The Chosen One

Rafael Shamay

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Copyright ©2017 by Rafael Shamay

Do not duplicate, copy , photograph, record, store in a database, transmit or merge via any electronic, optic, mechanical or other means-any part of the material from this book. Any type of commercial use of the material included in this book is absolutely forbidden without the author's explicit written permission.

Introduction

AJewish professor from Boston University once told a story of a deed that was done in his country, so the story goes: To a stadium in the city’s center, thousands of people were brought, and each was given a candle and a lighter. When the stadium was filled, and everyone had taken their seats, all lights were shut off, and darkness engulfed the stands. A voice called from the public address system and asked everyone present to light up their candles, and within a few moments, suddenly, all candles were lit, and a grand burst of light shone from the gloom and warmed the hearts of all attendees.

After finishing the story, the professor said, If each one of us would do but a single act of kindness, just like the multitude of single candles in the darkness, the whole world will become a better place to live in, and there will be no more wars, losses, sorrow, and pain. A great light shines over the entire world, the light of hope and unity.

Since the dawn of history, humanity had been enduring struggles between good and evil, even dating back to the times of Cain and Abel – Abel representing the good side of humanity, while Cain represented the evil within it. The argument between the two heated up, and, in the end, Cain murdered his brother Abel out of envy by bludgeoning him to death with a rock. Abel’s body was lying lifeless in the field. Evil’s victory was at hand.

Who are the Sons of Light, who played a role in this struggle all along and remains a mystery to this day?

A known historian claimed that the people of the Qumran sect believed that the Sons of Light essentially represent The Ministering Angels, whereas the Sons of Darkness represent the Angels of Destruction, and their sole purpose is to bring harm upon humanity. It is also said that at the End of Days, a great war will be waged, in which The Sons of Light will fight alongside the sect members against the Sons of Darkness, and eventually will prevail.

Others claim that the Sons of Darkness are the dark regimes, which are driven by unfathomable hatred towards anyone who might be different from them. With each generation, such regimes rise to power and disturb the lives of people who only seek to live freely in peace and unity with their neighbors.

History, among other things, teaches us an important lesson, that only through the past may we learn about our future, and the better we understand our past – the better we will be able to draw conclusions to shape our future.

The story that begins with Erez is one of a rare coincidence, where the course of the past and the course of the present cross paths with one another at a unique point in time.

Vacation

It was a Thursday afternoon in late December. Winter had already signaled its arrival, but the weather was still nice and warm, the skies were blue, and oddly shaped cirrus clouds were traveling far over the horizon.

Twenty-year-old Erez, a combat soldier, was making his way from his base, located in the Golan Heights, to his home in the center for a vacation of several days. He was exhausted and sweating, carrying a backpack full to the brim with dirty clothes.

As he was nearing his home, he saw his mother, Miriam, looking out the window. As soon as she saw her son coming back home, she opened the door wide, and a big smile came across her face. She rushed to hold him, hug him, and kiss him. How are you? I hope you weren’t hitchhiking on your way back; it’s very dangerous these days, and soldiers are being abducted, she said.

Don’t worry, Mom, I only take bus rides, Erez reassured her and smiled a big but tired smile back at her.

After they entered the house, Erez put his backpack in his room quickly, and he hurried to the kitchen to eat lunch, which comprised delicacies prepared by his mother, which he especially liked. His mother looked at him lovingly the entire time: her black-haired, black-eyed, tall, and strong son. How tan he had become in the army, she thought. After taking a shower, Erez went to his room for some rest and listened to some quiet music from the stereo system his father had bought him as a drafting present three years ago.

The annoying ringing of the phone had awoken him from his sleep. It was his best friend Oren on the other side of the line. Although serving in a different unit, Oren was coincidentally also on vacation at the time. Oren offered to go on a countryside trip. Naturally, he knew that a trip like that would require precise planning, as well as coordination with everyone involved. So, he offered, Hi Erez, how are you? What do you say we go on a trip to Darga River in the Judean Mountains? We can take my dad’s Jeep. There are some incredible views out there, and everything’s blossoming nicely now this time of the year.

I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. Judging by Erez’s hesitant reply, it was clear that he wasn’t all too enthusiastic about the idea, perhaps preferring a calmer, quieter vacation. The call was interrupted by a short knocking on the door. Erez’s mother was standing in the doorway, calmly telling him, Dinner’s ready. If you don’t come soon, the food will get cold.

