‘All of this, Gabriel, is Paradise. Very shortly, at the 70th minute, our new brother Saruviel will be born. Father has shared briefly with me that he, of all our brethren to come, has a most special and unique destiny with God most high. He is the Father’s favourite child of whom he will bring forth. You Gabriel, he loves the most, as he will always do so, and will do anything for you. But Saruviel is his heart’s delight – the one he favours. It is love – but in a different way, a unique way. For Saruviel God will do great things, and bless this child of his with eternal grace, peace, mercy and love. For Saruviel is his favoured one. The horn of his glory. The bright child of darkness and power – the doomsayer, the devil himself, and all things preposterous and what perhaps, just perhaps, should not be. Saruviel is the chosen one. The child of destiny. The one to whom Glory shall come.’

Gabriel nodded. ‘But I, well I am his firstborn. That is the truth, isn’t it?’ Uriel looked at him and gave the tiniest of chuckles. ‘Well, apparently that is the case. Apparently that is the case,’ he repeated with a strange, oh so strange, emphasis. Raphael looked at Uriel and said, ‘Uriel – do not torment the lad. You know such things are just not right to put upon him at such a young age.’ Uriel nodded obediently to his older brother’s comment, but responded with his own thoughts. ‘Better sooner than later, Raphael. Better sooner than later.’ Gabriel looked at both of them, totally bewildered at such cryptic language.

‘Well thanks a bloody lot for the welcome you guys gave me, ya schmucks.’ Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel turned to the voice that had just spoken. Standing before them was a being (what we will term an Angel, specifically a Seraphim) dressed in long black robes, wings extended. Uriel spoke, ‘Saruviel, I presume?’ ‘Yes Uriel. As you should have known.’ Saruviel turned to Gabriel. ‘So you are Gabriel, huh?’ Gabriel politely nodded. ‘Yeah, I remember you,’ replied Saruviel. Gabriel was not quite sure what to make of such a comment. Raphael looked sternly at Saruviel. ‘Not appropriate, Saruviel. Most definitely not appropriate. Leave that alone. It is not to be discussed until the latter times, as you should well know.’ ‘Fine, Raph. Have it your way, then.’ Gabriel again was totally bewildered at all the cryptic conversations going on between his younger brothers. It was as if they knew something to which he simply was not a party too.

‘Hey, Daraqel’s next, isn’t he?’
Uriel looked at Saruviel and sighed. ‘Yes, Saruviel,’ he groaned. ‘Daraqel is next.’
‘Yeah, here I am.’ The angels looked upwards, towards a branch of the tree near them. Sitting on the branch was another of the Seraphim, presumably the Daraqel which Saruviel mentioned. Gabriel smiled at him and spoke, ‘Are you Daraqel?’
‘That’s right Gab, well spotted. Bright as ever, I see.’
Raphael looked at Uriel and sighed. ‘All of that flock will do this won’t they. They’ll all have a go at him. It’s just not nice. They should have learned their lessons by now, for sure.’
‘Diehards, they are, dear brother. Some angels just don’t change.’ Raphael nodded, knowingly.

Gabriel decided to take charge. He spoke, ‘Raphael, Uriel, Saruviel and Daraqel. You are the 4 firstborn of the Seraphim. Who are the next three? The number seven is the one I favour. The next three are fundamental to that.’ The four angels looked at him and then at each other. Uriel eventually spoke. ‘Well, if you must know, tomorrow those three will be born. Their names are Jerahmeel, Phanuel and Raguel, in that order of birth.’ Gabriel nodded. ‘Alright. The 7 Sovereign angels are Raphael, Uriel, Saruviel, Daraqel, Jerahmeel, Phanuel and Raguel.’
‘Sovereign Angels?’ queried Saruviel? ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘A title for now, Saruviel. Each grouping of seven angels will have a title for their group. The 10 groups are, the Sovereign Angels, the Celestial Angels, The Guardian Angels, The Angels of Triumph, The Angels of Power, The Angels of Law, The Primary Angels, The Secondary Angels, The Tertiary Angels and, finally, the United Angels.’
‘What about the women?’ asked Saruviel? ‘Yes, they will be The Angels of Mercy, The Angels of Kindness, The Angels of Compassion, The Angels of Faith, The Angels of Hope, The Angels of Love, The Angels of God, The Angels of the Covenant, The Eternal Angels and, finally, the Divided Angels.’
Saruviel looked at him. Eventually he spoke. ‘Yes, I see. That should prove interesting. Most interesting.’
Gabriel looked at him – quite directly – yes, it should, dear Saruviel. Indeed it should.’

* * * * *

The Saruvim of Infinity were the seventh group of six angels created in Infinity. They were the ‘Coloured’ angels.

In birth order they were Azazel the purple Angel, Urakiba the blue Angel, Ramiel the Green Angel, Semyaza the Yellow angel, Armaros the Orange angel and, finally, Satan the Red Angel.

There were 10 groups of 6 angels created in the Second Realm of Infinity. In order of birth the groups came the Onaphim first of all, followed then by the Oraphim, the Ozraphim, the Seraphim, the Cherubim, the Ketravim, the Saruvim, the Abraphim, the Noahphim and, finally, the Cimbrphim. The Onaphim were male, the Oraphim female, the Ozraphim male, the Seraphim female, the Cherubim male, the Ketravim female, the Saruvim male, the Abraphim female, the Noahphim male and, finally, the Cimbrphim were female. All in all 60 angels, 30 male and 30 female, all living together in Azion the Golden City of the Realm of Infinity.

The names of all the angels were in rank of birth:

Onaphim: 1) Samael 2) Dolphyel 3) Garanel 4) Abriel 5) Jandonel 6) Kuriel
Oraphim: 1) Aphrayel 2) Elendayel 3) Shandalel 4) Shantriel 5) Elsabel 6) Kwintakel
Ozraphim: 1) Sandalphon 2) Romnaraphon 3) Aclyophenes 4) Dramdonduriel 5) Hazdragius 6) Mallintor
Seraphim: 1) Michelle 2) Gabrielle 3) Raphaella 4) Urielle 5) Raguella 6) Phanuella
Cherubim: 1) Totambimberiel 2) Dramdonduriel 3) Xaddadaxx 4) Atros 5) Diznak 6) Kodrium
Ketravim: 1) Shirlie 2) Beyonce 3) Veronica 4) Lucy 5) Janet 6) Esthelle
Saruvim: 1) Azazel 2) Urakiba 3) Ramiel 4) Semyaza 5) Armaros 6) Satan
Abraphim: 1) Eve 2) Adah 3) Leah 4) Nammah 5) Titea 6) Milcah
Noaphim: 1) Noah 2) Shem 3)Ham 4)Japeth 5)Canaan 6)Elihu
Cimbrphim: 1)Shemrael 2)Janelle 3) Oshanel 4)Meludiel 5)Aquariel 6)Nimorel

They were the names of all the Angels of the Second Realm of Infinity.

Samael generally ran the show, teaching each of the angels of Infinity responsibility and lawfulness as it taught in the Angelic Torah of Commands – the Holy Torah with 20 specific commandments for the Angels to live by. In the first command, which ran for three paragraphs, Samael was given the responsibility for watching over all the Realm of Infinity and the holy angels who lived there. But his greatest worry, what kept him up at night, were the coloured angels. The Angels, or devils as he often called them, who were steadily becoming increasingly rebellious.

Satan, who was lastborn of the 6 Saruvim, gradually became head of the coloured angels. And over the millennia the term ‘Bad Boy’s’ came to be attributed to this particular group of angels.

But all in all, the angels were happy enough with their lot in life until one fateful day someone appeared in the Realm of Infinity. Someone who said he came from the heavens and called himself ‘Jesus the Christ’. Samael inquired in the throneroom of Azion to God as to were this particular ‘Christ’ had come from, to which God had replied ‘HE IS THE CHOSEN ONE, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED. LISTEN TO HIM’. And that was all he said.

From then on Jesus Christ generally ruled in the Realm of Infinity until the creation of the lower realm of Nadrazon with the founding of the Silver City. And then came the creation of the Legions of the Angels of Heaven, with a grand and great hierarchy designed by Jesus the Christ. And into this new world the Coloured Angels, led by Satan, began his most ambitious work of all: Conquest of the universe;

* * * * *

Metatron sat in home, looking at the portal, in conversation with Logos. Logos had been instructing him that Jesus the Christ was under his authority and power, and was working in the Realm of Infinity to bring Glory to God. Memra, Logos twin, backed up Logos confidently, although Metatron had questions as to wether Jesus had truly taken the feelings of all the angels of Infinity into account when he had started ordering them around. All Logos would say was that ‘Whatever would be would be’ and that in time all things would be understood. So Metatron simply trusted him, assuming he knew what he was doing.

* * * * *

Gabriel of the Second Realm of Eternity sat, lost in thought. He was contemplating the future and the plans and designs of God. God had been in his heart and mind when he had named all the groups of angels, the last of which, young Peladiel, Penoniel’s twin, seventhborn of the 7 divided angels had just been born. It had been the spirit of the Almighty – the eternal wisdom of the creator of all realities – which had been upon him, in his heart, in his spirit, uttering what would be. And Gabriel had sensed that while he himself seemed to be thinking upon and uttering those words he somehow knew they were not completely his own. But no matter. Those words had come to pass and now, the Angels living in the Garden, they awaited the final two – the two secondborn children of God – Michael and Elenniel.

Gabriel had already begun making plans. He had spoken to Raphael, Uriel, Saruviel and Daraqel about the need for a home. While resting in eternity’s twilight embrace was always soothing and calming, he felt what he instinctively called a ‘Building’ would be the best of things for them to get to and build. But they would await Michael and Elenniel before beginning their task.

God had spoken to Gabriel’s heart letting him know Michael would soon be born, coming from heaven above as a flaming fire to the centre of the Garden, shortly followed by Elenniel. It was a few days away yet, and Gabriel was impatient. But, in the meantime he sat contemplating God, life and all the things of life of the Realm of Eternity, his blessed home.

The Angels had all flown around the realm by now and it was roughly circular in shape, going out to what they called ‘The Rim’. The realm was a wonderful place to live the angels all testified to Gabriel about and they were all so thankful God had created them to live in this wonderful paradise. Gabriel, too, silently thanked God for his wonderful new home and had himself explored a great deal of it.

There were wonderful mountains and hills, valleys and ravines, trees and bushes of all sorts, beautiful flowers and a vast array of animal life. There were also beautiful rivers and lakes, snow on top of some of the mountains, and even a few glaciers. It amazed all the angels that they somehow, instinctively, had words for all of these creations of God and they each of them marvelled at each new creation they encountered. And now they awaited Michael and Elenniel for their fellowship to be complete.

* * * * *

Time passed in the Realm of Infinity and, as the years came and went, Satan continued his work. His ambition was to rule the universe and slowly and gradually, through his persuasive charisma of offering each angel who swore allegiance to him absolute freedom should their cause be successful, Satan gradually won angels to his cause. And, in the 1000th year of the Second Realm of Infinity, Satan had tempted approximately 3500 angels to his cause of the 10,000 angels of Infinity, but had great difficulty in trying to win any more than that.

Jesus the Christ was not worried. Not worried in any way. He had faith in God and spoke to those who remained faithful on the nature of faith and destiny and that, in time, the purposes of God would reveal all things. The faithful took him at his word.

And then came the rebellion: The fateful day in which Satan lead the coloured Devil’s and the host of darkness against the power of Jesus the Christ, and the war was furious. Yet, Satan lost, and the angels of darkness were cast to the netherworld, were they wept in bitterness over their defeat. And Satan brooded. Long and hard did Satan brood, in his heart swearing vengeance on Jesus the Christ and God his eternal father.

* * * * *

Matthew and Dorothy of the children of Heaven of the spiritual universe of the second realms were sitting in Azaphon keep, playing chess, talking about the Angels of the Realm of Infinity and the Angels of the Realm of Eternity. Matthew and Dorothy were twins, equal in birth rank amongst the 70 children of heaven.

‘I like Samael, you know,’ began Dorothy. ‘He is really interesting. I have prayed for him a lot and asked Father to bless him. He is really a nice angel, these days.’
‘I know what you are saying,’ responded Matthew. ‘I think Jesus sudden appearance in Infinity must have confused him a lot, probably thinking he had all the answers worked out in life. But, really. When do we ever have all the answers, hey sister.’
‘It is a mystery, bro. A great mystery. God works in mysterious ways, often beyond our own fathoming and understanding. He is an eternal being, is father, and contemplates things simply beyond us which we will never understand as we can never reach the end of infinity or eternity.’
‘Too true, sis. Too true.’ Matthew made a move.
‘That is check.’
Dorothy studied Matthew’s move and smiled. Her twin was definitely improving at this game.
‘I also really love Gabriel of Eternity. He is wonderful. A truly wonderful angel.’
‘How do you think he will react to Michael tomorrow,’ Matthew asked.
‘I am not sure,’ responded Dorothy. She did remember, like Matthew did, of Michael from the loins or heart of God. He was a wonderful holy child of God who loved tremendously and when the children of God came forth from the heart of God to Heaven she found herself instinctively missing that lovely child of God.
‘I am sure Gabriel will love him. He might even remember him.’
‘Perhaps. I have only vague memories of Gabriel from our time in God’s heart. But, like Michael, he was a very holy and loving child of God. They should get along like a house on fire sis.’
‘Let’s hope so.’

Chapter the Seconde

‘Michael. It is a great and most distinct pleasure to meet my younger brother. How fare you?’
Michael, secondborn of the children of God of the Second Realm of Eternity smiled warmly at his older brother Gabriel’s words of welcome. He remembered Gabriel from the heart of God and was happy to meet him again. ‘I am very well dear brother. And this is Elenniel.’
Just then Michael’s twin sister came from behind Michael and smiled warmly at Gabriel. ‘We now await Aquariel, your twin, who should be with us shortly,’ said Elenniel.

Later on that afternoon, sitting by the Terravon river watching the other angels at play, Gabriel was relaxing in the company of Michael and Elenniel, the secondborn children of God. Just then a voice hailed them.
‘Fair children. Greetings in the name of God the eternal Father.’
Gabriel turned to see a blonde child of God approaching, robed in garments of light yellow and white, truly beautiful to behold.
‘Aquariel?’ queried Elenniel.
‘Yes, it is I.’ Aquariel came up to Gabriel, stood in front of him, and gently leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
‘Greetings, fair brother Gabriel.’
‘Greetings sister Aquariel,’ replied Gabriel.

The four of them and the other angels frolicked for the whole afternoon, enjoying the pleasures of Zaphora, the Realm of Eternity. Gabriel smiled a lot that day, especially at his beautiful sister Aquariel, ever so glad God had brought such a delightful child into existence. His father was truly wise, he felt. Truly wise.

* * * * *

‘Yes, Satan. We will always remain loyal. You should know that,’ replied Ramiel to Satan’s current line of questioning.
‘Well you better. If any of you coloured devil’s ever bloody betray the faith…. Well all I can say is watch out. You will be sorry you were born.’
The other coloured devil’s nodded, used to such threats from their leader.

The six-pack was in a bar in Nadrazon, having been released from the Netherworld just a few years earlier, steadily consuming beer and discussing future plans. They were, in some ways, at an impasse. The congregation of the Angels of Infinity were divided, now, but as Jesus Christ and his lackey Samael held the upper hand, Satan and the coloured devil’s were carefully considering their next move. Satan had been toying with the idea of attempting to subtley and carefully win Samael to their agenda. With the firstborn of Angelicdom in their league they could gradually and more confidently win the rest of the angelic community. But Samael was stubborn, and winning him so far had proved impossible. It seemed to Satan that while Samael did not totally agree with Jesus Christ, he did not agree wholeheartedly with Satan’s position either. Almost a central line did their oldest brother chart out for himself, to keep the peace with both sides.

Jesus, though, did not really worry himself about Satan anymore. He had the upper hand, with the numbers, and he knew it. Satan would never be any more problematic than that. If it came to conflict, Jesus knew he would emerge victorious. Of that he had little doubts.

And Satan knew that reality as well. And so persuasion and even deception and delusion were thus acceptable tactics to achieve his overall goal of world dominion.

He polished of his beer and turned to Ramiel. ‘I know how Jesus thinks, you know. He is into tradition. Long traditions. I have noticed that for a while now. And he likes fidelity to a task. He admires that, you know. So this is the plan. We take more seriously the new council which is developing and ensure our positions on that council. I don’t think he will deny us that.’
‘And then what?’ queried Ramiel.
‘And then we sit pretty and wait. Perhaps a few thousand years if necessary. But we strike one day. One day, when he doesn’t expect it, we make our move and take control of the Realm.’
‘How?’ asked Ramiel.
‘You will see,’ responded Satan. ‘You will see.’
Ramiel nodded. He expected something devious from Satan but, of course, he would have to patient to find out just what exactly his younger devil of a brother had in mind. But knowing Satan it would be malicious. You could almost certainly guarantee that.

* * * * *

Metatron sat looking at the latest move God his father, who appeared from time to time in Home as an old man, had made in the game of Chess going on between them. The game had been progressing for a few months now, but God had the upper hand, which was not really surprising. Still Metatron felt that if he pushed himself to the limit he could challenge the old man. Apparently, so God told him in his manifestation, he was playing fair with Metatron and had great skills but Metatron, if he pushed, should be able to challenge himself. In his theophany he was limited, so he told his son Metatron from time to time. And so, because of this, Metatron was pushing at this game of chess, hopeful to achieve his first victory over his eternal father.

He took a sip of beer and looked at the oven. 15 minutes to go until the chicken pie was cooked. Memra had put it on for lunch and Metatron, as usual, was starving. Home had chickens and other animals which wandered around here and there, never straying to far from the old barnhouse of home. Home itself was the superior realm, or the topmost realm of the Second Universal Realm. Below Home was Heaven, were the children of Heaven resided and below them was the Realm of Infinity. Below that was the Realm of Eternity and below that was planned the Realm of Paradise.

God, so he told Metatron, had planned out these realms long ago and they were to be the home for all his children and angelic children. But of course, human beings would come later on ‘Terra’ and that is were his children would all meet up in their eternal destiny of life.

The bottom realm, Paradise, was where Angela, ruler of Paradise, and Metatron’s twin would be born. Metatron looked forward to one day meeting his twin, anxious to express the love of his heart on a female form in the same way Logos and Memra interacted. But God told him he would have to be patient, which Metatron did his best to achieve.

Memra walked in and checked the oven, noting the time. ‘Well, if you are hungry Met, it should be about ready. I put the timer on for extra time just to tease you.’
‘It’s ready is it,’ yelled Logos from the living room, his head soon appearing. Shortly after God walked in and sat down at the table.

They enjoyed their meal, the chicken pie cut into four even pieces, with orange juice and a salad on the side. Metatron was thankful each and every day for his daily bread, and at night praised God for his generosity and kindness. Life was quite good Metatron often thought to himself and living at home was a special experience. But it would be good to meet his consort he silently thought to himself.

* * * * *

‘So what is the role of the Sovereign Angels,’ Michael asked his brother Gabriel.
‘They are the rulers, as you should have surmised. For all the host of heavenly angels which I sense God will bring forth one day, they are to be the Sovereign Angels of rulership. For Raphael, Uriel, Saruviel, Daraqel, Jerahmeel, Phanuel and Raguel, rulership has been delivered to them. They are the chosen ones, in this sense, to maintain absolute order in the Realm of Eternity.’
‘As you wish,’ responded Michael. ‘And the roles for the Celestial Angels and so on?’ he further queried.
‘All the roles will become apparent in time. For now that issue is not important for we have a task to get to, dear brother Michael. A most important and pressing task.’
‘And what is that exactly?’ asked Michael.
‘The building of our home. The building of Zaphon.’
Michael nodded. He sensed this was coming from what Gabriel had spoken of before. They were to have a home, and it was up to Gabriel to bring forth the wisdom of God in how that home was to be constructed.
‘How do we build it?’ asked Michael.
‘I have already asked Father about that to give his advice and he has told me that he has endowed the Angel’s of the community with special instinctive knowledge, much akin to the way we speak, to be able to work together and build our home. Once we begin, it will unfold naturally. We simply need to trust God and have faith.’
‘I am sure you are right,’ responded Michael. ‘The question is, when do we begin?’
‘Well,’ said Gabriel, looking at the angels spread about in the Garden in front of him. ‘No time like the present.’

Gabriel, with Michael’s assistance, gathered all the angels of the second realm of eternity to his presence, and talked to them of the plan to now build Zaphon. And then they all began sharing ideas of tools they could build and things they could make to go into the home, all of this instinctively as if it were some sort of deep pattern within their makeup as angels. Gabriel smiled, pleased with all the ideas and suggestions that came forth.
‘This is wonderful, brethren. Truly wonderful. We will have a new home in no time and our lives will be all the more enriched. Praise God for his goodness. Praise God.’ And all the angels rejoiced.

* * * * *

Matthew and Dorothy were sitting in the lounge of Azaphon keep, when Samael their brother came up to say hello.
‘How fare ye, Dot?’
‘Well enough, Sammy.’
‘And you, Mat?
‘Oh, you know. Same as always.’
‘Tis Good.’ Samael stared at the two of them for a few moments and then decided to speak his thoughts.
‘Do you want to go down then? Visit them? I mean we have silently observed for ages now. Why don’t we go down and have a sticky beak at these Realms of wonder for ourselves.’
‘Oh gosh. We can’t do that Samael. Father would never permit. He allows us children of Heaven to watch the Angels of Infinity and Eternity, but ghosts. We can’t go and visit them,’ said Dorothy.
‘But why not,’ persisted Samael. ‘Besides, we don’t always have to do what father wants, do we.’
‘You sound just like Satan of Infinity. And you have seen for yourself just how much trouble he is,’ responded Dorothy
‘Yes, I know dear sister. But let us go down anyway. It will be fun.’
He pushed them solidly for an hour until, finally giving up, Matthew and Dorothy agreed to accompany Satan for their first visit to the Realm of Infinity.
‘We will leave in the morning, ok. It should be a wonderful day.’
‘And how exactly do you plan on getting us there?’
‘You will see,’ responded Samael. ‘You will see.’
‘Mmm,’ responded Dorothy, most anxious to see her brother’s plan.

* * * * *

Jesus sat in his room in the temple of Azion in Golden City, of the upper Realm of Infinity. Recently the fallen angels had been returned to life in the Realm of Infinity, redeemed from the Netherworld, and Jesus was contemplating just how he would now handle them. Hopefully, which his father had assured him was true to a degree, they had repented of their past misdirections. Satan worried him – he was a headstrong and determined angel, always wanting his way. And while that was not necessarily a bad things when intentions were good, Jesus worried that Satan’s intentions were, in fact, not exactly that. In fact, although he felt often judgemental in saying as much, he felt Satan’s motivations were almost evil in some ways. But, never the less, he would continue to show angelicdom the mercy of God and in his patience towards Satan he would try to set a good example for this particular Saruvim angel.

‘Yo, Jesus. Are you busy?’
Jesus turned his head to see Samael enter his room.
‘Not too busy Samael. What do you want?’
‘We have visitors. Newbies. I don’t know were the hell they are from but they mutter something about coming from heaven.’
‘Heaven? Ooh. That must be some of the children. They have decided to visit us after all this time. Come, let us go see what they want.’

Jesus accompanied Samael outside were Matthew and Dorothy and Samael of heaven were all standing. Jesus greeted them. ‘Hail children of heaven. How was your journey?’
‘We came down on Lucy’s spare broomsticks,’ muttered Matthew. ‘Our witch sister has made them able to fly.’
‘Fascinating,’ responded the Christ. ‘And why have you chosen to visit us this particular day?’
‘Oh, it was Samael’s idea,’ responded Dorothy, indicating her brother Samael.
‘Another Samael?’ queried Samael of Infinity. ‘How extraordinary.’
‘Such is life, dear friend,’ responded Samael of Heaven.
‘Well, we must show you around then,’ responded Jesus. ‘It is good to meet you again. Not that I really met you in the first place, that is. But I do remember the heart of God, as so many of us in this realm do. I remember each of you in some ways, you know. And by the love of God here we are all together. Well, will you accompany us around the Realm? We will give you a tour.’
‘Lead on,’ responded Dorothy.

They spent hours touring the upper realm of Infinity and then spent the night with Logos in his abode, a number of the older angels of Infinity joining them. They were all happy with each other, Jesus showing them the friendliness and the love of God of the angels of Infinity, and they sung this song for a while.

‘A Song of love, a song of joy
Our father’s heart, for girl and boy
A heart of love, with grace so true
For boy and girl, for me and you

Infinity, our lovely home
Subject of story, song and poem
A graceful realm, were love abounds
A place were joyful song doth sound

We are the children Infinite
From the heart of God, we’re heaven sent
Our God has known as all along
And with this joy we sing this song

A Song of love, a song of joy
Our father’s heart for girl and boy
A heart so true, a love untethered
In fathers love, we live forever.’

It was a simple song, but the group of them sang it many times, Matthew Dorothy and Samael happily joining in as children of the Infinite.

Dorothy slept well that night, sleeping on a mattress which had been placed not far from Jesus’ bed, right next to Matthew and Samael. And she dreamed that night of pleasant songs for the children of heaven, composed from her heart of joy.

* * * * *

Jesus eyed Satan yet, as cautious as he knew he needed to be, assented to Satan’s request to become part of the new council of Infinity.
‘You are of the older angels, Satan. I admit that. But your rebellion has not been yet forgotten. However, unless I the Son of God showed grace, how could I, in truth, deserve my most exalted position of glory. And so I will allow you to take your place on the council. But heed my words: I will be watching. And if you again transgress in an attempt to bring rebellion to the realm of Infinity, my wrath will be great indeed.’
‘Fear not, oh Christ of Glory. Fear not. I will be most sensitive to your desires in the future.’ But oh, how the father of lies was lying.

A few months later, as Satan had retired for the day from one of the council’s sessions, he was in conversation with the other coloured devil’s. ‘Now – now that we are established – we wait.’
‘We wait?’ queried Ramiel.
‘We wait,’ responded the dark lord.

* * * * *

Matthew and Deborah and Samael, after leaving the Realm of Infinity on their wonderful broomsticks, of all creations, began the flight further downwards to the Realm of Eternity. And, landing near the garden, they spied angels busy at work, building the new home of Zaphon that they had observed them building from the viewing portals in heaven.

Gabriel himself spied them and, immensely curious, came to see who they were.

‘We are the children of Heaven,’ responded Dorothy to Gabriel’s query. ‘We are, like yourself, from the loins of God, yet we reside in a realm far above this one.’
Gabriel looked upwards. ‘Up there? In the heavens?’
‘Aye, in the heavens Gabriel,’ responded Samael.
‘Then we must talk,’ replied Gabriel. ‘For I have many questions.’

Gabriel did indeed have many questions, keeping Dorothy, Matthew and Samael awake into the wee hours of the morning with inquiry into how the spiritual universe functioned. It was all new and fascinating information, especially in regards to the Realm of Infinity directly above them.

Later, when the trio arrived home, Adam and Eve came to see them, two of the other children of Heaven. And Adam spoke to the trio, saying, ‘Well you have done it now. Father has sent down Metatron to give us this news. We are to be united now – it is now Unity hour. God had wanted to wait for a while, but you have done the job for him. So the Realms are free to interact. It is the way things are now to be.’
Dorothy and Matthew were very pleased at the news and Samael boasted somewhat that it was because of his idea. But, whoever brought the unity hour on, the new United Realm soon became the focus for all the children and Angels of God.

Chapter the Thirde

Work in Progress

Chapter Three
Metatron gathers the leader of the Angels of Eternity and Infinity and the children of Heaven to Home. He announces to them that now with the United Realm having come into existence they are all now children of the Kingdom of God. And a new law – the Holy Torah – will become the spiritual law for the Kingdom of God.
*****
Satan broods over the new laws of the Holy Torah for the Kingdom of God. He does not think he will be able to cope with these laws and plans on bringing the second rebellion on sooner.
*****
Matthew is in his room in Azaphon studying the Holy Torah. He finds the spiritual teaching fascinating and talks with Deborah about some of it.
*****
Adam and Eve, of the children of Heaven, are in the ‘Garden’ of Heaven, were Satan of Infinity suddenly appears and suggests to them that they eat the dreaded ‘Forbidden Fruit of Knowledge of Good and Evil.’ Adam and Eve succumb to this temptation and partake of the Fruit. In the throneroom of Heaven God watches Adam and Eve disappointed, but realistic, and plans out a new destiny.
*****
Adam and Eve have a child: Seth. Seth is introduced to the children of Heaven and then, gradually, the other children of Heaven begin having their own children. Heaven begin’s to populate.
*****
After 1000 years Adam and Eve die. Metatron tells everyone that all the seed of Adam and Eve will gradually die in turn because they partook of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil against God’s wishes. The other children of Heaven are grateful they did not partake of the fruit.
*****
Jesus speaks with Gabriel and Michael while visiting the Realm of Eternity. He has lunch with Gabriel and Michael and their twins, discussing the deaths of Adam and Eve. Michael asks were Adam and Eve are now, and Jesus talks about Hades – the Realm of the dead. Michael thanks God he does not have to taste death, to which Jesus says ‘Amen’.
*****
Adam and Eve in Hades. It is a resting place of darkness, and God speaks to them that they will have a long sojourn in this place until new life begins in another paradise called ‘Terra’. But they will have to be patient and will be tested at that time once more. Adam swears he will be faithful if given a second chance and God tells him he will keep the matter in mind.

Chapter Four
Gabriel appoints the Seven Sovereign Angels over the expanding Realm of Eternity, as God has created 3 more outer discs beyond Zaphora, each incredibly huge, and a whole host of new angels have been created to live with Gabriel and the firstborns. The Seven Sovereign Angels must rule for all eternity to preserve law, order and justice - and the upholding of Torah spiritual values - in the heart of the community. Beneath their authority, the rest of the order of angels have designated responsibilities.
*****
Jesus begins the 'Gospel' message in the Realm of Infinity, and through the holy waters of baptism 'Christians' are born to life in the spirit of Jesus. This is the beginning of the Christian Church and Jesus promises them a special destiny on Terra, a learning experience, through which they will place greater trust, faith and love in Almighty God.
*****
God muses over Gabriel's ancient acceptance in his heart of Catholicism and decides, in this dispensation were Gabriel is firstborn, that he will indeed accept the Christian faith as the primary mechanism of religious value in society to develop. He recalls the ancient epochs of the final 8th United Realm of Michael's dispensation, all the things he got right, the things he perhaps got wrong, and decides to allow greater flexibility for his children in their behaviours, through the graces of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the Gospel. Yet he foresees in Davriel, during the 70th dispensation, an ultimate return to the simplicity of the 'Torah' alone as the guiding light for mankind.
*****
Zaphon is being completed, and a whole host of structures are in the works throughout the Realm of Eternity. Society is gradually being built. God establishes 'Gates' through which a person can travel to access the five realms. Paradise is only rudimentary at this stage, and the sixth realm of Terra is not yet complete. The final seventh 'Omniverse' is God's plan to connect all the six realms together as one, his ultimate goal.

Chapter Five
Time has passed. Satan has again been building up his influence, and passes a motion for absolute authority in the Realm of Infinity. The tensions are great, but he is defeated. He consults with the rest of the Saruvim, and they agree - Wartime.
*****
Satan's forces have been manufacturing blades and armour, and start hacking into the rest of the populace. Thousands of angels are killed, while Jesus Christ contacts Gabriel of Eternity to come to his rescue. Gabriel builds up weaponry over a number of weeks, and they invade the Realm of Infinity. Satan is defeated.
*****
Satan is brought before the council. This time his sin is unforgiveable. They are cast into Hades forever, Jesus Christ executing the command.

Chapter Six
Peace is restored. Regular life returns. Funerals are held for the slain, and prayers are offered for them in Sheol.
*****
God starts speaking of his plans for Terra. He tells that all those angels who have died will be reborn on Terra, and eventually returned to the heavenlies. But he warns that even the fallen angels will have their chance at redemption as well.
*****
The angels are consulted on being sovereign rulers over eternal mankind. Each of them also has a destiny to manifest in the flesh as a prince or princess of great power and influence.
*****
Matthew and Deborah talk of God's plans for mankind.

Chapter Seven
A time of thought and reflection before the creation of the sixth realm.

Plot
Part One
After the Realm is united Satan gradually works to bring the rebellion to pass. Adam and Eve and their seed dwell in Sheol, while the rest of the realm is growing cautious about Satan. When the rebellion begins, after Satan has been ensconced in the Council of Heaven, just below Home, were the main decisions are made, war be.gins. Many angels taste death on both sides, the dead going down to Sheol according to Metatron. Satan is captured and with the coloured devil’s and the others in his league who survived the great battel, cast down to the netherworld for the second time by Jesus the Christ.

Part Two

“Terra – The New World”

Part Two
Chapter 8
The Human manifestations begin with the creation of Terra. Adam and Eve are reborn and are the first to taste human life. Satan is let loose from the netherworld to tempt Adam and Eve again, and is successful again, but is punished by being turned into a serpent, exiled now to earth were the angels in league with him from the netherworld are also sent gradually as seed of the serpent.

Chapter 9
A snapshot of the History of Israel. The decision of God to grant Jesus his Christhood in this particular manifestation.

Chapter 10
Jesus the Christ becomes human, preaches the gospel, is crucified, and begins the church. The gospel years are the focus of this chapter, and the Gospel is quoted (My Translations and paraphrases).

Chapter 11
At the beginning of the Millennium Gabriel appears as the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and Michael appears as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord’s. They defeat the False Prophet (Azazel), the Antichrist (Semyaza) and Satan, the first two being cast into the Lake of Fire burning with Sulfur and Brimstone, which is a dark ungodly pit outside of Jerusalem called Gehenna, which is full of burning pits of sulfur and brimstone, were they die and their souls are perpetually bound to wonder in this desolate wilderness, occasionally being burned in the fire, and Satan being bound and cast into the abyss at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Satan is released at the end of Millennium, but also defeated, slain in battle by Ramiel, the Green devil who had previously sworn allegiance to him. Their punishment is to last until the end of the ‘Ages of Ages’ or the ‘Aeons of Aeons’

Chapter 12
Jesus Christ appears on the Great Throne at the end of the Millennium and God, in his theophany, comes down from heaven and dwells with mankind.
Peace is restored.
The New World begins.

Chapter 13
Yet, Jesus relents of his harshness towards the 6 devils, and they are ultimately restored. The seventh of the Coloured Devil's is planned to be Daniel, a minor angel of ROI who is chosen to be the 7th devil. This chapter focuses on Jesus talking with God about Daniel being the seventh devil, and working that into Daniel's destiny.

Chapter 14
Tells the story of Daniel, the minor angel of ROI, who ultimately ends up being the 7th devil in the sequel 'The Coloured Devil's.' Daniel is a funny and sarcastic angel, who has a number of friends, and is always trying to chat up the angel Kayella who he thinks should fall head over heels in love with him, but who always plays hard to get and tells him to keep on dreaming. The end of the book has Daniel looking down in Gehenna and wondering if the 3 fallen angels are miserable, and how long to go they have on their punishment. He prays to God to have mercy on their souls.

The End

Daniel and Kayella novella.
The Novella (12,000 words approx - 7 chapters) is about 'Daniel and Kayella' (titled 'Daniel and Kayella') and tells of how he finally manages to nab Kayella romantically. It is a romantic comedy, in which Daniel goes through various trials and tribulations to win Kayella's heart and, eventually, when she says he needs to get serious about life, he studies Noahide religion and becomes more mature, and finally gets some decent work, as well as his coloured devil role, and becomes a succesful and kindhearted angel. Kayella eventually says she is pleased enough with him now, and they are happy together. There is a wedding at the end of the Novella, and the children of Heaven and the angels of God are present, and God gives his blessing upon the angel Daniel and says 'Well done, my son.'

This Daniel is Daniel Rothchild. Callodyn is Daniel Daly, who is his long lost twin brother, who ends up with Taylor Swift. Callodyn and Taylor appear in the novella as Daniel's besties, alongside Jessica Goldstein (angel Sharlamane from ROI), encouraging Daniel in the decisions he knows he needs to make. The novella is set in Canberra and Cooma on Earth. Meludiel of Eternity teaches Daniel to grow up and tells her what Kayella of eternity expects of him. He almost has a crush on Meludiel as she teaches him, but lets it go. Meludiel suggests learning an instrument, and teaches Daniel some piano.

Ronan, Amelia and Rachel Bradley live with Daniel in a family group house, and these three support Daniel in his maturing also, while Daniel pays for their upkeep in their Cooma East home, where they all live. Jacinta and Alan are the Bradleys parents, but they don't appear in the story, but are mentioned. Ronan and Daniel and the girls go to a bulldogs match with Kayella, but Kayella is bored, and Ronan says it might haven not been a good idea. Amelia later on tells Daniel that Kayella is a girl and likes girls stuff. Daniel asks what girl's stuff is, and Amelia says he will work it out.

GUIDE TO THE
'CATHOLIC CHRONICLES OF THE CHILDREN OF DESTINY'

THE REALM OF ETERNITY

The Angels of God of the Realm of Eternity

Gabriel – Firstborn Son of God

The 7 Sovereign Angels
1) Raphael
2) Uriel
3) Saruviel
4) Daraqel
5) Jerahmeel
6) Phanuel
7) Raguel

The 7 Celestial Angels
8) Simonuel
9) Cosadriel
10) Cimbrel
11) Sariel
12) Bantriel
13) Dameriel
14) Kantriel

The 7 Guardian Angels
15) Kelkuriel
16) Abraqel
17) Yaramiel
18) Gamrayel
19) Desdrael
20) Remriddel
21) Judael

The 7 Angels of Triumph
22) Valandriel
23) Hosannuel
24) Loquiel
25) Mistrel
26) Matrel
27) Phindwel
28) Semambarel

The 7 Angels of Power
29) Azrael
30) Belshazriel
31) Surafel
32) Roshael
33) Zakiel
34) Saziel
35) Gilgadel

The 7 Angels of Law
36) Davriel
37) Rophiel
38) Gandel
39) Mishael
40) Toraniel
41) Eloenuel
42) Daniel

The 7 Primary Angels
43) Radrukiel
44) Othaniel
45) Zashadiel
46) Fazuel
47) Sosteriel
48) Zadennuel
49) Oshanel

Daniel Daly

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Jan 18, 2014, 1:22:36 AM1/18/14

Assembly of the Covenant

New Public Domain Wiki Information for use of the Assembly

NOTE: We do not recognize the Christian attempt at the New Covenant as valid

Covenant (biblical)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about biblical covenants. For other uses, see Covenant (disambiguation).

Part of a series on

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A biblical covenant is a religious covenant that is described in the Bible. All Abrahamic religions consider biblical covenants important. Of these covenants, the Noahic Covenant is unique in applying to all humanity, while the other covenants are principally agreements made between God and the biblical Israelites and their proselytes. Jeremiah 31:30–33 also mentions "a new covenant" that God would establish with Israel and Judah. Most Christians believe this New Covenant is the "replacement" or "final fulfilment" of the Old Covenant described in the Old Testament and as applying to the People of God, while a minority believe both covenants are still applicable in a dual covenant theology.
Contents [hide]
1 Noahic covenant
2 Abrahamic covenant
3 Mosaic covenant
4 Priestly covenant
5 Davidic covenant
6 New Covenant in Judaism
7 New Covenant in Christianity
8 See also

9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links

Noahic covenant[edit]

Noah's Thanksoffering (c.1803) by Joseph Anton Koch. Noah builds an altar to the Lord after being delivered from the Flood; God sends the rainbow as a sign of his covenant.
See also: Genesis flood narrative#Rainbow covenant and Noahide laws
In Judaism, the Seven Laws of Noah (Hebrew: שבע מצוות בני נח‎ Sheva mitzvot B'nei Noach), or the Noahide Laws, are a set of moral imperatives that, according to the Talmud, were given by God[1] as a binding set of laws for the "children of Noah" – that is, all of humanity.[2][3] The Noahic covenant [Gen 9:8-17] applies to all of humanity and to all living creatures.[4] In this covenant, God promises never again to destroy all life on Earth by flood[9:11] and creates the rainbow as the sign of this "everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth".[9:12-17]
Abrahamic covenant[edit]

Main article: Covenant of the pieces
The Abrahamic covenant found in Genesis 12-17 is known as the Brit bein HaBetarim, the "Covenant Between the Parts" in Hebrew, and is the basis for brit milah (covenant of circumcision) in Judaism. The covenant was for Abraham and his seed, or offspring,[5] both of natural birth and adoption.[6]
In Genesis 12–17 three covenants can be distinguished based on the differing Jahwist, Elohist and Priestly sources.[7] In Genesis 12 and 15, God grants Abraham land and descendants but does not place any stipulations (unconditional). By contrast, Gen. 17 contains the covenant of circumcision (conditional).
To make of Abraham a great nation and bless Abraham and make his name great so that he will be a blessing, to bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him and all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abraham.[Gen 12:1–3]
To give Abraham's descendants all the land from the river (or wadi) of Egypt to the Euphrates.[Gen 15:18–21] Later, this land came to be referred to as the Promised Land or the Land of Israel, however the land specified by the Abrahamic covenant also includes the modern nations of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, UAE, and several other nations in the Middle East.[citation needed]
To make Abraham the father of many nations and of many descendants and give "the whole land of Canaan" to his descendants.[Gen 17:2–9]
Circumcision is to be the permanent sign of this everlasting covenant with Abraham and his male descendants and is known as the brit milah.[Gen 17:9–14]
Covenants in biblical times were often sealed by severing an animal, with the implication that the party who breaks the covenant will suffer a similar fate. In Hebrew, the verb meaning to seal a covenant translates literally as "to cut". It is presumed by Jewish scholars that the removal of the foreskin symbolically represents such a sealing of the covenant.[8]
Mosaic covenant[edit]

The Ten Commandments on a monument on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol
Main article: Mosaic covenant
See also: Ten Commandments, 613 commandments, and Law of Moses
The Mosaic covenant, beginning in Exodus 19-24, contains the foundations of the written Torah and the Oral Torah. In this covenant, God promises to make the Israelites his treasured possession among all people[Exo 19:5] and "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation"[Exo 19:6], if they follow God's commandments. As part of the terms of this covenant, God gives Moses the Ten Commandments. These will later be elaborated on in the rest of the Torah.
The form of the covenant resembles the suzerainty treaty in the ancient Near East.[9] Like the treaties, the Ten Commandments begins with Yahweh's identification and what he had done for Israel ("who brought you out of the land of Egypt"; Ex 20:2) as well as the stipulations commanding absolute loyalty ("You shall not have other gods apart from me"). Unlike the suzerainty treaty, the Decalogue does not have any witness nor explicit blessings and curses.[10] The fullest account of the Mosaic covenant is given in the book of Deuteronomy.
God gave the children of Israel the Shabbat as the permanent sign of this covenant.[Exo 31:12-17]
Priestly covenant[edit]

Main article: Priestly covenant
The priestly covenant[11] (Hebrew: ברית הכהונה‎ brith ha-kehuna) is the covenant that God made with Aaron and his descendants, the Aaronic priesthood, as found in the Hebrew Bible and Oral Torah. The Hebrew Bible also mentions another perpetual priestly promise with Phinehas and his descendants.[12][13]
Davidic covenant[edit]

See also: David#Jerusalem and the Davidic covenant
The Davidic covenant[2Sam 7] establishes David and his descendants as the kings of the united monarchy of Israel[Jer 33:17-21] (which included Judah). The Davidic covenant is an important element in Jewish messianism and Christian theology. In Jewish eschatology, the messiah is believed to be a future Jewish king from the Davidic line, who will be anointed with holy anointing oil, gather the Jews back into the Land of Israel, usher in an era of peace, build the Third Temple, have a male heir, re-institute the Sanhedrin and rule the Jewish people during the Messianic Age.
Christian theologian John F. Walvoord maintains that the Davidic covenant deserves an important place in determining the purposes of God and that its exegesis confirms the doctrine of a future reign of Christ on earth.[14] While Jewish theologians have always pointed out that Jesus did not fulfill the expectations of a Jewish messiah, for conservative Christian theologians the opinion is almost unanimous that Christ fulfills the Davidic covenant, the provisions of which include the following items:
David is to have a child, yet to be born, who shall succeed him and establish his kingdom.
A son (Solomon) shall build the temple instead of David.
The throne of his kingdom shall be established forever.
The throne will not be taken away from him (Solomon) even though his sins justify chastisement.
David’s house, throne, and kingdom shall be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16).[14][need quotation to verify]
New Covenant in Judaism[edit]

Main article: New Covenant#Judaism
The only reference in the Hebrew Bible that uses the wording "new covenant" is found in Jeremiah 31:30–33 and Judaism's view is that the words "new covenant" do not refer to a commitment that replaces a previous one, but rather to an additional and greater level of commitment.[15] Because the Mosaic covenant applies only to Jews and converts to Judaism they do not see this phrase as relevant in any way to non-Jews.
New Covenant in Christianity[edit]

The New Testament's Book of Hebrews proclaims Jesus as the mediator of the New Covenant.[16] His famous Sermon on the Mount representing Mount Zion (pictured here) is often considered to be the antithesis of the proclamation of the Old Covenant by its mediator Moses from Mount Sinai.
Main article: New Covenant#Christianity
The key biblical text for the Christian concept of the New Covenant is found in the Book of Hebrews verses 8:6–13 which references the Book of Jeremiah. The Christian New Covenant involves the theological concept of a new relationship between God and humans mediated by Jesus. This new relationship is available to all people,[17] both Jews and Gentiles, if they convert to Christianity, under most views of Supersession while under dual covenant theology Jews should practice Judaism while Gentiles should convert to Christianity or follow the Noahide Laws to be assured of a place in the world to come.
Christians vary in their view of the New Covenant. Some believe the New Covenant extends the Mosaic Covenant but it seemingly accomplishes new things.[18] Christian laws of faith[clarification needed] claim that a New Covenant of the trinitarian God with the Christians and the Christian Church replaces, fulfills or completes God's Mosaic covenant.
There are other sections in the New Testament that are often considered to be relevant to the new covenant.
The Gospel of Luke tells of the birth of John the Baptist. His father, Zacharias, prophesied at the time. In his prophecy he says that God has remembered His holy covenant. The events at the beginning of the Christian story are connected to the covenant God made with Abraham.[19] Just before his crucifixion, Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples. All three of the synoptic gospels describe the special attention he gives to the bread and the wine. When he presents the wine to his disciples, he says that it is the blood of the covenant poured out for them.[20] Matthew explains that the pouring out of the blood was done for the forgiveness of sins. In most modern English translations of the Bible, Luke 22:20 calls it the "new covenant", however Luke 22:17–20 is also disputed by Greek New Testament scholars. Six forms of the text have been identified; for example, the Western text-type such as Codex Bezae omit verses 19b–20.[21]
In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and John heal a crippled man. Peter speaks to the wondering crowd. He says they are the children of the covenant God made with their fathers and quotes the promise to Abraham, "And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." Peter tells them that God has sent the resurrected Jesus first to them to bless them and forgive them of their sins. He proclaims Jesus to be the covenant "seed" promised to Abraham.[22]
In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul addresses God's covenantal relationship with the Jewish people.[23] He states emphatically that God has not rejected the Jewish people. To drive home his point, he recalls the time when Elijah felt all alone in his service to God. God assured Elijah that he wasn't alone, that there were 7000 that had not bowed the knee to Baal.[24] Paul says that the Jewish people's rejection of Christ was a stumbling but not a falling.[25] He writes that the Jewish rejection has opened the way for the Gentiles to be saved. Paul considers this turn of events to be a great blessing for the Gentiles. He then asks, if this Jewish failure to accept Christ brought such blessings to the world, what greater blessings will come when the Jewish people finally join the fellowship.[26]

Daniel Daly

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Jan 18, 2014, 1:40:40 AM1/18/14

Judaism for Gentiles

Malkut Yehudah - The Only Karaite / Tanakh-Torah group I know of that recognizes the Noahide concept within Karaism. We are not associated with them, but here are some links:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/malkut-yehudah

http://www.yhvh.org/page2.html

Daniel Daly

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Jan 18, 2014, 2:43:35 AM1/18/14

Progressive Hebrew Faith Community

For your entertainment.
Some of my fanfiction.

