The ancient world and its politics come to life through the eyes of a young Jewish woman, Mary of Nazareth Miriam–also known as Mary–was born into a Palestine oppressed by Herod the Great; she is accustomed to living with uncertainty and unrest. But when her beloved father is wrongly imprisoned by the Romans, she takes action. She calls upon a well-known rebel by the name of Barabbas, and together they set out to save her father. A daring escape is accomplished and, against staggering odds, Miriam’s father is saved from crucifixion. Barabbas, flush with the success of the rescue, is intent on leading a full-scale rebellion against Herod and the Romans. Along with Mary and her father, he speaks before Jewish leaders who have gathered from various communities. Miriam feels great frustration as the men endlessly debate morality, the wisdom of rebellion, and the nature of God’s will. Having almost lost her father, and knowing she will be ostracized, she nevertheless speaks out against the use of violence. And to her surprise, one man, Joseph, listens. He offers to take her to Magdala, where she will be allowed to study in the company of intelligent, well-read women. This rare opportunity sets into motion a series of events that will change Miriam’s life–and the history of the Jewish people–forever. Based on extensive historical and biblical scholarship, Mary of Nazareth is a revealing, utterly captivating portrait of a woman whose story we only thought we knew.
Download and start listening now!
"This is an intriguing novel of what good have been or what may of been happening in the years before Jesus was born. Even if it isn't true, it has to make one reflect on what could have happened. I definitely recommend this to a book group to discuss!"
— Marylou (5 out of 5 stars)
" It was OK. It was an interesting perspective on history. Having been raised Christian, it went against my sense of tradition. As a scholar, I had to say I don't see how it COULDN'T be her story... so, I just have to take it as another possibility, I guess. "
— Sarah, 2/16/2014" buku yang bagus dalam penceritaannya, dimana sejarah kristen kuno digabungkan dengan sejarah Nazi. Tokoh yang diungkapkan menggambarkan beberapa sudut pandang aliran kehidupan, seperti feminisme, otoritarianisme dan relijius ortodok. "
— Teguh, 2/6/2014" Not great not bad, nice feministic spin. "
— Deborah, 1/24/2014" This was an exciting book for the first few chapters but it soon went downhill for me. I was surprised that the mother of Jesus could be depicted as annoying and condescending. I feel as though the author wanted to portray Mary as having wisdom and strength that astonished those around her, but instead she came off as very haughty and holier-than-thou. I am disappointed that I tarnished my idea of Mary by reading this book. "
— Jamie, 1/24/2014" While this is a great fictional story with good insight into history - I struggle with a lot of what it suggests - it is supposed to based on the truth of the Bible, but I did not find it biblically accurate in the least. Very disappointed! "
— Jana, 1/19/2014" I didn't like the ending, but the rest of the story was good. Mary's version of the conception of Jesus was a bit of a stretch in my opinion. "
— Wynter, 1/12/2014" So interesting to read about that time in history but Mary is not very likable and her story doesn't really resonate. The ending could really piss some people off.... "
— Laura, 12/31/2013" Its a nice thing to read.. cos i believe that she must be one of extra ordinary women on earth.. :-) "
— Fsafrina, 12/10/2013" I'm not entirely sure how much of this book is based on fact but it's a good read. "
— Stephanie, 11/29/2013" Nice read, and glad I selected it. I got a good sense of her life before AD! "
— Brian, 11/5/2013" very interesting version of the life of Mary and the events leading upto the birth of Jesus, gave a lot to think about "
— Shirlyn, 10/15/2013Marek Halter is a French-Jewish writer and activist, known best for his historical novels, which have been translated into English, Polish, Hebrew, and many other languages.
Bernadette Dunne is the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award. She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center and off Broadway.