OK, Mom, Erez replied, then quickly finished the call with his friend, saying that they’d continue the discussion tomorrow, and he hurried after her.

During most of Friday, Erez stayed in his room playing video games and browsing the internet. When the time for Shabbat dinner came, he took a break from his occupations and went to dine with his family.

At the dinner table, his father, Josef Levi, surveyed the table and made sure that everyone was present. He was a traditional man, pleasant and suave, tall, and slim like his son, with a round face and brown skin. Josef was a reputable historian in the academic world, and he devoted much of his time to writing articles about Judaism and the study of Jewish heritage. Sometimes, he would stay for many long hours in his small study, in the center of which a wide wooden desk stood, with a lamp on top of it, illuminating the surroundings with a dim light. His reading glasses would hang loosely on his nose while he was leafing through his books, which piled up on his desk with no coherent order whatsoever. Behind his desk, all along the wall, were bookshelves filled with historical books and old journals.

The table was all set with his mother’s best dishes. Erez’s younger brother and sister, Amit and Maya, were sitting along the sides of the table, busy picking at each other most of the time.

After Erez joined them at the table, his father began with the Kiddush, and when he finished, Miriam had brought more pots to the table that gave off wonderful aromas. When she was done, she sat at her place at the table, and the festive Shabbat feasting had begun.

At the end of the Shabbat dinner, all family members had spread out. Josef stayed at the table, poring over a book of Kabbalah with already yellowed pages. He seemed as if he was searching for something yet couldn’t quite find it. The rest of the family were watching the news on television, apart from Erez, who went to his room to get ready. He shaved, showered, sprayed on some cologne, and dressed up to go out, and then he called some friends to pick him up later. In the meantime, he joined his family, who were sitting in the living room, discussing the deteriorating economic state of the country and the rather unstable current security situation.

He did not partake in the discussion, as he was not that interested in the subject, or so he thought. He looked at his mother and finally said, Mom, I’m going out with friends tonight.

Where will you be going?

Don’t know, still haven’t made up our minds about that, he shrugged.

Try not to come back too late, and make sure that whoever is driving isn’t drunk, his mother stated.

Erez approached the window and looked out at the street, which was completely empty of pedestrians as if the night’s terror had grasped it. And he drowned in thought about the idea of the trip as, besides going out to clubs with his friends from the unit, he also enjoyed hiking with Oren.

Lightning could be seen in the distance, accompanied by the sounds of roaring thunder, and, soon enough, rain began to fall. It tapped rapidly on the house’s windows as if signifying the end of fall and the beginning of winter. Yet still, it was rather warm. Street lights illuminated the deserted sidewalks, and through the windows Erez observed the rain washing down the streets. The skies were dark and starless. The occasional dog howl could be heard, probably from stray dogs who couldn’t find shelter from the rain. Cars were speeding down the main road, their headlights glowing dimly.

A phone ring coming from the dining room interrupted his thoughts. Erez mumbled to himself, It must be for me, and indeed, it was one of his friends, named Danny.

Well, are you coming? We're waiting for you outside in the car.

Yes, I'm coming, Erez replied, and, after saying goodbye to his family, he rushed outside.

With dawn, Erez returned home, the smell of alcohol wafting from his mouth. He trudged clumsily towards the door, inserted the key into the keyhole, and turned it ever so slowly. After opening the door, he lumbered towards his room, hoping he didn't wake anybody up, closed the door behind him, and threw himself into bed, still wearing his clothes. He fell into a deep slumber immediately and didn't even notice the break of dawn, heralding the coming of another brand new day. The streets outside began coming to life, and birds began chirping from above the treetops.

Saturday passed pleasantly , and a new week had begun. With morning, the family members woke up one after another, apart from Erez. During breakfast, Amit had been continuously picking at his sister, until their father had to separate them, a rather commonplace event. Amit, come sit next to me now; that way, you two will quit fighting, he said angrily. Can't even have breakfast in peace.

Amit was two years older than his sister, a fact that did not necessarily testify to his maturity. He was a 10th-grade student and could be considered a rather mischievous child, while Maya was a meek and diligent girl.

