On This Foundation (26 page)

J
ERUSALEM

N
ehemiah was preparing for bed when someone banged on his door, startling him. “Nehemiah, it's me—Hanani.”

He went to the door and opened it, his heart racing. “What's wrong?”

“You'd better get dressed. You just received an urgent message.”

Nehemiah pulled his tunic on over his head and shoved his feet into his sandals without bothering to fasten them, then followed his brother down the passageway to his workroom. All of the lamps had been lit, and his three aides and his brother Ephraim were all waiting for him. “What is it? What happened?”

Ephraim's expression was grim as he held up the message. “A few hours ago at dusk, a group of our workers were attacked by a gang of armed men. The workers were returning to their home village a few miles away after building the wall all day. Two of our men were killed, three more were injured.”

“Was it a robbery?”

“No. Nothing was taken. The murderers fled as quickly as
they had come but not before making it clear that they would kill again if we didn't stop rebuilding the wall.”

Nehemiah's first instinct was to gather weapons and give chase, even now, in the dark of night. But it was much too late to defend his slaughtered men. He couldn't undo what his lack of precaution had already done. He sank down on the nearest seat, devastated and enraged by the news. “Two innocent men—murdered! My workers! I had a duty as governor to protect them . . . and I failed!”

“You couldn't have foreseen this,” Ephraim began. “No one knew—”

“I should have foreseen it!” he said, raising his voice. “I'm a security expert! It's my livelihood! And I knew about the dangers, the attacks and murders that happened before I came. Yet I was too focused on rebuilding the wall to take precautions. I failed to keep my laborers safe!” None of the men tried to contradict him. The licking flames of the oil lamps danced in the silence as Nehemiah fought to control his fury. And to decide what to do next. “Rehum, find out if the men had families, and ask what I can do for them.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Levi and Jehohanan, summon the nobles and officials to my council chamber for a meeting as soon as it's light.”

Nehemiah took a long moment to gather his thoughts while his aides hurried out. “That arsenal we found that was left over from the Thirteenth of Adar—is it ready, Hanani?”

“Yes. The blacksmiths have nearly completed their work.”

“Good. Ephraim, spread out the map of the city walls,” he said, rising from his chair. “We need to come up with a plan to safeguard Jerusalem and our workers from now on until the wall is finished.”

Nehemiah and his brothers stayed awake for the rest of the night, organizing a series of guard posts at each of the unfinished gates and at the most vulnerable breaches in the wall.
His lingering guilt and anger over the deaths of his two laborers kept him awake and drove him to find a solution. When it was time for his council meeting the next morning, Nehemiah walked into the chamber to pandemonium as his area leaders and officials shouted and argued with each other. He quickly took his place at the front and was attempting to restore order when the district leader of Beth Hakkerem approached him.

“There's something very important I need to tell you, Governor,” he said in a low voice.

“Can it wait, Malkijah? Everyone seems to have something important to tell me.”

“I think you'll want to hear what I have to say first—in private.”

“Very well.” Nehemiah sighed impatiently and followed him off to the side. Malkijah leaned close to his ear, speaking softly as the uproar continued in the hall. “Are you aware that one of your aides, the young man named Jehohanan, is the son of Tobiah the Ammonite?”

“What?” Nehemiah pulled back, staring at Malkijah in disbelief. “Is this a joke? You can't mean our enemy Tobiah?”

Malkijah nodded. “I do, Governor.”

Nehemiah couldn't speak. He quickly scanned the room and spotted Jehohanan talking with Hanani. The young aide had always struck Nehemiah as exceptionally bright and ambitious—but he also recalled a few times when Jehohanan had seemed negative and discouraging. Nehemiah shook his head in disbelief.
Tobiah's son?
How could he not have known? He cursed himself for yet another security breach, for trusting others to choose his aides instead of checking their backgrounds himself. He knew better than anyone else the need for caution when deciding whom to trust. “How can this be, Malkijah? And why am I the last man in Jerusalem to find out? Why didn't you warn me sooner?”

“I didn't realize Jehohanan was your aide until this morning, when he came to my house to summon me to this meeting.”

“And nobody except you thought to warn me about him? No wonder our enemies seem to know our every move. They've heard every word I've whispered in confidence these past few weeks.” Nehemiah wanted to throw something or break something—preferably Jehohanan's neck or the neck of the man who'd recommended him. “This is unbelievable!” he said through gritted teeth.

“To be fair, Governor, I don't think too many people know about the connection between Jehohanan and Tobiah. Jehohanan married into a well-respected Jewish family and has studied and lived in Jerusalem all his adult life. I have no proof at all that he's a traitor. Tobiah has many allies and connections here in the city, including his father-in-law, Shecaniah ben Arah.”

“Tobiah the Ammonite has a Jewish wife?”

“Yes, just like his son. But Tobiah has always kept his ties to these Jewish families out of the public eye. And the in-laws haven't broadcast the news either, since mixed marriages with Ammonites are forbidden. I learned about these connections quite by chance.”

Nehemiah continued to survey the room, wishing he had a sword for protection, wondering who else among these men might be a traitor or a spy. “What about my other two aides, Rehum and Levi?”

“I don't know anything about them. I'm sorry.”

“Thanks for the warning, Malkijah. I appreciate it. I'll have to send all three of them away so we can conduct this meeting in relative secrecy—and so Jehohanan doesn't suspect that I'm wise to him yet. If there's anyone else who you believe has mixed loyalties, please let me know at once.”

“I will, Governor.”

