La Source

by James A. Michener, Jean Rosenthal (Translator)

La Source n'est pas seulement l'histoire passionnante de la Terre Sainte et de son peuple, mais aussi une saga qui retrace le développement des civilisations occidentales et des grands concepts religieux et culturels qui ont façonné le monde.

Ceci est un roman.

Le roi David et Abisag la Sulamite, Hérode le Grand, le général Petrone, Vespasien et Titus, Flavius Josèphe et Maïmonide ont vécu. Acre, Zefat et Tibériade sont toujours debout en Galilée. Les descriptions que nous en donnons sont exactes : mais Makor (la source en hébreu), son site, son histoire et ses fouilles sont purement imaginaires " (note de l'auteur).

En 1964, grâce au financement d'un multimillionnaire américain, quatre archéologues entreprennent des fouilles sur le site de Makor en Israël. Ils mettent au jour des vestiges témoignant d'une présence humaine millénaire sur cette terre. Ces chercheurs sont les héros contemporains du roman, qui en compte bien davantage. En effet, à chacune de leurs découvertes, Michener nous entraîne à la suite des générations d'hommes et des femmes de Makor, depuis la préhistoire jusqu'à la création de l'État d'Israël, en 1948. Makor, ou " la source " en hébreu. Les fouilles nous rapprochent toujours plus de cette source d'origine et chaque strate du site mise au jour amène l'évocation des temps forts de l'histoire d'Israël : la vie des premiers Hébreux, l'émergence d'un sens de Dieu et l'apparition du monothéisme, la conquête de Canaan, la lutte contre les envahisseurs au temps du roi David, l'occupation romaine, l'avènement du christianisme, les croisades, l'arrivée des Arabes, la fondation de l'État juif...
James A. Michener a conçu cette saga titanesque d'après ses minutieuses recherches sur le terrain. De cette somme considérable de connaissances, il tire un récit vivant, extrêmement réaliste et précis. Servi par une écriture poignante et exaltante, La Source est un roman haletant qui retrace dans un doux vertige un pan fondateur de l'histoire mondiale.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Israel, Religion, Middle East, Jewish

885 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 19, 1965

About the author

James Albert Michener is best known for his sweeping multi-generation historical fiction sagas, usually focusing on and titled after a particular geographical region. His first novel, Tales of the South Pacific , which inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for the year's best short story published by an emerging Canadian writer; founded an MFA program now, named the Michener Center for Writers, at the University of Texas at Austin; and made substantial contributions to the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, best known for its permanent collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings and a room containing Michener's own typewriter, books, and various memorabilia.

Michener's entry in Who's Who in America says he was born on Feb. 3, 1907. But he said in his 1992 memoirs that the circumstances of his birth remained cloudy and he did not know just when he was born or who his parents were.

Reviews

[Fergus, Weaver of Autistic Webs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel reveals The Source of the fractious and long-standing Mideast Conflict.

Sounds like a great book to mull over, doesn't it?

It is.

But I, when I read most of it -

In 1967, after my Dad dropped me off at the Canadian civil service swimming pool, the brainchild of the Ottawa RA Centre -

Was so "distracted to distraction by distraction" by the self-conscious faces of my fellow teens that I didn’t see I’d shifted into third gear.

My mind raced while reading. For I had suddenly TRANCENDED my self-consciousness through my BOOKS. That day, though Dad had tried to extrovert me, he had failed.

I was now a “loner.” Heaven help me!

For it so happened that I had to soon after be admitted to a Funny Farm, so asocial had I grown!

Yet, these books I read, I loved. And Michener's was no exception.
***

The sun was glaring hot, and baked my teenaged hide, sitting at the RA pool and staring absently at other teens looking up to see if they were being looked at.

Remember T.S. Eliot? “They had the look of things that are looked at” - teen angst in poetry. Coming of age.

Ah youth, as Marlowe chortled!

Yes, Joseph Conrad - you were right. Our youth is wasted on the too-young.

And even I -

With a vastly entertaining book like The Source, one of James Michener's masterworks -

Was as totally bored as only the other absent, blase and nincompoopish too-young can be. Turning into a Mr. Hyde a little too fast!
***

For as the nurses in my friendly neighbourhood psych ward were to abjure me two years later -

"I was NOT living in the Real World -

I had one whole Hockeysock fulla growing up left to do!”

And man oh man were they RIGHT on both counts!

I had yet to learn how to LIVE.

But now, sixty years later -

I have finally got pills that help me downshift my teeming brain -

So all’s well that ends well...

On my good days.

[Lee Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can remember reading this thing for hours each night curled up in bed when I was 13 years old. It basically began my career in archaeology (fingers crossed for grad school apps). Based on Tel Megiddo, it tells the story of a fictional Tel from its birth to its excavation 12,000 years later. It follows the path of a single family against many gods as it tells the story of Canaanite, Hebrew, Greek, Roman, Ottoman, and Israeli civilization. While some of the material is dated, it nevertheless remains one of the most creative and well-written books I've ever had the pleasure of reading (and re-reading).

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have mixed fond and not so fond memories about "The Source." I am a huge Michener fan and have read all of his books. "The Source" is at the top of my Michener list along with "The Drifters." I started "The Source" in 1974 when I was visiting Israel, the subject of the book. Part of my visit included a bus tour of Israel. I was delighted to read about a place, then reach the actual site of which Michener was writing. The problem was that, about the time I arrived in Israel, I developed a serious case of "Nebuchadnezzar's Complaint" (the middle eastern version of Montezuma's Revenge). There was a serious lack of toilet paper on the tour and I had to read as fast as I could to keep the supply of usable paperpack ahead of the need to make use of it in a manner not consistent with that intended by the publisher. The novel was over a thousand pages and I had to read really, really, really fast, finishing the book in about three days. I have repurchased the "The Source" (the original is no longer extant) and intent to reread it at a more enjoyable pace.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Source is definitely a highly entertaining and extremely interesting work, and I never lost interest. It presents the panorama of history of the Holy Land, particularly the Galilee, through the ages

I had to read it a second time to realize what a work of genius it is.

