Beloved Rabbi

by Michele Torrey

Many have seen the rabbi from Nazareth. Many believe. From all over Palestine they flock to hear him speak, to be healed, to witness the miracles. But even as Jesus reaches out his hands to heal, there are those who would put a crown upon his head, who would make him their king. There are others who are outraged by his breaking of the laws, by his healings on the Sabbath, his eating with unwashed hands. They fear he is leading the masses away from the traditions of the Fathers, from the law of Moses, and the divine will of God. It is a time of turmoil, of oppression, as the Jewish nation labors under the occupation of the Roman Empire. Will they ever be free from the yoke of tyranny? Will the Messiah ever come? And is Jesus the Messiah for whom they have waited? Beloved Rabbi is the story of Jesus--his ministry, his death, his resurrection, and his love--as witnessed by those who were there. Relive these tumultuous times with twenty-two of Jesus' contemporaries. Hear their stories. Rejoice with them. Weep with them. From Laban of the Sanhedrin, a pompous, ring-clacking Pharisee who has forgotten what it means to search for truth, to Claudia Procula, the haunted wife of the prefect of Judea, the characters in Beloved Rabbi are rich in spiritual and political insight, and historic detail.

196 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

Michele Torrey, author of chapter books for young readers and novels for middle grade, young adult, and adult, is a two-time Thurber House Residency in Children's Literature nominee, plus a two-time winner of PNWA's Zola Award. Among other honors, her books have received starred reviews from “Publisher’s Weekly” and “Kirkus,” been chosen by the Junior Library Guild, and been nominated for numerous state medals.

Torrey holds a degree in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Washington (’88), and a Master of Arts in Religion from Graceland University (’06). She currently lives on Fox Island, Washington, but has lived and traveled all over the world. She has three sons and five grandchildren. In addition to her writing and traveling, she is a director and co-founder of Orphans Africa, a 501 c 3 nonprofit charity (www.orphansafrica.org). Orphans Africa works primarily in Tanzania, building boarding schools for children orphaned by AIDS.

Reviews

[TheQueensBooksII · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torrey views Jesus's ministry and last days through various character vignettes. It's an interesting way to approach this story & history and is well-researched.