Conquering the world as masters of an empire was infused into the Roman psyche since the days of Carthage. Yet crushing rebellions in the midst of expansionism would be inevitable. The most ardent against Roman tyranny were the Jewish Zealots in the Province of Judea. Perceived by the Romans as criminals and by many Jews as liberators, the Zealots would finally cast off the shackles of oppression, slaughter the Roman garrison in Jerusalem, and declare war against the most powerful empire e...

Convinced he is a god, Seleucid Emperor Antiochus Epiphanes IV is on a mission to strengthen his empire against his enemy, the Roman Republic. He is determined that all subjects obey his edicts of Hellenization, which include loyal worship to the Greek pantheon, in an effort to unify the people. Among the subjects of Antiochus vast kingdom, the only people to reject these decrees are the insignificant Jews of Judea. Their refusal is a matter of faith in the one true God. The year is 167 B....

The first in the Oathsworn series, charting the adventures of a band of Vikings on the chase for the secret hoard of Attila the Hun.Life is savage aboard a Viking raider.Young Orm Rurikson is plucked from the snows of Norway to join his estranged father on the Fjord Elk, and becomes a member of the notorious crew – the Oathsworn. Hired as relic-hunters by the merchant rulers, and sent in search of a legendary sword of untold value to the new religion – their mission is trea...

A fictional account of the life of Christ "illuminated by ferocious wit, gentle passion, and poetry"—from the Nobel Prize-winning author of Skylight ( Los Angeles Times Book Review).For José Saramago, the life of Jesus Christ and the story of his Passion were things of this earth: a child crying, a gust of wind, the caress of a woman half asleep, the bleat of a goat or the bark of a dog, a prayer uttered in the grayish morning light. The Holy Fami...

The New York Times bestselling author of The Splendor Before the Dark reveals the untold story of Mary Magdalene—a disciple of Jesus Christ and the most mysterious woman in the Bible.Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute, a female divinity figure, a church leader, or all of those? Biblical references to her are tantalizingly brief, but we do know that she was the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared—and the one commissioned to tell others the ...

**The Acclaimed, Authentic Biography of the Early Church's Greatest Evangelist--the Apostle Paul.**Master storyteller John Pollock makes Paul and his amazing story freshly alive, so that you can know the greatest apostle much as Luke and Timothy did as they traveled with him. As you turn the pages, you'll sense Paul's motives, his aims and priorities; what mattered to him; and what he was willing to die for.

To Be Silent Would Be to Deny Their God, To Defy Would Bring the Wrath of the King.Seeking quiet and safety after a hard childhood, Leah marries Judah, a strong and gentle man, and for the first time in her life Leah believes she'll have peace. But the very nation Judah was named for has been conquered by a cruel king, who decrees that all Jews are to conform to Syrian laws or risk death for following the laws of Moses.Judah's father resists the decree, ign...

From Governor General’ s Award-winner Nino Ricci, one of Canada’s most highly acclaimed literary voices, Testament is a bold work of historical fiction. Set in a remote corner of the Roman Empire at a moment of political unrest and spiritual uncertainty, it re-tells the life of a holy man of enormous charisma who alters the course of human history. Grounded in extensive research, and written with the poetic sensibility that has earned Ricci an international reputation,

The Last Shepherd tells how at the beginning of the Common Era, Palestine was in chaos socially, politically, and spiritually. Political turmoil during the life of Jesus affected his ministry and caused him deep concern that he was not reaching the people with God’s message of love. Leaders in Palestine had been corrupted with Greek and Roman influence, causing a growing divide between the rich and the poor. Pharisees were fighting the trend by demanding a harsh adherence to Mosaic law lai...

From a #1 New York Times–bestselling author: The story of Judas Iscariot—and the stunning betrayal that changed the course of history.One of the great dramas of the biblical era is brought to thrilling new life in this epic novel told from the unique perspective of Judas Iscariot himself. This is the story of Judas the myth, condemned by Dante to the most terrifying circle of Hell; Judas the man, the son of wealth and power who fought to suppress the lusts...

Johnny Cash. The Apostle Paul.Passionate. Controversial. Fiery. Destructive. Redeemed.Two legendary men. Two thousand years apart-yet remarkably similar.Both struggled with a "thorn in the flesh." And both had powerful visions from God.Paul's encounter with the Man in White knocked him to the ground and struck him blind. It also turned him into one of the most influential men in history.Johnny Cash's vision was of another man entirely-his recently de...

A comprehensive, hopeful look at what the book of Daniel reveals about the end times.In his #1 New York Times bestseller Agents of the Apocalypse, noted prophecy expert Dr. David Jeremiah explored the book of Revelation through the lens of its major players. Now, in the much-anticipated follow-up, Agents of Babylon, Dr. Jeremiah examines prophecy through the eyes of the characters in the book of Daniel, explains what the prophecies mean, ...