The Danites Attack

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. The judges of Israel grew darker and more twisted with each passing generation. Heroes became villains, and villains left Israel bound in sin. Yet the God of Israel would not leave his people forever. 00:00:19 Speaker 2: An image, a great and shining image, overlaid with silver to honor the Lord. It will stand in a shrine, and people will come from far and wide to worship. You will be the guardian of this altar, Micah. You will lead the people in their devotion. 00:00:38 Speaker 1: He had no love for the true God of Israel, no understanding of his ways. That day, the silver was carried to a smith, and by fire and hammer, an idol was born. The cawing of crows broke the silence as a lone figure emerged from the mist. His staff tapped the earth in a slow, steady rhythm. He was a Levite from Bethlehem, a man who had once been set apart for the service of God, but now wandered the land as a cell sword of the Spirit, offering his priestly skills to the highest bidder. His eyes fell upon Micah's shrine as he traveled, and he paused a. 00:01:19 Speaker 3: Belief and a true Levite. The Lord has sent you to me. I am certain of it. Stay here, live among us. I will give you silver five shekels a year, along with food and fine clothes. You will oversee my shrine and serve as a priest in my household. 00:01:38 Speaker 1: If the people truly need a priest, then Hies Hoos I must accept. 00:01:46 Speaker 3: For the Lord. 00:01:49 Speaker 1: Their worship was a far cry from what Moses had commanded. It was a hollow, lewd, and self serving practice. Five figures moved through the mist with a predator's silence. They were not traders or shepherds, but spies. They were men of war, sent from the tribe of Dan. Their people had wandered for generations, restless and landless, seeking a place to call their own. Now they prowled through the hill country, searching for weaknesses, opportunities pray. The Levites saw them first. He stood at the shrine, tending to the candles, his breath visible in the morning chill. When the men emerged from the fog, his grip tightened on his staff. One of the spies stepped forward, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of a dagger. 00:02:49 Speaker 4: Hello, there, we heard. This place is where one enquires of the will of God. 00:02:55 Speaker 2: It is that I am the levites of this shrine. What is it you seek? 00:03:03 Speaker 4: We are of the tribe of Dan. We seek a place to dwell, land to call our own. Tell Us, Priest, will our journey be successful? With a lord? Grant us favor. 00:03:14 Speaker 1: The Levite's heart sank. He could feel the threat behind their request. He swallowed hard, then raised his hands in a gesture of blessing. 00:03:24 Speaker 2: Oh, in peace, your journey has the. 00:03:27 Speaker 1: Lord's appol The spies bowed their heads in thanks. As the Levite watched them go, A knot of unease tightened in his chest. He didn't know that his words had set events in motion that would bring ruin to MICA's house and judgment upon Layish. Under the cover of night, the Spies of Dan came to the city of Layish. Layish was a Sidonian city, prosperous and isolated, its people secure in their wealth and peace. They had no enemies, no defenses, no fear. It was the perfect place for the wayward tribe of Dan to stake its flag. The spies crouched in the shadows, their eyes scanning the city. They saw the fertile fields, the flowing streams, the unguarded homes. 00:04:22 Speaker 4: It's perfect. They have no walls, no warriors. This land is right for the taking. 00:04:27 Speaker 1: The army of dan moved like a shadow across the land, six hundred men armed with spears and shields, toward the Sidonian city of Layish. Before the Danites reached their target, they passed through the hill country of Ephraim, where Micah's house and shrine lay nestled by the roadside. The spies paused, exchanging knowing glances. 00:04:50 Speaker 4: Within those gates lies a silver idol, an ephod, a household God. 00:04:57 Speaker 1: Why should bootle to rattle without the. 00:04:59 Speaker 4: Favor of heaven? 00:05:01 Speaker 1: The men murmured their agreement, and the spies led the way toward Micah's home. The Levite awoke to the sound of their approach. He rubbed his eyes and looked out the window, his heart sinking at the sight of so many armed men. Quickly he dressed and hurried to the room where the idle and sacred objects were kept. But it was already too late. The spies had entered the house. The largest among them stood guard, his hand on the hilt of his sword, while the others seized the silver idol and bundled the epod and household gods into sachs. The Levite burst into the room. What are you doing? 