Early one morning, one of Isaac’s men came to my tent to alert me that I needed to visit Isaac quickly.  The sun was not yet above the horizon and a urgent message concerned me.

These years had been marked by some troubles but nothing which involved serious conflict.  Peace was often had by negotiation with our neighbors.  If anything, it was the internal struggle between Jacob and Esau which became a greater concern for the family.

A Letter Delivered To Isaac

After dressing and making my way to Isaac’s tent I found him sitting outside on his bench.  His eyes were already beginning to fail him but he still could recognize me as I drew closer to him.

“Clay, I received a letter in the night.  I am not sure what to make of it.  It appears to have something to do with your past life with Shem.” Isaac said as he handed me the letter.

I began to read:

“Clay, my name is Liu.  I am the grandson of Uri who traveled with you in your journey to the East.  We were told the stories of the past and instructed to seek you out only in the case of great need.

Great turmoil and a struggle for power and control has devastated the people.

We arrived at your home to find that you were no longer present but have joined those who reside here.  I held hopes of knowing my father’s origins, making a new life for my family, and knowing if the tales which were told were true.

If you still live, it would be appreciated if you could reply.”

After I finished reading the letter aloud to Isaac I really did not know what to say.  So many thoughts ran through my mind.  Uri was one of the men that had been a close friend of Nathan from Babel so many years ago.  He traveled with us East and then stayed in what would be modern China.

“Clay, It would seem that the farm dad and you spoke of still exists.  Maybe it is time for you to go say a final goodbye, I noticed that Shem was not mentioned in the letter.”  Isaac stated.

“Yeah, I noticed.  I already said my final goodbye to Shem while he was still alive.  There really is no need to return.  Is the man who delivered this letter still here with us?” I asked.

“Yes, he is.  He is resting now.  Things have become boring here for you.  Day to day life is normal.  There are no threats to us Clay.  The worst things happening are Esau and Jacob’s differences.  Not to mention Esau’s constant flirting with Judith, that Hittite’s daughter.”

“Clay, go see your friends grandson.  See the farm one more time.  Say goodbye to everything before it is gone forever.”  Isaac insisted.

I relented and agreed to the idea.  Giving Isaac a hug he told me I would have all that I needed for the journey.  When I told Jared and Nathan they were more than excited for a trip back.

Isaac had offered men to go with us but I refused.  After recent tension surrounding a couple water wells I did not want to deplete resources in manpower.  While there was peace between Isaac and the Philistines, tension had been brewing due to drought.

The Return To The Farm

The trip back to the farm was quite different than in years past.  Since the early days of Abraham, drought and famine had become a common theme.  The landscape was ever changing in this world after Noah.

There was once grasslands between Canaan and Nineveh.  When storms had been more common in this region water could be had easily.  Now everything was turned to dust and dirt.  It truly resembled more of what the generation in my time would recognize.

We were forced to travel north through Syria.  The old path we took South with Shem was now littered with various families, or we could call them newer nations of people.  There is an interesting note of history to be found here.

The lands we traveled in were largely Hittite controlled.  These people were descendants of Gomer, who is the son of Japeth, who was my friend.  It would not be long from now that Esau would marry into the Hittite families.  In time, and after some migration, these lands would be largely controlled by Esau’s descendants.

Judith would be Esau’s first wife, then Basemath who was also known as Adah.  He also would marry another woman named Mahalath, but she would be from Ishmael’s bloodline.

I am sure these three women would create some confusion for future generations.  It was common for name changes to take place after a marriage into a family.  It was to symbolize not only a union of blood, but also a union of power.

It would be these unions that would give Esau the ability to defeat the Horites and settle at Mount Seir.  After some time, these peoples would migrate further North and also spread among other existing nations in the surrounding region.

While the people known as the Idumaeans would remain near Petra and Seir to become Edom, or Edomites, it would be Esau’s grandson Teman that would go North.  Esau would have a son named Eliphaz who would begat Teman.

Later these people would become the Turkic Temani people.  This is the foundations of what would come to be known as the House of Togarmah.  There would forever be constant tension between Abraham’s line and these people, in addition to those from Ishamel’s lineage.

Arriving At The Farm

Our return to the farm was eerie.  It appeared nothing like what it once was.  The land was far more arid and the farming was totally dependent upon irrigation and planting near the river.  The Aras river itself was thinner and not as deep as it once was.

