A Pharisee disciple will do whatever it takes to secure his future, even betray those he loves. A young woman longs for peace and safety, but her heart pulls her far from home. What are they willing to give up for their faith?From the temperamental Sea of Galilee to the tinder-box that is Jerusalem, this journey through Matthew's gospel will sweep you into the first-century world. Witness the epic events of the gospel with all its wonder and conflict. See Jesus through the eyes of a woman and a Pharisee.Beth believes Jesus offers healing and hope, but his plan for her husband rises like the waves of the sea to wash away her dreams for the future. Afraid of being left behind, she chases after her husband Peter, but in traveling with Jesus she finds more questions than answers. As her husband pursues the Nazarene with his whole heart and her cousin's bitterness towards Jesus grows, she wonders, what place can a woman have in the coming kingdom?Reuben believes the way to a restored Israel is through careful obedience to law and tradition, and Jesus of Nazareth is challenging tradition at every turn. Under the watchful eye of his secretive rabbi, Reuben hopes he can rise above obscurity and take his place as a leader among men, but a disastrous confrontation with the Nazarene threatens to destroy his budding career. When his dreams collide with the people he loves, is he willing to do what it takes?“Powerful, imaginative, stirring! Get ready for a unique, substantive, and emotional journey down a stream that flows cleverly from, around, and through the Gospel of Matthew" —Gary D. Collier (Ph.D.), Director of the Institute for the Art of Biblical Conversation“This well-written book provides insight and reading pleasure. Even though we know the story, each chapter brings a new surprise. Hamel takes the abbreviated account in the Gospel and expands it using the knowledge we have about ancient Palestinian culture.” —Rev. Richard Davies (Ph.D.), Dean Emeritus, Martin University

     For the first time in history, a woman rightfully reigns over Israel. The queen's rule gives Anna, a gifted young seamstress, opportunities for work and education she never thought possible. But to achieve her dreams, Anna must enter a world festering with intrigue and deceit. Those living within the queen's shadow already plot to seize the throne when she is dead. Even Lev, Anna's first love, is drawn into this underlying world of power, pleasure and political maneuvering. Torn between her own desires and the traditions of her people, Anna's story is one of enduring courage and her inspired belief in God's love and faithfulness in all circumstances.

    Her deepest desire is to find acceptance among her people. For that to happen she must live one more day, and one more day after that. Desperation drives her to turn to the only means of survival for women without friends or family—harlotry. At Jerusalem’s Dung Gate in the dead of night, a scarlet-caped Roman soldier nears, and Anna quakes at having to approach the imposing, broad-shouldered man. Confronted by the foreigner, who identifies himself as the fortress commander, Anna fears she has made a terrible mistake. JULIAN OF ALEXANDRIA is counting the days until he could escape this cursed assignment. He suspects his mother, his Jewish mother, is to blame for the bad luck of being stationed in Judea. Raised thoroughly Roman, Julian wants nothing to do with the Jews. Until Anna. Anna, the spirited Jewess who means to be a harlot. Except this frightened half-dead beauty seems an unlikely seductress. Though he should flee this attraction and fulfill his promise to his father to find a Roman wife, Julian makes himself Anna’s protector. Impossible choices face this desperate Jewess and her hardened Roman commander. Will their rigid beliefs and traditions separate them, or will they follow their hearts?

    Authors Davis Bunn and Janette Oke have woven an intriguing story featuring compelling fictional characters who interact with the men and women who were central to the rise of Christianity. Amid religious, political, and cultural persecution, these courageous few must shape and preserve a faith that will stand the test of time.

    In AD 122, Marcus follows his brother Lucius to Judaea and plots to frame a zealot for his older brother’s death. But the plan goes awry, and Lucius is rescued by a Messianic Jewish woman. Her oldest brother is a zealot and a Roman soldier killed her twin, but Rachel still persuades her father Joseph to put his love for Jesus above his anger with Rome and hide Lucius until he heals. Rachel cares for the enemy, and more than broken bones heal as duty turns to love. Lucius embraces Joseph’s faith in Jesus, but sharing a faith doesn’t heal all wounds. Even before revealed secrets slice open old scars, Joseph wants no Roman son-in-law. With Rachel’s zealot brother suspecting he’s a Roman officer and his own brother planning to kill him when he returns, can Lucius survive long enough to change Joseph’s mind? Forgiven is the first volume in the Light in the Empire series, which follows the interconnected lives of four Roman families during the reigns of Trajan and Hadrian. Each can be read as a stand-alone. The eight novels of the series will take you around the Empire, from Germania and Britannia to Thracia, Dacia, and Judaea and, of course, to Rome itself.

    He was the brother of Jesus Christ. The Brother's Keeper is a story imagined from the few known facts of the life of a real man. The book tells the story of the latter part of Jesus' ministry, up through his death and resurrection, as seen through the eyes of His own family. Tracy Groot takes readers, with James, on a journey from unbelief to belief as James grapples with the question of who Jesus is.

