Heart of a Man: Hoshe'a Ben Nun

By Maureen R. Harlacher

Things have changed a great deal in the past 3,500 years, and it may surprise you to read about the lives of long-dead biblical heroes with new details and fresh eyes. Your understanding of the people of the Bible, how they lived, what their concerns were, their ambitions, and their fears, may just give you a new appreciation and deeper love of the Word of God.

Secrets are revealed in history books that we never learn from the Bible or hear from the pulpit. Maureen Harlacher has a good working knowledge of ancient Hebrew lifestyles and customs through research over time. Working with all ages over the years in hospitals and her local church has given her a well-rounded view of human nature that she weaves together with history and biblical stories to educate and entertain you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512713770

Maureen R. Harlacher

Maureen Harlacher and her husband, David live in a small historical town in Montana, called Stevensville. They both retired in 2004 for a slower life style. David was a fire chief-paramedic, and Maureen was an insurance paramedical examiner, lab technician, medical office manager and helped in office procedures and surgeries. They have a large family of six children and seventeen grandchildren scattered from coast to coast. Church is the center of the family and Maureen serves as the church bookkeeper, and teaches classes on the Torah. David works with a church based charitable organization called Carpenters for Christ, and enjoys riding horses. Besides gardening, cooking and oil painting, Maureen has enjoyed writing fictional stories based on Christian principals, which is her passion. She has several books in the works besides Heart of a Man. Look for: 2016: A Cruel Twist of Fate, The trials of a New Order Amish family covering 20 years of being stalked by a killer. 2017: The Upper Room, A fictional novel about two friends and business partners named Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, and their association with the family member called Jesus ben Joseph. 2018: The Torah and Me, My Torah classes in story form with many juicy details from history books, Hebrew Sages, and Legends. 2019: Bernice, The Good Wife, The little known wife of the apostle Peter. 2020: The Opportunity, God challenges a woman to spend lottery money as He directs from Montana to China.

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Copyright © 2015 Maureen R. Harlacher.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-1376-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1377-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015915760

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/30/2015

Contents

About the Author

Dedication

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

September 13th 2406 BCE

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Epilogue

Glossary

About the Author

Maureen Harlacher and her husband, David live in a small historical town in Montana, called Stevensville. They both retired in 2004 for a slower life style. David was a fire chief-paramedic, and Maureen was an insurance paramedical examiner, lab technician, medical office manager and helped in office procedures and surgeries.

They have a large family of six children and seventeen grandchildren scattered from coast to coast.

Church is the center of the family and Maureen serves as the church bookkeeper, and teaches classes on the Torah. David works with a church based charitable organization called Carpenters for Christ, and enjoys riding horses.

Besides gardening, cooking and oil painting, Maureen has enjoyed writing fictional stories based on Christian principals, which is her passion. She has several books in the works besides Heart of a Man. Look for:

2016: A Cruel Twist of Fate, The trials of a New Order Amish family covering 20 years of being stalked by a killer.

2017: The Upper Room, A fictional novel about two friends and business partners named Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, and their association with the family member called Jesus ben Joseph.

2018: The Torah and Me, My Torah classes in story form with many juicy details from history books, Hebrew Sages, and Legends.

2019: Bernice, The Good Wife, The little known wife of the apostle Peter.

2020: The Opportunity, God challenges a woman to spend lottery money as He directs from Montana to China.

Dedication

When I was in school, research was one thing I would go ten miles out of my way to keep from doing. I truly thank the Lord for putting the thirst in my heart to learn more of His Word. There have been so many learning moments in writing about Joshua, and I owe it all to Him. Thank you Jesus.

I dedicate Heart of a Man to my husband, David. He has been extremely patient with the late nights that I choose to work. The phones aren’t ringing, the dogs are asleep, and no one is needing my time. I am also a night owl by nature, so this works for me.

He doesn’t seem to mind the mess I make on the dining room table with all the books, bibles, atlas’, and pictures. He’s great about picking up some new book from the library for me, which happens often.

My love has listened to my research finds, attended the Torah classes I teach at church, and has given me ‘atta girls’ when something is really good. His encouragement means the world to me.

