The Galilean Secret by Evan Drake Howard (Very good, 2010, HC, 444 pages, Guideposts)

Used in very good condition: dust jacket and cover have very light wear; red mark across top of page edges; inside like new. ISBN 9780824947941

A crumbling scroll long lost in a forgotten cave offers a provocative and illuminating new interpretation of the man known as Jesus. An expertly plotted story based on the author's actual research in Israel, the novel entwines two stories: one set amidst the modern-day conflicts in the Middle East, the other set in ancient Palestine, yet both offer a perspective on the universal struggle for true freedom and love.

The relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene has long fascinated scholars and intrigued nearly all believers. What was the nature of their relationship and how has it influenced Christianity since the first millennium? With compelling storytelling in the style of Dan Brown coupled with years of exhaustive study, Evan Drake Howard has created a magisterial novel that asks, and attempts to illuminate, enduring questions on the nature of love.

In first-century Jerusalem, the faithful Judith finds herself caught in a web of romantic betrayal and intrigue. She must reconcile her faith with her conflicting feelings for two brothers, one the Zealot Dismas and his brother, the sensitive merchant Gabriel. A letter written by an insightful Galilean rabbi changes their lives forever and sets each on a new path of discovery, humanity and love.

In modern-day Israel, amidst the war-torn countryside, Karim Musalaha, a young Palestinian, finds himself with similar struggle. Caught between his brother's relentless ambition for martyrdom and his powerful love for a woman he cannot have, his life seems an endless journey of rage and despair. Until one day, while seeking refuge in a long-forgotten cave in Qumran, he discovers a crumbling scroll with a mysterious text. Still legible after two millennia, Karim reads a message that indeed changes his life forever. But will the cost be worth his newfound knowledge?