Bejeweled Babylonian Dagger

Bejeweled Babylonian Dagger
Manufacturer	Unknown
Materials	Steel, metal, jewels
Usage	Weapon
Owner	Sidon

The bejeweled Babylonian dagger is a fine blade orphan thief Toby pilfers from Sidon's tent in volume seven of the Son of Samson series. The day after filching the blade, Toby tries to sell it to a local Zorahite merchant Jedidiah, but he only offers a tenth of what Toby feels the weapon is worth. Toby walks away from the transaction and encounters Sidon's spy Raamah, who attempts to wrestle the dagger out of the boy's hands.

Branan intervenes in the quarrel, but Raamah orders Branan to mind his own business. On cue, Uzal spits cud into Raamah's face, allowing Toby to slip away with the exquisite dagger. When Branan announces to the Hebrews at the Zorah market that Raamah is Sidon's spy, the crowd begins flinging camel pies at Raamah, who bids a hasty retreat back to his master.

Unfortunately, Branan discovers that Sidon's men have razed Branan's grandfather Manoah's and have taken the elderly man hostage at the Philistine outpost at Ekron. Toby secretly tails Branan as he rides a swift horse to the outpost. Once there, Sidon takes Branan prisoner and marches him and his grandfather on the road to Ashkelon to turn them over to Lord Pathrus.

After Toby uses the bejeweled dagger to cut Manoah's ropes, Branan breaks the chains and yoke around his neck and storms into Sidon's tent. The two men get into a fierce fight and, just as Sidon is about to stab Branan in the neck, Toby throws the bejeweled dagger at Sidon's head, knocking him out with the blades handle. Toby claims that he is sorry not to have struck Sidon in the head blade first, but he was probably joking.

It is very likely that Branan lets Toby keep the magnificent blade when he and Manoah set off for the holy city of Shiloh at the end of the volume.