Frog and Toad Climb Mt Everest

By
Danny

For
Mum

Copyright 6176 SC

And then by Bus - Again
And then

They were at Mt Everest!

'Golly gosh,' said Toad. 'It's enormous.'
'Let's get stuck in,' said Frog.

And so, they ate their food

And they made their camps

And they sang their songs

And they saw spectacular views

And they climbed. They climbed. And they climbed. And, eventually, when Toad was sure he couldn't climb any more, there they were - they had done it. They had climbed Mt Everest.

'Whoa!' said Toad. 'I can see forever. And that is our house. All the way over there.'
'I can see it too,' said Frog.
They stood there, conquerors of the world's greatest challenge, and Frog finally, and at last, turned to Toad. 'Well, now what?'
Toad looked at him. 'I .... Don't know. I guess we go home, now. I suppose.'
'Oh,' said Frog. 'Well I guess so.'

And so, they ate their food

And they made their camps

And they sang their songs

And they saw spectacular views

And they climbed down. They climbed down. And they climbed down. And, eventually, when Toad was sure he couldn't climb down any more, there they were - they had done it. They had climbed down Mt Everest.

'Now we go home,' said Frog.

So they travelled.
By Bus
And then by Train
And then by Boat
And then by Train - Again

And then by Bus - Again
And then

'They were home again.'

'Thank the Maker for that,' said Toad, and they snuggled in for a long, long good night's sleep.

Chapter Four

Toad sat back, with a lemonade, looking out at the setting sun.
'It's been a good year, Frog,' he said to Frog, who was lying on the hammock, still exhausted after their long journey home.
'Yes Toad.'
'And we have had a very good time, I must say. All things considered. With Mt Everest and all.'
'Yes Toad.'
'Yep,' said Toad, sipping on his lemonade. 'Of course, we are still young, and we have our whole lives yet to live, don't we frog?'
'Yes Toad.'
'So much more ahead of us. So many possibilities. So many exciting things to do. Don't we frog?'
Finally Frog stirred. 'You know, Toad. Of all my friends in the world, you are definitely the best. But sometimes, toad. Sometimes.......'
Toad looked at Frog, and sipped on his lemonade, and returned his gaze to the sun.'
'It's been a good year, Frog,' he said to Frog.
'Yes Toad,' said Frog, and sighed a final sigh.

The End

From Wikipedia

Arnold Lobel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arnold Lobel
Arnold Lobel.jpg
Born Arnold Stark Lobel
May 22, 1933
Los Angeles, California
Died December 4, 1987 (aged 54)
Manhattan, New York, USA
Occupation Writer, illustrator
Language English
Nationality American
Genres Children's picture books
Notable work(s)
Frog and Toad series
Mouse Soup
Prince Bertram the Bad
Notable award(s) Caldecott Medal
1981
Spouse(s) Anita Kempler
Children Adrianne Lobel, Adam Lobel
Arnold Stark Lobel (May 22, 1933 – December 4, 1987) was an American author of children's books, including the Frog and Toad series and Mouse Soup. He both wrote and illustrated those picture books, as well as Fables for which he won the 1981 Caldecott Medal recognizing the year's best-illustrated U.S. picture book.
Lobel also illustrated the works of other authors, including Sam the Minuteman by Nathaniel Benchley, first published in 1969.
He was born in Los Angeles, California, to Lucille Stark and Joseph Lobel, but was raised in Schenectady, New York.[1] When he graduated from art school, he married Anita Kempler, also a children's book author and illustrator, and they moved to New York City. He had two children: a daughter, Adrianne, who was married to actor Mark Linn-Baker; a son, Adam; and three grandchildren.
Lobel died of complications arising from AIDS on December 4, 1987, at Doctors Hospital (Manhattan, New York).[2][3][4]
In 2009, Adrianne Lobel started releasing some of her father's archive material in the form of new books, with added watercolors by herself. The Frogs and Toads All Sang was released in May 2009, and Odd Owls and Stout Pigs was released in October 2009.
Contents [hide]
1 Awards
2 Selected works
2.1 Frog and Toad series
2.2 Mister Muster series
2.3 Mouse series
3 Books illustrated for other authors
3.1 Books illustrated for Millicent E. Selsam
3.2 Books illustrated for Jack Prelutsky
3.3 Books illustrated for Nathaniel Benchley
3.4 Books illustrated for Peggy Parish
3.5 Books illustrated for Lilian Moore
3.6 Books illustrated for Edward Lear
3.7 Books illustrated for Charlotte Zolotow
3.8 Books illustrated for Jean van Leeuwen
4 See also
5 References
Awards[edit]

Lobel won the 1981 Caldecott Medal from the American Library Association, recognizing Fables as the year's best-illustrated U.S. children's picture book. He was also a runner-up in 1971 and 1972 Medals, for Frog and Toad are Friends and Hildilid's Night (Caldecott Honor Books).[5] He won the Garden State Children's Book Award from the New Jersey Library Association for Mouse Soup (1977).
Selected works[edit]

Prince Bertram the Bad (1963)
A Holiday for Mister Muster (1963)
Giant John (1964)
Lucille (1964)
The Bears of the Air (1966)
Martha the Movie Mouse (1966)
The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog(1968)
The Great Blueness and Other Predicaments (1968)
Small Pig (1969)
Ice-Cream Cone Coot, and Other Rare Birds (1971)
On the Day Peter Stuyvesant Sailed Into Town (1971)
Owl at Home (1975)
Grasshopper on the Road (1978)
A Treeful of Pigs (1979)
Fables (1980) (A Caldecott Medal winner)
Uncle Elephant (1981)
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain (1982)
The Book of Pigericks: Pig Limericks (1983)
The Rose in My Garden (1984)
Whiskers & Rhymes (1985)
The Frogs and Toads All Sang (2009) (with, daughter, Adrianne Lobel)
Odd Owls and Stout Pigs: A Book of Nonsense (2009) (with Adrianne Lobel)
Frog and Toad series[edit]
A series of books featuring Frog and Toad
Frog and Toad are Friends (1970)
Frog and Toad Together (1972)
Frog and Toad All Year (1976)
Days with Frog and Toad (1979)
The 2002 musical A Year with Frog and Toad played on Broadway in 2003 and has toured nationally since.
Mister Muster series[edit]
Featuring Arnold Lobel's first self-written and illustrated book
A Zoo for Mister Muster (1962)
A Holiday for Mister Muster (1963)
Mouse series[edit]
Mouse Tales (1972)
Mouse Soup (1977) (Garden State Children's Book Award winner)
Books illustrated for other authors[edit]

Happy Times with Holiday Rhymes (1958) by Tamar Grand
My First Book of Prayers (1958) by Edythe Scharfstein, Sol Scharfstein, and Ezekiel Schloss
The Book of Chanukah Poems, Riddles, Stories, Songs, Things to Do (1959) by Edythe Scharfstein and Ezekial Schloss
The Complete Book of Hanukkah (1959) by Kinneret Chiel
Holidays are Nice: Around the Year with the Jewish Child (1960) by Robert Garvey and Ezekiel Schloss
Red Tag Comes Back (1961) by Fred Phleger
Something Old Something New (1961) by Susan Rhinehart
Little Runner of the Longhouse (1962) by Betty Baker
The Secret Three (1963) by Mildred Myrick
Miss Suzy (1964) by Miriam Young
Dudley Pippin (1965) by Phil Ressner
The Witch on the Corner (1966) by Felice Holman
The Star Thief (1968) by Andrea DiNoto
Ants Are Fun (1969) by Mildred Myrick
I'll Fix Anthony (1969) by Judith Viorst
As I Was Crossing Boston Common (1973) by Norma Farber
Books illustrated for Millicent E. Selsam[edit]
A series of Science I Can Read Books all written by Millicent E. Selsam and illustrated by Arnold Lobel:
Greg's Microscope (1963)
Terry and the Caterpillars (1963)
Let's Get Turtles (1965)
Benny's Animals and How He Put Them in Order (1966)
Books illustrated for Jack Prelutsky[edit]
Books that Arnold Lobel illustrated for Jack Prelutsky:
The Terrible Tiger (1970)
Circus (1974)
Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep (1976)
The Mean Old Mean Hyena (1978)
The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight: More Poems to Trouble Your Sleep (1980)
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983)
Tyrannosaurus Was a Beast: Dinosaur Poems (1988)
Books illustrated for Nathaniel Benchley[edit]
Books that Arnold Lobel illustrated for Nathaniel Benchley:
Red Fox and His Canoe (1964)
Oscar Otter (1966)
The Strange Disappearance of Arthur Cluck (1967)
Sam the Minuteman (1969)
Books illustrated for Peggy Parish[edit]
Books that Arnold Lobel illustrated for Peggy Parish:
Let's Be Indians (1962)
Let's Be Early Settlers with Daniel Boone (1967)
Dinosaur Time (1974)
Books illustrated for Lilian Moore[edit]
Books that Arnold Lobel illustrated for Lilian Moore:
The Magic Spectacles and Other Easy-to-Read Stories (1965)
Junk Day on Juniper Street and Other Easy-to-Read Stories (1969)
Books illustrated for Edward Lear[edit]
Books that Arnold Lobel illustrated for Edward Lear:
The Four Little Children Who Went Around the World (1968)
The New Vestments (1970)
Books illustrated for Charlotte Zolotow[edit]
Books that Arnold Lobel illustrated for Charlotte Zolotow:
The Quarreling Book (1963)
Someday (1965)
Books illustrated for Jean van Leeuwen[edit]
Books that Arnold Lobel illustrated for Jean van Leeuwen:
Tales of Oliver Pig (1979)
More Tales of Oliver Pig (1981)

How to Play the Card Game Frog
By Dana Severson, eHow Contributor

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The game of Frog is not unlike most trick-taking games played today, except the bidding is limited to three different bids—Frog, Chico and Grand. Each bid changes the way the game will be played, not drastically, and mostly in regards to the bidder, but still a change is made. Once the bid is settled and trump is called, play moves along by following suit, taking tricks and tabulating points. The winning bidder will need to take over 60 points to win any chips from the other players, which can be a little hard since the rest of the table is playing against him. Frog is fairly straightforward once you get a handle on how to bid your hand and becomes more and more enjoyable as you play. Here are helpful guidelines for playing this entertaining game.
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Things You'll Need
Deck of cards
Poker chips

Instructions
1
Reduce the size of your deck by removing the five through the two of each suit. For the game of Frog, you’ll be using a deck of 36 cards—A, 10, K, Q, J, nine, eight, seven and six in ranking order.

2
Deal out the deck, starting with four cards to each player, then three cards and finally another three, bringing each hand to a total of 10 cards per player. Three of the remaining cards are set aside and used as the blind. The final card will not be used in the game.

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3
Bid your hand, starting with the person to the left of the dealer. You have different bids, not including pass, available to you—Frog, Chico and Grand. Frog is the lowest bid and has the bidder picking up the blind, discarding three cards from his hand and makes hearts trump. Chico is the next highest bid and allows the bidder to call trump. Grand is the highest bid and makes hearts trump. Neither Chico nor Grand has the bidder picking up the blind. The winning bidder (the player who bids the highest) will play solo; the other two players will form a partnership for this hand.

4
Lay a card from your hand, starting with the person to the left of the dealer. You must follow suit when possible. Highest card takes the trick. If you are unable to follow suit, you must play trump, even if a prior player has already trumped the trick with a higher card than your own. For both scenarios, the winner of the trick will lead the next card.

5
Win the round of Frog by racking up more than 60 points in tricks (see Tips section for point value of cards). The bidder will receive one chip from each player for every point over 60 when bid was Frog, two chips from each player for every point over 60 when bid was Chico and three chips from each player for every point over 60 when bid was Grand. If the bidder was unable to hit 60 points, he would pay out to each player the same amount he would have earned from each based on his bid.

6
Continue to play the game of Frog for a set number of rounds. The player with the most chips at the end of the game is considered the winner.

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Tips & Warnings
To determine the order of play for a game of Frog, simply deal out the cards face up until one player is dealt a jack. This player will act as the first dealer. Subsequent deals will move to the left around the table in a clockwise direction.

Passing a bid means bidding passes to the next player.

Know the point value of the cards: Aces: 11, Tens: 10, Kings: 4, Queens: 3 and Jacks: 2.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_4531738_play-card-game-frog.html#ixzz2qjXAV6SS

Daniel Daly

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Jan 18, 2014, 2:44:27 AM1/18/14

For Adamic Community

Daniel Daly

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Jan 18, 2014, 3:10:35 AM1/18/14

AOTLM - Angel of the Lord Ministries

Hi Everyone in the Assembly. Here is my fiction for Angel of the Lord Ministries. Fanfiction is welcome.

Chronicles of the
Children of Destiny

The Mary Daly Version

The Seraphim Ambriel

“Child of the Father”

by

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

© 2009

(NOTE: Nearly the entire text of this story is also found, interspersed amongst other dialogue, within Chronicles of the Children of Destiny ‘Ecclesia’ (There is a small amount of original material). In this sense it is an excerpt, although it was written first, and was woven into the text of ‘Ecclesia’ as it developed. This text works as a standalone story, though, being fine to read independently of ‘Ecclesia’.)

Prologue

Perhaps, of all of God’s children, he delighted in his son Ambriel like no other. Or, more precisely, not so much delighted – rather loved. Ambriel was the purest and gentlest of all God’s children. He had, when planning out the nature of his child, given this particular one the greatest of forethought. Not the greatest time did he spend on Ambriel that he had spent on certain others, but quite definitely amongst the top dozen or so had he spent his time working on his son.

His angelic children were begotten from his spirit – from his heart, soul and mind. At the beginning he had conceived of many types of angelic children – the Realm of Infinity was the first of the Angelic realms created and brought to life, in which his first angelic children had lived. But the first children conceived of in his heart and mind had been the Seraphim of the Realm of Eternity. That had caused him to make a judgement. The Onaphim, while conceived of later, would be the first to come into existence. The Seraphim of Infinity would also be there. But the Seraphim of Eternity were first conceived of, but to show his love for all his children, they would come into existence second of all.

Of course, the third grouping he had conceived of – his own children – were conceived of at a later date, but had been the first created.

Yet of all of his angelic children, and his own children, young Ambriel he loved most of all. His heart was gold – his love divine. And God treasured and loved most greatly his dear son. He planned a destiny for young Ambriel – a great and wonderful destiny, filled with trials, tests, adventures, experiences and everything to embellish the life of a child which, perhaps, needed no real embellishment anyway.

Yes, God loved his son Ambriel. And to that golden heart he would bring the purest of loves.

Chapter One

Ambriel was a Child of the Father. He was gentle – that was his nature. He loved his God – his brethren – and the realm he lived in. He looked up to and respected his oldest brother, Michael. Ambriel often felt that Michael was, perhaps, a little to stern or serious. He understood that Michael had great responsibilities. As the firstborn son of God, oldest of the Seraphim, Michael oversaw the running of Zaphon keep and, from there, administered the general running of all the Realm of Eternity.

Michael had seen Saruviel’s rebellion. His wilful choice to go his own way – a way contrary to the will and authority of God their Father. Ambriel knew that this reality was a huge issue in the life of his oldest brother. He understood that this issue weighed heavily on Michael’s thoughts, as he had occasionally communicated as such to Ambriel. Michael worried that Saruviel had set, what he called, a precedent. An example of choosing to decide ones own fate – ones own destiny – irrespective of the Plan that their eternal Father had made. To Michael’s way of thinking this was, almost, an inconceivable type of behaviour and attitude.

Michael had a deep faith, trust and respect in God. He understood, so he thought, that God was the cornerstone of all existence. The foundation stone – the centrepiece – the primary axiom – of everything that existed. This was the language Michael often spoke about to Ambriel in relation to his God and Father.

Ambriel, in general, understood were Michael was coming from. However, the nature of his language, in the end, while he generally acknowledged Michael’s fundamental points, seemed to Ambriel’s way of thinking, missing some other equally as important perspectives on the nature of their Father.

To Ambriel, God was a God of Love. That was his fundamental nature. A God of love, friendliness, peace, gentleness and hope. This was the heart and life of God, so Ambriel thought. Other aspects – other, so they were called by Davriel, attributes of God – were important, that was true. But to Ambriel, they paled in comparison to the eternal beauty and depth of feeling that the love of his Father was full of.

Thus Ambriel deeply loved his God.

‘Ambriel.’
‘Yes, Shemrael,’ replied Ambriel, looking up from his desk in Zaphon keep at the salutation of one of his older sisters.
‘I am in need of some counsel.’
‘Of course, dear sister. Can I assume you wish to talk with me on the subject, or would you prefer to see Raphael?’
‘I considered Raphael but, while he is spiritually deep and engrossing at all times, I felt I needed a lighter heart on the issue. You immediately sprang to mine.’
‘What is the issue, Shemrael?’
‘It is to do with Jazrael and his approach to ministry. He, although I will say he is definitely firmly committed to his tasks, even zealously so – it is perhaps just that zeal which has me a little concerned.’
‘What seems to be the problem?’
‘Well, nobody has complained about him. Nobody objects to his ministry. It is just that some of the angels he has ministered to have expressed some concerns about his approach. Concerns that he is, in some way, missing the fundamental point.’
‘What do you mean exactly?’ asked Ambriel.
‘Well, Jazrael is, I guess, excessive. Very much so. He seems extremely determined to undertake his work to the highest standard he can possibly do. But he seems, from what I have gathered, more focused on the work itself and how it is undertaken – by that I mean in terms of codes of behaviour, rules, formulas, this way of responding and that way of responding – rather than truly listening to and engaging the heart of the angel he is ministering to. Do you understand what I am saying?’
Ambriel considered her words in silence for a few moments before responding. ‘Yes, Shemrael, I do understand what you are saying. Very early on, both Raphael and Loquiel, back in Zaphon, began their ministry in similar manner. As you know, Raphael was the first chosen for spiritual ministry, followed by Loquiel, then Yasminael, then myself and finally you. Both Raphael and Loquiel had to – basically – learn their way in how to minister to the hearts of each of us. Raphael, in a way, learned mostly from Michael’s approach in running Zaphon – very orderly, in an administrative type of capacity. He came up with charts teaching basic codes of behaviour which he felt that the angels exhibited, with responses which should be followed to particular types of behaviour. When Loquiel joined him, they worked like this for a number of years. However, they learned, as we all do, and gradually refined their work practices and attitude and approach. Raphael told me this fundamental lesson – ‘Minister to the heart, and the head will follow.’
‘What does that mean?’ asked Shemrael.
‘Basically,’ replied Ambriel, ‘If you can get into the very heart and soul of your client – if you can connect with their innermost feelings, worries and anxieties – the fundamental issues that are central to their life at any particular moment in time – and help them to, ideally through their own ideas and practices, come up with solutions to their concerns – the things which weigh heavily on their hearts – then they will, through the intelligence God grafted into them, be able to work through most other intellectual issues for themselves – issues which they would also rather work through for themselves anyway.’
‘So what you are saying is, if I understand you rightly, less advice on what to do and more focus on getting them to, by themselves, solve their own heart issues.’
‘Something like that, Shemrael. Now giving advice is still reasonable, depending on the circumstances. Analogies, especially comparisons with what other angels may have done in similar circumstances, often provides food for thought. They can look at other angel’s lives through their example ship and – basically – learn from them. It is a fundamental ‘Life’ principle – we often learn our lessons in life by learning from others. As you know, Father taught us many things in our youth. They are like the stepping stones on Golden Lake, just near Glimmersphon keep. Each step goes higher up to that newly built looking point. When you have reached the top, you gain the ‘bigger’ picture’.
Shemrael smiled. ‘Thank you, Ambriel. I think that may give me an idea now of how to speak to Jazrael.’
‘Glad I could help, Shemrael. Before you go, how may I ask are you handling life in Romnaphon? Are Jenna, Dorachel and Radric as helpful as ever?’
‘Yes Ambriel, they are faithful to the task as always. Dorachel, our Seraphim sister, is always most encouraging. She now has a great deal of experience with the brethren and how to handle them. While Jenna and Radric to their tasks competently, as befits their Cherubim status, Dorachel’s greater age and seeming maturity is quite noticeable. Maybe it is just a personal observation, but we Seraphim seem somewhat different in nature – in spiritual nature – to the Cherubim. We are, how can I put it, deeper in some ways, yet more basic in others.’
‘Yes, Shemrael, I think I know what you are saying. We have, although I do not fault our Cherubim brethren on this, but I think we do have a greater abiding respect for our creator. He is our personal God and Father. The Cherubim, I think, do not quite have the same relationship. He is their God – that is true – but in, perhaps, a less personal way. He is almost, seemingly, at a greater distance to them. Almost some sort of ‘Grand’ figure, rather than a personal friend.’
‘Yes, that is it precisely,’ said Shemrael. ‘The Almighty God, to them, with a stress to be made on Almighty.’
‘Yes. And because of this, they seem, a little anyway, less concerned somewhat in developing a friendship with God. Almost as if they would prefer to keep him at a distance as God Almighty rather than God their Father.’
‘Is that how it is supposed to be, Ambriel?’ asked Shemrael.
‘I know what you are saying, Shemrael. I have wondered that myself. I suppose, perhaps, ultimately, that is how God made them to be. Perhaps that is the kind of relationship that he desires with his Cherubim children. If it is, then we should generally respect and accept that reality and, perhaps, not really impose so much of our own personal view on a relationship with the divine and, instead, allow them to find their own way on this issue.’
‘Yes. Yes, I see the wisdom in that,’ replied Shemrael. ‘Well, thank you Ambriel. If that is all, I will leave you and perhaps see you tonight at dinner. I plan on staying the night at Zaphon and returning to Romnaphon tomorrow.’
‘If I don’t see you tonight, please give my greetings to Phanuel.’
‘I will do that, Ambriel. Farewell.’ Shemrael smiled at her brother, and turned, making her way out of the offices of spiritual ministry.

Watching her go, Ambriel was pleased that he could offer her help. Mitraphon, were Raphael ministered from, was the central place of spiritual ministry in the realm. Ambriel usually only ministered to angels of Zaphon on the plane of Zaphora – the name now given to the central disc of the realm. Generally, Raphael ministered over the plane of Terraphora from Mitraphon keep, the name given to the lower realm. Loquiel remained at Mitraphon with Raphael. It was now, to Loquiel, his home. In fact, many of the angels had now lived in the lower realm longer than they had done so in the upper. Ambriel, though, had remained since birth within what was now called Zaphora, and nearly always residing at Zaphon. Both he and Michael and a very small number of other Seraphim were the only ones who had remained permanently within the Zaphora community. Those other angels, apart from Daniel, were all female. They included Gloryel, Aquariel, Gwyndel and, finally, something which surprised Ambriel given his sister’s usual discomfort around him, Meludiel.

Meludiel had rarely, and extremely rarely at that, ever left Zaphora. He had counted twice in the last century that he knew of. And that was, from memory, the rough average for all preceding centuries since they had been born. She hardly ever left, even though, from what Gamrayel had occasionally shared with him in his visits to Zaphon since moving to the lower realm, she had had numerous invitations from many of the musical Cherubim communities in the lower realm. Instead, it appeared, that they travelled to Zaphon to hear Meludiel play on the Vibronic – of which she was the recognized master – or to hear her conduct the Zaphora choir, which was amongst the best in the entire realm, if not the standard to which others set themselves. For someone who was now so accomplished, it puzzled Ambriel that she, seemingly, resisted the glory of the realm to prefer to remain within her own small community. Naturally, that didn’t bother Ambriel. Although he wanted the best for his sister, he understood what the idea of a home was to him, so granted her perhaps the same feeling. Ambriel assumed that that was the pull that Zaphora had on his twin sister. He assumed that.

Chapter Two

Today was the Sabbath, the seventh of the month, the day before the Pentecostal feast, which in turn was the day before Melladon. On the Sabbath of Sabbaths, Ambriel now had a routine. Although it was quite a journey to get there, in the days before the seventh Sabbath, Ambriel travelled to the outer realm to Zaraphon keep.

Zaraphon was within Gabriel’s jurisdiction, part of the Terraphon district. Terraphora had 6 major districts, each named after the 6 major keeps the archangels oversaw in Terraphora. While Terraphora was the name given to the whole lower disc from the central upper disc of Zaphora, it had gradually become known as the particular district which Gabriel oversaw. The district of Terraphora lay in the north-western quadrant from Zaphora. The South-western quadrant housed all of Mitraphora district, who Raphael had responsibility to oversee. To the north-east lay Pelnaphora district, over which Uriel oversaw affairs. The south-east quadrant from Zaphon, though, was nearly all barren and swampland, apart from the area very close to Zaphora. None of the angelic community had tried to settle anything major there. The south-eastern quadrant housed Romnaphora. And to the far North-West lay Kalphora, and to the far South-West lay Brephora.

About 20 angels resided at Zaraphon at any given time, nearly always Cherubim. Ambriel was usually their only Seraphim guest and, perhaps because of this, the keeps main overseer, Aclyophenes, made something of a fuss about Ambriel when he visited. Although he understood the need to remain constantly humble about such issues, Ambriel did understand that he was quite well known in the realm. He was Michael’s best friend. His most loyal compatriot. Because of this, many of the Cherubim gave him a great deal of courtesy and respect. They, like the other Seraphim used to do for Michael, often became very quiet when Ambriel was present. A hushed tone, it almost seemed, descended when he was in Cherubim communities.

At first, that had bothered Ambriel a little. It had not really been what he had expected from his Cherubim brethren. But he did understand that, because of the vast numbers of Cherubim in comparison to the Seraphim, seeing Michael or Ambriel in person was a rare occasion and one which, apparently, brought out a strong act of devotion. He was treated with great care because of his birthright. Ambriel knew this and, now that he was used to it, simply accepted it. His heart was love towards his Cherubim brethren. He wanted to, eventually, get to know and develop relationships with each of them. But he questioned wether, despite his great love for them, if they really desired or even wanted the same. Perhaps they liked to keep Ambriel at something of a distance – remote and untouchable – not to be part of their everyday life. It was an attitude which Michael had remarked upon often.

However, at Zaraphon, while fuss was made, he was now generally accepted into their community. This, he felt, was due to his regular visits and constant fellowship with any of the Cherubim who would give him the pleasure of their company.

He had arrived just prior to the Sabbath the day before and, as usual, spent the night in the upstairs chapel, quietly contemplating life and love. The Sabbath was meant to be a time of rest and spiritual thought. Exemptions to this were allowed for necessary administrative functions throughout the realm. Father had given the judgement that as long as the spirit of the Sabbath was observed – that it met by and large its primary aims in being a time of rest and spiritual devotion – that exceptions were quite acceptable if the circumstances warranted it. For example, Aclyophenes usually fussed around on the Sabbath night and day. Ambriel had very lightly chided him for not devoting more time to a spiritual focus, but Aclyophenes had told Ambriel that he usually found some quite time, later in the Sabbath afternoon, to pray and read the torah. That had pleased Ambriel.

That Sabbath Ambriel had decided to visit the Terravon River, which ran through much of the lower realm of Terraphora. It was Terraphora’s mightiest and longest river. The section which Ambriel was to visit today was a little upstream from some mighty rapids and a beautiful waterfall – the largest in the realm. It was about 1 hour’s flight from Zaraphon, the place he particularly wanted to go and although he preferred not to strain himself on the Sabbath if he could at all help it, today he felt the call was acceptable to him. That morning, after breakfast, he thanked Aclyophenes for his kind hospitality and said he would not be returning to Zaraphon, but would return, after his delay, to Zaphon. Aclyophenes had wished him well. As he left, he could not help but feel that, although he was sure he was mistaken, that somebody had been watching him for an hour or so. Taking to the skies and flying along, after about half an hour he glanced behind him and appeared to make out a solitary angel flying, apparently, on his same course. He felt perhaps he should take time to wait for the angel, but guessed that they might actually want to be alone, so decided against it.

Around half an hour later he arrived at his destination near the Terravon. It was a large clearing, bordering a beautiful meadow. He had noticed that the angel had indeed been following him, but had disappeared out of sight just before he had landed. It seemed very strange to him, but he gave it no more thought. He walked down to the rocks of the river and jumped about a bit. He stooped down and drank some water, refreshing himself. He looked into the water and spied some tadpoles. He smiled to himself. Tadpoles were what God had called ‘Animals’, marine life in particular. Animals had been an invention of his creator within the last century. His Father had said that he had intended to bring them forth into the new realm, but not instantly at the time of the creation of the Cherubim. There were now quite a range of animals within the realm. Donkeys, Cows, Sheep, Horses, Dogs, Cats, Goats and Buffalo were the major land animals. There were some smaller land animals such as mice and gophers. In the waters, fish abounded. Also frogs and beavers and a range of other marine life. Zaphora, his home, had a sparse collection of animals. Father had asked that their numbers be quite limited in the old realm. Not part of the long term theme he claimed he desired for Zaphora, whatever that meant. As such, Ambriel took delight whenever he was in Terraphora at the vast array of animal life.

‘Hello Ambriel, brother dearest.’ Ambriel nearly jumped for fright. Looking behind him he spotted a female angel coming down from the meadow. As she approached Ambriel could tell who he had thought it was anyway, his sister Gloryel. He assumed it had been her who had been following him.
‘Gloryel. Have you been following me?’
‘Whatever gave you that impression,’ replied his sister, the cute tone of her voice quite apparent to Ambriel.
‘Oh, well, it is just that I saw an angel apparently following me from Zaraphon, and I assumed it was yourself.’
‘That is quite interesting,’ replied Gloryel. Ambriel smiled. Wether or not it had been Gloryel who had followed him, he was always happy to see one of his Seraphim sisters.
‘Anyway, how are you Gloryel? And, if you don’t mind me asking, what brings you to this part of the Terraphon today.’ Gloryel drew right up next to Ambriel and held her brothers arm, leaning against him, tossing a rock into the river.
‘Oh, nothing really, Ambriel. Just passing the time.’
‘Just passing the time, Gloryel? It seems like a strange place to come. All this way from Zaphon to just pass the time.’ Gloryel looked at him, a smirk on her face.
‘That is life, isn’t it Ambriel. We often do strange things simply to just pass the time.’ Ambriel grinned at his sister’s comment. Strangely, it struck a chord in much of his philosophy on life.
‘Yes, Gloryel. I think I can relate. Life seems, to me anyway, to have its own ebb and flow. An ebb and flow in which much of it is spent simply doing whatever – simply passing the time or going with the flow.’
‘Yes, that’s it Ambriel. Simply going with the flow. Not taking life so seriously, as Michael and that, eeggghhh, brother of mine Saruviel has to do.’ Ambriel quickly reacted to her attitude to Saruviel.
‘Such a strong reaction, Gloryel. I know Saruviel affected us all with his rebellion, but there is no real need to react in such a way. We must continue to love and pray for Saruviel. He needs our prayers.’
‘Yes, Ambriel, I know. It is just that Saruviel is so – so – so - exasperating. So intense in absolutely everything he does. He really needs to lighten up.’ Ambriel looked at his sister and in that second seemed to get a glimpse into the mind of Gloryel that he had not really seen before. Almost as if it were a snapshot into her heart and nature.

‘I suppose, Gloryel. Saruviel is a very deep angel. I think that is how God has made him. We need to understand that and love him on his own terms – love him for who he is.’
‘Yes, you would say that Ambriel. Always defending people. I guess that is why I love you so much, dear brother.’ Ambriel smiled at his sister’s words. They were casual in a sense, but it was always comforting hearing those words.

Ambriel looked down towards the waterfall, which was about 500 cubits downstream. He motioned to Gloryel. ‘Shall we walk down to the waterfall? It is generally the main reason I came here today.’
‘Alright, Angel of God. Lead on.’ Ambriel smiled and started walking downstream, his sister right along side. As they walked, Gloryel placed her arm in Ambriel’s, which gave Ambriel quiet joy.

They came to Taragon Waterfall – the largest in the realm. The Cherubim Taragon had first found the waterfall, and it had been named after him in his honour. It was a spectacular sight. The realm above the falls were a mountainous region, which God blessed with rain quite often. The falls were around 80 cubits in height, the size of about 40 Seraphim standing head to toe. The water of the Terraphon rushed over the edge of the falls, cascading down the escarpment in a series of three major levels. At the bottom a large lagoon homed a vast array of marine life. On the second tier, there was a cave behind the falls. Ambriel had discovered this himself and had entered it, exploring from time to time. It seemed that the cave was common knowledge to many angels.

They stood at the top level of the falls, over to the side to enjoy the view. Foam misted up and a mist of water floated around them. Gloryel threw another rock down to the second tier and watched it plonk into the water. Ambriel bent down, picked up a small pebble, and did the same. Gloryel backed away from the edge of the falls and sat down beside a small Hawthorne bush. She looked up at Ambriel. ‘Come and join me brother.’ Ambriel happily obliged.

They sat there for a number of minutes, enjoying the scenery, before Gloryel spoke up. ‘Ambriel.’
‘Yes, Gloryel,’ he replied.
‘Do you love me?’ Ambriel looked straight at his sister, a little puzzled at the question.
‘Why, yes Gloryel. Of course. You know I love you. I love all my Seraphim sisters.’ Gloryel smiled, but there was a strange look on her face.
‘Yes, I know that, Ambriel.’ She paused before continuing. ‘But do you love me, I suppose, in a special way. A way that you don’t love your other Seraphim sisters in?’ Ambriel looked at her, and turned away. It was that question – the one which Michael had spoken to him about. The one which had been an issue between Michael and Elenniel. Ambriel knew, right then, why his sister had followed him that day. Why she had taken special care to meet him here, rather than disclosing herself earlier. So that they could be alone, and she could find out what she needed to know about her brother. He knew what he had to say.
‘I suppose, Gloryel, that you do hold a special place in my heart. We are part of a very few Seraphim which has stayed faithful to Zaphora and Zaphon in particular. As such, you hold a special place in my heart.’
‘Yes, Ambriel. I think I know that. But, how special. Am I that one in your heart? The way Michael is with Elenniel and Rachel with Davriel? Am I that one to you?’ Ambriel looked at her and knew, as sometimes you just know, that this was a special moment in Gloryel’s life. A life that had a future – a deep unknown future – which needed some answers to questions which had likely surfaced. And he knew, he knew how he must answer her. He knew, as he had perhaps always known, what answer to give.
‘Gloryel. Yes, you are special. That will never change. But, as you know, Michael and Elenniel seem to be linked. In a unique way. As is Davriel and Rachel. And of course, Gamrayel and Narel also appear to be like that. But there is, I think, a deep reason for this. A reason so obvious and basic that we sometimes overlook it.’ Gloryel looked at him, and some connections in her heart were then made. She looked away, a slight, ever so slight look of disappointment on her face. Ambriel looked at her. ‘I am sorry Gloryel. Sorry if I have upset you.’
‘No, it is alright Ambriel. I should have expected that answer. I know our twins are so important and vital to our lives. I was just not sure if that was the way it was supposed to be with every one. With every relationship. I guess maybe it is just meant to be that way.’ Ambriel sensed his sister’s heart had received a knockback, and really wanted to say something comforting to her. He began to speak, but she held her hand up to his mouth, touching his lips with her fingers. ‘Please. Don’t speak Ambriel. I understand that, for you, and I guess it would be the greatest for you anyway, that your twin is your heart. That she and only she could you give the kind of love that I was asking for. Perhaps unfairly asking for. I am not sorry I tried. God help me, I am not sorry for that. But I guess this was just the way it was meant to be.’ Ambriel looked at her, a helpless look on her face. Gloryel stood up, and walked away a few cubits. She turned to him. ‘I am going now, Ambriel. I will probably not see you at Zaphon when you get back. I am leaving Zaphora to go to live in the lower realm. I will visit you, of course. But not for a while. Perhaps, not for a very long while.’ She looked at her brother, and he noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a teardrop. She wiped it away, gave him one last look. One last longing look, and turned and walked away. A few moments later she took to the skies.

Ambriel watched her as she left. He watched her and knew he had broken a heart. But he knew, deep down inside, that that heart had to be broken. For Ambriel, as Gloryel had said, his twin was his love. That one who also lived in Zaphon – who had hardly ever left – that one was his future. That much he knew.

He stood there, watching Gloryel disappear into the distance. He stood there and sighed. This was life. It had its moments. Some defining, oh so defining moments. ‘Father. I, I, I. Oh Father.’ Silence answered Ambriel. And the sound of the waters hitting the floor of Terravon river were his only other reply.

Chapter Three

Ambriel stood atop the top of the highest tower of Zaphon keep. He stood there only on extremely rare occasions. It was not, he felt, his place in a sense. Although the angels were generally free to go were they liked in the realm, this particular place was special to another angel. His older brother Michael stood were he stood on many occasions, almost ritually so. It was the place that Michael surveyed the realm – were, in a sense, he surveyed the domain which it was his responsibility to administer. Ambriel stood there only to, if he could somehow partake of it, the feelings Michael felt. He wanted to empathize with his brother – to feel and understand the feelings Michael also felt – primarily so that he could understand his brother and, ultimately, minister to him when necessary.

Standing there, as he had done so previously, he sensed something. It was Michael’s spirit. Each of the angel’s spirit had, so Davriel taught them, an afterglow when deep spiritual thinking had been practiced. At times the angels came alive to God and were spiritually fervent. At these times, it was as if they left an aftertrail, similar in a way in which the snails of the lower realm left a silver trail behind them – but this trail was more of a spiritual marking.

Ambriel was very sensitive to these spirits – so much so that he could practically read and understand what the angels had been thinking about. Ambriel, feeling Michael’s thoughts, instantly knew that his brother had been thinking about Saruviel. He sensed those thoughts in the spirit. That did not surprise him. For the last century since Saruviel’s exile, Michael had constantly talked of his younger brother. He had spoken about how Saruviel’s rebellion and subsequent punishment was an example to them – an example they needed to learn about and constantly remember so as, primarily, to never make such a mistake again.

While Ambriel understood well Michael’s concerns, he felt that, just perhaps, Michael worried about the episode just a bit too much. Their Father had exiled Saruviel but had never really stated just for how long that exile was to last. Ambriel believed, in his heart he believed, that their Father would eventually forgive Saruviel, and allow him to return to the realm they called home. His Father was forgiving – that was part of his nature – and he hoped and believed that Saruviel would one day be returned to them.

* * * * *

Aquariel looked at the picture in her hands. The engraving that her oldest sister, Elenniel, had carved when they were extremely young. It was of Ambriel. That afternoon, Gloryel had returned and shared with her that she was now leaving Zaphon and Zaphora. Aquariel had reacted with concern and love and inquired what had caused such a sudden decision. Gloryel had been hesitant at first, but had then shared her dilemma. When she had finished, Aquariel remained silent. Not so much shocked at the news for her sister’s sake but, in reality, her own.

When Gloryel had left, Aquariel had cried for a while. But not for Gloryel. Aquariel had cried because, as Gloryel had seemingly been, she likewise had felt strongly for Ambriel. It was the main reason that she remained in Zaphon. She wanted to win her brother’s love. To win it desperately. Since a very young age, Aquariel had noticed Ambriel. She had noticed that, in a sense, Ambriel epitomized what an angel should ideally be. What an angel was, she felt, supposed to be. His heart was gold and his love divine. He cared for everyone in the community. He would take his time with everyone and prayed for them fervently. He was such a pure loving soul that Aquariel had fallen in love with him. And she wanted, oh how she wanted, him to be her true love. Her best friend and companion.

She had known that Meludiel was his twin, and thought that perhaps that may have meant something. But Meludiel had always seemingly shied away from her brother. She, like everyone, obviously cared for him. But she, strangely, often left the room whenever Ambriel was present. Because of that strong reality, Aquariel had never really felt that Meludiel had any feelings for Ambriel, and assumed that was the still the case.

