Their story is our story (Horace)
Exploring the New Testament’s historical context through storytelling

“Hear the shout – “Make a way for Adonai through the wastelands.
Make a straight path for him through the deserts!”
The valleys will be raised up, the mountains leveled,
And the rough ground smoothed out like the plains.
There will Adonai’s glory be manifested before all,
Together all nations of people will see it,
For from his own mouth Adonai has declared it will be so.”
(Isaiah 40:3-5, paraphrase from Wilderness Refuge: A Prophet’s Kingdom)

Have you ever wondered what First Century Jews and Romans thought when John the
Immerser proclaimed the coming of God’s kingdom? How Jesus’ interpretation of the
Torah was perceived by his fellow Jews and later by foreigners? What was it about John
and Jesus’ message that threatened those in power? What geography, people, rituals,
historical and military events, foods, cultural conflicts, social norms, and economic
conditions influenced their message and lives?

I have been wondering such things since I was a child. Such wonderings are at the core of
my love of history and my faith, and led to my writing a story set in First Century Judea
and Rome. Through the characters, I explore the New Testament message from within it,
as if I was living it. And, in the process of writing and researching this story, in living it
with my characters, my understanding of the New Testament was changed, enriched,
deepened, and I better understand how the issues addressed within it are still impacting us
today