The world no longer believed in God Amon and had forgotten all of his brilliance and holiness, and the statue of Amon lying on the sand dunes was a silent symbol that this god had returned to the world and reincarnated. But all this did not prevent the story of Amon from continuing to spread. People might be very interested in this ancient myth out of curiosity, as a kind of entertainment in the lonely journey, just like listening to all kinds of interesting stories that had nothing to do with them.
Most of the places where caravans rested, there would be people taking the opportunity to do business. For example, next to the ruins of the shrine, there was a peddler with spring water in a leather bag for sale. Not far from the peddler, there was a shabbily dressed entertainer playing a flute. There was a basket in front of him, and in the basket, there was a snake twisting its body, as if it was dancing to the sound of the flute. The passing merchants found it interesting, and would throw a few copper coins into the pottery bowl at his feet.
Ilya also did as the Romans do, sitting on a scattered stone in the shadow of the statue, leaning on his cane, and in front of him was a pottery bowl, like a folk storyteller. If the passersby were happy, they would also throw a few copper coins into the bowl, hoping that the old man would tell a little more. But the ruins were too desolate and remote. Although there were caravans passing by every day, there were very few peddlers and entertainers here. Only Ilya would come here almost every day.
The sun was particularly hot that day. The coachmen, guards, and merchants who were resting all tried their best to curl up in the shadow of the god statue. They kept waving their fans, sweating, and panting. They listened to the old man's story from time to time, but few of them were willing to stand up and throw a copper coin into his bowl.
At this time, a young man went to buy a bag of water from the peddler, walked over and handed it to Ilya, saying, "Old man, you've been talking for a long time, you must be thirsty, have some water to moisten your throat. I see that you don't even have a leather bag with you, you should live nearby, but it's not convenient to walk here, so this leather bag is for you. "
The old man had been telling stories in such a dry and hot desert for so long, but his voice was not hoarse at all. The wrinkles on his forehead were very deep, but his eyes were clear and bright. He did not look like an old man at all. The old man looked up at the young man and took the leather bag with a smile. He stood up from the rock and bowed slightly: "Thank you, God has given you the quality of kindness."
The young man bowed in return and said, "I should be the one thanking you for telling us such a wonderful legend on such a hot noon. It's like a cool breeze in the desert."
The old man smiled and said, "I am talking about the legend of Amun. Young man, may I know where you are from and do you believe in gods?"
The young man replied: "I am from Salem, from the plains of Salem, and I believe in my god, Allaha."
The old man asked again, "Do you like to listen to Amun's stories? He is the god that the people of Eygut once believed in. "
The young man smiled. "Of course I like it. Your stories are wonderful. There are different legends of gods all over the continent, expressing people's beliefs or former beliefs, and in these legends, it also contains people's understanding of the gods and their own wishes. It can help people think and view their beliefs in the gods. "
The young man was in his early twenties, with thick, dark brown hair that was slightly curly, a strong and tall figure, and powerful hands covered with calluses. He was very handsome, and the outline of his facial features faintly revealed a resolute temperament. When he opened his mouth and smiled, he looked very good and had an invisible appeal.
The old man nodded and said, "Would you like to continue listening?"
The young man bent down and put a few copper coins in the pottery bowl. "If you are not tired, drink some water and take a break, I want to hear the rest of the story."
The old man opened the stopper of the leather bag, drank a few mouthfuls of water, and continued to tell the legend of Amun. At this moment, a cloud floated over, blocking the blazing sun. A cool breeze blew from afar, and the desert seemed to become exceptionally quiet. The voice of the old man's narration was especially clear in the ruins of the divine temple.
The old man had just talked about the battle between Amun and the Olympian gods, and then he talked about Amon accepting Artemis's challenge in the clouds and being shot down to earth by an arrow. Not far away, the audience made an "oh" sound, as if they suddenly understood. Someone could not help but interject, "No wonder this temple was abandoned. It turned out that Zeus defeated Amon, and the Olympian gods annexed Amon's territory in the human world."
Another person explained, "That was because of the rise of the great Maro Empire, who conquered Eygut and asked the people of Eygut to convert to the Olympian gods. Then people made up this legend, using the story of the gods to explain the things in the human world, or using the things in the human world to symbolize the experience of the gods."