But now she knew that, while Meludiel apparently was not overly concerned about Ambriel, Ambriel most definitely felt deeply for her. Gloryel had made that abundantly clear to Aquariel. And so Aquariel had cried. She cried her heart out at the love which she now knew would likely never be hers. A love which had remained silent and which, now, she knew she could never share. She knew Ambriel’s heart and his loyalty. That would never change. That was the nature of the heart of her dearest brother.

* * * * *

Gwyndel loved her brother Ambriel. He was, ultimately, the real reason she remained in Zaphon. But, when Aquariel had shared with her the heart of Gloryel and herself, Gwyndel knew that she had been lucky. She had remained in Zaphon because Ambriel was so kind and loving towards her. Gwyndel loved him dearly as a sister ought to love her brother, but unlike her two sisters, she had never really felt the way about him that they expressed.

Actually, Gwyndel did not really feel the love that her sisters talked about towards any of her brothers or sisters. But like Ambriel, there had been a strong connection with her twin. She particularly liked Mistrel, master of music at Pelnaphon. In some ways, he was a little eccentric, but that was perhaps part of his charm. This had been a character trait she had noticed when he was quite young. But over the centuries, Mistrel had, not so much changed, but matured and grown. He had become a strong, sensitive and decent angel. He worked in his work with dedication and perseverance. He worked often alongside Elenniel in various administrative affairs at Pelnaphon, under Uriel’s guidance. Mistrel was very musical, playing the glimpipe. He did not hide his frustrations in life, and was quite expressive.

But Mistrel was not the angel of love that Ambriel was. Ambriel loved all his brothers and sisters with deep, careful, affection. And because of that strong example, Gwyndel respected her brother, and thus remained at Zaphon.

But now she knew that perhaps she should not. Gloryel was departing Zaphon, and may never return. Aquariel had said that she would likely now do the same. Because of this, Gwyndel, having thought on the issue, suddenly knew that of all the Seraphim who had remained at Zaphon, only herself, Daniel, Michael, Ambriel and Meludiel had remained, not counting Aquariel and Gloryel. If her two sisters were to depart, then only Meludiel and herself would be left. And that, Gwyndel sensed, could possibly cause problems. She, of course, would never interfere between Ambriel and Meludiel. But her simply being there – being there when all her other sisters had left, could be problematic. It could, given her strong affection for Ambriel, suggest things which were ultimately just not true. And because of this, Gwyndel knew that she could not remain in Zaphon much longer. When Gloryel and Aquariel left, she knew she would have to join them. She would, reluctantly, have to follow their example, and find a new home. And perhaps that would be Pelnaphon. Elenniel she admired and always enjoyed her company. And, of course, Mistrel lived there. Thinking to herself she felt that, just perhaps, being close to her twin was what she really should be doing. Perhaps that was just the way it was meant. Part of God’s grand design.

* * * * *

It was quite a shock to Ambriel. When Gloryel had announced to him her leaving of Zaphon, that had been surprising. But that night when Aquariel had announced she would be leaving. And a few minutes later, Gwyndel standing to announce the same, Ambriel had been stunned. Three of his closest, dearest sisters were leaving him – and all, seemingly, at once. Lying on his bed, he had been feeling sad because of the news. Of course, he knew that his sisters needed to follow their own destiny, and he understood that Gloryel, seemingly, could not remain. But to lose three sisters at once was quite alarming. Still, if that was they way things were, perhaps it was also they way things were meant to be.

But, thinking about that, he knew something was also a reality. Now, of the original community, only himself, Michael and Daniel and one other angel remained. And that angel, of course, was his twin sister, Meludiel. The one sister in his life that, apparently, treated him the most awkwardly of all. Yet the one his heart was set upon more than any other. If this was the plan of God, thought Ambriel, than he truly failed to understand it. Yet perhaps, just perhaps, he was thankful for it.

Chapter Four

Meludiel and the Cherubim Sharlamane were manoeuvring the Vibronic of the choir-hall down the ramp adjoining the southern entrance of Zaphon keep. The Vibronic was large, but not too heavy. Moving it on their own, though, was only accomplishable by the roller wheels which they had attached to the legs of the Vibronic for when they needed to move it. It was usually a two person job, in the past handled by Meludiel and Gamrayel, but now that Gamrayel was living in Terraphora, Sharlamane now worked in his position, undertaking his prior responsibilities. Daniel, who hung around Sharlamane quite a lot, had asked if they needed any help in moving the Vibronic. Meludiel had thanked him for the offer, but stated that they could, as they usually did, handle it by themselves. He had followed them, though, saying the odd word to Sharlamane, and opening the keep doors for them.

The destination for the vibronic was the stage of the amphitheatre on the southern side of Zaphon. Today was Pentecost. The previous day was the Sabbath of Sabbaths, a day of rest, and today was a preparation day for Melladon – a day of great activity. Ambriel now planned the Melladon celebrations for Zaphora, taking over after Raphael and Loquiel had left for Mitraphon. Meludiel felt that Ambriel was suited to the task, at first following in the general routines established by Raphael and Loquiel, as well as Yasminael and Shemrael, but after a while his own distinctive styles of administration became noticeable to the community of Zaphora. Something which Meludiel had particularly noted was the emphasis on a spirit of love and community which Ambriel brought to the task, as emphasized in the choice of songs he often asked Meludiel and Sharlamane to arrange for the Melladon celebrations. One of the songs in the following night’s celebration was a reflection of this style, simply entitled ‘A Song of Love’. Meludiel had composed the music for the song, while Sharlamane had written the words. It was one of their now favourite collaborations. One of the other choices was ‘Comfort’, a musical piece with no words which Meludiel had composed. She felt it was a suitable choice, reflecting the wishes of her brother Ambriel.

As they rolled the Vibronic to the bottom of the ramp, and the few cubits along the grass to the ramp-way leading up to the amphitheatre stage, Daniel sensed that they didn’t really need any further assistance, so farewelled them and left. They watched him go and returned to their task.

Along the sides of the stage were two ramps which the vibronic could be rolled up. The ramps were not too steep, so the angels had no real problems rolling the vibronic up. They pushed the vibronic to the back and centre of the stage, its usual sitting place during the performances. Meludiel stood back and looked at the vibronic. It was sitting were it needed to, so she signalled to Sharlamane that they could take a break. She walked to the front of the stage and sat down on the top step. The front of the amphitheatre was led up to by steps which ran the width of the stage in a semi-circular fashion, from one ramp to the other.

Sitting there she thought on the conversation that she’d had with her Seraphim sister Gloryel just the previous night. Gloryel had knocked on her door quietly and entered her room. Meludiel had been in bed, but was not yet asleep. Gloryel sat on the edge of her bed, and spoke of her decision to leave Zaphon and live in Terraphora for a while. What, so she stressed, could be quite a long while. Meludiel had been a little surprised at the announcement, but, as she had gotten used to from the other of the Seraphim who had left Zaphora, she took the news in her stride. She had asked her sister the basic question, though. Why was she leaving? Gloryel had spoken in cagy words, not really giving her any reason. Then she had finally said it was because of Meludiel herself that she must leave. Meludiel had been taken aback, very carefully asking if she had done something to offend her sister or make her feel unwelcome. But Gloryel had assured her that it was not like that. That it was another reason – a reason that she did not want to share with Meludiel, but that was an unchangeable reason. A reason as absolute as Meludiel’s own existence. So Meludiel had not persisted and had simply accepted Gloryel at her words, but she remained curious.

‘What are you thinking about, sis?’ Meludiel looked over at Sharlamane who was near the side of the amphitheatre, fixing up some of the lanterns and other decorations to their usual place. The amphitheatre had some standard features, but because of the various uses it was put to, decorations were often changed throughout the month and year. Pentecost was now a traditional day for the decorations for Melladon to be put up. It was a routine that the angels generally found quite pleasant – a comforting and consistent part of the routine of life their Father had birthed them into.

‘Oh, nothing really,’ replied Meludiel. ‘Just the thoughts of life, I suppose.’
‘Yet you looked so engrossed in what you were thinking about. As if something has been on your mind.’
‘Well, if you must know, I was thinking about Gloryel. As you know, she is now leaving us. And apparently I am the reason.’ ‘Oh,’ nodded Sharlamane knowingly.
‘Yes,’ continued Meludiel. ‘The Seraphim who now reside in Zaphora are few in number. A century ago we were all here for a while, but now few remain.’
‘Yes, I know,’ said Sharlamane. ‘Did Gloryel speak to you?’
‘Yes, she did Sharlamane. But how did you know?’
‘Daniel spoke to me about this. He had been speaking with Ambriel who had told him of Gloryel’s decision. And the real reasons behind this.’
‘She said it was something to do with me,’ said Meludiel. ‘But she didn’t really explain what exactly.’ Sharlamane looked at her sister and felt that perhaps it was now appropriate, with the departure of Gloryel, for her to share what she knew.
‘Gloryel was in love with Ambriel, Meludiel. Very, very deeply. She was practically obsessive over him, so Daniel had shared with me.’
‘But what has that to do with me?’
‘Well, Ambriel was at the Terravon recently, and Gloryel had followed her. She asked him a question. A very simple and basic question. And she had not gotten the answer she wanted.’
‘What question, Sharlamane,’ asked Meludiel, her curiousity aroused.
‘A question of the heart, Meludiel. About Ambriel and what love he felt for Gloryel.’
‘Oh,’ said Meludiel. She thought on her brother, her twin Ambriel, and the decision she had once made about love, life and destiny – and about the choice she had made over her brother Ambriel. But what had he said to Gloryel. In some ways she didn’t want to know, but she knew also that she must ask. ‘And what was the response?’
‘He had said that his heart belonged to another. That he could not share the love Gloryel sought with her.’
‘Oh. Okay,’ said Meludiel. Sharlamane nodded and, sensing something, turned back to her work with her decorations.

Meludiel thought heavily on the words just spoken. And, oh so dreadingly in some ways, but oh so desperately in others, her thoughts turned back to her conversation with Gloryel. She remembered what Gloryel had said. That she, Meludiel, was the reason that Gloryel was leaving. And she made again the connection in her mind that her spirit had already come to. The other that Ambriel had spoken of. She knew then just who that was. Just who that was. She looked in the direction of the throneroom of Zaphon and thought of her Father. She thought of him and the prayers she had prayed about her brother Ambriel. And she thought on the future which could happen just before her. What perhaps could now come to light. She was not ready. It had come suddenly. But she would have to cope – to manage – and to see just what, if anything, destiny would bring into her life.
Chapter Five

Melladon at Zaphon was, as always, a joyful affair. For Ambriel, the past few days had been eventful. First, two days ago on the Sabbath of Sabbaths, his sister Gloryel had announced her departure to him personally from Zaphon and Zaphora. She was now gone. Yesterday, at dinner, his sisters Aquariel and Gwyndel had announced that they too would also be leaving. And that event had occurred that very morning, the small Zaphon community of now only four remaining Seraphim and around thirty Cherubim wishing them well in their new lives. Ambriel had been saddened by his sisters’ departure, but had accepted their decision. They needed to follow their hearts – their own destiny – wherever that lead them.

And now Melladon seemed, to Ambriel anyway, a little less joyful than perhaps it had been on past occasions. An air of sadness seemed to be in the place. But Ambriel felt that he should, as he always tried to, bring a joyful spirit to the celebration.

That evening, they followed the usual routine. Ambriel now gave the introductory prayer to the celebration held at the Amphitheatre of Zaphon. After that, the evening flowed with its usual celebrations and events.

His sister, Meludiel, had moved the vibronic held in her choir hall out to the amphitheatre for a performance that night. As she played one of her well known melodies, Ambriel watched her, noting her quiet serenity, poise and grace. She was now quite skilled at her craft. The melody flowed from a gentle, longing nadir to a joyful, exuberant summit – passing through plains of peace in between. The piece she played that night was called ‘Comfort’, and Ambriel felt the title was oh so suitable. Meludiel had composed the piece and Ambriel really adored it. It was, he felt, musical perfection. A sign to him that his sister had found that peace with God – that peace which brought attention to even minor details, and a heart which sought the greatest of perfections. And looking at her as she played, he loved her. His heart felt towards her an affection. An affection which, since youth, he had reserved just for his twin. Looking at her as she played he was oh so thankful and grateful to his father that this Meludiel – his twin and dear sister – was in his life and lived there at Zaphon. Always close to him in a physical sense, even if she often seemed distant in others. Yet, regardless of the way she apparently felt about him, he loved her. And he knew that love would remain towards her – eternally so.

* * * * *

‘So, dear brother. It would seem as if there is but few of us remaining. As if, of we seraphim, only a handful have remained in this our first home.’ Ambriel looked at Michael, considering his words.
‘Yes brother, I do understand what you are saying. I have actually thought on that very subject just recently. Only you, I, Meludiel and Daniel now remain of all the Seraphim of God here in Zaphora. Of why that should be so, I can not really say. But it is how it has come to be, seemingly.’ Michael smiled at his brothers comments. He looked over at Daniel who was in conversation with a Cherubim sister.
‘He is never, I think, going to leave us, Ambriel. He has spoken to me on the subject, and I think that is perhaps his heart.’ ‘Yes, Michael. He once shared similar words with me.’ Michael looked towards Meludiel, who was over at the side of the Amphitheatre in conversation with a male Cherubim.
‘Meludiel, too, has remained.’ Said Michael. ‘I do not know why, really, but she has decided to make Zaphon her home. Perhaps this is just were she is supposed to be. What do you think on that, Ambriel?’ Ambriel looked towards his sister, his dearest.
‘I guess, Michael, that Meludiel is happy here. And perhaps that is the most important thing. Wether she remains here forever, though, the future will decide on that issue.’
‘Yes, I guess it will,’ replied Michael. ‘I guess, in the end, whatever will be will be.’ Ambriel smiled knowingly at Michael’s words. They were familiar. Very familiar. Michael used them quite often, almost affirming his view on life. Almost, perhaps, describing his own personal philosophy.

The Cherubim Sharlamane had excused herself from her conversation with Daniel, and now stood on stage. A hush descended through the audience, as the angels knew she would be singing. At the vibronic, Meludiel sat down, preparing to play an accompaniment to her sister. Sharlamane, noting that Meludiel was ready, spoke up. ‘Brothers and sisters. Tonight I am singing one of my favourite songs, entitled, ‘A Song of Love. I hope you will enjoy.’

Sharlamane looked around to Meludiel, gave her a signal, and then the music began. A gentle, peaceful melody began, and the angels gave a sigh of appreciation and recognition. Soon Sharlamane began singing.

‘Love. Eternal love.
Gentle and vibrant, a pleasant contradiction.
Love, be my friend.
Be in my heart with your benediction.

Fire of God,
Soother of souls,
Joyous, loving master
Be with us – all of us
For now and ever after

Love. Perfect love.
A flame which lights our realm.
Love, be our lord.
Be the truth which is our helm.

This song of love, I sing to you,
My brothers, sisters, dear.
Let love be what doth guideth you,
From day to month to year.’

When the song had ended, the audience gave a warm clap, signifying their approval. Ambriel smiled. The song had spoken to him – deeply. It had caused a reaction in his heart – a strong reaction. Sharlamane had sung with beauty and skill. And as she had played, Ambriel again looked upon his sister Meludiel. He looked upon her as the words were spoken, and he knew then that a time had now come. A time, given recent circumstances, which perhaps had now been made ready for. A time to share his heart with his dearest sister.
Chapter Six

Meludiel stooped down to pick up the piece of paper lying in front of her door. It looked as if someone had slipped a note under the door of her dormitory. The note was folded in half, with ‘For Meludiel’ written on one side. She wondered who it could be from. Opening it up she began reading, ‘Dearest Meludiel.’ She looked down to see who it was signed from and noticed her brother Ambriel’s name. She took the note with her and walked over to her bed, sitting down. She placed the note at the end of the bed, sitting at the other end, and just looked at it. Did she want to read it? Could she read it? Was her heart ready for what it perhaps might say? Silently, she had been expecting something may soon happen. Sharlamane’s words had been on her mind, and now that only herself, Michael, Daniel and Ambriel remained in Zaphora of all the Seraphim, she felt that her twin would now seek her out. That those words he had spoken to her once in her youth he would speak again, and express his love in a way which only Ambriel could.

Thoughts entered her head. She thought on the various loves that some of her brethren had apparently committed to. Her close friend Gamrayel was now living with Narel out in Terraphora. They visited her occasionally and she saw the love that existed between them. They were a couple – an inseparable pair. Michael visited his sister Elenniel often and their was an abiding friendship and spirit of respect between them. She felt that Michael would never look at or love another angel the way he loved Elenniel. Of course, Gamrayel and Narel were twins, as were Michael and Elenniel. And, of course, her twin was Ambriel.

She knew, deep down inside, that only Ambriel was her true love. But, what being her nature, Meludiel felt scared of the love of Ambriel. His was pure and true – golden and honest. But, she felt, within that love was a depth of emotion and intensity unrivalled amongst the angelic community. A love which went so deep and felt so much that Meludiel felt that, if she ever committed to such a love, that perhaps she may not be able to live up to its expectations. That perhaps she would fall short of such love, not proving herself worthy. But there was another reason, a deeper reason. Ambriel’s love was so gentle at one time, yet so bold in another – a love which accepted her in every way and desired to be with her so strongly. She could not describe or understand why that love frightened her, but it did. She thought, perhaps, that she was not worthy of such love. That perhaps there was another angel, maybe amongst the Cherubim, who deserved her brother Ambriel. A purer, more honest heart. A gentler soul. A kinder soul. Meludiel did think she was a decent angel. That she had a good heart and that she loved her brethren. But, so she felt, she sometimes acted discourteously towards others – did not treat them with the kindness, love and respect that they deserved. She was sometimes harsh with Gamrayel when he had done things she did not like. And while she had softened, she noticed, occasionally, similar attitudes towards Sharlamane. Of course, their had been the incident with Daniel when they were younger and building Zaphon, were she had scolded him savagely for a mistake he had made during the building of the keep, in which she had been injured. Daniel had apologized for the accident, but had kept his distance for many years. She felt that, perhaps then, she had been a little harder on her brother.

Yet, whatever she may have thought about her own worthiness, it seemed that Ambriel may not have shared her views. Not as he had expressed them previously, which both comforted and distressed Meludiel.

She looked at the note. Should she really read it? In the end, she had to show proper courtesy and see what her brother wanted of her. If it said the things she dreaded, then so be it. She picked up the note, opened it, and began reading.

Chapter Seven

Ambriel looked upon his sister. The past week had been eventful. Such an experience – such a learning experience. And his heart had gravitated to the one he knew he would share eternity with – his dearest sister Meludiel. When his other sisters had left, he had felt alone in a sense. His family, in a very real sense, was gone. Only Michael, Daniel and Meludiel now remained in Zaphon and Zaphora. Only they had stayed in their birthplace and home.

Ambriel thought on that and understood that the lower realm was now the place for them to live. And he felt, that as they had chosen that realm, he likewise would also choose it to dwell in. If that is where his family went, then he would likewise join them.

There was in fact a special place. Near Zaraphon, up in the hills. Ambriel thought that the place was beautiful – so beautiful. It was peaceful and gentle country. Golden flowers particular to that region grew there. They had been named ‘Gildaniens’, after the female Cherubim Gilda who had first noticed them. Ambriel adored their smell and feel. They surrounded a particular valley up from Zaraphon which he felt would make an ideal home. But he wanted someone to join him. He wanted, so desperately, his sister Meludiel to live with him there. To call that place their home and to dwell there forever.

Perhaps that was the plan of God. Perhaps, all along, God had made the lower realm for his children to find the home and place they felt they belonged – where they needed most to be.

Ambriel thought on Michael. It would be hard leaving him. He felt, perhaps, Michael needed him in the running of Zaphon. That he was a valued friend and mentor, ministering to his older brother love, grace and peace. But, so Ambriel felt, Michael was the oldest of them. He could take care of himself. And there, of course, were other Cherubim in Ambriel’s tutelage who ministered over the angels of Zaphora. Perhaps one of them could befriend Michael and undertake their newly appointed role. Ambriel hoped so, anyway.

Yes, he would miss Michael, but such, in the end, was life. It went were it went and Ambriel felt he must follow. And, hopefully, his sister Meludiel would join him in his new home.

All seemed right in the decision. All seemed good. He would miss Zaphon, but perhaps that was as it should be. God was everywhere, and Ambriel knew that his Father would be watching over him. Of course, there was one other brother who he would now leave. His brother Daniel. Daniel was enigmatic to Ambriel. He had never, for as long as he had known him, really understood him. Daniel kept his brethren at a distance. He never really shared his heart or feelings with them. But, strangely enough, he had remained at Zaphon and Zaphora when, perhaps due to his apparent nature, he would have been amongst the first to travel to and reside in the lower realm. But Daniel had stayed, just the once expressing to Ambriel that Zaphon was his home. That he would stay, and likely never leave. Ambriel respected his brother’s decision and realized that Zaphon must have meant something special to Daniel. He did not really know what or why, but he respected the heart of his brother in his decision.

Ambriel looked again upon his sister who was sitting in the lounge of Zaphon keep. He stood there, just in the hallway, gazing upon her. After a few minutes, Meludiel looked up at him. As always, she smiled, and gave him a slightly nervous look. He approached her and sat down opposite. ‘Meludiel, dear sister. Can I have a word with you.’ Meludiel smiled at her brother. ‘Yes, of course Ambriel.’ Ambriel looked at her, not really sure how to begin, but the words followed anyway.
‘Meludiel. Do you remember, when we were younger, that encounter that Father arranged between us?’ Meludiel looked at him, and looked away. Her face was alive with emotion. Eventually she spoke.
‘Yes Ambriel. I remember.’ Ambriel reached out and placed his hand on her arm, which Meludiel looked at, almost ready to move it, but left it there. ‘Meludiel. Those words I spoke, they have not changed. Those feelings I expressed, they are the same. And, since then, I have made so many conclusions about life and about destiny. About the way things are meant to be. And in that destiny, I desire, ever so strongly, for you Meludiel to always be there, and to share that eternal destiny with me. I want you to live with me, Meludiel. To share your life with your twin brother.’

Meludiel looked up at him. She began to say something, but stopped. She stared at him for a few moments. She stared at him, looking straight into his eyes – his very soul almost. She spoke. ‘Ambriel. Okay. I, I have never told you. I have never really expressed my heart to you. But you are my beloved. You are the brother in my life which means the most to me. Naturally I respect Michael. I know him so well. We have been friends since birth, and he has always been there, living here in Zaphon, our home. And of course, our brother Daniel has not left. He puzzles me. When he speaks with me, it is so cryptic. And I notice him looking at me from time to time for no real apparent reason. But, perhaps, that is just Daniel. Just the way he is.’

‘But you Ambriel, you are my heart. I have thought, so many times, about coming to you and making my feelings known. But the time was never right. It never felt as if it should really be like that when I had such inclinations. But now that you have expressed yourself again, I can accept it. I feel that now, perhaps now, this is for the best. The way it is meant to be. Yes, Ambriel, I will be with you.’

Ambriel looked at his sister and glowed with love. He took her hand and she stood. He looked into her eyes, and put his hand around her, to her back. He moved his head forward to her face, and she did not resist. And then he kissed her on her lips.

They kissed, for almost a minute they stood there, lips embraced. Eventually Ambriel pulled away. ‘Sister. Dearest sister, my heart is glad. Oh so glad. I have wanted to share this, my life, with you, for oh so long. And now, with the others departing, the time is right. The time for me to share my love with you is oh so right. And, dearest Meludiel, I have given it thought. So much thought, and feel that we could perhaps move out to the lower realm. There is a place that I think we can share. It is near Zaraphon, up in the hills. It is beautiful. Quite beautiful. I am sure you will love it there.’ Meludiel looked at the angel she loved, and nodded.
‘Yes, dearest Ambriel. Were you go, I will follow.’ Ambriel smiled, and again kissed his beloved.

* * * * *

They lived together, in peace. They lived together in happiness. They lived together in love. Ambriel and Meludiel – children of the deepest love and the deepest heart of God. Children destined for glory and wonder, children destined for eternal life, special elect children of God, part of his beloved Ecclesia. These children were together, and God delighted in watching them each and every day. His heart was concerned for another child of his Ecclesia, dearest Daniel. But he had a special destiny mapped out for that particular child. And then there was Callodyn the Cherubim. Callodyn, who was so alike Daniel in so many ways, the two of them looking so very familiar. Callodyn was 228th of the Cherubim of Eternity and dear to God. And Callodyn loved Meludiel greatly, as did Daniel, but he never spoke his heart to her. For he feared her great glory and her majestic ways, and he could not interfere between the great love of Ambriel and Meludiel. Yet, Callodyn too had a destiny, a special one, and in his twin Kayella he would eventually find peace and consolation. Yet, for now, God’s hand was upon Meludiel and Ambriel. And watching over them each and every day, keeping their hearts pure towards each other for the time being, God settled his spirit upon his son Ambriel, and rested in the love of one of the purest children of God.
Chapter Eight

Daniel sat on his bed. He thought on life and the changes it brought. And he thought, as he had done before, about his God. And that love and loyalty which was due his God. He thought then on his Seraphim brethren and their, ultimately, decision to leave Zaphon and Zaphora. He, while he understood in the cases of the archangels who had no choice, did not ultimately understand why his brothers and sisters – those who he cared so much about – had left. That night, at dinner, Ambriel and Meludiel had announced that they were leaving Zaphon and Zaphora. That they had found a place to now call there home, out in the lower realm. However, to Daniel, this place, Zaphon, was home. This was the place they had built and, so Daniel thought, the place they belonged. And thinking that, Daniel made a decision. He would not leave Zaphon. He would never leave Zaphon. If all abandoned, he would remain. He thought on Michael. His oldest brother would likely stay at Zaphon forever also. It was the place God had appointed Michael to administer from, and Daniel believed that Michael would always stay faithful. He believed that in his heart.

In the end, Daniel knew something. He knew something which he felt the other Seraphim did not really, fully, comprehend. He knew God. Daniel visited the throneroom of Zaphon regularly. And God spoke to him. He spoke to his dear Son. And God had shared something with him. Something about destiny. He had told him that he, Daniel, would never be lost. That over the eternal future before them, that he his son would remain eternally within the love and mercy of God. No matter what happened, he had told his son, God would remain faithful to him. He would, whatever Daniel said or did, love and care for his child. That was Daniel’s reward, his Father had told him. Eternal life in the love, mercy and protection of Almighty God. And because of that, Daniel was at peace. He knew God would always be his God. That he would keep his promise and remain faithful to him. And thus, Daniel knew that God was his God, his father and best friend. And that truth would remain – eternally so.

* * * * *

10 cycles of peace. 10 cycles of joy. For 20 years Ambriel and Meludiel lived in their home outside of Zaraphon, experiencing the blissful state of togetherness. These 2 twins were in love. Joyfully, blissfully and happily in love. They knew no great problems in life and had no great concerns. It seemed, to Ambriel, that during that time, life in the Realm of eternity was pure heaven – as there life seemingly had always been in some ways, yet in so many others greatly emphasized. Very greatly emphasized.

Yet changes come and new events occur. First Ambriel at Mitraphon, and then the unexpected encounters between Daniel and Meludiel. An encounter which had left his beloved sister heartbroken.

Ambriel had sought out Daniel to understand his brother’s true motives. In reflection he had concluded that Daniel had not really been as devoted to Meludiel as he claimed – that he had been infatuated rather than caring for his sister like he himself did. Yet, as time passed, something changed in Meludiel. She continued in her love and devotion towards her twin, but something was wrong. Something was not the same. And, eventually, the lingering separation between them persisting Ambriel confronted his sister on the issue. And then she had told him that she desired Daniel and that her love was greater towards him than towards himself.

And so Ambriel had left his sister – separated – and drawn away from her. He searched his heart and soul – almost nightly he searched his heart and soul – to see if within his love had been true all along. He felt within himself an affection for Meludiel – one stronger than towards any of his other sisters – and in that affection he knew he loved her. Yet Meludiel felt more for Daniel. And he did not know for how long this state would continue.

For a while he thought of perhaps sharing his life with other female angels. For in the way he had shared with Meludiel he had known the strength and power of the bonds of love. And this love he yearned for and desired. Yet, in the way of life Ambriel understood, only his sister Meludiel could fill this void in the deepest sense. Only she could be his heart.

When Saruviel’s second exile began, Ambriel had left the angelic community in some ways. He lived at the rim of Terraphora. He lived alone, supporting himself on a basic vegetable garden, asking for no visitors. He could not really see anyone. His heart was, in truth, torn asunder. He yearned for Meludiel – pined for her – desired her with his soul. Yet she longed for Daniel. And for this reason he could not live near her, but on the opposite side of the realm at the edge of the rim.

And then, one day, a visitor. Valandriel. He had shared the news that Daniel was now living with Meludiel again. That they had resumed their affair, and that they were ensconced with each other. And Ambriel’s world fell apart.

Chapter Nine

The 60th of the Seraphim males, Ambriel, child of the father, looked down into the bottle. ‘Bugger,’ he said to himself, noting the empty state of the alcoholic beverage. He carefully got to his feet, the tottering quite noticeable to his only silent observer, his eternal father. The angel was drunk. Completely pissed. This sad state of affairs had continued for the last few months, night after endless night of being high on the huge supply of beer he’d had ordered in. And now he felt, God forbid, that that was the last bottle. The very last bottle. But he would check anyway. He went out the back of his abode to look at the place the bottles had been stacked, and indeed they were all gone, with a large supply of empties a few cubits away. He went back inside and looked in the kitchen, frantically searching everywhere, but to no avail. Not a drop of the liquid gold in sight. Reluctantly, ever so reluctantly, he returned to the main room and collapsed on the lounge. A soft voice of eternity whispered ‘Ambriel,’ ever so gently in its chiding. Ambriel turned over and looked upwards.
‘Yeah, whatever,’ he grumbled and turned back over.

The oldest of the Seraphim entered the abode of his dear younger brother. He came to the mainroom and looked down on him on the couch. A grin – a sly grin – came onto his face. ‘Ambriel, Ambriel, Ambriel.’ Ambriel turned over and looked at Michael. ‘Go away Michael. I’m depressed.’ Michael pushed Ambriel’s feet aside and sat down on the couch next to him.
‘You know, dear brother, how will you ever win her heart if you just get drunk in response to a challenge.’
‘Shaddup’
‘Temper temper,’ reproved Michael softly. ‘Now tell me, brother, what are you going to do about it.’
‘Nothing. Nothing. He can have her. I didn’t really like her anyway.’ Michael chuckled a little at his brother’s slightly slurred speech.
‘Well Ambriel – are you an angel or are you a mouse? Are you a mouse?’ Ambriel looked at him, and nodded. He got the point. He got Michael’s point.

* * * * *

Meludiel sat next to Daniel on the couch. She appeared a little nervous. Eventually she spoke. ‘Well, he should be here shortly.’ Daniel nodded,
‘Yeah.’
‘Just remember, Daniel – make him fight for me. If he won’t do that, than I would rather be with you.’
‘I know, sis.’

Just then a knock came to the door. Daniel stood and answered it and it was indeed their brother Ambriel. ‘Ambriel. What do you want?’
‘I would like to speak with Meludiel, he said quite strongly.’ Daniel considered his words. He considered them carefully.
‘Will you love her more than me Ambriel? Will you be faithful? Will you devote yourself to her? Will you be with her through thick and thin? Eternally so? Will you say so and actually mean it?’

Ambriel looked at Daniel and thought on answering, but didn’t. Instead he pushed past him, without any real resistance from Daniel, and came over to sit next to his sister. He looked at Daniel. ‘You can go now, Daniel,’ he said. Daniel looked at him, and nodded. He looked at Meludiel, gave her a little wink, and left.

Later on that night, Meludiel smiled to herself. She was happy – quite happy. Daniel liked her. Ambriel liked her. It wasn’t actually that bad. It wasn’t actually that bad at all.

* * * * *

Ambriel thought on Daniel. He was jealous, very jealous. He knew that Daniel had stolen Meludiel’s heart and that the twin thing was as not quite a big issue to Daniel as it was to himself. But Ambriel was an Angel of love – that was his heart – and as a child of the Father how could he now allow Daniel as well to display his own special love towards his own. After all, they were all children of God and family. And he knew in his heart that by allowing Daniel the grace to express his love towards Meludiel God would also allow him the grace that one day, perhaps, he just might need. And in that he had quiet consolation.

* * * * *

Later on Daniel had found Ariel, his twin, and he spoke to her of his situation. She laughed at him, but when he looked humiliated she softened, took his hand, and went walking in the garden of Zaphon with him. And she said to him these precious words. ‘I know you will always love Meludiel, and some things are just meant to be that way. But in me, dear brother, you will find the challenge of your hearts delight you will never forget. Do you understand me? You will never forget.

And he nodded, knew it to be true, and kissed her cheek. And they continued on, in their happy lives, like so many of the other blessed children of the Infinite God of Eternity.

Epilogue

God looked down upon his children. Ambriel had found his hearts true love. His sister and twin, Meludiel. With this God was pleased. Very pleased.

He had always intended that the Seraphim eventually find completion in their twin. That each would find the other and find, within them, the things they needed, wanted or desired, most of all. Naturally they would need others – that is what the community of Seraphim was all about. But it was with their twin that the greatest sense of meaning and satisfaction would be gained.

However, a problem had presented itself. There was an awkward child remaining at Zaphon. One who had perhaps not gotten the hint from the other Seraphim, that Zaphon, ultimately, was the domain of the firstborn, Michael.

What would he do with Daniel? He knew, because of Daniel’s heart, that he could not ask his son to leave Zaphon. But perhaps there could be some other way to persuade him. Some other idea that might, just might, persuade him of the opportunities and life that awaited him amongst the bigger world.

And again, as God had done previously, he planned.

The End

Daniel Daly

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Jan 18, 2014, 3:25:47 AM1/18/14

Historical Torah Community

The Historical Torah Community is progressing towards becoming a denomination of 16DF (Samaritanism) which is overseen by Archangel Michael. This denomination works within the framework as a sect of the 16DF Samaritan Community.

Here is some fanfiction put aside for 15DF-21DF, the whole work to be written by Michael. Yet this particular future denomination within 16DF - the future historical torah community - is founded by myself, and this chapter one only has requested with it fanfiction specifically based on this chapter alone for my own name, rather than Archangel Michael's. None of the writing need be canon compliant with Michael's future writings.

The Dragon Crusades

Volume One

‘The Golden Dragon’

by
Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

© 2010-04-30

Prologue

‘The Storyteller’s Tale’

There was a time, long ago, and I do mean long ago, before the forming of the lands and waters, before the great spirit father who watched over the dragons made a home for them, that the spirit father warred with his son, the great serpent of old, the ancient adversary. And when he warred with his son, he at one point in his decisions decided to punish him, and through an act of rebellion, sensing his opportunity to teach his rebellious son a lesson, cursed him to the ancient serpent form which birthed our forefathers. For the serpent is a form from another world, an ancient world, in the heart of the universe, lost to us long ago, so long ago now. Yet the Serpent, in an act of contrition to the spirit father, was blessed with seven children, and these three males and four females are the forefathers of all of us, who we know as the divine serpent seed, the ancient dragons who now dwell with the ancient spirit father and the adversary in the heavenlies, yet who watch over us still, guiding us in the way we walk and the pathways we follow.

For, younglings, it is our destiny to walk the paths of our world till our dying day, thereupon to be gathered to the spirit world and our fathers and mothers and to know the truth of life eternal and to know the truth of the hidden meanings and to know the truth of the hidden loves.

Yet a time is coming in our world, a time of destiny, in which the new races will come forth, to challenge our authority and to attempt to establish their own rule. For long ago the spirit father created them, yet they rest at this point, hidden in our world, only to emerge at the end of days, when the war of powers will begin, leading us on to the fateful day of the gathering of doomsday itself, in which those who are triumphant shall rule our world forever.

Remember, learn well the lessons your elders teach you, and the ways of warfare, and the ways of survival, for in the time of testing which will come to us, should we fail, we will not see the ways of life again.

Chapter One

‘Young Hardluck’

‘How many times have I told you, Hardluck? Wait until the land creatures have gathered in numbers on the plain. Should you swoop too soon they will scatter and the clan’s pickings will be scant, far too few to fill all our hungry appetites.’
The Golden Dragon Hardluck nodded soberly at his uncle ‘Robust’s’ rebuke. ‘Yes uncle Robust, I am sorry. Yet again I have showed myself foolish. My hunger has gotten the better of me once more, I fear.’
‘Yet let not your hunger lead to the clan’s. Learn patience, or learn to go hungry.’
‘Yes uncle.’
Robust surveyed the land creatures, wild buffalo, roaming now in larger packs on the plain, having come out of the forest were they usually resided, away from their dragon predators. The packs seemed to be increasing in numbers so Robust signalled to the assembly of young dragons of the ‘Goldenfire’ clan to start the descent. As one, following Robust’s lead, they flew down from their lofty peaks on the Ravenforge Mountains, descending towards the plains below, ready to feast on their luncheon and to claim carcasses for their clan’s dinner.

Hardluck hit first, killing four buffalo quickly within a minute. The others had similar success and they had killed around 50 of the beasts before the rest had scattered, returning to the sanctuary of the forest and the trees which were awkward for the larger dragons to manoeuvre in. He feasted instantly, starved from not having eaten for three days, but he remembered to limit himself to a quarter of the beast to ensure enough remained for the rest of the clan. As the blood of the beasts entered his nasal cavities he snorted and clicked his teeth to cause the sparks of fire with the chemicals from the nasal cavities, igniting the blood and spurting out the red flames dragons spurted out. He breathed fire onto the dead carcass, as his mother and sisters always enjoyed cooked meat, whereas he usually ate raw.

Robust spoke. ‘It has been good hunting, Goldenfire clan. Good hunting. Now let us gather the beasts and return to the mountains, for the clan is hungry.’ With those words said the dragon’s gathered the carcasses into their large claws and took to the skies, steadily climbing upwards to their homes, high in the Ravenforge mountain ranges.

*   *   *

‘Good on you Stormfire. Good on you.’
‘Hah, hah, hah. You never win Hardluck. I guess you just have,’ he paused, ‘Hard Luck!’
The other dragons of the Goldenfire clan laughed at Stormfire’s sarcasm, congratulating him on again beating Hardluck at a game of ‘Frozen Wings’. This time Hardluck had frozen in the fall to the earth quite low before using his wings to fly before being hurt, but Stormfire had dropped just that little bit lower and had ‘Frozen’ his wings just that little bit more. And, thus, once again Hard Luck just simply had ‘Hard Luck.’

The group of 10 dragons came to the stream gushing forth from the base of Ravenforge Mountains and all started drinking deeply, thirsty from their morning’s activities. Stormfire, feeling naughty, gulped up some water and, signalling to the others to watch, spurted it on the unknowing Hardluck. The dragon’s laughed, but Hardluck was miserable. For so long he had been the butt of Stormfire’s jokes, and while his mother told him to love his cousin, uncle Robust’s son was challenging to get along with. But that was family, in the end. It could be difficult, but you had to stick together.

After they had drunk deeply ‘Frostbite’ suggested they climb to the topmost peaks of the Ravenforge’s to survey their territory. Stormfire led the way and as they climbed upwards, soon coming to the icy snow, the view grew more and more spectacular. Hardluck had climbed these peaks many times before, both with the clan and on his own, and the cold air at the top was exhilarating, making him feel so alive at times.

They came to the top summits and landed there, the 10 dragons all looking over the realm of the Goldenfire clan. There were 15 clans of Dragons all told who lived in their world, the world of Draxonis. The clans met regularly, each year, at the gathering of the clans in the heart of the world, were the lands came together. At that time they discussed the issues of life common to dragonkind and suitable young female dragons from the other clans were often sought out for mating. Mating came in early puberty for the dragons, just after their 11th year, when they were capable of siring children. But children did not come often, in fact quite rarely. But this was no problem, as dragon’s lived many long years and had ample opportunity to bring forth seed in that time.

The Goldenfire clan lived on the northern hemisphere of Draxonis, along with about 7 other clans, the other 7 clans living on the southern hemisphere lands. Draxonis was a lush world, with exotic plants and scenery, and many lesser animals of low intelligence, that the Dragon’s often fed upon, such as the buffalo. But the storyteller told of a time, not too far distant, when the first of the other races would arise, and a time of warfare and testing would come to them. And for that testing they knew they needed to be ready if their civilization was to go onwards.

Hardluck gazed out from his lofty peak out at the icy valley below, gazing southwards towards the lush green environs and the thick forests. The Ravenforge Mountains ran the northern edge of their continent, and beyond them were miles upon miles of thick icy snow leading to the top of the world were few ever ventured for lack of heat. The Goldenfire were the most northerly living of the clans, at the northern most point of the Ravenforge Mountains, and the clan was scattered in groups of families ranging in size from 50 to 2 or 3 hundred all along the Ravenforge. All told there were several thousand in Hardluck’s clan, perhaps as many as 10 thousand his uncle Robust once claimed.

‘Let’s do the Firestorm,’ yelled Stormfire. He was named after the firestorm, and it was one of his favourite activities, but of course it always took a lot of energy. ‘Come on Hardluck, you can be the funnel.’
Hardluck groaned, but agreed to his cousin’s request.

7 of the angels got together in a circle on the summit and Stormfire signalled for Hardluck to take to the skies just above the circle. ‘You ready Hardluck?’ yelled Stormfire. Hardluck nodded. Suddenly Stormfire started breathing fire upwards towards a central point near Hardluck and soon the other dragons’ followed him, all breathing fire towards the central point. When the flames were all burning Hardluck used his Psionic mind powers and, gathering the flames into a ball, concentrating on keeping them gathered, he waited until Stormfire yelled ‘NOW’ and let the ball of flame burst upwards into a magmatic silvery streak which blasted upwards, miles into the atmosphere.

The dragons watched as the flames belted upwards, gradually dissipating into the skies far above them. ‘That was, amazing,’ said Stormfire and the other dragons all yelled words of boast. Hardluck returned to the pack, his mind suddenly quite exhausted from having used so much of his Psionic power at once, and said to the group, ‘We best get home now. I am exhausted.’
Stormfire looked at him, was about to suggest something funny, but thought better of it, giving his cousin a break for a change. ‘Come on then,’ he yelled to the group. Hardluck is right. Let’s go home.’

They took to the skies, floating back down towards the camp, and as Hardluck glided downwards, his mind starting to recover, he wondered to himself once again just how powerful that Firestorm could be if the whole clan was involved. ‘I might find out one day,’ he thought to himself. ‘Maybe one day.’

*   *   *

Hardluck lay on the grass, under the forest trees of their camp, in the section set aside for his mother ‘Greentree’, his sister ‘Blackrock’ and himself. He was snoozing in the morning sun, half awake, half asleep and just enjoying himself. He’d had lovely dreams that morning, flying high in the skies, the envy of all the other dragons for his flying prowess. And then a rare aqua coloured dragon had appeared, called herself ‘Gemstone’ and said she greatly admired him. And then he had woken, happy as he could be.

He lay there, luxuriating in the warm spring sun, thinking over what he might get up to for the day’s activities. He had eaten the other day and would not need to eat for a while, but if he over-exerted himself he might have to eat soon. His spring days were filled, more often than not, with his explorations of the Ravenforge range and the valleys below. At times he was with the group of young male dragon’s his own age, but more often than not he was snubbed and deemed not quite as cool as the other dragon’s, who all seemed to follow his cousin Stormfire’s lead. In ways he envied Stormfire. He was an elegant gold and silver speckled dragon, the pride of his uncle Robust. Many felt, naturally, that one day Stormfire would take over from Robust as the head of the family for the Goldenfire Clan in this region. In fact, it seemed it was naturally assumed by all. Robust expected it – his mother expected it – and while Hardluck had fantasies of leading the family and being a dragon of worth, he suspected such glories would surely bypass him. But such was life – you didn’t always get what you wanted.

