The years under Lot, Melek Kol’malkuwim (912, 918AE – 928AE):
In 918AE Lot assumed the title of Melek Kol’malkuwim. There had been no word from or about Josef for nearly two years and it was presumed his great attempt at immortality had failed.
Archon Kamarieris, who refused to see any emissary not sent by the actual Mekoma of Gidona, now spoke with Lot. At this time Lot was told Josef and his army had been slain. Although negotiations would stretch on for nearly two years eventually Lot was able to secure peace.
Although Josef died in 917 the gains he was able to make in Philistia were held by his generals until 921AE – although there were rumors and stories the actual truth of the fate of Josef’s army was never known to those in Gidona.
In 921 Kamarieris agrees to peace with Taras and Macedonia. Later this year Josef’s army is defeated first at the Battle of Beth-barah and again at the Battle of Sur (trying to capture ships with which to make their escape) – those that survived are said to have made the attempt to cross into Carthaginia.
The war with Cyrene was devastating for Gidona and had Kamarieris known the full extent of the Gidonan failure surely there would not have been peace. But the fact that peace was granted is a testament to Mekoma Lot’s ability as a statesman. For Gidona little was gained and a lot was left unfinished by the war – trade would continue to be disrupted by Cyrenian domination of the sea, the treasury was diminished, many ships had been sunk, and the bulk of the experienced army had died. For the Tarasians they gained some political clout as well as some reparations and a better trading stance with Cyrene. Macedonia managed the best; with Cyrene largely distracted by Taras and Gidona the Macedonians were able to defeat a number of Cyrene garrisons which by the war’s end had Archon Kamarieris abandoning the Danube region of his empire. Macedonia moved to claim these lands and promptly went to war with a people they call the Galatians but which are more properly named Tylisans (they are called the Gatae by Carthage and lands further east). For Cyrene there was some financial loss to the war, a number of ships (though not nearly as many as Gidona had lost), and some territory – though for many a Cyrenian what was hurt the most was their pride and it is not something they will soon forget.
In 921 while Kamarieris was settling peace with Macedonians and the Tarasians (and Josef’s army was finally being defeated) Mekoma Lot had an eye to properly administering to his kingdom (though the Gidonim were empire builders they were not administrators). The burden of leadership, he decided, was too much for one man and disbanded the cumbersome army of ministers the Gidonim used to rule the lands and instead appointed an Azar (as he had been named by Josef) to help rule. An Azar was sent to each province where they would administer for the Mekoma. In Josef’s absence the Pharisees had blustered much, posturing with unfounded verve based on their belief that they had enlightened the heart of Josef to do God’s work. In truth, Josef’s attempt to claim the Homeland had more to do with his own work than God’s.
Lot moved quickly to subvert any attempt to overshadow his authority. Arrests were many, both the corrupt and the overly pious were subject to many of these incarcerations and stonings.
Perhaps to help maintain the established boundaries between the holy and the secular Mekoma Lot wrote his own history which was finished in 925AE wherein he praises the Pharisees for their efforts to hold the kingdom together during the waning years of Cetheria and also where he promoted every deed, no matter how small, that his own family had accomplished in bringing about the restoration of the Avramite kingdom.
Lot’s history is considered to be one of the most inaccurate works of antiquity. However, there are several small grains of truth and worthwhile information within the tomb, some of which are:
It is here that the Followers of Mazda are first referred to as the “Lost Tribe”. Everything else mentioned about them is complete fiction. Though to Lot’s credit it is important to note that there is little information on these Avramites. They have no (or very little) recorded history and believe it is sacrilege to write down the words of Avraham. And, as a people, they are difficult to have regular contact with as they have moved well beyond the Homeland, spreading east away from the Euphrates, north into the cold and the pines, and south down the coast of Africa.
It is here we learn of a significant aspect of Gidonan social structure. Though not spelled out in any one entry we nonetheless see that even though Gidona was an Avramite kingdom, specifically the majority was Levites, the power of the Pharisees was small (especially seen in the aspect of conversion where in the past missions were established by local priests or by the edict of the Pharisees now missions were an extension of the monarchy and only through the king could a mission be established – an act that had been limitedly used since the ascension of the Gidonim).
The Gidonim had no wish to face the troubles of the former kings with the constant struggle for authority with the ruling council or a religious council and had passed laws sealing off the Pharisees from the rest of the kingdom. They were not allowed to travel beyond the city limits of Qirya Kahan and their public appearances were few and watched by the city garrison. These and other such laws were put in place to “protect” and rightly distance the holy wisemen from the populous. In fact priests of the land were encouraged by the monarchy to seek council with themselves and others priests rather than burden the Pharisees with insignificant questions of Mikra interpretation – this encouragement had done well in diluting the influence of Qirya Kahan.
By the reign of Mekoma Lot, religiously, there was more to the kingdom than just the Levites. The Levites were the only indorsed faith but Lot notes that there were, in hiding, Nazrites (AKA Benjimites), enclaves of Celtic worship (though this was only permitted in small groups, no public displays, and no high holy days were allowed to be celebrated – latitudes that were only in practice in the lands beyond the Vaconnes), and places were the gods of other lands had filtered in (namely in Ya’ar) – perhaps it was familiarity but the gods of the Helens and Cyrene were better accepted than that of the Celts (a supposition shared by Lot). Restrictions on worship were enforced less in the semi-autonomous kingdoms that belonged to Gidona so the worship of the foreign and Celtic gods was more open (these kingdoms would have attracted many an emigrant if not for the travel restrictions for non-Avramites).
We also learned that although the free will granted to women during the years of Nazrat had not been as stomped out as was originally thought when Gid’on conquered that kingdom. Although once again largely restricted to the home, domestic affairs, and a stricter subservient role in the family women were nonetheless allowed to inherit and own land but only if their husband died of natural causes and there was no male relative whom wanted the estate. And of course, once remarried all her belonging would be assumed by her new husband. There was another area where women were granted certain rights. In the event of a marriage with a non-Avramite (usually a Celt of the kingdom – which was encouraged as to bring the pagans into the Light of the One God) - any children born to that union belonged to the mother’s house not the Celt’s.
(One pictures independently minded Avramite women searching out suitable (or wealthy unsuitable) husbands in the Celtic quarters, having children, and then having their husbands die “naturally”.)
By Lot’s death in 928AE (250BC) he had accomplished much to repair the damage brought on by the war with Cyrene.
How ironic.