Bible as Lit. Paper

We have talked about story telling alot in this class. I wrote a story, or at least finished a story, for my Bible as Literature final paper. In 1 Kings there is a story about King Ahab of the Israelites, Naboth, a man who owns a vineyard, and Jezebel. We learned a word: lacuna and this means the parts of the story that are left out. When you read the Bible you will find that it is half lacuna, half story so you can imagine the possibilities when filling in the gaps. Here is my paper:


Ahab, king of Israel, was a very greedy man. He did not walk in the ways of the Lord. Rather, he chose to worship the false idol Baal; this idol was considered one of the demons of hell. Now, Ahab decided that he wanted to own the vineyard of a certain man named Naboth. This man was holy and he walked in the ways of the Lord; he was an altogether good man. This is the story of Naboth, Jezebel, and Ahab and this is the version wherein the lacuna is revealed.

One day Ahab was strolling through his kingdom, surrounded by fifty servants and numerous guards. He was walking, enjoying the scenery and the prosperity of his kingdom when he came upon an especially attractive vineyard. He stood in awe of its great abundance of fruit and admired its broad expanse of flourishing beauty. “Eden”, he thought to himself; “I must meet the man responsible for this.”

Menagerie in tow, Ahab proceeded to the house of Naboth, the owner of the vineyard. Immediately he began conversation with this man, asking him of his methods.

Naboth replied, “I am but a humble man, I ask of the Lord and he giveth.”
Ahab snickered at this and upon first instinct decided to tease the pious man.

“Who is your Lord compared to Baal? I have worshipped Baal-zebub through years of prosperity and kingship and look at me today. I rule over the land of Israel and reside within a castle constructed of the finest ivory. I own hundreds of vineyards compared to your one. Ask me, where has the Lord taken thee? I will answer, ‘Nowhere for I am under the watchful eye of Baal and he has served me well.’”

Naboth took no offense; he simply stood by his convictions and believed in the Lord he knew to be just. His prosperity for one single man was great and he did not wish to reside in an ivory castle or to rule over thousands of people. He had found the needful thing; to live under the laws of the Lord and to worship accordingly. This was enough and the prosperity he found was within the joy of his family and the care of his vineyard. For Ahab, though, this answer, these convictions, were simply not enough.

Confounded he said, “Naboth, I will make thee an exceeding wealthy man if you agree to sell me this vineyard. I will pay you tenfold what it is worth or I will give you a larger vineyard in return and you will have no more earthly concerns for the rest of your days.”

Naboth smiled and politely refused. The Lord had forbidden him to sell the land of his ancestors and he intended to follow this command. He would not forsake the Lord; he would not sell his vineyard. Ahab was furious. He stormed home to his castle and threw a tantrum of epic proportions. The castle of ivory shook with his rage until he gave into sullen fasting and laid upon his bed in despair. He would not eat nor did drink and every servant that came unto him would soon exit his chamber in fear.

He lay still thinking. His thoughts reeled through his greedy mind, the center of their monomania a flourishing vineyard on the outskirts of his ivory castle enclosure. Why can this not be mine? Everything within the kingdom is mine. I am lord over these lands and my god has not refused me this luxury. Lord…who is this lord but a peasant’s idol? Absurd, I want this vineyard; I own this kingdom; I should be certain to have what I want.

Lying in his bed, these pestilential thoughts reeling around the lofty room of his despair, Ahab festered. Anger, indignation, overcame him and he wept as a child would weep for the loss of a favorite toy. Absurd he may say to his inability to procure this piece of land but absurd his servants say to his reaction to so small a disallowance. They wondered in awe without his chamber, believing that their master had truly crossed the threshold into insanity. Never having been wealthy or with an abundance of material possessions, these servants were unable to understand the grief stricken moans emitted from the casement of their lord’s tortured being. Finally, unable to stand the tension consuming the house, a servant called upon Jezebel, the wife of Ahab. She loved him, it is true, but behind her love one could see the lingering corruption of ages and wealth. Her love was for his kingdom; for his way of life and for this she appreciated her husband.

Alas, the appreciation was mutual; the love of the corrupt and black of heart was shared between the two and now her love was in need of her assistance; she would go to him. She pondered the situation and alighted upon a decision with ease. She knew that her husband was the weakest of the pair as the kingdom had always been run to her accordance. Now, Jezebel sought her husband within his bed chamber and inquired as to his ailment.

“I am wrought with despair. Such impertinence I have endured and now my mind lets me not beyond the thoughts of Naboth.”

“Please, my love, what is it that has caused you such torment?” she said with false ignorance.