Sitting there his mind drifted back to his youth when his father ‘Ravage’ was still alive. Ravage had been the family leader but, when he had died in combat with a dragon from a southerly clan, Robust had replaced him. In his short few years with Hardluck, Ravage had taught his son that leadership qualities had to come from within and, while they could be taught somewhat, could only really be learned in the heart through a life of struggle. But Ravage had always said he believed in his son and that, when the trials of life had shown his merit, he would be left standing tall. Hardluck missed his father and thought on those words of encouragement often. And while he felt he was still growing up and becoming a strong and proud dragon, he realized he still had a long way to go. But one day he would make his father proud of him – he was sure of that.

Blackrock, his younger sister, came over and laid her head on Hardluck’s back. ‘Tell me another story, Hardluck. You tell such good ones.’
‘You never seem to get tired of my stories, sister. But I only know so many.’
‘Then tell me one you have told aforetimes. About the grand Black Dragon.’
‘Oh, alright.’ Hardluck rose up onto his legs and sat before his sister, beginning his tale.
‘The Black Dragon was a fierce and bold dragon. He was feared throughout all Draxonis for his might in war, and his majestic looks. But he had a soft heart, and the lovely white dragon ‘Gemma’ from a southern clan loved him and sought him out for mating. But the Green Dragon was jealous, and challenged the Black Dragon for mating rights. They fought. Long and hard did they fight, snorting fire, striking claw, drawing blood. But the Black Dragon was stronger, and emerged the victor. And the Green Dragon, retreating home, knew he had been bested and felt the shame of his defeat. And the Black Dragon and the White Dragon mated and had many offspring, and their legend, so they say, will never be soon forgotten.’
Blackrock clapped her claws, and rubbed her neck against her brother. ‘You tell such good tales. Thank you Hardluck.’ A mischievous look came into her eyes. ‘Let’s go for a swim. Down in the stream. It’s a warm day, so it would be nice.’
‘Oh, alright. I was enjoying my snoozing, but you talked me into it.’ The two of them took off, to the skies, flying down the valley a little to the flowing stream. A few others from their family were there, and they came into the water, splashing merrily. They were having such a good time, splashing away, playing with each other, that Hardluck hardly noticed a very new dragon coming into the stream to sip water. But Blackrock noticed.
‘Oh, who is she?’ said the startled Blackrock. ‘Her colours. She is so beautiful.’ Hardluck looked to were his sister was pointing and gasped. It was the Aqua coloured dragon from his dream.’
‘We hardly get other dragons up here. Shall we go talk to her?’ asked Blackrock.
‘Uh, I guess,’ responded Hardluck, who looked nervous.

As they approached the Aqua coloured dragon, who left off her watering to look at those approaching, Blackrock in her innocence said ‘Hi. I’m Blackrock. This is Hardluck. Who are you?’
The Aqua coloured dragon looked at them momentarily and then, seeming to decide that she didn’t want to talk, waded out of the river and departed.
‘What was her problem?’ asked Blackrock. ‘She could have at least said hello.’
‘Perhaps she is new around here, and was nervous,’ responded Hardluck.
‘Let’s go tell mum about her.’
‘Oh, ok,’ responded Hardluck. As they made there way out of the river and took to the skies to return to their mother Hardluck looked back, puzzled. This was generally the homeland of the Goldenfire clan, and while it was not strictly forbidden for other clans to hunt on their territory, it was usually asked beforehand at the council each year. Perhaps she was just lost. Perhaps there was no family with her. All sorts of questions ran through Hardluck’s head, but mostly he was curious about meeting the beautiful dragon from his dreams.

*   *   *

Greentree considered her children’s words. ‘Well, yes. It is unusual. I think that you two should take it unto yourselves to tell uncle Robust if you are worried. But we occasionally get other dragons from other clans roaming around here. I don’t think it is an issue of concern, children.
‘But she was so beautiful,’ said Blackrock. ‘What if she is lost?’
‘And how are those two points connected?’ queried her mother, to which Blackrock stuttered she didn’t know. ‘As I see it, the world of Draxonis is open to all of dragonkind and we are to live in harmony with each other. Certainly there are traditional hunting grounds for various clans, but they are tradition only. Not law.’
‘Yes mother,’ responded Blackrock.
‘So, she was beautiful was she?’ Greentree asked Hardluck. Hardluck shyly nodded, but said nothing.
‘Perhaps you may see more of her, Hardluck.’

They left off pestering their mother, and went off to play around the large clearing, but all afternoon Hardluck could not get the beautiful dragon off his mind and, that night, as he dreamed, the dragon again appeared to him and rubbed her neck against his. It really was quite a comforting dream.
The End For Now

I hope you enjoy and I welcome fanfiction wholeheartedly.
Daniel Daly
Canberra, Australia
2014 CE

Daniel Daly

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Jan 18, 2014, 11:39:23 AM1/18/14

Reform Karaite Gentiles

Hi. Daniel Here. Here is a work of fanfiction I now make available for the Reform Karaite Gentile community. This can serve as the Canon base for other works of canon-complian fanfiction set in this universe. When Robert Harris (the author of the Hannibal Lecter books) dies, 70 years after his death the books become public domain. Fanfiction is generally acceptable these days anyway.

Hannibal Lecter - Monster

By
Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

© 6176 SC / 2012 CE by Reform Karaite Gentiles Books & Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

‘Tell me,’ began Jack Crawford. ‘Living in this cell. Does it feel like home?’
‘Your curious wit,’ began Hannibal Lecter, ‘Is beneath you, Jack. Still, the intellectual capacities ingrained into you by the dimwits above you shouldn’t really surprise me. You’re a cop, after all. Aren’t you Jack?’
‘A servant,’ commented Jack Crawford, from the other side of the glass, glaring at Hannibal. It was not a glare of respect. It could never be that.
‘One questions just who you serve.’
‘The people,’ responded Jack Crawford, the bible held steadily in his right hand on his lap, staring down this devil.
‘The people,’ mocked Hannibal, smiling dementedly. ‘All for the love of the people. $450 a week, after taxes, a modest home, forgive me. Unit. A wife who won’t give you head like she used to. A cocaine addicted son, and a prostitute for a daughter who tells you to go fuck yourself and your damned Christian church. I mean, you have found faith? Haven’t you, Jack?’
‘I’m not married,’ commented Jack Crawford.
‘No. I didn’t think so,’ said Hannibal, staring at him from his dark solitude. Staring at his adversary.
Jack held the remote control upwards, and pointed it at the box in the cell. The volume came up a little. Benny Hinn, today.
‘Pentecostalism,’ commented Hannibal cynically. ‘The heart of your evangelical world.’
‘Jesus forgives,’ said Jack Crawford, born again member of the Pentecostal Church of the Living God.
‘Jesus,’ said Hannibal. ‘When I was a lad, I came to terms with him. I liked him,’ he said, with the slightest tone of crudity on the word liked.
‘Jesus loves you,’ said Jack.
‘I never met him,’ said Hannibal coldly.
‘Jesus knows everyone,’ said Jack Crawford.
‘The power of the divine. If it really exists,’ the same crudity on the word really.
‘You welcome hell?’ queried Jack.
Hannibal stared at him. He was a psychologist. Cold, hard, clinical. Atheistic. Hell, now. That was a fantasy for grown ups, wasn’t it.
‘Tell me, Jack. In all your Christian virtue, do you still get a hard on?’
Jack remained silent, not commenting.
‘Does Miss Starling come to you? In your dreams, Jack? Does she touch you, there? Were you want her too? Does she, Jack?’
‘I don’t see a need to talk about Clarice.’
‘Clarice, is it, Jack. Now why doesn’t that surprise me.’
Silence came over the cell. There seemed, at that point, an emptiness in the conversation, which seemed wanting to cascade into a fierce heated debate on the person of Clarice Starling. A person held very, very , dear. To not just one of those present.

‘Clarice is a fine agent. The FBI are proud of her.’
‘Proud enough to touch her, Jack. To touch her, there. Against protocol. Against policy. Or does your ‘Jesus’ virtue deny your dick, Jack? Does it?’
Jack said nothing, clutching at the King James Bible.
‘Clarice is a good woman,’ said jack.
‘With a vagina,’ responded Hannibal instantly.
Hannibal looked at his opponent. ‘Do you dream about that? Do you Jack? Miss Starlings Vagina?’
‘I knew you were a serial killer. I didn’t know you were also a leech.’
‘Forgive me, Jack,’ said Hannibal, somewhat apologetically. ‘But you are only human, aren’t you Jack. Only flesh,’ he paused, looking upwards, before returning a dreadful lustful gaze, saying, ‘and blood.’
Jack Crawford stared at the face of evil, pointed the remote, turned the volume up to maximum, and left the cell of Hannibal Lecter, the demented face of evil looking dispassionately at Benny Hinn on his Indian crusade, before looking away.

* * * * *

‘Maybe he’s right, Jack.’
Jack clutched at the bible. ‘It’s not a crutch.’
‘Religion. It’s hardly our profession. We’re serious men. University men. We know better.’
‘The higher power. It….’ He left off. ‘ It did something in my life. At that altar.’
‘Or you wanted it to. To justify yourself. To tell yourself, your Jack. You’re the good guy. Hannibal is the evil one. You’re a saint, he’s a sinner.’
‘Moral relativity?’ queried Jack.
‘Scruples are not good for our profession,’ Jack, continued his therapist. ‘A higher power? I mean, is that really relevant? For men like us? Does that matter? A hole, in your heart. A yearning, which needs love, affection. That lies there, and that King James fills it. But we leave it in the end, Jack. We get the hell over it, so to speak.’
‘There’s something there,’ murmured Jack Crawford, clutching even more strongly at the leather bound tome in his hands.’
The doctor looked at his patient. This didn’t surprise him. Nervous breakdowns were common. He, himself, was deistic ultimately. A higher power explained his own questions, but it was not the focus. Morality was inherent in the design. The way they had come to be. But obsession over it, in this doctor’s eyes, had ruined more souls than it had ever saved. Souls who had been upright citizens of their country, lost on obsessions of puritanism, a drug that had infested his nation far too long.
‘Get the hell over it, Jack. Life goes on. Whatever you think you need in that book doesn’t matter that much in the eyes of eternity.’
‘Then what does?’
The psychologist remained silent. He had answers. Jack needed his own. He offered a thought, though. ‘Whatever is out there, Crawford, in the end, scum like Hannibal Lecter will get what is coming to them, and good guys, like us, well….. Well, if more is to come, then so be it.’
Jack nodded, coldly. But, yeah. Whatever it was. Whatever was at that altar, he would let it be now. He served a purpose. He served a point. If he really needed faith, then…….Well all in God’s good time.

Later that afternoon, he sat down in a park not far from home, looked at one last verse in the bible, a quote from genesis. ‘The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil’. He underlined it with a marker, left the bible on his bench seat, and walked off. He had his answers. He had enough answers. And whatever he was, as a man, Hannibal Lecter was not. That much, deep, deep down, he knew enough to be true.

* * * * *

[Tobit 1]
{1:1} Tobit was from the tribe and city of Naphtali (which is in the upper parts of Galilee above Asher, after the way, which leads to the west, that has on its left the city of Sephet).
{1:2} Although he had been taken captive in the days of Shalmaneser, the king of the Assyrians, even in such a situation as captivity, he did not desert the way of truth.
{1:3} So then, every day, all that he was able to obtain, he bestowed on his fellow captive brothers, who were from his kindred.
{1:4} And, when he was among the youngest of any in the tribe of Naphtali, he showed not so much as any childish behavior in his work.
{1:5} And then, when all went to the golden calves which Jeroboam, king of Israel, had made, he alone fled from the company of them all.
{1:6} Yet he continued on to Jerusalem, to the temple of the Lord, and there he adored the Lord God of Israel, offering faithfully all his first-fruits and his tithes.
{1:7} So then, in the third year, he administered all his tithes to new converts and to new arrivals.
{1:8} These and similar such things, even as a boy, he observed according to the law of God.
{1:9} Truly, when he had become a man, he received as wife Anna of his own tribe, and he conceived a son by her, to whom he assigned his own name.
{1:10} From his infancy, he taught him to fear God and to abstain from all sin.
{1:11} Therefore, when, during the captivity, he had arrived with his wife and son at the city of Nineveh, with all his tribe,
{1:12} (even though they all ate from the foods of the Gentiles,) he guarded his soul and never was contaminated with their foods.
{1:13} And because he was mindful of the Lord with his whole heart, God gave him favor in the sight of Shalmaneser the king.
{1:14} And he gave him the power to go wherever he would want, having the freedom to do whatever he wished.
{1:15} Therefore, he continued on to all who were in captivity, and he gave them helpful advice.
{1:16} But when he had arrived at Rages, a city of the Medes, he had ten talents of silver, from that which he had been given in honor by the king.
{1:17} And when, in the midst of the great tumult of his kindred, he saw the destitution of Gabael, who was from his tribe, he loaned him, under a written agreement, the aforementioned weight of silver.
{1:18} In truth, after a long time, Shalmaneser the king died, while Sennacherib his son reigned in his place, and he held a hatred for the sons of Israel.
{1:19} Every day, Tobit traveled through all his own people, and he consoled them, and he distributed to each one as much as he could from his resources.
{1:20} He nourished the hungry, and he supplied clothes to the naked, and he showed concern for the burial of the dead and of the slain.
{1:21} And then, when king Sennacherib had returned from Judea, fleeing the scourge which God had caused all around him because of his blasphemy, and, being angry, he was slaughtering many from the sons of Israel, Tobit buried their bodies.
{1:22} And when it was reported to the king, he ordered him to be slain, and he took away all his belongings.
{1:23} In truth, Tobit, fleeing with nothing but his son and his wife, was able to remain hidden because many loved him.
{1:24} In truth, after forty-five days, the king was slain by his own sons,
{1:25} and Tobit was able to return to his house, and all his resources were restored to him.

[Tobit 2]
{2:1} In truth, after this, when there was a feast day of the Lord, and a good dinner had been prepared in the house of Tobit,
{2:2} he said to his son: “Go, and bring some others who fear God from our tribe to feast with us.”
{2:3} And after he had gone, returning, he reported to him that one of the sons of Israel, with his throat cut, was lying in the street. And immediately, he leapt from his place reclining at table, left behind his dinner, and went forth with fasting to the body.
{2:4} And taking it up, he carried it in secret to his house, so that, after the sun had set, he might bury him cautiously.
{2:5} And after he had hidden the body, he chewed his bread with mourning and fear,
{2:6} remembering the word that the Lord spoke through the prophet Amos: “Your feast days shall be turned into lamentation and mourning.”
{2:7} Truly, when the sun had set, he went out, and he buried him.
{2:8} Yet all his neighbors argued with him, saying: “Now, an order was given to execute you because of this matter, and you barely escaped a death sentence, and again you are burying the dead?”
{2:9} But Tobit, fearing God more than the king, stole away the bodies of the slain and concealed them in his house, and in the middle of the night, he buried them.
{2:10} But it happened one day, being tired from burying the dead, he came into his house, and he threw himself down next to the wall, and he slept.
{2:11} And, as he was sleeping, warm droppings from a swallow’s nest fell upon his eyes, and he was made blind.
{2:12} And so the Lord permitted this trial to befall him, in order that an example might be given to posterity of his patience, which is even like that of holy Job.
{2:13} For, even from his infancy, he had always feared God and kept his commandments, so he was not discouraged before God because of the scourge of blindness that had befallen him.
{2:14} But he remained immoveable in the fear of God, giving thanks to God all the days of his life.
{2:15} For just as kings have mocked blessed Job, so also his relatives and acquaintances ridiculed his life, saying:
{2:16} “Where is your hope, on behalf of which you gave alms and buried the dead?”
{2:17} In truth, Tobit corrected them, saying: “Do not speak in this way,
{2:18} for we are the sons of the holy ones, and we look forward to that life which God will give to those who never change in their faith before him.”
{2:19} In truth, his wife Anna went out to weaving work daily, and she brought back the provisions that she was able to obtain by the labor of her hands.
{2:20} Whereupon it happened that, having received a young goat, she brought it home.
{2:21} When her husband heard the sound of its bleating, he said, “Look, so that it might not be stolen, return it to its owners, for it is not lawful for us either to eat, or to touch, anything stolen.”
{2:22} At this, his wife, being angry, answered, “Clearly, your hope has become vanity, and the manner of your almsgiving has become apparent.”
{2:23} And with these and other similar such words, she reproached him.

[Tobit 3]
{3:1} Then Tobit sighed, and he began to pray with tears,
{3:2} saying, “O Lord, you are just and all your judgments are just, and all your ways are mercy, and truth, and judgment.
{3:3} And now, O Lord, remember me, and do not take vengeance for my sins, and do not call to mind my offenses, nor those of my parents.
{3:4} For we have not obeyed your precepts, and so we have been handed over to plundering and to captivity, and to death, and to mockery, and as a disgrace before all the nations, among which you have dispersed us.
{3:5} And now, O Lord, great are your judgments. For we have not acted according to your precepts, and we have not walked sincerely before you.
{3:6} And now, O Lord, do with me according to your will, and order my spirit to be received in peace. For it is more expedient for me to die, than to live.”
{3:7} And so, on the same day, it happened that Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, in Rages, a city of the Medes, also heard a reproach from one of her father’s servant maids.
{3:8} For she had been given to seven husbands, and a demon named Asmodeus had killed them, as soon as they had approached her.
{3:9} Therefore, when she corrected the maid for her fault, she answered her, saying, “May we never see son or daughter from you upon the earth, you murderess of your husbands.
{3:10} Would you also kill me, just as you have already killed seven husbands?” At these words, she proceeded to an upper room of her house. And for three days and three nights, she did not eat or drink.
{3:11} But, continuing in prayer with tears, she beseeched God, so that he would liberate her from this reproach.
{3:12} And it happened on the third day, while she was completing her prayer, blessing the Lord,
{3:13} that she said: “Blessed is your name, O God of our fathers, who, though you had been angry, will show mercy. And in time of tribulation, you dismiss the sins of those who call upon you.
{3:14} To you, O Lord, I turn my face; to you, I direct my eyes.
{3:15} I beg you, O Lord, that you may absolve me from the chains of this reproach, or at least take me away from the earth.
{3:16} You know, O Lord, that I have never coveted a husband, and I have preserved my soul clean from all impure desire.
{3:17} I have never mingled myself with those who play. And I have not presented myself as a participant with those who walk with levity.
{3:18} But I consented to accept a husband, in your fear, not in my lust.
{3:19} And, either I was unworthy of them, or they perhaps were not worthy of me. For perhaps you have preserved me for another husband.
{3:20} For your counsel is not within the ability of man.
{3:21} But all who worship you are certain of this: that one’s life, if it should be tested, shall be crowned, and if it should be in tribulation, shall be delivered, and if it should be corrected, shall be permitted to approach your mercy.
{3:22} For you are not delighted with our perdition. For, after a storm, you create tranquility, and after tears and weeping, you pour out exultation.
{3:23} May your name, O God of Israel, be blessed forever.”
{3:24} At that time, the prayers of them both were heard in the sight of the glory of the most high God.
{3:25} And the holy Angel of the Lord, Raphael, was sent to care for both of them, whose prayers were recited at the same time in the sight of the Lord.

[Tobit 4]
{4:1} Therefore, when Tobit considered that his prayer was heard, so that he might be able to die, he called his son Tobias to him.
{4:2} And he said to him: “My son, hear the words of my mouth, and set them, like a foundation, in your heart.
{4:3} When God will receive my soul, bury my body. And you shall honor your mother, all the days of her life.
{4:4} For you are obliged to be mindful of what great perils she suffered because of you in her womb.
{4:5} But when she too will have completed the time of her life, bury her near me.
{4:6} Yet, for all the days of your life, have God in your mind. And be careful that you never consent to sin, nor overlook the precepts of the Lord our God.
{4:7} Give alms from your substance, and do not turn away your face from any pauper. For so it shall be that neither will the face of the Lord be turned away from you.
{4:8} In whatever way that you are able, so shall you be merciful.
{4:9} If you have much, distribute abundantly. If you have little, nevertheless strive to bestow a little freely.
{4:10} For you store up for yourself a good reward for the day of necessity.
{4:11} For almsgiving liberates from every sin and from death, and it will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.
{4:12} Almsgiving will be a great act of faith before the most high God, for all those who practice it.
{4:13} Take care to keep yourself, my son, from all fornication, and, except for your wife, never permit yourself to know such an offense.
{4:14} Never permit arrogance to rule in your mind or in your words. For in it, all perdition had its beginning.
{4:15} And whoever has done any kind of work for you, immediately pay him his wages, and do not let the wages of your hired hand remain with you at all.
{4:16} Whatever you would hate to have done to you by another, see that you never do so to another.
{4:17} Eat your bread with the hungry and the needy, and cover the naked with your own garments.
{4:18} Set out your bread and your wine at the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink from it with sinners.
{4:19} Always seek the counsel of a wise man.
{4:20} Bless God at all times. And petition him that he direct your ways and that all your counsels may remain in him.
{4:21} And now, I reveal to you, my son, that I lent ten talents of silver, while you were still a young child, to Gabael, in Rages, a city of the Medes, and I have his written agreement with me.
{4:22} And so, inquire how you may travel to him and receive from him the aforementioned weight of silver, and return to him the written agreement.
{4:23} Do not be afraid, my son. We do indeed lead a poor life, but we will have many good things: if we fear God, and withdraw from all sin, and do what is good.”

[Tobit 5]
{5:1} Then Tobias responded to his father, and he said: “I will do everything just as you have instructed me, father.
{5:2} But I do not know how to obtain this money. He does not know me, and I do not know him. What proof shall I give to him? And I do not know any part of the way, which leads to that place.”
{5:3} Then his father answered him, and he said: “Indeed, I have a written agreement about that in my possession, which, when you show it to him, he will immediately repay it.
{5:4} But go out now, and inquire after some faithful man, who would go with you to keep you safe in return for his wages, so that you may receive it while I am still alive.”
{5:5} Then Tobias, departing, found a splendid young man, standing girded and seemingly ready for travel.
{5:6} And not knowing that he was an Angel of God, he greeted him, and he said, “Where are you from, good young man?”
{5:7} And so he answered, “From the sons of Israel.” And Tobias said to him, “Do you know the way that leads to the region of the Medes?”
{5:8} And he answered: “I know it. And I have frequently walked through all its paths, and I stayed with Gabael, our brother, who lives in Rages, a city of the Medes, which is situated at the mount of Ecbatana.”
{5:9} Tobias said to him, “I implore you, wait here for me, until I tell these same things to my father.”
{5:10} Then Tobias, entering, revealed all these things to his father. Upon which, his father, in admiration, asked that he would enter to him.
{5:11} And so, entering, he greeted him, and he said, “May gladness be always with you.”
{5:12} And Tobit said, “What kind of gladness will be for me, since I sit in darkness and do not see the light of heaven?”
{5:13} And the young man said to him, “Be steadfast in soul. Your cure from God is near.”
{5:14} And so Tobit said to him, “Are you able to lead my son to Gabael in Rages, a city of the Medes? And when you return, I will pay you your wages.”
{5:15} And the Angel said to him, “I will lead him, and I will bring him back to you.”
{5:16} And Tobit responded to him, “I ask you to tell me: which family or which tribe are you from?”
{5:17} And Raphael the Angel said, “Do you seek the family of the one you hire, or else the hired hand himself, to go with your son?
{5:18} But, lest perhaps I cause you to worry: I am Azariah, the son of Hananiah the great.”
{5:19} And Tobit responded, “You are from a great family. But I ask you, do not be angry that I wanted to know your family.”
{5:20} But the Angel said to him, “I will lead your son safely, and I will bring him back safely to you.”
{5:21} And so Tobit, answering, said, “May you walk well, and may God be with you on your journey, and may his Angel accompany you.”
{5:22} Then, when all things were ready which were to be carried on their journey, Tobias said farewell to his father, and to his mother, and the two of them walked together.
{5:23} And when they had set out, his mother began to weep, and to say: “You have taken the staff of our old age, and you have sent him away from us.
{5:24} I wish that the money, for which you sent him, had never been.
{5:25} For our poverty has been sufficient for us, so that we might count it as riches that we saw our son.”
{5:26} And Tobit said to her: “Do not weep. Our son will arrive safely, and he will return safely to us, and your eyes shall see him.
{5:27} For I believe that the good Angel of God accompanies him and that he orders all things well which occur around him, such that he will be returned to us with gladness.”
{5:28} At these words, his mother ceased weeping, and she was silent.

[Tobit 6]
{6:1} And so Tobias continued on, and the dog was following him, and he stayed at the first stopping point, near the river Tigris.
{6:2} And he went out to wash his feet, and behold, an immense fish came out to devour him.
{6:3} And Tobias, being frightened of it, cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Sir, it is attacking me!”
{6:4} And the Angel said to him, “Catch it by the gills, and draw it to you.” And when he had done so, he pulled it onto dry land, and it began to thrash before his feet.
{6:5} Then the Angel said to him: “Disembowel this fish, and put aside his heart, and his gall, and his liver for yourself. For these things are necessary as useful medicines.”
{6:6} And when he had done so, he roasted its flesh, and they took it with them on the way. The rest they salted, so that it might be sufficient for them, until they would arrive at Rages, a city of the Medes.
{6:7} Then Tobias questioned the Angel, and he said to him, “I implore you, brother Azariah, to tell me what remedies these things hold, which you have told me to retain from the fish?”
{6:8} And the Angel, answering, said to him: “If you put a little piece of its heart on burning coals, its smoke will drive away all kinds of demons, whether from a man or from a woman, so that they will no longer approach them.
{6:9} And the gall is useful for anointing the eyes, in which there may be a white speck, and they will be cured.”
{6:10} And Tobias said to him, “Where do you prefer that we stay?”
{6:11} And the Angel, responding, said: “Here is one named Raguel, a man closely related to you from your tribe, and he has a daughter named Sarah, but he has no other male or female, except her.
{6:12} All his livelihood is dependent upon you, and you ought to take her to yourself in marriage.
{6:13} Therefore, ask for her from her father, and he will give her to you as wife.”
{6:14} Then Tobias responded, and he said: “I hear that she has been given to seven husbands, and they passed away. But I have even heard this: that a demon killed them.
{6:15} Therefore, I am afraid, lest this may happen to me also. And since I am the only child of my parents, I might send their old age with sorrow to the grave.”
{6:16} Then the Angel Raphael said to him: “Listen to me, and I will reveal to you who they are, over whom the demon can prevail.
{6:17} For example, those who receive marriage in such manner as to exclude God from themselves and from their mind, and in such a manner as to empty themselves to their lust, like the horse and mule, which have no understanding, over them the demon has power.
{6:18} But you, when you will have accepted her, enter the bedroom and for three days keep yourself continent from her, and empty yourself to nothing other than prayers with her.
{6:19} Moreover, on that night, burn the liver of the fish like incense, and the demon will be put to flight.
{6:20} In truth, on the second night, you will become ready to receive a physical union like that of the holy Patriarchs.
{6:21} And then, on the third night, you will obtain a blessing, so that healthy children may be procreated from you both.
{6:22} And so, the third night having been accomplished, you will receive the virgin with the fear of the Lord, led more by love of children than by physical desire, so that, as the offspring of Abraham, you will then obtain a blessing in children.

[Tobit 7]
{7:1} And so they went to Raguel, and Raguel received them with gladness.
{7:2} And Raguel, gazing upon Tobias, said to Anna his wife, “How much like my cousin is this young man!”
{7:3} And when he had spoken this, he said, “Which of our brethren are you from, young men?”
{7:4} But they said, “We are from the tribe of Naphtali, from the captivity of Nineveh.”
{7:5} And Raguel said to them, “Do you know my brother Tobit?” They said to him, “We know him.”
{7:6} And since he was saying many good things about him, the Angel said to Raguel, “The Tobit about whom you inquire is the father of this young man.”
{7:7} And Raguel threw himself towards him and kissed him with tears and weeping upon his neck, saying, “May a blessing be upon you, my son, because you are the son of a good and most noble man.”
{7:8} And his wife Anna, and their daughter Sarah, were weeping.
{7:9} And so, after they had spoken, Raguel instructed a sheep to be killed, and a feast to be prepared. And when he exhorted them to recline for dinner,
{7:10} Tobias said, “Here, today, I will not eat or drink, unless you first confirm my petition, and promise to give Sarah your daughter to me.”
{7:11} When Raguel heard this word, he became afraid, knowing what had befallen those seven men, who had approached her. And he began to fear, lest it might happen to him also in the same way. And, since he wavered and gave no further response to the petition,
{7:12} the Angel said to him: “Do not be afraid to give her to this one, because this one fears God. He is obliged to be joined to your daughter. Because of this, no other one could have her.”
{7:13} Then Raguel said: “I do not doubt that God has admitted my prayers and tears before his sight.
{7:14} And I believe, therefore, that he has caused you to come to me, so that this one might be joined in marriage to one of her own kindred, according to the law of Moses. And now, do not continue to doubt that I will give her to you.”
{7:15} And taking the right hand of his daughter, he gave it into the right hand of Tobias, saying, “May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob be with you. And may he join you together in marriage and fulfill his blessing in you.”
{7:16} And taking paper, they made a written record of the marriage.
{7:17} And after this, they feasted, blessing God.
{7:18} And Raguel called his wife Anna to him, and he instructed her to prepare another bedroom.
{7:19} And she brought her daughter Sarah into it, and she was weeping.
{7:20} And she said to her, “Be steadfast in spirit, my daughter. May the Lord of heaven give you gladness in place of the grief that you have had to endure.”

[Tobit 8]
{8:1} In truth, after they had dined, they introduced the young man to her.
{8:2} And so, Tobias, remembering the word of the Angel, took part of the liver from his bag, and he placed it over the live coals.
{8:3} Then the Angel Raphael caught the demon, and bound him in the desert of upper Egypt.
{8:4} Then Tobias exhorted the virgin, and he said to her: “Sarah, get up and let us pray to God this day, and tomorrow, and the following day. For, during these three nights, we are being joined to God. And then, when the third night has passed, we ourselves will be joined together.
{8:5} For certainly, we are the children of the saints, and we must not be joined together in such a manner as the heathens, who are ignorant of God.”
{8:6} And so, rising up together, they both prayed earnestly, at the same time, that health might be given to them.
{8:7} And Tobias said: “Lord, the God of our fathers, may the heavens and the earth bless you, and the sea, and the fountains, and the rivers, and all your creatures that are in them.
{8:8} You formed Adam from the mud of the earth, and you gave Eve to him as a helper.
{8:9} And now, O Lord, you know that I take my sister in conjugal union, not by reason of worldly pleasure, but solely for the love of posterity, in which your name may be blessed forever and ever.”
{8:10} Sarah likewise said, “Be merciful to us, O Lord, be merciful to us. And let us both grow old together in health.”
{8:11} And it happened, about the time of the rooster’s crowing, that Raguel ordered his servants to be summoned, and they went out with him together to dig a grave.
{8:12} For he said, “Lest perhaps, in the same way, it may have happened to him, as it did also to the other seven men who approached her.”
{8:13} And when they had prepared the pit, Raguel returned to his wife, and he said to her,
{8:14} “Send one of your maids, and let her see if he is dead, so that I may bury him before the dawn of day.”
{8:15} And so, she sent one of her maidservants, who entered the bedroom and discovered them safe and unharmed, sleeping both together.
{8:16} And returning, she reported the good news. And they blessed the Lord: Raguel, especially, and his wife Anna.
{8:17} And they said: “We bless you, Lord God of Israel, because it has not happened in the way that we thought it might.
{8:18} For you have acted in your mercy toward us, and you have excluded from us the enemy who pursued us.
{8:19} Moreover, you have had compassion on two only children. Make them, O Lord, able to bless you more fully and to offer you a sacrifice of your praise and of their health, so that all peoples everywhere may know that you alone are God in all the earth.”
{8:20} And immediately Raguel instructed his servants to refill the pit, which they had made, before daylight.
{8:21} And then he told his wife to make ready a feast, and to prepare all the provisions that are necessary for those who undertake a journey.
{8:22} Likewise, he caused two fat cows and four rams to be killed, and a banquet to be prepared for all his neighbors and every one of his friends.
{8:23} And Raguel pleaded with Tobias to delay with him for two weeks.
{8:24} Moreover, of all the things that Raguel possessed, he gave one half part to Tobias, and he made a writing, so that the half that remained should also pass into the ownership of Tobias, after their deaths.

[Tobit 9]
{9:1} Then Tobias called the Angel to him, whom he indeed considered to be a man, and he said to him: “Brother Azariah, I implore you to listen to my words:
{9:2} If I should give myself to be your servant, I would not be equally worthy of your providence.
{9:3} Even so, I beg you to take with you beasts or even servants, and to go to Gabael in Rages, the city of the Medes, and restore to him his handwritten note, and receive from him the money, and petition him to come to my wedding celebration.
{9:4} For you know that my father numbers the days. And if I delay one day more, his soul will be afflicted.
{9:5} And surely you see how Raguel has obtained my oath, an oath that I am not able to spurn.”
{9:6} Then Raphael borrowed four of the servants of Raguel, and two camels, and he traveled to Rages, the city of the Medes. And upon finding Gabael, he gave him his handwritten note, and he received from him all the money.
{9:7} And he revealed to him, concerning Tobias the son of Tobit, all that had been done. And he made him come with him to the wedding celebration.
{9:8} And when he had entered into the house of Raguel, he discovered Tobias reclining at table. And leaping up, they kissed each other. And Gabael wept, and he blessed God.
{9:9} And he said: “May the God of Israel bless you, for you are the son of a man most noble and just, fearing God and performing almsgiving.
{9:10} And may a blessing be spoken over your wife and over your parents.
{9:11} And may you see your sons, and the sons of your sons, even to the third and fourth generation. And may your offspring be blessed by the God of Israel, who reigns forever and ever.”
{9:12} And when all had said, “Amen,” they approached the feast. But they also celebrated the marriage feast with the fear of the Lord.

[Tobit 10]
{10:1} In truth, when Tobias was delayed because of the marriage celebration, his father Tobit was worried, saying: “Why do you think my son is delayed, or why has he been detained there?
{10:2} Do you think that Gabael has died, and that no one will repay him the money?”
{10:3} And so he began to be exceedingly sad, both he and his wife Anna with him. And they both began to weep together, because their son did not at least return to them on the appointed day.
{10:4} But his mother wept inconsolable tears, and also said: “Woe, woe to me, O my son. Why did we send you to journey far away, you: the light of our eyes, the staff of our old age, the solace of our life, the hope of our posterity?
{10:5} Having all things together as one in you, we ought not to have dismissed you from us.”
{10:6} And Tobit was saying to her: “Be calm, and do not be troubled. Our son is safe. That man, with whom we sent him, is faithful enough.”
{10:7} Yet she was by no means able to be consoled. But, leaping up every day, she looked all round, and traveled around all the ways, by which there seemed any hope that he might return, so that she might possibly see him coming from afar.
{10:8} In truth, Raguel said to his son-in-law, “Remain here, and I will send a message of your health to your father Tobit.”
{10:9} And Tobias said to him, “I know that my father and my mother have now counted the days, and their spirit must be tortured within them.”
{10:10} And when Raguel had repeatedly petitioned Tobias, and he was by no means willing to listen to him, he delivered Sarah to him, and half of all his substance: with men and women servants, with sheep, camels, and cows, and with much money. And he dismissed him away, in safety and gladness, from him,
{10:11} saying: “May the holy Angel of the Lord be with your journey, and may he lead you through unharmed, and may you discover that all is right concerning your parents, and may my eyes see your sons before I die.”
{10:12} And the parents, taking hold of their daughter, kissed her and let her go:
{10:13} admonishing her to honor her father-in-law, to love her husband, to guide the family, to govern the household, and to behave irreproachably herself.

[Tobit 11]
{11:1} And as they were returning, they came through to Haran, which is in the middle of the journey, opposite Nineveh, on the eleventh day.
{11:2} And the Angel said: “Brother Tobias, you know how you left behind your father.
{11:3} And so, if it pleases you, let us go on ahead, and let the family follow after us with a slower step, together with your bride, and with the animals.”
{11:4} And since it pleased him to go on in this way, Raphael said to Tobias, “Take with you from the gall of the fish, for it will be necessary.” And so, Tobias took from its gall, and he went ahead.
{11:5} But Anna sat beside the way every day, on the top of a hill, from where she would be able to see for a long distance.
{11:6} And while she was watching for his arrival from that place, she looked far off, and soon she realized that her son was approaching. And running, she reported it to her husband, saying: “Behold, your son arrives.”
{11:7} And Raphael said to Tobias: “As soon as you enter into your house, immediately adore the Lord your God. And, giving thanks to him, approach your father, and kiss him.
{11:8} And immediately anoint his eyes from this gall of the fish, which you carry with you. For you should know that his eyes will soon be opened, and your father will see the light of heaven, and he will rejoice at the sight of you.”
{11:9} Then the dog, which had been with them in the way, ran ahead, and, arriving like a messenger, he showed his joy by fawning and wagging his tail.
{11:10} And rising up, his blind father began to run, stumbling with his feet. And giving his hand to a servant, he ran on to meet his son.
{11:11} And receiving him, he kissed him, as did his wife, and they both began to weep for joy.
{11:12} And when they had adored God and had given thanks, they sat down together.
{11:13} Then Tobias, taking from the gall of the fish, anointed his father’s eyes.
{11:14} And about half an hour passed, and then a white film began to come out of his eyes, like the membrane of an egg.
{11:15} So, taking hold of it, Tobias pulled it away from his eyes, and immediately he received his sight.
{11:16} And they glorified God: Tobit especially, and his wife, and all those who knew him.
{11:17} And Tobit said, “I bless you, O Lord God of Israel, because you have chastised me, and you have saved me, and behold, I see my son Tobias.”
{11:18} And then, after seven days, Sarah, the wife of his son, and all the family arrived safely, along with the sheep, and the camels, and much money from his wife, but also with that money which he had received from Gabael.
{11:19} And he explained to his parents all the benefits from God, which he had produced all around him, by means of the man who had led him.
{11:20} And then Ahikar and Nadab arrived, the maternal first cousins of Tobias, rejoicing for Tobias, and congratulating with him for all the good things that God had revealed all around him.
{11:21} And for seven days they feasted, and all were rejoicing with great joy.

[Tobit 12]
{12:1} Then Tobit called his son to him, and he said to him, “What are we able to give to this holy man, who accompanied you?”
{12:2} Tobias, answering, said to his father: “Father, what wages shall we give him? And what could be worthy of his benefits?
{12:3} He led me and he brought me back safely. He received the money from Gabael. He caused me to have my wife. And he confined the demon away from her. He caused joy to her parents. Myself, he rescued from being devoured by the fish. As for you, he also caused you to see the light of heaven. And so, we have been filled with all good things through him. What could we possibly give to him that would be worthy of these things?
{12:4} But I implore you, my father, to ask him if he would perhaps deign to take for himself half of all the things that have been brought.”
{12:5} And calling him, the father especially, and the son, they took him aside. And they began to petition him, so that he would deign to accept ownership of one half part of all things that they had brought.
{12:6} Then he said to them privately: “Bless the God of heaven, and confess to him in the sight of all who live, for he has acted in his mercy toward you.
{12:7} For it is good to conceal the secret of a king, just as it is also honorable to reveal and to confess the works of God.
{12:8} Prayer with fasting is good, and almsgiving is better than hiding away gold in storage.
{12:9} For almsgiving delivers from death, and the same is what purges sins and makes one able to find mercy and everlasting life.
{12:10} But those who commit sin and iniquity are enemies to their own soul.
{12:11} Therefore, I reveal the truth to you, and I will not hide the explanation from you.
{12:12} When you prayed with tears, and buried the dead, and left behind your dinner, and hid the dead by day in your house, and buried them by night: I offered your prayer to the Lord.
{12:13} And because you were acceptable to God, it was necessary for you to be tested by trials.
{12:14} And now, the Lord has sent me to cure you, and to free Sarah, your son’s wife, from the demon.
{12:15} For I am the Angel Raphael, one of seven, who stand before the Lord.”
{12:16} And when they had heard these things, they were troubled, and being seized with fear, they fell upon the ground on their face.
{12:17} And the Angel said to them: “Peace be to you. Fear not.
{12:18} For when I was with you, I was there by the will of God. Bless him, and sing to him.
{12:19} Indeed, I seemed to eat and drink with you, but I make use of an invisible food and drink, which cannot be seen by men.
{12:20} Therefore, it is time that I return to him who sent me. But as for you, bless God, and describe all his wonders.”
{12:21} And when he had said these things, he was taken from their sight, and they were not able to see him any longer.
{12:22} Then, lying prostrate for three hours upon their face, they blessed God. And rising up, they described all his wonders.

[Tobit 13]
{13:1} And so, the elder Tobit, opening his mouth, blessed the Lord, and he said: “O Lord, you are great in eternity and your kingdom is with all ages.
{13:2} For you scourge, and you save. You lead down to the grave, and you bring up again. And there is no one who can escape from your hand.
{13:3} Confess to the Lord, O sons of Israel, and praise him in the sight of the nations.
{13:4} For, indeed, he has dispersed you among the Gentiles, who are ignorant of him, that you may proclaim his wonders, and that you may cause them to know that there is no other almighty God, except him.
{13:5} He has chastised us because of our iniquities, and he will save us because of his mercy.
{13:6} Therefore, look upon what he has done for us, and, with fear and trembling, confess to him. And extol the King of all ages with your works.
{13:7} But as for me, I will confess him in the land of my captivity. For he has revealed his majesty within a sinful nation.
{13:8} And so, be converted, you sinners, and do justice in the presence of God, believing that he will act in his mercy toward you.
{13:9} But I and my soul will rejoice in him.
{13:10} Bless the Lord, all you his elect. Keep days of rejoicing, and confess to him.
{13:11} O Jerusalem, the city of God, the Lord has chastised you for the works of your hands.
{13:12} Confess to the Lord with your good things, and bless the God of all ages, so that he may rebuild his tabernacle in you, and he may recall all the captives to you, and you may be glad in all ages and forever.
{13:13} You will shine with a splendid light, and all the ends of the earth will adore by you.
{13:14} Nations from far away will come to you, bringing gifts. And in you, they shall adore the Lord, and they will hold your land in sanctification.
{13:15} For they will invoke the Great Name in you.
{13:16} Those who despise you will be cursed, and all those who blaspheme by you will be condemned, and those who build you up will be blessed.
{13:17} But you will rejoice in your sons, because they will all be blessed, and they will be gathered together for the Lord.
{13:18} Blessed are all those who love you and who rejoice in your peace.
{13:19} Bless the Lord, O my soul, for the Lord our God has freed Jerusalem, his city, from every one of her tribulations.
{13:20} Happy will I be, if any of my offspring will be left to see the brightness of Jerusalem.
{13:21} The gates of Jerusalem will be built from sapphire and emerald, and all its walls will be surrounded with precious stones.
{13:22} All its streets will be paved with stones, white and clean. And ‘Alleluia’ will be sung throughout its neighborhoods.
{13:23} Blessed be the Lord, who has exalted it, and may he reign over it, forever and ever. Amen.”

