Chapter 6

Hail Mother Asherah. I remember seeing those final days. I wish the task had not fallen onto me. It is my greatest regret in life. Angels should never have to kill, and yet I did. I did it for love of You. Please, let Inanna enter Your realm. I have done the unthinkable in Your name, so please, release her from her chains. I beg of you. Please, don’t punish her any more than you already have. I have done your bidding all those years ago. Please release her! Amen. 1550 P.D.

There she was. She looked so much like Inanna that I couldn’t believe it. Yet, it didn’t matter. She was not Inanna. But, it did matter to someone else. After he defeated Goliath, who happened to be a descendant of my firstborn, David was known as the greatest warrior in all of Israel. Yet, King Saul knew that the people would want David to be king. He was more favored by not only the people, but by Elohim. Saul was Israel’s first king, but he wasn’t exactly favored by anyone. After David’s friend, who was Saul’s oldest son, died in battle, the king went on a rampage. He ordered David to be put to death. Hunting the warrior down for five years, he finally withdrew from his bloodlust and joined his other sons in

battle. It was his last. Both his sons were killed before his very eyes, and Saul, unable to take it anymore, stabbed himself. David was crowned on the day of his wedding to Michal. Though she wasn’t his only wife, she was the queen of all Israel. Yet, she was his favorite. Nicknamed Elgah, she died giving birth to their only child, Ithream. It wasn’t until after her death that he looked at his other wives: Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacha, Haggith, and Abital. His new favorite became Abigail, who made the new queen. It wasn’t until he moved his capital from Hebron to Jerusalem that his eyes were drawn away. Resting for the first time in a long time, King David stayed behind as his army fought the Ammonites. Being restless that night, he paced the roof. Staying at the palace while her husband, Uriah, was fighting, Bathsheba wondered the palace gardens in her nightclothes as she dreaded what was to come. She feared that any day, her husband would be killed. Without thinking about it, she hummed her husband’s favorite song. It sounded similar to the lullaby Queen Sitamun sang to Thutmoses hundreds of years before.I thought of my own mother as I listened. Though I felt nothing seeing her there, I looked up to see David watching her. David, though ten years her senior, watched her every night for nearly a week before asking who she was. Knowing it was wrong to want her, David did nothing and only lusted at a distance. Before long, however, he couldn’t take it anymore. Knowing her husband wouldn’t be back for several weeks, he had the woman taken to the roof to speak to him. Yet, I knew that wasn’t his plan. Taking her arm, he watched her carefully. “I am told your name is Bathsheba, wife of Uriah. May I speak to you privately?” “Your majesty, we are speaking privately. What may I do for you?” I knew it wasn’t going to end well. Without thinking, I whispered in her ear to run, but shook it off and only looked at her king. Then, I tried to tell David to leave her alone, but he also ignored me and took both of hands. He smiled and watched her with lust and loneliness. There was something about her that made him long for her. Though she was beautiful, that wasn’t the only thing that he saw in her. “I ask only one thing of you. Give yourself to me tonight.”

Taken aback, she backed away. She didn’t know what to say and was unable to leave. “I can’t, sire. I cannot commit adultery. It is against Elohim’s commandments. He will know what we have done. He will never forgive me.” “Does it matter? If we are only together once, Elohim will understand.” “No, sire. It is wrong.” At that, it was the king’s turn to be taken aback. He stepped back and stared at her, unsure of how to respond. Then, he simply picked her up and left. She was screaming and kicking, but he threatened her into silence. I refused to see anymore and went my way. It was about a week before he came to her again. This time, however, she was less resistant and allowed him into her bedchamber. Though most of the palace knew, it was kept under wraps that David had taken the married Bathsheba as a mistress. No one could speak against the king. But the inevitable had happened. Fearful her husband would know what she had done, Bathsheba came to David’s side: “My king, we had some troublesome news. My husband has not been to my chambers in nearly three months and I am with child. It is yours, and we must be punished. Our sin is known by man and by Elohim!” So the king envisioned a plan he believed would work. Recalling Uriah to the palace, he told him to rest and drink with his comrades and later to take to bed with his wife. Though hesitant at first, he willingly accepted the drink. Yet, David learned the next morning that he had pitched camp outside the palace, wanting nothing more than to be kind to his comrades in battle and be like them. He didn’t believe it was right to sleep with a roof over his head while his men slept in the rain and wind. Unsure of his next move, David did the best he could: he sent Uriah to the front line, deciding that Bathsheba should be his forever. That plan had worked better than the first one. I couldn’t help but feel contempt for what the new chosen one of my parents had done. He murdered a man because he lusted and impregnated the man’s wife. It was at that moment that I vowed to get revenge.