There is so much in this incredibly long book, that does depict the experiences and spirit of the Land of Israel, and the Jewish people, who originated in this remarkable land.

In 'The Voice of Gomer' a Hebrew mother is commanded by G-D to take steps that are difficult for her and her family, but are necessary to save the Israelite Nation.

He introduces throughout the story, various beautiful and strong-spirited Hebrew women, who have kept the flame burning, such as the enchanting Kerith, wife of Jabaal the builder, in 'Psalm of the Hoopoe Bird', the beautiful , compassionate and spirited Jael, daughter of Rabbi Asher in `The Law' , the lovely and gentle Elisheba in 'The Saintly Men of Safed' and the tough and idealistic Sabra,, Illana Hacohen in 'Rebbe Itzic and the Sabra'.

He does illustrate the depth of the attachment of the Jewish people to their homeland, which was never broken, as well as the cycle of persecution, and the attempts by so many different groups throughout history to annihilate the Jews.

All of this is being repeated in the latest struggle today, of the Jewish people to hold onto their rightful homeland and survive, against an evil people, supported by a world in which it is fashionable to hate Israel.
A world, which, is once more, creating a great injustice against the Jewish people.
The young Hellenist Jew, Menelaus, in 'The Gymnasium' who is so determined to cut of all connections with his Judaism, reminds me of the leftwing Jewish intellectuals who find it fashionable to side with the enemies of Israel, by embracing pro-Palestinian left-fascism.

In 'King of the Jews' we learn about King Herod, and observe the portrait of a tyrant and about the cruel persecution of his people, and in 'Yigal and his Three Generals' we see just how fierce is the will of the Jewish people to rule their own land.

Always there are the wonderful sites and sounds of the Land of Israel, and it's wonderful people, especially it's beautiful children:

" `What has happened to our beloved Sephardim?' A man in still another corner shouted, while in the center, a group of women from Morocco sang and beat on drums precisely like the ones which had been used at Makor four thousand years before. The music was wild and imperative and four little girls danced beautifully, throwing their arms in the air and captivating the men, including Cullinane, as Jewish girls had done for generations out of mind" and

" His three sons where married and his principal joy was in playing with his eleven grandchildren, sitting on the steps of the Venus temple as they ran back and forth across the forum."

G-D bless the children of Israel!

Michener speaks about the birth of Judaism and Christianity in the Land of Israel and their place in the world giving insight with gems such as:

" In these centuries when G-D, through the agency of preceptors...was forging a Christian church so that it might fulfil the longing of a hungry world, He was at the same time perfecting his first religion, Judaism, so that it might stand as a permanent norm against which to judge all others. Whenever in the future some new religion strayed too far from the basic precepts of Judaism, G-D could be assured that it was in error; so in the Galilee, His ancient cauldron of faith, He spent as much time upon the old Jews, as He did upon the new Christians."

The discussion between Count Volkmar and a Jewish Rabbi in 'The Fires of Ma Couer ' illustrate how wherever Jews are, they always remember that their only true homeland is Israel, and 'The Saintly Men of Safed' explores the flowering of the spiritual life of Judaism in the town of Safed in northern Israel in the 16th Century, as well as how Safed was a town where Jews came from around Europe, to escape persecution.
Therefore we read in this chapter about the humiliation suffered by Jews in Spain, Germany and Italy during this time.

In 'Twilight of an Empire' we see even in the 19th century how the Arabs conspired with a powerful Empire to deprive the Jews of land in their own homeland, and how a young Jewish traveller from Russia comes across Jews whose ancestors always stayed in Israel throughout the Diaspora.
There was always a significant continuous Jewish presence in that country which was never broken! This book shows the Jewish presence throughout the centuries in the Land of Israel, through the years, through the chapters, including the period between the Roman destruction of the First Temple in 70 CE and the rebirth of a sovereign Jewish State in Israel in 1948.
`The Law' recounts the vigorous Talmudic academies in Tiberius in the fourth century CE .

And then there is 'Rabbi Itzic and the Sabra' which draws on the sacrifices and ideals of the young Jews who fought and died to re-establish the State of Israel.
the Arab archaeologist, Jemail Tabari, as a 'scion of Ur', and a 'descendant of Jabaal the Hoopoe'.
He never refers to these Arabs as 'Palestinian', simply because when this book was written in 1965, the label ' Palestinian' had not been invented to refer to these people.
Nobody used this term in 1965. It only became fashionable later!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book that helped me have a more complete view of world history and all the tensions surrounding the middle east. I read in in high school during the first gulf war. My high school was pretty substandard, it was a small town, and the students didn't care or try very hard. The school was struggling just to teach the basics. I wanted more than that and I read a lot of stuff. My mom had a subscription to Newsweek and I read it nearly cover to cover every week since I was 12. Despite all my history classes, the Newsweek articles about Middle East confrontations, and extra reading that I had done, I didn't know that that Israel had only been created as a nation in 1948 until I read James Michener's "The Source."

"The Source" was a favorite book of my parents and they recommended it me. It was a mind expanding experience for me, from my little town, or even the self centered attitude of California in general, to imagine a place in the world that had history going back so many thousands of years. It was epic.

I almost think this book should be required reading in our world history classes.

As a side note, when I read this book the first time, I followed it up with "Exodus" by Leon Uris.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever held something really old in your hands and wondered, "what was life like when this was made?" The Source is a chance to have your musings answered. Michener weaves fiction and history together seamlessly as he intertwines a narrative of an archeological dig in the 1960s (think: Indiana Jones without the bullwhip) with the stories of the artifacts and the people who created them. He traces the history of a single town in Israel/Palestine through the ages - from man's earliest attempts to tame nature and understand the supernatural, through the evolutions of the world's greatest religions, to the contemporary struggles that mark the land. The layers of story and the intricacies of the plot make it an enjoyable read even more than once. If the premise itself isn't enough to get you to read this book, then consider this: The Source is nearly 1000 pages long, and I have read it nearly 6 times.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Source is a thing of beauty in its planning and intricacies. This books is three things at once: A novel, a collection of short stories, and a history of religion from ancient times through to the modern era, and it works wonderfully on all three levels, though it is best as a novel since every story actually ties together in the end, much like one would expect human history to do. Everything is connected, and that includes us all as people. Most of all, though, if you have any interest in Judaism, the oldest of the Big Three, this book is a journey you must take. Same truth stands if you're interested in the conflict in the modern Middle East, including the mentality of Arab vs. Jew. We didn't always hate each other, you know... In fact, in the end, we're all the same. The book celebrates our differences while pointing a lot of this sameness out, a sameness many of us would like to ignore because it's easier to hate those that are different. From the time of Baal through Hellenistic and Roman rule, from the crusades to the refugees from the Russian pogroms and Nazi Germany, this book is a good introduction to history as well as a love story to a land that has served humans since before we had a concept of time itself. A masterpiece.