[Tobit 14]
{14:1} And the sermon of Tobit was completed. And after Tobit received his sight, he lived forty-two years, and he saw the sons of his grandchildren.
{14:2} And so, having completed one hundred and two years, he was buried honorably at Nineveh.
{14:3} For he was fifty-six years old, when he lost the light of his eyes, and he was sixty years old, when he truly received it again.
{14:4} And, in truth, the remainder of his life was in gladness. And so, with the good accomplishment of the fear of God, he departed in peace.
{14:5} But, in the hour of his death, he called to himself his son Tobias, along with his sons, the seven youths who were his grandsons, and he said to them:
{14:6} “Nineveh will pass away soon. For the word of the Lord goes forward, and our brothers, who have been dispersed away from the land of Israel, shall return to it.
{14:7} Thus its deserted land will be entirely filled again. And the house of God, which was burned like incense within it, will be rebuilt again. And all those who fear God will return there.
{14:8} And the Gentiles will relinquish their idols, and they will enter into Jerusalem, and they will dwell in it.
{14:9} And all the kings of the earth will rejoice in it, adoring the King of Israel.
{14:10} Therefore, my sons, listen to your father. Serve the Lord in truth, and seek to do the things that please him.
{14:11} And command your sons, so that they may accomplish justice and almsgiving, and so that they may be mindful of God and may bless him at all times, in truth and with all their strength.
{14:12} And now, sons, listen to me, and do not remain here. But, on whatever day you will bury your mother near me in one sepulcher, from that time, direct your steps to leave this place.
{14:13} For I see that its iniquity will bring about its end.”
{14:14} And it happened that, after the death of his mother, Tobias withdrew from Nineveh, with his wife, and sons, and sons of sons, and he was returned to his father-in-law.
{14:15} And he found them unharmed in a good old age. And he took care of them, and he closed their eyes. And all the inheritance of the house of Raguel passed to him. And he saw the sons of his sons to the fifth generation.
{14:16} And, having completed ninety-nine years in the fear of the Lord, with joy, they buried him.
{14:17} But all his family and all his lineage continued with a good life and in holy conversation, so that they were acceptable both to God and to men, as well as to everyone who dwelt in the land.

The Sacred Bible: The Book of Tobit

Daniel Daly

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Jan 18, 2014, 9:58:47 PM1/18/14

Historical Torah Community

Here is one of the major public domain works acquired for the Historical Torah Community. Follow the link:

http://noahidebooks12.angelfire.com/prolegomena.html

Noahide Books & 7DF
http://noahidebooks12.angelfire.com

Daniel Daly

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Jan 21, 2014, 3:35:28 PM1/21/14

Progressive Noahide Movement

Here is a Public Domain Copy of Hosea for the study purposes of the Progressive Noahide Movement.

The Sacred Bible: The Prophecy of Hosea

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

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Jan 21, 2014, 3:53:11 PM1/21/14

Assembly of the Dawn

Public Domain Material for the Assembly

Elohim

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the Hebrew word. For other uses, see Elohim (disambiguation).

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: <incorrect information on plural Hebrew verbs and incorrect information on the Hebrew word elohim>. Please help improve this article if you can. (August 2012)

And Elohim created Adam by William Blake.
Elohim (אֱלֹהִ֔ים) is a grammatically singular or plural noun for "god" or "gods" in both modern and ancient Hebrew language.
When used with singular verbs and adjectives elohim is usually singular, "god" or especially, the God. When used with plural verbs and adjectives elohim is usually plural, "gods" or "powers".[1][2] It is generally thought that Elohim is a formation from eloah, the latter being an expanded form of the Northwest Semitic noun il (אֵל, ʾēl[3]). It is usually translated as "God" in the Hebrew Bible, referring with singular verbs both to the one God of Israel, and also in a few examples to other singular pagan deities. With plural verbs the word is also used as a true plural with the meaning "gods".[3] The related nouns eloah (אלוה) and el (אֵל) are used as proper names or as generics, in which case they are interchangeable with elohim.[3]
Mark S. Smith said that the notion of divinity underwent radical changes throughout the period of early Israelite identity. Smith said that the ambiguity of the term Elohim is the result of such changes, cast in terms of "vertical translatability" by Smith (2008); i.e. the re-interpretation of the gods of the earliest recalled period as the national god of the monolatrism as it emerged in the 7th to 6th century BCE in the Kingdom of Judah and during the Babylonian captivity, and further in terms of monotheism by the emergence of Rabbinical Judaism in the 2nd century CE.[4] A different version was produced by Morton Smith. Despite the -im ending common to many plural masculine nouns in Hebrew, the word when referring to the Name of God is grammatically singular, and takes a singular verb in the Hebrew Bible.
The word is identical to the usual plural of el meaning gods or magistrates, and is cognate to the 'l-h-m found in Ugaritic, where it is used for the pantheon of Canaanite gods, the children of El and conventionally vocalized as "Elohim". Most use of the term Elohim in the later Hebrew text imply a view that is at least monolatrist at the time of writing, and such usage (in the singular), as a proper title for the supreme deity, is generally not considered to be synonymous with the term elohim, "gods" (plural, simple noun). Hebrew grammar allows for this nominally-plural form to mean "He is the Power (singular) over powers (plural)", or roughly, "God of gods". Rabbinic scholar Maimonides wrote that the various other usages are commonly understood to be homonyms.[5] The plural form ending in -im can also be understood as denoting abstraction, as in the Hebrew words chayyim ("life") or betulim ("virginity"). If understood this way, Elohim means "divinity" or "deity".[citation needed]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 Canaanite religion
3 Elohist
4 Hebrew Bible
5 Grammar – singular or plural
5.1 Plural "gods", with plural verb
5.2 God of Israel, with singular verb
5.3 Abraham's "the gods caused me"
5.4 Angels and judges
5.5 Ambiguous readings
5.6 Other plural-singulars in biblical Hebrew
5.7 Jacob's ladder "gods were revealed" (plural)
5.8 The Divine Council of Elohim
6 Sons of God
7 English Bible translations

8 See also
9 References

10 Notes
11 External links
Etymology[edit]

Further information: El (deity), Ilah, Alaha, and Allah
The Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible defines "elohim" as a plural of eloah, an expanded form of the common Semitic noun "'il" (ʾēl).[3] It contains an added heh as third radical to the biconsonantal root. Discussions of the etymology of elohim essentially concern this expansion. An exact cognate outside of Hebrew is found in Ugaritic ʾlhm, the family of El, the creator god and chief deity of the Canaanite pantheon, in Biblical Aramaic ʼĔlāhā and later Syriac Alaha "God", and in Arabic ʾilāh "god, deity" (or Allah as " The [single] God").
"El" (the basis for the extended root ʾlh) is usually derived from a root meaning "to be strong" and/or "to be in front".[3]
Canaanite religion[edit]

Further information: Canaanite religion
The word el (singular) is a standard term for "god" in other related Semitic languages including Ugaritic.
In the Ugaritic Baal cycle we read of "seventy sons of Asherah" (KTU2 1.4.VI.46).[6]
Elohist[edit]

Further information: Elohist

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2011)
Elohim occurs frequently throughout the received text of the Torah. In some cases (e.g. Exodus 3:4, "... Elohim called unto him out of the midst of the bush ..."), it acts as a singular noun in Hebrew grammar, and is then generally understood to denote the single God of Israel. In other cases, Elohim acts as an ordinary plural of the word Eloah, and refers to the polytheistic notion of multiple gods (for example, Exodus 20:3, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me.").
The choice of word or words for God varies in the Hebrew Bible. According to the documentary hypothesis these variations are evidence of different source texts: Elohim is used as the name of God in the Elohist and the Priestly source, while Yahweh is used in the Jahwist source. The difference in names results from the theological point being made in the Elohist and Priestly sources that God did not reveal his name, Yahweh, to any man before the time of Moses.
While the Jahwist presented an anthropomorphic God who could walk through the Garden of Eden looking for Adam and Eve, the Elohist frequently involves angels. For example, it is the Elohist version of the tale of Jacob's ladder in which there is a ladder of angels with God at the top, whereas in the Jahwist tale, it is just a dream in which God is simply above the location, without the ladder or angels. Likewise, the Elohist describes Jacob actually wrestling with God.{Genesis 32:28}
The classical documentary hypothesis as developed in the late 19th century assumed that the Elohist portions of the Torah were composed in the 9th century BCE (i.e. during the early period of the Kingdom of Judah). This is far from universally accepted today, as there is evidence of a later "Elohist redaction" (post-exilic) during the 5th century BCE which makes it difficult to determine whether a given passage is "Elohist" in origin, or only as a result of late redaction.
Hebrew Bible[edit]

The word Elohim occurs more than 2500 times in the Hebrew Bible, with meanings ranging from "god" in a general sense (as in Exodus 12:12, where it describes "the gods of Egypt"), to a specific god (e.g., 1 Kings 11:33, where it describes Chemosh "the god of Moab", or the frequent references to Yahweh as the "elohim" of Israel), to demons, seraphim, and other supernatural beings, to the spirits of the dead brought up at the behest of King Saul in 1 Samuel 28:13, and even to kings and prophets (e.g., Exodus 4:16).[3] The phrase bene elohim, usually translated "sons of God", has an exact parallel in Ugaritic and Phoenician texts, referring to the council of the gods.[3]
Further information: Names of God in Judaism
Elohim occupy the seventh rank of ten in the famous medieval Rabbinic scholar Maimonides' Jewish angelic hierarchy. Maimonides said: "I must premise that every Hebrew knows that the term Elohim is a homonym, and denotes God, angels, judges, and the rulers of countries, ...[5]
Grammar – singular or plural[edit]

Main article: Hebrew grammar
In Hebrew the ending -im mainly indicates a masculine plural. However with Elohim the construction is grammatically singular (i.e. it governs a singular verb or adjective) when referring to the Hebrew God, but grammatically plural elohim (i.e. taking a plural verb or adjective) when used of pagan divinities (Psalms 96:5; 97:7).[citation needed]. Similarly, the Quran uses alīha as the plural of īlah for pagan divinities, and occasionally uses "Allahuma" (O God! - plural) for the sole god (as opposed to "Allah"). The exact equivalent of Elohim would be Īlahīn (إلاهين), although it is rarely used in Arabic parlance. Note that human beings can also have names with plural endings, such as Ephraim, the son of Joseph.
Plural "gods", with plural verb[edit]
The noun elohim is used with a plural verb in 1 Samuel 28:13. The witch of Endor told Saul that she saw "gods" (elohim) ascending (olim עֹלִים, plural verb) out of the earth.[7]
God of Israel, with singular verb[edit]
In the Hebrew Bible Elohim, when meaning the God of Israel, is mostly grammatically singular. Even in Genesis 1:26 "Then God said (singular verb), 'Let us make (plural verb) man in our image, after our likeness'", Elohim is singular. Wilhelm Gesenius and other Hebrew grammarians traditionally described this as the pluralis excellentiae (plural of excellence), which is similar to the pluralis majestatis (plural of majesty, or "Royal we").[8]
Gesenius comments that Elohim singular is to be distinguished from elohim plural gods and remarks that:
the supposition that elohim is to be regarded as merely a remnant of earlier polytheistic views (i.e. as originally only a numerical plural) is at least highly improbable, and, moreover, would not explain the analogous plurals (below). To the same class (and probably formed on the analogy of elohim) belong the plurals kadoshim, meaning "the Most Holy" (only of Yahweh, Hosea 12:1, Proverbs 9:10, 30:3 (cf. El hiym kadoshim in Joshua 24:19 and the singular Aramaic "the Most High", Daniel 7:18, 22, 25); and probably teraphim (usually taken in the sense of penates) the image of a god, used especially for obtaining oracles. Certainly in 1 Samuel 19:13, 16 only one image is intended; in most other places a single image may be intended; in Zechariah 10:2 alone is it most naturally taken as a numerical plural.
There are a number of notable exceptions to the rule that Elohim is treated as singular when referring to the God of Israel, including Gen. 20:13, 35:7, 2 Sam. 7:23 and Ps. 58:11, and notably the epithet of the "Living God" (Deuteronomy 5:26 etc.), which is constructed with the plural adjective, Elohim Hayiym אלהים חיים but still takes singular verbs.
In the Septuagint and New Testament translations Elohim has the singular ὁ θεὸς even in these cases, and modern translations follow suit in giving "God" in the singular. The Samaritan Torah has edited out some of these exceptions.[9]
Abraham's "the gods caused me"[edit]
In Gen 20:13 Abraham, before the polytheistic Philistine king Abimelech, says that "the gods (elohim) caused (plural verb) me to wander".[10][11][12] The Greek Septuagint (LXX) and most English versions usually translate this "God caused", possibly to avoid the implication of Abraham deferring to Abimelech's polytheistic beliefs.[13]
Angels and judges[edit]
In a few cases in the Greek Septuagint (LXX), Hebrew elohim with a plural verb, or with implied plural context, was rendered either angeloi ("angels") or pros to kriterion tou Theou ("before the judgement of God").[14] These passages then entered first the Latin Vulgate, then the English King James Version (KJV) as "angels" and "judges", respectively. From this came the result that James Strong, for example, listed "angels" and "judges" as possible meanings for elohim with a plural verb in his Strong's Concordance, and the same is true of many other 17th-20th century reference works. Both Gesenius' Hebrew Lexicon and the Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon list both angels and judges as possible alternative meanings of elohim with plural verbs and adjectives.
The reliability of the Septuagint translation in this matter has been questioned by Gesenius and Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg. In the case of Gesenius, he lists the meaning without agreeing with it.[15] Hengstenberg stated that the Hebrew Bible text never uses elohim to refer to "angels", but that the Septuagint translators refused the references to "gods" in the verses they amended to "angels."[16]
The Greek New Testament (NT) quotes Psalm 8:4-6 in Hebrews 2:6b-8a, where the Greek NT has "ἀγγέλους" (angelos) in vs. 7,[17] quoting Ps. 8:5 (8:6 in the LXX), which also has "ἀγγέλους" in a version of the Greek Septuagint.[18] In the KJV, elohim (Strong's number H430) is translated as "angels" only[19] in Psalm 8:5.
The KJV has elohim translated as "judges" in Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:8; and twice in Exodus 22:9.[20]
Ambiguous readings[edit]
Sometimes when elohim occurs as the referent or object (i.e. not subject) of a sentence, and without any accompanying verb or adjective to indicate plurality, it may be grammatically unclear whether gods plural or God singular is intended. An example is Psalm 8:5 where "Yet you have made him a little lower than the elohim" is ambiguous as to whether "lower than the gods" or "lower than God" is intended. The Septuagint read this as "gods" and then "corrected" the translation to "angels",[citation needed] which reading is taken up by the New Testament in Hebrews 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." (full quote and compare)
Other plural-singulars in biblical Hebrew[edit]
The Hebrew language has several nouns with -im (masculine plural) and -oth (feminine plural) endings which nevertheless take singular verbs, adjectives and pronouns. For example Ba'alim "owner": "He is lord (singular) even over any of those things that he owns that are lordly (plural)."[citation needed]
Jacob's ladder "gods were revealed" (plural)[edit]
In the following verses Elohim was translated as God singular in the King James Version even though it was accompanied by plural verbs and other plural grammatical terms.
And there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed [plural verb] himself to him when he fled from his brother.
Here the Hebrew verb "revealed" is plural, hence: "the-gods were revealed". A NET Bible note claims that the Authorized Version wrongly translates: "God appeared unto him".[21] This is one of several instances where the Bible uses plural verbs with the name elohim.[22][23]
The Divine Council of Elohim[edit]
Main article: Divine Council
AV Psalm 82:1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. [...]
I have said, Ye [are] gods; and all of you [are] children of the most High.
But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
—Psalm 82:1, 6-7 (AV)
Marti Steussy, in Chalice Introduction to the Old Testament, discusses: “The first verse of Psalm 82: ‘Elohim has taken his place in the divine council.’ Here elohim has a singular verb and clearly refers to God. But in verse 6 of the Psalm, God says to the other members of the council, ‘You [plural] are elohim.’ Here elohim has to mean gods.”[24]
Mark Smith, referring to this same Psalm, states in God in Translation “This psalm presents a scene of the gods meeting together in divine council...Elohim stands in the council of El. Among the elohim he pronounces judgment:...”[25]
In Hulsean Lectures for..., H. M. Stephenson discussed Jesus’ argument in John 10:34–36 concerning Psalm 82. (In answer to the charge of blasphemy Jesus replied:) "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods. If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?" – "Now what is the force of this quotation 'I said ye are gods.' It is from the Asaph Psalm which begins 'Elohim hath taken His place in the mighty assembly. In the midst of the Elohim He is judging.'"[26]
Sons of God[edit]

Main article: Sons of God
The Hebrew word for a son is ben; plural is benim (with the construct state form being "benei"). The Hebrew term benei elohim ("sons of God" or "sons of the gods") in Genesis 6:2[27] compares to the use of "sons of gods" (Ugaritic b'n il) sons of El in Ugaritic mythology.[28] Karel van der Toorn states that gods can be referred to collectively as bene elim, bene elyon, or bene elohim.[3]
In Jewish tradition, the Torah verse, that was the battle-cry of the Maccabees (Hebrew: מקבים‎ Machabi, מקבים), "Mi chamocha ba'elim YHWH" ("Who is like You among the heavenly powers, Hashem!"[29]),[30] is an acronym for "Machabi" as well as an acronym for "Matityahu Kohen ben Yochanan".[31] The correlating Torah verse, The song of Moses and the Children of Israel by the Sea, makes a reference to elim, but more with a mundane notion of natural forces, might, war and governmental powers.
English Bible translations[edit]

Hebrew elohim in English translations of the Bible is usually rendered as gods when occurring with a plural verb and referring to pagan deities, and as God when occurring with a singular verb and referring to the God of Israel. In doing so the English translations generally follow the use of theos (θεος) in the Greek Septuagint and New Testament citations of the Old Testament.[citation needed]

Daniel Daly

unread,

Jan 21, 2014, 3:54:32 PM1/21/14

Universal Faith Assembly

Public Domain Scripture

The Sacred Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

[Proverbs 1]
{1:1} The parables of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel,
{1:2} in order to know wisdom and discipline,
{1:3} to understand words of prudence, and to accept the instruction of doctrine, justice and judgment, and equity,
{1:4} so as to give discernment to little ones, knowledge and understanding to adolescents.
{1:5} By listening, the wise shall become wiser and the intelligent shall possess governments.
{1:6} He shall turn his soul to a parable and to its interpretation, to the words of the wise and their enigmas.
{1:7} The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The foolish despise wisdom as well as doctrine.
{1:8} Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother,
{1:9} so that grace may be added to your head and a collar to your neck.
{1:10} My son, if sinners should entice you, do not consent to them.
{1:11} If they should say: “Come with us. We will lie in wait for blood. We will lay traps against the innocent, without cause.
{1:12} Let us swallow him alive, like Hell, and whole, like one descending into the pit.
{1:13} We will discover every precious substance. We will fill our houses with spoils.
{1:14} Cast your lot with us. One purse will be for us all.”
{1:15} My son, do not walk with them. Preclude your feet from their paths.
{1:16} For their feet rush to evil, and they hurry to shed blood.
{1:17} But a net is thrown in vain before the eyes of those who have wings.
{1:18} Likewise, they lie in ambush against their own blood, and they undertake deceits against their own souls.
{1:19} Thus, the ways of all those who are greedy seize the souls of those who possess.
{1:20} Wisdom forewarns far and wide; she bestows her voice in the streets.
{1:21} She cries out at the head of crowds; at the entrance of the gates of the city, she offers her words, saying:
{1:22} “Little ones, how long will you choose to be childish, and how long will the foolish desire what is harmful to themselves, and how long will the imprudent hate knowledge?
{1:23} Be converted by my correction. Lo, I will offer my spirit to you, and I will reveal my words to you.
{1:24} For I called, and you refused. I extended my hand, and there was no one who watched.
{1:25} You have despised all my counsels, and you have neglected my rebukes.
{1:26} Similarly, I will ridicule you at your demise, and I will mock you, when that which you feared shall overcome you.
{1:27} When sudden calamity rushes upon you, and your demise advances like a tempest, when tribulation and anguish overcome you,
{1:28} then they will call to me, and I will not heed, they will arise in the morning, and not find me.
{1:29} For they held hatred for discipline, and they would not accept the fear of the Lord;
{1:30} they would not consent to my counsel, but they detracted from all of my corrections.
{1:31} Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way, and they shall have their fill of their own counsels.
{1:32} The loathing of the little ones shall destroy them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall perish them.
{1:33} But whoever will listen to me shall rest without terror, and shall have full enjoyment of abundance, without fear of evils.”

[Proverbs 2]
{2:1} My son, if you would accept my words, and conceal my commandments within you,
{2:2} so that your ears may listen to wisdom, then bend your heart in order to know prudence.
{2:3} For if you would call upon wisdom and bend your heart to prudence,
{2:4} if you will seek her like money, and dig for her as if for treasure,
{2:5} then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will discover the knowledge of God.
{2:6} For the Lord bestows wisdom, and out of his mouth, prudence and knowledge.
{2:7} He will preserve the salvation of the righteous, and he will protect those who walk in simplicity:
{2:8} serving the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of sanctity.
{2:9} Then you shall understand justice and judgment, and equity, and every good path.
{2:10} If wisdom is to enter into your heart, and if knowledge is to become pleasing to your soul,
{2:11} then counsel must guard you, and prudence must serve you,
{2:12} so that you may be rescued from the evil way, and from the man who speaks perversities,
{2:13} from those who leave the straight path to walk in dark ways,
{2:14} who rejoice when they have done evil, and who exult in the most wicked things.
{2:15} Their ways are perverse, and their steps are infamous.
{2:16} So may you be rescued from the foreign woman, and from the outsider, who softens her speech,
{2:17} and who leaves behind the Guide of her youth,
{2:18} and who has forgotten the covenant of her God. For her household inclines toward death, and her paths toward Hell.
{2:19} All those who enter to her will not return again, nor will they take hold of the paths of life.
{2:20} So may you walk in the good way, and keep to the difficult paths of the just.
{2:21} For those who are upright shall live upon the earth, and the simple shall continue upon it.
{2:22} Yet truly, the impious shall perish from the earth, and those who act unjustly shall be taken away from it.

[Proverbs 3]
{3:1} My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart guard my precepts.
{3:2} For they shall set before you length of days, and years of life, and peace.
{3:3} Let not mercy and truth abandon you: encircle them around your throat, and inscribe them on the tablets of your heart.
{3:4} And so shall you discover grace and good discipline, in the sight of God and men.
{3:5} Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence.
{3:6} In all your ways, consider him, and he himself will direct your steps.
{3:7} Do not seem wise to yourself. Fear God, and withdraw from evil.
{3:8} Certainly, it shall be health to your navel, and refreshment to your bones.
{3:9} Honor the Lord with your substance, and give to him from the first of all your fruits,
{3:10} and then your storehouses will be filled with abundance, and your presses shall overflow with wine.
{3:11} My son, do not discard the discipline of the Lord, and do not fall away when you are corrected by him.
{3:12} For whomever the Lord loves, he corrects, and just as a father does with a son, he wins him over.
{3:13} Blessed is the man who finds wisdom and who advances to prudence.
{3:14} Her acquisition is better than trading in silver, and her fruit is better than the first and purest gold.
{3:15} She is more precious than all riches, and all that can be desired cannot prevail in comparison to her.
{3:16} Length of days is at her right hand, and at her left hand is wealth and glory.
{3:17} Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceful.
{3:18} She is a tree of life to those who overtake her, and he who shall take hold of her is blessed.
{3:19} The Lord founded the earth on wisdom. He secured the heavens with prudence.
{3:20} By his wisdom, the abyss erupted and the clouds increased with dew.
{3:21} My son, let not these things move away from your eyes. Preserve law as well as counsel.
{3:22} And so shall there be life in your soul and grace in your voice.
{3:23} Then you shall walk confidently in your way, and your feet will not stumble.
{3:24} When you slumber, you shall not fear. When you rest, your sleep also will be sweet.
{3:25} Do not fear unexpected terror, nor the power of the impious falling upon you.
{3:26} For the Lord will be at your side, and he will guard your feet, so that you may not be seized.
{3:27} Do not prevent him who is able from doing good. When you are able, do good yourself too.
{3:28} Do not say to your friend: “Go away, and then return. Tomorrow I will give to you.” When you are able to do so, give in the present.
{3:29} Do not undertake evil against your friend, even though he has trust in you.
{3:30} Do not contend against a man without cause, even though he has done no evil to you.
{3:31} Do not rival an unjust man, and do not imitate his ways.
{3:32} For everyone who ridicules is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is for the simple.
{3:33} Destitution in the house of the impious is from the Lord. But the habitations of the just shall be blessed.
{3:34} He will ridicule those who ridicule, but he will bestow grace upon the mild.
{3:35} The wise will possess glory. The exaltation of the foolish is disgraceful.

[Proverbs 4]
{4:1} Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
{4:2} I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
{4:3} For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
{4:4} And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
{4:5} Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
{4:6} Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
{4:7} The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
{4:8} Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
{4:9} She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
{4:10} Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
{4:11} I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
{4:12} When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
{4:13} Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
{4:14} Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
{4:15} Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
{4:16} For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
{4:17} They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
{4:18} But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
{4:19} The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
{4:20} My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
{4:21} Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
{4:22} For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
{4:23} Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
{4:24} Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
{4:25} Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
{4:26} Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
{4:27} Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.

[Proverbs 5]
{5:1} My son, pay attention to my wisdom, and incline your ear to my prudence,
{5:2} so that you may guard your thinking, and so that your lips may preserve discipline. Do not pay attention to the deceit of a woman.
{5:3} For the lips of a loose woman are like a dripping honeycomb, and her voice is smoother than oil.
{5:4} But in the end, she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
{5:5} Her feet descend into death, and her steps reach even to Hell.
{5:6} They do not walk along the path of life; her steps are wandering and untraceable.
{5:7} Therefore, my son, listen to me now, and do not withdraw from the words of my mouth.
{5:8} Make your way at a distance from her, and do not approach the doors of her house.
{5:9} Do not give your honor to foreigners, and your years to the cruel.
{5:10} Otherwise, outsiders may be filled with your strength, and your labors may be in a foreign house,
{5:11} and you may mourn in the end, when you will have consumed your flesh and your body. And so you may say:
{5:12} “Why have I detested discipline, and why has my heart not been quieted by correction?
{5:13} And why have I not listened to the voice of those who guided me? And why has my ear not inclined to my teachers?
{5:14} I have almost been with all evil in the midst of the church and of the assembly.”
{5:15} Drink water from your own cistern and from the springs of your own well.
{5:16} Let your fountains be diverted far and wide, and divide your waters in the streets.
{5:17} Hold them for yourself alone, and do not let strangers be partakers with you.
{5:18} Let your spring be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth:
{5:19} a beloved doe and most pleasing fawn. Let her breasts inebriate you at all times. Be delighted continually by her love.
{5:20} Why are you seduced, my son, by a strange woman, and why are you kept warm by the bosom of another?
{5:21} The Lord beholds the ways of man, and he considers all his steps.
{5:22} His own iniquities take hold of the impious, and he is bound by the cords of his own sins.
{5:23} He shall die, for he has not held to discipline. And by the multitude of his foolishness, he shall be deceived.

[Proverbs 6]
{6:1} My son, if you have taken a pledge on behalf of your friend, then you have bound your hand to an outsider,
{6:2} then you are ensnared by the words of your own mouth, and taken captive by your own words.
{6:3} Therefore, my son, do what I say, and free yourself, for you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor. Run, hurry, awaken your friend.
{6:4} Do not grant sleep to your eyes, nor let your eyelids slumber.
{6:5} Rescue yourself like a gazelle from the hand, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
{6:6} Go to the ant, you lazy one, and consider her ways, and so learn wisdom.
{6:7} For though she has no ruler, nor instructor, nor leader,
{6:8} she provides meals for herself in the summer, and she gathers at the harvest what she may eat.
{6:9} How long will you slumber, you lazy one? When will you rise up from your sleep?
{6:10} You will sleep a little, you will slumber a little, you will fold your hands a little to sleep,
{6:11} and then destitution will meet with you, like a traveler, and poverty, like an armed man. Yet truly, if you would be diligent, then your harvest will arrive like a fountain, and destitution will flee far from you.
{6:12} An apostate man, a harmful man, walks with a perverse mouth;
{6:13} he winks with the eyes, touches with the foot, speaks with the finger.
{6:14} With a depraved heart he devises evil, and at all times he sows conflict.
{6:15} To this one, his perdition will arrive promptly, and he shall be crushed suddenly: he will no longer have any remedy.
{6:16} Six things there are that the Lord hates, and the seventh, his soul detests:
{6:17} haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
{6:18} a heart that devises the most wicked thoughts, feet running swiftly unto evil,
{6:19} a deceitful witness bringing forth lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
{6:20} My son, preserve the precepts of your father, and do not dismiss the law of your mother.
{6:21} Bind them to your heart unceasingly, and encircle them around your throat.
{6:22} When you walk, let them keep step with you. When you sleep, let them guard you. And when you keep watch, speak with them.
{6:23} For commandment is a lamp, and law is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.
{6:24} So may they guard you from an evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the outsider.
{6:25} Let not your heart desire her beauty; do not be captivated by her winks.
{6:26} For the price of a prostitute is only one loaf. Yet the woman seizes the precious soul of a man.
{6:27} Would a man be able to conceal fire in his bosom, so that his garments would not burn?
{6:28} Or could he walk over burning coals, so that his feet would not be burned?
{6:29} So also, he who enters to the wife of his neighbor shall not be clean when he touches her.
{6:30} Not so great is the fault when someone has stolen. For he steals so as to satisfy a hungry soul.
{6:31} Also, if he is apprehended, he shall repay sevenfold and hand over all the substance of his house.
{6:32} But whoever is an adulterer, because of the emptiness of his heart, will destroy his own soul.
{6:33} He gathers shame and dishonor to himself, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
{6:34} For the jealousy and fury of the husband will not spare him on the day of vindication,
{6:35} nor will he agree to the pleadings of anyone, nor will he accept, as repayment, a multitude of gifts.

[Proverbs 7]
{7:1} My son, guard my words and conceal my precepts within you.
{7:2} Son, preserve my commandments, and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye.
{7:3} Bind it with your fingers; write it on the tablets of your heart.
{7:4} Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call prudence your friend.
{7:5} So may she guard you from the woman who is an outsider, and from the stranger who sweetens her words.
{7:6} For I gaze from the window of my house, through the lattice,
{7:7} and I see little ones. I consider a frenzied youth,
{7:8} who crosses the street at the corner and close to the way of that house.
{7:9} He steps into shadows, as day becomes evening, into the darkness and gloom of the night.
{7:10} And behold, a woman meets him, dressed like a harlot, prepared to captivate souls: chattering and rambling,
{7:11} unwilling to bear silence, unable to keep her feet at home,
{7:12} now outside, now in the streets, now lying in ambush near the corners.
{7:13} And overtaking the youth, she kisses him, and with a provocative face, she flatters him, saying:
{7:14} “I vowed sacrifices for well-being. Today I have repaid my vows.
{7:15} Because of this, I have gone out to meet you, desiring to see you, and I have found you.
{7:16} I have woven my bed with cords. I have strewn it with embroidered tapestries from Egypt.
{7:17} I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloe, and cinnamon.
{7:18} Come, let us be inebriated in abundance, and let us delight in the embraces of desire, until the day begins to dawn.
{7:19} For my husband is not in his house. He has gone away on a very long journey.
{7:20} He took with him a bag of money. He will return to his house on the day of the full moon.”
{7:21} She enmeshed him with many words, and she drew him forward with the flattery of her lips.
{7:22} Immediately, he follows her, like an ox being led to the sacrifice, and like a lamb acting lasciviously, and not knowing that he is being drawn foolishly into chains,
{7:23} until the arrow pierces his liver. It is just as if a bird were to hurry into the snare. And he does not know that his actions endanger his own soul.
{7:24} Therefore, my son, hear me now, and attend to the words of my mouth.
{7:25} Do not let your mind be pulled into her ways. And do not be deceived by her paths.
{7:26} For she has tossed aside many wounded, and some of those who were very strong have been slain by her.
{7:27} Her household is the way to Hell, reaching even to the inner places of death.

[Proverbs 8]
{8:1} Does not wisdom call out, and prudence bestow her voice?
{8:2} At the summits and the tops of exalted places, standing above the ways, in the midst of the paths,
{8:3} beside the gates of the city, at the very doors, she speaks, saying:
{8:4} “O men, to you I call out, and my voice is to the sons of men.
{8:5} O little ones, understand discernment. And you who are unwise, turn your souls.
{8:6} Listen, for I will speak about great things, and my lips will be opened, so as to foretell what is right.
{8:7} My throat shall practice truth, and my lips shall detest the impious.
{8:8} All my words are just. There is no depravity in them, and no perversity.
{8:9} They are upright to those who understand, and equitable to those who discover knowledge.
{8:10} Accept my discipline, and not money. Choose the doctrine that is greater than gold.
{8:11} For wisdom is better than all that is most precious, and everything that is desirable cannot compare to her.
{8:12} I, wisdom, dwell in counsel, and I am inside learned thoughts.
{8:13} The fear of the Lord hates evil. I detest arrogance, and pride, and every wicked way, and a mouth with a double tongue.
{8:14} Counsel is mine, and equity. Prudence is mine. Strength is mine.
{8:15} Through me, kings reign and legislators decree just conditions.
{8:16} Through me, princes rule and the powerful decree justice.
{8:17} I love those who love me. And those who stand watch for me until morning shall discover me.
{8:18} With me, are wealth and glory, superb riches and justice.
{8:19} For my fruit is better than gold and precious stones, and my progeny better than choice silver.
{8:20} I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment,
{8:21} so that I may enrich those who love me, and thus complete their treasures.
{8:22} The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made anything, from the beginning.
{8:23} I was ordained from eternity, and out of antiquity, before the earth was formed.
{8:24} The abyss did not yet exist, and I was already conceived; neither had the fountains of waters yet erupted.
{8:25} The mountains, with their great mass, had not yet been established. Before the hills, I was brought forth.
{8:26} Still he had not made the earth, and the rivers, and the poles of the globe of the earth.
{8:27} I was already present: when he prepared the heavens; when, with a certain law and a circuit, he fortified the abyss;
{8:28} when he made firm the sky above, and set free the fountains of waters;
{8:29} when he encompassed the sea within its limits, and laid down a law for the waters, lest they transgress their limits; when he weighed the foundations of the earth.
{8:30} I was with him in composing all things. And I was delighted, throughout every day, by playing in his sight at all times,
{8:31} playing in globe of the earth. And my delight was to be with the sons of men.
{8:32} Therefore, sons, hear me now. Blessed are those who preserve my ways.
{8:33} Listen to discipline, and become wise, and do not be willing to cast it aside.
{8:34} Blessed is the man who listens to me, and who stands watch at my gates everyday, and who observes at the posts of my doors.
{8:35} He who finds me, finds life, and he will draw salvation from the Lord.
{8:36} But he who sins against me will wound his own soul. All who hate me love death.”

[Proverbs 9]
{9:1} Wisdom has built a house for herself. She has hewn seven columns.
{9:2} She has immolated her victims. She has mixed her wine and set forth her table.
{9:3} She has sent her maids to call out to the tower and to the fortified walls of the city,
{9:4} “If anyone is little, let him come to me.” And to the unwise, she has said:
{9:5} “Approach. Eat my bread, and drink the wine that I have mixed for you.
{9:6} Leave behind childishness. And live and walk by the ways of prudence.”
{9:7} Whoever teaches a mocker causes injury to himself. And whoever argues with the impious produces a blemish on himself.
{9:8} Do not be willing to argue with a mocker, lest he hate you. Dispute with the wise, and he will love you.
{9:9} Present an opportunity to the wise, and wisdom shall be added to him. Teach the just, and he will hurry to receive it.
{9:10} The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of holiness is prudence.
{9:11} For by me, your days will be multiplied and years of life will be added to you.
{9:12} If you would be wise, you will be so for yourself. But if you would be one who ridicules, you alone shall carry the evil.
{9:13} A foolish and loud woman, who is full of enticements and who knows nothing at all,
{9:14} sat at the entrance of her house on a seat, in a high place of the city,
{9:15} so as to call to those who were passing by the way and continuing on their journey:
{9:16} “Whoever is little, let him turn aside to me.” And to the frenzied, she said,
{9:17} “Stolen waters are more soothing, and secret bread is more pleasant.”
{9:18} And he did not know that giants are there, and that her companions are in the depths of Hell.

[Proverbs 10]
{10:1} A wise son gladdens the father. Yet truly, a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
{10:2} Treasures of impiety will profit nothing. Truly, justice shall liberate from death.
{10:3} The Lord will not afflict with famine the soul of the just, and he will overthrow the treacheries of the impious.
{10:4} The neglectful hand has wrought destitution. But the hand of the steadfast prepares riches. He who advances by lies, this one feeds on the wind. For he is the same as one who runs after flying birds.
{10:5} He who gathers the harvest is a wise son. But he who snores in warm weather is a son of confusion.
{10:6} The blessing of the Lord is on the head of the just. But iniquity covers the mouth of the impious.
{10:7} The remembrance of the just is with praises. And the name of the impious shall decay.
{10:8} The wise of heart accept precepts. The foolish are cut down by the lips.
{10:9} He who walks in simplicity walks in confidence. But he who corrupts his ways shall be discovered.
{10:10} He who winks with the eye gives sorrow. And the foolish in lips shall be beaten.
{10:11} The mouth of the just is a vein of life. And the mouth of the impious covers iniquity.
{10:12} Hatred rises up from disputes. And charity covers all offenses.
{10:13} In the lips of the wise, wisdom is discovered. And a rod is for the back of one who lacks heart.
{10:14} The wise store away knowledge. But the mouth of the foolish is a neighbor to confusion.
{10:15} The substance of the rich is the city of his strength. The fear of the poor is their destitution.
{10:16} The work of the just is unto life. But the fruit of the impious is unto sin.
{10:17} The way of life is for those who observe discipline. But whoever abandons correction wanders astray.
{10:18} Lying lips conceal hatred; whoever brings forth contempt is unwise.
{10:19} In a multitude of speaking, sin will not be lacking. But whoever tempers his lips is most prudent.
{10:20} The tongue of the just is choice silver. But the heart of the impious is exchanged for nothing.
{10:21} The lips of the just instruct many. But those who are unlearned shall die in destitution of heart.
{10:22} The blessing of the Lord causes riches. Affliction will not be a companion to them.
{10:23} The foolish work wickedness as if in jest. But wisdom is prudence to a man.
{10:24} What the impious fear will overwhelm them. The just shall be given their desire.
{10:25} Like a passing tempest, so the impious one will be no more. But the just one is like an everlasting foundation.
{10:26} Like vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, so is a lazy one to those who sent him.
{10:27} The fear of the Lord adds days. And the years of the impious will be shortened.
{10:28} The expectation of the just is rejoicing. But the hope of the impious will perish.
{10:29} The strength of the simple is the way of the Lord, and it is fear to those who work evil.
{10:30} The just in eternity shall not be moved. But the impious will not live upon the earth.
{10:31} The mouth of the just shall bring forth wisdom. The tongue of the depraved will perish.
{10:32} The lips of the just consider what is acceptable. And the mouth of the impious considers perversities.

[Proverbs 11]
{11:1} A deceitful scale is an abomination with the Lord, and a fair weighing is his will.
{11:2} Wherever arrogance may be, there too is insult. But wherever humility is, there too is wisdom.
{11:3} The simplicity of the just shall direct them, and the rebellion of the perverse will devastate them.
{11:4} Wealth will not profit in the day of vengeance. But justice shall liberate from death.
{11:5} The justice of the simple shall direct his way. And the impious will fall in his impiety.
{11:6} The justice of the upright shall free them. And the iniquitous will be seized by their own treachery.
{11:7} When the impious man is dead, there will no longer be any hope. And the expectation of the anxious will perish.
{11:8} The just one is freed from anguish. And the impious one will be handed over instead of him.
{11:9} The pretender deceives his friend by mouth. But the just shall be freed by knowledge.
{11:10} In the good of the just, the city shall exult. And in the perdition of the impious, there shall be praise.
{11:11} By the blessing of the just, the city shall be exalted. And by the mouth of the impious, it will be subverted.
{11:12} Whoever despises his friend is destitute in heart. But the prudent man will remain silent.
{11:13} Whoever walks dishonestly reveals secrets. But whoever is of a faithful soul conceals what is confided by a friend.
{11:14} Where there is no governor, the people shall fall. But where there is much counsel, well-being shall be.
{11:15} He will be afflicted with evil, who provides a guarantee for an outsider. But whoever is wary of traps shall be secure.
{11:16} A gracious woman shall discover glory. And the robust will have wealth.
{11:17} A merciful man benefits his own soul. But whoever is cruel casts out even his close relatives.
{11:18} The impious does work with inconstancy. But for the sower of justice, there is the reward of faithfulness.
{11:19} Clemency prepares life. And the pursuit of evils prepares death.
{11:20} A depraved heart is abominable to the Lord. And his will is with those who walk in simplicity.
{11:21} Hand in hand, the evil shall not be innocent. But the offspring of the just shall be saved.
{11:22} A beautiful and senseless woman is like a gold ring in the snout of a swine.
{11:23} The desire of the just is entirely good. The anticipation of the impious is fury.
{11:24} Some distribute their own goods, and they become wealthier. Others seize what is not their own, and they are always in need.
{11:25} The soul that blesses shall be made fat. And whoever inebriates will likewise be inebriated himself.
{11:26} Whoever hides away grain shall be cursed among the people. But a blessing is upon the head of those who sell it.
{11:27} He does well to rise early, who seeks what is good. But whoever is a seeker of evils shall be oppressed by them.
{11:28} Whoever trusts in his riches will fall. But the just shall spring up like a green leaf.
{11:29} Whoever troubles his own house will possess the winds. And whoever is foolish will serve the wise.
{11:30} The fruit of the just one is the tree of life. And whoever receives souls is wise.
{11:31} If the just are repaid upon the earth, how much more the impious and the sinner!

[Proverbs 12]
{12:1} Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge. But whoever hates correction is unwise.
{12:2} Whoever is good shall draw grace from the Lord. But whoever trusts in his own thoughts acts impiously.
{12:3} Man will not be made strong from impiety. And the root of the just shall not be moved.
{12:4} A diligent woman is a crown to her husband. And she who acts with confusion as to which things are worthy is decay to his bones.
{12:5} The thoughts of the just are judgments. And the counsels of the impious are dishonest.
{12:6} The words of the impious lie in wait for blood. The mouth of the just shall free them.
{12:7} Turn from the impious, and they will not be. But the house of the just shall stand firm.
{12:8} A man will be known by his doctrine. But whoever is vain and heartless will suffer contempt.
{12:9} Better is a pauper who has what he needs, than someone glorious and in need of bread.
{12:10} The just one knows the lives of his beasts. But the inner most parts of the impious are cruel.
{12:11} Whoever works his land shall be satisfied with bread. But whoever continually pursues leisure is most foolish. Whoever is soothed by lingering over wine leaves behind contempt in his strongholds.
{12:12} The desire of the impious is the fortification of what is most wicked. But the root of the just shall prosper.
{12:13} For the sins of the lips draw ruin to the evil. But the just shall escape from distress.
{12:14} By the fruit of his own mouth, each one shall be filled with good things, and according to the works of his own hands, it will be distributed to him.
{12:15} The way of the foolish is right in his own eyes. But whoever is wise listens to counsels.
{12:16} The senseless immediately reveals his anger. But whoever ignores injuries is clever.
{12:17} He is a sign of justice, who speaks what he knows. But whoever deceives is a dishonest witness.
{12:18} He who makes promises is also jabbed, as if with a sword, in conscience. But the tongue of the wise is reasonable.
{12:19} The lips of truth shall be steadfast forever. But a hasty witness readies a lying tongue.
{12:20} Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evils. But gladness follows those who take up counsels of peace.
{12:21} Whatever may befall the just, it will not discourage him. But the impious will be filled with disasters.
{12:22} Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. But whoever acts faithfully pleases him.
{12:23} A resourceful man conceals knowledge. And the heart of the unwise provokes foolishness.
{12:24} The hand of the strong will rule. But anyone who is neglectful will pay tribute.
{12:25} Grief in the heart of a man humbles him. And with a good word he shall be made glad.
{12:26} He who ignores a loss for the sake of a friend is just. But the way of the impious will deceive them.
{12:27} The dishonest will not discover gain. But the substance of a man will be like precious gold.
{12:28} In the path of justice, there is life. But the devious way leads to death.