After finishing breakfast, Amit and Maya each grabbed their schoolbags from their respective room, grabbed the sandwiches that their mother had prepared for them for lunch, said goodbye to their parents, and went on their way.

Josef finished eating and drinking his coffee and looked at the large watch on the wall, over the utility room's crossbar. It was half-past seven in the morning, and it seemed that time was pushing him. He left the dining room, took his bag, and hurried to say goodbye to his wife and go on his way.

The house was nearly empty now. Silence had settled in, and the only sound was the rushing stream of water from the kitchen sink, as the matron of the household was busy washing the dishes. After she finished, she turned on the radio to listen to the news, which was almost entirely about the security situation in the country, and the economic state it had caused. The news didn't seem to surprise her. She was already gotten used to hearing bad news, and it made her feel rather indifferent.

The news concluded with the weather forecast. The weatherman said that tomorrow was expected to be a lovely day, but it was not recommended to go hiking in the Judean desert due to the risk of floods. After the news, quiet music played, and Miriam turned the radio down, so to not wake Erez up.

Around noon, Erez had awoken from his sleep, tidied himself, and came to the kitchen. His mother looked at him and said, Good morning, I see you slept well. Are you hungry?

No, he replied shortly, I'll make myself some coffee.

There's cake in the fridge if you want some, Miriam added.

Erez filled up the electric kettle with water and turned it on. While the water was coming to a boil, he took the cake out of the fridge and sliced three pieces from it. He sat down at the dining room table for a meal and a drink.

After eating, he went back to his room, closed the door, and called Oren.

Hey, how are you? So, have you thought about what I said two days ago? his friend asked.

Yeah, I did, Erez replied firmly.

So, what've you decided...

I’ve got a feeling that I'll come to regret it, but I'm in.

Great, Oren replied happily. Tomorrow at 10 o'clock I'll pay you a visit, and we'll make a list of stuff that each of us should bring along, he continued with an enthusiasm that befits people who just love to hike and would gladly take any opportunity to tread the trails, both charted and uncharted, armed with maps and books on various sites, both known and obscure.

Alright, I'll see you tomorrow. I got to go. Bye, Erez finished the call and rushed to go to the mall to get some new pants.

The following morning, as they agreed, Oren arrived at his friend's house. Miriam greeted him with a smile. Come in. Erez is still asleep. Wait here, and I'll try to wake him up. She then turned to Erez's room and knocked on the door. Since no response came, she opened the door, put her head through the slightly open door, and whispered, Erez, Oren's here, are you getting up yet?

Erez tried to open his eyes but to no avail. Fragments of faint light entered the dim room through the almost closed window shutters and landed on his bed. He tried to raise his head slowly and finally could look towards the doorway with half-open-half-shut eyes and said, Alright, I'm coming.

Erez's mother approached Oren, who was sitting in the living room, and told him that Erez would get up shortly. Do you want to drink something? she added.

No, thanks, Oren replied.

Erez finally got up, and the two closeted themselves in his room by his desk. From his bag, Oren took out a list of items that he had prepared earlier. Erez reviewed it: a flashlight, a canteen, a hat, a compass, maps, food, backpack, warm clothing, etc.

When he finished reading, he asked, Why would we need a flashlight? Aren't we going there in daylight?

Yes, but it's good to have, just in case, Oren replied.

Let's go to the mall; there's a backpacker's shop there where we could find roadmaps and route books, and we could pick up stuff that we might've forgotten as well.

The sky was clouded, and the clouds obscured the sun behind them. Here and there, one could see the occasional blue fissure in the sky, and there were no signs of upcoming rain. They reached the mall and entered the shop. The shop clerk attended them. Can I help you? she asked.

Yes, Oren replied. We're looking for a guidebook for hiking in the Judean desert's rivers and roadmaps with route markings.

The clerk pointed towards a shelf filled with maps and said, Check that shelf over there. I'm sure that you'll be able to find what you need there. She reached for another shelf and grabbed a book containing various site and hiking routes in Israel. This should have all that you're looking for, she said.

Erez and Oren took the book from her hands, and, after a few minutes of searching, they found a fitting map of the Dead Sea region. They paid for the book and the map, left the shop and the mall, and returned to Oren's father's old Jeep, which was parked nearby, and drove to Erez's house.

