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Kingdom of Ethiopia
10th Century BC
Forty Years Later

 

To say that Menelik was a true believer would be an understatement. He had witnessed the power of God firsthand. Though perhaps that wasn’t entirely accurate. He had witnessed the results of the power of God firsthand. It had been decades since that fateful day on the shores of the Red Sea, but he remembered it like it was yesterday, and it still filled him with terror and reverence.

Their fates had been sealed, but when he and the others carried the Ark, uncovered, into the battle, he had said a silent prayer, then ordered his men to close their eyes, and keep them closed, no matter what they heard.

He had checked them all as the Egyptian army charged toward them, and with the first spears in the air, he had closed his own, and prayed for the miracle necessary to save them.

And when he opened his eyes only minutes later, after what felt like the most vicious of storms had pounded the area around them, the sounds of holy war unlike anything he could have imagined, nor described today, all had fallen silent, and all that remained on the battlefield were him and his companions, the Ark of the Covenant, and the beasts of war the Egyptians had been riding.

Nothing more.

The soldiers were gone, as were their weapons.

Nothing beyond their beasts were left to suggest they had ever been there.

Not even a single drop of blood.

“Open your eyes.”

Tamrin opened a single eye, tentatively, then both. “Where did they go?”

Menelik shook his head. “I have no idea. God must have taken them.”

“God?” Tamrin shuddered. “If your Jewish god can do this, then I’ve been worshipping the wrong god.”

Menelik nodded. “Never before have I even heard of anything such as this, let alone witnessed it.”

“What do we do?”

“We thank Him, then get ourselves home as quickly as possible.”

Tamrin reached out for the Ark. “With this, we can take our time. We are unbeatable!”

Menelik slapped Tamrin’s hand away. “What did I say? Never touch the Ark!”

Tamrin bowed. “I’m sorry, sir, I forgot.” He took a healthy step back. “But with this, nobody can hurt us. Imagine what we could do when we return home? We would only need to enter battle once, and word would spread among our enemies that we are never to be touched again.” His chest heaved with the excitement, his eyes widening with thoughts of the power they now wielded. “We could conquer them all!”

And it was then that Menelik knew what had just saved them, had also cursed them. For just because one could defeat one’s enemies, one shouldn’t necessarily do so. Using the Ark for defense was one thing, but for offense was something entirely different.

It was a responsibility that had haunted him for decades as king.

“How are you feeling today, my king?”

Menelik flinched, snapped from his reverie by his oldest and most trusted friend, Tamrin, no longer the head of his personal guard, that position now occupied by his friend’s grandson, as it had been by his son after he was of sufficient age and experience.

It was a dynasty that had served the kingdom well, as Menelik’s own son would continue his family’s after his death, a death no longer on the horizon, but merely over the next hill.

“The same as yesterday, which is to say not good.”

Tamrin frowned. “You should follow the example set by your mother. She abdicated the throne to you upon your return from the Holy Land, and now it is time for you to do the same.”

Menelik nodded, his neck spasming. Everything hurt now, everything felt old now. “To be young again.”

Tamrin grunted. “We’ve both lived good lives. It’s time to make room for those who would follow us and see if they can improve upon what we’ve done.”

Menelik frowned. “Do you think our sons will do better? Our grandsons?”

Tamrin regarded him for a moment, then took a seat beside him. “I hope so, though I have my doubts. My son told me just last night that my grandson asked him where the Ark is, and why it hasn’t been used for so long.” He frowned. “I got the sense he felt it was being asked on behalf of another.”

“My grandson.”

“It was only a sense.”

“Unfortunately, I think you’re correct in your suspicions. While my son and heir understands the horrific powers of the Ark, for he saw it the last time it was used, my grandson has never seen it, and I fear, once he has the power to command it, he will use it on our enemies, to conquer them once and for all.” He shook his head. “The innocent shouldn’t suffer under the power we wield. Let our enemies be, and as long as they do the same, there is no need for the Ark.”

“Perhaps we should return it to the Israelites.”

Menelik sighed. “I’ve thought of that. If they believed we still had it, then I’m certain they would have sent an army to retrieve it, but I believe our spies are correct, and that they think the Egyptians or the Philistines have it.”

“Because there was no record of us putting to port.”

“Exactly. They must believe that there is no record because the Egyptians want to hide the fact they confiscated it from us, or because we never made it home with it, a Philistine raiding party seizing it. Either way, we don’t have it, and my father obviously decided not to pursue it any further, at least where we are concerned.”

“Then why not return it?”

“I don’t think God wants me to.”

“Excuse me?” Tamrin eyed him. “Have you been hearing voices?”

Menelik chuckled. “No, I haven’t, thank you, but don’t you think if God didn’t want us to have the Ark, he wouldn’t have allowed us to keep it in the first place? Not to mention the fact he let us use it to defend ourselves on multiple occasions.”

Tamrin nodded. “It is true that I’ve often thought about this. He clearly demonstrated His power on our behalf whenever we needed it.”

“Then I suggest He doesn’t want the Israelites to have it. After all, most of our people now worship Him, so are we any less chosen than the Israelites?”

Tamrin grunted. “That might be stretching it.”

Menelik laughed. “Perhaps, though there is some truth there.” He leaned closer to his friend. “Lately, I have been thinking that the decision should be left in God’s hands.”

“How?”

“I don’t believe any man should wield such power unless it is the will of God.”

“Agreed, but clearly it was His will that allowed that power to be wielded on our behalf, and that of its previous owners.”

“Yes, but think about it. The Jews needed the Ark to protect them while they were weak. Now they are strong. Do they really need it anymore? And look at us. We didn’t ask for the Ark, we didn’t steal it, yet just when we needed it, we discovered we had it.” He regarded his friend. “Remember that day? You found it and brought it to me, then only moments later the Egyptian army was spotted. Moments later. What if they had shown up just five minutes earlier? We wouldn’t be sitting here today, and the Egyptians would have marched across half the known world by now with such power. Instead, it was revealed to us the very moment we needed it, and saved us, and eventually our people, when our enemies dared attack after my mother’s abdication. They thought we were weak, and they were proven wrong. I believe the Ark will find a way to help those who need it most, and right now, that isn’t us or the Israelites.”

“If not us, then who?”

Menelik shrugged. “I have no idea. That is for God to decide.”

“Then what do we do in the meantime? If your grandson is agitating for its use, once you die, he may just win out.”

“That is why I’ve summoned the rabbis to meet with me later. The Ark is to be placed in hiding until God’s will reveals it to whoever may be in need.”

Tamrin’s jaw dropped. “Your grandson will tear the kingdom apart to find it.”

Menelik nodded. “He will, but the plan the rabbis and I have come up with is, I think, sound.” He reached out and took his friend’s arm. “It is you and your family’s task that will be much more difficult.”

Tamrin tensed. “What do you have in store for us?”

“The most difficult task of all. A task that may last until the end of days.”