[Sud666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michener has written some excellent historical fiction novels. In this one we are treated to a history of Israel told through the eyes of archeologists on an ancient dig.

The basis for this story is the fictional city of Makor. As the archeologists go through each layer of the dig, the story then shifts to that time frame and we are given a vignette story about the people who lived in Makor at that time.
The story begins with the family of Ur, proto-Hebrews, who worship the hills and lands surrounding their city and name it "El". As time progresses, that deity morphs from El to El-Shaddai when Makor is sacked by the Hebrews who then occupy it (circa 1491 BCE). From here El-Shaddai gradually morphs into YHWH.
The book takes us through the long history of the city and tells the story of the Jews as well. It was in this overarching meta-history that I found a great deal of value. It not only tells the development of the Jewish religion and is quite fair in showing the positives and the negatives that come with any religion. It was especially instructive that people see that there are many kinds of Jews and not one monolithic peoples. From their brutal treatment at the hands of the Christian peoples, to the ethnic cleasening practiced by Muslims, it will do much to explain the trauma tthat shapes the mindset of modern Israel.

A good book. One that entertains as a novel and as a historical fiction background to the state of Israel.

[Brett C · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading 'Alaska' immediately before this one, I did not find this as good. This book tells the tale of the Middle East and the spark of early Judaism and its transmutation into Christianity and Islam. The story is broken into two parts: one being an archaeological excavation site and the other a historical-fiction style of Middle Eastern religious-based history.

James Michener follows the similar style of writing starting with prehistoric information, the early Hebrews and Canaanites, transition into Roman rule of the Middle East and the birth of Christianity, the rise of Islam, and the modern era.
There are again lots of historical people and events to include King David and Nebuchadnezzar, Caligula, the Ottomans, the Spanish Inquisition, and the eventual creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

I get the idea of the story but I liked 'Alaska' better. This book had a back-and-forth feel with transitions from history and back to the excavation site. There is a lot of information and historical relevance in this book but overall, I liked 'Alaska' better. Thanks!

[Haris bin Faiez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Public notice on fallacious citation of Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) teachings.

This review pertains to what James Michener wrote in the eleventh chapter of the aforementioned, 'A Day in the Life of a Desert Rider.' This chapter serves as an introduction to Islam and the Muslims in the context of the book's narrative.

In the said chapter, Michener ascribed the following to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

On one memorable day Muhammad had told his companions, 'You are to follow the traditions of the Jews and Christians span by span and cubit by cubit … so closely that you will go after them even if they creep into the hole of a lizard.' (pg. 510. Random House, New York. 1965)

This is incorrect. This is a fallacious rephrasal of a well-known and authentic Hadith, the meaning of which merits unanimous agreement amongst Islamic scholars. The correct translation of this Hadith is this:

Narrated Abu Sa`id:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You will follow the wrong ways, of your predecessors so completely and literally that if they should go into the hole of a mastigure, you too will go there." We said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Do you mean the Jews and the Christians?" He replied, "Whom else?" (Meaning, of course, the Jews and the Christians.) (source: Sahih Al-Bukhaari, Hadith no. 3456)

The record of sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), the Ahadith, abounds with the injunction to be 'different from the Jews and Christians.' (see Sahih al-Bukhari, Ahadith no. 3453; 3454) For a full elaboration, please see the answer to question no. 45200 on Islamqa.info.

Furthermore, the misquoted Hadith is served in a paragraph which presents the clear and unequivocal suggestion that the Christians are on par with the Muslims in the veracity of their faith –
“..for they, like us, are People of the Book.” (ibid.)

This is false. For evidence of the deprecated status of the Christians in Islam one has to go no further than verses 72-75 of the fifth surah of the Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Maida.

What the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was alluding to, in the Hadith in question, was: he had urged his people sufficiently to differ from the People of the Book, but even then we Muslims would fail to refrain from imitating the latter.

I, Haris bin Faiez of Lahore, Pakistan, call upon the Muslims of the world in general, and those of the United States of America in particular, to join me –

We demand from the James Albert Michener Society:

Issue a public acknowledgement of this oversight in James Michener's scholarship, and of what I hereby attest is a case of tampering with our Prophet's (ﷺ) legacy of instruction.

Haris bin Faiez,
harisbinfaiez@gmail.com

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pulled this off my "to be continued" bookshelf and starting over from page 1., I hope this year to finish this novel.

Ta da!! My goal to finish this amazing sprawling epic novel by the end of this year is accomplished, all 1078 pages that moved from 9831 BCE to the early 1960's CE. And it also completes my 2024 reading challenge of 55 books. Now to find time to write a full review (or not), we shall see.

[Jan Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a new Bollywood movie, "Bawaal" ("Disaster") about the Holocaust which reportedly is full of errors and makes many missteps, yet a Holocaust scholar in India thinks it's overall positive. She says the Holocaust is virtually unknown in India, that Indians name children Hitler, which would be unheard of in America, maybe in all the West. So, the scholar's view is that, given the general ignorance, broaching the subject of the Holocaust at all is a major step. https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/ho...

Despite the reported ignorance, I've read elsewhere that antisemitism has not been much of an issue in India.