When they arrived, Oren announced, Tomorrow, I'll pick you up early, around six o'clock. Be prepared. I'll sound the car's horn when I'm below your place. Erez's facial expression gave away his dissatisfaction from the early time of the upcoming wakeup call, but finally, with unconcealed reluctance, he agreed to the plan.

They lingered a bit longer in the car and agreed on the final details of the trip. On his way home from the Jeep, Erez thought of how he was going to explain to his parents that he was going on a trip and how they would receive the news.

Amit and Maya were already back from school, and all three children sat down around the table and waited for their mother to serve lunch. Maya turned to Erez and said, Where've you been? We've been waiting for you.

He smiled and said, I was with Oren at the mall.

After they finished eating, Erez's brother and sister got up from the table and went to their rooms, while Erez stayed in his place. He looked towards his mother, thinking about how he was going to tell her about the trip. He finally reached the conclusion that the straightforward way would be the best. Mom, he started, Me and Oren are going on a trip tomorrow, early in the morning.

Where? the surprised mother asked.

To Darga River, in the Judean desert.

I don't think that it's a good idea with this unpredictable weather.

Erez tried to reassure his mother. It's a well-known route; lots of people have been there before us during the same season.

Miriam wasn't happy with her son's decision, but she knew that she couldn't change his mind, and so the conversation was over.

Josef came back from work during the early hours of the evening. While making himself some tea, he saw the worried expression on his wife's face. Has something happened? he asked her.

Erez is going on a hiking trip tomorrow in the Judean desert, and he sounds pretty determined in his mind.

Don't worry, I'll speak with him, said Josef and turned towards Erez's room. He knocked on the door and asked if he could come in, but he didn't bother waiting for a reply and came in anyway. Erez was in his room, holding his backpack.

His father began, Mother says that you are going on a trip to the Judean desert.

Erez looked directly at his father and thought to himself; this conversation is not going to end well. He replied with a slight hint of hesitation, Yes, tomorrow morning.

You know it's dangerous; why do you need to do that?

You have nothing to worry about; many hikers have already been there, and nothing bad has happened to them, Erez replied. After a short moment of silence, he continued, Besides, it's quite beautiful out there, and this hike won't take more than a few hours, nothing more.

Well, alright, but at least take a cell phone with you, so you can call us, just in case, his father said, and don't forget food and water, and everything else.

Erez reassured his father's hesitations and said that he and Oren had already thought everything through.

When he left his son's room, Josef's hesitations did not disperse, but still, he approached his wife and tried to reassure her, telling her that Erez was a responsible young man and that he would know how to handle himself and stay out of harm's way.

Early in the morning , at the Levi family's house, all family members were still asleep, and silence had taken over the household, with only the ticking of the clock hanging from the living room wall disturbing the silence. The streets were still completely in gloom, as if the entire town was in deep slumber. Far over the horizon, one could see dawn approaching. From the west, the lights of ships approaching the port could be seen in the distance. The ring of the alarm clock clattered all over Erez's room with an unceasing shrill buzz, threatening to awaken all of the household members from their sleep.

Erez had risen in panic from his sleep, awakening from a dream with content he couldn't recall, and he hurried to shut off the alarm clock. Afterwards, he fumbled his way through the gloom and bumped the desk beside his bed. His leg hurt, and he cursed quietly under his breath for agreeing to go out at such an early time of day. He finally reached the switch on the wall and turned the light in his room on. With half-closed eyes, he trudged towards the bathroom and then began to prepare for the trip: faded jeans, a white T-shirt and a printed black long-sleeved shirt on top, and his brown hiking shoes, covered with road dust.

The well-worn hiking backpack was placed on a chair in the corner of his room, with all of the provisions that he had prepared earlier before, including a water bottle, as well as a hat and sunglasses. Erez had put his cell phone in it as well and, afterwards, went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. A little while after he finished, a ring sounded from the intercom. Erez, who knew that it was Oren ringing, approached and said that he was already coming, grabbed his backpack and left the house.

At the parking lot, he went straight to Oren's Jeep, threw his backpack into the back seat, and sat down in the front seat. Well, we're off? Turn on the heating; it's cold in the morning, he said to Oren with a smile.

Oren smiled back. I hope you don't regret coming along after all, he said.

No, Erez replied, but my parents didn't quite like the idea, to say the least.

