Ammonite Leader Recounts Israelite Military History

Assyrian commanders gather around campaign maps inside a heavy linen command tent. General Holofernes demands immediate intelligence regarding the layout of Israelite mountain passes. He expects a precise count of enemy troop levels and their stockpiled grain provisions.

The Ammonite leader Achior traces the Israelite migration from the Chaldean marshlands into Canaan. He describes their rapid population growth in the fertile Nile delta before their harsh enslavement. Achior then details their recent return from Babylonian captivity after 538 b.c.

Achior explains that the God of Israel defends his people with unmatched military efficiency. He recounts how the Red Sea parted to create a dry crossing path spanning several miles. Achior warns that an invasion will fail completely unless the Israelites have recently offended their God.

If there is no transgression in this people, let my lord pass them by.

This blunt tactical assessment greatly angers the surrounding Assyrian military officers in the camp. They reject the idea that a small mountain coalition can withstand an imperial siege. The Assyrian high command prepares to silence Achior and launch a massive uphill infantry assault.