| After the initial reaction of relief, the Israelites - | | | | - and water began spouting from the rock - a |
| realizing that the immediate threat to their safety had | | | | constant flow, widening to a stream as it cascaded |
| been magically eliminated, that they were now safe | | | | down the hill to the wildly joyous Israelites below. |
| and the Egyptian army destroyed - despite a muted | | | | Moses stalked off to be alone, Aaron trailing him, |
| joy for the most part, experienced an emotional | | | | followed by Joshua and his soldiers at a respectful |
| let-down, a draining of energy. | | | | distance. |
| On the first day, Joshua released his army to be with | | | | Using both hands to cup his fill - the water tasting |
| their families, while Moses, Aaron, Joshua and the | | | | cool and sweet - Binay later filled his pouch and |
| tribal leaders gathered together on a hill, apart from | | | | sought out his friends, to tell them of this latest |
| the people, to assess and analyze their situation. The | | | | Moses miracle. |
| assistants to the tribal leaders were busy, seeing to | | | | His people now sated with meat and slaked of thirst, |
| any special problems and needs of the people; the | | | | Moses led the Israelites onward. Although there had |
| messengers were flitting up and back - the final, | | | | been numerous skirmishes between Joshua's army in |
| desperate climb to safety on the ridge-way path, | | | | their defense of straggling Hebrews against |
| with Egyptian chariots at their heels - had taken a toll | | | | Amelekite raider bands, there had not been a clash |
| of both the wagons and the elderly. The first two | | | | of major forces or a pitched battle. Now, however, |
| days were therefore spent mostly in rest and | | | | Joshua's scouts told Moses that directly confronting |
| recovery. | | | | the Israelites, blocking their continued progress, was |
| However, Binay and Lansel, with youthful energy and | | | | a formidable Amelekite army. |
| high spirits, were hand in hand, excitedly exploring this | | | | A large plain was nearby, with a central rocky |
| new land they were in. On the second day Chadaric | | | | promontory to which Moses led Joshua, most of his |
| and a tallish, slender, reddish-haired girl from the tribe | | | | army following - only a small contingent had been |
| of Dan, Rachisa, found each other; soon the two | | | | assigned to remain with the Hebrew people in a |
| young couples became inseparable, laughing, and | | | | nearby field. "There", cried Moses, pointing to the |
| caring and excitedly planning their futures, as young, | | | | promontory, "will I be tomorrow, my arms uplifted to |
| free people confident in themselves, in Moses, and a | | | | heaven, to pray for your success. Defeat these |
| new land of opportunity and promise. | | | | murderers of our weak and helpless." |
| For a third day, Moses let the Hebrews rest, | | | | At dawn, the next day, came the attack. Alongside |
| remaining near where they had gathered after the | | | | Moses on the promontory were Joshua and Chur, |
| ridge-way crossing. Gradually, an apprehension grew | | | | husband to Moses' sister, Miriam. Joshua's army |
| among the Israelites, previously knowing only slavery | | | | encircled the promontory, several circles deep of |
| and the orders of masters - that they were now | | | | soldiers; Binay and Chadaric were side by side in the |
| truly free, on their own, in an unfamiliar, frightening | | | | outer ring. That outer circle then positioned their |
| world - and completely dependent on their leader | | | | shields, edge to edge, in a solid ring of defensive |
| Moses. | | | | protection, holding spears in their right hands. |
| Finally, with a proclamation to the people to be brave | | | | With a blast of a ram's horn and shouts of defiance, |
| and trust in the Lord, Moses, with his staff in his | | | | the large army of Amelekites descended upon the |
| hand, began walking east-ward, away from Yam Suf, | | | | Hebrews, encircling Joshua's forces. |
| into the unknown. The Israelites were again arranged | | | | Joshua, as military commander, had taken advantage |
| by tribal family groups, two families abreast behind | | | | of the combat training given Bibay by the Pharaoh's |
| Moses, then three, then four, growing to seven or | | | | guards, schooling in spear, sword and shield - but |
| eight families abreast, maintaining that width until the | | | | refining and expanding the practice to suit the needs |
| straggling families; Joshua's army, as a loose, | | | | of an army primarily concerned with protecting a |
| protective band, circled about the entire length of the | | | | traveling civilian population. Now, however, they were |
