1750 B.C.

Sumer had fallen; Mesopotamia was in turmoil as the Elamites sacked the cities of the "big men". Yet Sumer's sons still existed, Babylon and Assyria rose to take his place, Canaan found new family in Sumer's ashes, China faced his first dynastic change, and Egypt struggled to find her new place in the world…

Canaan woke up to tend the fields, famine had gripped his people and he worked effortlessly to take food from the harsh ground. Today though, he was especially miserable because he had to bid farewell to someone especially close to him. That little boy was his brother…

He thought back to that day, the day when he was still writing to that brat Babylon, who had taken over things after Sumer's death. One of those days, Babylon sent him a letter whose contents followed this train of thought;

"To my barbarous uncle, the Baal of Canaan, I have some news for you that you may take in your interest. A family has left the city of Ur in an unusual fashion, they took a sheep and tore it down the middle and then scattered the pieces on either side of the road. The Patriarch of the family, who goes by the name of Abram, then led the rest of his family, including his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, towards your domain in Canaan. Please take care of this new family, for I feel that they are descended of the Martu. Yet despite their heritage, I feel many great things will come of them."

Canaan had no idea on how to receive this news but he decided to greet Abram anyway. He met the man at Shechem and while he was greeting these new citizens of his region, he noticed that they had come because Abram had been promised by his god, Jehovah, that he "would be the father of many nations." After he had finished speaking, Abram built an alter to his god out of respect for their covenant. Abram then went south to the desert that was called the Negeb and he heard that his family was travelling to Egypt in order to escape the famine that was going on in his country. "Well," he thought, "at least they left quietly; the priests were starting to get a bit disturbed about this whole business with Jehovah, now he can be Egypt's problem." Yet something bothered Canaan, there was a strange presence amongst Abram's people, could it be a new nation? "No, it couldn't be…" Canaan assured himself. "It just couldn't be…"

Egypt was surprised to hear of the new visitors who had crossed the Sinai. The tribe was led by a man named Abram, and her pharaoh received him and his sister Sarah well. Egypt however, started to question the importance of Abram's company. There was a strange presence amongst them, like that of a new nation. Later on, after her pharaoh became a little too friendly towards Sarah, Egypt felt a series of terrors and plagues grip her nation. She begged her pharaoh;

"Please tell these Semites to leave, I felt terrible ever since they came here and I feel that they are hiding something from us! Their god has cursed our nation because we have done something terrible to them and now we are paying the price for it!"

Shortly afterward, the pharaoh became sick with the plague as well and when he demanded Abram of what had been done to him, Abram replied that Sarai was not his sister but in fact his wife! They were ordered to leave the country immediately, although Sarai was allowed to keep her servant Hager, who was one of Egypt's people.

Canaan welcomed Abram back from Egypt, but things from that point had gone down severely, Elam had returned to glory in his dominance after he had killed Sumer. Canaan remembered with loathing the words that Elam had spoken:

"The great vulture of Sumer is dead, and because I was the one to shoot him out of the skies, I can now demand tribute from you and those despicable brats of his."

After the King of Sədom lost to Elam, Canaan was forced to pay tribute to him. Abram returned from Egypt shortly after that and informed Canaan that his nephew Lot had taken his family to Sədom in order for them to grow independently. Abram also secretly dispelled news which he had only meant for Canaan's ears. "I discovered a bundle on my way back from Egypt." began the old man, "When I looked inside of it, I discovered a baby. When I asked the members of my family, they denied relation to the child. When I asked Jehovah for guidance, he told me that his flesh was that of the nations and that I must entrust him in your care. He must also spend some time with his nation as well, and when he is old enough, he must come to live with us. Take care of the child, and when the time comes, he will reunite with his people to lead Jehovah's nation."