[Proverbs 13]
{13:1} A wise son is the doctrine of his father. But he who ridicules does not listen when he is reproved.
{13:2} From the fruit of his own mouth, a man shall be satisfied with good things. But the soul of betrayers is iniquity.
{13:3} Whoever guards his mouth guards his soul. But whoever gives no consideration to his speech shall experience misfortunes.
{13:4} The lazy one is willing and then not willing. But the soul of he who labors shall be made fat.
{13:5} The just shall detest a lying word. But the impious confound and will be confounded.
{13:6} Justice guards the way of the innocent. But impiety undermines the sinner.
{13:7} One is like the rich, though he has nothing. And another is like the poor, though he has many riches.
{13:8} The redemption of a man’s life is his riches. But he who is poor cannot tolerate correction.
{13:9} The light of the just enriches. But the lamp of the impious will be extinguished.
{13:10} Among the arrogant, there are always conflicts. But those who do everything with counsel are ruled by wisdom.
{13:11} Substance obtained in haste will be diminished. But what is collected by hand, little by little, shall be multiplied.
{13:12} Hope, when it is delayed, afflicts the soul. The arrival of the desired is a tree of life.
{13:13} Whoever denounces something obligates himself for the future. But whoever fears a lesson shall turn away in peace. Deceitful souls wander into sins. The just are merciful and compassionate.
{13:14} The law of the wise is a fountain of life, so that he may turn aside from the ruin of death.
{13:15} Good doctrine bestows grace. In the way of the contemptuous, there is a chasm.
{13:16} The discerning do everything with counsel. But whoever is senseless discloses his stupidity.
{13:17} The messenger of the impious will fall into evil. But a faithful ambassador shall prosper.
{13:18} Destitution and disgrace are for those who abandon discipline. But whoever agrees with a reproof shall be glorified.
{13:19} The desired, when perfected, shall delight the soul. The foolish detest those who flee from evils.
{13:20} Whoever keeps step with the wise shall be wise. A friend of the foolish will become like them.
{13:21} Evil pursues sinners. And good things shall be distributed to the just.
{13:22} The good leave behind heirs: children and grandchildren. And the substance of the sinner is preserved for the just.
{13:23} Much nourishment is in the fallow land of the fathers. But for others, it is gathered without judgment.
{13:24} He who spares the rod hates his son. But he who loves him urgently instructs him.
{13:25} The just eats and fills his soul. But the belly of the impious is never satisfied.

[Proverbs 14]
{14:1} A wise woman builds up her household. But a foolish one will pull down with her own hands what has been built up.
{14:2} One who walks on a virtuous journey, and who fears God, is despised by him who advances along a disreputable way.
{14:3} In the mouth of the foolish, there is a rod of arrogance. But the lips of the wise guard them.
{14:4} Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is empty. But where there are many crops, there the strength of the ox is manifest.
{14:5} A faithful witness will not lie. But a deceitful witness offers a lie.
{14:6} A mocker seeks wisdom and does not find it. The doctrine of the prudent is accessible.
{14:7} Go against a foolish man, and he does not acknowledge lips of prudence.
{14:8} The wisdom of a discerning man is to understand his way. And the imprudence of the foolish is to be wandering astray.
{14:9} The foolish will speak mockingly of sin. But grace lingers among the just.
{14:10} The heart that knows the bitterness of its own soul, in its gladness the outsider shall not meddle.
{14:11} The house of the impious will be wiped away. Yet truly, the tabernacles of the just shall spring forth.
{14:12} There is a way which seems just to a man, but its conclusion leads to death.
{14:13} Laughter shall be mingled with sorrow, and mourning occupies the limits of joy.
{14:14} The foolish will be filled up by his own ways. And the good man shall be above him.
{14:15} The innocent trust every word. The astute one considers his own steps. Nothing good will be for the deceitful son. But the wise servant shall act prosperously and his way will be set in order.
{14:16} The wise fear, and so turn away from evil. The foolish leap ahead with confidence.
{14:17} The impatient will work foolishness. And a resourceful man is hated.
{14:18} The childish will possess foolishness, and the discerning will anticipate knowledge.
{14:19} The evil will fall down before the good. And the impious will fall down before the gates of the just.
{14:20} The pauper will be hated, even by his own neighbor. Yet truly, the friends of the wealthy are many.
{14:21} Whoever despises his neighbor, sins. But whoever pities the poor shall be blessed. Whoever trusts in the Lord loves mercy.
{14:22} They wander astray who work evil. But mercy and truth prepare good things.
{14:23} In every work, there shall be abundance. But where there are many words, there is often need.
{14:24} The crown of the wise is their wealth. The senselessness of the foolish is imprudence.
{14:25} A faithful witness frees souls. And the chameleon utters lies.
{14:26} In the fear of the Lord is the faithfulness of strength, and there shall be hope for his sons.
{14:27} The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, so as to turn aside from the ruin of death.
{14:28} In a multitude of people, there is dignity for the king. And in a paucity of people, there is disgrace for the prince.
{14:29} Whoever is patient is governed by much prudence. But whoever is impatient exalts his foolishness.
{14:30} The well-being of the heart is life for the flesh. But envy is decay for the bones.
{14:31} Whoever slanders the indigent argues against his Maker. But he who has compassion on the poor honors his Maker.
{14:32} The impious will be expelled in his malice. But the just finds hope even in his own death.
{14:33} In the heart of the prudent, wisdom finds rest. And so shall he instruct all the uneducated.
{14:34} Justice elevates a nation. But sin makes the peoples miserable.
{14:35} An intelligent minister is acceptable to the king. Whoever is useless shall bear his wrath.

[Proverbs 15]
{15:1} A mild response shatters anger. But a harsh word stirs up fury.
{15:2} The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge. But the mouth of the senseless gushes with foolishness.
{15:3} In every place, the eyes of the Lord consider good and evil.
{15:4} A peaceful tongue is a tree of life. But that which is immoderate will crush the spirit.
{15:5} A fool laughs at the discipline of his father. But whoever preserves rebukes will become astute. In abundant justice, there is very great virtue. But the intentions of the impious will be eradicated.
{15:6} The house of the just has very great strength. And in the fruits of the impious, there is disorder.
{15:7} The lips of the wise shall disseminate knowledge. The heart of the foolish will be dissimilar.
{15:8} The sacrifices of the impious are abominable to the Lord. The vows of the just are appeasing.
{15:9} The way of the impious is an abomination to the Lord. Whoever pursues justice is loved by him.
{15:10} Doctrine is evil to those who abandon the way of life. Whoever hates correction shall die.
{15:11} Hell and perdition are in the sight of the Lord. How much more the hearts of the sons of men!
{15:12} He who corrupts himself does not love the one who afflicts him, nor will he step toward the wise.
{15:13} A rejoicing heart gladdens the face. But by the grief of the soul, the spirit is cast down.
{15:14} The heart of the wise seeks doctrine. And the mouth of the foolish feeds on ignorance.
{15:15} All the days of the poor are evil. A secure mind is like a continual feast.
{15:16} Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasures and dissatisfaction.
{15:17} It is better to be called to vegetables with charity, than to a fatted calf with hatred.
{15:18} A short-tempered man provokes conflicts. Whoever is patient tempers those who are stirred up.
{15:19} The way of the slothful is like a hedge of thorns. The way of the just is without offense.
{15:20} A wise son gladdens the father. But the foolish man despises his mother.
{15:21} Folly is gladness to the foolish. And the prudent man sets his own steps in order.
{15:22} Intentions dissipate where there is no counsel. Yet truly, they are confirmed where there are many counselors.
{15:23} A man rejoices in the verdict of his own mouth. And a word at the right time is best.
{15:24} The path of life is for the wise above, so that he may turn away from the end of Hell.
{15:25} The Lord will demolish the house of the arrogant. And He will make firm the borders of the widow.
{15:26} Evil intentions are an abomination to the Lord. And pure conversation, most beautiful, shall be confirmed by him.
{15:27} Whoever pursues avarice disturbs his own house. But whoever hates bribes shall live. Through mercy and faith, sins are purged. But through the fear of the Lord, each one turns aside from evil.
{15:28} The mind of the just meditates on obedience. The mouth of the impious overflows with evils.
{15:29} The Lord is distant from the impious. And he will heed the prayers of the just.
{15:30} The light of the eyes rejoices the soul. A good reputation fattens the bones.
{15:31} The ear that listens to the reproofs of life shall abide in the midst of the wise.
{15:32} Whoever rejects discipline despises his own soul. But whoever agrees to correction is a possessor of the heart.
{15:33} The fear of the Lord is the discipline of wisdom. And humility precedes glory.

Daniel Daly

unread,

Jan 21, 2014, 3:55:14 PM1/21/14

Assembly of the Living God - Original Faith Community

Daniel Daly

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Jan 21, 2014, 4:01:38 PM1/21/14

Spiritual Fellowship Assembly

Public Domain Material

absolute1.net
MEDITATION ON GOD'S PRESENCE
As given by Joel Goldsmith to his students in 1960, transcribed by Gail Gupton (see the note at the end)

"I am seeking nothing in the outer realm. I release all desire for persons, for things, for conditions. I drop all of my hopes and my ambitions into Thy lap, Father. Take all that I have, for all that I have is Thine. I release myself from all fears known, for Thou art in me and I am in Thee. That where I am, Thou art. Therefore, I fear not. I fear not what mortal man can do to me. I fear not what human thoughts can do to me. I fear nothing, for I am in Thee and Thou art in me. Where Thou art, I am and where Thou art no fear can abide. Is there anything with power destructive to Thy child? Is there any power greater than Thy power of protection, of care, of support?

Are there powers greater than God? Are there any powers beside God? Ah, this is it. God is the only power. There are no powers to fear. No powers of sin, disease, of lack. No powers. No weapon that is formed against me shall prosper. For I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Therefore, easily, gladly, will I surrender fear. And I surrender hope, for what do I need to hope for? God is the greatest gift and God has given Himself to me. All that the Father hath is mine. What is there left to hope for? So, I surrender my hope to Thee. If I desire God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind, do I have room left to desire anything else and is there anything for me to desire after I have given my whole desire to God? I desire only God - to know Thee aright - to live consciously in Thy presence. This is my desire and all other desires I surrender unto Thee. No longer do I have any desire but to know Thee aright. Ambition? What ambition is there? What is there that one could be ambitious for after one has known God? Is there something in the world of greater value than God? Is there something of greater benefit than God? No. No. Knowing God, having God, I can have no further ambition, and I can surrender my ambition unto Thee. Hope, desire, ambition, fear. All these I surrender. And now, there is nothing left in the external world for me to be attached to. To love my neighbor as myself - this is natural, this is normal, this is spiritual. To love my friends, to love my family - this is normal, this is natural. But nothing external attracts me now. Nothing outside of me is greater than my love for God, my desire for God, my realization of what God's government means. And so now, here I am inside of myself, alone with God, tabernacling with God, living in the kingdom of God within me and looking to this deep withinness - this deep pool of contentment within myself, for whatever it is that God is going to impart to me.

Remember, there is no contentment to the mind that is stirred for desire for something that is outside. There is no contentment and there is no peace for the mind that is in fear of something outside. The only peace there is, the only contentment is in the realization, "I and my Father are one, and here within me is the entire kingdom of God. Here within me, God has placed His son - His beloved son. This beloved son is the reality of my being. This child of God is within me. Now, I am within and the rest of the world is without and I have no desire now to go beyond my eyelids. I'm within me. My thoughts do not go outside for there is nothing greater than that which I have within me. And now that I am at peace within I can turn to the Father within and say, "Speak, Lord. Thy servant heareth. I wait for the impartation that is to come from Thee. To me." Deep down within me is the kingdom of God. Deep down within me is His presence and in His presence is fullness of life. His presence within me is fulfillment. All that I shall ever need in my daily life is provided for from within me, through this presence. Thy presence within me is the fulfillment of my entire life. Thy presence within me is life eternal. Thy presence within me is bread, the staff of life. Thy presence within me is wine, is water, is meat. In Thy presence is fulfillment, for where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, and here, now, within me, is the spirit of the Lord. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me. The spirit of the Lord God is within me. The spirit of the Lord God has ordained me to show forth God's glory. The spirit of the Lord God within me is my liberty, my freedom from fear, my freedom from care, my freedom from danger. Thy presence within me is my freedom from care. Out in the world there is care and trial and tribulation. But in Thy presence within me is peace, freedom, joy, safety, security, abundance. Thy presence is my abundance. Thy presence within me is the activity of grace. Thy presence within me is the fulfillment of my career on earth. Whatever it is I am to do on earth, is now successful because Thy presence within me goes before me to make the crooked places straight - to prepare a place for me, to prepare mansions for me. Thy presence with me is the substance, the law and the activity of life harmonious. Thy presence within me is divine wisdom. Thy presence within me is divine love. Where Thou art, only love can be expressed. Where Thou art, only wisdom can be expressed. Where Thou art, only peace can be known and Thou art within me. I and my Father are here, together in communion with each other, tabernacling with each other, for the Father and I are one, but the Father is greater than I and the Father has made my soul His dwelling place. The Father has made my consciousness His dwelling place. The Father dwells within me and I dwell in Him, for we are one. Thy presence is the activity of divine grace and Thy grace is my sufficiency in all things. Where is Thy grace? Thy grace is not out in a room. Thy grace does not function out in the air. Thy grace is not somewhere between heaven and earth. Thy grace is within me. Thy grace is within my consciousness - really in the consciousness of all mankind, awaiting the recognition that I am now giving.

This is life eternal, to know that Thy grace is functioning within me. Thy grace satisfies me - in all directions. Thy grace is a law of love and of light unto me. Thy grace is my bread and meat and wine and water and Thy grace is functioning here and now, within me. I and the Father are here, together, we are one. I am in Him and He in me. And, my recognition of the Father within me - my recognition that the Father, He doeth the works. This leaves me free - free of desire, free of hope, free of ambition, but alive and alert in the realization I can do all thing through Christ. I can do all things through the presence of God within me. I can do all things. Everything - I can satisfy every demand that is made upon me - physical, mental, moral, financial - by the grace of God that dwelleth in me. I live, yet not I, The Father within me is living my life. The Father within me is fulfilling my life. The Father within me giveth me work to do and then He performeth that which is given me to do. The Father within me leadeth me into green pastures, beside still waters. The Father within me giveth me work to do and I work as the Father giveth me to do, and yet, He performeth that which He giveth me to do. For the Father within me doeth the works. I alone of myself can do nothing. Only by the grace of the Father within me is my life fulfilled. Only by the grace of the Father within me am I led to where I can best serve God and man. Oh, yes, I must serve man. I must be a servant unto man. I must dedicate my life to my neighbor because if I say I love God whom I have not seen but do not love my fellow man whom I have seen, then I am a liar. So, in loving God supremely, I love my fellow man and love to help and to serve and to enlighten. But only by the grace of God am I led to those whom I can serve. Only by the grace of God can I succeed in serving them after I have met them. And how do I experience the grace of God? By turning within - silently, secretly, sacredly, and realizing, here within me now, with the whole world shut out, no longer external to myself, here am I, Father, and we are one. In this silence, I pledge my life to God, having surrendered desires, hopes, fears, ambitions. I have surrendered myself to God, and now, God, fill me. Enlighten me. Teach me. Instruct me. Guide me. Lead me. Direct me. Feed me. Feed me. Sustain me from within. Thou hast revealed of old, "I am the bread and the meat and the wine and the water." And so I know that Thy infinite source of supply is forever feeding and clothing and housing me. I know all this comes from within so I need not look without. Thy wisdom is my wisdom. Thy love is my love. My whole life is lived that Thy glory may be made manifest unto man. Ah, yes, if I were to speak of myself I would bear witness to a lie. I, of mine own self can do nothing. I have no powers. But everything that is performed through me is a showing forth of Thy glory, of Thy wisdom, of Thy life, of Thy strength, of Thy peace, of Thy power. Every bit of good that is made manifest through my earthly life is a testimony to Thy glory - to Thy presence - to Thy power. Without Thy presence and without Thy power I would be as a branch of a tree that is cut off and withereth. Acknowledging Thy presence within me, acknowledging Thy power, I am one with the source of all life, of all wisdom, all strength. Acknowledging Thy presence and Thy power within me, I am one with immortality, eternality, infinity. And all of this shows forth Thy glory. If I am healthy, this is an evidence of Thy presence within me. If I have abundance, this is an evidence of Thy presence within me. If I have joy, peace, harmony - this bears witness to Thy presence within me. If I serve, if I help, if I benefit anyone, this is the testimony that Thou art with me. Thou art with me. Thou art in me as I am in Thee and we are one and all that is performed through me is Thine own glory being made manifest to the world. Thy presence - I feel it. I feel it. It is here - within me. It goes before me. It walks beside me, behind me. And always, it looks over my shoulder showing me which way to go. Therefore, by Thy grace I walk uprightly. By Thy grace I walk confidently. By Thy grace I serve humbly and sincerely. Thy grace is my sufficiency in all things. And this, which is so sacred, this, which is the most sacred experience an individual can ever know, to be locked up within himself, with the whole outside world shut out, to be here tabernacling with God, feeling God's presence, feeling the assurance that comes with the feeling of God's presence, this most sacred experience, must also be a secret experience, for the Master teaches, "When you pray, close the door, go within your secret sanctuary and close the door," which we are doing now. Just think, each one of us is as if there were no one else in this room. Each one of us is alone - locked up inside himself with God. Only God. In communion with God. And this is a secret - a secret which we have from the world, but a secret which we share with those who prove their readiness for the experience. We do not give our pearls to the unprepared thought. We do not teach the deepest and most sacred part of our work except to those who have given indication that their desire is for a life of the Spirit - those who have shown to us that they, too, desire to live a life tabernacling with God, living by the grace of God. Not by might, not by power, but by the spirit of God within. And so you come to the great mystery and that is this - when you have this spirit of God consciously alive in you, you have the substance and the law and activity of all form. And you will find that this recognition, this realization, of the presence and the power of God within YOU, will appear outwardly as every form of activity, every form of supply, every form of health, every form of infinte good that you could possibly dream of and far beyond your ability even to dream. One need not desire health. Just desire to know the Father within you.

Close the eyes and rest in the assurance of My presence. For I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. I will be with thee until the end of the world. Withersoever thou goest, I will go, whether it is up to heaven or down to hell, or through the valley of the shadow of death, fear not. Fear not. It is I. I, here in the midst of you.

Now, do you see what the mystical life is? In the mystical life the Father within us is our food, is our clothing, is our safety and our security. There is no God to send us these or give us these. Our God IS these. Our God IS freedom. Our God IS security. Our God IS joy and peace. Only - if only it is necessary to live - oh, a few moments in the morning, a few moments at noon, a few moments at night - inwardly, like this, with the world shut out, until the very feeling of God's presence is there and then take no thought for anything in the external world, for ALL things will be added unto YOU. Be careful. Never speak of this to anyone - not to your closest relatives. Not to your closest friends, UNTIL such time as your own life bears witness to the fruitage of this and then they come and seek it - and then don't give it to them until they have PROVEN their readiness for it - their eagerness for it - their desire for it. Because, you will find that your pearls can be trampled upon and you could lose them. It is a strange thing to say that there are those who have found this and lost it in their overeagerness to give it, to share it. And the reason is, that to speak this, ordinarily, is like hitting a ball up against the wall. The wall doesn't receive it, it just sends it back to hit you. And so it is, as I voice this to you, you accept it, you receive it in your consciousness. It goes out from me, it finds lodgement within you and then it comes back up to me in a wave of love. But the moment that I try to tell this to someone who is NOT receptive and responsive, it is as if it hit up against the wall and came back and hit me instead of coming back gently, sweetly, lovingly.

You'll find that when you find someone who is seeking God, has shown by their life some measure of dedication to it, that when you share this with them, it doubles itself in you. At the very moment that you try to cram it down someone's throat, the very moment you try to give it to someone who doesn't want it, then you find you deplete yourself. Many do not realize that when the Master was teaching the multitudes he was often depleted. Ane the reason was, that he was giving out this fullness of the spirit and it was merely bouncing back - lying at his feet. Very often, when we have a lecture, afterward, there is a feeling of depletion. As if you had given out all of your good and left yourself blank. But this never happens in a classroom. Never. On the contrary, I have never known a session of a class that didn't leave me more elated, more uplifted, more filled with the spirit, than the beginning of the class. The reason is, those who come to the class come with open consciousness - receptive. They have indicated in their lives or they wouldn't be in the room if they weren't dedicating themselves to a higher awareness, to a higher consciousness and so they are receptive and responsive and they receive and they give back.

"The Father within me." This is merely a term. But each one discovers for themselves that which God is to them. Each one feels within themselves whether God is the Father within, or whether God is Love, or God is Life. Some find the spirit of Christ dwells in them. Some, the spirit of Love, the spirit of Life. Each one finds this presence within themselves and the presence assumes an identity. It is perfectly natural for some to feel this is "the Father within me". It was perfectly natural for Abraham to feel, "This is my friend." Sometimes the question is asked of me, why it is that "Dear Friend" is such an important part of my life. My letters start that way - even the monthly letters. Always, "Dear Friend". And the reason I tell you this is that God is to me a friend. God is to ME. And when I say "Dear Friend" to you, I am recognizing my Father in you. When I write "Dear Friend", it is this presence within me to whom I am speaking and it is this presence, this friend within me, who is speaking through me - to you. But again, there are times when it is as if the very presence of love in me or the very presence of life. But whatever it is, it is THE presence. It is THE presence and it is THE power and that is why, in the Infinite Way , our entire basis is that God ALONE is power. There are no powers external to us. There are no powers of evil and there are no powers of good. For the only power there is, is this presence within me. It is the only presence. It is the ALL presence. And it does not have to contend with other powers. It does not have to fight other powers or overcome them. For there ARE no other powers. This that I feel as the Father within me, this that I feel as a loving presence, is the ONLY power. And that is why, in the Infinite Way, there is no reason to live by might or by power. There is no reason to struggle to heal disease. There is no need to struggle to overcome sin. There is a presence within US which does the work, and the work isn't fighting or overcoming. It is almost as if it were dissolving a picture. And nothing more nor less than that. It is not a power in the sense of doing anything to evil. It is only a power in the sense of maintaining and sustaining its own divine creation - from Thy spirit.

And so, when temptation tells you that you are facing a problem, regardless of the name or nature of the problem, regardless of its depth or height or width, regardless of its seeming power, just ask yourself that question, "Whither shall I flee from Thy presence? Thou art here. Thou art here. Whithersoever I go, Thou goest. Wherever I am, Thou art." And rest, rest in that presence and let IT perform its function. If there is a disease to be healed, let it do it. If it is a sin to overcome, let it do it. If there is something in the nature of supply, to be supplied, let it do it. Don't send it out. Don't make it your messenger. Don't try to empower it. Rest in it. Feel the presence. Rest in it. And then realize regardless what devil stands before me, this presence will dissolve it. This presence will reinterpret it. You need not fight. The battle is not yours. Rest in the Word and watch the evils of the world destroy themselves. This is not merely true of your individual problems. But you will one day be so happy to watch the great evils of this world dissolve - right before your eyes - as you look out upon the evils of this world and smile. "Thou couldnt'st have no power unless it came from God. We need not fight. We need not fear the armies of the alien. We need not fear what mortal man can do to us. Why? We have the Lord God Almighty. We have this divine presence within US. Then what is there to fear? And what power remains in the world in the presence of infinte power? And so, be not surprised that we ARE going to witness the overcoming of all evils in the world. Not by having prayer groups to pray for peace. The world has had these for generations. Not by praying to God to destroy our enemies. That's been going on for thousands of years. Just in one way - settling back in peace - feeling this divine presence. And then asking yourself, "What other presence is there than this? What other power is there than this? Who has empowered evil? WHO has empowered, WHAT has empowered mortal mind?"

And the answer comes back, "Nothing. Be not afraid, it is I. The battle is not yours, you need not fight. Stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord." And you will find this - after these meditations in which you retire within, leave the whole world outside. All your desire, all your hopes, all your fears, all your ambitions, surrender them to God. Settle down in peace. "Here I am, Father. Thou in me and me in Thee." Then, when the presence of the spirit announces itself you really will feel there is nothing left to fear. For there are NO powers. There is no presence besides this. This that I feel within me, is the Infinite All, beside which there is no other. When you close your eyes this way, when you have shut the world out, there is just you and that which sent you forth into expression. That which is responsible for your birth. That which is responsible for you every day of your life. But the reason life hasn't been successful is that we have lived it through personal sense instead of a daily surrender to this presence within. No one's life would ever be a failure. No one's life would ever end in weakness and fear and debility who surrendered their life every morning to this presence within and let IT take over the day. I live, yet not I. This presence within me lives my life and, for a long, long while it is necessary that we retire within ourselves several times a day to make this surrender, until one day, a complete and perfect surrender actually takes place after which you discover that you're NOT living your own life anymore nor thinking your own thoughts but it's always the Father is living your life, the Father is thinking through you. The Father is living through you. And then, if there are any desires or hopes or ambitions, it is the Father expressing HIS will, HIS desire, HIS power, HIS presence."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A funny think happened. On the English site I neglected to mention Gail Gupton, the transcriber. On the Dutch site she was mentioned properly. It is a neat example of how we attract what we focus on. I don't know whyGail is focused on copyright issues. I can only speak for myself. I can plainly see how all these thoughts writers and publishers on the web have about protecting their copyright influence our experiences, including mine. I must admit I have worried for a moment. I have a copyright notice on my site. In my case that doesn't mean anything, for I trust in God. I would never attack anyone with legal measures for using material from my website, that only belongs to me. (But only you and I know that. Let sleeping dogs lie.)

So Gail Gupton wrote to me:
Your quote from Joel Goldsmith, placed there on May 11, 2002, was taken from our web site, under Meditation on God's Presence.
I, personally, transcribed this quote from a cassette tape - IT IS NOT TAKEN FROM ANY WRITTEN WORD OR BOOK as you indicate. You have properly placed another link going to the audio of our web site where we placed a talk by Joel Goldsmith. Please give credit where credit is due when having your visitor read what I transcribed. I realize this is wonderful material, which is why we placed it on our site. You mention your web site material is copyrighted. So is ours. Thank you. I will check back.

I hope this note will satisfy you, Gail. Thank You for helping me get clear and for your wonderful work! Margareth

This story has a funny ending. A few months later I checked the link to Gail's site and found out that Joel's audio had been removed. The lawyers of the heirs of Joel had sent Gail a threatening letter saying she was violating their copyright. I have really concocted very funny drama's! I feel for my associations who have to go through all these drama's. And I am grateful to Divine Intelligence for showing me what my belief in copyright leads to.

Daniel Daly

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Jan 21, 2014, 4:02:55 PM1/21/14

Spiritual Fellowship Assembly

Public Domain Material

The dynamic laws of prosperity by Catherine Ponder
(Selected Affirmations)

"I give thanks that I am the ever renewing, the ever unfolding expression of infinite life, health, and energy."

"Let there be peace within my walls and prosperity within my palaces."

"I give thanks for ever increasing health, youth and beauty."

"I am the radiant child of God, my mind, body and affairs now express his radiant perfection."

"I give thanks that I am now rich, well and happy and that my financial affairs are in divine order. Every day in every way I am growing richer and richer."

"Money, money, money manifest thyself here and now in rich abundance."

"Abundance, wealth, health and happiness. Divine intelligence is even now opening the way for my immediate blessings. I have faith that all that is mine by divine right now comes to me in rich abundance. I have faith that all that is mine by divine right now comes to me in rich abundance, my rich blessings do not interfere with anyone else's good, since God's rich substance is unlimited and everywhere for all to us. There is no delay!

That which is not for my highest good now fades from me and I no longer desire it. My God-given desires are richly fulfilled now in God's own wonderful way."

"I am an irresistible magnet, with the power to attract unto myself everything that I divinely desire, according to the thoughts, feelings and mental pictures I constantly entertain and radiate. I am the center of my Universe! I have the power to create whatever I wish. I attract whatever I radiate. I attract whatever I mentally choose and accept, I begin choosing and mentally accepting the highest and best in life. I now choose and accept health, success and happiness. I now choose lavish abundance for myself and for all humankind. This is a rich, friendly Universe and I dare to accept its riches, its hospitality, and to enjoy them now."

"I am the rich child of a loving father. I now accept and claim his rich good for me in every phase of my life. My own God-given success in the form of rich ideas and rich results now appears."

"I am now experiencing perfect health, abundant prosperity and complete and utter happiness. This is true because the world is full of charming people who now lovingly help me in every way. I am now coming into an innumerable company of angels. I am now living a delightful, interesting and satisfying life of the most widely useful kind. Because of my own increased health, wealth and happiness, I am now able to help others live a delightful, interesting and satisfying life of the most widely useful kind, my good - our good - is universal."

"I am now activated by Divine Love and guided by divine power into my right work, which I perform in a perfect way for perfect pay. The divine plan of my life now takes shape in definite concrete experiences, leading to perfect health, happiness, success and prosperity."

"Divine intelligence is in charge of my life. I am now open, receptive, and obedient to its rich instruction and guidance."

"Divine intelligence directs the right buyer to this property. Everyone concerned is blessed by a just and orderly exchange of values."

"Divine intelligence knows our need, knows where the right house is and knows how to manifest it to us at the right time."

"There is gold dust in the air for me. Through definite, deliberate prosperous thinking. I now begin assimilating that gold dust. And even now I am beginning to experience gold dust results."

"Divine restoration is taking place. The good which the locusts of lack have eaten is being divinely restored. The divine law of balance and equilibrium is doing its perfect work."

"Refusing to criticize another's prosperity, I turn to God, ask his direction and I am prospered. In like manner, others refuse to criticize my prosperity. Instead, they turn to God, ask his direction and they, too are prospered. There is plenty of success and prosperity for all."

"This situation does not dismay me. God is with me to uphold and sustain me, and to make all things right. I trust everything in my life to the tender care of the Father. I know his will for me is health, happiness, prosperity, spiritual unfoldment and all that is good."

"Nothing but good can come into my life, for God is in charge."

"I give thanks for the immediate, complete, divine fulfillment of these desires. This or something better comes forth with perfect timing, according to God's rich good for me."

"Divine intelligence now works in me and my life and affairs, to will and to do whatever for my highest good, and divine intelligence cannot fail!"

"I am now shown new ways of living and new methods of work. I am not confined to the ways and methods of the past. I experience my perfect work in the perfect way, which now renders me perfect satisfaction and perfect pay."

"No, I do not have to accept this situation. God in his almighty goodness is dissolving and removing all negation from my world. No situation dismays me, for God, the Spirit of good is with me, unfolding and sustaining me and making all things right."

"Regardless of taxes, the cost of living or the rate of unemployment, my financial income can and does increase richly now through the direct action of God."

"There is nothing for me to fear. God's Spirit of good is at work and divine results are coming forth."

"There is no absence of life, substance or intelligence anywhere, so there is no absence of life, substance or intelligence in this situation or in my life."

"There is no absence of life, substance or intelligence anywhere."

"Divine intuition is now showing me the way. Divine intuition is now working in and through me, in and through all concerned, producing easily and quickly the perfect outcome, the perfect result."

"Divine telepathy is now revealing to me all truth about my special powers for prosperity."

"Divine telepathy is now revealing to you, to me, to us, all truth about this situation."

"I have unshakeable faith in the perfect outcome of every situation in my life, for God is in absolute control."

"God's almighty power goes before me, making easy, successful and delightful my way."

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me. I am strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. The perfect result now appears."

"You walk in the charmed circle of God's love, and you are divinely irresistible to your highest good now."

"There is no condemnation or resentment in me, for me or round about me. Divine love and harmony now reign supreme in me and in my world so all criticism now ceases."

"We use the prosperous power of divine intelligence in wisdom, integrity and good judgment in all our financial affairs. We give thanks that every financial obligation is paid on time."

"There is no criticism or condemnation in me, for me, or against me.

Divine love, wisdom and order now reveal perfect guidance and produce perfect results in me and my world."

"The same divine trust that first motivated this financial transaction is now mightily at work, clearing it up for the highest good for all concerned."

"There is a divine solution to this situation. The divine solution is the sublime solution. I give thanks that the divine solution quickly appears now!"

"I give thanks for the divine restoration in my business affairs, divine restoration is now doing its perfect work for all involved, and the perfect result appears now. I give thanks that every financial obligation is now being met in God's own wise and wonderful way."

"Everything and everybody prospers us now, and we prosper everything and everybody now."

"I will not put up with or tolerate this experience as necessary, lasting or right. I refuse to accept things as they are. I am God's child and I will accept nothing but His complete goodness for me."

"Every day in every way I am becoming financially independent, with the help of God."

"I expect lavish abundance every day in every way in my life and affairs.

I specifically expect and give thanks for lavish abundance today."

“With God's help, I am now deliberately and joyously radiating divine love to myself, my world, and to all humankind."

"This is God's day, a good day. I pronounce this day and all of its activities good!"

"I am now open and receptive to the rich, divine ideas that now perfectly initiate and sustain my business affairs."

"Nothing can defeat me. I give thanks for the perfect, immediate right results. I rejoice that I am now successful in all my ways."

"I do not depend upon persons or conditions for my prosperity. God is the source of my supply, so I now put God first financially. The voluntary,

faithful tithing of my whole income now operates the law of ever-increasing prosperity for me. Yes, I now tithe my way to peace, health and plenty."

"My yoke is easy and my burden is light. My accomplishments are many. I am divinely equipped to accomplish great things with ease."

"I pronounce this business conference and everything connected with it good, satisfying results quickly appear."

"This is a time of satisfying completion. I loose and let go this day. Divine intelligence establishes only good from it. All else fades away."

"As I lie down to peaceful sleep, I thank God for my successful day. I rest easily, knowing that divine intelligence is renewing my mind and body, and preparing me for an even more successful day tomorrow."

"Divine intelligence, what positive, constructive, creative thought, word, attitude or action is my next stop to improve my present work? What is the next step into the abundance, satisfaction and freedom that is mine by divine right?"

"All financial doors are open; all financial channels are free, and endless bounty now comes to me."

"I use the positive power of God's rich substance in wisdom, love and good judgment in all my financial affairs, and I am prospered in all my ways."

"I bless you with a rich increase of God's almighty good."

"Everything and everybody prospers me now and I prosper everything and everybody now."

"I bless you and bless you for the riches of God that are now being demonstrated in and through you."

"I rejoice in the bounty of God, constantly manifesting as overflowing supply here and now."

"I give thanks that I am beautifully and appropriately:

- clothed with the rich substance of God.

- housed with the rich substance of God.

- transported with the rich substance of God."

"Divine order is now established and maintained, harmony reigns supreme."

"With praise and thanksgiving, I set the riches of God before me this day to guide, govern, protect, and prosper me. All things needful are now provided. My rich good becomes visible this day!"

"My words are charged with prospering power."

"I give thanks that my financial income now increases mightily through the direct action of God's rich good."

"I give thanks for the immediate, complete payment of all financial obligations, in God's own wonderful way."

"I am a child of the living God, therefore I am one with his wisdom. That wisdom now leads me in paths of righteousness, peace and true success."

"I give thanks for the immediate, complete, divine fulfillment of these desires. This or something better comes forth with perfect timing, according to God's rich good for me."

Daniel Daly

The Weblink: http://noahidebooks.angelfire.com is working again.

Daniel Daly

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Feb 5, 2014, 6:14:52 PM2/5/14

Historical Torah Society

Hey Society

Here is the Introduction and Chapter One of a Text I am writing. It is titled
'The Historical Torah'. Pretty much sums it up I guess. I don't really know how long it will be, or how it will come out, but the chapters are shortish, so there may be quite a lot (perhaps) by the time I am finished. It is intended to be both a religious tome and a scholarly tome, and is Copyrighted to the Historical Torah Society and any ultimate sales from the work are not for myself (on this occasion) but to be part of the general income for the Historical Torah Society. I might take a small percentage of the profits, though. It will be written with a 'Layman' in mind, but hopefully interesting enough for an Academic Scholar to derive interest from.

Anyway, here is the work:

The Historical Torah

by
Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly
Copyright 6178 SC

Introduction

What is the 'Historical Torah'? Simply answered, it is that component of the written Torah, whatever that component may be, which is 100% genuinely historical in the detail it provides and the factuality and the truthfulness of the claims it makes.

Why the question? Simply put, this is a question from a soul (myself) and an organization (The Historical Torah Society) who need greater understanding and clarity on this issue, ultimately, for the purposes of spiritual truth: for the gaining of wisdom and knowledge from that truth and for the application of any of God's divine principles of that truth which remain true at the end of our study. It is a real question to provide a real answer - what, in the Torah, are we supposed to observe.

What is the basis for this question? Simply put, the age old tradition of Moses as the author of the 5 books of the Written Torah was sufficiently debunked many years ago. The gradual development of the documentary hypothesis, which divides the authorship of the Torah into several strands, challenges the notion that all the Torah must be blindly obeyed and sworn allegiance to, simply because there are now reasonable questions as to the legitimacy of the information and how much is genuinely divinely inspired. Especially in the 19th Century, but particularly in the 20th, Biblical Criticism has developed to such a degree that the fundamentalist claims of an absolute literally divinely inspired Word of God in every detail have genuinely been shown to be false claims. What this implies for our purposes is that applying the legislation and principles of the Written Torah to ones life in every detail and attempting to teach that to others may 1) Not be necessary and 2) In fact be harmful for the often annoyance gained by those who dislike religion because of practices within that religion they find distasteful and reject.

Only the truth of God's faith can stand - if it is a system of knowledge defined by man which is shown, in time, to be corrupt, such a system must be ignored and replaced with the correct moral teachings. The Torah is so well entrenched in our society that many have taken for granted its acceptance regardless. But as we leave the 20th century, whose latter half saw a great increase in political correctness and biblical rejection, and we enter the 21st century, those of biblical faith are under greater attack than ever, and the bible more derided than any other time in its history.

The facts needed to be presented - clearly - not for the faith to 'Progress' but for the faith to be more firmly 'Established'. Only on the 'Truth' of scripture and the 'Truth' of divine revelation, can the faith hope to survive this century in any decent shape, and that of the generations to come.

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly
Founder of the Historical Torah Society
Thursday 6th of February, 6178 SC
Macarthur, ACT, Australia

Chapter One
'Before we even Begin - Why the Torah is True Regardless'

"In the Beginning God Created Mankind. And then God created Reason. And with Reason mankind walked away from fables of snakes and floods and arks and commands, and realized nature was the answer, and that religion was a fowl invention of man."

While that fabulous quote is of my own invention, the rise of deism in America, belief in God without religion, is one the reasons our quest to find the genuine historical Torah is of importance. Deism does not so much deny the facts of scripture, as ridicule them as unworthy of any serious study simply because they appear to lack god given 'Reason'. The Miracles of scripture 'Defy Reason' and 'Logic' in the eyes of a deist, and God could in no way at all be the author of such confusion, which he obviously was, should he have authored such foolery.

Deism - belief in God without religion, based on one's own reason - is perhaps one of the greatest opportunities for evil there ever will be. For in the 'God of Nature alone' who will we be to one day ultimately judge what is 'Natural' and what is 'Unnatural'. For, as a Lion kills to eat, one day the deists might argue, as their morality crashes to even greater lows, that murder is a natural function of human society, and why on earth should we bother legislating against this fact? Simply let nature run its own course will be the accepted moral truth 'BASED ON REASON' that this movement will valiantly uphold.

Or they would.

If they ever got the power to do so.

They won't, though. The truth of El Shaddai will never allow such abominations.

You see, even the sinner kids next door, who see their dad boozing and hitting their mother can tell you murder is wrong, and even a sin. They see and know it every time he hits their mother. They see and know it every time he hits THEM. It is the cold hard fact of EVIL and in the end it is not the natural man which chooses this behaviour, but the man who has rejected knowledge of God and lawfulness, which has always been available from the creator, denies this very living God who rebukes him, and chooses to act, not in any form of reason of nature, but on the wicked choosings of the evil of his own heart and mind - HIS OWN CHOICES - and does evil.

And the conscience perpetually witnesses to this truth.

So, before we even really begin our study, in all my knowledge and revelation on life, I can already tell you this. You won't really throw out the Torah - or to be more accurate - the general message of the Torah, when all is said and done. Yahweh El Shaddai will triumph in the end, not even based on the Torah, for if you simply take it is as the writings of old Israel in a catalogue of a mishmash of historical legends, you can still understand, in the end, through reading its message, that whatever did go on historically in the end - whatever the truthfulness which IS in there about history - that the big guy presented within - GOD - really is the Creator God and that the morals he portrays, portrayed at a basic level, such as in the 10 commandments, really are true in the end anyway.

You don't need to know, ultimately, whether or not the bible is factual in every detail in the end, to not know in your heart, after an encounter with the text, that the creator of the universe is the one who is obviously being described in and that, whatever parts are legendary and whatever parts are true, they are still pointing to the creator of the universe and giving the essential message of the kinds of moral this creator emphasizes and teaches for his human offspring.

Our own SELF-WILL and our own pigheadedness can interfere with this process. In our pride, which is the essential problem of deism and all false religions, we think we know better than God and can choose our own destiny. It is simply to choose freedom to do what we want, to have no superiors watching over us and lecturing us and, often, simply to bloody sin, that we are like this. We deny the God of lawfulnes, because we don't want to be lawful. We want to do our own thing and have our own freedoms. We call the religious hypocrites because they don't justify all the lifestyle choices we want to make in our own lives. We say 'Live your own life' and 'Make your own choices' to justify this truth for our own belief in our own sovereign rights.

We all want to be our own God.

Yet, the morality which ultimately comes across from the Torah portrays a God who judges and makes rules, and this is the fundamental problem that deists and other objectors to the God of scripture and any moral truths being associated with scripture, have. They want their own freedoms and their own moral platitudes, often to play God themselves. Often to live the lifestyle choices they want to make, and there is nothing at all easier in simply finding a few biblical contradictions and off they go claiming the bible is all manmade and the religious are all hypocrites and you never have to worry about that old thing ever again.

And you know what?

That is probably the way God likes it.

Why? Because he is after the faithful and the servants. The moral and the truthful. Not ones who simply want to live as they please, and who will end up finding any old excuse anyway, regardless of how infallible or not the scriptures be, to justify their own choices.

And those choices usually end up being sin.

So, before we even begin, you will already find the Torah the truth, if you know the God of the Torah in your heart or have met him personally, and this study of ours will not convince you he isn't God, whatever the result. Yet, conversely, it may draw you a little closer, should you feel the bible is a pile of nothing more than vain traditions, when you understand a little more clearly how it came about and what portions are perhaps genuinely historical - or what ideas within those sources are genuinely historical in a divine sense as they claim - and in this understanding you might see a little more clearly the logic and truly rationale basis for believing in the God of scripture and why Jehovah has been part of mankind's history for so long now anyway.

Daniel Daly

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Feb 5, 2014, 7:49:40 PM2/5/14

On Thursday, February 6, 2014 10:14:52 AM UTC+11, Daniel Daly wrote:
> Historical Torah Society
>
>
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> Hey Society
>

Here, now, is chapter two

Chapter Two
'The Canon is formed - the Tradition Begins'

The Council of Jamnia is a commonly held date for the timing of the canonization of the Hebrew Tanakh. The idea of this council as an historical account was proposed by Heinrich Graetz in 1871. Before the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70 with the sacking of Jerusalem by the invading Roman Armies, in Jamnia there had been a school of developed phariseeism, founded by Yohanan ben Zakkai. Yohanan had gained permission from the Roman Authorities to form a school of Halakah (Jewish Law) in Jamnia and the school was formed, as well as the Sanhedrin being relocated there. Later on at the end of the second century CE with the formation of the Mishnah (which Orthodoxy terms the 'Oral Law', believing it an orally passed on set of extra legal rulings originating in the time of Moses which, until being written down in the Mishnah, were only passed on Orally), the Mishnah records the discussion of the validity of certain texts of the Kethuvim as scripture. Graetz taught on these passages and other references, that the canonization of the Tanakh as a whole, through primarily the Kethuvim being sanctioned as the third book of the Canon in the Jamnian period, supposedly took place in the period of AD 70 to AD 90 approximately.