Ignorance about the Holocaust in India jibes with what Trevor Noah wrote in Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood. The story I'm remembering is about his being in a band performing before a Jewish audience who freaked out because one of the band members was named Hitler and was introduced as such -- that is, due to the same cultural cluelessness on the subject as in India. (And, moreover, not knowing why the audience was outraged, he, Trevor Noah, became outraged in return because he assumed the audience was looking down on them for their sexy performance. Cultural ignorance all around!)

The analogy isn't perfect, but I'm saying that overall The Source is a good thing. Published in 1964, Michener took advantage of a cultural opening (that soon enough, after the 1967 war, began to close) when the liberal elite in America was pro-Israel. (The worm had begun to turn earlier in Europe, or so I'm told.) The book has lots of issues and inaccuracies, based both on Michener's Christian perspective and on having been written in the mid-twentieth century. I think in large part the book represents Michener's struggle toward a more positive view of Israel, Jews, Judaism, and "the Old Testament." (For Jews it's not the old testament.) The struggle pays off despite errors, since it's crucial to face difficulties and to talk about them, even if the discussion is incomplete and imperfect. Until that happens, there can be no change. The worst atmosphere stems from not being able to touch the subject with a ten-foot pole, as if it were poison. Yes, silence can be worse than active abuse, given what lurks under the surface. For sunshine to get in, stones must be overturned.

So let's look at the good, the bad and the ugly.

Overview
Michener uses an archeological dig set in the (then) present as a framing story, from which he diverges to venture into 15 chapters, from prehistory until the Israeli war of independence, depicting paganism, the Hebrews, King David's times, Hellenism, Herod's times, the Romans, Talmudic times, the coming of Islam, the Crusades in the beginning and at their end, Kabbalah, the Ottoman period at its end, and the Jews who returned. Each of these segments constitutes a story, or, as one of my friends says, a novella.

The book is fictional, and the site of the dig -- the Tell -- is completely made up. That has to be kept in mind while Michener populates it with real historical characters and events shaped to meet the needs of the story.

Issues having to do with when it was written: early 1960s
A water tunnel under Jerusalem followed a natural channel, but that was learned in 1994. Prior to that, ancient engineers were thought to have created the tunnel, which forms the basis of one of Michener's stories.

The theme reflects hopes and expectations of the day that archeology was going to "prove" the bible.
The book contains elements of sexism, racism and Orientalism consistent with mid-century attitudes.
It also reflects conventional mid-century understandings of bible stories.

Distortions having to do with the author's viewpoint
James Michener was adopted and didn't know who his birth parents were. He had a Quaker upbringing. But his views as evidenced in The Source seem pretty typical of Christian views. He struggled with "Law" versus "Love." His omnipotent narrator, or, maybe, his character(s) had been raised believing the Old Testament was outdated and had been replaced by the New. The religion of Judaism was cold, unemotional, and legalistic until David and others warmed it up by writing the Psalms. (Perhaps not unrelated: the psalter was the first devotional text for Christians.) Jews (in Michener's view) thought of God as an white-haired old man. And so on. These are Christian not Jewish concerns.

Also Michener had his main archeological character, a Catholic, be frequently overwhelmed by the beauty or the spirituality of Judaism, to the point that I wasn't sure if he (the author) was truly impressed or was bending over backward. At one point (mild mini-spoiler), Michener made such a beautiful analogy (the bonsai tree) that I thought he was going to have his Catholic character convert to Judaism (so he could get the girl). After a moment, though, I thought, "Nah!"

Michener was at great pains to counteract stereotypes about Jewish appearance. Early on he said that what people (mid-century white American Christians?) think of as how Jews look is more nearly how Arabs look. Subsequently he referred multiple times (five to seven, maybe) to blue-eyed Jews. Near the end, finally there was a brown-eyed one.

The book was not all errors. Those are merely some that stood out. Michener had clearly done much, much research and learned a great deal about Judaism. It's just that his persisting personal beliefs and his actual new insights and learning tended to be tangled -- probably in such a way that they matched and reflected the views of many readers of this bestseller.

Some mistakes are just mistakes
A seventh-century Arab commander who's out of his comfort zone (desert) and leading his men through a cold wintry Galilean swamp gets repulsed by hopping frogs and writhing snakes. What's wrong with that picture?

I know; it's a small thing. But it grates.

Here's a confusing one. He spoke of Arab Christians in the Holy Land practicing their faith since the early centuries, then speaks of the first Arab not having appeared in the area til the seventh century. I thought, right, no Arabs until then, but I was wrong. For example, according to Jerusalem: The Biography, Herod's mother was an Arab. Looking it up, I found that the first people called Arab hailed from the Syrian desert and as far back as the ninth century BCE. So, no, they had been seen in the land. And the internet tells me the Christian Arab presence, that is, tribes that had converted, predates the seventh-century Muslim conquests.

A more subtle issue, possibly: for Michener, religion in prehistory is approximately the same as it is for us, that is, a removable changeable attribute one could unplug and substitute for another. But that only happened toward the turn of the Christian era; some say Judaism was the first "-ism," and some argue the change was due to the needs of Christianity, which didn't stick with one ethnicity but wanted them all. Before that, yes, people had something we call religion, but it was part and parcel of who they were, their people, their way. It was not removable or changeable. That's why there was no conversion during the times of the Hebrew bible. Now, looking back, we project our experience of two+ millennia back into the past.

Michener has that suspicion of town life you can find among some philosophers.

He's convinced towns had "shops" selling imported goods way, way back. In The Source, it was shops, shops and more shops. Markets, or market day, yes, but shops, no; shops were an aspect of capitalism and came with the emerging market economy, and were an object of suspicion long before they were seen as practically the basis of "our way of life." Shops don't fit with subsistence economy where most households make most of what they consume and consume most of what they make. But, again, shops have been around so long we can't help but see them when we look back.

Like almost everyone, he thinks people are just people and experience themselves same as now, which gets us into costume drama: people like us running around in period costume.

General confusion
If you're going to take real historical figures and stick them in imaginary places, then have them take fictional actions, it's confusing. Michener also take biblical names and sticks them on some fictional figures that have nothing to do with their biblical counterparts. Maybe he just liked the name(s). In the service of telling his stories he'll move time periods around. It can have you scratching your head.

