[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the Moses Chronicles.
[SPEAKER_00]: You are listening to the Moses Chronicles prelude book one, written by R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Exodus hasn't come, but the fault lines have formed.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is the story before the basket on the Nile, the quiet before slavery.
[SPEAKER_02]: Don lay quiet over the camp, morning missed curling in the cold air.
[SPEAKER_02]: The scent of damp earth mingled with smoke from dying embers beneath the heavy linen of Israel's tent.
[SPEAKER_02]: Stillness pressed in.
[SPEAKER_02]: An unspoken expectancy.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was as though creation itself held its breath.
[SPEAKER_02]: Israel stirred in his bed, his once mighty frame reduced the frailty, his breath shallow, yet his mind clear.
[SPEAKER_02]: His eyes dim with age, blink slowly against the faint light seeping through the fabric walls.
[SPEAKER_02]: Shapes were blurred now, more felt than seen.
[SPEAKER_02]: But he knew the sun was rising.
[SPEAKER_02]: He could feel his warmth edging closer.
[SPEAKER_02]: He had lived long enough to see his children prosper in Egypt, long enough to witness the miraculous return of Joseph, his son whom he had once wept for, believing him dead.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yet, even as he lay in the land of Pharaoh, his heart longed for the land of his fathers, for the resting place of Abraham and Isaac.
[SPEAKER_02]: He knew today was the day.
[SPEAKER_02]: Smoke from early morning fires corrode lazily into the sky.
[SPEAKER_02]: But the usual sounds of daily life, the laughter of children, the cause of servants, the clatter of clay pots, were absent.
[SPEAKER_02]: The camp was still.
[SPEAKER_02]: Beyond them, standing in the distance like a reminder of a world of foreign and familiar, loomed the grandeur of the Egyptian palace.
[SPEAKER_02]: There, Joseph lived with his son, Ephraim and Manise dressed in the fine linen of nobility.
[SPEAKER_02]: Israel's thoughts drifted like shifting sands.
[SPEAKER_02]: Rachel.
[SPEAKER_02]: His beloved Rachel.
[SPEAKER_02]: The ache of losing her on a road to effrath, still lingered in his bones.
[SPEAKER_02]: His heart clenched as he remembered the nights of longing, the whispered prayers, the silent grief.
[SPEAKER_02]: whom he had buried in the land of his fathers, he had not loved her at first, but she had borne him many sons and stood by him through years of hardship.
[SPEAKER_02]: And Rachel, Rachel had fought for his love with everything she had, just as Leah had fought to keep him close.
[SPEAKER_02]: He chuckled.
[SPEAKER_02]: The sound dry as dust.
[SPEAKER_02]: He remembered their arguments, their rivalry, even the absurd exchange of mandrakes, the odd price at which he had once been sold for a night.
[SPEAKER_02]: As his thoughts wandered further into the past, another face emerged.
[SPEAKER_02]: Esa.
[SPEAKER_02]: His brother, his twin.
[SPEAKER_02]: The one whom Elohim had not chosen had Esa truly hated him, or had the ears softened their wound.
[SPEAKER_02]: He thought of that day, that embrace, that moment of unspoken forgiveness.
[SPEAKER_02]: There was no anger left in his heart, only long, and hope.
[SPEAKER_02]: The sun crested the horizon, bathing the camp in amberlight.
[SPEAKER_02]: Israel closed his eyes and let the warmth touch his face.
[SPEAKER_02]: He was ready.
[SPEAKER_02]: The sound of quiet footsteps pulled him from his thoughts.
[SPEAKER_02]: Silpa.
[SPEAKER_02]: She moved like a shadow, appearing beside him with a basin of warm water in her hand.
[SPEAKER_02]: Her face, lined with age, bore a familiar look of quiet disapproval.
[SPEAKER_02]: Why are you up so early?
[SPEAKER_02]: She acts.
[SPEAKER_02]: Her voice carrying the sharpness of one who had cared for him for too long to be gentle.
[SPEAKER_02]: His ryle turned her.
[SPEAKER_02]: His expression unreadable.
[SPEAKER_02]: I must be ready.
[SPEAKER_02]: He murmured.
[SPEAKER_02]: Gather my sons.
[SPEAKER_02]: Today I go to my fathers.
[SPEAKER_02]: Zilpa stiffened.
[SPEAKER_02]: The basin trembled in her hands, water slashing over the edge.
[SPEAKER_02]: Her lips parted, as if to speak, but no words came.
[SPEAKER_02]: The shock in her dog eyes gave way to something more profound, uncertainty, fear.
[SPEAKER_02]: For decades, she has served in this household first as Leah Servant, and then as a mother to his sons, God, and Asher.
[SPEAKER_02]: But what would happen now?
[SPEAKER_02]: Who would care for her?
