I read Ezra 7 and 8, and (I suppose it’s because I grew up playing The Oregon Trail and reading Little House On the Prairie), but I pictured his journey as a wagon train.

I mean, technically it kinda was. There was a large group of several hundreds. They were traveling with wagons and oxen and horses. The journey took several months. They traveled in spring and summer, crossing rivers and going through both plains and mountainous areas, and they were headed west. So… wagons ho.

(The departure dates on April 8 and 16, and the arrival date of August 4 are historically correct. The dates and details in between I made up of course, but the general ideas are historically/scripturally based.)

THE TRAIL DIARY of EZRA Ben SARAIAH

APRIL 8, 457

Left Babylon today. Weather is fair. Everyone in high spirits. We are headed to the staging grounds by the Ahava Canal. We will meet up with the rest of the travelers there. With me are some of the other priestly families. We have been talking about this trip together for some time. It has taken many months to do all the planning and work out the details with the king. But the day has finally come.

APRIL 16, 457

There are quite a few exiles here ready to make the trip to Judea. Among them are people from several tribes; including a few more priests, but not a single Levite! How are we supposed to establish regular worship at the temple without the families designated to perform the many services of the temple? We need gatekeepers, custodians, laborers, cooks, not to mention musicians and singers… I sent the leaders of our group to Iddo, chief of the Levites in their settlement of Casiphia. They are going to ask if any Levites will join us last-minute.

APRIL 18, 457

We have Levites! About 40 of them are scrambling to gather their belongings, set their affairs here in order and come with us. Most of them are very young but old enough to serve the LORD. I think they look at this journey as an adventure. And that’s fine. Young men need to go on daring adventures while they can. But the really big boon is that 220 of the Nethinims, (the people descended from the temple servants appointed by King David), are going to come too! God bless them. And not a moment too soon. Wagons from the royal treasury arrived today with piles of treasures to be taken (and in some cases returned!) to Jerusalem. The priests and Levites will be responsible for the treasure wagons. But if they are busy doing that, who will drive their wagons and look after their animals? Answer: The Nethinims. Thank the good Lord for hard-working people who know how to take care of things.

APRIL 19, 457

After 3 days of organizing and getting lists of everyone’s names in the group, we set off this morning to the sounds of shofars and shouts of blessings from those who remained behind.

The treasure wagons are just ahead of my place in the train. We have no mounted guards. I had boasted to the king how our God protects those who worship Him so it seemed foolish to ask for an attachment of soldiers. We have fasted and prayed for the Lord’s hand to be upon us. And I have the letter King Artaxerxes gave me. It will allow us passage and provision in every province we travel through.

I ride in the wagon with all the documents- copies of the Law of Yahweh, copies of the words of the prophets, all of the wisdom scrolls and the Psalms. Several chests of historical records too. I’m working on combining them into a set of Chronicles so our people can know our history. You know what they say, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” I don’t want my people to ever have to repeat the past. Not if I can help it.

People have taken to calling my wagon “the Bookmobile.” I don’t mind.

APRIL 29, 457

Getting close to the Euphrates crossing, I’m told. Very nervous about it. The treasure wagons are quite heavy. The parchments may not survive a wetting. One broken wheel or… well any number of things could go wrong. May the LORD help us. If I have to carry scrolls across the River one at a time, on my HEAD, I will. We are NOT losing these documents.

MAY 2, 457

Made it across the River! I did NOT have to carry scrolls one at a time on my head. One treasure wagon got stuck but we added an extra team of oxen and pulled it out. Now we turn north. We will follow the river for many days. That means a reliable source of water. That will be a comfort.

MAY 14, 457

This evening there was a lively discussion around our camp fire. The priest and Levite men began talking about ways to teach the Law to the people in Judah. Some are adamant we should set up a school at the temple. The opposing group (which I found myself in) pointed out that many of the people are living outside of Jerusalem in their villages and tending to their farms. They won’t make the trip into Jerusalem more than a few times per year. This is not enough. I suggested taking the teaching to them in the villages. Before leaving Babylon, my family had been gathering on the Sabbath with a few other priestly families to read and study scripture together. We would sing the Palms and pray the prayers of David and the prophets. We would enjoy a Sabbath meal together and the children would enjoy seeing their friends. We just call it “the gathering.” Knesset in the tongue of Abraham. The Greeks say synagogue.

