If there were ever a day that felt like Mother's Day to Hannah, this was it. This was the day she would get to see her son, Samuel, for the first time since last year. To be sure, Hannah was a religious woman, but religion was not so much on her mind THIS day as was her boy. Even though Shiloh was only twelve miles to the east of Ramah, the journey had taken two days. The narrow, rocky roads that wound their way among the limestone hills and fertile valleys made travel slow and laborious.
Caravans never move quickly.
To Hannah, this one seemed to have been mired in molasses. Now they had come to the crest of a ridge, and just below, the travelers saw their destination. Surrounded by hills except to the southwest, the high desert sun washed over the roofs of Shiloh. Here and there a few fig trees dotted the landscape. Pastures and watering ponds were scattered nearby.