In a shadowy, gloomy forest, there is a grand mountain with a
blazing, eternal flame at the peak. Only a qualified few are able to
ascend the peak and acquire this flame—most men lack the
constitution to make the journey. These qualified men, the sages,
periodically go to this source to bring back a flame for their
peoples. By this flame they are both able to survive in their dark
habitat, as well as to see its true nature more clearly. Sometimes it
happens that some flame is exchanged by neighboring folks. Some folks
never produce a sage of their own, and rely entirely on couriers to
others, but nonetheless they possess the discipline to
preserve
the flame as long as possible.
At some point, the flame of the Jews has become quite weak, as they
are notably insular, refusing to get flames except from their own
sages (who they call prophets). A fellow named Josh appears amidst
them, successfully scales the mountain, acquires the flame, and
returns to the Jews with it. He proclaims that only
he
could ascend the mountain, and that from now on, everyone—not
just the Jews, but also the occupying Romans, neighboring Greeks,
etc—must only
live
off this very flame he has brought, and it can only be transmitted
using his torches. Despite some scuffles amongst his followers, this
community of mountainless torch-bearers prospers, keeping the flame
alight for some time after Josh passes on.
Eventually,
as we would expect, the flame begins to dim. Up until now, any
ordinary community would acquire more fire either through the efforts
of a sage, or from neighboring folks. Unfortunately, the rules laid
out by Josh prohibit this—only
he
was allowed to go get that fire, and only
the
fire he acquired may be used or distributed. Those who attempt to
prove themselves sages are barred from seeking the mountain, and those who
attempt to find fire from others are treated savagely. Thus, life
slowly becomes more difficult and the world less comprehensible for
these followers of Josh.
Now
the flames have gotten quite dark, and only cinders remain among the many
communities sprung by Josh. This has resulted in a tremendous, unique
crisis. Nobody disagrees that Josh was the only one
allowed up on the mountain, and that
his
flame was the only flame. However, some begin to think there is no mountain at all, and
that Josh and his flames were just fantasies. As they are left groping in the
dark, their social structures begin to deteriorate, and their knowledge of the
world clouds up. Some groups are able to live in the darkness
somewhat well using their senses other than sight, but never so great
as if they had illuminated vision. Others can hardly get it together.
After
a long time of groping in the dark, these descendants of Josh’s
followers encounter other flame-bearing peoples. This does not
resolve the crisis. Some descendants still hold fast to the idea that
only Josh
could acquire flame from the mountain, and that only his flame could
be spread; they are even so brazen as to offer their smoldering
ashes to those with brightly shining flames. Some descendants doubt
their eyes, clinging to their conclusions that the mountain and its
fire were all nonsense anyway, or else stubbornly arguing that life
is better
based
on the senses besides sight. A few are willing to accept these
foreign flames using their foreign torches and foreign
fire-maintenance equipment (a fewer still use the torches handed down
by Josh to violate his precepts), but for the scorn from both the
fire-doubters and Josh-fundamentalists, they wind up assimilating to
these foreign communities, forming smaller communities of their own,
or else persisting alone in the woods with a little fire.