00:05:40 Speaker 3: If these are consecrated to the bikeha, the house simply takes it. 00:05:46 Speaker 1: One of the spies turned to him, his face calm but his blade unsheathed. He stepped forward, the point of his sword glinting in the firelight, and pressed it lightly to the Levite's throat. 00:05:58 Speaker 4: Were silent, priest, Unless you wish to join your gods in captivity, you will. 00:06:03 Speaker 1: Bring ruin upon yourselves? 00:06:06 Speaker 4: Is that soon? 00:06:07 Speaker 2: Of course, you have no priest to oversee the rights. You have no idea how to consult the Lord. 00:06:16 Speaker 4: Why waste your loyalty on a single man? We've heard whispers that Micah is nothing but a madman. Wouldn't you rather serve an entire tribe of Israel? Come with us? We could pay you more than Micah, ever. 00:06:29 Speaker 1: Could The Levite hesitated, his eyes darting between the idol, the spies, and the growing crowd of Danite soldiers. His fear melted into something colder, sharper ambition. Slowly, a smile crept across his face. He nodded slowly and a wicked grin spread across the Danite's face. Come on them. Together they carried the silver idol out of the house. The Danite soldiers erupted into cheers when they saw the idol, their voices loud enough to wake the dead. Micah woke to the sound of their shouts. He saw the idol and the Levite being led away. A cry of anguish escaped his lips. 00:07:14 Speaker 3: WHOA, what are you doing? 00:07:16 Speaker 1: The men were already too far for him to stop alone, so he grabbed his horn and blew a loud blast, summoning his neighbors. 00:07:25 Speaker 3: They've stolen the shrine. They've taken a god after them. 00:07:30 Speaker 1: A hundred men gathered quickly, swords at their sides and horses saddled. Though they had little love for Micah, they had grown fond of the shrine and the superstition had fed. Together, they rode after the Danites, torches blazing in the darkness. The Danites marched steadily away from Micah's village, but soon they heard the thunder of hoofs behind them, and the wail of a horn. 00:07:58 Speaker 4: Were as company. 00:08:00 Speaker 1: Grace yourselves, men, The Danites halted their six hundred swords glinting in the torchlight as they turned to face the pursuers. Micah and his neighbors arrived moments later. Micah dismounted, his face contorted with rage and desperation. 00:08:18 Speaker 3: You have something that belongs to me. 00:08:21 Speaker 2: Returned my gods, return my priest. 00:08:25 Speaker 4: Go home before you get hurt. Old man, No. 00:08:30 Speaker 3: You took the gods I made and the priest I or deigned. 00:08:35 Speaker 2: What else do I have? 00:08:37 Speaker 4: You're a fool. Do you see the men who stand with me? If you continue this madness, will kill you, your family, and everyone who follows you. Do you understand? 00:08:48 Speaker 1: Micah looked around his neighbors, shifting uneasily in their saddles. Their courage faltered under the cold glare of the danite blades. Slowly, Micah lowered his sword, shoulders slumping in defeat. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked at the silver idol. Now a prize of war. 00:09:08 Speaker 4: That's what I thought. 00:09:12 Speaker 1: The army marched on the levite, passed Micah without a glance. His face cold and impassive, Micah sank to his knees in the dirt. The neighbors who had ridden with him turned their horses and rode home. He sat there for hours, staring after the Danites, until the horizons swallowed their torches. The Danites came upon Layish under cover of darkness. Six hundred men surrounded it. At a signal from their leader, the Danites attacked. They poured into the city like a flood, their swords cutting down the Sidonians, who stumbled out of their homes in confusion. The Danites said the city ablaze. By dawn, Layish was no more. People were slaughtered, its wealth seized, its fertile lands claimed by the tribe of dan The Danites rebuilt the city, naming it after their ancestor. In the center of their new home, they erected Micah's silver idol, placing it on a pedestal for all to see. The levied stood before the idol, his expression unreadable as he offered sacrifices. He had found his place among the Danites, but the cost of his service echoed in the hollow chambers of his heart. Micah meanwhile, returned to his empty shrine, his head bowed in shame. The road stretched before him, barren and silent, a reflection of the soul of Israel. For They did what was right in their own eyes, and the heart of God was far from them. This prayed door com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland, Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.