Jehoram became king of Judea after his father Jehoshafat’s death. In the last years he had become a ‘trainee king’- not a mere crown prince. He was practically managing the kingdom’s affairs, as his father was staying sick at home. Many foes had gathered around little Judea kingdom, among them Kush tribes (perhapes they had come from an African country like Ethipia) Egyptians, Adomites- and also Aram’s king Hazael, who succeeded to conquer the coast of northern Israel and arrived in the western border of Judea. This enemy had become the strongest military power in the area, and captured a vast part of Ahab’s inheritors’ kingdom…
Under her husband’s kingdom in Judea, Athaliah held a title of ‘the senior queen’. She was ‘chosen’ by her husband to deal with collecting charity from the noblemen and rich officers. They had mainly acumulated their wealth either by inheritance of farms, or looting in victorious wars...In this way Athaliah had become familiar with many miserable people in society, but also made acquanitance with the rich and families and influential officials in the regime.
She had also tightened her social connections with some Idols’ worshippers, by visiting their ceremonies: She used to arrive there applying in make up and dressing herself in finery. Frequently she would send her maid to bring to Baal’s old Worship House good smelling leaves, and branches for incense. The priests there would use those for celebrations and worship holidays.
When Athaliah’s children became teenagers, she was aware that the boy Ahazia loved her,
Much more then his sister Yehosheva. He appreciated her free spirit and her demand from him to prepare himself to become the king one day. She wanted him to meet boys and girls from the neighboring countries, and let him know her remote family from Tsydon. He was interested in history, and in religions and beliefs of other nations as well as of his own nation, Israel. She directed him all along his youth to be broad minded, and he was thankful to her for that. Really his character was so built - to investigate and get into details of things and events.
“A learned man,” she used to tell him, “would not easily believe in what he is told. I don’t say that all want to use your fame and be considered your friends, in order to benefit from that. But don’t rely on anybody, and always concentrate on your target. Undertake what you feel to be good for you and for the general good of Judea’s citizens, and try to unify those goods in your heart anm mind, though sometimes they would be antagonizing. And… don’t believe with full heart- either in what the priests of God would tell you, nor in the priests of Baal . They all search how to subordinate you for their purpose, which is to have their hands on the people’s minds and hearts…”
The girl Yehosheva, however, did not show much affection to Athaliah, nor to her messages. She had been educated and influenced by her private teacher Ruth, who had become to be a priest’s wife. Yehosheva began even to scold Athaliah, knowing her views about respecting the Idols, and about the ‘weakness of the God of Israel’. Her woman teacher seemed trying to avoid the bad relationship between the daughetr and her Mom. She was telling Yehosheva:
“It’s written in Torah- that you should respect your parents.” But Yehosheva persisted to dislike Athaliah, and showed her rebellious behavior as she was growing up. Once she refused to travel with to her to Samaria, even though her brother was joining Athaliah and liked that trip.
King Jehoram was not a healthy man. He had suffered from a ‘weak heart’, so his physicians told him. In his last four years of life he was hardly ruling the kingdom. He ordered the army commanders to place his young son, Ahazia, as the King Guard’s Commander. The young man became friendly with General Abner, the Army commnader, who served Jehoram devotedly. He won a bloody battle with black men of Kush in the south, on the way to Egypt’s Sinai desert.
Abner was twenty eight at that time and still a bachelor. People gossiped that he would prefer to love young men better than women. But nobody had any proof about that. Athaliah heard the rumor, too. She came to the conclusion, that he simply had not found yet a girl fit for him, as he was really a fervent God believer: He avoided from having affairs with light and ignorant women, and was engaged in the military ‘up to over the head’. Ahazia himself had a concubine already, but while talking to Abner about marriage - the commander shyly told him: “Be happy with your girl, prince…but I had suffered enough.”
Ahaziah told that to his mother, and Athaliah smiled. A ‘womanish idea’ flashed in her mind. She inquired and found out, that General Abner had a girl in the remote past. He he had been then only an army captain. That girl had betrayed him and fled from Judea.
Athaliah remembered what her maid Rachel told her years before: She had a sister, who had fled from her strict and pedant fiance…Athaliah thought that it may had been Abner.
One day Athaliah took Rachel with her to visit the army barracks, while the prince crown, Ahazia – was waiting for them. He was said to be his mother’s guide in that visit. Athaliah requested to see the best unit of the kingdom’s warriors in Jerusalem. She loved to gaze at marching troops, she said - to the sound of trumpets and tempo of drums. This time there would be also a soldiers’ wrestling tournament. They were expected to compete after the streets’ march, in the army’s Headquarters camp. Athaliah had hatched that General Abner would be present there too. Her maid Rachel joined her, and when the show had eneded - the two women went to thank Abner for the sportive nice performnce. The maid Rachel was gazing at the commander adoringly. She whispered to Athaliah:
“I remember, that when I was a child, he was one of the best and nice wrestlers. I saw him talikng to my sister.”
