The Herodian Trilogy

The HERODIAN TRILOGY is an epic historical novel in the tradition of "I, Claudius" by writer Robert Graves, told with the amenity and clarity that characterize David Mandel's books.It is a fascinating novel that will delight and excite the reader, and at the same time, inform him of the causes, events, and consequences of the war of the Jews against the Roman Empire, the effects of which we still feel today in contemporary events in the Middle East.Through its pages Marco Antonio, King Herod, Emperor Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, King Agrippa the Great, Vespasian, Titus, Josephus Flavius, and many other characters whose lives and actions have impacted our western civilization pass through its pages.The historical narrative takes place in the Alexandria of Cleopatra, in the Jerusalem of Herod, in the Rome of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius.The novel spans 35 B.C.E. to 73 C.E., one of the most dramatic periods in the Jewish people's history. The rebellion of the Jews against the powerful Roman Empire and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple affected not only the Jews but had and continues to have a great influence on Western civilization to this day. Never, from then until the 20th century, did the Jews experience such traumatic and crucial events.Each of the three parts of the trilogy is told by its own protagonist, making us readers feel we are living in their times and being contemporaries of the characters.The first part, "At King Herod's Court," tells Herod's story, the builder of the Temple of Jerusalem, which, according to the chroniclers, was one of the largest, most magnificent, and most beautiful buildings in the Roman world. The Western Wall, today's holiest site for Jews, is what remains of the retaining walls that increased the area on top of the Temple Mount.The narrator of the first part, Nicholas of Damascus, historian, diplomat, orator, statesman, and philosopher, was, like the other characters mentioned in this Trilogy, a real person. He was born in Damascus in 64 B.C.E. and died in Rome in 16 C.E. at the age of eighty. He had the honor and privilege of being a friend and confidant of the three most important men of his time, General Marco Antonio, Emperor Augustus, and King Herod.Herod was a cruel tyrant, but he turned the kingdom of Judea into a prosperous and powerful state. He was the greatest builder of antiquity, as attested by the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, the Temple walls in Jerusalem, and the palaces of Herodion and Masada.The second part, "Memoirs of Agrippa," is related by Marcus Julius Agrippa (born in 11 B.C.E., died in 44 C.E., aged 54 years), grandson of King Herod.Agrippa is one of the most fascinating and charismatic figures in Jewish history. In his youth, he was an adventurer, a gambler, a spender, and was even a prisoner of debt, but when he assumed the throne of Judea, he deserved to be the only Jewish king who is called "the Great."The narrator of the third part, "The war of the Jews against the Roman Empire," is Josephus Flavius (Joseph ben Matityahu born in Jerusalem 37 BCE, died in Rome 100 CE), historian and participant in the Jewish war against the powerful Roman Empire, one of the most traumatic events in the history of the Jewish people. At the beginning of the rebellion, he was the general in charge of the defense of Galilee. Captured by the Romans, he tried to convince the rebels to lay down their arms and surrender. The Jewish rebellion ended with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and has gone down in history as one of the greatest tragedies of the Jewish people and the beginning of an exile that lasted 2,000 years. The HERODIAN TRILOGY is an indispensable book for those who enjoy historical novels and those who want to know the past of the Jewish people, which makes us understand today's events.