| procession of Hebrews. Binay and Chonoch, in their | | | | arranged in a solid defensive ring of shields, spears at |
| fast chariot, continued to scout ahead and on both | | | | the ready, surrounding and protecting Moses, Joshua |
| sides of the procession of Israelites - composing | | | | and Chur on the promontory. |
| essentially, the entirety of all the Hebrew peoples in | | | | The Amelekites attacked self-assuredly, throwing |
| the world: old, young and in-between, and their | | | | their spears and hacking away at the ring of shields - |
| possessions. | | | | the Hebrews mostly parrying the thrusts. However, |
| On the third day of travel, the water pouches of the | | | | due to over-confidence, when a neck or chest or |
| Israelites were nearing empty, bringing new | | | | arm or shoulder was exposed, a quick thrust often |
| complaints of thirst. They then came upon a flat plain | | | | drew blood, some-times the wound being mortal. The |
| called "Marah", where existing wells could be seen, | | | | Amelekites over-aggressiveness was providing |
| already dug in the ground. However, the water was | | | | openings - the Hebrews, careful, defensive, waited |
| bitter - and the people cried out to Moses, "Better | | | | for an opportunity to strike. Fallen soldiers and blood |
| we should have died in Egypt." | | | | soon covered the ground, two Amelekite for each |
| Binay, with Chonoch - the first to discover the wells | | | | Hebrew. |
| and to taste of the bitter water - then saw Moses | | | | As time passed, the arms of the warriors grew |
| take a branch from a tree and throw it into the well | | | | weary, their weapons heavy - now three, then four |
| - then drink of the water - followed by Aaron, then | | | | Amelekites fell for each Hebrew. But then, the arms |
| the tribal leaders. Then the Hebrews took branches | | | | of Moses began drooping. |
| of that tree and threw them into all the wells - and | | | | With a prolonged blast from a ram's horn, the |
| then they all began drinking, filling their water pouches | | | | Amelekites charged anew, concentrating on the |
| and watering their cattle. Binay, who before, had | | | | weakest section of the Hebrew circle - Moses arms |
| found the well-water to be undrinkably bitter, now | | | | were sagging - the Hebrew protective circle gave |
| found it sweet - he whispered to Lansel and Chadaric | | | | way - then broke apart, the circle of shields had |
| and Rachisa, "Moses has wrought another miracle." | | | | yielded - it was now mostly individual combat, one or |
| After the Israelites had all slaked their thirst and | | | | two Hebrews against three to four Amelekites. |
| stored all the water they could in pouches, Moses led | | | | Binay and Chadaric had developed and practiced an |
| the way onward. They then reached an oasis in the | | | | approach to open combat that had been very |
| desert called Elim, a place of twelve wells and | | | | effective when confronting a group of Amelekites on |
| seventy palm trees, where they encamped. But the | | | | an open field - back to back, so they were |
| people then complained again, crying out to Moses | | | | invulnerable to attack from the rear - Binay with |
| for bread and meat, "Better we should have died in | | | | shield and sword, Chadaric with shield and spear. |
| Egypt than to die of hunger here in the wilderness." | | | | When an adversary facing Binay seemed susceptible |
| It had been six weeks since they had departed | | | | to a spear thrust, he called out to Chadaric, and as |
| Egypt. Binay, having seen how Moses had time and | | | | one, they pivoted a half-turn to the right - Chadaric, |
| again saved the Hebrew people, felt discouraged, | | | | poised for the spear-thrust-target; then, when |
| trying in vain for a toning down of the grumbling. | | | | Chadaric would call out, together, they pivoted a |
| Standing with Chonoch and Joshua, he saw Moses' | | | | half-turn to the left - and a sword-slash-target would |
| face darken with anger at the torrent of complaints - | | | | be open - from a drooping shield or sword-arm. The |
| he saw Moses lift up his staff and proclaim to the | | | | vulnerability of a neck slash was almost always |
| tribal leaders, "This night they will have plentiful meat, | | | | mortal, the blood-flow unstoppable; a spear piercing |
| and also bread." Moses then stormed away to be | | | | under a raised arm, between the ribs, could find the |
| alone. | | | | heart. Binay and Chadaric had slipped into their |
| As dusk fell, there arose the sounds of birds, | | | | back-to-back routine, Chadaric with spear, Binay now |
| drowning out all else; they came, completely | | | | taking up his sword. A deadly team, they moved as |
| darkening the sky. In the morning, the ground was | | | | one, the slightest opening of an adversary, and he |
