Jerusalem

The City of God

By Ellen Gunderson Traylor
Harvest House, $12.99

ISBN 0-89081-985

Review by Denice Bailey

Generational Saga Captures a Jewish City of Intrigue

It is one thing to write a gripping story based on a biblical character. It is quite another to capture the personality of a city-including its origins-and create a story so intriguing it sends readers back to the Bible and history books to discover for themselves what part is history and what part is the product of a gifted writer's keen imagination.

Ellen Gunderson Traylor does just that in her new book, Jerusalem. Along with creating seamless historical fiction, she has condensed an incredible span of time within the pages of a single volume, even though that volume is a generous 630 pages in length.

Beginning with "The Great Deluge" when Noah and his family set foot on dry land as earth's lone inhabitants, Traylor traces the beginnings of the Holy City. Noah's kinsman Melchizedek, a likable and honorable man himself shrouded in mystery, is the first to step from the pages of obscurity and awaken our desire to know more about where the one God dwells. He is the first to name the sacred spot "Salem," meaning peace.

Yet despite its holy character, the city becomes anything but peaceful. Through generations, it is embroiled in bitter wars and defiled by pagan worship. It is first a center for worship and reverence, then for murder, deceit, and immorality. Its mighty natural defenses make it a coveted stronghold for the surrounding nations, so it becomes a hub of commercial, military, and political activity, possibly never to see peace again.

Jerusalem enticingly depicts the sweeping saga of the generations who have lived in the shadow of the city's walls-their loves, their losses, their glories. Readers will be engrossed in the stories of well-known biblical figures such as King David and Herod. As readers might expect, Jesus also plays an important part in the account. However, it may be the stories of less prominent characters that make the novel so intriguing: Gershon Ben Jamin, the spy; the lonely Bathsheba; Herod's wife Mariamne; and the impulsive Simon Zealotes.

As the story moves us into the twentieth century, we find ourselves inexplicably linked with the city, whether we have visited it or not. We hear ourselves saying with Reg, a British journalist in pursuit of a good story and his own neglected heritage, "There is much that hits home when people come to Jerusalem."

From the Babylonian exile to the Holocaust of World War II, readers can identify with the pain of the city. From the tranquility of Melchizedek's reign, to David's joy in bringing the Ark of the Covenant home, to the return of the Holocaust Jews to their beloved Jerusalem, readers will experience the joy of The City of God. And possibly in this unique reading experience, you will discover a cord that ties your own history and spirituality to the beloved city of Jerusalem.

Traylor is a gifted storyteller when it comes to bringing characters and places of the Bible to life. She has 13 bestselling novels to her credit including Song of Abraham and John, Son of Thunder. In Jerusalem, "Every pebble smacks of history! It boggles the mind."