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Sons of Light

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I first saw John Merrill's "Sons of Light" advertised in "Biblical Archaeological Review." On BAR"s website, it was highly praised by Richard A. Freund. Director of Excavations Projects at the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies, University of Hartford, and by Richard A Freud of the same group, and others, both on the website and in the book and its cover.

Merrill, in his acknowledgements, says he is deeply grateful to Hershel Shanks, Bill Webster, George and Danielle Kuper, Penny Peters, Chuck Klotz, Prof. Robert Eisenman, Prof. Eric Cline, Sally Artersos, Louise Wheatly, Judge Mark Wolf, Howard Kamisky, Nicholaus Delbaneo, and the highly professional staff of the Biblical Archaeological Society. With credentials like that, how could I go wrong? I had recently written a book covering the history of Judea from A.D. 27 through A.D. 135, so I am familiar with many of the characters and events I felt would be covered in "Sons of Light."

The novel's "Author's Notes" opens in A.D. 70 with the leaders of the Zealot revolt retreating with their families to Masada. The novel, itself starts in 47 B.C and ends in A.D. 6, so it doesn't cover the same events my book does. I thought it would be interesting to learn some of the earlier history than I covered in my book, especially from a work supported by so many eminent scholars.

The opening scene, in 47 B.C., has Hezekiah with his two daughters and his parents trapped in a cave high on a steep cliff above Herod and his Roman allies at the base. Faced with capture, Hezekiah slits the throats of his two daughters while his father slits his mother's throat and commits suicide. Hezekiah then stabs himself and jumps to his death. Strange that a novel about the "Sons of Light" should start off with the founder of The Sons of Light killing his own family and committing suicide. I soon discovered reading the book that the main topic wasn't merely a historical novel about the Zealots (The Sons of Light); it goes into considerable detail about the young Yeshua (Jesus), his mother Miriam, his father Joseph and John the Baptist. Here's a summary of how Merrill fictionalizes the story of these people:

Miriam is raped by the Roman Centurion Julius Panthera (p. 37). When Miriam visits Elizabeth, Zachariah cannot speak because of a stroke (p. 50). Elizabeth takes Miriam to visit Elizabeth's friend, the elderly Joseph, to ask Joseph if he would agree to marry Miriam, because Elizabeth had thought better of reporting Miriam's violation to the Bet Din (p. 51). Joseph agrees. He is of the house of David, so Miriam's son can be considered of the house of David also (p. 57). The scholar, Simeon, is engaged to teach Miriam Scripture and the Law (p. 65). Simeon is also teaching John the Baptist.

Later, Panthera sends for Miriam. He wants her to inform him of the hiding place of Judas the Galilean, the current Zealot leader (p. 75). After being threatened, Miriam agrees (p. 77). Joseph arranges a meeting with Miriam, Judas the Galilean and his brother Menachem. The men decide to have Miriam lead the Romans into a trap. Miriam is quoted saying a prayer that her uncle Zachariah taught her: "Our Father, who dwells in heaven, Holy is Thy name . . ." (p. 96) Miriam leads Panthera into the trap. All the Romans are killed except Panthera, who is seriously injured. Judas wanted to leave Panthera for the night animals. Panthera asks that they kill him instead. Miriam, after thinking about it, tells Judas: "Do as he asks!"

Herod sends an assassin to Sepphoris to bring back the head of Miriam's newborn baby. Menachem saves Miriam and the baby by killing the assassin (p.158). Later, John the Baptist attends the circumcision of Yeshua (p. 160). The Baptist had been accepted into the Qumran priesthood in his 20th year. Menachem tells Miriam that Herod has issued orders for the arrest of Joseph (p. 163). In 4 B.C., John the Baptist says: "I am a voice in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord." (p. 218). A man named Eleazar lifts the infant Yeshua and says: "I give thanks to God that He has shown me the future of our people before I die." (p. 247). Joseph dies (p 292). The Baptist later realizes that he must be the forerunner. He already looks like an old man (p. 297) while Yeshua is still a happy, cooing infant (p. 302). Zachariah still has not recovered from his stroke (p. 303). Yeshua celebrates his first birthday (p. 312).

