India and Israel Against Islamic Terror

The Return -^
The nomad jews who entered Palestine were not savages who

descended upon a settled populace. Some of them had lived a

settled existence earlier, while the others moved from one

harvesting place to another. But they were strangers to the ways

of the settled people. Divided and ignorant even from Canaanite

standards, they were to produce men of piety and prophets

who hallowed the soil; where they spread the gospel and gave

a religion of tremendous force and vitality with a corpus of high

spirituality, mirroring the biography of a God drunk people.

Biblical accounts speak eloquently of Joshua’s conquests and

occupation of Palestine by his people through well-organised

military expeditions that transgressed Jordan and divided the

and among twelve tribes who consolidated his victory and laid

permanent hold over Palestine. Romanticised in Deuteronomy

V the priestly historians, a, picture emerges of a united Hebrew

People by the grant of a land by a fatherly Yahweh to his

obedient children. The ”Book of Judges” gives a different historical
26 INDIA AND ISKAEL CHAPTER 2
account nearer to truth, of a slow filling in of people through

successive pushes, tribe by tribe, of a land hungry people slugging

it out with local people to gain a foot-hold and then enlarge

their possessions through settlement, battles, inter-marriages, and

assimilation, and generations after generations sending permanent

roots into the conquered soil. A tide from the east of Joseph’s

client Ephram, Manasseh and Benjamin from Trans Jordan

pushed westward across the river fighting for a more fertile land,

mingling with other settlers till around 1200 B.C. Judah came

with his client such as Lovi, Simon and Kenites who pushed

south into the desert bringing with them the worship of Yahweh

and the memory of Moses.
With the process of transformation of the nomadic Hebrews

as they came across the ways of the Canaanites, with their

settled ways of agriculture, hamlets, towns, walled fortresses,

fertile fields with abundant products, instruments of war with

fast moving chariots and artefacts of peace, there took place a

slow melting of identity of Yahweh and Baal, the Canaanite

God. While they learnt to produce corn, oil, wine and figs and

traded with Tyre and Sidon the new plenty of the land increased

their population. They learnt the alphabet carved in stones,

learnt to record and produced a folklore of legendary heroes,

court bards and scribes, described in the Biblical records of King

David. The Jews could not long remain unaffected by the religious

rites of Canaanites and their central Cod figure Baal. Influenced

by the old Semitic poly-demonism and polytheism of Babylon

and Egypt, by the time of Tell el Amara period the Canaanites

had evolved a heady mix of nature worship, akin to the Aryans,

where all natural forces represented a god. Wind, storm, lightning,

rain, sun, trees, stones all represented the power of gods to be

propitiated to ward off evil effects. Thus Baal was a god of

nature and life; health and happiness depended on his favour.

The Jews took readily to the new Cod Baal and his symbols of

power over nature. The female counterpart of Baal, the Baalith

was not long in coming and much to Yahweh’s anguish his

people revelled in such worship. Baal was more visible and in

daily contact, associated with agriculture, while Yahweh the desert
CHAPTER 2
HISTORY OF ISRAEL 27
god was forgotten, and then the final transformation of Yahweh

into Baal took place as Canaanite shrines were taken over by

the Hebrews. The Shecheam height, long devoted to Baal worship

was converted into a Hebrew shrine under the pretext that it

was here that Yahweh had promised Canaan to the seed of

Abraham.
The old Canaanite sanctuary at Bethel, of Jacob’s dream

became a Hebrew shrine in the days of Kings. TRe~~Rebrews

consecrated it as the burial place of the Patriarchs and the cave

of Machpelah is today a hallowed place for the three faiths of

Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Canaanite sepulchres were turned

into holy resting place for the dead Hebrews and celebrated as

a fitting revenge to the conquered. The process of assimilation

thus went on inexorably. Nothing of the Hebrew rites remained

untouched. To the~~Passover of lamb offer now was added the

agricultural festival of unleavened cakes marking the corn harvest

”when thou putteth the sickle into the Corn” and so on it went.

Divinities, rites, festivals, altars, all were transformed through a

Canaanite local colour. The process was the same as was to be

repeated later, where a great corpus of pagan rites was absorbed

into early Christianity. Ceremonies, dogmas and doctrines were

borrowed from pagan temples and incorporated as events and

happenings in the life of Jesus with the march of Christianity.

