press on. His step slowed, and his eyes began to look dark and troubled, but he continued to urge them on up through a rock-bordered pass until lateone afternoon they came out onto a wide basin. “See the mountains on the right with the sun glinting on them,” he said as he tried to muster some enthusiasm. “The tallest is Mount Ebal and the other beside it is Gerizim. The walled city in between is Shechem.”
The large valley was surrounded by a ring of mountains. In better days it had been fertile beyond belief, but now it was a bowl of blowing dust.
They passed several small villages that showed no sign of life. When they came to a huge oak at the foot of the valley that led up to the city called Shechem, they stopped. It was obvious that the oak had been a center for various mysterious rites.
“I remember this tree,” Abram said. “It was known as the Oak of the Sorceress. There used to be an old hag who sat here begging and telling fortunes. She had charms and incantations, and some even said she called up the devil and the djinn to do her bidding.”
As they came closer to the enormous tree, they could see that libations of blood had been poured all over the gnarled roots. Near a broken-down altar they found bones, bits of curling hairy skins, and broken shards of pottery.
The odor of decay, death, and corruption was heavy on the air. “Things have been very bad here,” Lot whispered to Abram. “The people obviously have been trying to placate Mot, so he will free Baal and they will have rain again.”
Abram didn’t seem to hear him. He walked around under the tree, lightly touching the standing stones with hollowed out places for oil or blood and fingering the bits of cloth tied to the bare branches of the tree.
With a sigh he looked back at the expectant faces of his people and remarked, “Such things are forbidden by Elohim, our God.”
The people looked with interest at the tree and then up the valley toward Shechem. From where they stood they could tell that the city gate had once been impressive and the wall well built. Now however, the gate hung open, and the wall was crumbling with large, gaping fissures. Through these openings, they could see an odd assemblage of one-story stone and mud houses. They had flat roofs constructed of dried rushes covered with mud held in place by large crossbeams. Few of the houses had windows.
Abram chose Lot to go with him and cautioned Eliazer to hold the caravan in place until they returned. As the two men approached the city, they could see that it was depressingly dirty. Refuse had been thrown out in thestreets for the goats or wild dogs. Vines and almond trees that had once lent a certain charm to their small courtyards were now standing leafless and bare, adding to the total desolate effect.
At first the city seemed deserted. However, as they came closer, beggars and a few lepers crept out with various objects supposedly for sale. The two men soon discovered that the beggars wanted to trade the decorated pottery, woven strips of bright cloth, or a few handfuls of grain for some drinking water.
Abram asked one of the threadbare urchins to get someone in authority. The boy hurried off and, within minutes, was back with an elderly gentleman. Abram noticed that he walked with a cane but carried himself with dignity. “You are welcome. You are welcome,” the old man said, speaking their language with a strong Amorite accent.
He didn’t smile, and Abram noticed that he kept nervously jabbing his cane into the path as though that might steady him. He wore fine robes, but they were stained and dusty, and his elegantly decorated sandals were strapped on feet that hadn’t been washed for days.
“We need your permission to camp in the valley below your city,” Abram said.
Instantly the man’s eyes grew troubled as he looked over the crowded carts, donkeys, camels, sheep, and goats that stretched as far as he could see. “You are welcome to camp, but as
The large valley was surrounded by a ring of mountains. In better days it had been fertile beyond belief, but now it was a bowl of blowing dust.
They passed several small villages that showed no sign of life. When they came to a huge oak at the foot of the valley that led up to the city called Shechem, they stopped. It was obvious that the oak had been a center for various mysterious rites.
“I remember this tree,” Abram said. “It was known as the Oak of the Sorceress. There used to be an old hag who sat here begging and telling fortunes. She had charms and incantations, and some even said she called up the devil and the djinn to do her bidding.”
As they came closer to the enormous tree, they could see that libations of blood had been poured all over the gnarled roots. Near a broken-down altar they found bones, bits of curling hairy skins, and broken shards of pottery.
The odor of decay, death, and corruption was heavy on the air. “Things have been very bad here,” Lot whispered to Abram. “The people obviously have been trying to placate Mot, so he will free Baal and they will have rain again.”
Abram didn’t seem to hear him. He walked around under the tree, lightly touching the standing stones with hollowed out places for oil or blood and fingering the bits of cloth tied to the bare branches of the tree.
With a sigh he looked back at the expectant faces of his people and remarked, “Such things are forbidden by Elohim, our God.”
The people looked with interest at the tree and then up the valley toward Shechem. From where they stood they could tell that the city gate had once been impressive and the wall well built. Now however, the gate hung open, and the wall was crumbling with large, gaping fissures. Through these openings, they could see an odd assemblage of one-story stone and mud houses. They had flat roofs constructed of dried rushes covered with mud held in place by large crossbeams. Few of the houses had windows.
Abram chose Lot to go with him and cautioned Eliazer to hold the caravan in place until they returned. As the two men approached the city, they could see that it was depressingly dirty. Refuse had been thrown out in thestreets for the goats or wild dogs. Vines and almond trees that had once lent a certain charm to their small courtyards were now standing leafless and bare, adding to the total desolate effect.
At first the city seemed deserted. However, as they came closer, beggars and a few lepers crept out with various objects supposedly for sale. The two men soon discovered that the beggars wanted to trade the decorated pottery, woven strips of bright cloth, or a few handfuls of grain for some drinking water.
Abram asked one of the threadbare urchins to get someone in authority. The boy hurried off and, within minutes, was back with an elderly gentleman. Abram noticed that he walked with a cane but carried himself with dignity. “You are welcome. You are welcome,” the old man said, speaking their language with a strong Amorite accent.
He didn’t smile, and Abram noticed that he kept nervously jabbing his cane into the path as though that might steady him. He wore fine robes, but they were stained and dusty, and his elegantly decorated sandals were strapped on feet that hadn’t been washed for days.
“We need your permission to camp in the valley below your city,” Abram said.
Instantly the man’s eyes grew troubled as he looked over the crowded carts, donkeys, camels, sheep, and goats that stretched as far as he could see. “You are welcome to camp, but as
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