After Joseph's death, Menachem's proposes marriage to Miriam. She accepts (p. 315). Merrill states: "Although Miriam never traveled outside the borders of Galilee . . .(p. 345) (Note that Jerusalem is outside the borders of Galilee). Miriam has five children with Menachem: Jacob, Joseph, Jude, Simon, and Diana, plus Yeshua, her first born (p. 347). Yeshua is learning to be a fisherman (p. 349). Simeon tells Miriam that Yeshua should go to Qumran for instruction as soon as he is of age (p. 350). Miriam asks the Baptist: "Is this the moment?" (p. 396).

Because of the planned Zealot attack against the Roman army, the Baptist tells Miriam that he will take her six children to Egypt to get them out of danger (p. 398). Miriam insists that Yeshua remain with the Zealots to bolster their hope (p. 399). The Baptist gives a three-paragraph sermon of encouragement to the Zealots (p. 408). Yeshua asks that his brother, Jacob, remain with him and the Zealots also (p.409). When the last of the Zealot force leave to engage the Romans, Miriam takes Yeshua and Jacob to Sepphoris (p. 414). The Zealots are defeated. Of their 3000-man force, 2960 were killed in battle and 40 were brought back to Sepphorus to be crucified (p. 433). They were crucified in different positions. Miriam searched through the crosses for her husband, Menachem. She found him still alive and crucified in the same position as the Gospels have Jesus crucified.

This fictionalized account of the lives of Miriam, Yeshua, Joseph, and the Baptist is such a strong thread throughout the novel that I think this fictional account is the main thrust of Merrill's book. The history of the Zealot movement, I think, serves merely as the backdrop to flesh out the main fictional thread. This fictional account is so different from traditional accounts of these people's lives that I have reservations of how accurate Merrill's history of the Zealots is. I know from my own research that Josephus, an eyewitness, incidentally, paints a very critical picture of the Zealots. During the war of A.D. 66-70 (not covered in Merrill's book), Josephus relates that the Zealots fought a three-party civil war in Jerusalem while Vespasian was conquering all the towns surrounding Jerusalem. So vicious was the civil strife, that the warring parties destroyed all the stored food in Jerusalem. By time Titus was ready to lay siege to Jerusalem, the people were starving and doomed to defeat.

After the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, the remaining Zealots at Masada committed mass suicide. From beginning to end, the Zealots look to me like an unruly group. Judea survived the conquest by Titus in A.D. 70. Sixty-one years later, their descendants rebelled again; this time led by Bar Kochba, a man with extraordinary charisma. He organized all the people from Judea, Galilee, and Perea into a unified force with a 400,000-man army. They defeated three Roman armies and liberated all of Palestine. Bar Kochba set up the First Jewish Commonwealth. The present Israelis government, incidentally, is the Second Jewish Commonwealth.

The Roman Caesar Hadrian decided he could not risk allowing Palestine to revolt. He summoned his general Septimus Severus to reconquer Palestine. Severus brutally defeated Bar Kochba and deported the survivors, bringing in foreign people to occupy the land. So effective was the destruction of Judea, that fifteen centuries later, in 1856, there were only 10,500 Jews residing in all of Palestine.

I couldn't help noticing how similar some of Merrill's rationalizations are to the rationalizations that, today, motivate Islamic terrorists: "There is no price that can purchase the Zealot's compliant behavior" (p. 373). "Sooner or later the Zealots will take offense at some order they think the people must obey and will not cease resisting until they are either vindicated or dead" (p.385). "The righteous do not perish if they die in the pursuit of God's will" (p. 385).