    They were the men who came to your father in his hour of need. They were the men who fought with him. They were men, and that is the highest that can be written of them…”Eliahba is a mere boy who has been thrust into Saul’s army as it hopelessly defends the mountains of Gilboa against a Philistine onslaught. He must endure the unthinkable in order to survive…and one day become a member of the elite Giborrim.The Hall of the Mighty Men is a companion series to the Lion of War novels about the wars of King David. Narrated by Jehoshaphat, the historian of King Solomon, this collection of short stories expands the Lion of War literary universe and contains epic battles and adventures unable to be included in the novels.

    Shunned for the many sins of her mother, Mara struggles against the constant threats of starvation or exile.But Mara and her mother, Nava’s lives are forever changed with the arrival of two men: Shem, a mysterious and wealthy young man from Caesarea, and Jesus, a Jewish teacher. Nava is transformed by Jesus, with his talk of forgiveness, but his teachings come too late and she is stoned by the villagers for her past sins. Desperate to save her mother, Mara and Shem embark on a journey to seek Jesus’ help—a journey that brings unexpected love and hope, despite great difficulties.In The Well, debut novelist Stephanie Landsem brings to life the culture and people of Jesus’ day, skillfully demonstrating how redemption can bring about the life-changing effects of forgiveness and love.

    Also left behind is Abishag’s betrothed, Joseph, who has already waited many months to claim his bride. Now, he must wait until Israel’s king no longer needs her. Torn from the comfort of her small village, Abishag is thrust into a world of unfamiliar customs, royal expectations, and palace intrigue. She is greeted suspiciously by the king’s concubines, warmly by Queen Bathsheba, and reluctantly by King David himself. Adonijah, the king’s son, is bitter over his father’s choice of Solomon as Israel’s next king. He determines to ruin Abishag to prevent her from being given as a prize to Solomon at their father’s death. Suffering personal losses, as well as scorn from much of the royal court, Abishag begins to question God’s goodness in placing her in the king’s service. Can she find someone there who understands that one who comforts the king is in great need of comfort herself? Will Abishag’s time with the king end in despair or joy?

    Now the creative mind of Diana Wallis Taylor imagines how the Samaritan woman got there in the first place. Marah is just a girl of thirteen when her life is set on a path that will eventually lead her to a life-changing encounter with the Messiah. But before that momentous meeting she must traverse through times of love lost and found, cruel and manipulative men, and gossiping women.This creative and accurate portrayal of life in the time of Jesus opens a window into a fascinating world. Taylor's rich descriptions of the landscapes, lifestyles, and rituals mesh easily with the emotional and very personal story of one woman trying to make a life out of what fate seems to throw at her. This exciting and heartwrenching story will fascinate readers and lend new life to a familiar story.

    Atttempting to avoid the scorn of her community, she's spent the last seven years hiding behind the veil she wears. Underneath her covering, her face is branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods, a shameful reminder of her past captivity in Jericho and an assurance that no man will ever want to marry her.When her father finds a widower who needs a mother for his two sons, her hopes rise. But when their introduction goes horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee for her life. Seeking safety at one of the newly established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face and the enemies—and unexpected allies—she will encounter on her way.

    But young Madai, a descendant of the tribe of Japheth, had a burning fire within him that demanded action. So he left his home in the north to search out the truth. Was the great father-God real? Had Eden existed? Were rumors of Noah and the great flood true? Madai had to know. He crossed the great Brine Sea, braving serpents, monsters and all manner of evil. Follow the adventures of Madai as he discovers the secrets of Genesis. Go with him to the ark. Meet the great patriarchs of old through the power of story! Watch the Bible come alive as you travel back thousands of years to a primal time in history when the world was still young! 300 years after the flood, God was a rumor, a fading whisper. But God is more lasting than rumor, and his hope and truth more powerful than evil.

    An artisan of the highest order, Ramses has kept him in the palace even when all other Israelites have been banned. Bezalel blames El Shaddai for isolating him from his people.When Moses and Aaron appear one summer, and El Shaddai shakes Egypt to its core, Bezalel must reexamine his anger. Over the course of the next year, Bezalel’s life becomes intertwined with those of an Egyptian child-slave, the captain of the guard, and especially a beautiful young concubine.When spring arrives, all of them escape with the young nation of Israel. But that’s only the beginning...

    Martin's Press, 1997), which tells the Old Testament story of Dinah. It was a bestseller and the Book Sense 2001 Book of the Year.- Hunt's biblical series on Joseph (Bethany House Publishers) has sold over 50,000 copies and is still in print. Her children's book, The Tale of the Three Trees (Lion, 1990), has over two million copies in print and has been made into an animated video. An established CBA author, her books have sold over three million copies worldwide and have been featured selections in Crossings and Guideposts bookclubs.- There is a huge audience for novels that weave fiction with history, as evidenced by the bestselling success of Caleb Carr.

    Determined to restore her family’s honor, she escapes Jerusalem in hopes of finding the prophet and convincing him to restore her deformities. Gilead, a young Hebrew guard sympathetic to her plight, willingly accompanies her. On their way, they are captured by a band of raiders and Hannah is forced to serve in the household of the commander of the Aramean army, an officer who is in need of healing himself. Meanwhile, Gilead is being used as sword practice for the Aramean soldiers. Hannah must act fast to save Gilead and herself, but survival will mean coaxing the prophet of Israel to heal an enemy commander.The story of Hannah is based on the servant girl from Naaman's story in 2 Kings 5.