When I am at a point in the story that needs a little testosterone input, I can always count on David for just the right masculine slant on things. Every woman should be blessed with someone like my David.

Maureen R Harlacher

‘So honor the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.

But if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live?’

‘But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:14-15’ (NLT)

Preface

As with many of us, we’ve been influenced by televisions version of Biblical stories and accounts. My guess is that the majority of the writers and producers, and even the actors, haven’t been inside a church, or have had an honest personal experience with the Lord in their lives. Otherwise they wouldn’t misconstrue the very essence of the Bible, and the lessons that it teaches us. Their epics on screen are not all true to history. Some are outright fabrications, at least in part, with fantastic visual effects primarily for entertainment, and financial gain.

Sorry if that sounds gruff, I just find myself watching an epic, and saying to myself, ‘Oh, now that’s not in the bible’ or I might think…’Hey, that’s not how it went down’ so stay with me while I weave a believable story based on the bible, and history that you may have never heard in our churches.

About a year ago, I’d just finished teaching the end of Deuteronomy at our church, and I felt rather at loose ends so I started reading the book of Joshua, and I was hooked.

Then I thought, there is not a lot I know of this man from biblical accounts, and that made me curious to ‘know’ him as a person. What was he really like, was he really just a warrior, or was there something else the bible doesn’t tell us? He was quoted one time as saying ‘as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’. Did that mean he was married with children in his house? The bible was silent on these points. That made me start to ‘dig a little deeper’ as I tell my students.

Many documents of my research are from my local library, articles on-line, from Hebrew dictionaries and encyclopedias. Hebrew books of their history, are very telling, and yet inspiring. I hope you have your own ‘ah-ha’ moments as I have.

Since the ideas for most of my books usually come from dreams, there are very few others that are in on the writings, except the hubby, and my best friend, a retired school teacher who reads my efforts and corrects my errors with her trusty red pen left from her teaching days. Karen Hammond. She and I bounce ideas around, but the ‘manly’ thoughts come from the hubby.

Taking on a book from the bible was a new adventure for us all. Thank you both for your input, and encouragement.

It’s not my intention to rewrite the Bible, only to take all the juicy details that the original writers seem to have left out that make each and everyone of the characters of the Bible real live people, with feelings and emotions, and faults, that were not captured in the Word. Being the author, I will take a few liberties in massaging the story line to bring out facts that came up during my research, but I will not lie to you.

Because I did not live in that day, and not able to hear their dialogs, most of the conversations will be in modified, modern day English, but their emotions and ours are the same. We feel what they felt, and that’s what I hope to portray.

There will be somethings that may make you hesitate, wonder about and maybe those ‘things’ will make you ‘dig a little deeper’. Since there is so much information available to us these days, I urge you, don’t just take my word for it. Do some looking on your own. Some of the things that might make you pause and wonder about, are the following:

The true Mount Sinai is not in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula, it was chosen by Empress Helena of Rome, her mystic, and dreams of her son Constantine the Great. You’ll be surprised where it really is.

At the time of the Exodus most of the Sinai Peninsula was a savannah with lots of food for the flocks. There were probably about 2.5 to 3.0 million people in the Exodus, and the Hebrews had more to eat than manna and quail, during their years in the wilderness. The name Moses gave each of the 42 stops indicated some event that happened there.

Moses didn’t have the strong persona depicted by Mr. Heston, he was very humble, Aaron was his mouthpiece. Moses was married to Zipporah, and only her.

The Amalekites were cowardly and ruthless people preying on the old and infirm and the stragglers, and lived in the north-eastern Sinai. God vowed to wipe them from the face of the earth because of their actions against his children.

There was more than one town called Kadesh… there were seven, I found only four.

Most of the plagues have modern day names. Many of God’s plagues are mirrored in the book of Revelation. Science can date the plagues, and most of the causes because God is the ruler of nature, and he can use it for good or bad. NASA was a big help dating earthquakes, eclipses etc. The History channel has an interesting CD out called Exodus Decoded, and is very interesting, and does follow the bible.