On page 63, Simeon, the teacher, says: "If all things come from God, then it must be that God has created evil as well as good, is this not so? Why, you are about to ask, would God create the very spirit that He hates?" Strange question! Here is how I would answer it: "Things" and "Spirits" are real beings that exist outside our minds in the real world. "Good" and "evil" are not beings existing in the real world. They are mental abstractions within our minds. They are attributes of real beings that exist in the real world. Spirits and human beings, for example, are good if they conduct themselves the way God commands them to conduct themselves. They are evil if they refuse to conduct themselves the way God wants. The mental abstraction "evil" is not a spirit that Gods hates (angels and devils are spirits). God loves every person that God created, but God is offended (not incited to hatred), but offended, if any created person refuses obedience. On page 79, Merrill further complicates this question when he has Joseph tell Miriam that "not all men are created equal to God's image: this is an illusion." Joseph tells Miriam that: "God, in His wisdom, had created good and evil, forever in opposition to each other." I think that, in the end, God will stop all disobedience; and, therefore, evil, as Merrill describes it, will no longer be relevant?

The statement I most disagree with in Merrill's book is on page 129. "The Redeemer will be more than a king. . . The Messiah will be a mighty warrior!" God forbid that we all have to spend eternity ruled by a warrior king with all the military might and police required by a warrior. My idea of heaven is that everybody obeys God voluntarily and completely because they all respect God and love God. There is no need for a warrior, for armies, police, jails, etc. There is no conflict in heaven, no difference of opinion about the real world, because everyone knows the truth. Can you imagine living like that? It would be totally different than life here on earth.

The "Sons of Light" are gone. They're all dead, killed twenty centuries ago trying to force God's hand into doing what they want. Those who reign in heaven are the sons and daughters of God. They all live in one immense, harmonious family, no strife, no war, no compulsion, only love. They all love each other because they love God.

I'm harsh on this book because it disappointed me very much. If you want to know how the Zealots were like, read a serious book, not some work of fiction, I invite you to read my book "Revelation and the Fall of Judea," ISBN: 1401068049. It's available on Amazon.com.

Sincerely,

Maurice A. Williams

I read this book after a friend pressed it on me - I read it more as a favor than anything else, as I have a towering stack of books waiting to be read - and I could not put it down. I was constantly impressed by the incredible scope and depth of the research. Additionally, the language is compelling and beautiful. A really great read for anyone interested in learning more about religion, history, and faith.

This is an extraordinarily well researched novel that does stumble over factual evidence in presenting what must be described as a most exciting narrative of the Zealot insurrection against the Roman Empire. Merrill has plowed obscure historical references and consulted with scores of historians to recreate what surely must have transpired some two millennia ago in Palestine. And if, as a previous reviewer has noted, some of the deliciously drawn characters are more than coincidental reminders of present day political figures, this is a playfully provocative and mischievous bonus.

A subplot includes a secular portrayal of Mary (Miriam), Joseph and boy Jesus. Although at variance to the Biblical account of their origins and travail, the novel should not considered heretical since the plot is pinioned by historical fact, and the future of a brilliant young Jesus is left in abeyance.

There are a surprisingly large number of protagonists and antagonists. Each has his/her own individuality. The plot follows a series of frissonic struggles among Sadducees, Chief Priests, Romans, and Zealots as it builds towards the final battle near Megiddo. The description of this battle is as good as anything John Keegan has written, even though we know what the outcome will be. The line of battle, strategies, tactical use of weapons are fiercesomely described. (Howard Fast's novel, Spartacus, and its movie counterpart are made reminiscent by this powerful account.)

I certainly would look forward to a sequel which should involve an adult Jesus, Pontius Pilot, John the Baptist, Josephus, and the later, final stand of the Zealots on Masada against Flavius Silva. I have recommended Sons of Light to friends of mine who are historians (and to an Israeli epidemiologist who has told me about the reverence and respect that the "Sons of Light" have today in the museums of Israel). This book is worth the price and the time to read it.