With this, Abram departed along with Hager and his wife Sarai. Still holding the infant nation in his arms, Canaan was unsure as to what to do. The Baal of Sədom and Amora would have wanted to kill the child, and yet, despite his background, Canaan knew that Abram had entrusted him with his new nation. "From this point on," Canaan declared to the youth "I shall raise you as my little brother. I shall give you the name Benjamin as you will be at my right side for as long as I live!" Canaan held the child up and praised Baal and Jehovah, for they had delivered him a brother after the death of his uncle, Enlil of Lagash…

Across the world, a totally different drama was unfolding; Yao Wang's Hsia paradise had unraveled. The Hsia armies were defeated by duke Tāng in a battle and soon afterward, the capital fell. At first, China was shocked by this aggressive development, but then thought to himself "Duke Jié had grown cruel and impious. He lost the support of the army and the people, and now he is dead because of this. I shall now follow Tāng, as he now rules All Under Heaven" China looked out over Yin, the new capital, and thought how, despite having the appearance of a 15-year old boy, he possessed the wisdom of the Ancient Sages such as Fu Xi, who had found him by the Yellow River all those years past…

Years passed in Canaan, after the rise of the Shang dynasty in China. In that time Canaan had raised the young Benjamin as his own, and took him on visits to see Abram. One day, Benjamin said to Canaan "Big Brother is it okay if I go into my Boss's house alone this time."

"You may, as you have grown into an energetic young nation" responded Canaan. Although Benjamin referred to Canaan as his brother, Canaan resembled a middle aged man, while Benjamin was a boy of four. Canaan conversed with Hager and Abram's son Ishmael as he waited for Benjamin. In that time he noticed what he thought were three men in the distance. At first he thought it was a mirage, it seemed so as they appeared to fly across the Negev. The strangers walked up to him and said "Is this the tent of Abram, the one that will father many nations? We are travelers who have come a long way to see him." Canaan responded to the travelers with…

"The one you seek is inside of this tent; he is with his wife and with a child that has been placed under my care."

"Many thanks to the Baal of Canaan, who has provided us with the knowledge that we seek." This response wasn't received well by Canaan, who jolted up out of his seat. "How could you strangers know who I am? Are you messengers from Baal!" Canaan exclaimed. The men ignored him and went inside the tent. Two more hours passed, after which the young Benjamin bolted from the tent shouting:

"Canaan, Canaan, Jehovah's angels have come down and dined with me and my boss' family, you should have been there to see it!" Canaan looked up at Abram as he and Sarai exited from the tent and he questioned,

"Is this true?"

"Very much so, Jehovah has fulfilled our covenant and has delivered upon me a son. I shall henceforth be known as Abraham, my wife to be known as Sarah and the child shall be called Isaac."

"I am going to have a little brother, isn't it so exciting Canaan!" Benjamin exclaimed.

"Yes," said Canaan, "you will have a little brother."

Shortly after Isaac's birth, Hager and Ishmael fled to Egypt due to Sarah's malice, yet as the years passed Isaac and Benjamin became great friends. This was so as they were both teenagers (sort of), but this caused trouble as they both became rebellious youth, much to the dismay of Abraham and Canaan. Canaan approached Abraham one day and said:

"This has got to stop! Benjamin and Isaac have not answered to your god's prayers, they are constantly causing trouble, and by Baal if we don't do something then your nation will fall apart!"

"Yes," said Abraham, "we must do something about it. Let me handle the boy."

Abraham took Isaac to the land of Moriah and didn't come back for a long time. Meanwhile, Benjamin was becoming increasingly anxious and when Canaan asked him about it, Benjamin said "The Lord is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins, please go save Lot." So Canaan left for Sodom, where he saw Lot being smuggled out of the city. He waited for them on the pass overlooking the valley, and what he saw chilled him to the bone. Both cities suffered a rain of fire and an earthquake of brimstone.

"By Baal, there is no greater power then this!" Exclaimed Canaan. As the screams rose from the valley he looked down and saw Lot and his family running up the mountain to safety. He motioned for them to use the pass and as they came up and crossed over, Lot's wife looked back upon the destruction, and was no more. Seeing this Canaan urged "There isn't much time! Hurry from here and don't scar your soul with the memory of this hell!" Lot fled, and Canaan shivered, "So this is what it does to humans." Looking at what had been Lot's wife and what was now a pillar of Salt. "It petrifies those who witness, and yet as a nation I haven't seen any judgment" Canaan couldn't stop watching the devastation beneath him as it spread to the two surrounding cities, the two surrounding Canaanite cities.

Pain gripped Canaan's insides and he screamed into the night as he added his voice to the thousands of dead and dying within Sodom and Gomorrah. As his insides burned and before he felt the blackness clog his senses he heard an almighty voice, one he knew that must have addressed Abraham and Benjamin roaring with anger at him. The voice said "Sodom and Gomorrah fall to ash because of the sins of your people, you worshipper of Baal! In addition to this sin you have witnessed their end, an offense worthy of hell! Yet I have delivered upon to thee the care of my people Israel and because of this I will let your nation survive. But a cursed life you will live, for the very child that you raise will be the end of your existence!" Canaan barely had time to contemplate this before the blackness overwhelmed him.