The author's goals
I think Michener had a goal of wanting to relieve the world of some of its ignorance and prejudice about Jews and Judaism. As I've said, I also think he was writing to work out his own conflicts around Judaism. Last but not least, I think he wanted to write a book that people would buy.

On that last point he succeeded. In 1965 the book was number one on the bestseller list for 10 months.
As I write, 5,089 Goodreads members are currently reading it, more than half a century after it was written.

He did progress in his struggle to understand Judaism and reconcile himself to its persistence.

And as I said at the start, he did widen the world's view of Jews and Judaism.

One review I just came across while looking up those bestseller statistics says that Michener (along with Exodus) solidified American support for Israel. No. It was more along the lines of building on an idea whose time had already come. Walter Russell Mead, in The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People shows that Israel had been a cause of the U.S. liberal elite since 1948 and in '65 was actually nearing the end of its favorable run among American "elites."

Nevertheless this very widely read book is important beyond its errors and other failings in simply talking about a subject that's too easily silenced and erased.

The book was important to my parents. Jews who came of age in the first half of the twentieth century in America were subject to negative attitudes openly expressed by the elites. The book must have raised my parents' self esteem.

There are American Jews closer to my age who had been assimilated and lost to the faith who were brought back by The Source.

As for me, I'm afraid I would have been repulsed if anyone had tried to get me to read it in my youth. I read about 10 or 20 pages in Hawaii before abandoning it. No, for me it took more than any book.

And to finish the book I needed a book club.

Additional thought (September 12, 2023): Many liberal Protestants love Amy-Jill Levine's The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus, possibly because, no matter what's in the book, it's a Jew respectfully talking about Jesus. And the same explanation probably holds for why so many Jews love The Source: no matter what the details are, a Christian is talking respectfully about Judaism. There is something to be said for not looking a gift horse in the mouth.


Before I end, and for comparison purposes, here's a ChatGPT (AI) review of The Source supposedly written in "my style" that my husband had it write back in April. It's one of three, neither of which sounds remotely like me (and I had not yet read the book). At least this version doesn't say how much I love historical fiction.

Write a book review of James Michener's The Source in the style of Jan Rice.

James Michener's The Source is a sweeping epic that spans thousands of years of human history in the Middle East. With his signature attention to detail and vivid prose, Michener takes readers on a journey that begins with the dawn of civilization and ends with the modern state of Israel. What sets The Source apart from other historical novels is its unique structure. The novel is set in the fictional town of Makor, located in the region of Galilee in modern-day Israel. Each chapter tells the story of a different period in Makor's history, from prehistoric times to the present day. Through the eyes of Makor's residents, Michener explores the rise and fall of civilizations, the clash of cultures, and the enduring power of faith. The Source is a masterful work of historical fiction that combines meticulous research with gripping storytelling. Michener's characters are richly drawn, and his descriptions of the landscapes and architecture of the Middle East are breathtaking. The novel's scope is ambitious, but Michener's deft touch ensures that it never feels overwhelming. As a reader, I was particularly struck by Michener's ability to convey the complex interplay between religion, politics, and culture.
Through the characters of the book, Michener shows how these forces have shaped the Middle East for millennia, and how they continue to do so today. In short, James Michener's The Source is a towering achievement in historical fiction. It is a book that will transport you to another time and place, and leave you with a deeper understanding of the world we live in. If you are a fan of epic historical novels, this is a book you simply cannot miss.

Not me!

[Erik B.K.K. · Rating 1 out of 5]

You're probably wondering, why read the whole darn thing (1070 pages) when you rate it a meagre 2 stars* in the end? Well, that's the secret of huge books. If you want your readers to finish your badly written book just make it huge, because first they will continue reading with the hopes of your book just having a awkward start, and by the time they reach 1/4 of the book and have realized the book is just shitty, they will continue reading anyway because they already 'came this far' and put effort in it.

So that's why. And why is this book shitty? Well it has some brilliant ideas and stuff and that's the only reason I give it 2 stars instead of 1 star. But mostly the book is boring, long-winded and full of the same old stale, annoying, '50s tropes and stock characters. The contemporary protagonist should have just been called Indiana Jones and get on with it. The newborn Israeli's are these rough, hardened workers. I kept thinking of noble savages, or in this case noble Jews. Boring stock characters who have no traits besides their 'Jewness' (sorry). The book is full of women hate as well. All female characters can be divided in two allegories: The Pure Virgin (the ones that are sweet and pure and have 'coquettish' features and are small and petite and don't mind being wed to brutish ugly Jew monsters (yes this stereotype is prominent in the book as well, the 'Jew man' who is described as animal-like and hunched and dumb) and have no other features except being a Jewess. On the other hand you have The Evil Wench, the plotting, evil, mean, manipulating and WORST of all cheating and lying traitors who will all leave their man for another just like that, or (literal quote) "shed those well-known fake, calculating female tears"(wtf?) What kind of nasty fetish did the writer have? Did his dick get stomped on by his mommy? Not to mention almost ALL females die a gruesome death. They die more often than their sad, noble Jewish counterparts. Ugh. Oh and our Indiana Jones keeps on harassing one of them to marry him even though she insistently keeps telling him no. And then he almost fights with another male for her hand. Like her opinion on the case doesn't even matter.
Judaism is described in the book as an ugly, dead tree stump, from which the final blooming branch called Christianity sprouted. It's the White Men's Burden all over again. The Jews are dumb for not realizing Judaism is a dead religion and I think the writer either secretly thought they got what was coming for them or had another fetish, maybe BDSM or a gore fetish, because they all die horrible deaths. Not a single one of the chapters ends happily.
Some other trope-y shit: greedy, manipulating Arabs (duh), money-loving American Jews (duh), The Good Innocent Catholic, etcetera etcetera. I grew so tired of it near the end of the book.
Most chapters end suddenly, and there's even a whole chapter dedicated to repeating some lame, boring Jewish Talmud laws. Yawn. I can write a book like this.

