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The book of Caleb, Volume I


Caleb entered the tent of Moshe, coming with a decision that would change the very fabric of the Jewish state. He looked down at the leader of B’nai Yisrael, ready to deliver what he thought was the right declaration. Moshe looked up from his makeshift workplace, where he was praying. He rose, looking at Caleb.
“Caleb of Judah, what brings you here?” Moshe asked, curious of the young man’s nervousness.

“Moshe, I’m leaving.” Caleb said sternly, as Moshe’s face turned to a frown.

“What?” Moshe said with disbelief.

“Moshe, I no longer trust in Hashem. He has claimed he has saved us, yet he will not allow us to go into the land of Israel. After discussing it, we have decided to leave B’nai Yisrael and take our own routes.” Caleb explained.

Moshe fell on his face at that statement, barely able to utter words.

“Furthermore, the fact that you are giving the power of the Jewish people over to Joshua, when we were both equal in our beliefs, makes me believe that perhaps you’re not the right man to guide the Jewish people. You should have given both Joshua and me equal powers.” Caleb said, waiting for Moshe, or perhaps, Hashem, to strike him down.

Moshe, infuriated, raised his hands, ready to beat Caleb to death, but relaxed his hands. He nodded, going further into his chamber. When he came out, a few minutes later, he urged Caleb to follow him outside. He called the whole of B’nai Yisrael together. Then, he stood above them, on a small makeshift stand. Caleb stood behind him.

“B’nai Yisrael, I have received a message from Hashem. He has told me that I am allowed to let Caleb and his group go out into the desert, but they are forever banished from the covenant of Hashem. Should they come back, we will put them to death by stoning. He has decided that he no longer agrees with me, and that he wishes to leave. Does anyone else wish to go with him, leaving the holy covenant which God has offered you? You will no longer be protected, and will no longer get the holy Manna which he has bestowed upon you.” Moshe announced to the stunned audience of the 12 tribes.

To his surprise, many answered. Many of these people were older adults who were tired of knowing that they were not allowed outside Kadesh Barnea, and that they were to die here. They assembled, a full 500,000 people, and left the oasis.

When Caleb last looked back at the fading oasis, he saw Joshua, once his great friend, shake his head disapprovingly before the camp, and Hashem, disappeared into the sand and dust of the wilderness of Zin.

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The original origin of Ophir is heavily shrouded in myth, the most detailed account being the book of Caleb, a large collection of second-hand accounts compiled and written around 200 years after the event took place. Though there is some dispute over what the actual figures are, as 500,000 is a huge amount for a bronze age tribe, the general agreed consensus is 40,000-25,000, around 25% to 50% of the total population of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Caleb himself is a mysterious figure; the most we can gleam from him is from the Torah, hardly an accurate source, but it seems he grew jealous of Joshua. At one point, all mention of him disappears, strangely fitting in with the Chronicle of Caleb’s timeline of leaving. The group in question that left soon wandered off course. Though there is dispute as to what saved them, it is believed to be a group of Yemeni traders. They came from the far south, and dealt Frankincense and other incenses to the Edomites, who lived in modern Judea. They were, luckily, for Caleb, heading south, and they began hopping between Oases in order to survive. Eventually, they took leave of the traders, and settled near a large oasis in the middle of Ophir. Here they started a small oasis town community, though modern scholars believe that Caleb was much more interested in something larger.


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Thanks to George for the original idea, and the inspiration.

Comments? Criticisms? And hopefully the timeline's population has been scaled down to Archaeo's liking :p
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