MAY 20, 457

More campfire discussions about my idea of establishing Gathering places in every village to teach scripture. We have decided to have our Sabbath meetings as we travel so the others can see how we do it. I will bring out my copy of the Torah and read.

MAY 28, 457

Our Gathering is growing. I explained to the other priests who still insist that teaching should be done at the temple, that the Meeting Places will not replace the temple. They will support it. People who have studied Leviticus in their village will be more likely to prepare properly for a visit to the temple. They will arrive clean and with an unblemished sacrifice.

We will not go back to the ways of our fathers who allowed blind and lame sacrifices from unclean worshipers offered by priests who wouldn’t know a guilt offering from a peace offering if it walked up and said Baaaaa.

JUNE 6, 457

The terrain is more rugged. Hotter. Water less plentiful. Johanan’s son, Ezekiel had a bad fall while out seeking water in a ravine. They have made a cot for him in his father’s wagon. He rides there. We pray the LORD will show him mercy and help him recover.

JUNE 10, 457

Ezekiel is not getting worse. Praise the LORD. He still cannot move very much without great pain however. A man who knows healing arts has bound his leg between two stout branches. I believe he also made a remedy to bring down the swelling.

JUNE 15, 457

Our Gathering continues on the Sabbath. What a blessing to rest from our travels one day in 7. The LORD is blessing our journey. No deaths. No more major injuries, unless you count Zebadiah’s little daughter Mahetabel being stung by a bee. She insists it is a major injury and likes to show the purple spot on her finger to everyone. Ezekiel continues to improve. Nothing broken on the wagons that we have not been able to mend. Water is available from the cisterns and wells of the people. They have shared with us freely. And we need it. We have started collecting livestock. We are beginning to look like a cattle drive. The provinces west of the Euphrates were ordered by the king to provide us with grain and livestock. And so they have begun to do as we pass though. So we have had some additions to our train of various races, some driving the cattle, some driving the additional wagons of grain. They are curious about our ways and our God and our Sabbath gatherings. We invite them to come and listen.

JUNE 18, 457

Ezekiel was able to ride sitting up in the wagon yesterday. His father tells me he even cracked a joke. Very good news.

JUNE 23, 457

Still mountainous land, but several good rivers. We have refilled all of our water barrels. Today we camped early and slaughtered a couple of oxen. We are more than half way to Judea and it seemed fitting to celebrate.

JUNE 25, 457

Bandits! We have noticed a group following us for a few nights. We saw their campfires in the distance. Last night they were closer to us than usual. I sent men to go and spy them out to see if they might be travelers who would want to join our caravan. They overheard the men making plans to ambush the rear of our train as we passed through a narrow pass tomorrow. The spies sent a runner back to camp. He gathered several men and went back to the bandit’s camp. There was a bit of a skirmish but our men were able to capture all of the bandits – except one who was killed in the fighting. We handed them over to the local magistrate this morning. When the magistrate saw our letter from King Artaxerxes, we were given every courtesy and even offered an armed escort which we kindly refused. The bandits were sentenced for immediate execution. We did not stay to watch.

JUNE 27, 457

A wonderful decision was made tonight at the leaders’ meeting around the campfire. Everyone was in agreement. When we get to Judea, we will establish Sabbath meetings in every village to teach the people the scriptures. There are enough of us to act as teachers if we spread out. And, it may help some of the younger men find wives. I doubt there will be enough maidens in Jerusalem for all of them, though little Mahetabel says she is going to marry Ezekiel when she grows up.

JULY 9, 457

It has been challenging lately. Hence why I have not written in my journal in several days. The extra cattle to care for have been quite an adjustment to our pace and routine, but they will be a great blessing to the people of Judea so we bear the tasks with patience. These animals will help us multiply and strengthen the herds to be used as offerings to God and also the herds of the people.

Ezekiel has begun walking with the aid of a pair of crutches someone made for him. He joked last night at the campfire that he moves with the grace of a newborn foal but at least he can move. His father then said that he also seems to have the appetite of a newborn foal. To which his mother replied, “Amen!”

We have begun traveling south. Tomorrow we join the king’s highway. It will take us through Lebanon and Syria. It will be hot and dry and I have concerns about the people we will encounter. Not the best history with the sons of Israel. We are not professional soldiers but we are men of courage. We will fight if we must. Or, we will stand still and see the salvation of the LORD. May He Who has brought us thus far, continue to protect us.

