The KT OLLA Web Stories

 JEPHTHAH addressed the men of Ephraim. ‘Yes, we fought the Ammonites and routed them. The God of our fathers gave us the strength to do so. ‘But we did send to you in Ephraim for assistance when we were resisting Ammon’s invasion at the border. You are our closest neighbor to the east, so we summoned you several times – and you know we did!  ‘Yet you didn’t respond to our call for help, did you? But then we assumed your hands were full dealing with the Philistines on your own side. ‘So we simply carried our burdens alone, without hating anyone or grumbling. And the God of Jacob gave us a celebrated triumph. ‘But now that everything is done, why are you bothering my people and I? Why?’ Those words pricked Jephthah’s listeners. It was right on open wounds. Yet the pain in their sores leaned towards irritation.  For those words were like fuel added to their fires. And they boiled with temper some more. ‘We’ll burn down your house!’ cried the mob. ‘We’ll raze down your city!...

 WHILE Israel celebrated their final rest from alien oppressors, and the conqueror of those battles was about to take a breather… another war broke out. But that battle didn’t come for Israel or her people. It came directly for the champion’s head. It came to claim Jephthah. Yet again, this attack wasn’t the kind from beyond the borders. It was a different kind of destruction calling. They called her the Kindred Foe. It had happened while Jephthah’s rival Elar was on exile in Ephraim, that the brother-enemy heard how great and famous his kin had become. Then he began running here and there, in search of ways to ruin the man. But all that running came down to nothing. At first Elar was so sure he could win anyone to his side with talk, like he used to do. But no one from Gilead was ready to give him a listening ear. The elders of his homeland had learned the hard way; so they weren’t ready to bank on Jephthah’s rival again. Now Elar was left all alone, with no one to help him carry ...

 JEPHTHAH’S arrival in Ammon was like a sudden tornado. It was with no warning, just like a windstorm. The champion with his pack of a hundred and five pounced on Xarxus’s training camp in the hinterland of that quiet city. Then, swinging axes and swords in furious waves of slaughter, they sliced off heads in a gory massacre. Those tigers went on slaying from that army base in Aroer onto the region around Mininth. And between those polar regions, they wasted 20 cities of Ammon laying in-between. Yet the slayers weren’t satisfied with just 20 ruined towns. So they went on from Mininth, killing and wasting more settlements – as far as Abel Keramim. Jephthah’s panthers were swift and wild. And not even Xarxus’s best could catch up with them in a counter. Yes, those destroyers were so fast in what their blades wrought, that even rumours about it couldn’t reach the king’s castle before the killers got there. Xarxus was caught unawares when that deadly horde came for him –  when the...

 XARXUS made an announcement within his kingdom. That announcement was a decree which sealed the fate of every Ammonite man.  As soon as the king of Ammon returned to his nation, he passed a verdict that every grown male be drafted into the army. Then a series of rigorous training ensued for those recruited. All these were done for the coming battle against Israel. Jephthah’s spies in Ammon – Baddok, Simone, Gilkar and Sham, were about to sneak out of Xarxus’s cities when that decree was made. Those four had spent quite a few days in Ammon spying out the nation’s weaknesses. Yet they’d found nothing they were looking for. But just as they were about to leave, they hit gold. At first, when those spies saw Xarxus return to Ammon, they’d thought Jephthah’s diplomatic talks with him had worked out. But no, they knew the fighter so well. His acclaim went before him. They knew the Tamer of Dragons had never backed down from a battle he set his heart to fight. No man ever talked the ...

 JEPHTHAH’S goal with his reply to Xarxus was to stir up fury in that volatile warlord. He was simply set to raze down the beast with the flames of his own wrath. So he penned that affront down and sent the letter to his adversary. To Xarxus King of Ammon, It is a great surprise to me that you claim that Israel took your land. But I am not surprised since you only ascended your father’s throne only a few years ago – so you will not know matters that are greater than you. But still, do not worry too much. For I will tell you all that still confuses your mind. Israel never took any of those lands from you, neither was it from your fathers. When our nation came out from Egypt, we went through the wilderness to the Gulf of Aqaba and came to Kadesh. There in Kadesh we sent message asking permission to the king of Edom to give us passage through his land. But Edom refused us passage. We also sent message to the king of Moab, but he refused us as well. So our people remained at Kadesh for...

 THE oncoming battle between Israel and Ammon would definitely be a different one, as Xarxus had a clear direction this time. Yes, the king of Ammon had moved his battlefront from the border walls in Gilead into Israel’s mainland, while the Slayer of Giant was on exile. The neighbouring king was bent on claiming the lands Israel called theirs. But Jephthah was back now. And the intruder’s goal he now sought to address. Having fought the giant once before, Jephthah could tell that Xarxus wouldn’t agree to a diplomatic settlement. Yet the man chose to carry on with a conversation with that Tamer of Dragons, to at least discuss their bone of contention. The champion had hopes, a little at least. He somehow hoped that this diplomacy with Xarxus would avert another round of slaughters. But knowing his adversary’s nature too well, Jephthah didn’t fail in preparing a backup plan. So before the talk with the enemy, Jephthah sent his dedicated four into the city of Ammon to spy out loops in...

 JEPHTHAH wasn’t ready to follow the same path that he’d taken before. He wanted something more than yesterday’s standing. Yes, he wanted to be more than a warrior under another. He wanted to be that man who bows to no one, whether kin or foe. For Jephthah wanted to be the lord of all Gilead. So he demanded that one thing.  The condition for which he’d answer Gilead’s call. Now he spoke out. ‘Listen, elders of Gilead, and I will state my case: ‘If today I the son of Gilead follow you home to fight for Israel—if I fight the king of Ammon and the Lord gives me victory over him, then I will be your ruler and your lord!’ The elders looked at themselves as the demand hit them. And as if those wordless glances spoke out their readiness, they answered: ‘We agree, Jephthah, we agree!’ ‘Yes, be our ruler and our lord!’ ‘Be our ruler and our lord! Be our ruler and our lord!’ Jephthah never expected such a quick response. He was surprised at the eagerness with which the men wanted him as...

 WHEN the elders of Gilead arrived at Tob’s royal court to see Jephthah, they were first made to report themselves to the king of that land. The king was gracious to both Jephthah and his people that day. For after he heard the elders state their case, he invited the young man to meet with his people and decide himself. The monarch provided the people a large room to convene in. There those search party waited for their former champion while he attended to the king. Now when Jephthah eventually appeared in front of his townspeople, the men broke down in tears and fell on their knees in apology. Jephthah couldn’t take that humbling sight at all. He halted at the door; then turned back and shut the door after him. The youngest two of that search troupe simply jumped to their feet and ran after the man immediately. When they open the door and saw him backing away, they called after him in an anxious chase. ‘Please, don’t go… don’t go. We’re very sorry for sending you away; please don’...