Joshua was not a warrior by choice, he may have even suffered from depression, and was more of a humble teacher, and scribe. Joshua was married to Rahab the so-called ‘harlot’ of Jericho, and they had only girls which weren’t listed in the bible, but two of their offspring later on, were Jeremiah and Hulda…they were both prophets.

Rahab married Salmon after Joshua’s death, and had Boaz, in the lineage of Jesus, listed in Matthew.

Caleb apparently didn’t marry until after they crossed into Israel, and had one wife and two concubines. Caleb and Joshua were buried in the same area, Timnat-Serah, Joshua’s home town.

You have to know the Old Testament to appreciate all the wonders and fulfillments that Jesus did while on earth. Jesus brought ‘Grace’ to the people in the New Testament, but he fulfilled the ‘Law’ of the old Testament.

The desert tabernacle was an earthly copy of the one in heaven. God’s throne is probably the color of blue sapphires. There is a spiritual reason for all the elements of the tabernacle, the priests garments, the furniture, holidays, and sacrifices of the tabernacle.

I hope that you enjoy learning about the life of Joshua. It’s not meant to be non-fiction, but there are a lot of facts included. I will not quote any research source, except the bible, but what is of public record may come into the story.

Heart of a Man is a story of conquest, it’s a teaching guide, it’s a love story all wrapped up in a great adventure that covers some one hundred and ten years years…more or less.

Shalom, and many blessings

Maureen R. Harlacher.

Acknowledgments

One can never have too many friends, fresh sets of eyes, and original story-line ideas bouncing around when you are attempting to write a book that will catch someones attention. It is even a little more difficult when your loved ones live a fair piece away from you.

I would like to give a big ‘thank you’ to Jenn Seiler, my ‘guide’ assigned to me at West-bow Press to navigate my leaky ship all through the unknown high seas of publishing.

My friend in Washington, Karen Hammond, that reads and corrects my manuscripts with her red pen left over from being a grade school teacher, and for being my BFF since we were in junior high school together.

Another couple of readers with good input are Roberta Brown my co-worker at our church, and her mother Helen Lombardi. Their encouragement feels wonderful, enough to keep working on the next book.

A heartfelt ‘Thank you’ goes out to Gabby McFadden who helps to correct my foreign languages so it all makes sense.

Without Zoe’ Ammondson, our pastors son, this story would not have come to be. He is responsible for naming Todabeth, and has given tons of encouragement. Thanks Zoe’.

I’ve thanked the Lord before, but one more time surely won’t hurt. After all He gives me the ideas, the scriptures, time and urgency to get the project completed. So, please…enjoy.

Maureen R. Harlacher

Introduction

Since Heart of a Man is a story with a lot of teaching aides included, you will find the areas that explain parts of the story-line, will be indented and in a different font.

Characters with names you do not remember reading in the bible are probably my own invention, and are not from any living person that I am aware of.

Sometimes it will be difficult to know what is strictly biblical, or legends from the Hebrew’s past, history books or from their sages. I have taken events from the Mishnah, Hebrew legends and old history books…to generate a believable story to make the dry facts of history flow and fill in some holes with details of interest. Have fun figuring out the difference…what is fact…what is fiction?

September 13th 2406 BCE

Chapter 1

104 degrees in the Nile Delta was not terribly unusual in mid September, but that was not the cause of Todabeths discomfort. Perspiration ran down her back as she sat on the birthing stool with her midwife crouched in front of her ready to catch the new infant that she and Nun had prayed for, for many a year. Nun paced nervously outside the mud and straw-brick house that was like so many of his fellow Hebrew slaves homes here in Egypt. Please Hashem, I pray, let this child live. I know that I am being a little selfish, but my wife and I truly desire a son to carry on my place in the tribe of Ephraim, a holy calling as a prince in the tribe.

Authors Note: In the Old Testament, the name we use for God, was not a name that was used in every day conversation or even in prayers. The word HaShem means ‘the name’ since all other names for God were too holy to even mention. Later they used words like the Lord, Messiah, Yeshua, and others you probably know from the Bible. This is why you will see the name of God written ‘G-d’ in many Hebrew texts. I will use the ancient term, HaShem.