Nehemiah watched as Malkijah rejoined the other leaders. The noise in the room made his head hurt as he scrambled to think of a valid excuse to get Jehohanan out of the room. He came up blank. He motioned to Ephraim, who hurried over.
“What's wrong? You look worried—or should I say, even more worried than usual?”

“I just learned that Jehohanan is probably a spy.”

“What?”

“Did you know he's the son of Tobiah the Ammonite?”

Ephraim stared at him, shaking his head. “No. . . . A wolf in the sheepfold?”

“Can you help me think of a way to get all three of my aides out of this meeting?”

“Go ahead and get started. I'll think of something.”

Nehemiah took his place on the platform and began calling for silence again. He saw Ephraim off to one side, collecting the three aides, and a moment later they left. Nehemiah knew he had to get past his anger at himself for this second security failure and get on with the meeting—but how? All he could think of was how he'd been deceived. He tried to recall who had recommended Jehohanan in the first place, wondering if he was a traitor as well—and if he was in this room. The dawning sun hadn't made its way into the long, narrow council chamber yet, adding to the gloom. Why hadn't the builders had sense enough to add windows? And more doors? There were only two doors and they were at the far end of the room. Nehemiah felt trapped with no escape, and it fueled his anger and a nameless panic. Then he saw Malkijah standing in the audience and knew he had at least one friend.

“I need everyone to quiet down and listen!” Nehemiah said, pouring all of his frustration into restoring order. “I won't let this meeting get out of hand. We're wasting too much time as it is.” When the men were reasonably quiet, he said, “In case you haven't heard the news by now, two of our workers were ambushed and killed on their way home to their village last night. The attackers made it clear that they'll kill again unless we halt construction on the wall.” He had to pause to regain control over his rage and grief.

“We've heard,” Rephaiah said. “The news is spreading all over Jerusalem. It means that the rumors we've heard, warning of an imminent attack, were true.”

“What rumors? I heard nothing about them. Why wasn't I told? And now two of my men were killed last night!”

“I-I assumed your aides had informed you.”

Nehemiah lowered his head. He had trusted the wrong men to keep him informed. “Where are these warnings coming from?” he asked when he could speak again.

“Some have filtered in from our Gentile neighbors and trading partners,” Rephaiah said. “Reliable merchants whom we've partnered with for several years. Their caravans travel widely and often bring us news.”

“I'm from the district of Mizpah,” another man said. “We live side by side with our Gentile neighbors, and they've been coming and telling us ten times over, ‘Wherever you turn, they will take you by surprise and attack you.' I thought you'd heard, too, Governor.”

The leader from Gibeon added, “Our enemies are saying, ‘Before they know it or see us, we'll be right there among them, and we'll kill them and put an end to their work.'”

Nehemiah's frustration boiled over. “Why didn't anyone take these threats seriously? I should have been told that our workers were in danger. We all know that our enemies don't want Jerusalem's walls to be rebuilt.”

“Well, after what happened last night,” Meshullam said, “my workers have decided to quit and go home before they're the next victims. They've heard that more attacks may come at dusk as they return from their various construction sites. Their families are begging them to stop working, saying it's too dangerous to continue.”

“We're not quitting!” Nehemiah said. “That's exactly what our enemies want! Besides, we're nearly half finished. The walls have been restored to almost half their original height in most places.”

“Then you'd better summon an army to protect us,” Meshullam said.

Nehemiah shook his head. “If you mean the provincial army under Sanballat's command, they can't be trusted. The threats and attacks are likely coming from him.”

Meshullam looked indignant. “That's slanderous. You have no proof of that claim.”

Nehemiah suddenly made the connection. Meshullam was Jehohanan's father-in-law. He had borrowed Meshullam's mule that night last July when he'd surveyed the walls. Meshullam was the one who had endorsed Jehohanan as an aide. Another wolf in the sheepfold. Once again, Nehemiah's anger at himself for lowering his guard made him furious.

“Why don't you send to Susa for help?” someone shouted before Nehemiah could reply. “Ask them to send soldiers.”

“Susa is a thousand miles away. It would take nearly two months for our swiftest messenger to get there, and another two months for help to arrive—if it arrived at all.”

“Then the construction must stop until help comes,” Meshullam said.

Once again, the room erupted into chaos with everyone talking at once. “Quiet down and listen to me!” Nehemiah shouted. “We're going to do two things—and neither one of them is to stop building. First, I'm going to make sure that every man who works on the wall is armed with a weapon. I've already been preparing an arsenal in the event that something like this happened. As soon as I dismiss this meeting, my brother and I will hand out swords, spears, and shields to all your laborers.” Once again, guilt and rage choked off Nehemiah's words. If he had taken this step of arming his workers sooner, his two men might still be alive.

“From now on, I'm posting guards day and night to meet this threat,” he said when he could continue. “I'm stationing men at the unfinished gates, and behind the lowest points in
the wall, and at all the exposed places where the enemy might attack. The guards will go on duty immediately and remain there day and night until the danger is past or the wall is completed, whichever comes first. Every laborer and his helper will remain inside Jerusalem so they can serve as guards by night and workmen by day. Because the work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall, I'll have a signal trumpet with me at all times. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there to fight.” He hoped he could get his guards into place before Meshullam or Jehohanan or any other spies had time to tell his enemies his plan. Nehemiah calmed his anger at the possibility of these traitors in his midst by reminding himself that he had an even more powerful ally than his enemies did. “Arming ourselves and taking action is only the first thing,” he said.