“You should now ask something from him. We‘ll see if he remembers you,” said Athaliah. She handed her a packet, wrapped by a palm leave: “Get closer to the general. Give him this present for your soldier brother.”
“Sir, I have a brother in Azeka fortress,” said Rachel, “How can I send him this packet of small sweet date-palms?”
She looked at Abner straight in the eyes, and he felt like a pinch in his heart.
“Your eyes and face remind me far days,” he suddenly told her, “are you from Yakhin village?”
She nodded, and he stretched his hand to let him take the sweets’ packet, that she had given him. He told her that he himself would visit Lakhish on the coming week, and personally hand the gift to her brother’s officer.
Athaliah, who approached them, heard the end of their conversation. She asked if her son Ahazia would follow Abner to that place, and he confirmed that.
“If it is not a dangerous area,” said Athaliah, “may I and my maid join you too? We will just have a nice ride on our horses, behind my son and his guards.”
“We are going there to check the soldiers’ alertness,” said Abner solemnly, “you will have to wait with my guards at the gate. I am sorry I can’t allow you enter the fortress…”
“That’s all right. We can enjoy ourselves, looking at the the views around. We’ll take a meal with us, and have our lunch while you…”
“No, you’ll get a good lunch with the commanders,” said Abner, “…We have an inn nearby, where we shall eat, after our visit.”
Athaliah thought it was a good beginning to befriend the Army commader- in-chief. Then She heard from her maid, what Abner had meant - by mentioning to her the name of the far ‘Yakim village’ and ‘far past days’.
“Just when I saw him,” Rachel told her mistress, “I recollected who he was. He had become my sister’s fiance. I haven’t seen this handsome man for years.”
“Ah, you once told me about that sister,” said Athaliah, “you said she had run away…Was it from Abner? How stupid!”
“Yes,” answered Rachel. “She had not imagined that he would become so great. But greatness is not a guarantee… for a successful love, I think,” said the maid.
“Oh, that’s a nice saying,” laughed Athaliah, “I see that you talk cleverly, maid. To where had she escaped from him?”
“To norther
n Israel…He had then a lower rank, of course.” said Rachel, “She told my Mom: ‘Abner is a perfrectionist military man - and fanatic God believer. I am frantic, I can’t be disciplined,’ so she said…”
“Had not your sister believed in God?” asked Athaliah.
“My sister’s religious belief was like yours…lady Athaliah, as far as I understood her… Not so strongly believer in God…excuse me saying that, my mistress.”
“You are right, maid. I don’t hide my split belief.”
“It is in contrast to my belief,” said the maid, “You know me.”
“Yes, and I have ordered you not to argue about that - with anybody, while I am present. haven’t I?”
“Yes, madam. I have always fulfilled that completely.”
“Very nice of you,” embraced her Athaliah with a smile, “So, I know that you would not think that God would ever do a mischief to someone. And I know that you pray to him every day. It does not disturb me. I even appreciate that stubborness of yours.”
“Thank you, dear Lady. You know I am devoted to your Highness.”
“Now let’s return to reality,” said Athaliah, “I have a queer feeling, that this General Abner will propose to you some day…”
“propose? To a maid like me?”
“I mean: if we let him know you are good natured and ardent religious feelings. You are an innocent pretty girl, very hard to be found nowadays. Like a special colored rare flower or a peculiar singing nightingale. …Rachel, would you marry that strong and pedantic man, Abner?”
“I think that my brain is too narrow to understand his wits.” said the maid meekly, “and I fear that my spirit is too weak, to satisfy such a vigorous man’s demands… from a woman…”
“But if his love to me develops, you will be the happiest in the country,” smiled Athaliah. The maid almost broke in sob, from excitement – even thinking about herself to be fit for marrying a famous hero.
“Let me think about all that match,” said Athaliah, “I appreciate your modesty and hesitations. Only tell me, and I hope I don’t hurt your heart: Are you a virgin?”
“Of course,” said the shy maid, and burst in a short wimper. “But who knows if the General would want me just because of that, madam. I’m so meek. He may search a valiant, smart girl, like my sister had been. Only a little bit more obedient and humble than her.”