| covered with quail, in such quantities that every | | | | soon lay bleeding on the ground. |
| Hebrew gathered as many as was wanted. The | | | | On the promontory, Joshua and Chur now placed a |
| ground was also covered with a dew-like substance, | | | | stone under Moses to give him support, then each |
| which tasted like a wafer of coriander seed and | | | | raised and propped up an arm of Moses - and a |
| honey. It was "manna" they were told, a bread-like | | | | surge of renewed energy and vigor and confidence |
| food, and they would be able to collect it every day, | | | | spread through the Hebrew army - parrying then |
| the amount gathered would miraculously become | | | | slashing - parrying, parrying, then thrusting. |
| exactly enough to feed one Hebrew for one day - | | | | Steadily Binay and Chadaric moved through the |
| and on Friday, enough for two days, so there would | | | | Amelekites, leaving behind a trail of crumpled bodies. |
| be no need to gather manna on the Sabbath. Manna | | | | Joshua, catching sight of their progress, called out |
| would become the bread-like mainstay of the | | | | their names above the clamor and the shrieks and |
| Hebrew people for the entire duration of their | | | | moans - encouraging them to seek out the King of |
| wanderings in the desert and wilderness. | | | | the Amelekites. "To the right", called out Joshua. |
| Adjusting to the dryness of the desert, Binay and his | | | | Binay sneaked a look, seeing the King on his chariot, |
| friends had adapted to the constant need for water, | | | | surrounded by his elite guard. With a grunt to |
| rationing their supplies; however for the large | | | | Chadaric, the two wheeled as one, leaving their |
| multitude of Israelites, especially the young, the | | | | adversaries and moved toward the King. Two of his |
| elderly and those ill, soon could be heard again the | | | | guards, both a head taller than the Hebrews, were |
| cries unto Moses for water. They had come to a | | | | engaged; Binay suddenly dropped and swung his |
| place called Rephidim, near Mount Horeb, the highest | | | | sword below the Amelekite shield, slashing the leg of |
| mountain in the area, which loomed in the | | | | his foe. The man screamed in pain and crumpled. His |
| background. On a hill before them was a tall boulder, | | | | comrade, distracted, dropped his shield and Chadaric |
| its top as high as a bowman could wing an arrow - it | | | | instantly thrust his spear into his chest. As he now |
| was bare, not a bush or tree grew upon it - solid | | | | cried out and fell, the Amelekite King, only two spear |
| stone. | | | | lengths away and seeing his two giant guards |
| Binay, with Joshua, Chonoch and a select handful of | | | | vanquished so quickly, suddenly whipped his horse |
| Joshua's warriors, stood guard around Moses as the | | | | and chariot and sped away from his guards - leaving |
| outcries of the people increased. Binay then saw | | | | the battle-field. A wild cheer broke out from scores |
| Moses' face darken with rage and heard him say to | | | | of Hebrew throats. First some, then mauy of the |
| Aaron, "The Lord has told me to but speak to the | | | | Amelekites threw down their weapons, some |
| rock to get water, but these people -." Then Moses' | | | | huddling together, cowering and lifting their arms in |
| voice became a roar, so the Hebrews below could | | | | surrender. Many also ran off the field of battle. The |
| hear, "Ye Israelites are a rebellious people." With that, | | | | Hebrews for the most part, let then go. The ground |
| Moses lifted his staff and struck the huge boulder. | | | | was bloody with the sIain and wounded. The |
| Binay could see Aaron gasp in shock, making a | | | | remnants of Joshua's army gathered around Moses, |
| gesture as if to withhold Moses's arm. But Moses | | | | Joshua and Chur on the promontory - jubilant that |
| struck the boulder again. | | | | the day-long battle was finally over - and that they |
| There was an ear-splitting "cra-ak" as of the | | | | had won. |
| shattering of something gigantic- and suddenly the | | | | Tired, bruised and sore, both Binay and Chadaric |
| single rock was split - becoming two shafts. Between | | | | quickly found Lansel and Rachisa, who couldn't stop |
| them was now a space, the width of a man's | | | | kissing them, in their happiness at seeing them alive |
| shoulders, smooth and constant for the complete | | | | and whole. Each had suffered only a few shallow |
| height of the shafts. Then, at the bottom, from the | | | | cuts, which the girls happily treated with olive oil. |
| center of the split, came the sound of gushing water | | | | Finally, the sun set on a memorable day. |