Sarah: Women of Genesis: 1 (Women of Genesis (Forge)) Read Online Free

conversation was mere chat—talking about Qira’s charms as if she didn’t understand plain speech, telling stories about things that went wrong at weddings in the past, commenting on the bride-price and how Father was going to dispose of such flocks when he had no shepherds among his servants.
     
    Finally, though, Sarai’s close attention was rewarded, as she heard Suwertu turn to the subject that must have brought him here. “I wondered, though, that a man of such wisdom as yourself, O King, would give such honor to an obscure family of Amorites, no matter how many cattle they brought to your house.”
     
    Sarai noticed how Abram, rather than growing angry at this insult—a veiled accusation that his father was a liar—merely seemed to relax further onto his bench, paying, if anything, less attention to the conversation.
     
    “A king is a priest before he is a king,” said Father, as he had so often said before.
     
    “But not all who call themselves priests have any claim to speak for God,” said Suwertu.
     
    “There are many gods and many priests,” said Father.
     
    “There are many names for gods,” said Suwertu. “But we all know that the great god whom the people of this land call merely Ba’al, ‘the Lord,’ is the same as Osiris, the god who dies and is brought back to life by his son Horus with the help of the goddess Isis.”
     
    “I know little of Egyptian names for the gods,” said Father. Sarai could see his wariness increase even as he kept his tone of voice mild. “Terah knows the secret name of Ba’al. And his priesthood comes from Utnapishtim, who rode above the flood, upheld by the hand of the Lord.”
     
    “But how can he be the rightful possessor of this priesthood, when this can be claimed only by Pharaoh?”
     
    At once the air in the room seemed to crackle as if a thunderstorm were about to strike.
     
    Abram’s eyes were fully closed.
     
    “I have never heard such a claim made by a priest of Pharaoh before,” said Father.
     
    “Who would need to claim what everyone knows, until someone is bold enough to deny it? Out of Canaan came the first Pharaoh. Osiris gave the land of Egypt to him, because only Pharaoh had the true priesthood from the lineage of him you call Utnapishtim.”
     
    “Forgive me, Suwertu,” said Father, “but how could the priesthood of Utnapishtim have anything to do with the land of Egypt, or Pharaohs with Canaan?”
     
    It was only then that Abram spoke, though he still did not open his eyes. “Suwertu says many true things. The first Pharaoh was a descendent of a son of Utnapishtim. He did indeed come from Canaan, where his claim to the true priesthood was one of the tools he used in taking control of upper Egypt.”
     
    Sarai could see how surprised Suwertu was by this admission. “If you admit this, then how can your father claim that his house has the true power of God?”
     
    Abram sighed. “My father has many mistaken ideas, I’m afraid. For instance, Ba’al is not just another name for the true God. Once upon a time it may have been so, but now Ba’al is the name for statues erected in every city. The people do not sacrifice to God, they sacrifice to the statue. But my father persists in thinking that these idols can somehow be used in worship by servants of the true God.”
     
    “So you admit that your father’s claims are false,” said Father, looking stunned.
     
    “ Which claims?” asked Abram.
     
    “That he is of the lineage of Utnapishtim, that the true priesthood is his by right.”
     
    “Oh, the priesthood is indeed Father’s birthright. And the birthright of Lot, through my brother Haran. As long as he is worthy. And I can assure you that Lot is as worthy an heir to that birthright as you’re likely to find.”
     
    Suwertu chuckled. “If this man’s father lied about one thing, who is to say he doesn’t lie about—”
     
    Abram sat bold upright and swung around to face Suwertu. “My father lied