Book one of the Lions of Judea series has 74 reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4.2 stars.
The Rise of the Maccabees: A Historical Novel (Lions of Judea Book 1) by Amit Arad
The amazing story of the son of the priests who became a warrior & warlord.
Jerusalem, 180 BCE. For 800 years the Zadokite priesthood has led the Jewish People. But the ancient world is changing. Without, Rome is rising, becoming the super power of the world. Within, a power struggle inside the House of Zadok is a golden opportunity for interlopers, who seek to unseat them from the throne. The delicate balance which has allowed the Jewish Nation to survive in this age of Empires is threatened.
On the background of these tumultuous times, Judah, scion of a minor priestly lineage, comes of age in Judea. While experiencing love, friendship, and conflict he slowly transforms into the warrior and leader his people are waiting for.
This is the incredible story of Matityahu the Priest, Judah Maccabee and his brothers, and the Hellenizer Eupolemus. Together, they embark on a struggle for the survival of the Jewish people against the powerful Seleucid Empire.
About the author of the Lions of Judea series, Amit Arad:
I was born in 1967 in Israel. I’m happily married with 4 great children. In my youth I trained and competed in various martial art styles – mainly full-contact karate, and also boxing and Muay-Thai. Following my military service (in Israel we must serve several years), I became a martial arts trainer and advanced to a Black Belt Dan 3 rank.
I also understood that the majority of the public, Jews and certainly not Jews, do not know the true story of the Maccabees Rebellion, which is an extraordinary heroic story, but also the outcome of events in the international arena, some of which even similar to reality today (the history repeats itself?!) and that the whole story can contribute to a better understanding of the world today.
As a keen fan of historical novels and films based on historical novels, it was clear to me that it was the right way to tell and spread the story. But from here to writing a historical novel – the distance is huge. I have decided then to embark on a journey of personal development in which I have learned to write as a writer and not as an attorney. I was assisted by a number of first-class literary editors; I struggled, invested time and money, without compromise, in order to achieve a result of a high-quality historical novel.
The result was a historical novel in one volume published in 2014 in Hebrew, accompanied by YouTube videos. Readers ‘ comments and critics were positive but it was clear to me that my task would not be completed until the book will be translated into other languages, so many readers from all over the world can read, enjoy and learn. Again I went on a literary journey to English translation, assisted by the best professionals, in which the book was almost written and edited entirely. And so, in 2019, the story was published as a two-volume series in English and in 2020 as a single volume in Russian, while the copyright was sold to produce a series and feature film.
Today I’m back to my profession as a lawyer, and yes, I’m also writing the next and third volume of the Lions of Judea series.
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