Synthesis is a natural phenomenon in the fusion of religions, but

the free ingress of Baalith practice with its lasciviousness, sex

practice and destructive polytheism led the gullible Hebrews into

orgies and such sexual indulgence as invited the wrath of Yahweh,

their desert Cod. Then the early prophets appeared angry and

inflamed to pull their folk out of degradation by demanding

total reformation, removing all alien influences and set the course

straight for the Chosen people.
Before the Hebrews could settle and make history in their

new found land, some time in the Twelfth century B.C., the bete

n°ire of Hebrew life, the Philistines, a new Semitic people

migrating from their Creek abode of Crete and Mycenaen island

burst upon the new comers. While one arm of their southern

invasion into Egypt was checked by Rameses in in 1180 B.C., they
188
28 INDIA AND ISRAEL CHAPTER 2
were more successful in their north and eastward advances,

meeting feeble resistance of small tribes. They conquered, built

and prospered, establishing big towns like Gaza, traded with

Bedouin caravans and built magnificent temples to Dagon and

other gods, and finally fell upon the Hebrews. The first to face

the onslaught was the small tribe of Dan and the legend of

Samson was born. This Biblical giant of a genial Hebrew stood

to defend his people, slew the enemy by the thousands, using

his skill and tremendous strength. Despite the saga of his individual

valour and the legend that grew around him, the weakness of

his tribe forced a retreat to the north to Phoenicia where they

remained as an outpost of Hebrew presence in Palestine. The

Philistinic juggernaut rolled on sweeping before it Ephram and

Manaseb and won resounding victory at Aphek near Benjamin,

leaving countless dead. They then crushed the last desperate

effort of the Hebrews at Shiloh who fought under the presence

of the Ark of Yahweh with its sacred palladium planted in the

battlefield.
Their Cod having failed the Hebrews, the Philistines carried

the Ark to their own temples leaving behind a burning Shiloh

and occupied the whole land, garrisoned and heavily taxed.

With the Philistine repression, the Ark of Lord in the pagan

sanctuary under the lustful glare of Dagon, Shiloh a ghost town,

the country ravaged, the Hebrew cup of woe was full. But the

suffering did not snuff out their spirit. The Philistine fire and

hammer blows forged them into a nation. The persecuted

retaliated with sword and the obscure son of Benjamin was the

flag bearer. As the Ammonite hammered at Gilead, Saul, the

young farmer turned the tide and with a motley warriors of his

tribe turned upon them and routed them. The people were

electrified and Saul became the saviour of the Hebrews and

crowned king at Gilgal. He now struck at the Philistines and after

many vicissitudes the king of Benjamin clan drove out the enemy.
With Saul began the origins of monarchy. Biblical accounts

are conflicting but the main events are sound. Said to be a

choice of the Saint Samuel, a farmer’s son, he is told of his

historic destiny and anointed as Yahweh’s instrument of Salvation.
CHAPTER 2 HISTORY OF ISRAEL 29
Saul’s great victories raised him to the level of glorified judgeship.

THis exploits were numerous. His kingship was consecrated by

the Prophets who persistently effected the choice of kings and

monarchy. He united all Hebrew tribes, and proved the prophets’

blessings true. His life was devoted to fighting the Philistines.

Having lost the initial skirmish against the Philistines at Aphek,

the Amphictyonic shrine of the Ark was fetched from Shiloh to

guarantee the presence of their Cod among the hard pressed

Israelis in the second battle. Finally, it was transported to a

camp. But the Philistines returned again and again with greater

numbers. Never could Saul sheath his sword. While he fought,

the other jealous tribes like Moab, Edom and Ammon, slunk for

spoils. He held court in camp and was always battling till the

end of his life as battle cries echoed from the Palestinian hills.
Living an austere and democratic life Saul assuaged the

feelings of his people, not used to kingly despotism. He met his

Councilors frequently and his royal table consisted only of four

members-himself, Jonathan, his son, his minstrel David and

Abner, his cousin the ”Captain of the host”. No ceremonial

trappings of royal authority were present. Later, in his reign

internal dissensions surfaced up with differences with the prophets.

