Page 20 - The Prophet-statesman a Drama of Daniel

sight to Ashpenaz. Though he had been there frequently, he never ceased to be
impressed with its size and splendor. He advanced across the glistening tiles with
respectful deliberateness, but he had only traversed a short distance, before the king

shouted a greeting to him: “How now, my good Ashpenaz? I am glad to see that you
have arrived in peace, and I trust you have as good a report to make concerning your
mission as Nebuzar-Adan did of his!”

Before making any reply Lord Ashpenaz prostrated himself with his face to the floor.
He remained in this humble posture a few seconds before rising to his feet and
advancing with more rapid step to the foot of the throne: “May the noble monarch reign
perpetually! I have endeavored to carry out your Majesty’s command to the letter, and

have been attended with perfect success. After Jerusalem fell and our forces had
invested the city I made inquiry and found that there were two schools in which the
young Jews of the noble families were instructed. The best seems to have been the one
conducted by the court-scribe of Jehoiakim. He was never in sympathy, however, with

Jehoiakim and brought his young men up in strict conformity to the laws and worship
of Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews. They seemed to know that we would take the city
and many had taken their leave even before our armies reached the Jordan. But there
were a few families who refused to leave the Holy City, and the sons of these, the cream

of the cream, I have brought with me. Four of them in particular, for their wisdom and
character, I predict will be of great value to thee, O King, and will vindicate your
wisdom in causing them to be brought hither. The others were mostly instructed in the
other school of one Pashur and though bright, wellfavored and promising, I cannot rate

so highly as the first four. The whole group numbers fifty-two. We have treated them
with consideration and they are well disposed toward us. Even during the journey they
have acquired considerable knowledge of our tongue. They are now settled, in
accordance with Your Majesty’s commands, in the dormitory of the novitiates in the

Fourth Temple of Bel, and I have placed the steward Merodach (who has a fair
knowledge of the Hebrew language) in charge of them.”

“You have done excellently, Lord Ashpenaz, and I am highly pleased. I have the

feeling that with the transfer of some of the vessels of their temple and the bringing of
these young men whom we shall train, and our care to show due deference to their city
and temple will evoke in our behalf, the favor of that mighty deity that has previously

wrought so powerfully for them. I caused one of our historic scholars to look up the
ancient records of this people, and he tells me that there was a time in olden days when
this Jehovah caused the Red Sea to open up in front of them as their multitude came out
of Egypt under the leadership of a man named Moses. He says also that Jehovah rained
bread upon them from heaven and caused a mighty stream to gush out of a rock in a

desert place to give them water to drink.