[SPEAKER_02]: She had born him children, yet she remained a servant, a woman with no standing among the tribes of Israel.
[SPEAKER_02]: She swallowed hard, pushing her fares aside, wordlessly, she helped him back into the tent.
[SPEAKER_02]: Her hand steady as she led him to the back room where the lamp burned low.
[SPEAKER_02]: She would do what she had always done.
[SPEAKER_02]: She would prepare him.
[SPEAKER_02]: The chamber was dimly lit, with the flickering light from oil lamps casting long shadows on the woven tapestries.
[SPEAKER_02]: The air was filled with the aroma of mirror and frankincense, blended with the subtle earthly musk of age rush mats.
[SPEAKER_02]: One my one, the sons of Israel entered, their heavy footsteps muted by the thick layered rugs.
[SPEAKER_02]: Rubin, first born, brawn and solemn, stood at the head of the bed, his jaw set, his shoulders heavy with the weight of his father's past words.
[SPEAKER_02]: Silence enveloped the chamber.
[SPEAKER_02]: Interrupted only by the flickering of oil lamps that threw shifting shadows on the stone walls.
[SPEAKER_02]: Israel lay weak, his breath light, but his spirit was unwavering.
[SPEAKER_02]: His eyes, although faded by age, retained their clarity, and despite his frail movements, each action was filled with intent.
[SPEAKER_02]: This was a moment that could not be rushed, a proclamation that must be spoken before he was gathered to his father's, his son stood in solemn attention, summoned for one final blessing.
[SPEAKER_02]: Father's last words.
[SPEAKER_02]: Simian and Levi stood side by side, their expressions unreadable.
[SPEAKER_02]: They had always moved as one, their bond forged in the blood of Shekem.
[SPEAKER_02]: Judas to tall, his presence grounded, as though he already bore the weight of leadership, the unspoken promise of kingship lingered in the room, though no words had yet been spoken.
[SPEAKER_02]: The others followed, it's a car.
[SPEAKER_02]: Zebellon, Dan, NAFTALY, GAD, and Asher.
[SPEAKER_02]: each carrying the weight of their father's final words.
[SPEAKER_02]: Then came Joseph.
[SPEAKER_02]: Draped in fine linen, his presence was unmistakable.
[SPEAKER_02]: He was no longer the boy thrown into the pit, no longer the slave in shackles.
[SPEAKER_02]: He was zaffineth, paneer.
[SPEAKER_02]: Second only to Pharaoh, ruler of all Egypt.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yet here, standing before his dying father, he was once again a son.
[SPEAKER_02]: and beside him stood his sons, Ephraim, and Manise.
[SPEAKER_02]: They were the youngest in the room, not yet in their twenties, but they carried themselves with the quiet strength of their father.
[SPEAKER_02]: They had been blessed once already, in private, just days before.
[SPEAKER_02]: Israel had drawn Joseph aside, laying hands upon them, declaring their inheritance among the sons of Israel.
[SPEAKER_02]: But now, this was different.
[SPEAKER_02]: Now, before all his sons, Israel would speak aloud the destiny of each one.
[SPEAKER_02]: His voice, the weakened by age, remains steady.
[SPEAKER_01]: Gather close.
[SPEAKER_02]: He murmured, his gaze moving over them all.
[SPEAKER_02]: They obeyed, stepping nearer to the bedside.
[SPEAKER_02]: Near his feet, Diana Nelt, her fingers curled around his trembling hand, silent tears slipped down her cheeks, though she may no sound.
[SPEAKER_02]: Israel's gaze rested on Rubin' first.
[SPEAKER_02]: The blessings of the tribes.
[SPEAKER_02]: Rubin', the firstborn, but not the leader.
[SPEAKER_01]: for my firstborn, my might, and the first fruits of my strength, preeminent indignity, and power.
[SPEAKER_01]: But you are as unstable as water.
[SPEAKER_01]: You shall not have preeminents.
[SPEAKER_01]: For you who have defiled your father's bed.
[SPEAKER_02]: Rubens head bowed, shame flickering in his eyes.
[SPEAKER_02]: Bila, his birthright was lost.
[SPEAKER_02]: Simeon and Levi, the brother of wrath.
[SPEAKER_01]: Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence are their swords.
[SPEAKER_01]: Let my soul not come into their council for in their anger.
[SPEAKER_01]: They slew men, and in their self-will, they hand-strong oxen.
[SPEAKER_01]: Curse to be there, anger for it is fierce, and their wrath for it is cruel.
[SPEAKER_01]: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
[SPEAKER_02]: The room tends.
[SPEAKER_02]: The massacre has shaken and not been forgotten.
[SPEAKER_02]: Judah, the line of kingship.
[SPEAKER_02]: Then Israel's gaze fell upon Judah.
[SPEAKER_01]: Judah, your brother shall praise you.
