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A review by debs4jc
A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker
4.0
An amazing and thought provoking depiction of an Arabian woman's life changing encounter with Yeshua.
Maviah is the daughter of an Arab Sheik--but not honored by him or her people as she was the daughter of his mistress, not his wife. However when her father is attacked by a neighboring tribe he is forced to come to her for help. He wants her to go to Galilee and make a request of King Herod Antipas. Maviah, accompanied by Judah, who is of Jewish descent, and Saba, her father's best warrior sets out on a harrowing journey across the desert, a journey where they must avoid their enemies. This leads them into the most dangerous part of the desert where they barely manage to survive. Then upon arriving in Palestine they somehow have to gain an audience with King Herod Antipas and convince the wily leader to help them in their quest. Judah, however, is distracted by tales of a new Jewish teacher--Yeshua--who he believes is the king his people once followed a star to find when he was first born.
I was swept along by the adventurous aspects of this story--the details about how they traveled in the desert and survived were fascinating. I wasn't impressed by the implausibility of a woman being sent on such a mission and how some of the political machinations worked out, though the characters of Herod and Phasaelis seem perfectly suited to what we know from history. As for what happens when Yeshua (Jesus) enters the story, His words and actions fit the Biblical narrative, as does the extraordinary effect he has on his listeners. The climax of the book, when Maviah must confront her fears in front of an audience of Bedouins and a dramatic miracle occurs was nail-biting to read--but also thought provoking as to the necessity of such a dramatic intervention by God. However the inner workings of Maviah's mind and spirit as she responds to the words of Yeshua and learns to trust Him are the true drama of the book. Her spiritual journey will live long in my mind. Her adventures will continue in Dekker's next book, one I will eagerly seek out as the ending of this one leaves quite a few situations unresolved.
For well written Biblical fiction, go no further. For a story of adventure, intrigue, and spiritual awakening I highly recommend reading or listening to this book.
BTW, I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Ellen Archer, her feminine voice was well suited to become Maviiah--which is important as Maviah narrates the entire story--yet she was also able to subtly become the voices of Herod, Judah, Saba, and even Yeshua when those characters spoke. I highly recommend the audiobook for a great listening experience.
Maviah is the daughter of an Arab Sheik--but not honored by him or her people as she was the daughter of his mistress, not his wife. However when her father is attacked by a neighboring tribe he is forced to come to her for help. He wants her to go to Galilee and make a request of King Herod Antipas. Maviah, accompanied by Judah, who is of Jewish descent, and Saba, her father's best warrior sets out on a harrowing journey across the desert, a journey where they must avoid their enemies. This leads them into the most dangerous part of the desert where they barely manage to survive. Then upon arriving in Palestine they somehow have to gain an audience with King Herod Antipas and convince the wily leader to help them in their quest. Judah, however, is distracted by tales of a new Jewish teacher--Yeshua--who he believes is the king his people once followed a star to find when he was first born.
I was swept along by the adventurous aspects of this story--the details about how they traveled in the desert and survived were fascinating. I wasn't impressed by the implausibility of a woman being sent on such a mission and how some of the political machinations worked out, though the characters of Herod and Phasaelis seem perfectly suited to what we know from history. As for what happens when Yeshua (Jesus) enters the story, His words and actions fit the Biblical narrative, as does the extraordinary effect he has on his listeners. The climax of the book, when Maviah must confront her fears in front of an audience of Bedouins and a dramatic miracle occurs was nail-biting to read--but also thought provoking as to the necessity of such a dramatic intervention by God. However the inner workings of Maviah's mind and spirit as she responds to the words of Yeshua and learns to trust Him are the true drama of the book. Her spiritual journey will live long in my mind. Her adventures will continue in Dekker's next book, one I will eagerly seek out as the ending of this one leaves quite a few situations unresolved.
For well written Biblical fiction, go no further. For a story of adventure, intrigue, and spiritual awakening I highly recommend reading or listening to this book.
BTW, I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Ellen Archer, her feminine voice was well suited to become Maviiah--which is important as Maviah narrates the entire story--yet she was also able to subtly become the voices of Herod, Judah, Saba, and even Yeshua when those characters spoke. I highly recommend the audiobook for a great listening experience.