Star of Destiny

Flavius Septimus the commander of the Sepphoris garrison in Galilee harbors a dark secret that casts a shadow over the lives of his son Linus Flavian and Maria of Magdala. In these novels Linus Maria and Joshua the Biblical Jesus are born under a mysterious star in a world steeped in superstition and intrigue. As the Jewish Temple hierarchy the Herodian dynasty and the Romans vie for power in tumultuous first-century Judea their adolescent lives unfold intertwined with personal destinies shaped by the beliefs surrounding their births under that enigmatic star. <br>In providing historical economic and religious details Peter Longley builds a bridge between spiritual divinity and traditional Christianity. Finally it's a relief to find a theologian that makes sense of the Bible and its many translations! <br>- Jeanette Parker USA <br>Longley blends a fantastic mixture of historical and fictional figures and events to narrate the early lives of Joshua (also known as Jesus of Nazareth ) Maria (also known as Mary Magdalene ) and Linus Flavius (the fictitious son of a high-ranking Roman official.) Using simple effective prose Longley tells an engaging tale that offers plausible explanations of those well-known stories of the miraculous such as the virgin birth and the turning of water into wine. Longley tells an intriguing story in a setting that is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. <br>- Sacramento and San Francisco Book Reviews USA <br>Longley's feeling for the Roman and Jewish point of view is superb. <br>- Dorothy Thompson Scotland <br>I very much enjoy your interpretation of the life of Jesus and feel it is much more logical than the accepted version. I have always had a fascination with Mary Magdalene and her life as well. I found this book to be very interesting. Nothing I have read on Mary Magdalene has had the same sort of story line including that of her mother. <br>- Cheryl Huffman USA