Thankfully there were two tall palm trees that shaded his little one bedroom home, and for that Nun was thankful as no other homes were that fortunate. Nun found a large rock to rest on as he continued his prayers. A little part of his mind wandered to the ‘what ifs’. What if they had a son…what if this child would make it through the dangerous years of three to five, his other children had not been so fortunate. What would he be like. Would he look like him or his mother. Would he have a tender heart like her, or a warriors heart like him…or would he be weakly since they were aging so. These thoughts tortured his mind as he heard the birthing sounds continue from inside the house.

Todabeth was not a young woman, and this pregnancy was a miracle to her since she was past the normal time of child-bearing…nor was it an easy pregnancy for a slave woman to endure. Work was hard in the pharaohs laundry. Keeping all the linens very white and pressed between heavy hot rocks was the work of a much younger woman. As the overseer of the laundry, and a woman with no children…she was expected to be there every day, even on high holy days the Egyptians had each month. Every month to a different god. All women were excused from work during their days of monthly separation, and were forbidden to go to religious meetings, be they Egyptian or Hebrew.

The nurse mid-wife, Jochebed was very well versed in childbirth, and this one was not going as fast as she would have hoped, and it was hard on the older mother. Under her breath she prayed, even so her thoughts strayed back to forty years ago when she and Amran had birthed a beautiful baby boy. She too was up in years for birthing babies. She cringed when she remembered that it was in the days of a very wicked pharaoh who was afraid that the Hebrew were beginning to outnumber the Egyptians. He had made a royal decree to have all the midwives that delivered male Hebrew babies to drown them in the Nile river. There were crocodiles in the Nile, and Jochebed remembered the pain she went through to conceal her little ones birth. Thankfully he was rescued by none other than the Pharaoh’s daughter, but that was another time, and she needed to get her thoughts back to the problem at hand. Todabeth was bleeding too much, and that was not something she could readily remedy…not while birth was taking place.

Her assistant-in-training was told to make some tea using herbs of yarrow, alfalfa and goldenrod which she always carried in her birthing basket. It was a bitter concoction but knowing little of the bodies natural mechanisms for clotting of blood, she had to rely on age-old natural remedies known to midwives for millennium.

The mother was showing signs of fatigue from lack of blood and prolonged labor. Sweat poured off her face soaking the short top worn by laboring women of the day.

Get behind her, Jochebed ordered her assistant, wrap your arms around her under her breasts and lean back a little so that she can rest a little between birth pains, and when I tell you, work with her, groan with her, scream with her if need be, but let’s get this babe out into this world soon.

Syniah did as she was told….even though she was only twenty summers old, she had seen many mothers in the throws of childbirth, and she was just a little bit pregnant right now, so her heart went out to this older mother who was travailing so hard.

As the sun’s afternoon shadow crept across the opening of the front door, Todabeth was weary from all her work and seemed to sleep. Friends and other relations came to sit with Nun when they heard that Todabeth was in labor. They came to pray for a quick and easy birthing. Some had brought new linen and fresh well water for the birthing, and food for the family.

Prayers were being heard by HaShem up on high, and with a vengeance, mother woke to severe pains, the kind that you know is at the end of all this work. As the little red faced man-child emerged, there went up whoops and ululation from all the women in the house. Nun finally has a son.

Authors Note: Ululation is the high pitched sound of joy or of sorrow (la-la-la-la) made by near and middle Eastern women when the circumstances call for it.

After separating mother and baby, Jochebed ever so gently carried the squirming little man-child to a clean wool blanket. She leaned over placing her mouth over his mouth and nose and made sucking noises and spit out the residue to clean his airways of any debris. Her assistant had prepared a vessel of wine and salt for his first bath. With a sea sponge Jochebed washed him and rubbed the finely ground salt all over his ever protesting body.

Authors Note: This was the ancient antiseptic and to cleanse the body of blood, afterbirth fluids and fecal material that may have been excreted by the babe during the birth process.

Then holding him over a basin of warm water, and ignoring his protesting, she showered him with warm clean well water for his first earthly bath. After a brisk towel dry, at this point in his short life, he was not so happy, red of face, but a chubby healthy little babe.

