The sweeping oral saga surrounds the birth of Christianity and the very personal story of Leah, a woman compelled into a betrothal she never wanted yet drawn by a faith she never expected.When her family's wealth and power are lost forever, Leah is sent to Pontius Pilate in hopes that he might arrange a strategic marriage for her. When she finds herself betrothed to a centurion named Alban, she views it as a fate worse than death. Alban, head of the...

Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history's most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived: first-century Palestine, an age awash in apocalyptic fervor. Scores of Jewish prophets, preachers, and would-be messiahs wandered through the Holy Land, bearing messages from God. This was the age of zealotry--a fervent nationalism that made resistance...

Julia's Greek father already has a wife and family, making Julia and her Hebrew mother second-class citizens. Then they are introduced to followers of the Way, and become part of that community of believers. Abigail's brother, Jacob, is finding his own place as a Christian. Hired by Julia's father to protect merchant's caravans on the secretive "Frankincense Trail," Jacob passes messages among communities of believers - and is alarmed to find that...

Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable contribution in modern fiction: a new perspective of female life in biblical society. It is a vast and stirring work described as what the Bible might have been had it been written by God's daughters instead of sons. Far beyond the traditional women-of-the-Bible sagas in both impact and vigor, The Red Tent is based upon a mention in Genesis of Jacob's only female offspring-his...

In first-century Judea, followers of The Way have burgeoned into a vibrant, growing community that cannot be ignored. Jerusalem is in turmoil as religious leaders on one side and Roman rulers on the other conspire to stamp out the fledgling church. Abigail, who thought she had finally found home and safety, is caught between the opposing forces. And now two suitors desire the lovely Abigail's hand in marriage but her heart has been captured by someone...

Alternating poems compare and contrast the conflicted feelings of Ishmael, son of the Biblical patriarch Abraham, and Sam, a teenager in New York City, as they try to come to terms with being abandoned by their fathers and with the love they feel for their younger stepbrothers.

One of the most well-known and loved stories of Jesus's ministry is the encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Now the creative mind of Diana Wallis Taylor imagines how the Samaritan woman got there in the first place. Marah is just a girl of thirteen when her life is set on a path that will eventually lead her to a life-changing encounter with the Messiah. But before that momentous meeting she must traverse through times of love lost...

Details how a wealthy young Jewish man and his family, who are all experiencing changing fortunes under Roman tyranny, are affected by the life and teachings of a Nazarene named Jesus Christ.

Ben Hur could be said to be the first blockbuster. When it was published in 1880, it sold over two million copies and was translated into numerous languages. It combines all the best elements of popular classic, epic and action story against a background of authoritative historical detail. The pace and immediacy of Ben Hur was the basis of its appeal to film-makers – Charlton Heston's portrayal of the title role is one of the classics of the cinema....

The renowned author of The Prophet creates a portrait of Jesus Christ through the observations of seventy-seven of his peers in this fascinating compendium.   What if we had firsthand impressions of the son of God found not in the pages of the New Testament, but from the very people who surrounded him? This is what Kahlil Gibran imagined in this lyrical and inspiring book. He captured the observations of friends, enemies, commoners, and rulers...