After driving for about twenty minutes, they reached the suburban city, and from there, turned eastward to the highway towards Jerusalem. On their way, they drove past wide green fields and autumnal trees. The sky was clear with a slight hint of clouds, and the sun gently warmed the earth. No signs of this beautiful weather changing could be seen over the horizon.

At home, Miriam was listening to the radio while cleaning. At the end of the news, the weather forecast said that there was a possibility of floods in the Judean desert. Concern overwhelmed her after hearing that. She hurried to call her son and warn him, but for naught. His cell phone was turned off and buried deep within his backpack because he didn't want to waste the battery for nothing.

Oren looked at Erez with a smile. Check out this new CD I brought; you'll like it. He let the rhythmic music boom all over the interior of the car. After a while, Erez suddenly turned the volume down. Oren gave him a quick look, What? You don't like it?

Maybe we should've postponed the trip, his friend said, with a hint of worry.

No time better than today; the weather's perfect, Oren replied with confidence.

I've got this weird feeling that something bad is going to happen today, a kind of a gut feeling, and besides, my mom is worried senseless.

What could possibly go wrong? It's not the first time we’ve gone hiking. Trust me, you'll enjoy it and even thank me later, Oren said smugly, and then he turned the volume of the music back up and hummed along.

After about an hour and a half, they had reached the outskirts of Jerusalem, where they stopped at a nearby gas station and pumped the fuel tank full. When they finished, they parked the car close by and entered the diner at the gas station, which was completely vacant. They sat at a small table in the corner and ordered a baguette omelet sandwich with cola.

They continued with the trip and drove away from the capital towards Ma'ale Adumim and from there southwards, via the Dead Sea road towards the Dragot cliffs. The landscape had changed entirely, from densely constructed two-story houses built from Jerusalem stone, and car smog covering the gray streets, to a barren and desolate desert with barely any signs of life, save the scarce vegetation and a few acacia trees dotting the landscape.

To the right side of the road, tall mountains and bare cliffs rose high, and to the left lay the Dead Sea and the blue skies above it, that was as if frozen in time for centuries. In its heart were white rocky formations of salt rose. Not a single animal was seen nearby, and not a single bird call could be heard.

The weather was rather comfortable, comparable to what it was like when they left their homes at the center of the country. The sun shone high above, and small gusts of dust could be seen from time to time.

After driving up the winding road and up the steep hill, they turned right onto a dirt road and drove towards a lookout point, overlooking an impressive canyon on the Darga River. There they stopped, got out of the Jeep, and walked towards the railing. The two friends beheld a wondrous view of a narrow river stream, with low foliage on both of its banks and a clear stream of water flowing through it. On both sides of the stream, barren mountains and cliffs rose high above. From their vantage point, Oren and Erez could see the course of the river running to the point where it met the Dead Sea.

Oren looked directly at Erez and said, I told you this place was amazing.

Erez agreed and added, I just hope we have enough water; the trek looks pretty long.

Oren reassured him, Don't worry, it's just a few hours' worth of hike, not an entire day.

A gentle wind began to blow, and a few lonely clouds began making their way towards the river, but they weren't enough to ruin the trip. Even though Erez was still hesitant, Oren was excited to begin the hiking route and dragged Erez after him.

The two returned to the Jeep and drove back via the dirt road until they reached the Dead Sea road again. While driving south, the two went past the center of the desert, and there were the Dragot cliffs. They turned west from the main road and continued via a dirt road until they reached a small designated parking area. There, they left the Jeep, hauled their bags on their backs, and started making their way towards the hiking route marked with a black mark leading towards the Darga River stream.

While walking up the stream, Erez and Oren heard the ever-increasing sound of a gray-winged flock of crows, which were flying high above in the desert sky, looking for food. The wind increased slightly, and the number of clouds began increasing slowly as well. The two continued their course, completely ignoring the shifting weather.

After a while, they took a short break to drink some water and looked around in amazement at the views that were slowly being revealed to them. Oren drew a roadmap from his backpack and reviewed it carefully. In a few hundred meters, we'll reach the caves area. I heard it's a pretty interesting place, he told Erez, who looked at him silently. And indeed, the trek climbed up towards the edge of the northern side of the stream and came under an area of caverns with square entrances, the Muraba'at caverns. Under the cavern entrances, iron rods were inserted into the rocky walls, which were there to assist in climbing into the caves.