Jochebed handed him over to Syniah to rub him down with olive oil to keep him soft and smooth. She then started the task of wrapping the long strips of linen called swaddling cloths, around his body to straighten his legs and make him a strong walker and runner. Syniah fantasized about her little one tucked deep inside her and smiled, hoping that her babe would be as wonderful and strong at this new life…and look like his father.

After a quick repair of all things woman, and everything was made decent and put in order, the new father was invited to take his first look at his son. Jochebed wrapped him carefully in a clean linen wrapper and placed him in Nuns arms for all to see. Pride and awe shown from Nun’s face as he gently held this new life next to his heart. What a day for rejoicing!

Nun could feel the warmth of this little one, saw the pinched face as he let out a fierce howl, and with that lusty cry all the men rejoiced with Nun, over the birth of a new prince in the tribe. It seemed to Nun a life time, but it was only seconds when the strength seemed to seep out of his legs, and he had to find a place to sit again.

His next thought was for this little one’s mother, but he couldn’t locate the midwife or her assistant. A few of the women spilled out of the house and they wore a serious expression. How is Todabeth, he inquired of them, shakily. Most were trying to sound and look encouraging, but he could read through that, and fear clenched his heart. Aunt Sarah stepped forward to take charge of the little one to pass him around from auntie to nieces and nephews and back to the uncles again, while Nun stepped hesitantly into the house.

His beloved lay on the sleeping mat he had made for them on a raised platform. Taking a seat beside her, he noticed her face was still damp with perspiration, and she was very pale. His presence roused her a little and she let out a little moan. Nun leaned over to lay a soft kiss on her forehead and whispered a prayer for her recovery. Her eyes fluttered open and a faint smile curved her lips, and she whispered, Is he not beautiful, my love?

With no regard for his tears, his heart leaped with love for this woman that had borne so much pain and disappointment during her span of fifty-seven years, years for the most part they had been together. He could remember when she was a vibrant sassy young woman ready to charge into this world as crazy as it was, and then his eyes remembered the lines on her face that she had earned through those years of slavery, hard work, and disappointment.

He remembered the loss of children from sickness, and regret, that they lived in the imposed conditions that they had, year after year, with little to show for all their labor, and no end of it in sight. Life here in Egypt had changed her. She had become quiet, thoughtful, and had lost that special spark of spontaneous laughter that he so missed.

Jochebed made her rounds, bringing sun warmed rocks to lay around the new mother. With the loss of so much blood she was cold and clammy even in the afternoon heat. An earthen jar sat nearby, and held fresh cut royalpenny to sweeten the air in the bedroom, and one of the ladies had brought a bowl of fresh apples and quince fruits, with dates and figs to help strengthen her and build up her blood.

Nun watched silently as these administrations went on, still praying from the doorway. In the background he could hear the cooing of the women folk as they loved on his new son, but his eyes never left the face of his beloved wife.

According to Hebrew tradition his little man-child would not be named until he is eight days old. He will be brought to his time of circumcision according to HaShems command to Nuns ancestor Abraham, many years ago in a land that only was a thing of stories and fairy tales….it seemed to him now. There was a bit of sadness that crept across his face. It was normal to name your son after a deceased relation you admired…so he thought, ‘I will put my mind to this matter as soon as I can get Todabeth settled and back to normal in a few days.’

As the moon rose in the east Nun sat outside his little home rocking his son in his arms and admiring the strong curve of his face, the bright eyes that wandered over his face in fascination, and the little chubby hand that gripped his finger with such a strong grip for so little a one.

All the visitors had left. Only the midwife remained. So Nun had some quiet moments to spend with his son.

The smile he gave his son was not forced, it was an easy almost wistful smile.

Memories of the days long ago came back to him of when he was a small boy, running around free in bare feet and hardly any clothing on. He had loved the cooler months when he would sneak to the school that his fore-father Jacob had started in the Goshen area of Egypt. He’d disappear for days there listening to the older boys sitting cross-legged on the floors with their clay tablets in their laps as the Rabbi’s would recite the oral laws of the land of their fathers to them. The boys would write on their tablets and he would draw in the dirt outside the window thinking he was learning to write also. Oh how he wanted to grow up to be a scribe or a teacher.

