Lost Books of the Bible (177 page)

The Length of the Banners.

The banner of the entire congregation shall be fourteen cubits long. The banner of three tribes shall be thirteen cubits long. The banner of a tribe, twelve cubits. The banner of ten thousand, eleven cubits. The banner of a thousand shall be ten cubits. The banner of a hundred shall be nine cubits.  The banner of a group of fifty shall be eight cubits, The banner of a group of ten, shall be seven cubits.

The description of the shields.

And on the shield of the Leader of the entire nation they shall write his name, the names "Israel," "Levi," and "Aaron," and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel according to their order of birth, and the names of the twelve chiefs of their tribes.

The description of the arming and deployment of the divisions.

This is the rule for arranging the divisions for war when their army is complete to make up the forward battle line:

The battle line shall be formed of one thousand men. There shall be seven forward rows to each battle line, arranged in order. The station of each man will be behind his fellow. All of them shall bear shields of bronze, polished like a face mirror. The shield shall be bound with a border of woven work and a design of loops, the work of a skillful workman consisting of gold, silver, and bronze bound together and jewels in a multicolored brocade. It is the work of a skillful workman, artistically done. The length of the shield shall be two and a half cubits, and its breadth a cubit and a half. In their hands they can hold a lance and a sword.

The length of the lance
shall be seven cubits, of which the socket and the blade constitute half a cubit. On the socket there shall be three bands engraved as a border of woven work; of gold, silver, and copper bound together like an artistically designed work. And in the loops of the design, on both sides of the band all around, shall be precious stones, a multicolored brocade, the work of a skillful workman, artistically done, and an ear of grain.

The socket shall be grooved between the bands like a column, artistically done. The blade shall be of shining white iron, the work of a skillful workman, artistically done, and an ear of grain of pure gold inlaid in the blade. The blade will be tapered towards the point. The swords shall be of refined iron, purified in the furnace and polished like a face mirror, the work of a skillful workman, artistically done, with figures of ears of grain  of pure gold embossed on both sides. The borders shall go straight to the point, two on each side. The length of the sword shall be a cubit and a half and its width four fingers. The scabbard shall be four thumbs wide and four handbreadths up to the scabbard. The scabbard shall be tied on either side with thongs of five handbreadths. The handle of the sword shall be of choice horn, the work of a skillful workman, a varicolored design with gold and silver and precious stones.

And when the troupes take their stand, they shall arrange seven battle lines, one behind the other and there shall be a space between (the lines) thirty cubits, where the infantry shall stand the (infantry) forward and they shall sling seven times, and return to their position. After them, three divisions of infantry shall advance and stand between the battle lines. The first division shall heave into the enemy battle line seven battle spears. On the blade of the first spear they shall write, "Flash of a spear for the strength of God." On the second weapon they shall write, "Missiles of blood to make fall the slain by the wrath of God." On the third spear they shall write, "The blade of a sword devours the slain of wickedness by the judgment of God." Each of these they shall throw seven times and then return to their position. After these, two divisions of infantry shall march forth and stand between the two battle lines. The first division will be equipped with a spear and a shield and the second division with a shield and a sword, to bring down the slain by the judgment of God, to subdue the battle line of the enemy by the power of God, and to render recompense for their evil for all the prideful and arrogant nations. So the Kingship shall belong to the God of Israel, and for the holy ones of His people He shall act powerfully.

The description of the deployment of the cavalry.

Seven rows
of horsemen shall also take position at the right and at the 1eft of the battle line. Their ranks shall be positioned on both sides, seven hundred horsemen on one side and seven hundred on the other. Two hundred horsemen shall go out with one thousand men of the battle line of the infantry, and they shall take position on all sides of the camp. The total being four thousand six hundred men, and one thousand four hundred cavalry for the entire army arranged for the battle line; fifty for each battle line.

The horsemen with the cavalry of the men of the entire army, will be six thousand made up by five hundred to a tribe. All the cavalry that go out to battle with the infantry shall ride stallions that are swift, responsive, unrelenting, mature, trained for battle, and accustomed to hearing noises and seeing all kinds of scenes.

Those who ride them shall be men capable in battle, trained in horsemanship, the range of their age from thirty to forty-five years. The (head) horsemen of the army shall be from forty to fifty years old, and they shall wear helmets and greaves (shin protectors), carrying in their hands round shields and a lance eight cubits long, and a bow and arrows and battle spears, all of them prepared in (accordance to instructions) to shed the blood of their guilty slain. These are the (instructions of the horsemen.)

The recruitment and age of the soldiers.

The men of the army shall be from forty to fifty years old. The commissioners of the camps shall be from fifty to sixty years old. The officers shall also be from forty to fifty years old. All those who strip the slain, plunder the spoil, cleanse the land, guard the arms, and he who prepares the provisions, all these shall be from twenty-five to thirty years old.

