"Ofra the Concubine on the Hill"
"Ofra the concubine on the Hill" is a historical fiction saga inspired by the events that took place in the biblical land of Kannan in the Bronze Age, 13th century B.C, thirty years into the Israelites' return to their ancestral land. The first challenge the young tribal nation, led by the young priesthood, encountered was how to unite the tribes under the banner of the new Hebrew code, the Ten Commandments. Gershon, a member of the Levite tribe, a teacher, and a keeper of the holy tent, was lured by Ofra's youthful charm and beauty from Bethlehem, Judea, while conducting classes under the sycamore tree. Ofra became exasperated by his passionate voice as he expressed his complete devotion to his new God in heaven and to his people. Ofra's father, a well-to-do Amorite Merchant who was married to Ofra's mother, a Hebrew, instilled in his daughter a sense of justice and anti-Pagan sentiments. Ofra agreed to join Gershon the Levite in his Missionary endeavor, and soon after she realized that a Levite's life was not so easy to live by as she thought, she returned to her father's house. Gershon, not able to live without his beloved Ofra, convinced her softly to go back with him. The newly reunited couple reconciled. But God picks and chooses, and destiny pinpoints Ofra the concubine and Gershon the Levite. The short-lived contentment of being united was abruptly severed. They were not welcomed in the Benjamin territory, their brethren's domain, while pausing for the night. The first underlying conflict in the book arises. The Benjamin's tribe was insistent on keeping the holy Ark in their territory. At the same time, there was a consensus among the rest of the tribes and the priesthood that a central location was needed for the Ark, which contained the Ten Commandments, to be accessible to all tribes. It was accomplished by selecting Shiloh in the north to serve as a "worship anchor" in the northern part of the country. The Benjamin opposed the move; furthermore, they also wanted to preserve their Aristocratic elite customs from way back in Egypt, from the times of Joseph, the Prince of Egypt, when they practiced homosexuality as a privilege. They insisted on imposing that "privilege" on the rest of the tribes, including the Levite and his concubine. After a ruthless rape and murder, Benjamin refused to surround the rapist and Ofra's murderers and further challenged the Priesthood's new code in the land. The young Priesthood realized that it was a threat to the young nation's unity and declared a moral cleansing campaign. The Benjamin, assured and proud of their military superiority, challenged the Priesthood and the rest of the tribes. Headed by Judah, the Benjamin's were defeated after three cruel, bloody battles. Ofra's murderers met their justice at the hands of Boaz, a Benjamin, who chose to leave his tribe and live among the other tribes. Boaz emerges as a warrior and a pursuer of justice, becoming the leader of the war survivors from the tribe of Benjamin. Marking the end of this Epic/saga, four hundred virgins of war, and six hundred Benjamin warriors will triumph through a love fest, followed by an act of mercy by the rest of the tribes-a celebration of unification and rebirth.