The laws given to his ancestor Abraham were like a candle in the dark to him. He was drawn to it. He remembered fondly his older brother coming to get him, and chiding him all the way home, that he was shirking his chores and that he was having to do them for him so his little brother wouldn’t get in trouble.

The moon cast a pale blue glow over the little mud house they called home. He and Todabeth used to live down toward the tributaries of the Nile, but a few years ago, they moved up a slight hill about one parasang away from the river. The local families decided to dig a communal well for them to use so they wouldn’t have to walk so far to fetch water. It was much nicer, and the water to him, tasted better…maybe even colder than the Nile. He had heard that the river made some people sick. But those were folks that drank it direct from the river, washed their clothes there and used it in cooking. His neighbors used the well for drinking and cooking after it was filtered through seven layers of fine linen and the water was clear. They did, however, still wash their clothes, what they had, when they took a bath in the river.

You rarely saw a physician in this part of town, he was too busy down in the valley homes. Low-land babies death rate was up to forty-two percent, but up here it was about nine percent on the hill just outside of town. Here they also had something different than the flat-landers and that is a ritual bath called a mikveh that was used for only the women-folk to cleanse them after childbirth, and after their monthly time of separating from the family.

Authors Note: It was outdoors and like a stone- walled bathtub at one end, and deep enough to submerge yourself in the middle, and a shower at the far end. The used water was then used to water their small gardens and the fruit trees they could grow in this climate.

The men would make sure the holding tank was always full and filtered clean water for their use. There was also a section that was reserved for the men….a bit of a distance away. More importantly they had a special place to dump their kitchen waste, and another place for human waste, quite a ways from their homes. Nun always thought that this separating of unclean things is what kept them healthier than the flat-landers.

His memories vanished like a puff of smoke when he realized that his little one was getting fussy, maybe even a little hungry. Nun struggled to raise from his outdoor sitting place to bring the little man into his mother who seemed to be doing a little better. Jochebed had her sitting up with a shawl around her shoulders and she was sipping some tea…but Nun noticed that her hands were still a little shaky. Her face lit up when he entered the room carrying her little one in his arms.

Where did you disappear to, my husband. she asked with a faint smile which heartened Nun.

I think that our new member to the tribe is telling us that he needs his mother he answered with a smile, sitting gingerly beside her on the bed.

Jochebed stepped forward and made preparations for this little guys evening meal, while Nun held his wives hand ever so gently, yet, he felt totally clumsy showing affection to her in front of a non-family member.

Jochebed, was not like most midwives. She believed that babies should bond with the parents as soon as possible since their time together would be far too short-lived.

Who knew what the pharaoh would want next? Most of the men were gone for the better part of a dozen hours a day, and then had to walk home, just in time for a bite to eat and sleep. The next day, the same thing. No time for family, children, even though they were a blessing from HaShem, they were noisy, and demanding, and the Abba needed his rest, so very much. There was no such thing as a day off. They worked three ten day weeks by the moon cycle, and then a new month, repeat…always repeat. Nothing ever changed.

A place was cleared for Nun on the opposite side of the bed, and he was motioned to kick off his sandals and have a seat beside his family. That way he had an opportunity to cuddle with his wife and be close enough to touch his sons little toes also. Jochebed extinguished the lights in the house except the one in their bedroom, and went to sleep on a reed pad on the floor in the other room. This would give them privacy, and she would still be in ears reach if she was needed.

Jochebed would have to put this little one in with the wet-nurse’s column in her record book. She had doubts that Todabeth would be able to keep up with his healthy appetite for long. By doing this, this little one would be nursed by his mother in the morning, and then mid-morning he would somehow appear with another mother who had a little one, and he would nurse with her, and that little one would come to Todabeth, and then on to another mother and so on. This was done for many years of her memory. Especially during the time of pharaohs decree…thus saving the boys from certain death. Each baby would always stay the night with their birth mother for bonding with both mother and father, and any siblings.

