Book picks similar to
An Illustrated Guide to the Holy Land for Tour Groups, Students, and Pilgrims by Lamontte M. Luker
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The Hilltop
Assaf Gavron - 2013
According to the government it doesn’t exist; according to the military it must be defended. On this contested land, Othniel Assis—under the wary gaze of the neighboring Palestinian village—plants asparagus, arugula, and cherry tomatoes, and he installs goats—and his ever-expanding family. As Othniel cheerfully manipulates government agencies, more settlers arrive, and, amid a hodge-podge of shipping containers and mobile homes, the outpost takes root. One of the settlement’s steadfast residents is Gabi Kupper, a one-time free spirit and kibbutz-dweller, who undergoes a religious awakening. The delicate routines of Gabi’s new life are thrown into turmoil with the sudden arrival of Roni, his prodigal brother, who, years after venturing to America in search of fortune, arrives at Gabi’s door, penniless. To the settlement’s dismay, Roni soon hatches a plan to sell the “artisanal” olive oil from the Palestinian village to Tel Aviv yuppies. When a curious Washington Post correspondent stumbles into their midst, Ma’aleh Hermesh C becomes the focus of an international diplomatic scandal and faces its greatest test yet. By turns serious and satirical, The Hilltop brilliantly skewers the complex, often absurd reality of life in Israel, the West Bank settlers, and the nation's relationship to the United States, and makes a startling parallel between today’s settlements and the kibbutz movement of Gabi and Roni’s youth. Rich with humor and insight, Assaf Gavron’s novel is the first fiction to grapple with one of the most charged geo-political issues of our time, and he has written a masterpiece.
Seven Jewish Children: a play for Gaza
Caryl Churchill - 2009
Structured as the text of seven statements parents might say to their children either in response to the events or attempting to explain them, they express regret, anger, intelligence, blind hatred, fear, and compassion.
Exodus Old and New: A Biblical Theology of Redemption
L. Michael Morales - 2020
Michael Morales examines the key elements of three major redemption movements in Scripture: the exodus out of Egypt, the second exodus foretold by the prophets, and the new exodus accomplished by Jesus Christ. We discover how the blood of a Passover lamb helps us grasp the significance of Jesus' death on the cross, how the Lord's defeat of Pharaoh foreshadowed Jesus' victory over Satan, how Israel's exodus out of Egypt unfolds the meaning of the resurrection, and much more.The second volume in the ESBT series, Exodus Old and New reveals how Old Testament stories of salvation provide insight into the accomplishments of Jesus and the unity of God's purposes across history.Essential Studies in Biblical Theology (ESBT), edited by Benjamin L. Gladd, explore the central or essential themes of the Bible's grand storyline. Taking cues from Genesis 1-3, authors trace the presence of these themes throughout the entire sweep of redemption history. Written for students, church leaders, and laypeople, the ESBT offers an introduction to biblical theology.
Warrior: An Autobiography
Ariel Sharon - 1989
A hero in Israel's wars, perhaps the most daring and successful commander in Israel's extraordinary military history, Sharon has always been a warrior, whether the enemies were hostile Arab nations, terrorists, Time magazine, or rival politicians. The public man is well known -- aggressive in battle, hard-line in politics -- but the private man has always been obscured by Sharon's dazzling career and powerful personality. In this compelling and dramatic auto-biography, the real Sharon appears for the first time: a complex man, a loving father, a figure of courage and compassion. He is a warrior who commands the respect and love of his troops, a visionary, and an uncompromising, ruthless pragmatist. Sharon tells his story with frankness, power, intelligence, and a brilliant gift for detail. Always controversial, he is as outspoken as his friends -- and enemies -- would expect him to be.
Paradise to Prison
John James Davis - 1975
In very readable fashion the author explores the lives of the patriarchs as well as important doctrinal themes. Each chapter is carefully documented and sources from archaeology and ancient Near Eastern history are freely used. The writer's premise is that no other ancient literature surviving the ravages of time can rightly be compared to Genesis with its unsurpassed theological perspectives and vivid profiles of early man.
