Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem

BOOK ONE A TIME TO MORN, A TIME TO DANCE

The New Testament offers only points of truth that Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, for instance; that they had to go to Bethlehem to register for the census but it doesnt include the human drama that occurs between these moments. It doesnt illustrate the challenge a pregnant Mary faced in making a ninety-mile trip on foot and on donkey. It doesnt describe the anxiety of a husband traveling with his wife in her ninth month of pregnancy.

A Time to Morn, A Time to Dance fills these gaps, telling a story that follows Mary and Joseph from their first meeting, through the birth of Jesus, their flight into Egypt, and back into the welcoming arms of their family.

BOOK TWOTHE TRAP

In the time of Jesus, the Sadducees controlled the Temple and the high Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, but had little influence among the common people. They were a conservative political group engaged in a bitter power struggle with the increasingly powerful Pharisees. The Sadducees grew concerned about the well-liked Jesus, fearful he would spawn a popular uprising and cause them to lose control to the Pharisees.

Alphaeus, a rich Sadducee, volunteers to set a trap for Jesus and bring him down. But the plan is complicated when he falls in love with his servant girl, a faithful follower of Jesus.