Soldiers liked their sleep so night time raids were almost unheard of.

Soon everyone was asleep in the house as the evening breezes brought welcome relief from the days heat. Todabeth rested well that night, a deep dreamless sleep overtook her.

Nun crept from the bed and put the new addition in his cradle while he, tried to sleep on the floor listening to his wife’s soft breathing, and to the noisy sounds of a baby sleeping and making smacking sounds. Finally Nun hoisted the cradle over to where he could sit in a corner and laid the cradle across his knees so he could keep a gentle rocking motion going. The babe’s warm little hand sought out his fathers little finger of his left hand and promptly stuffed it in his mouth to suck on. That done, all was quiet for the night, and Nun was able to drift off to sleep.

(Nun is dreaming) She…was just seventeen winters old, her dark auburn hair flowed almost to her waist as she danced across the grassland behind the school building in Goshen. Todabeth was round of figure, sweet of face and had a happy countenance. Everyone seemed to love her pleasing attitude. Nun was falling in love with her. He had held off marriage because he just had not met the right almah (marriageable woman) as yet, but this…Todabeth stirred his heart and his loins.

Nun was older by several years and was a gifted sculptor and in demand with the current Pharaoh who was extremely vain and wanted his likeness on every monument he was building, even if it was only a grainery. The work was hard and long, but he had managed to stash a few coins in the hiding place in his house, for just a time he might need a bride price.

Nun was also know for his ability to trade unneeded items for ones he really wanted. He might find a perfectly good metal bowl down by the river that someone had forgotten, and he’d trade it for some fresh fruit. Or he might take the fresh fruit and trade it to a soldier for some meat for dinner. He traded in many things…it was a gift…one that was paying off if that growing stash of coins was any indication.

He decided right then, he would see a Shidduch before some other lucky man made their request. Unknown to Nun, Todabeth had seen Nun sitting in the shadow of the setting sun by the school that day, and it had filled her heart with joy, joy enough to dance all the way home to her parents, to tell them about the sculptor called Nun. Only a short time passed before the matchmaker came to the home of Todabeth but, Simeon, her father was slow to sign the Kelubbak documents, or marriage contract. Conditions of the marriage had to be met before they would live together. This first part of a marriage is called the Contract period. In the meantime they would stay faithful to one another, and were considered married. Nun would visit her house and they would get to know each other, take walks with a chaperon in attendance, and he would give Todabeth small gifts he had squirreled away from all his ‘trades’…but they did not engage in sexual relations.

They had such joy, laughter and memories from those days, Nun had even sneaked a kiss when the chaperon was dozing one day. Todabeth had blushed so prettily. They talked about their future, about the meaning of his name that made her giggle since it means ‘fish’ and ‘progeny,’ since when fish reproduce, there are a lot of eggs….thus progeny to be had. Todabeth was eager to be a mother, especially with Nun, who she thought was a wonderful catch. He was strong, good looking, a hard worker, gentle to her, and he knew how to write and read. He certainly knew how to hustle for things she wanted or just thought were pretty. She felt like a queen when she was with him, his manners and thoughtfulness pleased her. Most important, they had many discussions about the Oral Law, and their thoughts were as one. That agreement, bespoke of a happy marriage. To be honest she couldn’t think of a thing about him that displeased her. She particularly loved the curly hair on his forearms and the back of his hands, and the sweet smell he had when he came for his usual Friday evening visit.

Authors Note: Hebrew Oral Law, was not written down, but passed from generation to generation. It was called the Mishnah, and it consisted of 613 laws for them to live by. Most of them originated back in ancient times when their oldest remembered ancestor Father Abraham came to Canaan land from Mesopotamia. Theses laws were everything from how to be honest in dealing with customers, marriage laws, adoption, rules of worship, how to farm, when to see a Judge to settle a dispute…and so on.

It only took Nun four months to complete the Marriage contract requirements. He remembered the night like it was yesterday. The second part of the contract was called the Consummation. They picked a night when the bridegroom would come to the girls house with his attendants. All were dressed in as fine a garment as they