Facing Terror: The True Story of How an American Couple Paid the Ultimate Price Because of Their Love of Muslim People
Carrie McDonnall - 2000
They were in a hurry to reach the safety of their home before nightfall. Suddenly, the crowded street they were on became eerily quiet. And then, out of nowhere came an explosion of bullets and shrapnel . . .Within hours their tragedy was all over the news. But who was this couple? And what motivated them to risk their lives working in a land torn by centuries of conflict? Here is Carrie and David's captivating story of falling inlove with God, with each other?and with the Arab Muslims they were called to serve.This is not only the spell-binding account of a day turned tragic by terrorists?a day that made headlines around the world?but the greater story that the papers never tell: of the mysterious Middle East and its warm-hearted people. As you are transported to this ancient landscape, watching modern events unfold, you'll read of God's Love Story for people everywhere. You'll also witness Carrie's journey toward healing, and discover the renewed reason for hope that we all can have in troubled times."
When Camels Fly
N.L.B. Horton - 2014
Seconds after Grace shoots Maggie's abductor, a handsome shepherd drops from the sky to kill a second assassin. The women's world crumbles in two blinks of an eye.Running for their lives, they quickly unearth a global evil poised to sacrifice millions. Their pursuit of justice plunges them into a vortex of intrigue and espionage, endangering friends and family while the world teeters toward disaster. As they crisscross the "cradle of civilization," they unexpectedly extinguish old flames and ignite new loves.How far will they have to go to save everyone and everything they hold dear? From the shadowy alleyways of old Jerusalem to a congested caravanserai in Jordan, and from elderly operatives hiding under Masada to youthful rescuers disguised as snake charmers in Jericho, the mother-daughter team soon realizes that nothing is as it seems. Even each other.Because sometimes, doing what's right is all that's left.(When Camels Fly is book 1 in the Parched series. Book 2, The Brothers' Keepers, continues the adventure.)
Arik: The Life of Ariel Sharon
David Landau - 2013
The life of Ariel Sharon spans much of modern Israel’s history. A commander in the Israeli Army from its inception in 1948, Sharon participated in the 1948 War of Independence, played decisive roles in the 1956 Suez War and the Six-Day War of 1967, and is credited here with the shift in the outcome of the Yom Kippur War of 1973. After leaving the professional army, Sharon became a political leader and served in numerous governments, most prominently as the defense minister during the 1982 Lebanon War in which he bore “personal responsibility,” according to the state’s commission of inquiry, for massacres of Palestinian civilians by Lebanese militia. As a general and as a politician, he championed the construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. But as prime minister, he performed a dramatic reversal: orchestrating Israel’s unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Landau brilliantly chronicles Sharon’s surprising about-face, combining the immediacy of firsthand reportage with the analysis and independent insight of a historian’s perspective. Sharon suffered a stroke in January 2006 and remains in a persistent vegetative state. This biography recounts the life of the man who is considered by many to be Israel’s greatest military leader and political statesman, illustrating how Sharon’s leadership transformed Israel, and how his views were shaped by the changing nature of Israeli society.
Apeirogon
Colum McCann - 2020
Rami Elhanan is Israeli. They inhabit a world of conflict that colors every aspect of their daily lives, from the roads they are allowed to drive on, to the schools their daughters, Abir and Smadar, each attend, to the checkpoints, both physical and emotional, they must negotiate.Their worlds shift irreparably after ten-year-old Abir is killed by a rubber bullet and thirteen-year-old Smadar becomes the victim of suicide bombers. When Bassam and Rami learn of each other's stories, they recognize the loss that connects them and they attempt to use their grief as a weapon for peace.McCann crafts Apeirogon out of a universe of fictional and nonfictional material. He crosses centuries and continents, stitching together time, art, history, nature, and politics in a tale both heartbreaking and hopeful. Musical, cinematic, muscular, delicate, and soaring, Apeirogon is a novel for our time.
Catch-67: The Left, the Right, and the Legacy of the Six-Day War
Micah Goodman - 2017
In 2017, best-selling Israeli author Micah Goodman published a balanced and insightful analysis of the situation that quickly became one of Israel’s most debated books of the year. Now available in English translation with a new preface by the author, Catch-67 deftly sheds light on the ideas that have shaped Israelis’ thinking on both sides of the debate, and among secular and religious Jews about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Contrary to opinions that dominate the discussion, he shows that the paradox of Israeli political discourse is that both sides are right in what they affirm—and wrong in what they deny. Although he concludes that the conflict cannot be solved, Goodman is far from a pessimist and explores how instead it can be reduced in scope and danger through limited, practical steps. Through philosophical critique and political analysis, Goodman builds a creative, compelling case for pragmatism in a dispute where a comprehensive solution seems impossible.
