The Life and Times of Berenice Bat Agrippa of Israel
341362
Agrippa's Daughter is an emotional, deep, compassionate and compelling historical novel. It tells the story of Queen Berenice Bat Agrippa of Israel.
Born in 28 CE, Berenice was the daughter of the King of Israel, Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great. A Hasmonean Princess, Berenice was strikingly beautiful, with the flaming red hair of the line of King David Ben Jesse, and fierce green eyes.

It is also the story of the Nation of Israel, in the years before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and the cruel exile of the Jewish people, from their ancient homeland.

After her arranged marriage to King Herod of Chalcis (in Lebanon), who died when Berenice was 23, she married the physician Shimeon Ben Gamaliel, of the House of the great Rabbi Hillel, to whose teachings she became a committed disciple. Later after the murder of Shimeon in Jerusalem, she would travel to Rome , as the mistress of Titus , destroyer of the Temple and later Emperor of Rome.

It is a novel of colour, sound and passion. I was deeply moved for my Nation of Israel , reading about the massacre of Jewish children in Jerusalem in 66 CE by the order of the cruel Roman procurator Gessius Florus. Especially, since last year, in August 2003, there was another massacre of Jewish children, by Palestinian terrorists.

Through the conflict at the time between Pharisee and Sadducee, Hillelite and Zealot, Sicarii and Hellenist, this is ultimately the story of the Land of Israel and the attachment through the ages of the Jewish Nation to that land. It is the story of the dreams and future of the children of Israel.
1236490
I read this book on my Kindle from Amazon because it was referred to in the book Two Babylons. It is a very interesting look into the life and customs of the near east in the 1800's by the discoverer of the site of ancient Nineveh. The descriptions of the ruins, the plaice walls and artifacts is most interesting to anyone interested in learning how difficult the task was and what meaning it has historically. The findings did much to increase belief in the accuracy of the Biblical descriptions of the places.names of kings, cities, and battles. The author, who as a friend of the locals in the aria, gives a description of the social customs among the local tribes which are also most interesting. The sizes of the stone winged lions that stood at the city gates was amazing. The skills of the ancient people were amazing. To me this was a most interesting account that I would recommend, especially if they have read the book Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop. That book will really open your eyes to what is going on in the world. It is not an easy read, however, but well worth it.
The Discoveries book is an easy to read book - like a daily diary that names places, people, discoveries, problems encountered etc.
I rated the book as a 4-star, not because I disliked it, but just because I wished the author had included more pictures of the details in the mosaics. I know most of his findings were shipped to London, but I will never get there and going on the web to the museums in London I could not find pictures of some of the things I wanted to see in color. It is still a good book and well worth reading.
3928948
A child born in 1904 discovers at the age of 4 she has lived a past life as a priestess of Isis at the Temple of Abydos in ancient Egypt. This is a true story and Dorothy Eady lived her modern life as a true aficionado of all things ancient Egyptian, eventually marrying an Egyptian man and moving there where she lived for the rest of her life.
From such an uncommon life, author Yvonne Harlech has woven a magical tale of a young girl left to be raised in the temple of Isis into the story of Dorothy Eady who came to be known as Omm Sety. Harlech's task is not only to describe the life and times of the young temple girl, but also to descibe life in England at the turn of the 20th century. Neither is a small task, but it is to her credit that both lives ring true for the reader.
Along the way, the reader learns a great deal about the cult of Isis, village life along the Nile, snakes, cooking, and even astronomy. For anyone interested in Isis or old Egypt, this book is a godsend. Harlech manages to describe the goddess cult along with the exalted status of women in those times while  20th-century Dorothy feels the bite of its loss. In her day women were still marching to get the vote. If you, like me, had no idea about Dorothy Eady or the cult of Isis, you will be very happy to have found this story.
This is a fine book. I highly recommend it.
2671205
This is a fascinating story covering the history of an acheological site  in Isreal -- spanning thousands and thousands of years.
Michener takes  the reader on a literary time machine through the many epochs -- the stone  ages, man's religious experience and encounter with his God, the times of  Alexander the Great, the Roman period, the Crusades, the Ottoman Empire,  and on to modern times. This book will open your eyes to the glorious  history of Isreal and her people, and the challenges they had to overcome  throughout the years to remain a (the Chosen) people -- challenges such as  young Hebrew men becoming assimilated into the Greek culture during the  time of Alexander the Great, the Emperor Nero and his descision to level  the Temple in Jerusalem to rubble, the Crusades and the Inquisition, the  Ottoman Empire and the culture clash with Islam, and may others.
After  reading this book, you will be amazed at how much the people of Isreal had  to endure throughout the many epochs, and still managed to survive and  thrive.
This book is a tremendous testimony to a proud and great people  -- On their many contributions to mankind, the sufferings they had to  endure throughout history, and their resiliency to survive and prosper.
This is a great book; definitely worth having in your library.
1559194
A well written book that brings the early days of Talmudic Judaism alive. Written as a fictonal novel based on the life of Elisha bar Abuiya, the book explores the challenges of faith, doubt, redemption and logic. A page turner, the 500 pages move swiftly from boyhood through death, and bring the cultural clashes between Gentile and Jewish philosophy and religion into a perspective that can be compared to our modern era. A great read.
3530618
The book was printed in 1909, a long time time ago, but it is still current. It tales the beginning of the Hebrew books in Italy with a precise style and fairly good references. Of course, some knowledges are now changed or more precise. But you feel very well the life of the Jews the XVth,XVIth and XVIIth centuries and the amount of difficulties to print books in Hebrew in these times of enlighted princes and of a Church hostile and mighty. Which authors were popular in the time, how the first Bible, the first Talmud and many other important books of the Jewish culture, were edited and printed, all these subjects are explored.
2103350
This book by John Hagee is inspired by the work of Mark Biltz, but published the year before Biltzs book. It describes the events experienced by the Jews around the rare occurrences of blood moon tetrads occurring on the Feasts of the Lord, accompanied by total solar eclipses in 1493-94, 1949-1950 and 1967-68. He skillfully presents historical narratives that help the reader understand the great significance of those periods for the Jews and Israel. He then demonstrates this same rare phenomenon will occur in 2014-15, but this time it coincides with a Shemitah year, which is astronomically rare, in the authors words. Given the unquestionable significance of previous blood moon tetrads and the much greater significance likely for this one, Hagee examines biblical prophecies and Israels current status in the world to conclude, Something big is about to happen! This is an excellent read and I highly recommend it.
84085
I enjoy historical fiction and it was evident that James Flerlage did extensive research for this book.  I especially was fascinated by the part about Migdal Eder.  We have studied that in our couples Bible study the last couple of years and I just did research on it to present to my ladies Bible study.  I would highly recommend this book to any student of the Bible.
2791250
An excellent story for anyone interested in Israel history and how the Hebrew faith and Christianity  began and developed into what it is today. Michener takes you from 10000 BC to 1965 in an interesting story of one  tiny local that influenced the world. This is not for the faint of heart because it is very descriptive of the violent historical incidents that took place.
1696247
One of the ancient Hebrew books with significant religious content that was not included in the biblical canon by Jews is the Book of Judith. The book was incorporated into the Bible in the Greek translation of the Bible and by the original King James Version of 1611, but many Protestants wanted it removed because, among other things, it was not part of the Hebrew Bible. Nevertheless, it is part of the Roman Catholic Bible today.