“A garden of herbs is all I wished to attain, for you, my lovely wife and now Naboth has refused me this request. His vineyard for ample recompense and he denies me access.”

As indignation flooded the face of Ahab, Jezebel remained eerily calm. Her plan had already been decided upon; she simply needed to convey it to her husband in such a way that would appeal to his vanity. This would not be difficult; her husband’s vanity was her puppet master’s tool of choice and she had, after all, ran a kingdom under cover of matrimony.

“Listen to me,” Jezebel whispered, “Your are the king and sole master of this land, are you not? None other rules above you, so why is it that this simple wish is unattainable? Leave this problem to me and you will have your vineyard; your garden of herbs, before the week has ended.”

How could this plea not appeal to a tormented mind? His greedy lust for what he could not possess drove him to the edges of frustrated agony and now a solution presented itself. Of course, he consented, thinking only of the vineyard of which he had been refused ownership. Such an obsession he had endured. The time of endurance may have been short but the time within his chamber, spent in torment, had felt like ages tossed upon a stormy sea. Ahab’s fingers longed to touch the earth of this vineyard; his feet longed to walk upon its soft, fertile soil. This land, this land, he thought, must not be withheld from my grasp; it is now mine, my Jezebel will see to this.

Meanwhile, Naboth tended to his vineyard. Disturbed by the occurrence the previous day, he kept a watchful eye on the castle. His wife and children were inside his small home, preparing for the evening meal. The rows of grapes instilled a quiet upon the land; a quiet that only allowed the noises of nature to penetrate. He loved his vineyard and appreciated the gifts the Lord had given him but he knew, somehow, that these gifts weren’t likely to last. The king had expressed his desire to purchase this land and upon Naboth’s refusal had become wrought with rage. He sighed. The Lord will make all things right, he thought to himself as he snipped a wilting vine from an otherwise healthy bush.

Entering his home, Naboth felt a heightened sense and noticed all of the details he had before taken for granted. He saw his wife and the familiar curve of her face. He saw his children but they were somehow different, somehow new. The low ceiling of his cottage, which before seemed restrictive now seemed safe and encompassing. He knew that he had to protect his family, his cottage and his vineyard but he knew not how. Naboth felt that his fate was sealed. He could not forsake the Lord and sell his land so he sat down next to his wife and children and let their presence fill him. This is the last, he thought, this is everything.

Naboth was correct in his convictions for Jezebel was busy, within her house of ivory, scheming against the innocent peasant. Letters were sent to elders across the town and they were instructed to gather for a meeting concerning Naboth. Two servants had attested to his blasphemy of God and the king. Under rancor, Jezebel had waxed false and presented these two men with the words they were to speak. They, in fear for their lives, consented without option. Naboth was to be tried.

The next day saw the elders of the town and the king and queen of Israel present in the city square. Naboth’s wife and children were within their cottage; the mother knowing of her husband’s fate; the children inquiring as to their father’s whereabouts. No answer was to be spoken for the mother was sunk in fearful despair. The trial began and the men spoke against Naboth, falsely accusing him of blasphemy. He who the king had taunted and teased and who had held firmly to his belief in the Lord. However, he did not curse God at this point nearing the end of his existence. He was filled with emotion unlike any other he had ever felt. Aware of his fate; aware of the inevitability of his untimely death, Naboth felt only serenity and a sureness of spirit. He was to find the kingdom of heaven. His wife and children were his only concern.

As Naboth’s sentence was secured he pleaded upon his knees, begging for mercy not for himself but for his family he was to leave behind. With a disdainful brow, Ahab reluctantly agreed.

“Now, remove him from the town and carry out his sentence,” said Ahab from atop the planks of his throne.

Stones in hand, the executioners prepared themselves. Naboth watched with wonder as he saw amusement and anticipation flit across the brows of the gathering crowd. One man was smiling, toothless, tossing his stone to and fro between deft hands.

One word: “Proceed.”

One thought: “My family.”

One stone to begin the barrage. Naboth could see the blood behind his eyes but he still managed to stand erect. Stone after stone was hurled and the frenzy built; crowd members joining with disgusting glee. A stone to the knee, Naboth fell. A stone to the back, Naboth moved no more. A stone to the temple, his spirit fled. Blood crashed against the stones like the rising tide and the crowd jeered.

After the end, the king of Israel immediately seized upon the vineyard. At the one last request of Naboth, the wife and children were given lodging within the city. This was the only act of decency Jezebel and Ahab would incur upon the doomed family. They were otherwise left to fend for themselves.

God spoke unto Elijah. “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord, ‘In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine’”’ (1 Kings 21 18-19).