... I remember the wedding of my wife’s sister. Naamah was beautiful as she prepared to take the hand of Noah. She looked very much like my dear Inanna, though she had a different kind of strength. Her and Inanna were about thirteen years apart. During her wedding, Naamah was about fifteen. Enoch had left this world several years before, leaving Inanna in charge of his school. And

while she was teaching her new school, Inanna’s sister became engaged to Noah; a year later was the wedding. It was a simple wedding, much like my own. Nothing extravagant or overbearing. It was enough to make Naamah blush in pride. Though I knew little about her, I knew enough from Inanna to guess what she saw this marriage as. My wife’s joy over her sister’s wedding was touching. She meant everything to me, and though I wouldn’t have cared to go, her need to go was enough to take me there as well. I wish I hadn’t. Her marriage to Noah meant the beginning of the flood. Her husband helped murder my children, even if he had done so unknowingly. Yet, I see him as my children’s murderer. My parents may have sent that flood, but he could’ve said no, just to save his nieces and nephews. He didn’t. Though Inanna had been dead for nearly a decade, Naamah had to watch her family drown. Only Bau and Anu made it, and it was only because Naamah snuck them on. She was the one who saved them. She became the saving grace of my descendants.

... Bathsheba refused to leave her room for a week. David was denied entry into her room during this time. Though angry, he knew he had to leave her be. It would seem too suspicious for Uriah’s wife to be happy and willingly marry the king of Israel within a week of her husband’s death. Yet, he failed to understand that Bathsheba truly mourned for her husband. What she felt for him wasn’t exactly love, but it was close. It was a mix of devotion and respect. She believed she had failed her husband and was the cause of his death.

Leaving her to her misery, I prayed to Mother Asherah, hoping she would send some kind of punishment to David. Bathsheba didn’t deserve what happened to her. I failed to stop it, and I felt it was a bit of my fault. During her sixth month of pregnancy, David married her and accepted her as his second queen. I waited. When she was ready to give birth to their child, I came to the last judge of Israel, Samuel. Though David was no longer influenced by Samuel’s voice of reason, I knew he would be the best way to get revenge. After all, Elohim did speak to him for years through Gabriel. He would be my messenger. The day after their son was born, Samuel entered the palace at Jerusalem. He came to the chamber where the new family was staying at spoke directly to David. He asked him

a parable about a poor man and a rich man. The poor man had a little lamb that he loved-it was the only thing he loved outside his family; the rich man, expecting visitors, decided he would steal the poor man’s lamb to prepare for a feast. Samuel then asked how his king would handle such an insult and was answered with an outburst of hatred toward the rich man. After he was told that he was the rich man in the parable, David turned away from his wife and Samuel. He asked what it was he had to do to make up for the sin he committed with Bathsheba. And Samuel responded with my punishment: “You must sacrifice your newborn to Elohim. You, David, are the one who must slay him.” The cry from Bathsheba could be heard throughout the palace. Though I felt bad for poor Bathsheba,I wanted revenge for Uriah’s sake. David needed to be punished. He, like most prophets throughout history, were nothing more than idiotic, piggish, miscreants. I didn’t care anymore. Inanna and I were both being punished, and no matter what I did, I wasn’t going to end it. David had to pull the infant out of his wife’s hands and followed Samuel. Her screams could be heard as they walked away. Tears fell onto the innocent baby’s face, but David continued on. Everyone watched as David carried his son to his death. The mourning of Bathsheba carried throughout the palace. It echoed across the halls and into the altar room. Placing the child on the altar, David asked for a knife. Samuel stood behind him, making sure he committed the deed. I couldn’t help but smirk as I watched David’s vision blur. Bathsheba’s cries could be heard getting closer. As she burst into the room and screamed, the knife met the infant. The blood poured down the altar as the baby’s screams faded into oblivion, never to be heard again.