Omniscience in Marvel 86

Title -

…

As the Assyrian army encamped around Jerusalem, Sennacherib sent his field commander, Rabshakeh, to deliver a message. Standing before the walls of the city, Rabshakeh shouted in Hebrew, addressing the people and soldiers gathered above.

"Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!" Rabshakeh proclaimed. "Do not let Hezekiah deceive you! He cannot deliver you from our hands. Do not let him make you trust in Yahweh, saying, 'The Lord will surely deliver us.' Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria?"

Psychological Warfare. That was Sennacherib's main method of warfare. Rabshakeh's words were calculated to sow doubt and fear. He boasted of the Assyrian conquests and mocked the power of Judah's God.

He even sent letters of ridicule to the Judah king's court.

Hezekiah's officials, Eliakim and Shebna, even pleaded with Rabshakeh to speak in Aramaic, so the people on the walls would not understand, but Rabshakeh continued in Hebrew, determined to break their spirit.

Hezekiah's heart grew heavy as he listened to Rabshakeh's blasphemous taunts. He tore his clothes and put on a rags, a sign of mourning and repentance.

He then went up to the Temple of the Lord and sent Eliakim and Shebna to the prophet Isaiah, asking him to pray for the remnant that still survived.

Isaiah's response was a message of hope. "Do not be afraid of the words you have heard," he said. "Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword."

Encouraged by Isaiah's prophecy, Hezekiah spread Sennacherib's letter before the Lord in the temple. He prayed earnestly, acknowledging God's sovereignty and pleading for deliverance. "O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God."

Upon hearing this earnest plea, even without Leucadius knowledge, Aspect sent out Azrael and a few members of his squad down to Earth.

That night, as the Assyrian army slept, Azrael and his squad struck down 185,000 soldiers in the Assyrian camp. When the people of Jerusalem woke the next morning and looked out over the walls, they saw the vast array of dead bodies.

It was something short of a miracle. One day they were under the threat of annihilation, the next day, the threat was effectively and promptly neutralised.

The threat was gone, and the siege was lifted.

Sennacherib, humiliated and defeated, broke camp and returned to Nineveh. True to Isaiah's prophecy, Sennacherib's end came swiftly. While he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword.

As for Nisroch, Aspect put him on a very strict watchlist. He may be protected within his mesopotamian pantheon, but the moment he steps out…an entire legion of angels would see to his swift end.

…

Jerusalem rejoiced, giving thanks to Yahweh for their miraculous deliverance. With Hezekiah's faith having been rewarded, and the people's trust in their God was renewed, Hezekiah himself reflected on the events with a deep sense of humility and gratitude.

He knew that it was not by his strength or wisdom that they had been saved, but by the hand of the Almighty, and In the years that followed, Hezekiah continued to lead Judah with integrity and devotion.

His reign was marked by peace and prosperity, a testament to the power of faith and the importance of trusting in God's promises.

…

This matter later became known to Leucadius who only shrugged and approved of Aspect's course of action. If not for certain rules preventing him from directly interfering in Earthly matters, he would've wiped Assyria off the face of the world.

The years continued to pass and soon, a hundred years passed and the Kingdom of Judah faced a cataclysmic event that would forever alter its history and identity: the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian Empire and the subsequent exile of its people.

The final siege, led by King Nebuchadnezzar II, culminated in a devastating conquest that marked the end of the Davidic dynasty's rule and the beginning of a profound period of displacement.

The conflict began years earlier when Judah found itself caught between the powerful empires of Egypt and Babylon. King Zedekiah of Judah, installed as a puppet ruler by Nebuchadnezzar after the initial conquest, rebelled against Babylonian authority.

This act of defiance provoked Nebuchadnezzar's wrath, leading to a prolonged and brutal siege of Jerusalem.

For eighteen months, the Babylonian army encircled Jerusalem, cutting off supplies and subjecting the inhabitants to severe famine and hardship. The once-thriving city, known for its magnificent Temple built by Solomon, became a scene of desperation and despair.

The people of Jerusalem, weakened by hunger and disease, were unable to mount an effective defense against the relentless Babylonian assault.