JULY 15, 457

Very VERY hot. We travel only in the morning and late afternoon. The heat of the day is unbearable for man or beast. Thankfully, I think it is also too hot for our enemies in this region to bother with us. We have seen them from a distance a few times but they do not approach.

JULY 21, 457

We can see Mount Hermon in the distance! Would you believe there is still a bit of snow on its summit!! SNOW! Oh to fly up there like a bird and just sit in that snow!

JULY 25, 457

Slow going through the hills and heat. But we press on. When we reach the shores of Lake Chinnereth we plan to rest there for a couple of days to resupply our water and feast on fish. I believe the locals speak Aramaic so I will not have to serve as translator for the group.

JULY 28, 457

Chinnereth! What. A. SIGHT! Beautiful.

JULY 29, 457

The time of rest at the lake is just what we needed. We have eaten all the good fish we can hold and have been able to purchase preserved fish from the local fishermen to take with us. The children especially have enjoyed playing on the shore. Mahetabel was sporting a crown made of flowers. She was playing Queen Esther and decided that Ezekiel was to be Xerxes. He was kind enough to extend his scepter crutch and offered her – not quite half of the kingdom, but half of a cake of dates. She was in raptures. Maybe she will marry Ezekiel when she grows up.

JULY 30, 457

While enjoying our time at the lake I have written out my plan to set up a judicial system in Judea. I see no sense in reinventing the wheel. I will use the structure that Jethro gave to Moses. By the king’s authority I will appoint capable men to serve as judges in every town. The Levites in the villages can assist. The judges will bring harder cases to a designated man in each region. If need-be, they can refer the hardest cases to judges appointed in Jerusalem. We will consult the scriptures and judge impartially according to Torah. Perhaps, in time, we can reestablish the 70 Elders of Israel as Moses had.

AUGUST 1, 457

Very hilly terrain. And miserably hot and dry. Thankfully there are cisterns of water along the way. We are in the land that once belonged to the northern kings of Israel. It’s amazing when you read “the hill country of Ephraim” in the text all your life, then you finally get to see it with your own eyes. Very little remains of that former time. The buildings that were not torn down have been made over for other purposes. But it is still an indescribable experience. It also helps that the locals are friendly toward us. Jerusalem is close.

AUGUST 4, 457

WE HAVE ARRIVED! Everyone is remarking on how quickly we made the journey. Well, if they had sat on a wagon seat for 4 months, they wouldn’t think it so speedy, but it’s true that it usually takes a few weeks longer to make the trip from Babylon. The good hand of the LORD has been upon us. Our company is bonded from the experience. I have no doubt that we will continue to depend on each other as we have for the journey. We are very excited to invite those settled here to our Sabbath Gatherings.

The “Bookmobile” has made it safe and sound. I can hardly wait to get the scrolls unloaded into their new home. I met with Jozabad, son of Jeshua who had been priest when the foundation of the temple was laid. He gave me copies of the visions and prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah. He said his father was named in both of them as a sign of a coming priest-king called “The Branch.” Hmm. So many people have lost the ability to read and speak the language of our fathers since we were in Babylon. I wonder is Jozabad knows that the Hebrew word for branch is netzer. So the LORD has promised us a priest-king called The Netzerene. We will watch for his arrival.

I must confess that after hearing about “the glories of Jerusalem” all my life, it’s a little underwhelming. The temple looks…sturdy. Serviceable. But not terribly beautiful. There seem to be some sections of the city that have been rebuilt and are functioning well. Other parts… you can see even from where we’re camped outside the city that they have not been touched. The walls are still rubble. Well, that is, where the rubble was left behind. Many of the rubble stones have been hauled away to build other structures. No gates at all. Heaven help us.

We will rest for a few days and set up a semi-permanent camp. The treasure wagons will be unloaded when we can make arrangements to have all of the items weighed and the full inventory accounted for. Until then, the Levites and Nethinims will guard the wagons in shifts. We will get everything sorted out in a few days. I’m excited to get to work. The first thing we are going to do is present an abundant offering to the LORD. He has been so gracious and it will be a blessing for the priests already here in Jerusalem to feast together with us.

My heart is full. It’s a lot to take in. To finally SEE Zion, the city of King David… after reading about it all my life… I confess that I wept aloud when we topped the hill and the city came into view. How is it possible to feel as if you’ve come HOME to a place you’ve never been before?