No youth, nor woman shall enter their encampments from the time they leave Jerusalem to go to battle until their return. No one crippled, blind, nor lame, nor a man who has a permanent blemish on his skin, or a man affected with ritual uncleanness of his flesh; none of these shall go with them to battle. All of them shall be volunteers for battle, pure of spirit and flesh, and prepared for the day of vengeance. Any man who is not ritually clean in respect to his genitals on the day of battle shall not go down with them into battle, for holy angels are present with their army. There shall be a distance between all their camps and the latrine of about two thousand cubits, and no shameful nakedness shall be seen in the areas of all their camps.

The ministry of the priests and Levites.

When the battle line are arrayed against the enemy battle line shall be seven priests that will go through from the middle opening into the gap between the battle lines. The priests will be of the sons of Aaron, dressed in fine white linen garments, consisting of a linen tunic and linen breeches, and girded with a linen sash of twined fine linen of violet, purple, and crimson, and a multicolored colored sign and decorated caps on their heads, , and the garments for battle shall be the work of a skillful workman, and they shall not take them into the sanctuary.

The one priest shall walk before all the men of the battle line to encourage them for battle. In the hands of the remaining six shall be the trumpets of assembly the trumpets of memorial, the trumpets of the alarm, the trumpets of pursuit, and the trumpets of reassembly. When the priests go out into the gap between the battle lines, seven Levites shall go out with them. In their hands shall be seven trumpets of rams' horns. Three officers from among the Levites shall walk before the priests and the Levites. The priests shall blow the two trumpets of assembly.

 (And there shall proceed men, with the words of) battle upon fifty shields, and fifty infantrymen shall go out from the one gate and (the) Levites, officers. With each battle line they shall go out according to all (if the) orders given. The men of the infantry (shall go out) from the gates and they shall take position between the two battle lines, and (join) the battle.  (Then the priests shall raise the trumpets and) shall blow continually to direct the slingmen until they have completed hurling seven times.

Afterwards the priests shall blow on the trumpets of return, and they shall go along the side of the first battle line to take their position. The priests shall blow on the trumpets of assembly, and the three divisions of infantry shall go out from the gates and stand between the battle lines, and beside them the cavalrymen, Sat the right and at the left. The priests shall blow on their trumpets a level note, signals for the order of battle. And the columns shall be deployed into their formations, each to his position. When they have positioned themselves in three formations, the priests shall blow for them a second signal, a low legato note, signals for advance, until they come near the battle line of the enemy and take hold of their weapons. Then the priests shall blow on the six trumpets of the slain a sharp staccato note to direct the battle, and the Levites and all the people with rams' horns shall blow a great battle alarm together in order to melt the heart of the enemy.

With the sound of the alarm, the battle spears shall fly out to bring down the slain. Then the sound of the rams' horns shall quiet, but on the trumpets the priests shall continue to blow a sharp staccato note to direct the signals of battle until they have hurled into the battle line of the enemy seven times. Afterwards, the priests shall blow for them the trumpets of retreat, a low note, level and legato (smooth). According to this rule the priests shall blow for the three divisions. When the first division throws, the priests and the Levites and all the people with rams' horns shall blow a great alarm to direct the battle until they have hurled seven times. Afterwards, the priests shall on the trumpets of retreat blow for them. And they shall take their stand in their positions in the battle line and shall take up position (in front of the) slain, and all the people with rams' horns shall blow a very loud battle alarm, and as the sound goes out their hands shall begin to bring down the slain, and all the people shall quiet the sound of alarm, but the priests shall continue sounding on the trumpets of the slain to direct the fighting, until the enemy is defeated and turns in retreat.

The priests shall blow the alarm to direct the battle, and when they have been defeated before them, the priests shall blow the trumpets of assembly, and all the infantry shall go out to them from the midst of the front battle lines and stand, six divisions in addition to the division which is engaged in battle: altogether, seven battle lines, twenty-eight thousand soldiers, and six thousand horsemen. All these shall pursue in order to destroy the enemy in God's battle; a total annihilation.

The priests shall blow for them the trumpets of pursuit, and they shall divide themselves for a pursuit of annihilation against all the enemy. The cavalry shall push the enemy back at the flanks of the battle until they are destroyed. When the slain have fallen, the priests shall continue blowing from afar and shall not enter into the midst of the slain so as to be defiled by their unclean blood, for they are holy. They shall not allow the oil of their priestly anointment to be profaned with the blood of the vainglorious nations.

The description of the maneuvers of the battle divisions
.

This is the Rule for changing the order of the battle divisions, in order to arrange their position against (the enemy in) a pincer movement and towers, line, arc, and towers, and as it draws slowly forward, then the columns and the flanks go out from the two sides of the battle line that the enemy might become discouraged. The shields of the soldiers of the towers shall be three cubits long, and their lances eight cubits long. The towers  shall go out from the battle line with one hundred shields on a side. They shall surround the tower on the three front-most sides, three hundred shields in all. There shall be three gates to a tower, one on the right and one on the left. Upon all the shields of the tower soldiers they shall write: on the first, "Michael" and on the second, "Gabriel," on the third, "Cyril," and on the fourth "Raphael."  "Michael" and "Gabriel" on the right, and "Raphael" and "Cyril" on the left. And (push the enemy) to the four(th) (side). They shall establish an ambush for the battle line of (three sides) and they shall fall on the slain.