But for all the hate (and clearly I hate a lot of it lol) the book had some brilliant parts and some of it was very educative. Apart from the judging 50s moral, it gave huge insight to the history of Palestine/Israel and the Jews. Even nowadays some of it still holds true. I can't ignore this and give it one star. It's just too bad the good stuff is buried beneath So. Much. Bullshit.

Edit 6/8/22: after further consideration I have decided to change my review to 1 star.

[Lisa Reising · Rating 2 out of 5]

I began reading with enthusiasm for the premise of this book: looking at the history of Israel through the eyes of archaeologists at a dig. Unfortunately, now I feel it was a subject too large in scope for even this author and his legendary research. After throwing out the first chapter on cavemen as an anomaly, each subsequent chapter could not stem the sliding credibility factor. I'm pretty certain Michener didn't understand Biblical history (for example his characterization of King David was laughable, even taking into account his mistakes and flaws) - so therefore, how much could I rely on his artistic license from other sources as well? After investing time in more than half the book, I realized no amount of time would heal these flaws. I give it 2 stars instead of 1 (1&1/2 would be better) because I DID gain an appreciation for the evilness of Ba'al and other cult-worshipping groups which helped me see why Yahweh would authorize wiping them off the earth. But the protagonists in his vignettes of each historical period - even the Jewish ones - often had a high level of enmity toward "God" in any form. I don't believe Israel's history is so very bleak and dismal. Challenging, yes, but so void of joy across every era? He made even miraculous events dark and suspicious in character.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Source is James Michener's Magnum Opus. It presents a stunning vision and scope, with a fine exploration of Jewish culture and history.

The book is extremely long - over 500,000 words (1200+ pages, fine print) and covers pre-Judaic, proto-Judaic/Hebrew, and Judaic history going back to ca. 10,000 BC

Much of what I know about Jewish culture and history comes from this book (sad perhaps, but true). Like some of my friends say, historical novels are a great way to read history.

This novel is structured as follows:

The story opens at an archaeological dig at a "tell" - an ancient, long abandoned city, in Israel. It looks like a mound, since ancient cities - towns, actually, since the major dimensions are about 1000' x 1000', were built upon the rubble left by its older inhabitants. What remains is a rich collection of artifacts, old buildings, temples etc.

Fifteen artifacts are found in a test trench extending from the top layer to bedrock - each at a different level. The deepest level - corresponding to ca. 10,000 BC - contains an obsidian hand tool. The shallowest level - ca. 1600 AD - contains a coin.

Michener tells a story for each artifact - and its corresponding time in history. Sandwiched between historical tales is a running tale, mostly surrounding the dig. In the running tale, Michener explores many aspects of Jewish culture - Zionism, the mystics, the long tension between the Arab and Jewish worlds, and other aspects of the Jewish world. Because of this book I know something about the Ashkenazim and Sephardi.

Michener does such a fine job with the modern that it's hard to say which is more fascinating: the modern or the ancient.

In the ancient tales you will become familiar with pre-Hebrew pagan religions (pagan is late-classical Rome), early Christianity, the Crusades, Roman rule, Muslim culture, and early rabbinical attempts to interpret the Torah. Michener even inserts Josephus into one of the stories in the which the town is subject to siege. Of course he escapes and lives to write his histories.

**********************************


I’ve read but a few of James Michener's novels, his memoir, and his travelogue “Iberia”. So much for disclosures - “The Source” presents a stunning vision with such an immense historical sweep that it must be his Magnum Opus.

The book is door-stopper, comprised of over 500,000 words, it occupies 1200+ pages in fine print, “pocket paper” format and covers pre-Judaic, proto-Judaic/Hebrew, and Judaic history going back to about 10,000 BC.

The story opens at an early-60s archaeological dig at "tell" Makor (Hebrew for “source”) - an ancient, long abandoned city in Israel. It looks like a mound, since the ancient city (town, actually, since the mound measures 1000' x 1000') was built upon the rubble left by generations of inhabitants. What remains is a rich collection of artifacts, buildings, granaries, temples, stables, amongst the accouterments of civilization.

Fourteen artifacts are found in a test trench extending from the top layer seventy feet down to bedrock. The deepest object is an obsidian hand tool. The shallowest is a coin. Found lying on top is a bullet – artifact number fifteen.

Michener tells a story involving each artifact and its corresponding time in history. Sandwiched between the historical tales is a running contemporary tale, mostly set in the dig. Herein, Michener explores early monotheism, the Talmud, the mystics, current Jewish practices, and Zionism. He contrasts two major Jewish subgroups, the Ashkenazim and the Sephardi.

You will first become familiar with pre-Hebrew religions, early Christianity, and Roman rule followed by the Crusades, Muslim culture, and early rabbinical attempts to interpret the Torah. Into an early-Christian-Era tale involving a Roman siege of Makor Michener inserts Josephus, a historical figure known for his histories.

The modern story explores Jewish culture in detail. Michener contrasts the Ashkenazim with the Sephardim, the still-unresolved conflict between non-believing Israelis and Orthodox Jews. He explains why those non-believers nonetheless still study the Torah in Hebrew. He outlines the long tension between Arabs and Jews.

What made this a best-seller and not a long-forgotten academic treatise are Michener’s vivid plots involving timeless family conflicts set amongst innumerable invasions and defenses of Makor. The modern tale has a love-story in which one archeologist woos another.

Much of the early conflict involves the clash of the relatively rigid Jewish culture with others and within the “tribe”. Stubborn Jews refuse to submit to state-sponsored religion. A Rabbi with poor judgment enforces the letter of the Torah. A young Jew‘s wish to assimilate goes very badly. A Jewish bastard is offered salvation through “easy” Christianity.

The novel concludes with the defense of nascent Israel that rivals any account of heroism-in-warfare.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The current news of a 1,500 year old church uncovered in an archaeological dig in Israel was like déjà vu for me after reading The Source early this New Year's.





This picture above, and its story could be straight out of a movie version of The Source. I think the book's dig was based on Tel Megiddo, but Michener observed archaeologists at work at Hazor to prepare for writing this book.

As you can tell from reading the other reviews here, the conflicts between peoples and the layering of religious histories in the middle-east are traced here in to their earliest roots in James A. Michener's signature historical fiction style.

