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Royal Palace of King Solomon
Jerusalem, Kingdom of Israel
10th Century BC

 

Saul stood at the front of the gathered crowd of Jerusalem’s ruling elite. His favored position had been occupied for as long as he had been a member of this court, the same honor bestowed upon his father, and his father’s father. He was loyal to his king, though the spectacle on display enraged him to his core.

A king, a Jewish king, fawning over a half-breed bastard convert from a foreign land, with the audacity to suggest he should inherit the throne and lead the Israelites upon his death.

It was outrageous, and if pursued, could lead to the end of King Solomon, no matter how loyal his subjects were.

The King’s desires would never be permitted.

Solomon had just spent the last ten minutes exalting his son, the young man, to his credit, seeming embarrassed by the words of praise heaped upon him. And when Solomon revealed he had shown this Menelik their holiest of relics, a relic even Saul had never laid eyes upon, a collective gasp of horror and outrage had swept the court, the revulsion at the revelation ignored as Solomon droned on.

If he’s revealed the source of our power, of our link to God, then Menelik may have been swayed.

“But, alas, even I haven’t been able to persuade my son to stay among us. As you know, I have asked him to stay, to become my heir”—again disgruntled grumblings filled the room—“however he has decided to return home to help his people, continuing the exchange of knowledge begun with his mother, Queen Makeda.” Solomon paused, his eyes staring into the distance, as if into the past. “To that end, I have decided that to help my son’s kingdom prosper, and to achieve the greatness we have in the name of the one true God, I hereby decree that the firstborn of all noble and rabbinical families shall accompany my son on his journey home, to assist him in the betterment of his kingdom.”

Saul’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he stared at his king, dumbfounded. Questions rippled through those gathered, many uncertain they had heard Solomon correctly, and once their fears had been confirmed, outrage tore through the room, the sense of open revolt causing the guards surrounding the room to shift in their places, uncertain of what to do.

“This is outrageous!” cried Saul, stepping forward, his privileged position giving him a direct line of sight to the king who would betray them all over a boy he barely knew. “This is unacceptable! I will not send my son Jonathan with this child to Africa! How dare you ask this of us? We have served you loyally for decades, and you betray us like this! It is unconscionable!”

Fists pumped the air as others edged forward, emboldened by his tirade, the guards rushing to fill the narrowing gap between Solomon and his irate subjects.

Yet Solomon didn’t react.

Though his son did.

With fear and embarrassment.

Solomon rose, raising a hand, his expression calm, the room eventually settling to hear what was about to be said. Saul’s heart pounded and sweat trickled down his back, as the next words could mean the end of his life for having challenged his king.

“Anyone whose firstborn isn’t in the courtyard in two days’ time, will be executed along with their son.”

Saul pressed his luck, stepping forward again, a spear immediately blocking his path. “How can you do this, how can you put the future of Jerusalem, the future of our people, at risk like this? How can you weaken our kingdom by sending away our best and brightest?”

Solomon finally acknowledged him. “They will be gone only for as long as they are needed.”

Though it was a small concession, it wasn’t enough, yet he knew there would be no further discussion of the matter. This wasn’t a negotiation. Solomon had made up his mind, and when he did, there was simply no changing it. He was about to lose his son to the unknown continent, for how long he didn’t know, with dangers he could only imagine.

Most likely, the future of the Jewish people, its cherished sons, would never return.

“My king,” he said, calming his voice, stepping slightly closer, his head bowed in reverence. “Please, if we are to send our sons as you ask, let them take the Ark of the Covenant with them so that they may be protected by the power of God from harm.”

Murmurs of agreement washed over the room, his idea clearly agreeable to all the fathers gathered.

“Out of the question.”

Solomon spun on his heel and left the hall, the court erupting in rage the moment he was out of sight though not out of earshot.

“What are we going to do?” asked Benjamin, the head of another noble family that traced its lineage back as far as Saul’s did. “Are we going to stand for this?”

Saul watched Menelik rush from the chamber after his father, his shoulders rounded, his head down.

He never asked for this, nor does he want it.

“What can we do?” he replied, shaking his head. “Challenge our king? He’ll have us all put to death.”

“Surely if we all unite as one, he’ll change his mind.”

Saul shook his head. “This is Solomon we’re speaking of.”

Benjamin sighed, throwing up his hands in frustration as a group gathered around them, clusters of loud conversations filling the hall. “Then we are to capitulate? To give up our firstborn on this ridiculous venture? All for some bastard son from a backwater kingdom?”

There were grumblings, though no one said anything, instead, all eyes turning to Saul, the most senior among them. He thought for a moment, moving past the useless thoughts of how to keep his son here in Jerusalem, and instead focusing on how to protect him while he was away, and no matter how large a contingent of soldiers they might muster to accompany their brave sons, he could think of only one way to guarantee their safety.

He stared at the others, and was about to tell them his plan, when he decided against it.

For it would take only one to betray him, and it would mean certain death.

Instead, he let his shoulders sag. “I can think of nothing, but to obey our king.”

The disappointment of those gathered was obvious, and he broke from the group, heading home, his outrageous plan already weaving itself together.

A plan that had to succeed, but could condemn him for eternity should it go wrong.

For stealing the Ark of the Covenant was surely an act against God Himself.