Our old homes were abandoned and new structures closer to the river were established.  Many of the old structures were dismantled and the stones were used in newer construction.  My old room in the farm shack no longer existed other than its foundation.

The population there was small.  They were a handful of families that were not from our beginning but rather had migrated into the old farm.  Everyone that I once knew was now completely gone.

At our arrival we were sitting on our horses just below the rise of hill.  Looking down into the farm was easy as very few trees remained.  It would be Jared that pointed out the obvious.

“Look at the size of that camp!  You can definitely tell they come from the East.”  Jared stated.

He was right.  The camp style was very early East Asian.  You could see the early marks of Chinese design right down to the camp flags.  My question was, why were they really here?

We began to ride down the hillside towards the camp.  It did not take long for us to be intercepted by Liu’s guard.

The Meeting With Liu

The front guard were polite and once they discovered who we were they became energetic.  We were rushed to their camp.  It was mid morning and the breakfast fires were now out, people were engaged in their daily tasks.

As we began to ride through their camp all work ceased.  People began to follow us as we rode to the camps center.  I was not accustomed to such attention.  Arriving at Liu’s tent we dismounted and Liu himself came out.

“Are you Clay?” Liu asked.
“Yes I am.” I replied.
“Are you really the grandson of Uri?” Nathan quickly asked.
“Yes, and who are you?” Liu inquired.
“I am Nathan, your grandfather’s friend.”

Liu’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.  It was shock, amazement, and happiness all at the same time.  Liu rushed forward to embrace us.  I knew there had to be a story behind this, and I knew it wouldn’t be a good one.

Liu invited us to tea outside his tent in the open air.  This was done so the people could watch and also listen.  In many traditions politics is often kept private.  When it is in the open air, the modern equivalent could be said to be peer pressure.  The individual really wants something bad.

“Liu, can you please inform us of what is so urgent?” I asked while sipping the tea at his table.
“Yes, I came to inform you that Fu Xi has come to our land in the Yellow River Valley.” He said.
“That is not possible.  Fu Xi is dead.” I insisted.
“No, he is not dead.  He is a plague to our people.  We need your help.”  Liu said seriously.

Modern history would know Fu Xi by several different names.  He was a major problem in my first travels in wandering the world after leaving Job’s lands.  When we encountered him, I discovered he was a great grandson of Ham and one of Nimrod’s many illegitimate children, or so we believed.  There was an oddity about him.

In the far East he presented himself as a god.  He claimed to have a miraculous birth from his mother that allowed him to have a serpent’s body.  In truth the guy was like a giant.  We often wondered if he was a product of some kind of unholy union as Noah described to me with the fallen ones.  What we did know for a fact is that he had unnatural powers.

In my anthropology courses in college any reference to things like this was classified as myth or legend.  No credibility was ever given to anything supernatural.  Go figure why nerds can come up with ideas like a multiverse, but when it pertains to history, they seek only a one-dimensional view of evolution.

Historically speaking within anthropology, it is accepted the Xia dynasty existed in some form or another.  There were simply too few records or findings to substantiate it to any real degree or influence.  What they didn’t know is that this guy Fu Xi is one of the last long living, and unnaturally powerful, legends of old.

“Liu, please understand that I cannot return with you.” I didn’t hold back.  I had made promises to Abraham which I intended to keep.  The look on Liu’s face darkened.

“I serve a man named Chen Tang who is willing to offer you anything you request for your return.  He stated that if you would not return, then I am to acquire any means of aid that can be offered.”  Liu’s eyes were dark.

Jared looked at me and in his eyes I could see some tension.  He then did something which is considered quite impolite, but he couldn’t help it.  Using Hebrew, he said that they clearly were ready to kidnap us if needed, so I had better come up with something good.

What I did know was that these people were entering into what would be their bronze age.  There is no way in this world I was going to let them kidnap us, so I had one ace in the hole to help them.  Technology would be the key.

When we left the farm, it was impossible for us to bring every resource with us.  One resource specifically was way too cumbersome to carry in volume.  Instead of taking it, Shem ordered it to be hidden in the mountain.  It was the iron from the Ark.

After the Ark had burned to ashes, all the iron which we could not scrap in the years before was then left on the ground.  It along with what we had at the farm was then placed in the mountain.  It was time to negotiate my terms, for I was not about to bargain for our freedom.  I wanted something from Liu as well.