In Melissa's Review she writes that Michener traces the history of a single town in Israel/Palestine through the ages - from man's earliest attempts to tame nature and understand the supernatural, through the evolutions of the world's greatest religions, to the contemporary struggles that mark the land.

I was surprised and encouraged to see so many reviewers remarking upon how many times they'd re-read this book and how many archaeologists here on GR are reviewing and rating this book, many even awarding the book some claim on creating the ambition and interest that led them to pursue the field of archeology in the first place.

It is a compelling read that illustrates the multidisciplinary nature of archeology and its reliance on a knowledge of history, language, science, engineering and architecture. Wonderful stuff and even more wonderful to have all of it bound between the covers of one book!

My paperback copy felt like it might be as old as the church uncovered by this dig and Michener's fictional equivalent it literally fell into about four sections somewhere in Phoenix during my New Year's journey's stopover on the way home so I haven't finished it yet! Half of it went into the circular file at PHX. This is truly a story of biblical proportions so losing half of it can still mean you were already a few hundred pages into the story! I'll be getting a hardbound or kindle edition to use for reading the second half!

[Jennifer Hughes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I picked the wrong Michener book to start with. It did not work for me on several levels.

First, his characters were almost one-dimensional, they were so flat. The reader is expected to fill in the gaps in all the relationships: feelings of animosity or chemistry and attraction between characters really isn't depicted. You just have to assume that it is there.

Second, ok, I know I only got into it like 100 pages, but everything I saw was told instead of shown. Bo-ring. I learned that one in 8th grade.

Third, what I thought was going to be a really fascinating story about an archeological dig was wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am over in a couple of chapters. I thought that was going to BE the entire book. Instead, it turns out it was just a setup for the actual book, which takes each of the artifacts they conveniently found in a matter of a few short pages and then turns each of those into their own section, a moment in history that is then fleshed out for us to see how the artifact lived in its original life. So I don't disagree with that idea as a literary device--actually, it seems pretty cool--but the lead-up was so disappointing that I felt like it'd fallen flat before the "story" even began. And it started with cave men. Seriously? I just felt like I was stuck in a BC cartoon. It was too hokey. I found myself dreading picking up the book each time and repeating to myself, "It will turn around soon, just give it time, it will get better," and then one day I said, "Know what? Huh-uh. Not worth it."

If you think I am away off base then tell me what Michener book I should read instead. At this point I don't know whether I will take your advice seriously or not, but hey, at least you could feel better knowing you tried to convert me to Michener's fan club.

[Jonathan Dunsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Source is another of James Michener's epic fictional histories. This one explores a part of northern Israel from the times of the pagans, through Jewish independence, Christian ascendance, Muslim conquest, resurgence of Judaism nationality, to the establishment of Israel.

Note: some of the story does take place in Italy in the middle-ages as Michener relates the plight of Jews there and their decision to migrate to the Land of Israel.

The story is told through an excavation of a site in norther Israel in which a great many cities have been erected and destroyed over the centuries. Through the artifacts found at the site, Michener takes us back to various ancient periods and explores the development of religion and monotheism.

Naturally, much of his narrative is based on assumption and not on historical fact, but Michener expertly weaves the story with facts of the time to create a spellbinding novel.

For anyone who is interested in Judaism and Jewish nationality, The Source is a book well worth reading. Regardless, it is simply a great novel.

The beginning of the novel is a bit heavy, as Michener explains various terms and work methods of archaeology, but once you get through that, you're left with a page-turner which is rich with an entire range of emotions: love, happiness, loneliness, fear, anger, religious zeal and rapture.

I loved this book and recommend it with all my heart.

[John Devlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.2)
Micheners books follow a pattern of 100 page novellas strung together over a huge timeline with some skein of story lashing the fragments together. Over this there’s some modern narrative that ties the novellas quite loosely.

The source is a big book and some parts get too pedagogical but then again the Jews were kept alive in part bc of that rabbinical thrust embodied in the Talmud and Torah…

[Gary K Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Source was my selection this year for my 'Michener December.' This is a thing I made up for myself to jump into a really long book to dive into for the month of December... after I had comfortably met my GR book goal. My first three I included in this were Hawaii (I was born there... figured I should start there), Alaska, and Centennial (probably the book Michener is best known for).

This is the first Michener book not to cover America. The Source is centered around a Middle Eastern town called Makor. The Hebrew word for Makor translates into “source, fountain, or spring”. I say it took place in Makor, but there is no Makor. If you hadn't read Michener before that's his style of historical fiction. He tells the stories in locations that don't exist with (for the most part) characters that never existed. Many of the events in the stories didn't happen exactly as he portrays them. It sounds weird, but it generally works. What he does is creates amalgamations of historical characters, events, and in this case especially ideologies and religious beliefs – to create epic generation spanning stories. I find myself often 'googling' events, location, and characters to see who is is referring to. Ultimately I learn a lot from his works – although if I really wanted to know a lot about a topic I would be better served with a good non-fiction offering.

One of the things that he uses this style of narrative for is for continuity of characters. A character you meet and get to know in an early part of the story might be someone you really don't like. Later... you are likely to find another that is related (as a child or grandchild) to this character that is quite different. You often see the protagonists/antagonists flip in a family line multiple times.

So did Michener use this approach here? Sort of. In Hawaii the main story (with humans anyway) begins in the 1800s In Alaska, most of the action started in the 1800s... and in Centennial... most began in the 1800s. There was a bit about early humans in each. For instance, in Hawaii there is an interesting chapter about how the early humans got to the island. This storyline was unconnected to the rest. In The Source he really couldn't do that. The major characters were spread out across way too much time – and not just focused on the last 150-200 years to pull this off. Also, many of the civilizations the chapter ended with 'and then they were wiped out' which didn't lead to a great deal of continuity. In a lot of ways for me this disconnect made the story less enjoyable.