This first time author has written a fantastic book covering a short period in the history of ancient Judea. His historical facts are accurate. His suppositions regarding the birth of Jesus, his mother, father, siblings,etc., are obviously fiction from a historical point but nevertheless represent a possibility. He captures real life in Roman Israel under King Herod, an Idumean convert to Judaism, and protector of Romes' interests.
I read the book while on vaction in Mexico, and finished it in two days, as I could not put it down, once I started.

I recommend it to anyone who has read Dan Brown's books, assuming you liked the Da Vinci Code.

Imagine "The DaVinci Code" and "The Passion of Christ" meeting James Michener....and you've got "Sons of Light." This book is a terrific read and manages to weave detailed history into an adventure story that challanges both traditional Jewish and Christian sacred cows...and in so doing still affirms the spirit of both traditions.

Merrill takes you by the hand and lets you travel along side five generations of Jewish rebels as they fight for independence from the oppressive Roman Empire. By the end of the prologue, you feel you, too, are living in the caves of Qumran. And, while the tyrants, religious zealots, martyrs, and power-hungry polictians you meet have Biblical names, you can't help but recognize character traits shared by Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Jerry Falwell, George Bush, and a host of others in today's news. This book reminds us that in 2000 years, little has changed.

I am not a fan of historical fiction, but "Sons of Light" is much more. It is a powerful and cinematic adventure story that just cries out for the lieks of Harrison Ford. The fast driving pace and the dynamic characters draw you in and, if you're like me, you have to stay up all night to see what's going to happen next. The added bonus is that, while you're engulfed in a great read, you're becoming a Biblical scholar.

Put this book on your summer reading list...and buy a copy for everyone you know. It's not just entertaining, it's an important work that will help us all understand the common roots we share.

This fascinating novel presents a different, intriguing, and plausible perspective on the times of Herod and the childhood of Jesus. It covers the period between 47 B.C. and 6 A.D. and recounts events whose impact echoes throughout the twenty centuries that have passed since they took place.

As a story, it is a thrilling tale of passionate commitment to religuous beliefs, dedication to overthrowing a tyranny of corrupt sects and foreign occupiers, and the personal bonds formed by those working together in common cause. As history, there may be many who will take exception to the perspectives the author has chosen - my knowledge is limited to Bible reading and high school studies of Roman history.

These were bloody times, and a squeamish reader may have difficulty reading the accounts of massacres, murders and mayhem. They give a whole new meaning to 'ethnic cleansing.' The members of the Zealot movement were prepared to sacrifice their lives (and did) in order to bring about a utopian world where people could live in peace and love of God. The corporate hierarchy of the temple sought to protect their position in society and its rich source of income, even though it required the twisting of Jewish theology and killing off a few competitors in the process. And then there were the Romans. These masters of empire-building would use any political device, resort to any ghastly behavior, or betray any co-conspirator in order to maintain the Empire and its resources. Now does that have any echoes in current events?

In his "Afterword" the author provides scholarly references and explanations to support many of the controversial positions he has taken. They provide important insights, and a reader might find it helpful to read these before launching into the book. For example, there will be those who find Merrill's assumptions about the relationship between Mary and Joseph totally unacceptable. To me, the love and partnership that is portrayed is heart-warming and believable; and I was surprised to find other scholars give credence to the author's conjectures. In the author's recounting, Mary is an exceptionally wise woman, learned in Jewish theology, and demonstrates skills that make her an important leader of the Zealots. Joseph is much more than a humble carpenter, and is an obvious role-model for his son. Some readers will not welcome Merrill's hypotheses, but I think they would be foolish to cast the book aside merely because it takes a controversial position. It does make one think.

The story flows smoothly, the author is articulate, the characters are drawn with sympathy and understanding, and one comes to know the key participants progressively more intimately with each appearance. Having never traveled in the Middle East, I was amazed at how expertly the author transported me into scenery with which I was totally unfamiliar. It is obvious that John Merrill spent a great deal of time in the area before he wrote his compelling novel.

This is a very good first novel and an intriguing perspective on history.