Chapter 1: Yaqub's Preaching
1600 BC
Haran, A city in the south of Babylon, the place had a lot of pine trees and most of the area was sandy.
Some people were watching their cattle graze.
A middle-aged man with a scepter in his hand looked at a temple-like building in which people were going in and out, he shook his head in dismay.
Inside a dark room, the fire was burning in a huge bowl, and an evil-looking lady carried a baby and took it in front of an Idol
"Oh greatest star, oh goddess of mothers, goddess of kindness, goddess of birth and fertility, hear this baby and make him happy, oh worried mother greatest".
A helpless woman was crying and some other ladies were sitting behind her as some sort of ritual.
She continued "this mother takes a vow to bring you valuable offerings".
The lady then moved to the helpless woman and said to her " I've prayed to the greatest to keep your baby alive as she has answered my prayer, go forth and raise your child in a way that ensures he becomes a follower of Star goddess".
The woman took her child and embraced him while crying "I'm very grateful to you Star goddess, peace and blessings upon the star goddess, I am very thankful to you...my child was on the brink of death you gave him a new life..." she left saying "praise to the star goddess...praise to the star goddess".
Another woman was standing with her husband holding her baby, she looked at that woman whose child had been cured and said to her husband " Our child will also be cured as this woman's child has been cured".
"Indeed, the Ishtar is all-powerful" her husband replied.
"That's what I believe let's approach," said the wife and they moved towards the star goddess Ishtar.
Later in the evening, the man with the scepter gathered the town's people outside his home and addressed them "What is the matter with you? you are superior to angels yet you prostrate to your own makings, the whole universe obeys man and yet you continue to bow your heads to these lifeless stones".
"That's your opinion you're insulting our gods for no reason," a man in the crowd said angrily.
"These are not my words I am The Messenger of God to tell you of his book this is the holy book revealed to my grandfather Prophet Abraham I am a follower of his religion and the propagator of this book they are not my words written in that heavenly book" replied the man with the scepter showing some scrolls that he held in his other hand.
"Is it written in that heavenly book to insult our gods?" a woman asked furiously.
"I'm not insulting only asking if you know give me an answer if not accept what I tell you and I ask you did the statues in the Ishtar temple create you or was it you who created them, does this Ishtar have power over you or you over Ishtar, does Ishtar rule you or you nourished an unable and incompetent stone?" asked the man who was addressing.
"Then how did she heal my child" the man who went to the Ishtar temple earlier spoke.
"He's right we saw it all" the crowd began to speak in the favour of Ishtar.
"The omnipotent Lord heard your prayers and healed your baby, not Ishtar, it was God, although you took refuge in a goddess and sought help from her it was the Lord omniscient Who is aware of His servants and had mercy upon you and your baby...you have sight but not 'insight' therefore you saw Ishtar, not the real healer" he replied.
"Yaqub is saying that we must stop worshiping our gods and instead worship his, am I not right?" a man sitting beside a lady said.
"What of our God's done for us but we might expect more from yours" the lady beside him put in.
"I'm calling on you to worship the unequaled God, the God of all and the universe" Yaqub explained.
"How can we know your God is superior to ours?" the old man asked.
"What if you and your God are after gaining profit for yourself like a priestess in the Ishtar temple?" another lady asked.
"You all know that I work for Laban as a shepherd and I have nothing of my own have I ever asked you for anything in return have you ever seen anything of me but working hard as a shepherd" Yaqub justified.
"What if you ask for something in the future," said someone in the crowd.
"You have no power now you'll be just as bad as the priests," said a lady.
"You are all alike once you gain power
you'll fill your stomach and make your own treasure" the man who was beside the lady spoke again.
"I think you're justified you lost your only child to sickness and nobody helped you neither Esther the sorceress nor Ishtar the goddess of the temple you are justified not to worship any God," said Jacob to the man.
"I don't care about the incapable Ishtar I'm talking to your unseen God we have suffered enough from the stone gods of the temple we can't bear another god," said the man, his name was Faris.
"The temple officers are coming"
"The temple officers", "run hurry", "run Faris" voices started to come from the crowd as they saw the temple officers coming.
Faris ran away.
"Where did he go" asked the temple officers.
"he went that way" someone pointed ahead.
"What did he do just let him be" the lady who was beside him cried.
"Oh arrest him don't let him escape" a person who looked like the leader of the temple officers commanded and then moved towards Yaqub and said, "If you were not the son-in-law of governor Leoben I'd punish you severely".
"I'm not afraid of you or the officers of the temple" replied Yaqub.
"Disperse!!! don't listen to Yaqub's blessings for me, don't you see this blasphemy has caused famine errand he has caused it" said the old temple officer leader in anguish.
"He's right to let's go before Esther curses us," people in the crowd said, "let's go".
They all went to their homes and businesses.
Yaqub went inside his house.