The King of Judah

The king of Judah has gone mad
he rages about the halls of his palace
he proclaims before the temple gate
the temple of his god
he rends his garment
Pours ashes upon his head

A voice spoke to him in a dream
restore my temple, the voice said
and I will reward you
Send your priest to my temple
and I will show him a thing

The king arose from his bed
called his priest to the royal chamber
the kings eyes burned as if with fever
I have had a dream, The king said, the voice of my
great grandfather spoke to me.
commanded that I send you to the temple
there upon the hill
the dark abandoned place
that you might be shown a thing
something of great power
you must find this thing
and bring it to me

The priest shook with fear
but did as the king commanded
taking with him his scribe
that there should be a witness
and that he should not enter the temple
alone.
For those who entered the temple
by the dark gate
never went out by that path again
it was said a demon dwelt therein
and fed upon the blood and the soul
of anyone foolish enough to enter
his temple
A demon who stole the eyes
of those who gazed upon him
for none might see him
and live.
So, it was said, it had been
since the fabled days
of fabled solomon
who in his wisdom
had bound and confined the demon
with powerful spells
within the ark
within the chamber
within the curtain
within the walls
that he might no more trouble
the world of men.

The King of Judah has gone mad
he rides about his kingdom
his eyes burning as if with fever
eyes burning like a man possessed
with him the priests of his god
with him his men of might
they smash the asherah
they cut down the poles
they burn the groves
they destroy the green trees
they slaughter the priests of the groves
and the high places
the blood of the priests
runs down the hills like the water
after the rain
red water of death
down the hills of judah

he burns their bones
he desecrates their holy places
with the ashes of their bones
he desecrates their holy places
with the poison
of his hate.

the people run in fear
terror fills their hearts
they hide their house gods
their king has gone mad.

He levies taxes upon the people
he sets men to work on the ruined temple
drives them as a cruel plowman
drives oxen
until they fall exhausted

Your great grandfather failed me
so says the voice of his dreams
Your grandfather and father heard me not
they stopped their ears
and would not hear me
but you,
You hear me
You will do as I command

The King wanders the palace
shouts, waves his arms,
the palace is filled with his cries

The priest and the scribe found a book
there within the ruined temple
as the voice had said
they took it to the king
and after the king had read it
he went mad.

When the temple was finished
the king stood before the people
upon the temple steps
the people filled the courtyard
his soldiers guarded the gate
that none might leave
The king proclaimed unto them
that there had been found
within the ruined temple
the book of the one true god
the word of the one true god
the god of the people of judah
whom they had forgotten
whose laws they had not obeyed
living in peace and prosperity
under the reign of his father
and grandfather
fifty seven years of peace

no more he said
no more would they forget
the one true god
they would keep his laws
and he, their king
would see to that

he read to them
the entire book of the law
the people shook with fear
for their king had gone mad.

They must sacrifice
he cried to them
they must atone!
there must be a sacrifice!
a sacrifice for the sins of the people
so many sins
all the sins of his father
and his father before him

thirty seven thousand and six hundred lambs
the king took
three thousand and eight hundred bulls
the king took
and the priests slaughtered them
before the chamber
within the temple
to feed the kings god

the priests were covered in the blood
and excrement from the dying animals
the hems and fringes of their robes
became heavy with blood
and dirt
they fell exhausted
into the running blood
others took their place
at the kings command
their hands blistered on the knives
which slit the throats of the sacrificial lambs
their hands blistered on the knives which skinned
the sacrificial lambs
thirty seven thousand six hundred lambs
three thousand eight hundred bulls
the priests blood mingled
with the blood of the sacrifice
the courtyard of the temple ran red
slippery
with the blood of the slaughter
the people watched in terror

More wood, the king cried
more wood! Build up the fires!
my god commands me!
build up the fires!
feed the fires
you must feed my god!
Throw the blood
upon the sides of the altar!
sprinkle the blood on the horns of the altar!
Sanctify the temple of my god
with blood!

thirty seven thousand six hundred basins
blood of the lamb
on the horns of the altar
on the sides of the altar
three thousand eight hundred basins
blood of the bull
on the horns of the altar
on the sides of the altar
forty one thousand four hundred basins of blood
forty one thousand four hundred basins of blood.

The smoke of the burning flesh
a holocaust unto the kings god
rose black into the heavens
obscuring the sun by the day
and the moon and stars by night
the city was shrouded in black smoke
the smoke of death
the smoke of slaughter
the smell of the burning flesh
(a pleasing odor unto the lord)
traveled even unto israel
so that the people there wondered at it.

it is said that there had not been
such a great slaughter
since the days of samuel.

the king of judah has gone mad.