Chapter 2
The Lion and the Lamb ~ continued from Chapter 1 | The Rose
An early fall breeze blew over the Bethlehem hillside ruffling the orchards and whispering of the cold, damp weather that was approaching. The wind picked up and row upon row of olive trees bowed in the presence of the Autumn King.
Rain began to fall above the hills and mist crept over Mount Gilboa, which brooded over the valley below.
On the way home from the fields, Obed, grandfather of David and Shimea, walked between his grandsons.
“Well, my two farmers,” Obed began.
The two turned to each other, smirked and knew what was coming.
“Which harvest is the biggest, grain or fruit?”
“Spring grain harvest,” David said.
“It’s forty, no, fifty, percent of our food,” Shimea put in.
Obed bent over and picked up a handful of dark soil. He rubbed the dirt with his thumb and forefingers before it fell from his hands.
“Barley and wheat in the autumn and barley harvest first in the spring,” Obed smiled at the rich soil.
“Barley is strong.” The elder statesman punched his fist against his deep chest. “It can take the harsh rain.”
Obed had lost his wife Adel 15 years before and so he busied himself as one of the heads of the village, dispensing advice, upholding what few laws they had and helping his daughter Nitzevet look after her rough-hewn boys.
He continued, his hands holding the reins loosely as the donkey walked slowly behind.
“But we don’t eat until the Feast of Harvest,” he cautioned the boys as he walked.
“Now in Galilee, the air is cool and damp and so the crops come a little bit later then Feast of Harvest, but we still celebrate all the crops.”
“And in the Jordan Valley it is warmer and they come earlier,” Shimea said.
Obed let out a chuckle. “Good, my farmer boy.”
“And after Feast of Harvest we bring in grapes, olives, dates and figs,” David said.
Obed smiled and continued through the quiet driveways.
“Barley and wheat in the spring with chickpeas, lentils, sesame and millet later, and figs and olives deep in the season.”
“What about the Egyptians?” David asked.
“They have irrigated gardens not the hilly, terraced crops we have,” he yawned. “Now when does the wine festival come?”
“Fifty days after the Feast of Harvest,” Shimea said.
David kicked at the ground as his slightly older brother walked on triumphantly.
“Fifty days… blah blah,” David whispered under his breath.
“Now, my boys, which is heavier in weight or bulk: fruit or grain harvest?”
The old man’s eyes twinkled.
“Fruit,” Shimea said. “It has more water so it’s heavier.”
Obed hugged David and shook him playfully. “Good, my farmer,” he said to Shimea.
Continue reading… Chapter 2 | Blessed By The Lord
[…] Continue reading… Chapter 2 | Two Farmers […]