Iscariot
A Novel of Judas
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Books of Mortals series brilliantly adapts the life of Judas Iscariot into a dazzling work of fiction—humanizing the man whose very name is synonymous with betrayal.
Based on extensive research into the life and times of Judas Iscariot, this triumph of fiction storytelling by the author of Havah: The Story of Eve revisits one of biblical history’s most maligned figures and brings the world he inhabited vividly to life.
In Jesus, Judas believes he has found the One—the promised Messiah and future king of the Jews, destined to overthrow Roman rule. Galvanized, he joins Nazarene’s followers, ready to enact the change he has waited for all his life. But soon Judas’s vision of a nation free from Rome is crushed by the inexplicable actions of Nazarene himself, who will not bow to social or religious convention—and seems, in the end, to even turn against his own people. At last, Judas confronts the fact that the master he loves is not the liberator he hoped for, but a man bent on a drastically different agenda.
Praised as “an absolute must-read” (New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker), Iscariot is the story of Judas, from his tumultuous childhood to his emergence as the man who betrayed Jesus. But even more, it is a singular and surprising view into the life of Jesus that forces us to reexamine everything we thought we knew about the most famous—and infamous—religious icons in history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
From the author of Demon and coauthor with Ted Dekker of the Book of Mortals series comes mind-bending biblical historical fiction that dares to put readers in the mind of the most infamous character of Christian history. Lee uses a historically accurate setting for a fictional story of young Judas from Sepphoris, who becomes a Zealot after his father dies on a Roman cross during a Jewish revolt. As an adult, Judas studies and practices Torah, and though he associates with Jewish revolutionaries like Jesus he carefully avoids the same fate as his father. The Gospels never tell exactly why Judas betrayed Jesus, but the author's theory is that Judas was no more confused or misguided than other disciples; however, his plans went terribly wrong. Some familiar scenes come to life (" Hail,' I whispered, and kissed him with trembling lips.") Though the book provides a speculative and unorthodox view of Judas, the research and writing is impeccable and masterful. Above all, Lee insinuates a lingering question for the reader: is it true and would I have done it, too?