The author of this excellent and very moving story virtually gives notice that his tale is fiction. It draws events from Greek tales, but gives them a strong Jewish religious aura. It ostensibly tells how a very religious Jewish woman saved her people from Babylonians. Scholars believe that while the story is supposed to narrate events against Babylonia, it was composed to hearten Jews in their battle against the Syrian Greeks - a battle ending in the rededication of the temple which is celebrated today by the holiday of Chanukah. Significantly, the heroine's name is Judith, a female version of the hero of the battle against the Syrians, Judah.

Many people like this tale much better than the story of Esther, which was inserted into the Bible canon. While Esther obviously was unable to maintain Jewish practices in the palace of the Persian king, Judith was very scrupulous about her religion. She also lived with a non-Jew. It is possible that the rabbis did not include this tale because they saw it as a fiction, while they believed the story of Esther actually occurred.
3724709
Rabbi Yehiel Poupko has written a touching tribute to his granddaughter, Chana. The book provides a thoroughly researched, rich reading of the biblical Chana story. Rabbi Poupko's erudite and perceptive analysis of I Samuel 1-2 includes an exploration of related topics, such as "The Barren Women of the Bible," "The Jewish Understanding and Practice of Prayer," and the role of this story in the Rosh Hashanah liturgy. This book, full of scholarly and spiritual insights, has much to offer, especially during the Jewish New Year and surrounding Days of Awe.
3495441
For those who wish a fairly exhaustive treatment of the Hebrew background (religious text culture, Babylonian Talmudic learning & early Hellenistic culture) to Ecclesiastes, Qoheleth, Professor Dr. Ernst Wilhelm Theodor Herrmann Hengstenberg's 1859 Commentary will please.