Crusader: By Horse to Jerusalem
Tim Severin - 1989
The destination: Jerusalem, city of gold. For more than eight years, Severin followed the historic trail, riding through northern Europe's green countryside and into the heat of the Near East. In the process, he covered more than 2,500 miles by horse, past ruined Crusader settlements and ancient battlefields, over arduous mountain passes, and across Anatolian steppes. A dazzling synthesis of adventure, practical history, and exploration, told by one of our finest and most respected travel writers--illustrated with his own photographs.
The Chosen: 40 Days with Jesus
Amanda Jenkins - 2019
Every follower of Jesus in the Gospels had a not-so-great “before”: A brash fisherman. A pious religious leader. A demon-possessed woman. A thieving tax collector. Christ’s love saw beyond their brokenness and forgave. Jesus revolutionized the lives of those who followed Him. And He’s still doing it today. Each of the forty devotions in The Chosen contains a Scripture, a unique look into a Gospel story, suggestions for prayer, and questions that lead you further in your relationship with Christ. See Jesus through the eyes of those who knew him best, and explore the backstories of people like Mary Magdalene, Peter, Matthew, Nicodemus, and more. It’s hard to relate to the sinless Son of God, but we can all identify with the sinners. You too can be transformed: Jesus sees past your "before" to the person He is creating you to be.
The Last Israelis
Noah Beck - 2012
Iran has nukes. Israel’s leader is hospitalized. History is now up to 35 Israelis. Ethnically diverse. Ideologically divided. On a nuclear-armed submarine. For more info and all formats/buy links, visit: http://thelastisraelis.com/buy-the-book/________________________________MORE DETAILS:In this gripping doomsday thriller "ripped from the headlines," Iran has threatened to destroy Israel while developing the nuclear capability to do so.Struck by a medical emergency, Israel’s Prime Minister falls unconscious just as military action is needed to stop Iran’s nukes.History is now up to 35 Israelis aboard the Dolphin – a powerful submarine armed with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.Ship unity is crucial to mission success, but deep conflicts rise to the surface among crewmembers who are ethnically diverse and ideologically divided. Tensions boil further from the rivalry between the captain and his deputy, and a childhood tragedy that quietly haunts a younger sailor whose psychological wounds could explode at any time. Thus, in addition to the naval action and plot twists found in military thrillers and war fiction, character study and psychological suspense also feature prominently in the novel.On their suspenseful voyage to Armageddon, the submariners must confront each other -- and pulse-pounding threats at sea -- before facing an unthinkable dilemma.It will be the toughest decision of their lives – and it will determine the fate of the Middle East.http://thelastisraelis.com/buy-the-book/
The Israel-Arab Reader: A Documentary History of the Middle East Conflict
Walter Laqueur - 1969
leaders.
Safekeeping
Jessamyn Hope - 2015
Full of romance, tragedy, betrayal, and the constant reminder that chaos is a driving force in everyone’s story, Safekeeping is a wise and memorable debut by a novelist of great talent and originality.” —The Boston GlobeIt’s 1994 and Adam, a drug addict from New York City, arrives at a kibbutz in Israel with a medieval sapphire brooch. To make up for a past crime, he needs to get the priceless heirloom to a woman his grandfather loved when he was a Holocaust refugee on the kibbutz fifty years earlier.There Adam joins other troubled people trying to turn their lives around: Ulya, the ambitious and beautiful Soviet émigré; Farid, the lovelorn Palestinian farmhand; Claudette, the French Canadian Catholic with OCD; Ofir, the Israeli teenager wounded in a bus bombing; and Ziva, the old Zionist Socialist firebrand who founded the kibbutz. By the end of that summer, through their charged relationships with one another, they each get their last chance at redemption.In the middle of this web glows the magnificent sapphire brooch with its perilous history spanning three continents and seven centuries. With insight and beauty, Safekeeping tackles that most human of questions: how can we expect to find meaning and happiness when we know that nothing lasts?