The sun rose over the hills, its golden raise gleaming off of the lamp that hung at the entrance of the Holy Temple. This singled the start of the sacrificial day in the Temple at the start of the day for the city of Yerushalayim. One by one the priests slowly arose from their slumber and began to prepare the Temple for the coming festival; the first ritual to be done would be the removal of the ashes from the sacrificial altar that had remained their overnight.
Originally, a race was had where the priests would race up the sacrificial altar’s ramp and the first person to reach the top would get the ability to do this service. However since recent years since many of the young priests were injured in this practice the ‘drawing lots’ had been instituted as a safer and just as effective measure, each priest would stick out his finger, and they would all be counted and the last priest who the count landed on would have his turn to remove the ashes.
However today, in lieu of the Pilgrimage Festival of Succos as well as the event being organized by the High Priest the daily ritual of removing the ashes had been predetermined the night before. This wasn’t the normal practice and hadn’t been the practice of any High Priest until the current one. In fact the current High Priest had been known to give away many of the sacrificial duties to whichever priest he saw fit, either by merit, or even by coin.
On a small hill across from the Temple Mount stood a mansion, a large villa of sorts that would be the equivalent of many of the plaster houses that lined the city below. For the size of this house it seemed to be a bustle of noise, even this early in the morning. This was the house of Matthias Jannaeus, High Priest, leader of the Great Sanhedrin, and King of Menassa. Matthias, his wife, his two twin daughters, his youngest son, and the many servants were all rushing around from one end of the priestly villa to the other making sure they all were ready for the gala that would occur later in the afternoon.
Matthias was a tall man, around six feet and five inches, but by looking at him you wouldn’t know it as he stood slightly bent at the back. Matthais’s dark black hair was thick and wavy, and flowed down to his neck, his dark brown eyes, mirrored his dark character. Matthias’s physique was tall and bony; he appeared as if he could slip through any closed space. With his hands outstretched Matthias picked up his circular turban that was exclusive to the high priest and was unlike the pointed turbans of the regular priests. The difference however between Matthias’s turban and the turban of the High Priest’s of the past is that this turban was encircled by a crown, the same crown that had been worn by the past kings of Menassa since its inception. However for the first time in Menassian history this crown was worn alongside the priestly turban and not surprisingly, many people did not find this situation ideal. Matthias looked at himself in his mirror, in his entire kingly and priestly splendor, a crooked smiled found its way across his face.
Directly down the hall from were Matthias was admiring himself existed the largest bedroom in the house even grander than the master bedroom due to its sheer size. In this room Matthaias’s twin daughters, and their servant resided. Chava and Chana both eighteen years of age and both regarded as absolutely stunning by most authorities. Chava, had long flowing golden blond, hair that landed somewhere in the back of her shoulders while Chana had short clipped jet black hair that rested at just above her neck. They booth were identical in the size of five feet and six inches, they were both identical in their small medium waste size and ample curves. Chava was adorned in in a green dress that fell to just above her knees and just above her elbows. Chana wore a bright yellow sundress that came up to just below her knees and the sleeves ended a little bit after the shoulder. In the times before Matthias such ‘revealing’ garments could get a person removed from such a party or even a public event, but those days were long gone and perhaps the only person to remember them was their servant Chaiya.
Chaiya was an older, and more complex woman, compared to the twins at least; she was aged at twenty seven years although due to her troublesome past she looked at least ten years older than this. Chaiya’s bright red hair flowed down to her shoulders and her green eyes mirrored a welcoming soul and someone who could generally be seen as kind. Chaiya’s clothes were not nearly as lavish as the clothes of the two princess whom she was employed under, while her garments were not meager as if to say they were ‘rags’ they still were not as luxurious and spectacular as the clothes of the daughters of the High Priest.
“Chaiya, back in the old kingdom, were there parties like this?” Chana asked her servant as Chaiya brushed her hair.
“Of course here were, and in the same vineyard as well, the ancient kings used to throw a festival almost every month! And whenever there would be a day of fasting, all the officials would gather there to pray after watching the sacrificial display.” Chaiya explained as she was considered almost an expert on the happenings of the old kingdom, perhaps even greater than the Temple scribes.
“I bet it was wonderful to live back then.” Chava said chiming in from her seat facing out the window.
“It was certainly a sight to behold.” Chaiya ended with a slight sigh, knowing of course that ‘back then’ was only about fifteen to twenty years ago.
“Girls,” a voice was heard at the entrance to the girl’s bedroom.
“I think we’re just about ready to leave, do you have everything in order?”
“Yes father,” the girls said responding to Matthias’s request.
“And you Chaiya, are you ready to depart to the Temple’s vineyards for the festival?”
“Yes sir,” Chaiya responded humbly and with a bowed head.”
“Then let us go, your mother and brother is waiting for us in the car.” Matthias finished, and then proceeded back down the corridor
After he had left his two daughters grabbed each other’s hands and smiled as they made their wait to the car, they were followed ever so slowly by Chaiya her head pointed towards the sky in wonderment.
The Temple’s vineyards were stretched over many acres of land, however for today the land that was nearest to the actual Temple Mount would be used for the celebration as it had been used for every royal festival. The vines were ordered neatly and each was to their own row, thousands of rows producing the finest grapes and subsequently the finest wine. A large area had been cleared out from among the many rows of grape vines and in here were placed the famous Tabernacles, small booths in which the food and tables for the event were housed under, where most of the event would take place. These tabernacles were scattered around the cleared area but they were all facing the same direction, they were all pointed towards the stage. On this stage stood the Levites, about thirty or so of them singing hymns and playing music, or they would be when they event started but for now they were practicing. “The LORD saith unto my master,” the lead would sing. “Wait for My right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool at your feet.” the ensemble would respond and they’d go about tuning their instruments and do it again.
Matthias and his family arrived at the vineyards, as always they were the first people there after the servants and the Levites, they each spread about trying to help in any way they can to hurry the completion of the event’s preparation, except Matthias. Matthias went and leaned against a table with a glass of wine in his hand, he looked out over the area and breathed deeply, taking in everything that he had organized and planned for.
This was the his government’s first event that was open to foreigners and Menassians were known for being a little on the xenophobic side concerning foreigners, or at least the old kingdom was. Naturally Matthias was a little nervous but a little excited at the same time, all of his family was here, which hadn’t happened in a while and all his ‘friends’ would be here as well they only thing that irked him were how exactly the delegates from other nations would react to Menassian culture and practice, but he put that aside in favor of optimism.
About a half an hour after Matthias had arrived at the vineyards two of the servants pulled back on the big metal gates, a silver trumpet could be heard from somewhere off in the distance and one by one the nations dignitaries began to arrive, the Festival of Tabernacles, had begun.