Unlike the ugly picture painted, by Judean chroniclers, Saul was

a simple and sincere man. But the historians, to show David in

a better light, have often been unjust to this simple warrior King.

The prophets then sought David’s assistance to get rid of Saul.

Engaged in battles on all sides Saul died, as he lived, by the

sword in the battle of Mount Gilboa, fighting the now reinforced

Philistines, let down by some of his own tribes and priests, and

defended only by his three stalwart sons, who surrounded him.
King David
Saul was succeeded by his own warrior David, a trend setter in

Jewish folklore, mythical, romantic and epitomising all possible

virtues of a king, bravery and skill in war not being the least of

them, it was he who fired the world imagination to this day as

the virtuous little boy with a sling who defeated the evil Philistine

giant Goliath, and became a legend for all times to come. David
30 INDIA AND ISRAEL CHAPTER 2
^^^B |i v^as a Judaen from Bethlehem (the modern Betlahm) 5 miles
^^Hf fj I, north of Jerusalem and later became the ”king of Judah and
^^•i J i| Israel.” He combined every happy talent with human quality
^^^•H 1,1 and wisdom; rising from reverses to grab success, he is the only
^^^Hl i Biblical figure with so many legends woven round him.
^^^^^1 i | Let us see how Bible treats this great warrior king who wrote
^^^^Hl I psalms, his discovery from obscurity by Samuel, his encounter
^^^^f With Goliath, his anointment by the Lord, and finally His order
j^^^B ! to David to build Him a house in Jerusalem.
^^B | I Samuel (Chapter 16)
^Hl| ji ”10. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before
^^•i Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not
J^Hr ’i 11’ An<^ Samue’ sa’d unto Jesse/ Are nere a” tny children/
^^^Pf- i ancj pje ^j^ y[-|ere remaineth yet the youngest, and,
^ f I I behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto-’
s I Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till
V-M^ I ^e come hither.
ijtV., I [ 12. And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy,
v’• I i and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to
f *”*- look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this
%^i I • u
II ! 13. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in

the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord
\ I came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel
I rose up and went to Ramah.

14. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an

evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.”

I Samuel (Chapter 17)
|| HOW the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and
|| were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah,
|| and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
- .. HISTORY OF ISRAEL 31

CHAPTER 2
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together,

and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in

array against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one

side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side:

and there was a valley between them.
4. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the

Philistines, named Goliath, of Cath, whose height was

six cubits and a span.
5. And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he

was armed with a coat of nail; and the weight of the

coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
*****
14. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest

followed Saul.
15. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his

father’s sheep at Beth-lehem.
16. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and

presented himself forty days.
*****
32. And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because

of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33. And Saul said to David, Thou are not able to go against

this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth,

and he a man of war from his youth.
34. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s

sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a

lamb out of the flock:
35. And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered

it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I

caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
32 INDIA AND ISRAEL CHAPTER 2
43. And the Philistine said unto David, Am 1 a dog, that

thou comest to me with staves? and the Philistine cursed

David by his gods.
44. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will

give thy flesh unto the. fowls of the airs, and to the

beasts of the field.
45. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me

with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but

I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the

Cod of the armies of Israel, whom thou has defied.
46. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and

I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I

will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this

day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of

the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a

God in Israel.
47. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth

not with sword and spear for the battle is the Lord’s,

and he will give you into our hands.”
*****
25. And now, O Lord Cod, the word that thou has spoken

concerning thy servant, and concerning his house,

establish it forever, and do as thee has said.
26. And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The

Lord of hosts is the Cod over Israel: and let the house

of thy servant David be established before thee.
Reverting to the Davidic odessy. Attached as a youth to the

king’s entourage and later outlawed by Saul, he fled to Judean

hills with a small band of followers. He won fame at the battlefields

and appreciation in the camp for his amiable manners.

Chased by the king’s hordes he went over to the Philistines,

raiding and freebooting there. It was while steeled in adversity

and hemmed in by enemies, that David received his initiation

into warfare and kingship. At the time of Saul’s death he was

controlling Judah and surrounding districts and was on amicable
CHAPTER 2
HISTORY OF ISRAEL