In 950 B.C.

Poul Anderson's Time Patrol story, "Ivory, And Apes, And Peacocks," begins and ends in 950 B.C. Everard has come from the twentieth century but, during the course of the story, time travels only to a few decades before 950 B.C. and returns. Thus, there is no contemporary aspect to the story but as ever there is some comment. The two Patrol agents based in Tyre are Israelis. Their occasional help to local people:

"'...makes up, somehow, a little bit, for...for what our countrymen will do hereabouts, far uptime.'"
-Poul Anderson, "Ivory, And Apes, And Peacocks" IN Anderson, Time Patrolman (New York, 1983), p. 25.

The time criminals' blackmail letter requests that sensitive information be broadcast:

"'...in digital form from Palo Alto, California, United States of America, throughout the 24 hours of Friday 13 June 1980.'"
-op. cit., pp. 36-37.

"Natives" would not detect it and at the same time local electronic activity would prevent the Patrol from tracking the receiver. Although Everard has come from a date later than 1980, he might nevertheless travel futureward into a timeline altered by Exaltationists who had carried out their threat to destroy Tyre.