In New Testament writings, the event chronicled as the 'Transfiguration' was supposedly Jesus justification before God upon the 'Law' and the 'Prophets'. Yet the Law and the Prophets are the 'Torah' and the 'Neviim'. NOT the writings, or the 'Kethuvim'.

Did the Kethuvim exist separately as its own book in the time of Jesus? Were the books of the Kethuvim part of the Prophets? For example, Jesus quotes the book of Daniel and claims Daniel as a prophet, yet the book of Daniel features only in the Kethvim in today's writings. Was Daniel part of the Neviim, though, in some traditions in the time of Jesus? Yet what of the Psalms? The New Testament quotes them constantly? Were they canon yet? Were they in the process of becoming canonized?

The information we have dates the origin of all the books of the Tanakh well before the time of Jesus of Nazareth, yet the New Testament writings shed no clear data on there being 3 parts of the Tanakh, nor do the early writings in the Mishnah show clearly their canonization origin.

It is a matter of speculation, as more recent commentators since Graetz have objected to the Council of Jamnia being the time for the canonization of the Tanakh as a whole. For example, Jack P Lewis wrote a critique, which was published in the April 1964 edition of 'Journal of Bible and Religion', in which he challenges what had become a consensus amongst many that Graetz hypothesis was practically proven.

According to Lewis:
The concept of the Council of Jamnia is an hypothesis to explain the canonization of the Writings (the third division of the Hebrew Bible) resulting in the closing of the Hebrew canon. ... These ongoing debates suggest the paucity of evidence on which the hypothesis of the Council of Jamnia rests and raise the question whether it has not served its usefulness and should be relegated to the limbo of unestablished hypotheses. It should not be allowed to be considered a consensus established by mere repetition of assertion.
It is clear, though, that in the early centuries of the Common Era, a consensus of what the scriptures of the Tanakh WERE did become established so that by the time the Mishnah and the Babylonian and Palestiania Gemaras are complete (The Twin Talmuds from each of the schools rabbinic thought and discussions) the Hebrew Bible was officially canonized and accepted.

This was the view of Orthodoxy and Phariseecial Judaism. Karaite Judaism emerged later on in the first millennium CE under the initial impulses of Anan Ben David, which rejected the Talmudic literature as manmade, but did not disagree with the Talmudics on what constituted sacred scripture, the same 39 titled volumes of the Tanakh as we have them today, which are classified as 24 books.

The formation of the Tanakh seems to have progressed from first acceptance of the Torah, second, acceptance of the Torah and the Neviim, and third, acceptance of the Torah, Neviim and finally the Kethuvim also. It is hard to be completely precise with the data we have historically, for the canonization or acceptance of various parts of the Hebrew Bible may have been done by this or that spiritual leader amongst the people and in Karaite tradition, the Sadducees may or may not have accepted just the written Torah, meaning there was debate all along as to what was accepted as scripture and what was not. Thus to precisely date a time for the accepted canonization of the official canon at an early date is not really available on current data, yet, we do know that by the time of the completion of the Talmud and with the origin of Karaism, the idea of the Tanakh as it stands today had been accepted as canon.

It was always accepted and believed that the Torah section of the Tanakh was written first, and that it dated back to Moses, the believed author. This is clearly the idea of the Pharisees and the Rabbis and the Karaite community upheld this also. To this day Orthodox Judaism, the inheritors of the Phariseecial rabbinic assemblies, and Karaite Judaism, uphold the general tradition of the written Torah originating in the time of Moses.

There are likely many opinions as to the final dating for the formation of the Torah, which is part of our job in this study, yet what we can know is this: When the canon ultimately did become formed, and by the time Karaite Judaism emerged, it was believed, and still is, that the written Torah was the work of the prophet Moses himself, that it represented the embodiment of the divine will of God, that it was flawless, without error, the perfect guide from God for man, and that it was, in all ways, the truth, and the answer to the meaning of life, and, in essence, the word of God.

Nothing less than that.

And this tradition lasted, and has lasted, and became law and became fact and became the book of the judgement of Israel and the book of the Judgment of the Kingdom of God.

And then a voice cried out.

And the cracks started to appear.

Daniel Daly

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Feb 6, 2014, 4:15:34 AM2/6/14

Chapter Three
'Rise of the Heretics - the First Biblical Critics'

The 17th century of the Christian era was an era which was highlighted by the continued dominance of the established Christian Church in Europe and the emerging new spiritual energy of the Protestant reformation. Yet equal to the zeal for biblical tradition, was an emerging zeal for biblical historical fact. Thus, while Martin Luther on the 31st of October 1517 sent his 'Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences' to Bishop Albert of Mainz, which came to be known as the 95 theses, probably only in legend nailed to the door of a catholic church, only 133 years later, Thomas Hobbes, in his work 'Leviathan', cited several passages of the holy writ of the Lawgiver Moses to demonstrate, in the pure historical simplicity of the scripture meaning what it says, that when Deuteronomy 34:6 teaches, of Moses, that 'No Man Knoweth of his Sepulchre to this Day' and Numbers 21:14 says 'Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord what he did in the Red Sea and in the brooks of Arnon' and Genesis 12:16 'And the Canaanite was then in the land', it becomes clear through observation of the historical context from which the subjects of each scripture are viewed from that it is a much latter date, well after the time of Moses.

The essential crux of Hobbes point is that Mosaic authorship of the entire Torah is obviously historically untrue. How could Moses write 'No man knoweth of his sepulchre to this day' in reference to his own grave, if he is still alive? And 'To this day' strongly suggests a fair passage of time has occurred. In a similar way 'It is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord what he did in the Red Sea' appears to quite obviously be referring to a book known to the readers of the passage, about Moses, written at a latter time period. And, when it says 'And the Canaanite was then in the land' it becomes so obvious that it is set in a post conquest of Israel time period, after the sacking of the promised land under the warmanship of Joshua. The logical conclusion of Thomas Hobbes was that none of these passages were written by Moses.

Baruch Spinoza, born on the 24th of November 1632 and died on the 21st of Febrary 1677, was a Dutch philosopher who has come to be considered by many as one of the great rationalists of 17th century philosophy. He was a figure instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Enlightenment of the 18th century, and for our purposes, one of the early leading voices in biblical criticism.

Baruch was a Jew. Yet he was also a critic, and he viewed the scriptures as true and factual and the word of Hashem or, what he gradually found out with his studies, fallible and, the religion he was living by, ignoring the plain facts of biblical and other passages to justify their tradition. In July 1656 the Talmud Torah congregation of Amsterdam issued a write of excommunication against Baruch, which was not an uncommon practice of Jewry of the period. The essential claims of the Congregaton were that Baruch was a heretic, taught abominations and committed monstrous deeds which had been clearly demonstrated. This translation of the officil record of the censure illustrates the congregations concerns regarding the person of Baruch Spinoza.

The Lords of the ma'amad, having long known of the evil opinions and acts of Baruch de Espinoza, have endeavord by various means and promises, to turn him from his evil ways. But having failed to make him mend his wicked ways, and, on the contrary, daily receiving more and more serious information about the abominable heresies which he practiced and taught and about his monstrous deeds, and having for this numerous trustworthy witnesses who have deposed and born witness to this effect in the presence of the said Espinoza, they became convinced of the truth of the matter; and after all of this has been investigated in the presence of the honorable chachamin, they have decided, with their consent, that the said Espinoza should be excommunicated and expelled from the people of Israel. By the decree of the angels, and by the command of the holy men, we excommunicate, expel, curse and damn Baruch de Espinoza, with the consent of God, Blessed be He, and with the consent of all the Holy Congregation, in front of these holy Scrolls with the six-hundred-and-thirteen precepts which are written therein, with the excommunication with which Joshua banned Jericho, with the curse with which Elisha cursed the boys, and with all the curses which are written in the Book of the Law. Cursed be he by day and cursed be he by night; cursed be he when he lies down, and cursed be he when he rises up; cursed be he when he goes out, and cursed be he when he comes in. The Lord will not spare him; the anger and wrath of the Lord will rage against this man, and bring upon him all the curses which are written in this book, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven, and the Lord will separate him to his injury from all the tribes of Israel with all the curses of the covenant, which are written in the Book of the Law. But you who cleave unto the Lord God are all alive this day. We order that no one should communicate with him orally or in writing, or show him any favor, or stay with him under the same roof, or within four ells of him, or read anything composed or written by him.
The exact reasons for the issuance of the censure appear to be: he was teaching radical theological views, that the Amsterdam Jewish community was uncomfortable with such viewpoints which could affect their relationship with the Christian community of Amsterdam, and lack of contribution to the life of theAmsterdam community as he had already withdrawn himself and was no longer financially contributing. One would hope that a firm conviction on the authority of scripture were the main issues of concern for the community and that Baruch's outspoken views on the issue were the primary reason for the censure, yet I wonder how much the latter possibilities are closer to home.

Later, Spinoza addressed the congregation in an apology written in Spanish, to the elders of the Synagogue, were he quoted the medieval biblical commentator ibn Ezra regarding the passage Genesis 12:16, which ibn Ezra had called a 'mystery' and exhorted those who understand to keep it silent' amongst various other biblical passages, and made the claim, as had Hobbes, that Mosaic authorship of the written Torah as a whole was patently untrue.

He was excommunicated at 23, died at 44, yet his legacy remained an enduring one.

Others of the early 'Heretics' included Isaac de la Peyrere, Richard Simon and John Hampden, who came to similar conclusions, yet their works were condemned and several of them were imprisoned and forced to recant.

These were the biblical critics - the heretics - the forerunners of enlightenment, who knew the cry of today's politically correct that the bible was full of bongers, and that the religious hierarchy maintained their order through holy censure and holy writ, and that while you may 'Rage Against the Machine', in the end 'The bastards would have their way' because 'The majority would have its say'.

The biblical critics started the cracks.

But the faith remained, withstanding these early shots.

Big things started happening the following century as enlightenment dawned.

Daniel Daly

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Feb 7, 2014, 9:57:31 PM2/7/14

Historical Torah Society
Suggested Code of Conduct

Introduction
The purpose of the Historical Torah Society is to examine the Torah to find the 'Original Revelation' of the faith. This task will take some time. Between times, and perhaps appropriate in an eternal setting anyway, this is my own suggested code of conduct that members of the HTS voluntarily agree to abide by. With a decent code of accepted behaviour established in our society, a greater fluency of social interaction and fruitful study can result.

Thus I, Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly, lay down this interpretation and application of the Torah principles, and other judgements I have made, in my own sense of appropriate judgement, God voicing his concerns through my words as he sees fit.

THE LAW CODE - THE 33 RULES

Rule 1
Killing or harming your neighbour is not permitted

Rule 2
Worshipping idols or false deities is not permitted

Rule 3
Stealing and robbing people is not permitted

Rule 4
Moving boundary markers of property is not permitted

Rule 6
Kidnapping people is not permitted

Rule 7
Poisoning food is not permitted

Rule 8
Raping women is not permitted

Rule 9
Bestiality is not permitted

Rule 10
Hurting people is not permitted

Rule 11
Practicing Witchcraft is not permitted

Rule 12
Practicing Astrology is not permitted

Rule 13
Practicing Tarot is not permitted

Rule 14
Adultery is not permitted

Rule 15
Sexual relations with parents and siblings are not permitted

Rule 16
Speeding to fast in public in vehicles is not permitted

Rule 17
Blackmailing people is not permitted

Rule 18
Bribing people is not permitted

Rule 19
Honouring parents is encouraged

Rule 20
Lies are not permitted. White lies for a good purpose are permitted

Rule 21
Vandalism is not permitted

Rule 22
Bullying is not permitted

Rule 21
Deriding and slandering people is not permitted

Rule 22
Charity is required in the form of paying tax to a government with welfare, or personal giving to poorer people in your own society or nation

Rule 23
Violence is never permitted

Rule 24
Sexual harassment is never permitted

Rule 25
Torture is never permitted

Rule 26
Coveting your neighbours belongings is not acceptable

Rule 27
Harming animals is not permitted. They may be slaughtered humanely for food.

Rule 28
You must take care of the environment

Rule 29
You must show proper respect for God

Rule 30
You must abide by the rules of your nations when they are Torah faithful and not corrupt. This does not include any 'Positives' within the Torah, but only a refrainment of negatives, if that is what your nation has judged

Rule 31
You must not eat the blood of any animal

Rule 32
You should generally practice kindness towards allegiance

Rule 33
Have it in your heart to be a good person

Daniel Daly

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Feb 18, 2014, 10:16:52 PM2/18/14

Historical Torah Society

The Historical Torah

by
Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly
Copyright 6178 SC

Introduction

What is the 'Historical Torah'? Simply answered, it is that component of the written Torah, whatever that component may be, which is 100% genuinely historical in the detail it provides and the factuality and the truthfulness of the claims it makes.

Why the question? Simply put, this is a question from a soul (myself) and an organisation (The Historical Torah Society) who need greater understanding and clarity on this issue, ultimately, for the purposes of spiritual truth: for the gaining of wisdom and knowledge from that truth and for the application of any of God's divine principles of that truth which remain true at the end of our study. It is a real question to provide a real answer – what, in the Torah, are we supposed to observe.

What is the basis for this question? Simply put, the age old tradition of Moses as the author of the 5 books of the Written Torah was sufficiently debunked many years ago. The gradual development of the documentary hypothesis, which divides the authorship of the Torah into several strands, challenges the notion that all the Torah must be blindly obeyed and sworn allegiance to, simply because there are now reasonable questions as to the legitimacy of the information and how much is genuinely divinely inspired. Especially in the 19th Century, but particularly in the 20th, Biblical Criticism has developed to such a degree that the fundamentalist claims of an absolute literally divinely inspired Word of God in every detail have genuinely been shown to be false claims. What this implies for our purposes is that applying the legislation and principles of the Written Torah to ones life in every detail and attempting to teach that to others may 1) Not be necessary and 2) In fact be harmful for the often annoyance gained by those who dislike religion because of practices within that religion they find distasteful and reject.

Only the truth of God's faith can stand – if it is a system of knowledge defined by man which is shown, in time, to be corrupt, such a system must be ignored and replaced with the correct moral teachings. The Torah is so well entrenched in our society that many have taken for granted its acceptance regardless. But as we leave the 20th century, whose latter half saw a great increase in political correctness and biblical rejection, and we enter the 21st century, those of biblical faith are under greater attack than ever, and the bible more derided than any other time in its history.

The facts needed to be presented – clearly – not for the faith to 'Progress' but for the faith to be more firmly 'Established'. Only on the 'Truth' of scripture and the 'Truth' of divine revelation, can the faith hope to survive this century in any decent shape, and that of the generations to come.

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly
Founder of the Historical Torah Society
Thursday 6th of February, 6178 SC
Macarthur, ACT, Australia

Chapter One
'Before we even Begin - Why the Torah is True Regardless'

“In the Beginning God Created Mankind. And then God created Reason. And with Reason mankind walked away from fables of snakes and floods and arks and commands, and realised nature was the answer, and that religion was a fowl invention of man.”

While that fabulous quote is of my own invention, the rise of deism in America, belief in God without religion, is one the reasons our quest to find the genuine historical Torah is of importance. Deism does not so much deny the facts of scripture, as ridicule them as unworthy of any serious study simply because they appear to lack god given 'Reason'. The Miracles of scripture 'Defy Reason' and 'Logic' in the eyes of a deist, and God could in no way at all be the author of such confusion, which he obviously was, should he have authored such foolery.

Deism – belief in God without religion, based on one's own reason – is perhaps one of the greatest opportunities for evil there ever will be. For in the 'God of Nature alone' who will we be to one day ultimately judge what is 'Natural' and what is 'Unnatural'. For, as a Lion kills to eat, one day the deists might argue, as their morality crashes to even greater lows, that murder is a natural function of human society, and why on earth should we bother legislating against this fact? Simply let nature run its own course will be the accepted moral truth 'BASED ON REASON' that this movement will valiantly uphold.

Or they would.

If they ever got the power to do so.

They won't, though. The truth of El Shaddai will never allow such abominations.

You see, even the sinner kids next door, who see their dad boozing and hitting their mother can tell you murder is wrong, and even a sin. They see and know it every time he hits their mother. They see and know it every time he hits THEM. It is the cold hard fact of EVIL and in the end it is not the natural man which chooses this behaviour, but the man who has rejected knowledge of God and lawfulness, which has always been available from the creator, denies this very living God who rebukes him, and chooses to act, not in any form of reason of nature, but on the wicked choosings of the evil of his own heart and mind – HIS OWN CHOICES – and does evil.

And the conscience perpetually witnesses to this truth.

So, before we even really begin our study, in all my knowledge and revelation on life, I can already tell you this. You won't really throw out the Torah – or to be more accurate – the general message of the Torah, when all is said and done. Yahweh El Shaddai will triumph in the end, not even based on the Torah, for if you simply take it is as the writings of old Israel in a catalogue of a mishmash of historical legends, you can still understand, in the end, through reading its message, that whatever did go on historically in the end – whatever the truthfulness which IS in there about history – that the big guy presented within – GOD – really is the Creator God and that the morals he portrays, portrayed at a basic level, such as in the 10 commandments, really are true in the end anyway.

You don't need to know, ultimately, whether or not the bible is factual in every detail in the end, to not know in your heart, after an encounter with the text, that the creator of the universe is the one who is obviously being described in and that, whatever parts are legendary and whatever parts are true, they are still pointing to the creator of the universe and giving the essential message of the kinds of moral this creator emphasises and teaches for his human offspring.

Our own SELF-WILL and our own pigheadedness can interfere with this process. In our pride, which is the essential problem of deism and all false religions, we think we know better than God and can choose our own destiny. It is simply to choose freedom to do what we want, to have no superiors watching over us and lecturing us and, often, simply to bloody sin, that we are like this. We deny the God of lawfulness, because we don't want to be lawful. We want to do our own thing and have our own freedoms. We call the religious hypocrites because they don't justify all the lifestyle choices we want to make in our own lives. We say 'Live your own life' and 'Make your own choices' to justify this truth for our own belief in our own sovereign rights.

We all want to be our own God.

Yet, the morality which ultimately comes across from the Torah portrays a God who judges and makes rules, and this is the fundamental problem that deists and other objectors to the God of scripture and any moral truths being associated with scripture, have. They want their own freedoms and their own moral platitudes, often to play God themselves. Often to live the lifestyle choices they want to make, and there is nothing at all easier in simply finding a few biblical contradictions and off they go claiming the bible is all man-made and the religious are all hypocrites and you never have to worry about that old thing ever again.

And you know what?

That is probably the way God likes it.

Why? Because he is after the faithful and the servants. The moral and the truthful. Not ones who simply want to live as they please, and who will end up finding any old excuse anyway, regardless of how infallible or not the scriptures be, to justify their own choices.

And those choices usually end up being sin.

So, before we even begin, you will already find the Torah the truth, if you know the God of the Torah in your heart or have met him personally, and this study of ours will not convince you he isn't God, whatever the result. Yet, conversely, it may draw you a little closer, should you feel the bible is a pile of nothing more than vain traditions, when you understand a little more clearly how it came about and what portions are perhaps genuinely historical – or what ideas within those sources are genuinely historical in a divine sense as they claim – and in this understanding you might see a little more clearly the logic and truly rationale basis for believing in the God of scripture and why Jehovah has been part of mankind's history for so long now anyway.

Chapter Two
'The Canon is formed – the Tradition Begins'

The Council of Jamnia is a commonly held date for the timing of the canonisation of the Hebrew Tanakh. The idea of this council as an historical account was proposed by Heinrich Graetz in 1871. Before the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70 with the sacking of Jerusalem by the invading Roman Armies, in Jamnia there had been a school of developed phariseeism, founded by Yohanan ben Zakkai. Yohanan had gained permission from the Roman Authorities to form a school of Halakah (Jewish Law) in Jamnia and the school was formed, as well as the Sanhedrin being relocated there. Later on at the end of the second century CE with the formation of the Mishnah (which Orthodoxy terms the 'Oral Law', believing it an orally passed on set of extra legal rulings originating in the time of Moses which, until being written down in the Mishnah, were only passed on Orally), the Mishnah records the discussion of the validity of certain texts of the Kethuvim as scripture. Graetz taught on these passages and other references, that the canonisation of the Tanakh as a whole, through primarily the Kethuvim being sanctioned as the third book of the Canon in the Jamnian period, supposedly took place in the period of AD 70 to AD 90 approximately.

In New Testament writings, the event chronicled as the 'Transfiguration' was supposedly Jesus justification before God upon the 'Law' and the 'Prophets'. Yet the Law and the Prophets are the 'Torah' and the 'Neviim'. NOT the writings, or the 'Kethuvim'.

Did the Kethuvim exist separately as its own book in the time of Jesus? Were the books of the Kethuvim part of the Prophets? For example, Jesus quotes the book of Daniel and claims Daniel as a prophet, yet the book of Daniel features only in the Kethvim in today's writings. Was Daniel part of the Neviim, though, in some traditions in the time of Jesus? Yet what of the Psalms? The New Testament quotes them constantly? Were they canon yet? Were they in the process of becoming canonised?

The information we have dates the origin of all the books of the Tanakh well before the time of Jesus of Nazareth, yet the New Testament writings shed no clear data on there being 3 parts of the Tanakh, nor do the early writings in the Mishnah show clearly their canonisation origin.

It is a matter of speculation, as more recent commentators since Graetz have objected to the Council of Jamnia being the time for the canonisation of the Tanakh as a whole. For example, Jack P Lewis wrote a critique, which was published in the April 1964 edition of 'Journal of Bible and Religion', in which he challenges what had become a consensus amongst many that Graetz hypothesis was practically proven.

According to Lewis:
The concept of the Council of Jamnia is an hypothesis to explain the canonisation of the Writings (the third division of the Hebrew Bible) resulting in the closing of the Hebrew canon. ... These ongoing debates suggest the paucity of evidence on which the hypothesis of the Council of Jamnia rests and raise the question whether it has not served its usefulness and should be relegated to the limbo of unestablished hypotheses. It should not be allowed to be considered a consensus established by mere repetition of assertion.
It is clear, though, that in the early centuries of the Common Era, a consensus of what the scriptures of the Tanakh WERE did become established so that by the time the Mishnah and the Babylonian and Palestinian Gemaras are complete (The Twin Talmud’s from each of the schools rabbinic thought and discussions) the Hebrew Bible was officially canonised and accepted.

This was the view of Orthodoxy and Pharisaical Judaism. Karaite Judaism emerged later on in the first millennium CE under the initial impulses of Anan Ben David, which rejected the Talmudic literature as man-made, but did not disagree with the Talmudics on what constituted sacred scripture, the same 39 titled volumes of the Tanakh as we have them today, which are classified as 24 books.

The formation of the Tanakh seems to have progressed from first acceptance of the Torah, second, acceptance of the Torah and the Neviim, and third, acceptance of the Torah, Neviim and finally the Kethuvim also. It is hard to be completely precise with the data we have historically, for the canonisation or acceptance of various parts of the Hebrew Bible may have been done by this or that spiritual leader amongst the people and in Karaite tradition, the Sadducee’s may or may not have accepted just the written Torah, meaning there was debate all along as to what was accepted as scripture and what was not. Thus to precisely date a time for the accepted canonisation of the official canon at an early date is not really available on current data, yet, we do know that by the time of the completion of the Talmud and with the origin of Karaism, the idea of the Tanakh as it stands today had been accepted as canon.

It was always accepted and believed that the Torah section of the Tanakh was written first, and that it dated back to Moses, the believed author. This is clearly the idea of the Pharisees and the Rabbis and the Karaite community upheld this also. To this day Orthodox Judaism, the inheritors of the Pharisaical rabbinic assemblies, and Karaite Judaism, uphold the general tradition of the written Torah originating in the time of Moses.

There are likely many opinions as to the final dating for the formation of the Torah, which is part of our job in this study, yet what we can know is this: When the canon ultimately did become formed, and by the time Karaite Judaism emerged, it was believed, and still is, that the written Torah was the work of the prophet Moses himself, that it represented the embodiment of the divine will of God, that it was flawless, without error, the perfect guide from God for man, and that it was, in all ways, the truth, and the answer to the meaning of life, and, in essence, the word of God.

Nothing less than that.

And this tradition lasted, and has lasted, and became law and became fact and became the book of the judgement of Israel and the book of the Judgement of the Kingdom of God.

And then a voice cried out.

And the cracks started to appear.

Chapter Three
'Rise of the Heretics – the First Biblical Critics'

The 17th century of the Christian era was an era which was highlighted by the continued dominance of the established Christian Church in Europe and the emerging new spiritual energy of the Protestant reformation. Yet equal to the zeal for biblical tradition, was an emerging zeal for biblical historical fact. Thus, while Martin Luther on the 31st of October 1517 sent his 'Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences' to Bishop Albert of Mainz, which came to be known as the 95 theses, probably only in legend nailed to the door of a catholic church, only 133 years later, Thomas Hobbes, in his work 'Leviathan', cited several passages of the holy writ of the Lawgiver Moses to demonstrate, in the pure historical simplicity of the scripture meaning what it says, that when Deuteronomy 34:6 teaches, of Moses, that 'No Man Knoweth of his Sepulchre to this Day' and Numbers 21:14 says 'Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord what he did in the Red Sea and in the brooks of Arnon' and Genesis 12:16 'And the Canaanite was then in the land', it becomes clear through observation of the historical context from which the subjects of each scripture are viewed from that it is a much latter date, well after the time of Moses.

The essential crux of Hobbes point is that Mosaic authorship of the entire Torah is obviously historically untrue. How could Moses write 'No man knoweth of his sepulchre to this day' in reference to his own grave, if he is still alive? And 'To this day' strongly suggests a fair passage of time has occurred. In a similar way 'It is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord what he did in the Red Sea' appears to quite obviously be referring to a book known to the readers of the passage, about Moses, written at a latter time period. And, when it says 'And the Canaanite was then in the land' it becomes so obvious that it is set in a post conquest of Israel time period, after the sacking of the promised land under the warmanship of Joshua. The logical conclusion of Thomas Hobbes was that none of these passages were written by Moses.

Baruch Spinoza, born on the 24th of November 1632 and died on the 21st of February 1677, was a Dutch philosopher who has come to be considered by many as one of the great rationalists of 17th century philosophy. He was a figure instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Enlightenment of the 18th century, and for our purposes, one of the early leading voices in biblical criticism.

Baruch was a Jew. Yet he was also a critic, and he viewed the scriptures as true and factual and the word of Hashem or, what he gradually found out with his studies, fallible and, the religion he was living by, ignoring the plain facts of biblical and other passages to justify their tradition. In July 1656 the Talmud Torah congregation of Amsterdam issued a writ of excommunication against Baruch, which was not an uncommon practice of Jewry of the period. The essential claims of the Congregation were that Baruch was a heretic, taught abominations and committed monstrous deeds which had been clearly demonstrated. This translation of the official record of the censure illustrates the congregations concerns regarding the person of Baruch Spinoza.

The Lords of the ma'amad, having long known of the evil opinions and acts of Baruch de Espinoza, have endeavord by various means and promises, to turn him from his evil ways. But having failed to make him mend his wicked ways, and, on the contrary, daily receiving more and more serious information about the abominable heresies which he practiced and taught and about his monstrous deeds, and having for this numerous trustworthy witnesses who have deposed and born witness to this effect in the presence of the said Espinoza, they became convinced of the truth of the matter; and after all of this has been investigated in the presence of the honorable chachamin, they have decided, with their consent, that the said Espinoza should be excommunicated and expelled from the people of Israel. By the decree of the angels, and by the command of the holy men, we excommunicate, expel, curse and damn Baruch de Espinoza, with the consent of God, Blessed be He, and with the consent of all the Holy Congregation, in front of these holy Scrolls with the six-hundred-and-thirteen precepts which are written therein, with the excommunication with which Joshua banned Jericho, with the curse with which Elisha cursed the boys, and with all the curses which are written in the Book of the Law. Cursed be he by day and cursed be he by night; cursed be he when he lies down, and cursed be he when he rises up; cursed be he when he goes out, and cursed be he when he comes in. The Lord will not spare him; the anger and wrath of the Lord will rage against this man, and bring upon him all the curses which are written in this book, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven, and the Lord will separate him to his injury from all the tribes of Israel with all the curses of the covenant, which are written in the Book of the Law. But you who cleave unto the Lord God are all alive this day. We order that no one should communicate with him orally or in writing, or show him any favor, or stay with him under the same roof, or within four ells of him, or read anything composed or written by him.

The exact reasons for the issuance of the censure appear to be: he was teaching radical theological views, that the Amsterdam Jewish community was uncomfortable with such viewpoints which could affect their relationship with the Christian community of Amsterdam, and lack of contribution to the life of the Amsterdam community as he had already withdrawn himself and was no longer financially contributing. One would hope that a firm conviction on the authority of scripture were the main issues of concern for the community and that Baruch's outspoken views on the issue were the primary reason for the censure, yet I wonder how much the latter possibilities are closer to home.

Later, Spinoza addressed the congregation in an apology written in Spanish, to the elders of the Synagogue, were he quoted the medieval biblical commentator ibn Ezra regarding the passage Genesis 12:16, which ibn Ezra had called a 'mystery' and exhorted those who understand to keep it silent' amongst various other biblical passages, and made the claim, as had Hobbes, that Mosaic authorship of the written Torah as a whole was patently untrue.

He was excommunicated at 23, died at 44, yet his legacy remained an enduring one.

Others of the early 'Heretics' included Isaac de la Peyrere, Richard Simon and John Hampden, who came to similar conclusions, yet their works were condemned and several of them were imprisoned and forced to recant.

These were the biblical critics – the heretics – the forerunners of enlightenment, who knew the cry of today's politically correct that the bible was full of bongers, and that the religious hierarchy maintained their order through holy censure and holy writ, and that while you may 'Rage Against the Machine', in the end 'The bastards would have their way' because 'The majority would have its say'.

The biblical critics started the cracks.

But the faith remained, withstanding these early shots.

Big things started happening the following century as enlightenment dawned.

Chapter Four
'Elohim and Yahweh – the Beginning of Documentarianism'

In the 18th Century, Jean Astruc (1684 - 1766) was responding to the criticisms of the 17th Century Biblical Critics in his work 'Conjectures sur les mémoires originaux, dont il paraît que Moïse s'est servi pour composer le livre de la Genèse ("Conjectures on the original accounts of which it appears Moses availed himself in composing the Book of Genesis"), believing they had gone too far in their analysis of the authorship of the written Torah in denying Mosaic Authorship, which he called a 'sickness of the last century'. By applying techniques of literary analysis, which scholars of his day used an sifting variant traditions in such works as the 'Iliad', to arrive at the most authentic original text, he examined the Torah, and applied the passages to two columns. One column was those passages which used 'YHWH' as the name of God, the other column was that which used 'Elohim' as the name of God. When this process is done, and anybody can do it, it provides the result of two separate – yet somewhat self-consistent – accounts in which, when one account is compared to the other, interesting factors become apparent.

The most notable idea that was developed was that it seemed to be obvious, from a critical perspective, that the two differing sources contained similar stories. Certain narratives – separated by the divine names – seemed to be telling a story which was quite similar to a story already told in another passage under the other divine name. These similar passages were identified by the title 'Doublet'. The idea of the doublet, as it came to be accepted, was that one strand of authorship told a set of legends from one perspective in the history of Moses record keeping, and the other told a differing perspective in the recordings of Moses on the history of the people. For example, there are two accounts of Sarah and a foreign king, each account using a differing divine name, with slightly differing historical tales told, yet mostly core similar ideas expressed (Genesis 12 & Genesis 20). Another example was the two apparently differing creation accounts taught in Genesis 1 & 2. Astruc taught that these were separate accounts recorded by Moses, each meant to be taught separately. One could conjecture that Astruc may have felt Moses composed them in differing times of his life, when he understood things from a different perspective, and perhaps had different information. Who really knows. Yet, so Astruc believed, a later editor had come upon the two strands and combined them into one overall single narrative, producing the entire Torah as we have it today.

When we separate the passages based on either the divine name of YHWH or the divine name of Elohim, we are left with a set of two biblical histories. One portion of the Torah, separated from another portion of the Torah. Taking this Torah literally as a continuous history of mankind, we should naturally note certain aspects of things of a repetitive nature about the two accounts, as history often has similar occurrences in the forms of traditions and rituals and ways of life, but, for the most part, each account should be of differing historical tales and stories, each usually unique in its own right, like history generally is. Yet, when comparing one history with the other history of each strand, it became apparent to Astruc, and generally is, that quite a number of the differing historical tales bear such a striking resemblance to the other tales in the alternative passage, that something more than coincidence is at work. These similarities have come to be called doublets. Because these doublets tell very similar stories, yet, with the use of differing divine names and, because there is a large number of them between the two documents, each separated by the alternative divine names of YHWH and Elohim, it becomes an idea that there is actually but one original origin of the tale taught by the two stories, but that there were two accounts of this original tale ultimately produced, told separately in the two resulting documents, each separated by a divine name, yet only being a re-telling the same original idea or story. The view is that the similarities between the stories in each opposing document are of such great similitude that they are not, in origin, each an original historical event of their own merit, but a reflection of the other like tale, and that there is but one original historical event, or one original strand of common tradition, shared by these separate tales. This they called a doublet. In other words, the Yahwistic history, as Astruc saw it, told a history, and the Elohist history told a history again. Yet these accounts were combined into one full document later, by an editor. Going further, this editor did NOT unify the doublets, as one might assume he might, but kept them separate as teaching two separate accounts in the overall combined history of the full Torah. Thus, in Astruc's understanding, Moses had produced two different strands, perhaps compiled at two different occasions in life, which were the best of his own thinkings on the issue when each had been produced: Yet, a later editor compiled them together to produce the complete Torah. To be precise, Astruc's work was limited to the book of Genesis only, and in saying the Torah above, for Astruc's research it just relates to the book of Genesis.

Astruc defended, ultimately, the Mosaic authorship of the Torah. He was the first documentarian (those who teach differing sources in the composition of the Torah, known as the 'Documentary Hypothesis'), yet both his sources were simply Moses, likely at differing times of his life. This was, in some ways, a progressive fundamentalist type of thinking, one which acknowledged that the Torah was composed by a process of ongoing composition with differing aspects associated with it, yet still, in his opinion, the work of the Lawgiver Moses and, likely in his understanding, still the Word of God and the divine teaching of the Most High. Still traditional scripture. He was still a biblical believer – a follower of the faith – and defended the scriptures as a man of God ought.

Yet what followed soon after in the wake of his work, was not such an easy profession of faith in Moses as the author of the sources of Torah, yet a far more critical and determined inquiry into just how the Pentateuch was formed and who, exactly, wrote it. And as the 18th century progressed, further inquiry came forth and another giant arose, whose 'Prolegomena' is still somewhat a revered text with biblical critics to this day.

Chapter Five
'J, E, P & D – The Documentary Hypothesis'

Astruc had done something with his two column approach of Genesis. He had developed 'Source Criticism'. The critical study to identify the source from which a document arose. Yet, while he concluded it all originated with Moses, those who followed were not so generous in their assumptions. Around 1780 and afterwards, Johann Gottfred Eichorn built upon the studies of Astruc to develop his own thoughts on the sources ideas, yet went further than Genesis and applied his research to the entire Torah. Ultimately, antagonistically to Astruc's faith, he concluded that Moses had no part in the writing of any of the written Torah. A far cry from tradition. In the early 19th Century, Wilhelm de Wette proposed that the fifth book of the Torah, Deuteronomy, was not even part of the two strand theory that Astruc had argued at all, but that it was a third source, completely unique, separate from the Yahwist source and the Elohist source. Mid 19th Century, Hermann Hupfeld taught that the Elohist section was not even one pure source at all – that there were two aspects related to it and, in splitting it into two separate document, he identified one as the Elohist source, yet the new document as a source relating to a priestly code. This became the Priestly source. Hupfeld was also a strong advocate of the work of the Redactor – the final editor – in the ultimate production of the unification of the four sources as the completed Torah. Yet, even then, complete agreement had not been reached on these 4 sources alone, but smaller sections and passages were identified and separated, a primary example of this being Leviticus Chapters 17 to 26, which came to be known as the Holiness code.
The scholars did not limit themselves to simply dividing the sources up – they also attempted to date them, and the biggest question of all – to try and understand who may have ultimately produced each of the differing sections of the Torah.
However, for the main part, the four sources became the identifiable titles for the tradition of critical studies which had developed as Source Criticism, and these separate 4 sources earned a Capital letter to identify each. The Yahwist section was called 'J', the Elohist section was called 'E', the Priestly section was called 'P' and the Deuteronomist section was called 'D'.
The debate had begun – the study was in earnest.

Professor W. Robertson Smith, in his latter additional preface to 'Prolegomena to the History of Israel' by Julius Wellhausen, had this to say about Wellhausen's work.
The process of disentangling the twisted skein of tradition is necessarily a very delicate and complicated one, and involves certain operations for which special scholarship is indispensable. Historical criticism is a comparatively modern science, and in its application to this, as to other histories, it has made many false and uncertain steps. But in this, as in other sciences, when the truth has been reached it can generally be presented in a comparatively simple form, and the main positions can be justified even to the general reader by methods much less complicated, and much more lucid, than those originally followed by the investigators themselves. The modern view as to the age of the Pentateuchal law, which is the key to the right understanding of the History of Israel, has been reached by a mass of investigations and discussions of which no satisfactory general account has ever been laid before the English reader. Indeed, even on the Continent, where the subject has been much more studied than among us, Professor Wellhausen's book was the first complete and sustained argument which took up the question in all its historical bearings.

The Prolegomena was a work which, to this day, still carries weight in the history of the study of Source Criticism. Julius went further than those before him by clarifying and producing a more definitive formulation of the Documentary Hypothesis than those who had been before him. He argued that the Torah had its origin in a redaction of four original independent texts, each dating several centuries after the time of Moses. In the three parts of the Prolegomena, those being A) History of Worship, B) History of Tradition and C) Israel and Judaism, Wellhausen went on to argue his rationales based on such subjects as the place of worship, sacrifice, the sacred feasts, the priests and the levites and the endowment of the clergy, as well as investing books beyond the Torah, in his Hexateuch theory, including studies on Judges, Samuel and Chronicles, and also focusing on the Oral Law of Judaism as well. The strength, depth and critical appeal of Wellhausen's work was of such a quality that it endured, and remained the dominant mode of thought on the discipline of source studies until the last quarter of the 20th century. By then it was attracting criticisms for those who felt the sources could be divided yet further still, but by then his legacy had become undoubtable.
Perhaps it was the work of Wellhausen, and his influence, which led Pope Pius XII to recant on the condemnation against such studies voiced by Pope Leo XIII in the 19th century, for in his encylcical 'Divine Afflante Spiritu' (1943), the Pope wrote, 'Textual criticism …. (is) quit rightly employed in the case of the sacred books.... Let the interpreter then, with all care and without neglecting any light derived from recent research, endeavor to determine the peculiar character and circumstances of the sacred writer, the age in which he lived, the sources written or oral to which he had recourse and the forms of expression he employed.'

And now, today, the 21st Century, 2014, where are we? We have no consensus. Not completely. Richard Elliott Friedman, in his popular work 'Who Wrote the Bible' defends, in general, the standard documentary hypothesis ideas, with his own understandings of the sources, the work 'The Bible with Sources Revealed' illustrating this. Yet, while his work is latter 20th century and a defense of the essential traditional view of Wellhausen, more critical voices are shredding the Torah right down into a multiplicity of sources.
What will the end result be?

My ultimate conclusion, at this point in our discussion, is that they shall reach no consensus. It won't happen. The debate on who wrote this passage, or which section does this belong to, and how many authors or sources are we dealing with, or how do you date this or how do you date that, will go on, quite potentially, into perpetuity. It will not be easily resolved.
My argument would be that the documentary hypothesis of Fridemans, as an examples, establishes well enough the ideas of a variety of sources for the written Torah and that, how many parts or how much this may ultimatley divide up into, we essentially get the point. It is not, in a complete sense, the work of Moses. In the various ideas of dating the sources by various of the critics, and how a passage is often related to other periods of Israel's history, and have been written with a bias of that history, thus questioning legitimate historical factualness for this passage, we are presented with our primary problem. How, can we know with certainty, if an idea of scripture originates as the will of God Almighty, or that it is not the invention of zealous Israelite priests, or various other Israelite scholarly or prophetic figures?
And the answer is?
We can't.
We don't have, and never really will have, sufficient enough historical information to demonstrate much at all to everyone's satisfaction to form a complete, united consensus. It just won't happen.
And that is why, around the time of Wellhausen and afterwards, society had greatly concluded that the work of the Bible was no longer the work of God – but the work of man.
And being the work of man – were was God in this picture at all? What biblical truth stilll, yet reamined?
Was there any point, any more, in studying the word of God?
And that is the question we will answer next.

Chapter Six
'Creation Science – Why Foundations are True'

Creation Science. Its that false science, isn't it? Everyone knows the universe started with a big bang, and we evolved from monkeys. Right? It's just that, no, not all of us accept that idea. Some of us interpret the data differently, and see a Grand Design at play, rather than the ministrations of the desires of random chemical energy bursts.
Creation Science has developed, and continues to do so, teaching that the foundation of Scripture – that in the Beginning God created the heaven and the earth – is true. There is a lot we can say about this issue, and I will give a few arguments now, but for proper in depth research, the only one who can demonstrate the ultimate truthfulness of the idea is your own honesty, and any research into the creation science literature that you undertake. Websites abound on the subject. Type 'Creation Science' into a search engine and you will see what I mean.
For my part, I will present this basic argument. The historical argument.
Consider yourself. Look at your body, your hands and feet, your skin. Look at yourself in the mirror. What are you? Human right. All the data in those textbooks on science about the human body sound right, don't they? Now what about dad. Does he follow the same pattern? Sure, he has a different DNA, and you inherited a lot of that, but he has the same type of human body, right? Same with mum? Right?
The population of the world today? Approximately 7 Billion plus. I saw that on the news recently.
Now, go back to 1900. The beginning of the 20th Century. Grandparents or great-grandparents or so on were back there, weren't they? You might have photos. Right? Look the same, though. Don't they? Same human body, right? Same design, right?
The population estimate for 1900? Various records quite likely, yet approximately 1.65 Billion is one of them.
Now go back to 1350 at the end of the black death. Your ancestors are back there, right? What do you think they looked like? Have you see those history shows? Have you read those history books? Human, aren't they? Same as you, aren't they?
The population estimate for 1350? 370 million.
1 AD. Jesus just a little one. What were they like back then? What was your family like back then? Were they human? Did they have the same type of body as you?
The population estimate? Its getting tougher. We can estimate, but its hard to know for sure. Lots of wars and deaths and disease, but lets say this, the trend has likely been the same. Right? I mean, as we go further back in history, the population, in general, gets less and less and less and less. Right? Like a funnell. Less and less each time, but one record estimates 200 million perhaps.

Now, when we get back to the time of the ancient Sumerian culture, 3000 or so years before Jesus day, we are getting to mankind's earliest records. This is it. This is as far as we go back as a society in the actual records we have today preserved through our archaeological findings.
What were the Sumerians like? What do YOU think they were like? Were the probably human? Did they probably have the same type of body you had, and dealt with the same kinds of issues you did? Your family is back there still, you know. Wherever they are in the world, your great-great grand pappie to 'X' generations is back there. Believe me – he is.
Now the population? We can see the trend. 7 billion today, gradually less and less till we reach 200 million in the days of Jesus. The world population. Hard to be sure exactly, but one thing we can know. Its getting less and less each time. Now back to the Sumerian culture. Our oldest recorded one. This is it, I guess. What is the population? Less still, right? Who knows? Maybe 5 or 10 million, right?

NOW, where is that population trend going to? Where does it begin? Notice the timeframe as well? The population time frame and the civilization time frame both match the biblical records, going right back to the old cultures.

