Jehoshua: Conflagration

Jehoshua: Conflagration is the second in the Jehoshua series on the origins of Christianity. The growth of the cult of Jehoshua the Christos (Jesus Christ) in the Roman Empire has been explosive and controversial. So maligned is this sect, that Emperor Nero sees fit to blame them for the Great Fire in Rome, and begins a persecution of Christians that forces them to operate in secrecy. At the same time, Jewish authorities in Jerusalem continue to oppress those Jews who insist on worshipping a known criminal such as Jehoshua. None of this bodes well for the survival of the cult of Jehoshua, were it not for an extraordinary development: the revolt of the Jews in 70 against Roman rule leads to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, eliminating any significant Jewish opposition to Jehoshua worship, and forcing this new group of Jews called Christians to orient their future toward Rome, the center of the empire.

This is the extraordinary story of early Christianity's ability to struggle against persecution, and at the same time exploit an unexpected and far-reaching opportunity to separate almost completely from its Jewish roots. There are familiar characters in this novel: St. Peter, St. Paul, followers of Jehoshua such as Mary Magdalen, and many of the Apostles. These individuals are portrayed in human terms, responding to intense pressures, at times mistrustful of each other, and passionately invested in arguments over the meaning of Jehoshua's life and message, and whether he truly was resurrected in the flesh. The novel relies on scriptural as well as historical resources to sculpt a realistic view of the Roman and Jewish world of the first century. No work of historical fiction has portrayed the characters and events at the center of the development of Christianity in quite the way Jehoshua: Conflagration does. If you want an historically realistic, emotionally touching, and always-gripping narrative about this critical moment in Western history, Jehoshua: Conflagration is the book for you!