The next morning, Canaan woke and then saw a Sea of Death in the former area of his two cities and Sodom and Gomorrah. Only distant Zoer had survived. Canaan took off his cloak to see if there was any damage to his body. His chest was now a discolored area of skin, and there was a long scar running diagonally from his scar that ran from his right shoulder to his appendix. After taking one last look at the Dead Sea, and at the pillar that served as a testimony to Lot's wife, Canaan left that area and never returned again.

Years passed, Abraham and Isaac returned from their time in the desert, Abraham passed and Isaac married. Isaac and Rebekah produced two sons, Esav and Yaʿakov. Jacob later left for Haran after a dispute with Esau considering Esau's birthright. Canaan meanwhile, had escaped from the Sea of Death that now covered Sodom and Gomorrah, and Benjamin had grown into a spirited young man. Disagreements arose between them a bit more frequently now especially now that Benjamin was old enough to live with Isaac, He even hated Canaan for being an idolater! They still got along despite their differences and Esau came to visit Canaan when the pair feuded but things weren't as good as when they were before. One day, when Jacob returned from Haran with his family, and when Esau received him with forgiveness, Benjamin came to Canaan that night and said "אח, There is something that I must tell you." Canaan noticed that Benjamin was starting to speak the language of his people, an important step to becoming a nation. Benjamin continued "When Jacob was coming home he met an Angel of יהוה who fought with him until the breaking dawn. Afterwards, the angel christened him and the nation he was going to lead Yisrā'el, or one who fights with Jehovah." Canaan realized now what Benjamin… or should he say Israel was trying to tell him.

"I have raised you well and now that you have become a nation with a name you can leave my care, but be assured Benjamin that you will always be at my right side." Canaan said affectionately.

"Thank you Brother" The young nation replied as he bowed his head before his caretaker. Canaan had come to care for Israel very much, but he had to let the young man go. When Yosef, one of Jacob's children became a governor in Egypt, and based on dreams sent to him from the Lord, he invited his whole family to come to Egypt so that they could stay with him as a result of the famine that was happening in Canaan. Israel came to Canaan when he heard this and told him "Joseph has asked me and the rest of my tribe to go with him to Egypt where we can live in the district of Gershon. I came to say that I would rather stay with you and suffer through this famine, but as nations, you and I cannot go against the will of our people."

"You are correct with that Benjamin," Canaan replied "I would rather have you stay in the vicinity of Palestine. But if you must go to Egypt, then I will send you over into Nefertiti's arms. You provided life to me when the Vulture that was Sumer was finally slain, and now I wish you the prospect of a happy life."

"I will return one day and we will live together side by side once more." Israel said this and then left for the Egyptian kingdom across the Sinai. Now, Canaan tilled the stubborn fields, always thinking of the boy named Benjamin, the boy who would always and forever be at his right side. Benjamin's departure wasn't Canaan's largest concern in the coming days however, a people would come from the wild lands of the Scythian North, and they would lead him and his fellow nations in misery.

Egypt looked across the Nile, standing beside the great Pharaoh and his vizier, Joseph, the King of Dreams. He had prevented the famine which was now ravaging Canaan, and now the Pharaoh held him in the highest regard. When Joseph invited his brothers to come live with him in Egypt, she was excited to meet the young boy that Canaan claimed as his little brother. When Jacob and his family arrived, the young man came with.

"ברכות דודה מצרים, I am called Israel" he said. Observing him, Egypt noticed that Israel looked exactly like a younger version of Canaan, except for the fact that his brown eyes contrasted with Canaan's brown ones. He also had very soft hair and he let it hang all around him instead of braiding it up in the same way that Sumer and Canaan had done. He was a handsome young man, and he spoke in his own tongue.

"What is this language of yours with which you speak?" Egypt asked.

"Ah, I forgot that you didn't understand. The language is called Hebrew, if it pleases you, I will speak in the Egyptian tongue, as my older brother taught me some of it before I came here."