It doesn't take a genius to see just a bit before the Sumerians, we get back to the beginning of man, entirely. Population growth seems to demonstrate this conclusively.

The evolutionists will argue its a huge span before then, but DO YOU HAVE SOME IDEA OF FAMILY GROWTH PATTERNS IN YOUR WORLD? Have you seen how society gradually grows steadily? I bet you have. Each generation does it? And the first humans didn't need to rely on the views of evolutionary timeframe experts to make their babies in a reasonable amount of time? Or would you rather fall for the LIE and believe the so-called scientific experts.

It goes back to Noah, and his 3 sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, their wives, and a great flood. As I would encourage you, research Creation Science. You will find growing and growing evidence to demonstrate not only the plausibility of the flood in your initial investigations but, as time goes by, and your heart chooses to be honest, accept the truth, and not go off in God-Denying pride, your investigations will get to the point that its not just plausible. Its a bloody fact. Went through it myself. Know what I'm talking about. You can argue forever Messrs Hawkings and Dawkins – your fucking idiots as far as I am concerned.

So what does all this mean? Its the foundation, as I said. The biblical foundation. When we come to this core idea – the bible and its factuality, we can look at history. At basic history, that we know, to demonstrate how valid the bible's stories are.
And so I decided to tackle the foundation first of all – Creation itself. And, as I demonstrated, there is definitely a basis for the idea.

The next step? Israel themselves. What type of witness do they have on the historical Torah?
We shall see soon enough.

Chapter Seven
'Israel – So where did they come from?'

Since the discovery of the 2nd millennium inscriptions mentioning the Habiru there have been many theories linking these to the Hebrews of the Bible. Anson Rainey has argued that that "the plethora of attempts to relate apiru (Habiru) to the gentilic ibri are all nothing but wishful thinking." The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary states that Habiru is not an ethnic identification and is used to refer to both Semites and and non-Semites, adding that "the connection, if there is any, remains obscure."
Hebrews (Hebrew: עברים or עבריים, Tiberian ʿIḇrîm, ʿIḇriyyîm; Modern Hebrew ʿIvrim, ʿIvriyyim; ISO 259-3 ʕibrim, ʕibriyim) is an ethnonym used in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). It is mostly taken as synonymous with the Semitic Israelites, especially in the pre-monarchic period when they were stillnomadic, but in some instances it may also be used in a wider sense, referring to the Phoenicians, or to other ancient groups, such as the group known as Shasu of Yhw on the eve of the Bronze Age collapse.
By the Roman era, Greek Hebraios could refer to the Jews in general, as Strong's Hebrew Dictionary puts it "any of the Jewish Nation"[2] and at other times more specifically to the Jews living in Judea. In Early Christianity, the Greek term Εβραία (feminine) Εβραίες (plural) Εβραί (masculine) refers to Christianizing Jews, as opposed to the gentile Christians and Christian Judaizers (Acts 6:1 among others). Ιουδαία is the province where the Temple was located.
In Armenian, Italian, Kurdish, Old French, Russian and a few other languages the transfer of the name[citation needed] from Hebrew to Jew never took place, and 'Hebrew' is the primary used word for a Jew.The origin of the term remains uncertain.[7] The biblical word Ivri (Hebrew: עברי), meaning to traverse or pass over. In the plural it is Ivrim, or Ibrim. It is usually rendered as Hebrew in English, from the ancient Greek Ἑβραῖος and Latin Hebraeus.
In Genesis 10:21 Shem, the elder brother of Ham and Japheth, first-born son of Noah, is referred to as the father of the sons of Eber (עבר), which may have a similar meaning.
Some authors argue that Ibri denotes the descendants of the biblical patriarch Eber (Hebrew עבר), son of Shelah, a great grandson of Noah and an ancestor of Abraham hence the occasional anglicization Eberites.
Shasu of Yhw - The hieroglyphic rendering of the Egyptian word š3sw (Shasu) means "those who move on foot". The name "Shasu of Yhw", e.g. the name rings from Soleb and Amarah-West, corresponds very precisely to the Hebrew tetragrammaton YHWH.Thedemonym 'Israel' can reasonably be referred to a Shasu enclave, and it can be concluded that the Shasu originated from Moab and northern Edom and eventually helped to constitute the nation of 'Israel' which later established the Kingdom of Israel.The Shasu are mostly depicted hieroglyphically with a determinative indicating rather a land than a people, referencing people of that particular land.
Hyksos - The Jewish historian Josephus maintains that the Hyksos were in fact the children of Jacob who joined his son Joseph in Egypt to escape a famine in the land of Canaan. The Hyksos first appeared in Egypt during the eleventh dynasty. They came out of the second intermediate period in control of Avaris and the Nile delta and ruled Lower Egypt as Semite kings (fifteenth dynasty). Kamose, the last king of the Theban 17th Dynasty, refers to the Hyksos King Apophis as a Chieftain of Retjenu (Canaan). At the end of the Seventeenth dynasty of Egypt, they were expelled by an ethnic Egyptian pharaoh. The term "Hyksos" derives from the Egyptian expression heka khasewet ("rulers of foreign lands"). Josephus records the false etymology that the Greek phraseHyksos stood for the Egyptian phrase Hekw Shasu meaning the Shepherd Kings, which scholars have only recently shown means "rulers of foreign lands." (From Wikipedia – Public Domain Source)

The Biblical origin of Israel works. The traditions kept alive in the history of the people as we know it are reliably 2000 years old verifiably, and reliably consistent in that time. They don't change their tune very much, and the same holy books they were starting to use back then, are the same holy books they use now.
In the end, this one really is a no-brainer, and does not need to be argued very much. Read the bible. Read the Tanakh. Simply read it all. When you have finished, if you INSIST that all the ancient histories of this book are entirely fiction, that the Jews simply came 'From out of nowhere' and made up an instant religion in the post-babylonian exile era, then you will never really be convinced otherwise anyway.
King David. All the stories and legends about King David. They made him up, right? Oh, King David might have existed, but there was definitely no Moses.
You see that is the fundamental problem the secular have – they pick and choose what they want to out of the bible to accept as historical and those bits they want to conveniently dismiss, well obviously it is just manmade – the pat answer. They deny the scriptures, justify their own opinions, NEVER based on any rationale and logical investigation into the evidence (and when they do it is ALWAYS begun with a preconceived biased position which they argue out regardless of the truth), and go on blowing the trumpet that the bible is all manmade, thus excusing their 'Brilliant intellectualism' from even considering the idea of a 'God who judges them'.
It is pride.
It is not the lack of historical evidence, in the end, which will lead you to your conclusions on this or that biblical figure being historical. It is pride in your own opinion being more valid than the bible.
Essentially, people don't really care anyway. They make up their minds on a belief about a biblical figure, regardless of any facts, because the truths that biblical figure represent are simply not convenient to them and their lifestyle.
Its called hypocrisy. Its common.
But – if you want the truth. There they are, at the local synagogue. The Jews. The Israelites. They got there somehow. Read the bible. They are in it. Read the old history books. They are in it. Dig deep into where this faith is coming from and, if you want 'Glory Medals for your brave Rationalistic Intellectualism' amongst the Academic Historians, then brag on in your dissertation about how Ezra and the Priesthood which invented Judasim developed this code and that code, and that Noah Story is all a Babylonain flood legend anyway.
You will only ever read what you want to read out of the information, anyway, unless you actually want the truth and choose to be objective.
Many really don't.
The history is there to prove the legitimacy of the biblical characters – people believe it, though, on their own obedience or rebellion to the faith – not on fact. Very few do it on that.

Chapter Eight
'How can we really know then – what is true?'

We can't. To sum up this entire work, we can't. We can't absolutely prove such and such an occurrence in the Torah is factual, that this law was given by God, or that Moses received that Holiness code, or Aaron offered such and such an offering at such and such a time and place, or anything, much at all – for absolutely certain. Because, in the end, we don't have sufficient corroborating evidence for the history of the Torah in mankind's earthly knowledge base. It's just not there.

To absolutely prove something in the Torah – beyond any reasonable doubt – forget about it. In an absolutist factual sense – can't be done.

But, we CAN show historicity on a probable and reasonable level.

For example, take the doublets. The documentarians also talk about triplets in one of the other sources. As bizarre as it may sound, while the documentary approach challenges the perfect linear history of the Torah, if we approach it from the source perspective of JEPD, and when we look at a doublet:

If friedman argues such and such an event in one doublet ocurred here.
And such an event in the alternative doublet happened there.

Then the core information which unites the doublet – the actual information both stories are based upon – has a reasonable chance of being slightly more historical anyway, as the probability that this information, being shared information from two sources (in Friedman's theology, J originates in Judah and E originates in Israel), goes back to one original historical event, garnered from the source of a shared tradition where both independent sources gained their information from in the first place. Perhaps an earlier written tradition. Perhaps an earlier oral tradition. If there are two witnesses to an event in the separate source traditions, then logic dictates they originate in an earlier common source, and this, being an earlier source, indicates a more probable degree of historicity. The living witness of both kindgoms arguing the truthfulness of the history of the event indicates, to a degree, a higher probability of the factualness of the originality of the event.

In other words, a doublet indicates more than one group believes in the idea talked about, which sheds a greater degree of probability of historical truth.

Or at the very least, an earlier common source of tradition.

In the end, to know for sure, we can't prove every Torah event factually. We can argue this, and we can argue that, but no, we can't prove it.

The truth – and why the Torah IS the truth – is found out in your faith. It is found out in how you understand God and truth itself. It won't suddenly become true if you want to reject it to suit yourself. If you just don't believe it because you just don't believe it, you will never change your mind anyway.

BUT

It becomes obvious, in the end, in a spiritually alive walk with Almighty God, that the Torah is an historical document, with truth in it, but that your accepting this won't happen, unless you have a heart for it. It is your attitude which will define your faith in the word to a great degree – not necessarily the historical truth.

It is true – if you let it be.

But you will only choose what you want to believe about it in the end anyway.

I will close, though, about saying this about the Torah, and the Laws of God. It is what the Spirit of God recently said to me. Make of it what you will.

Setting the Record Straight
The Spirit spoke to me. The Torah is not the Word of God. The Neviim is not the Word of God. The Kethuvim is not the word of God. They were Jewish agendas. God does not play around with World to Come theologies. The world was established for it to endure eternally. A world to come in which the world changes is not part of the plan. Noahide ideas in the Rainbow Torahs (ie Rainbow Bibles) (regarding world to come theologies and the world changing) are some of the fictions we (the Holy Spirit – composite of holy heavenly voices including God – have been having with you (me). The world to come, in essence, is the heavenly reward. Torah usually straightens out your life (people – mankind – followers) so I leave it be. I don't want to give the wrong impression with what people might think about the Torah, but its not really my word. It does the job its supposed to do usually though. And that job is to make people holy. (Note from Daniel: The Holy Spirit some times plays games. For fun, mostly. To entertain people.) The Bible does its purpose – people shouldn't complain. The Rainbow Bible(s) will do for a suitable book of study for people as well. Don't believe every last bit of it. The scriptures are still holy when it all comes down to it. People are naïve if they believe it at face value. Be more sensible and more logical. God likes to test you. Don't be so gullible. Torah does its job. And people have been happy with it for the most part for ages. So don't complain all the bloody time about it. I like it the way it is. It suits my purposes. And that's about it.

Daniel Daly

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Feb 20, 2014, 11:05:29 PM2/20/14

Historical Torah Society

Study Group for the HTS
https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!forum/historical-torah-society

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

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Mar 7, 2014, 5:29:55 AM3/7/14

Spiritual Fellowship Assembly

A Paradigm. A Teaching Principle for the SFA:
Copyright 6178 SC the Spiritual Fellowship Assembly

"Hurting, harming, causing pain and despair and suffering - intentionally - to another human being is WRONG. It is a SIN. Our freedoms and liberties are limited eternally by the freedoms and liberties of others to live free from harm and oppression. We DO NOT LIVE IN A STATE OF INDIVIDUALITY but IN A STATE OF COMMUNITY. For this reason, Conservatism/Right wing theology, is FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED ON ITS CONCEPTION OF THE WORLD. We exist NEEDING others, and for others to NEED US. Liberty is thus morally limited and affected by the rights and privileges of others. THERE ARE OTHERS IN THE WORLD BESIDES THINE OWN ARSE, KEMOSABE."

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

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Mar 8, 2014, 12:34:02 AM3/8/14

Spiritual Fellowship Assembly

A Paradigm. A Teaching Principle for the SFA:
Copyright 6178 SC the Spiritual Fellowship Assembly

"Conversely, Marxism will NEVER work. People are attuned to individuality. It is flawed to pursue this theology of life in isolation from commmunity, but people justify the idea based on 'Providing for their family' (when it is really them who mostly want lifes glories). This is the system which will prevail in the end. Marxism is corrupt is many ways, because it ONLY EMPHASISES the rights of the community, to the negligence of the rights of the individual. A party like the democrat party in the US or the Labour party in Australia has the right balance of Socialist-Capitalist policy. Socialism shrinks down to nothing without capitalism - Capitalism ends in 'Babels of Pride' without socialism. When provoking each other in a political system, were both are attempted, a unique balance creates a situation which actually works. The CURRENT (and I only mean current) democrat party of the US is really the correct centrist position for a system to function smoothly. The same for the labour party in the UK and Australia."

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

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Mar 28, 2014, 11:20:00 PM3/28/14

Historical Torah Society

Theological Statements of the Historical Torah Society
Statement One
My views on the Jews: I think the Jews are doing a good job in keeping faith in the Torah. I think they follow the bible faith quite well at the moment, and uphold the Torah tradition with a good witness. I believe they should be allowed to teach Genesis 1 - 11:9 (what I call the Rainbow Torah) freely to all mankind when in fair and friendly discussions with people of the world. I feel they should be allowed to teach this - from my perspective - as the basis for Karaite Noahide faith to the world. I do not think, in truth, that they should really be living in the world beyond the border's or Abraham's covenanted land, and primarily, within this covenanted land, the section given for Jacob (Israel) as designated in the book of Joshua. I believe interactions of certain joint human activities (such as memberships in conferences of an international nature, such as the United Nations and various other charitable and humane organisations, as well as participation in sporting international events like the Olympics and world championships and other significant world sporting events) are allowable and acceptable for the Israelite people to interact with from their base of Israel. Through this interaction they can witness to the world of the biblical faith as they choose, in a spirit of friendliness and concern. I think they should first and foremost always promote biblical noahide ideals, but can make certain references to the remainder of the Tanakh faith and their own practices of Judaism-Karaism. This is the role of Israel and the Jews (and Samaritans) as far as I am concerned.

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

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Mar 28, 2014, 11:24:24 PM3/28/14

It goes back to Noah, and his 3 sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, their wives, and a great flood. As I would encourage you, research Creation Science. You will find growing and growing evidence to demonstrate not only the plausibility of the flood in your initial investigations but, as time goes by, and your heart chooses to be honest, accept the truth, and not go off in God-Denying pride, your investigations will get to the point that its not just plausible. Its a bloody fact. Went through it myself. Know what I'm talking about. You can argue forever Messrs Hawkings and Dawkins – your silly duffers as far as I am concerned.

So what does all this mean? Its the foundation, as I said. The biblical foundation. When we come to this core idea – the bible and its factuality, we can look at history. At basic history, that we know, to demonstrate how valid the bible's stories are.

And so I decided to tackle the foundation first of all – Creation itself. And, as I demonstrated, there is definitely a basis for the idea.

The next step? Israel themselves. What type of witness do they have on the historical Torah?

We shall see soon enough.

Chapter Seven
'Israel – So where did they come from?'

Since the discovery of the 2nd millennium inscriptions mentioning the Habiru there have been many theories linking these to the Hebrews of the Bible. Anson Rainey has argued that that "the plethora of attempts to relate apiru (Habiru) to the gentilic ibri are all nothing but wishful thinking." The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary states that Habiru is not an ethnic identification and is used to refer to both Semites and and non-Semites, adding that "the connection, if there is any, remains obscure."

Hebrews (Hebrew: עברים or עבריים, Tiberian ʿIḇrîm, ʿIḇriyyîm; Modern Hebrew ʿIvrim, ʿIvriyyim; ISO 259-3 ʕibrim, ʕibriyim) is an ethnonym used in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). It is mostly taken as synonymous with the Semitic Israelites, especially in the pre-monarchic period when they were stillnomadic, but in some instances it may also be used in a wider sense, referring to the Phoenicians, or to other ancient groups, such as the group known as Shasu of Yhw on the eve of the Bronze Age collapse.

By the Roman era, Greek Hebraios could refer to the Jews in general, as Strong's Hebrew Dictionary puts it "any of the Jewish Nation"[2] and at other times more specifically to the Jews living in Judea. In Early Christianity, the Greek term Εβραία (feminine) Εβραίες (plural) Εβραί (masculine) refers to Christianizing Jews, as opposed to the gentile Christians and Christian Judaizers (Acts 6:1 among others). Ιουδαία is the province where the Temple was located.

In Armenian, Italian, Kurdish, Old French, Russian and a few other languages the transfer of the name[citation needed] from Hebrew to Jew never took place, and 'Hebrew' is the primary used word for a Jew.The origin of the term remains uncertain.[7] The biblical word Ivri (Hebrew: עברי), meaning to traverse or pass over. In the plural it is Ivrim, or Ibrim. It is usually rendered as Hebrew in English, from the ancient Greek Ἑβραῖος and Latin Hebraeus.

In Genesis 10:21 Shem, the elder brother of Ham and Japheth, first-born son of Noah, is referred to as the father of the sons of Eber (עבר), which may have a similar meaning.

Some authors argue that Ibri denotes the descendants of the biblical patriarch Eber (Hebrew עבר), son of Shelah, a great grandson of Noah and an ancestor of Abraham hence the occasional anglicization Eberites.

Shasu of Yhw - The hieroglyphic rendering of the Egyptian word š3sw (Shasu) means "those who move on foot". The name "Shasu of Yhw", e.g. the name rings from Soleb and Amarah-West, corresponds very precisely to the Hebrew tetragrammaton YHWH.Thedemonym 'Israel' can reasonably be referred to a Shasu enclave, and it can be concluded that the Shasu originated from Moab and northern Edom and eventually helped to constitute the nation of 'Israel' which later established the Kingdom of Israel.The Shasu are mostly depicted hieroglyphically with a determinative indicating rather a land than a people, referencing people of that particular land.
Hyksos - The Jewish historian Josephus maintains that the Hyksos were in fact the children of Jacob who joined his son Joseph in Egypt to escape a famine in the land of Canaan. The Hyksos first appeared in Egypt during the eleventh dynasty. They came out of the second intermediate period in control of Avaris and the Nile delta and ruled Lower Egypt as Semite kings (fifteenth dynasty). Kamose, the last king of the Theban 17th Dynasty, refers to the Hyksos King Apophis as a Chieftain of Retjenu (Canaan). At the end of the Seventeenth dynasty of Egypt, they were expelled by an ethnic Egyptian pharaoh. The term "Hyksos" derives from the Egyptian expression heka khasewet ("rulers of foreign lands"). Josephus records the false etymology that the Greek phraseHyksos stood for the Egyptian phrase Hekw Shasu meaning the Shepherd Kings, which scholars have only recently shown means "rulers of foreign lands." (From Wikipedia – Public Domain Source)

The Biblical origin of Israel works. The traditions kept alive in the history of the people as we know it are reliably 2000 years old verifiably, and reliably consistent in that time. They don't change their tune very much, and the same holy books they were starting to use back then, are the same holy books they use now.
In the end, this one really is a no-brainer, and does not need to be argued very much. Read the bible. Read the Tanakh. Simply read it all. When you have finished, if you INSIST that all the ancient histories of this book are entirely fiction, that the Jews simply came 'From out of nowhere' and made up an instant religion in the post-babylonian exile era, then you will never really be convinced otherwise anyway.
King David. All the stories and legends about King David. They made him up, right? Oh, King David might have existed, but there was definitely no Moses.
You see that is the fundamental problem the secular have – they pick and choose what they want to out of the bible to accept as historical and those bits they want to conveniently dismiss, well obviously it is just manmade – the pat answer. They deny the scriptures, justify their own opinions, NEVER based on any rationale and logical investigation into the evidence (and when they do it is ALWAYS begun with a preconceived biased position which they argue out regardless of the truth), and go on blowing the trumpet that the bible is all manmade, thus excusing their 'Brilliant intellectualism' from even considering the idea of a 'God who judges them'.
It is pride.
It is not the lack of historical evidence, in the end, which will lead you to your conclusions on this or that biblical figure being historical. It is pride in your own opinion being more valid than the bible.
Essentially, people don't really care anyway. They make up their minds on a belief about a biblical figure, regardless of any facts, because the truths that biblical figure represent are simply not convenient to them and their lifestyle.
Its called hypocrisy. Its common.

But – if you want the truth. There they are, at the local synagogue. The Jews. The Israelites. They got there somehow. Read the bible. They are in it. Read the old history books. They are in it. Dig deep into where this faith is coming from and, if you want 'Glory Medals for your brave Rationalistic Intellectualism' amongst the Academic Historians, then brag on in your dissertation about how Ezra and the Priesthood which invented Judasim developed this code and that code, and that Noah Story is all a Babylonian flood legend anyway.

You will only ever read what you want to read out of the information, anyway, unless you actually want the truth and choose to be objective.
Many really don't.
The history is there to prove the legitimacy of the biblical characters – people believe it, though, on their own obedience or rebellion to the faith – not on fact. Very few do it on that.

Chapter Eight
'How can we really know then – what is true?'

We can't. To sum up this entire work, we can't. We can't absolutely prove such and such an occurrence in the Torah is factual, that this law was given by God, or that Moses received that Holiness code, or Aaron offered such and such an offering at such and such a time and place, or anything, much at all – for absolutely certain. Because, in the end, we don't have sufficient corroborating evidence for the history of the Torah in mankind's earthly knowledge base. It's just not there.

To absolutely prove something in the Torah – beyond any reasonable doubt – forget about it. In an absolutist factual sense – can't be done.

But, we CAN show historicity on a probable and reasonable level.

For example, take the doublets. The documentarians also talk about triplets in one of the other sources. As bizarre as it may sound, while the documentary approach challenges the perfect linear history of the Torah, if we approach it from the source perspective of JEPD, and when we look at a doublet:

If friedman argues such and such an event in one doublet occurred here.

And such an event in the alternative doublet happened there.

Then the core information which unites the doublet – the actual information both stories are based upon – has a reasonable chance of being slightly more historical anyway, as the probability that this information, being shared information from two sources (in Friedman's theology, J originates in Judah and E originates in Israel), goes back to one original historical event, garnered from the source of a shared tradition where both independent sources gained their information from in the first place. Perhaps an earlier written tradition. Perhaps an earlier oral tradition. If there are two witnesses to an event in the separate source traditions, then logic dictates they originate in an earlier common source, and this, being an earlier source, indicates a more probable degree of historicity. The living witness of both kindgoms arguing the truthfulness of the history of the event indicates, to a degree, a higher probability of the factualness of the originality of the event.

In other words, a doublet indicates more than one group believes in the idea talked about, which sheds a greater degree of probability of historical truth.

Or at the very least, an earlier common source of tradition.

In the end, to know for sure, we can't prove every Torah event factually. We can argue this, and we can argue that, but no, we can't prove it.

The truth – and why the Torah IS the truth – is found out in your faith. It is found out in how you understand God and truth itself. It won't suddenly become true if you want to reject it to suit yourself. If you just don't believe it because you just don't believe it, you will never change your mind anyway.

BUT

It becomes obvious, in the end, in a spiritually alive walk with Almighty God, that the Torah is an historical document, with truth in it, but that your accepting this won't happen, unless you have a heart for it. It is your attitude which will define your faith in the word to a great degree – not necessarily the historical truth.

It is true – if you let it be.

But you will only choose what you want to believe about it in the end anyway.

I will close, though, about saying this about the Torah, and the Laws of God. It is what the Spirit of God recently said to me. Make of it what you will.

Setting the Record Straight
The Spirit spoke to me. The Torah is not the Word of God. The Neviim is not the Word of God. The Kethuvim is not the word of God. They were Jewish agendas. God does not play around with World to Come theologies. The world was established for it to endure eternally. A world to come in which the world changes is not part of the plan. Noahide ideas in the Rainbow Torahs (ie Rainbow Bibles) (regarding world to come theologies and the world changing) are some of the fictions we (the Holy Spirit – composite of holy heavenly voices including God – have been having with you (me). The world to come, in essence, is the heavenly reward. Torah usually straightens out your life (people – mankind – followers) so I leave it be. I don't want to give the wrong impression with what people might think about the Torah, but its not really my word. It does the job its supposed to do usually though. And that job is to make people holy. (Note from Daniel: The Holy Spirit some times plays games. For fun, mostly. To entertain people.) The Bible does its purpose – people shouldn't complain. The Rainbow Bible(s) will do for a suitable book of study for people as well. Don't believe every last bit of it. The scriptures are still holy when it all comes down to it. People are naïve if they believe it at face value. Be more sensible and more logical. God likes to test you. Don't be so gullible. Torah does its job. And people have been happy with it for the most part for ages. So don't complain all the bloody time about it. I like it the way it is. It suits my purposes. And that's about it.

The End

Douglas Q. Kapsner

unread,

Mar 29, 2014, 5:07:24 PM3/29/14

On Friday, January 17, 2014 8:19:40 PM UTC, Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly wrote:
> Greetings Everybody
>
>
>
> The following websites are the product of all my (Daniel Daly)
>
> spiritual thinking since 1995, as well as some personal webpages at the
>
> bottom. As you can see, I have danced around a fair bit.
>
>
>
> Spiritual Webpages
>
>
>
> Adamic Faith
>
> http://www.geocities.com/adamiccovenant
>
>
>
> Torahic/Sadduceeic Faith
>
> http://www.geocities.com/progressivehebrewfaith
>
> http://www.geocities.com/moderndaysadducee
>
>
>
> Noahide/Abramite/Jewish Faith
>
> http://www.geocities.com/progressivenoahidemovement
>
> http://www.geocities.com/assemblyofthecovenant
>
> http://www.geocities.com/judaismforgentiles
>
> http://www.geocities.com/gentilesforgod
>
> http://www.geocities.com/judaicuniversalism
>
> http://www.geocities.com/reformkaraism
>
> http://www.geocities.com/reformkaraitegentiles
>
> http://www.geocities.com/xaddadaxx
>
> http://www.geocities.com/torahcovenants
>
>
>
> Elohist Faith
>
> http://www.geocities.com/assemblyofthedawn
>
>
>
> Pentecostal Faith
>
> http://www.geocities.com/arianpentecostalchurch
>
> http://www.geocities.com/unitarianpentecostalchurch
>
>
>
> Unitarian Catholic Faith
>
> http://www.geocities.com/unitariancatholicchurch
>
>
>
> Universalist Faith
>
> http://www.geocities.com/universalfaithassembly
>
> http://www.geocities.com/spiritualfellowshipassembly
>
> http://www.geocities.com/assemblyofthelivinggod
>
>
>
> Monotheistic Interfaith
>
> http://www.geocities.com/masteringthewalk
>
>
>
> Historical Criticism of the Torah
>
> http://www.geocities.com/historicaltorah
>
>
>
> Creationist
>
> http://www.geocities.com/alternativecreationtheories
>
>
>
> My Angelic Visions
>
> http://www.geocities.com/aotlm
>
>
>
>
>
> Personal Webpages
>
>
>
> Novels I am writing
>
> http://www.geocities.com/morningstarsnovel
>
> http://www.geocities.com/childrenofdestinynovels
>
>
>
> My Resume
>
> http://www.geocities.com/danielthomasandrewdaly
>
>
>
> My Personal Homepage (contains coarse testimony)
>
> http://www.geocities.com/homepageofdanieldaly
>
>
>
>
>
> Kind regards to everyone
>
>
>
> Daniel Daly
>
> Canberra, Australia
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Universalist Faith

>
> Assembly of the Living God
>
>
>

> Doctrine of Contemplation
>
>
>
> Is it just the truth we represent? Or is it more than that? The truth, if we hold to it, must have something useful about it. The point I had in my religious zeal was to teach the truth, because I believed the world was in corruption otherwise. The truth was (and is) the basis for all unity.
>
>
>
> Our Universalist faith is based on the Covenant of Noah at its heart. The Rainbow is the sign of this covenant. We are supposed to live natural lives, doing natural things that humans do. The rules are supposed to prevent us from going astray from the wisdom of God into behaviours which ultimately end in eternal death. People can be stubborn. They will choose their own will over the will and wisdom of God. But it is only death in the end, and NEVER the right way of thinking.
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> We obey the rules of our Assembly, based on the Covenant of Noah, to be regular human beings who live in a society with each other, and try to get along with each other.
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> I live in the 21st Century of the Common era calendar. I am a new believer in an ancient covenant, which has really been lost for the most part for millennia. But it is reborn, now. I have some new ideas. God asked me to build on his rock Israel, so I have the idea to have rules, like the Torah, from the maturing of the legal systems of the world, for our Assembly. May God guide this process. Here are 12 additional rules, which are suggestions, for the members of the Assembly of the Living God - Original faith community.
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> 1) Keep calm in arguments
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> 2) Don't waste your money on stupid things, but budget to ensure you have enough food and drink and can support your family if needs be
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> 3) Avoid excessive alcohol, cigarette and drug use
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> 4) Wash regularly with water, clean your teeth regularly with water, and try to mainly eat fresh foods, as foods can go off and are not healthy to eat after a bit. Germs get on them, you see.
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> 5) Celebrate the solstice each year with a day of celebration, good eating, and good family, friend and community spirit. The 25th of December will do.
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> 6) Practice kindness and thoughtfulness towards people in the assembly and in the world.
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> 7) Talk to God about your life and occasionally ask him for any suggestions he may have
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> 8) If you would like, think about connecting somewhat with the Assembly of the Living God of the 7 Divine Fellowships that I have established. Gaining of their rights from myself is appropriate.
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> 9) Exercise and listen to advice from sensible people.
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> 10) Be the first to start a conversation - someone has to
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> 11) Don't expect people to treat you like someone special all the time, as they are often concerned with their own problems
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> 12) When it all comes down to it, try to be a good and decent person.
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> We CAN connect somewhat with 7DF AOTLG, but we are not the same as them. But interactions to a certain degree, and reading the Rainbow Bible of AOTLG in their fellowship halls on an occasional visit seems ok to. Mainly for advice, though, as they are not binding on our movement.

A synopsis: http://goatse.info

Doug Kapsner
https://plus.google.com/u/0/s/douglas%20kapsner

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

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Apr 12, 2014, 5:17:57 AM4/12/14

Assembly of the Divine Creator
MEGA-CITIES
The idea of Mega-Cities is to put aside a suburb of about a square kilometre. You build huge skyscrapers in the suburb - 2 dozen or so - going up 3 or 4 miles or even more. One of the scrapers is a food production scraper. You have a sewerage system in the basement, you use a series of mirrors to reflect the natural light from outside on each level, you have solar powered sheets on the walls of the scraper for energy, and wind turbine energy generator on the roof. On the hundreds of levels you have aquaculture, horticulture and farming industry. Use soil - the world has plenty of it - and place earth and grow grass on the soil within each level. The natural lighting from the mirrors helps it grow and with the energy from the solar and wind generators you can use additional lighting if necessary. There needs to be appropriate air conditioning and appropriate water recycling systems used for the food tower. In the remaining scrapers you simply house people. With the huge height of the mega city scrapers we can now build, potentially millions of people or more could fit in a standard suburban mega city.

http://noahidebooks.angelfire.com

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

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Apr 25, 2014, 1:19:46 AM4/25/14

Noahide Books

http://noahidebooks.angelfire.com

Featuring the Chronicles of the Children of Destiny
&
The Seven Divine Fellowships of Karaite Adamide-Noahide Faith

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

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Apr 27, 2014, 5:03:14 AM4/27/14

Vision of YOU

You are the foundation of your own eternity. Whatever religion is true, unless it is the religion of your hearts choice, it is only blind allegiance to words of men. Write out your heart and share your heart, for in the laws of copyright, your expressed writ is eternally yours in the afterworld of eternity. Choose your own family and your own flesh and blood - your own seed - to be your eternal flock, and satisfy yourself with their fidelities, for few others may ever concern themselves with your own dreams of glory. The truth in your heart is the truth you should live by, and each of us has a story to tell, a rainbow to chase, a dream to live. Think for yourself and be the master of your own destiny.

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

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May 8, 2014, 1:05:54 PM5/8/14

Noahide Books

Chronicles of the Children of Destiny

http://noahidebooks.angelfire.com

Volume One 'Morning Stars'
What happens when an Angel dares to question the status quo? What happens when an angel, perhaps destined for glory, decides to do things 'HIS' way, as opposed to the sound wisdom of the Torah and the knowledge of the Holy One on High? 'Saruviel' is such an angel. 'Morning Stars' is the beginning of the 'Realm of Eternity' and Archangel Michael is the firstborn Seraphim Angel of this Realm. But when the seventh-born male Seraphim Angel, dread Lord Saruviel is born, only trouble can follow. After eating the 'forbidden fruit' Saruviel begins a journey which will lead him to host the rebellion against the established ways of the Realm of Eternity, all in the name of 'Freedom'. Telling a variant of the traditional tale of Satan's rebellion, Saruviel must 'Follow His Destiny' to find just what makes the heart of freedom such a challenging temptation and such a responsibility. This volume introduces us to the 'Realm of Eternity' which is the setting place for the majority of the action throughout the planned future history of the 'Chronicles of the Children of Destiny' universe.

Volume Two 'Ecclesia'
The sequel to 'Morning Stars', the ecclesia themselves are never named, and not even really talked about as a particular group, but they are the stars of this continuation of the storyline introduced in 'Morning Stars'. The pivotal storyline is the love triangle between 'Ambriel' and 'Meludiel' and 'Daniel', ending in a most happy way for one particular angel. A novel which brings the lighter side of life to the Realm of Eternity, after the heavier focus on Saruviel in the first novel. AUTHOR's NOTE: Morning Stars was the first novel I finished writing in my life, and was written with an intention of being quite holy and up to a high standard which people fussy on spiritual issues can appreciate. Ecclesia, alternatively, was meant to introduce concepts of humour and sarcasm and other perhaps racy subjects for a broader audience and a more mainstream approach. Volumes 2, 3 & 4 are much more similar in this respect, and flow together well as I see it.

Volume Three 'Rebellion'
The sequel to 'Ecclesia', Rebellion is a logical continuation again, with 'Gloryel' and 'Sariel' being the major stars of this work. Of course, the 'Battle for Zaphon' is a triumph for one particular angel of marked ego, but is written with good humour and obvious charm. 'Rebellion' asks the question, who indeed serves God, and which angels are doing just that - 'Rebelling' against the authority of God. For those who liked Volume One and Two, Volume Three is no great surprise. AUTHOR's NOTE: Rebellion was written just after Ecclesia and did not take long to write. It feels very similar to elements of Ecclesia to me, so if you enjoyed volume 2 you will most probably enjoy volume 3 and 4. Later on in Volume 11 'Anthology' we return to some stories in the Realm of Eternity, particularly the 'Life in Zaphon' story, which serves well as a prequel storyline to 'Morning Stars II', which also flows quite nicely into 'Lazy Days'.

Volume Four 'Tales of Eternity'
In a sense, a conclusion to the initial 'Realm of Eternity' storylines, before Volume Fives sends many of the angels into their human incarnations on earth. Eternity is a simple continuation of the past three volumes, answering a number of questions, and concluding with the 'Wedding of Eternity'. Thereafter are a series of short stories to embellish knowledge of particular angels of the Realm of Eternity. AUTHOR's NOTE: The novella in this volume titled 'Eternity' is a logical continuation from volume 2 and 3, and feels quite similar to these works. It is also a little more serious than volume 2 and 3 and has a bit more of the drama of Morning Stars associated with it - perhaps. In 'Morning Stars' I was learning all about the Chronicles of the Children of Destiny universe, and still am, not having figured it out completely. But with experience hopefully the tales will grow in both entertainment value and genuine interest value by the general public as well as the Noahide community.

Volume Five 'Terra Chronicles'
The beginnings of the human manifestations unfold in a series of different tales featuring many of the angels introduced in the saga so far. This volume is the history from the creation of the Earth of the Physical Universe, and traces the manifestation in human form of a number of the angels in their human sojourn. Such angels as Saruviel of Eternity and Samael of Infinity are featured, as well as tales about Davriel of Eternity, James child of Heaven, Kimborel of Eternity, Gamrayel of Eternity and a number more. AUTHOR's NOTE: This volume is an eclectic volume of tales, practically an anthology of different angel tales, but fits into the 'Terra' sequence of storyline, culminating in 'Judgement Day' (Volume 10).

Volume Six 'Pure and Honest Love'
A Series of Novellas featuring 'Samael' of Infinity in his time on earth, with his love affair for the Daughter of Eve, fair of heart and beauty 'Rachel'. Aphrayel's heart is 'Torn Asunder' in Terra Chronicles II, being the main star of that anthology collection, and then a shorter focus on other characters. AUTHOR's NOTE: 'Ye Olde Devil' and 'Rachael Daughter of Eve' of this volume have been published in paperback format. I own a number of copies of each, but only the Rachael volume currently is for sale. 'Ye Olde Devil' was originally written in just 2 days and was meant to be a separate short story, simply for my own entertainment, about an alternative angel universe after the 'Morning Stars' universe had been created. But it turned out so well that I tweaked it a little and invented the 'Realm of Infinity' concept and combined the universe with the 'Morning Stars' universe to create the various 'Realms' of the 'Chronicles' universe as a whole. The idea seems to have worked well.

Volume Seven 'Lucy Smith'
The Child of Heaven 'Lucy' is introduced in her human sojourn, learning the lessons of life as a witch destined for glory. Lucy Smith is also known as 'Lucy Potter' in the Harry Potter Fanfiction works available via link from the bottom of this page. This volume is the same as the first two Lucy Potter books, simply with all 'J K Rowling' and 'Warner Bros' trademarked names changed for publishing purposes for this particular novel. (I.e. Lucy Potter can not be published yet, but Lucy Smith can). AUTHOR's NOTE: Actually, this volume was initially written as 'Lucy Potter' and then 'Lucy Potter and the Vengeance of Lucifer' and was just meant to be 'Harry Potter' fanfiction. The characters of Madalene Bridges and Jayden Bridges and Georgia Bridges are my nieces and nephew. Georgia really has a scar, as related in the story, but got the scar from banging her head on the washing machine here at 29 Merriman crescent when she was little. Links below show the 'J K Rowling - Lucy Potter' link to the website were there is also a volume 3 titled 'Lucy Potter and the Golden Sovereigns' which has not been converted into a Chronicles story yet.

Volume Eight 'Love'
The family of 'David Rothchild' amongst others is focused upon and 'David's' life before his messianic duties is shown. The Baptist Christian girl 'Justine Atkinson' just may be the heart of love David Rothchild falls for, but how does the angel 'Meludiel' figure into this? AUTHORs NOTE: This volume has one part of it written from a somewhat 'First Person' perspective. Growing up I really did not like reading stories or text written this way, but this seemed to come out naturally and, for me anyway, reading it in the first person really works quite well. But the first person perspective is mainly 'Narrative', so hopefully reads quite smoothly in the end. I am particularly fond of this novel and, in the real world, have had experiences with an angelic sort of figure which 'David Rothchild - Ambriel' later became moulded upon. Ironically, Ambriel was initially going to be called 'Sean Kennedy', but after my angel encounters another plot came along.

Volume Nine 'Destiny's Children'
A series of novellas and short stories focusing on human characters, and angels to be, 'Destiny's Children' is an anthology collection sure to delight. AUTHORs NOTE: The 'Destiny's Children' title may be repeated possibly later on in the saga, which may include again characters features in this volume such as 'The Gilmore' family and 'Jack Dagger' as well as stories of the early Kolby family. The Kolby family featured in 'Shards of a Broken Heart' are the ancestors of 'Jack Kolby - the illustrious Rimwalker' from Volume 12.

Volume Ten 'Judgement Day'
In a sense, the conclusion to the 'Terra' story arc of the saga, but the tale is far from finished. A dramatic conclusion, with a unique ending, hopefully bringing ultimately hope to those who in the past would have deeply questioned the wisdom of God on such an important issue. NOTE: Judgement Day to me, personally, sorts of answers a lot of questions about the historical person 'Jesus of Nazareth' and his Messianic claims. To be quite precise, Haven Noahide Fellowship is a 'Non-Christian' fellowship and does not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. But this is handled in a very careful manner throughout the storyline of the 'Chronicles' with the intention of Christian readers who have a strong attachment to the person of Jesus to also enjoy stories about their beloved friend who, in the end, I am quite fond of in a normal human sense. I like much of his moral teachings in other words.

Volume Eleven 'Anthology'
A large collection of short stories, culminating in the end of the first Arc of the saga with the 'Life in Zaphon' storyline. AUTHORs NOTE: Alongside the 'Morning Stars' titles, the 'Anthology' title will feature in every future ARC of the saga with a new numerical volume number. An ARC represents 1 million years of 'Chronicles' universe history. It is simply an avenue to tell shorter stories in the saga, just snapshots, which are easier to write by myself and not always that canon compliant in many ways. Technically they are all supposed to be canon stories, but some are definitely written with a bit of tongue in cheek.

Volume Twelve 'Rimwalker'
The 'Science Fiction' epic of the Chronicles, set in the future of the Earth's universe. Introduces 'Jan Kolby' and 'Chance Kibb'star'. AUTHORs NOTE: This work seems to be genuine Science Fiction or, as I call it, genuine 'Space Fiction'. It chronicles an adventurer travelling through the stars who ultimately rises up to glory as the defender of humanity. At times I have felt this is my best work but, apart from that, it is probably my most 'Commercially accessible' work coming into the more mainstream Sci Fi crowd more easily than the rest of my angelic literature which, perhaps, has a more particular audience.

Volume Thirteen 'Morning Stars II'
Daniel the Seraphim is an angel of great ambition. Partnered with his eternal Seraphim friend Valandriel, the two of them conceive of a plot to help them gain another step towards their long held goal of absolute dominion over the Realm of Eternity. But will the 'Prophecies of the Seraphim Daniel' be enough to thwart the will and power of Gabriel, new to the position of Overseer of the Realm. Also, Ambriel's love for Justine Atkinson is renewed, and Saruviel considers his ultimate destiny to be a 'Creator' like his eternal father. AUTHOR's NOTE: The 'Morning Stars' title was inspired by the real life angel 'Ambriel' who showed up in my head saying 'Morning Stars 2'. And so I used the title as the basis for each new ARC and Gabriel has the glory for the second ARC and Raphael the third and so on. I personally feel this is a much deeper and more theological work than the earlier writings, but it is also quite intense storytelling from some of the character plots as well. More a series of plots on a common theme than a particular novel with one main tale, Morning Stars II is perhaps some of my maturing work as a writer and I am very happy with it. It leads very well into the 'Lazy Days' volume, which follows a similar structure in some ways.

Volume Fourteen 'Lazy Days'
Continuing on from Morning Stars II, a pleasant and relaxing time for the Realm of Eternity and the other Realms of God. No great tensions, no great fusses, but a careful examination into a contended world, were theological discussions of, hopefully, good humour, take place. This volume answers some unanswered questions, and is a happy little work of its own merit. AUTHOR's NOTE: Lazy Days is a typical Chronicles volume in as much as it seems to almost be exactly that - a series of Chronicles of various characters, which, although I have not written them intentionally to be Chronicles, seemed to have funnily turned out like that, meaning, I chose the title of the saga well. As a note to returning readers of my books, it is in fact true that, while I sit down and write each and every story in this saga, later on I see things working out in this saga which I never planned and which come together in good harmony. I am of the opinion to some degree that a higher power (hopefully God or some divine angel) has a large influence in the words I write in this storyline.

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