Oren drew the route book from his backpack, opened a bookmarked page, and read aloud to Erez, "The caves are called The Muraba'at Caverns after their rectangular entrances, and they became known in 1952, when Bedouins found ancient tools and scrolls in them, dating back to the times of Bar Kochba.

A few of the warriors and their families had escaped and found refuge in these caves during the times of the rebellion. The Romans chased after them and laid siege on the rebels hiding in the caverns until they could capture them. Those who resisted were killed."

After he finished reading, he turned to Erez. What do you say, shall we go up into the caves and have a look inside?

No, I prefer to wait here; you go ahead, Erez replied.

Aren't you curious to see what's in there?

There's nothing in there. I'll be here waiting, said Erez, with a hint of discomfort.

Alright, you stay there and don't go anywhere. Oren smiled and climbed up the iron rods and quickly disappeared inside one of the caverns.

Erez looked around him while waiting patiently on the river bank. Gray rainclouds began amassing in the sky, and the wind died down a bit. Here and there, he could feel raindrops falling on his head. The sun was now hidden behind the veil of clouds, and a great shadow covered the earth. Erez feared that rain would begin and they wouldn’t be able to find a place to hide.

Hopefully, he turned his head towards the cavern's entrance, but he could see no sign of his friend. Shortly enough, Oren popped up with a satisfied look on his face and said, A shame for you; it's a pretty interesting sight here.

Erez just looked upwards silently. Oren climbed down and joined him. Although it looked like Erez was merely waiting patiently, this appearance was only a mask of his true concern. Oren, he said, Are you feeling rain falling?

Yeah, but it's not too bad; it'll probably stop soon enough, Oren replied, and the two picked up their backpacks and continued down the route towards the Darga River stream.

The gray rainclouds kept amassing increasingly, until only a faint light could shine through them, and the sun was no longer visible in the sky. Raindrops fell more frequently now, and the ground became muddier. Oren and Erez hastened their steps along the river bank and after a short walk, they came across a crossroad. They stopped and looked at each other. Should we go left or right, what do you say? Erez asked worriedly.

I don't know, I guess we should go left, Oren replied.

Why don't you take out the map already, so we can see where we're going, said Erez angrily.

Oren stretched out his arm into his backpack and drew the map from there. He unfolded it, and the raindrops falling from the sky began soaking it. We can go left on the route marked black into the Teqoa River canyon, or right, on the route marked red, to continue along Darga River, he said.

Well, I guess we should take the red route; maybe we can find shelter from the rain there, Erez decided. Oren looked like he was still making up his mind. He remembered that if they continued via the red route, like Erez decided, after the canyon terrain ended, the river widened, and shortly after that, the route would lead back to the parking area. However, he also knew that given the current situation, they wouldn’t be able to cross the deep river channel on their way up the Teqoa River.

Oren turned to look at Erez. The rain was increasingly intensifying, raindrops began pouring down on his head, and his clothes began to soak as well. They had to come up with a solution to drag themselves out of the mud. Alright, we'll walk at a faster pace, via the route marked in red, he said, and did so. Erez followed, making efforts to catch up with him.

They clung to the edge of the river channel, as close as possible to the cliffs protruding from the slopes of the river, pacing quickly. The water in the river began to rise, and the stream intensified each moment. The ground became muddier, and the heavy rain was now followed by gusts of wind. The sky was filled with gray clouds, and it didn't look like the rain was going to stop anytime soon. Close by the river bank, there was rocky ground, and pieces of it began to crumble and wash away inside the rushing stream of water.

Oren and Erez tried climbing the slopes of the cliff, but without success. They were now completely soaked, and the cold had seeped into their bodies, but they did not stop.

Treacherous waves began flooding the river bank, causing landslides. With his remaining strength, Oren tried to climb one of the cliffs on the slope of the river, and while he climbed, the lower part of the cliff collapsed from the force of the flood and got washed away by the surging river. Erez tried to warn his friend, but it was too late. Oren lost his balance and fell into the river. With his remaining strength, he stretched his arms out and called for help, but his calls were barely heard, and he was washed away down the stream.

Erez saw Oren being washed away by the flood before his very eyes and cried for aid. Help! Help! he screamed at the top of his lungs. He looked around