The First Book of Samuel by SAREJESS (epub read online books txt) 📕

participants grouped together according to their cities of origin. The crowd roared its approval as there own city’s athletes marched by. When Theopolis at the head of the Athenian athletes drew opposite the stand where the supporters of Athens sat there was a loud cheering and clapping of hands. Once the march passed had finished. The crowed settled down. For the next part of the ceremony hawkers moved among the crowd selling their wares. A lot of good natured ribbing went on between the supporters of the various cities. The spectators from Corinth sat next to the supporters of Athens so occasionally there would be shouts that Corinthian athletes would win the gold olive branch. To which there would be boo’s and shouts of derision from the supporters of Athens.

Now the crowd grew quiet as the priests of mighty Zeus marched into the arena. Walking head and shoulders above the other priests the high priest Alpheus walked with a pride known only to those who serve Zeus. A gong was struck as he mounted the steps in front of the temple of Zeus; moving to the altar he gave a signal. The other priests began to chant rhythmically “Honor and praise to mighty Zeus from whom these games were given to man. Honor to the great god of Greece. Thus they continued until suddenly they stopped, the two eunuchs led out a large wild boar which they lifted with the helping hands of several other priests on to the podium. The feet of the offering was quickly bound. The wind blew softly across the plains of Greece. Samuel brushed aside a stray hair. He was reminded that centuries earlier the Holy temple of Jerusalem had been desecrated by the offering of pigs to the self-same deity Zeus. But today it was here in Greece not ancient Jerusalem, which stood no more, now nothing but a ruin.

The high priest lifted the stone knife with both hands and showed it to the people before bringing it down and cutting the throat of the boar. The crowd roared with approval as the gong was once more struck. Thereafter the athletes stepped forward, each one standing in the blood of the boar making the sacred oath to Zeus that they would not cheat that they would abide by the rules of the competition that they were ritually clean and ready to take part in the games. The ceremonies continued for the rest of the day until nightfall when the spectators returned to their camp.


The second day had started much the same as the first day only this time the games had begun in earnest. Athletes taking part in the races had paraded before the crowd stripping naked and taking their place on the starting line. Heavily oiled youths stood ready to run for the glory of their cities, their muscular bodies displayed for all the world to see; the ideal of Greek civilization the human form at its best, with a blast from a trumpet they began to run. The first race was twice the length of the stadium as the runners ran past their cities spectators one could hear the name of the favorite athlete from their city been chanted. In the first race Theopolis did not take part but a younger athlete by the name of Appolous did. As he ran past the spectators from Athens the name of Appolous was chanted and shouted loudly. The race ended with the runner from Corinth winning. A little disappointed, Demetrius said to Samuel “ah well what could we expect, Theo was not running.” In the next even Theopolis did run. It was a longer race, four laps of the stadium. Theo paced himself well allowing other runners to run ahead, tiring themselves out, about half way through the race Theo began to make his move. This was not missed by his father who became even more animated, shouting “That's my boy! That’s my Theo, come on watch him run! What a beautiful boy!” he cried. The crowds around him took up the chant of Theopolis rhythmically as if spurring the runner on to greater efforts. When the race finally ended with Theopolis winning the crowds from Athens erupted in joyous shouts of “The glory of Zeus for Athens!” other shouted “The gods favored Theopolis of Athens! Glory to Athens!”

As Samuel observed all of this, it was hard not to get caught up in the moment, to shout praise for the young man, to be glad for his friend Demetrius but Samuel could not help the feeling that the athlete would one day do his father a great wrong.

On the third day with the sun shining and the birds singing in the sacred grove, the crowds took their places. The races continued; there were chariot races which took up most of the morning. At midday the crowds grew silent as if waiting for something new to happen. In this they were not disappointed. In the center of the arena was the great disk into which the most pure virgin olive oil had been poured. The magistrate of the city of Elis rose and moved to the steps which lead to the great disk. Here he waited it was not long before an athlete came running bearing a torch which he handed to the magistrate. A priest from the temple of Apollo intoned a prayer, speeches were made by the magistrate on the glory of the games thus when he ended he began climbing the stairs. On reaching the top he touched the torch to the disk which caught the flame from the torch and burst into flames the whole stadium erupted in shouts of joy that the sacred flame had been lit. The flame of Grecian civilization burned brightly; the flame that had given the world people like Homer, Plato, and Alexander the Great burning brightly under Roman rule. It would not be long before this civilization would be faced by a danger, which would change it radically from worshipping a Parthenon of demi-gods to worshiping one god.