In July of of the next year, the Babylonians breached the city's defenses. The invaders poured into Jerusalem, unleashing a wave of destruction. The most devastating blow came with the burning and looting of the Temple, the sacred center of Jewish worship and national identity.

The Temple's treasures were seized, and its walls were reduced to rubble. The sight of the holy sanctuary in flames was a profound spiritual and cultural loss for the Jewish people.

Leucadius checked and found that the Eternals had long since left the region of Babylon years ago. Since it wasn't something initiated by anyone Divine, he couldn't interfere.

On the flip side though, he found it to be educational to the people of Israel. For Centuries, they'd lived under his influence. It was about time they learned to live for themselves.

That however, did not mean he'd let Nebuchadnezzar do as he wished. Nebuchadnezzar's forces did not stop at the Temple. They razed the city's walls, destroyed homes, and slaughtered many of Jerusalem's inhabitants.

The city was left in ruins, a shadow of its former glory. Those who survived the slaughter faced a grim fate. The Babylonians rounded up the leading citizens, including priests, officials, and skilled workers, and marched them into exile in Babylon, nearly 900 miles away.

This forced migration included the young and the old, the nobles and the commoners, all uprooted from their homeland. Among the exiles was the prophet Ezekiel, who had been taken to Babylon during the earlier deportation 10 years earlier.

From his place of exile, Ezekiel delivered messages of both judgment and hope. He interpreted the fall of Jerusalem as a divine punishment for the people's unfaithfulness but also envisioned a future restoration.

His prophecies provided spiritual guidance and reassurance to the exiled community, emphasizing that God had not abandoned them despite their current suffering.

Leucadius watched on as the Babylonian Exile lasted for approximately fifty years, during which time the Jewish people faced the immense challenge of maintaining their identity in a foreign land.

In Babylon, they lived among a diverse population, where they had to navigate the complexities of integrating into a new society while preserving their religious and cultural traditions.

This was a place where different varieties of Gods were worshipped. Cultural diversities were a rage and spiritual laws were nonexistent to bind the people to a certain discipline.

This period of exile however, proved to be a time of significant religious development. Synagogues emerged as new centers of worship and community life, where the exiles gathered to study the Torah and maintain their distinct identity.

The exiles also began to compile and edit their sacred texts, preserving their history and religious teachings for future generations. This literary activity would later lay the groundwork for the Hebrew Bible as it will be known in the future.

In 539 BCE, the Persian king Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and issued a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their Temple.

There was a lot of things happening in the background, but Leucadius didn't feel like letting the people of Israel know about it. To him, he felt that even if they knew…what of it?

This momentous event marked the end of the Babylonian Exile and the beginning of a new chapter in Jewish history, as the returnees embarked on the challenging task of restoring their community and their sacred institutions in Jerusalem.

…

In response to Cyrus' decree, a wave of Jewish exiles returned to Judah, primarily led by Zerubbabel, a descendant of the Davidic line, and Joshua the high priest.

Their primary mission was to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, which had been central to Jewish religious life and worship. This period saw a resurgence of religious fervor and cultural renewal among the returning exiles.

The return from exile was not without challenges though. The returning community faced opposition from neighboring peoples, logistical difficulties in rebuilding infrastructure, and internal divisions among the Jewish leadership.

The rebuilding of the Temple, in particular, faced interruptions and delays due to these factors, and yet, despite the challenges, the return from exile marked a period of spiritual and religious revival among the Jewish people.

The rebuilding of the Temple symbolized a renewal of their covenant with God and a reaffirmation of their identity as God's chosen people. The prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi emerged during this time, offering spiritual guidance and encouragement to the community.

Politically, the return from exile saw Judea become a province within the Persian Empire, known as Yehud Province.

The Jewish leadership, under Persian oversight, governed semi-autonomously, with Zerubbabel and subsequent high priests playing crucial roles in both religious and administrative affairs.

The return from exile laid the foundation for the Second Temple period, a time of religious reformation and theological development. It shaped Jewish identity, theology, and practices.

Watching this all happen, Leucadius could only smile in gratification. People of the future might see him as a ruthless God who punished when punishment was due, but to him, it was part of the transformation process.