The people in the caravan had traveled extensively and were knowledgeable, so what they said was not unreasonable. The young man, however, asked Ilya with great interest, "According to what you said, it seems that Amun returned to the human world of his own accord. What did he say when he left? Was it really Zeus who defeated him? "
The old man raised his cane and pointed to the statue beside him, "Yes, it seems that Zeus defeated him, or rather, the Maro Empire conquered Eygut and ordered the people to change their faith. But when Amun left, he said that the faith he guided would follow the temple in the hearts of the people and spread throughout the so-called divine realm of Zeus. When that time came, he would return to his kingdom of heaven. Some people also said that Amon would guide the people to build a new kingdom and completely defeat Zeus. "
Hearing this, the young man frowned slightly and said, "There are always similarities in myths everywhere. In my hometown, I heard another version of the story. The main character in the story was not a god like Amon, but a Messiah who appeared in the human world."
The old man's eyes lit up, and he looked at the young man and said, "You are talking about the prophecy of the prophet Ilya, right? I have also heard about it from the merchants of Salem who come and go. But I don't know how it is spread in your hometown today, if you are willing, can you tell me? I can also tell this legend to people passing by. "
The young man replied: "Of course I can tell you, Ilya's prophecy has been circulating in my hometown for hundreds of years, and it has become an expectation of the people. The Messiah will come and lead the people who truly believe in Allaha to their homeland. "
The old man nodded and said, "This is the true face of Ilya's prophecy, it is more like a fable. How do people understand it in your hometown? "
The young man then replied: "In my hometown, the people of Salem believe that there will be a man who will not only be a prophet like Ilya, but also a savior appointed by the gods. He will lead the people of Salem to get rid of the fate of being ruled and build an ideal kingdom. Just like our ancestor Moses of Salem, who led his people to get rid of the slavery of the people of Eygut and built the city of Salem on the Plains of Duc. "
The city of Salem was not built by Moses, but by Link and Aesop. But later, David ordered the demolition of the Temple of Amun and the construction of the Temple of Allaha, and the history that the young man heard became like this. As there were other people next to him, the young man chose his words carefully and did not directly say that the people of Salem wanted to overthrow the Maro Empire, and even conquer and replace the Maro Empire to rule the continent.
In fact, it did not matter much to say those things here, as this was a caravan of Salem, and the people employed were also the grooms and guards of Eygut, and there were no Maro soldiers or officials here.
The old man narrowed his eyes and asked calmly, "I've been telling the stories of the gods to the passersby for a long time now. I've heard too many legends, some of which people know about, and some of which people don't understand. Young man, have you ever thought of another possibility, that the prophecy left behind by Elijah had another meaning? That what the Messiah guided the people to build was not a great empire like the Maro Empire, but a homeland in a different sense? "
The young man also narrowed his eyes. "Oh? This is the first time I've heard this! What do you mean? "
The old man said unhurriedly: "The people of Salem believe in Allaha as the only god, just as the people of Eygut once believed in Amon as their god, and the people of Maro believed in the gods of Olympus. I want to ask you – what does the so-called only god mean? What is the difference between this god and that god? Is it because people themselves think that they are noble, so they think that the gods they believe in are also nobler? Could it be that this is just an arrogant sense of superiority, a self-suggestion that one should have a status above others? "
The young man was slightly startled, as if thinking and did not answer immediately. At this moment, someone in the caravan shouted angrily: "Jorah, don't listen to that old man's nonsense anymore, that is the voice of Satan! The only god is the only god, and God once made a pact with Moses – 'You can have no other gods but me.' Don't let the voice of Satan shake your will and destroy our hope. "
The young man named Jorah turned back and said: "This is the border of Eygut, also under the rule of the Maro Empire. This old man has not received the light of Allaha, so it is perfectly normal for him to ask such a question. But the light of God lies in guidance, and people are not born with this belief, so why are you angry? While feeling regret, you should also see hope, which shows that the light of God can still shine on more souls. "
Another voice shouted: "Jorah, you kind and ignorant child! Allaha is the god of the people of Salem, and the people of Salem are a people who made a pact with God, how can this old man understand? "
The old man shook his head in the direction of the voice and said: "This merchant trekking in the desert, you are seeking your wealth, it is given by the gods, and it is also earned through labor, this is the same for all people. Is it in your understanding that the light of God only shines on the people of Salem? Then let me ask you, if others also believe in Allaha, will the light of God shine on them, and will God give them the same blessings and covenants as the people of Salem? "
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