The games were over. The runners had run their course. The last ceremony of the games was the handing out of the golden laurels to the winners of each race. The magistrate of Elis once more climbed to the podium and began by thanking all of the competitors for their good behavior. Once more they had proved that Greece could be proud of its athletes. Thereafter as each athlete’s name and city was called, the athlete would step forward to receive his prize. The trumpets blew and the crowds cheered as each young man stepped forward, naked as the day they were born. For Demetrious it was the crowning achievement for his son Theo to receive the prize for the pentathlon. The crowds from Athens cheered wildly when his name was called. The prize giving continued. Samuel asked Demetrius if there was a prize for those who came second, to which Demetrious replied that was a bit of a strange idea why should there be a prize for someone who had not won. The prize giving ceremony continued until the sun touched the low hills to the north before the crowds began breaking up. Tomorrow people would start to leave; others would stay for one last feast and an offering to the gods. But tonight there would be a grand feast in the camp as each athlete would return to the camp to be greeted by his family and friends.

Samuel walked with Demetrius one last time from the stadium admiring the fine statues of past athletes which adorned the park, little realizing that this would be the last Olympic Games that he would attend for many long centuries. Of course in a later time when he thought back he would remember these five days as some thing special, a happy time in his life when the cares which usually worried him had seldom come to mind.

There was a fire and meat was being roasted. There was a carnival atmosphere about the camp that night. Wine flowed freely. People greeted each other and wished each other well for the next four years when the games would be played again. There was expectancy in the air. The athletes were coming home. The people of Greece did not have long to wait for they had only been at the camp some small amount of time before the athletes began arriving. This was cause for rejoicing. Now fully clothed in a light tunic, Theopolis arrived, the image of a young Apollo, to be greeted by much backslapping and congratulations. Samuel all the while sat to one side contemplating his next move. He knew that he had a good friend in Demetrius, but the time was fast approaching when he would have to once more start business at an inn. It seemed as if he had been serving mankind as an innkeeper forever. The strange thing about it he had grown to accept it and enjoyed it. Sometimes he made a lot of money doing it, other times he lost money but that was his eternal curse to serve mankind and give them accommodation for as long as they needed a bed or a meal Oh well tomorrow was another day. He would start once again to plan and decided where he would buy an inn what he would serve he had grown quite excited at the prospect. Greek food he found was varied. He simply loved the herb cheese that they made from goats milk, and the roasted lamb on the spit was another thing which he was quite fond of. If there was one thing the Greeks loved he realized, it was food, and well prepared food. He felt sure that he would be equal to the task at hand but tonight it was time for feasting congratulations and lovemaking, other things would take precedence tomorrow. But tonight for once he would enjoy himself. Pulling himself to his feet Samuel joined in with the people who were dancing. He was glad that through the ages he had changed his dress to what the locals wore. It was far more appropriate then wearing the long flowing robes of Israel. Now as he danced he blended in with all the other men who wore the short tunics of that age.

397AD Old friendships and days of Yore
It had been some thirty odd years since Samuel had come to Greece. The inn on the hill was doing well. His friendship with Demetrius and later with his son Theopolis had been very profitable. To blend in and to mask the fact that he did not age Samuel had taken to rubbing his hair with ash to give the appearance of aging. Early on in their friendship, Demetrius had said that it was time for Samuel to take a wife. To this Samuel had answered that he had a good looking slave girl in his employ that took care of his physical needs and there was no need. Demetrius had said “but you need children my friend look at me I am close to fifty and I have five sons and four daughters and even some grand children you need a good woman to keep you warm in your old age.” Samuel had smiled but remained firm in his decision he wanted no wife.

Now as they sat on a stone bench in the garden of the inn Demetrious nearing his eightieth year he was content with life a rich old man with few problems in life. About ten years earlier it had been commanded by the emperor that all citizens of the Pax Roma would now worship only God the Father, his son the Carpenter of Nazareth, and the Spirit as taught by the church. The service