To understand intelligently requires the usual competence in the Classical languages of the educated elite---Greek, Latin & Hebrew!  It is a pleasure to read church Hebrew, or Spanish Hebrew [one does grow tired of Polish Hebrew and modern Israeli Hebrew].  The scholar was one of the first Lutheran theologians who mastered Oriential languages, and his erudition shows.

By all means buy this book, or download its free Google edition with Introduction, to enrich and adorn your library.  It will deepen your understanding of ancient Jewish learning of the late Perian and early Hellenistic period.

Respectfully,

John E.D.P. Malin
Chairman of the Board
Informatica Corporation
Cecilia, LA 70521-0460
2482862
The story of Augustus in his youth is an entertaining read. The friendship between Augustus and Agrippa is told in an effort to be the central theme. The author is informative about the time and events.
3856036
As an unobservant Jew, I found Tova Mirvis path from modern Orthodox Judaism to almost unobservant intriguing. Her questioning began at an early age but she mostly did what was expected of her until it was untenable. She forged a path for herself very different than the one she expected to go down.
492609
The Book of Esther in the Bible is a beautiful story of a woman's courage in standing up for her people (the Jews) despite the possibility of losing her own life.  She was the wife of King Xerxes, who had absolute power over those around him.  He decreed that anyone who was not specifically summoned to him was not allowed to approach him, yet Esther dared to go against this edict in order to plead the case of the Jews and her cousin Mordechai who had raised Esther when she became orphaned at an early age.  Haman, Xerxes' trusted advisor, had tricked the king into declaring that all Jews should be killed, not knowing that his wife and her cousin would be included in the death toll.

In Rebecca Kohn's retelling of this story there is lush detail of life in the court of King Xerxes.  The intrigues of Haman, and the courage of Mordechai and Esther to stand up for their faith and their people is chronicled.  Unfortunately, much of the positives in the book are marred by the literary license that the author takes with the plot.  She writes that Esther was betrothed to Mordechai and loved him throughout her life, an assertion which seems to have no basis in fact.  This twists the tale into a love story between a man and a woman, instead of emphasizing Esther's great courage in protecting God's chosen people.  For this reason, I can only give this book an average rating.
4132440
Spanning the 20th century from 1911 through the 1968 epilogue, "Jerusalem Maiden" is a fascinating story which focuses on the life of a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman.  Talia Carner draws the reader into the life of Esther Kaminsky, the "Jerusalem Maiden"; and, in doing so, provides insight into the history of Israel and the cultural differences among its diverse citizens.  On a deeper level, the novel presents the reader with dilemmas that many individuals face.  That is, whether to follow your own dream or whether to follow cultural dictates and the expectations of your society.  Further, the heroine, as do many individuals, experiences deep turmoil with respect to her faith as she strives to ascertain the direction Hashem (God) would have her choose for her life.

"Jerusalem Maiden" highlights the internal conflict that Esther experiences as she struggles between those choices.  In developing the storyline from Esther's perspective, Talia Carner opens a view of Jewish culture and world history that may be unfamiliar to many readers.  However, the novel never loses the focus on Esther's conflict - whether to pursue art, effectively abandoning her religious upbringing and her family, or whether to follow the path of marriage and motherhood as is expected of young Haredi women.  Seeking to know God's will, Esther must make choices that conflict with her upbringing.

Talia Carner has developed "Jerusalem Maiden's" characters with rare skill.  One finds they are drawn into the characters' personal conflicts, caring deeply that the outcome will be favorable for a particular individual.  The women are very much alive in the pages of this book.  The male characters are as well drawn as the female protagonist, her sister Hannah, or her friend Ruthi.  Nevertheless, the men's lives and personalities are not as fully described as those of the women.  However, Carner does furnish sufficient detail to provide the reader with insight into the male characters' mindset - which exacerbates Esther's conflict between fulfilling personal desires and bowing to the dictates of societal expectations.

I recommend "Jerusalem Maiden" to any reader who is looking for a fascinating read.  It is a well written, deeply personal portrait of a young woman struggling to follow her dreams without sacrificing her family or the principles by which she has been raised.  You will find yourself hoping that she can do so.
4464356
This short biography manages to encompass the long and event-filled life of one of Israel's greatest leaders, taking the reader from pre-WWII Poland to the struggle against British Mandate, the 1948 War of Independence, and finally all the way to the Lebanon War of the 1980s.  It shows that to a great extent the history of modern Israel and the biography of Begin are one in the same.