"Yes, that would be alright. From now on though, when around humans, we must refer to ourselves by our human names. From now on, you can simply call me your Aunt Nefertiti. I suppose Canaan also named you, so you are…?"

"Benjamin" the Hebrew man replied, "and I am very pleased to make your acquaintance."

At that point the Pharaoh came and invited Israel to his country by giving him a tour. He thanked him for the work that Joseph had put in in order to save Egypt, and after showing him the sights of Ineb-Hedj, such as the Great Sphinx, and the Great Pyramid, he pointed the way to the district of Gershon. As she watched him go, Egypt couldn't help but look forward to the time that she would spend with Canaan's son.

But the good times didn't last, a generation after Israel came, barbarians also came from the North. They toppled Egypt's Middle Kingdom and established themselves as the heqa khasewet, of Egypt. She hated them, the milky skinned foreigners that had robbed her of her power. Then she realized that the reason that they had their power was because of the weapons they wielded. She went to Ahmose of Newt-rst and suggested:

"In order to defeat the heqa khasewet, we need to master their art of the chariot"

Taking this to heart, Ahmose declared himself Egypt's new boss, and launched a campaign which drove the heqa khasewet from Egypt. He even managed to do something which Egypt had been longing to do since Sumer's death. He conquered Canaan and made him a part of her house. He wasn't happy to see her, and the feeling from her side was mutual. While she was there, however, something clawed at her mind. The heqa khasewet were of the same race as the Hebrews which lived in Gershon. Rage took hold of her as she realized that Israel must have invited them to rule her as their slave. How could that brat do that, after all that she had done for him! "This will be resolved, in the most inhumane way possible, but Canaan mustn't know" thought Egypt as she made her way to Gershon.

Israel had been living a life of prosperity in Gershon, the 12 tribes which had spawned from the loins of Jacob's sons. He felt proud of this new territory which had been settled in Egypt's house. He had felt sorry for her the heqa khasewet came and robbed her of her independence, but he really couldn't do anything about it. Then the day came that changed his life forever. It was a clear day, and he suddenly saw a chariot in the distance. "Must be the governor coming to collect the tax." He thought.

Taxes had gone up since the Egyptian conquests had begun and although Joseph was the vizier of Egypt at one time and had helped the country in such a way that they had buried him in their style. But now, no Hebrews were represented, which suited them just fine as long as they kept their citizenship. He rode out to meet the incoming governor. When he came to the chariot, he saw that his Aunt Nefertiti and Ahmose himself had come to meet him…and behind them was an army. "Aunt," the boy questioned, for he had the appearance of a 15-year old boy. "Why do you bring the armies which have driven the heqa khasewet from your territory to my home in Gershon just to collect a simple tax?"

Then came the moment which would change the young Israel's life forever, Egypt turned to face him, and he noticed for the first time that pure rage was emanating from her face. She spoke in a controlled, emotionless voice to the servant right beside the chariot: "Have this boy whipped."

Israel could process what he had just heard before he had been tied to a makeshift post, given 25 lashes with the hippopotamus whip, and put in chains before the Pharaoh. "What have I done to deserve this, Aunt Nefertiti?" The boy whimpered through his shock, anger, pain and tears.

"You have simply become too big." She said with the same voice as before, "You thought that you could sell be to your brothers the heqa khasewet and get off scot-free. Now…" she paused, as if she wanted to relish that moment. "…now, you shall be punished."

"How could you possibly believe that I have betrayed you? Ever since the time of Joseph I have served you faithfully. Since the heqa khasewet came here, I have tried in every possible way to stay on your side and now you have me whipped?"

"SILENCE!" Egypt roared. "You invited them here! YOU BETRAYED ME!" She then regained control of herself and then stated in a voice as venomous as the snakes that inhabited the Red Land beyond Egypt. "From this day forward, you are no longer my nephew, because Benjamin would never do this to me. From this day forward, your nation will consist of the slaves that toil in this land." They went on to Gershon, where Israel's horrified people watched as Ahmose gave the scribe the news that he would herald.

"By decree of the Living God, our glorious Pharaoh Ahmose, the conqueror of Canaan, The tribes of Israel, which have been living in the district of Gershon for the last two centuries are convicted of Treason against the realm of Egypt. The punishment will be and an eternal sentence of slavery of the Hebrew race, in service of the Land of Egypt."

So began the four centuries of Hebrew slavery in Egypt…