“I see you know very well what commander Abner would need. I will try my best to make a match. Come again close to me, dear Rachel. I will embrace you like a daughter. You know, I …hardly do that. I feel confident in my heart – to recommend you to the General. You have to obey my advices. We should not act swiftly, but wisely…”
Though sisters Rachel and Bat Gad had not been tweens, they were very likely to each other. In their faces as well as in their body structures. Both had swollen breasts, long legs, green eyes, dark hairs and even quite similar voices. Athaliah wanted just to have good relations with Abner, based on a successful match between him and her pretty, lovely and wise maid. She wanted him to be liable to her for a great favor she would do him. She had learned from her mother, that simple people who succeed climbing high on a regime’s ladder, may remain faithful to the ‘doner’ in a case of a real trouble or urgent need. Her own experience had taught her already to smell a future trouble. In an unstable and tumultous political and social situation, especially in the small area of Judea - a war, a famine, a plague, a murder, a mix of all – might take place suddenly, and invite a catastrophe – if not faced forcefully and immediately…
Now Rachel had to find an argument for arriving to Abner’s small house. A maid of a respectable woman like Athaliah, should not simply stride in an outskirt of Jerusalem, and knock at the door of a General’s house. Calculative and manipulative Athaliah had not the will to involve her son in that matter. She wanted to prevent guesses and suspicions and counter inquiries in the king’s court… The General himself might be out of home, most of the evenings, and the maid has to face him again, by some resonable circumstances.
However, “God or Baal” intervened in that story. It was after General Abner had visited the south-western Judea-Philistine border. He and his small commanders’ staff drove their horses close to the frontline. They left a guard to keep the horses and took swift a walk to a hilly area. It was near Hadasha, in north the west of the Philistine town Gath. There were many caves there, full of rats, snakes and other creeping insects.
Abner’s warriors were in an intelligence misssion: They were creeping on the bare ground, just to snatch a Philistine border guard and inquire him about units movements. A snake had sneaked out of his hole in the ground and bitten Abner. Its acute poison threatened his life. His soldier’s bayonet cut the injured place in his arm. He tried to suck the poison and spit it out. Then he asked his adjutant to take a rope and tightly tie the upper arm above that bite, so to prevent much poison to move further on into his veins with his blood stream. . .
The soldiers saw that their commander had become dizzy, and he ordered them all to retreat to Jerusalem. They dragged him by foot to their waiting horses nearby, and loaded Abner on a horse. His adjutant Isaac of Anatot mounted his horse to ride with him, binding his aching body to the horseback. He was sighing all the way back to Jerusalem. There he was brought to physicians, flower priests who expertised in rescuing snake bitten people. They continued to suck his blood and smeared some plant’s ointment on the wound. His physical strength and healthy sportive body had helped him to recover. Discerning that he became soon conscious, the chief physician expected that he would remain alive…
Next day they brought Abner home, and his adjutant informed about his injury to the king’s palace. Athaliah soon heard about that. She was that now was the time to send her maid to Abner with a reasonable argument. A treatment of such injury requires a woman nurse.
Athaliah’s son, Ahazia, was told by her, that Rachel would be fit to treat the General. She and revealed to him her Match Plot, and he agreed to it gladly. Rachel was guided by Athaliah how to win Abner’s heart: By cooking well and smiling to him and talking about her village, but not about her profane sister Bath Gad. Abner should not know that Bat Gad had become an Ashtoret slut, then repented and re-worshipped the God of Israel, and so on. Some said she was even married to prophet Elisha, a man of thirty five at that time. But Rachel herself did not believe that rumor…
Rachel soon learned from Abner, that he had been interested in her own personality - since that first meeting. But he was too busy, he said, to meet her sooner than now. He had even believed - so she told Athaliah, that it was God’s intervention, which had now brought her to help him to recover…Athaliah cheered her up, telling her: “I have known that you’d win his love, you see?”
Athaliah knew that Abner would soon check Rachel’s past by his intelligence officers. When Abner was feeling much better, he kissed his sweetheart in the first time, and she soon ran to her mistress Athaliah and told her the news. Slanderer Athaliah told all that to her son Ahazia, and the crown king also enjoyed the gossip about his chief commander’s serious love affair.
For Athaliah- it was not easy to depart from her devoted maid. She thought, however, that Abner would be important enough for her selfish interest to reach a power position in the kingdom: Therefore her strive to acquire his confidence by that match is worthy. He has now become the most powerful man in the kingdom after the king and the crown prince - her son Ahazia. ‘I wish that the Gods won’t bring me to need such men.’ She said to herself, ‘But my heart tells me that some-how some-day that might come. I must be ready to face hard circumstances, though I cannot yet imagine how and when and why. The king who is my husband – stays in his room most of the time. He’s lying on his bed, half of his body paralysed…I know that many will want to inherit him. Though my son Ahazia is the king’s legitimate heir- we must beware of murderes. The prophets and priests have no mercy. Other ambitious men may come from the dy
nasty itself. I know king David’s history. His sons were quarrelling and killing each other, so I’ve read in the Bible. I won’t be amazed - if there will soon develop a bloodshed in Jerusalem. I and my son should be worried - and learn - from the historical precedence regarding the royal families in Israel and Judea.’
CHAPTER 5