[SPEAKER_01]: Your hands shall be on the neck of your enemies.
[SPEAKER_01]: Your father's sons shall bow before you.
[SPEAKER_01]: Judah is a lion's com.
[SPEAKER_01]: The septus shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet.
[SPEAKER_01]: Ilo comes.
[SPEAKER_02]: A shift, a change in power.
[SPEAKER_02]: Shooter had been chosen.
[SPEAKER_02]: Zebelin, the merchants of the sea.
[SPEAKER_01]: Zebelin, shall dwell at the shore of the sea.
[SPEAKER_01]: He shall be a haven for ships, and his border shall be to sit down.
[SPEAKER_02]: Zebulin's future would be tied to commerce and the sea.
[SPEAKER_02]: Izaka, the beast of burden.
[SPEAKER_01]: Izaka is a strong donkey, lying between the sheepholes.
[SPEAKER_01]: He saw that the land was good and rested his shoulders to pier the burden, submitting to forced labor.
[SPEAKER_02]: He would be strong, but would serve others.
[SPEAKER_02]: Dan, the judge and the serpent.
[SPEAKER_01]: Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
[SPEAKER_01]: Dan shall be a serpent by the road, a viper that bites the host's heels, so that his rider falls backward.
[SPEAKER_02]: Dan would bring justice, but also danger.
[SPEAKER_02]: God, the warrior.
[SPEAKER_01]: Raider shall raid God, but he shall raid at their heels.
[SPEAKER_02]: God would be a fierce defender.
[SPEAKER_02]: Asher, the provider of wealth.
[SPEAKER_01]: Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.
[SPEAKER_02]: His tribe would be prosperous and provide for kings.
[SPEAKER_02]: Nath talai.
[SPEAKER_02]: The swift and beautiful.
[SPEAKER_01]: Nath talai is a doughlet loose that bears beautiful fawns.
[SPEAKER_02]: A free spirit, swift and graceful.
[SPEAKER_02]: Joseph, the double blessing.
[SPEAKER_02]: Then Israel turned to Joseph, and attendance in his eyes was unmistakable.
[SPEAKER_01]: Joseph.
[SPEAKER_01]: is a fruitful bow.
[SPEAKER_01]: A fruitful bow by a spring whose branches run over the wall.
[SPEAKER_01]: The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely.
[SPEAKER_01]: But his bow remains strong.
[SPEAKER_01]: And the arms of his hands were made firm by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob.
[SPEAKER_02]: Joseph swallowed hard, gripping his father's frail hands, all the years of suffering, the betrayal, the pain, in it all led to this moment.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then, Israel's gay shift to taiflame and manise.
[SPEAKER_02]: Joseph's sons,
[SPEAKER_02]: No longer boys but young men, young men who now stood as equals among their uncles.
[SPEAKER_02]: Israel lifted a trembling hand, motioning for them to step forward.
[SPEAKER_02]: A shift, a change in inheritance.
[SPEAKER_02]: Rubin flinch.
[SPEAKER_02]: But he did not protest.
[SPEAKER_02]: He knew.
[SPEAKER_02]: Pilah.
[SPEAKER_02]: His place was lost.
[SPEAKER_01]: The blessings of your father shall surpass the blessings of the ancient mountains.
[SPEAKER_01]: The guard of your father shall help you.
[SPEAKER_01]: And he shall bless you with blessings of heavens above.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was done.
[SPEAKER_02]: He frame and Manise had been fully counted among the tribes of Israel.
[SPEAKER_02]: Joseph had been given a double portion.
[SPEAKER_02]: No one spoke, no one argued.
[SPEAKER_02]: Israel exhaled.
[SPEAKER_02]: His body sinking into the venence.
[SPEAKER_02]: Slowly, he drew his feet up into the bed.
[SPEAKER_02]: His hands falling still upon his chest.
[SPEAKER_02]: A single breath.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then he was gone.
[SPEAKER_02]: The weight of it all.
[SPEAKER_02]: The silence was deafening.
[SPEAKER_02]: Diana showed as shook as she clutched his lifeless hand.
[SPEAKER_02]: Joseph closed his eyes, his lips pressing into a tight line as he reached for his father still fingers.
[SPEAKER_02]: His father, the man who had wrestled with God and prevailed, had breathed his last.
[SPEAKER_02]: The son who had been lost had returned, and now he would bury his father with honor.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've been listening to the Moses Chronicles prelude, narrated by M. McIntosh.
[SPEAKER_00]: To explore the full audiobook, purchase it, indigital or printed form, or discover companion writings, visit Moses Chronicles.com.
[SPEAKER_00]: For more secret fiction, subscribe and journey with us through promises, exile and deliverance.
[SPEAKER_00]: New chapters are released weekly, until then, may the quiet still speak.