The Israelites needed this process in order to grow into a people worthy of being called his.

…

This monumental task was completed in 516 BCE, 20 years after the original foundation was laid, marking a significant milestone in Jewish religious life.

During the Second Temple period, Jewish religious life underwent reformation and diversification. Various Jewish sects emerged, each with distinct theological beliefs and practices.

The Pharisees emphasized the interpretation and application of Torah law, the Sadducees focused on Temple worship and priestly authority, while the Essenes withdrew into asceticism and communal living at Qumran.

Leucadius wondered if he'd missed a Xian stealthily making his way into his fold. "Who the hell gave this children the authority to interpret the things I've bestowed upon them?" He wondered incredulously.

It was only the Xians and their stupid ideologies that birthed things like sects and school of thoughts like Tao, Dao and stuff like that. Leucadius was sure as hell he never made his words have double meanings.

Aspect: "..."

…

Anyways, with the Babylonian and Persian period over and done with, the Israelites saw a period of Peace in which they used to develop as a nation. However, the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE brought Hellenistic culture and influence to the eastern Mediterranean, including Judea.

Greek language, philosophy, and customs permeated Jewish society, leading to a period of cultural exchange and adaptation. The translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek (Septuagint) during this time facilitated its dissemination among Hellenistic Jews.

To this event scenario, Leucadius immediately sent Gabriel over to Mount Olympus to ascertain the Olympian's plans as it relates to his people. However, Zeus firmly denied having a hand in Alexander's conquest.

Leucadius already knew about this from his previous life's historical context, but one could never be too sure. He also found the young and aspiring Protagonist pitiful.

In a few years to come, he'd be buried alive due to his people's lack of medical knowledge. "Aspect, create a false body of the child. I think I'll have better use for him in time to come."

"... Understood." Aspect hesitantly replied as he began the procedure to create a fake body for Alexander.

And so Leucadius continued watching as the young conqueror's life came to an uneventful end at the hands of his own people. They weren't to be blamed though. In that vein, Leucadius sent out Raphael to heal him, exchange him with his false body or Clone, and then return with him to heaven.

Raphael did as he was told, but for 200 years, Leucadius didn't meet with him, instead, he had him thrown into the pocket Universe with his physical body.

Whatever he didn't there was his business. Leucadius just knew that there would be a use for him in the near future.

…

200 years later, Judea was under the rule of the Seleucid Empire, which sought to impose Hellenistic practices on the Jewish population. The revolt led by the Maccabees, particularly Judah Maccabee, resulted in the rededication of the Temple (Hanukkah) and brief Jewish independence under the Hasmonean dynasty.

This period reinforced Jewish nationalism and religious autonomy, however, a hundred years later, Judea came under Roman control, leading to the establishment of client kings from the Herodian dynasty, including Herod the Great.

While Herod initiated ambitious building projects, including the expansion of the Second Temple complex (Herod's Temple), his reign was marked by political intrigue and oppression.

Leucadius didn't have anything to say to that though. He'd already lost interest in anything that had to be done with Humans. It was similar to watching a cliché event happening over and over and over again.

It was interesting in some parts. Like the Maccabees family rebellion that lasted over a hundred years, men and women who stood steadfast in their faith even under the threat of death, and then the wars…it was just beautiful.

Yes, people died, but the conviction they held even onto death was both admirable and heart throbbing.

That was when Leucadius had a thought. He found it weird how he forgot about something so simple but passed it off as a side effect of reading the book of Fate over a long period of time.

As for what idea he got…

The Second Temple period witnessed heightened messianic expectations among Jews, fueled by prophetic promises of a coming deliverer.

…

Following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE by the Romans, Rabbinic Judaism emerged as the predominant form of Jewish religious practice.

The Pharisaic sect with their tradition of interpreting and applying Torah law (Halakha) became central to Jewish life, guiding communities in both Judea and the diaspora.

****

A/N: I'm just speed running the thing right now. I'll have you know that not even Thor and Loki had been born by this time, so nothing of note had happened.

I'm just writing this from the perspective of a Middle Eastern God, not an American or European God.