The story of Makor is brought to life via a group of archaeologists that are examining 'The Tell'. I didn't know what a 'Tell' was so if you don't either I can save you the trouble of looking it up. According to wikipedia “In archaeology, a tell or tel (borrowed into English from Arabic), tall, 'mound' or 'small hill'), is an artificial topographical feature, a species of mound consisting of the accumulated and stratified debris of a succession of consecutive settlements at the same site, the refuse of generations of people who built and inhabited them, and of natural sediment.” That's exactly what this site was. The city of Makor over time being built, destroyed, repopulated, repeat.

The story lines with the archaeologists are mainly there for two reasons... 1) they conveniently would find things that would lead into the historical fiction parts of Makor and 2) they provided opportunities to go over social, religious, and ideological issues that divide the region to this day. Although they jump back and forth to the folks at the Tell... the main story of Makor is linear – starting with ancient times up to present. This didn't completely fit in with the theme of the Tell since they would have found things for older civilizations last as they dug down further. They did find the most important discovery towards the end though – so that made sense.

The first group of humans we encounter went way back to 9831 B.C.E. The caveman Ur (hence my early reading update... 'To Ur is Human') and his family are the main characters. The part I found funny in this was Ur's wife (clearly the brains in the relationship) constantly trying to challenge Ur to 'think outside the box' – or cave in this case – and move from caves into simple dwellings.. as well as farm for food rather than just constantly hunt. Also in this section the earliest form of religions were forming as the tribe decided to erect a monolith to these unknown Gods that they feared and depended on for good weather and livelihoods. It is also the first mention of 'the well' that gives the book its theme 'source, fountain'... The well provides the source of water for those early humans and is pivotal to all that follow.

Fast forward to 2200 B.C.E. In this section it states that Makor has been attacked by various armies about every 19 years or so... and that a few times the city had been totally leveled. This included invading Hittites, Amorites, Sumerians, Akkadians, and Egyptians. None of this is expanded on in this section... just highlighting how dangerous and unstable the region was. The main developments in this section are w/r to religion... the early belief systems formed in the previous section have matured into multiple gods. Two main ones mentioned are El and Astarte. This chapter also covers the topic of human sacrifice and horrible treatment of slaves... it was a weird one. The god Baal is also part of the story.

Next... we move to 1419 BCE... El is still very popular, but has morphed into El-Shaddai. It is also the first mention of Hebrews who worship El-Shaddai. The Canaanites on the other hand continue to worship Baal. Both gods are derived from the common El... but the Hebrews consider El-Shaddai as an all knowing – all powerful deity. The Hebrews are also big on casting other beliefs and practices as 'abominations'. This part of the book clearly spills over into Torah/Old Testament Bible stories. There's also quite a bit of 'talking to God' – which also is from the Bible... but not my favorite parts of the book. I'll just say things didn't go so well for the Canaanites. This section also had this crazy factoid… Late in the month of vintage the days of desert heat arrived—those searing days when there was no wind but only a superheated air from the southern desert hanging over the land and suffocating even the beasts. These days were called “the fifty,” for fifty were expected each year, and in later centuries it would be a law that any husband who murdered his wife after three days of “the fifty” could go free, for under such circumstances no man should be held accountable for his behavior toward a nagging woman. . When I read this I made a point to research this further- because it was so bizarre. What I found was these winds are called Khamsin. Under Ottoman law at one point in history there was in fact a provision that took into account Khamsin as a mitigating factor in murder cases… so crazy as this seems - this is right.

The next section of the book fast forwards to 963 B.C.E. This is probably my favorite section because it had my favorite character... Hoopoe. (Hoopoe is a bird... I had to look that up as I've never seen one.) Hoopoe comes up with an ingenious plan to secure Makor from invaders. This plan involves the well... which again is The Source – that gives the book its name. It also is one of those rare times where Michener involves a real person from history into his stories... That person being King David of the Israelites. El-Shaddai has transformed into Yahweh.

Move on to 605 B.C.E – with the Babylonians and the Egyptians. It also involved Nebuchadrezzar... and I thought “why didn't Michener just use the actual name... Nebuchadnezzar?” Until I looked it up.. . and it is a valid alternate spelling. 😜 There was also a lot of 'talking to God' in this one.. and religious zealotry... I didn't like it as much.

Then to 167 B.C.E – now moving on to being controlled by the Seleucids/Greeks. Even more religious zealotry in this one... which doesn't end well. There's a lot of 'not end well' in this book – which unfortunately is likely pretty accurate for this time/region.

Next we move to 4 B.C.E. with another real-life historical figure.. King Herod. Although Herod is often referred to as a 'King of the Jews' – he wasn't Jewish... he was Roman. If you look up King Herod he was listed as doing all kind of great things (many building projects and reforms). This book does not cover that.. it dwells on Herod's final years where he is suspicious of all those around him – including his family – and puts many to death. This section is somewhat unique in that the character it covers Timon (not real) is a confidant of Herod and tells the story from a first person POV. As far as I could tell – Timon had no connection to any of the previous stories... it was just included I think to fill in an important time of history in the region.

Now we move to 66 C.E. - more with the Romans – and... more with actual historical figures – Vespasian, Trajan, Titus and Josephus. I didn't know much about Josephus. The information on him is very interesting when I looked him up online. The seige of Makor in this section was interesting. It was also an example – repeated over and over and over again in the book about 'stick to your religious beliefs... don't bend... and God will protect you' - Also a common theme in the book... that didn't work out very well. One of the main characters in this section – Rab Naaman (not real) – goes on to meet Akiba (or Akiva) ben Yosef to form early Rabbanic Judaism.

350 CE (Byzantine period) - one of many sections that made me mad… mainly because of strict adherence to the Torah - it also had a lot of it dedicated to religious law. A lot of this I thought “these fundamental beliefs will be softened over time”… ummm. Much discussion of what activities are allowed on Shabbat. “ … after two and a half centuries of debate in both Tverya and Babylonia, the Mishna (Repetition) and the Gemara (Completion) would coalesce to form the Talmud (Teaching) ”. This section also introduces Christianity to the region and how many Jews converted since it offered less fundamental views (at the time anyway). It also was the first mention in the book of “The Jews killed Jesus”. I looked this up… 26% of Americans still believe this… very sad. Also in this chapter the extreme hatred of the Jewish people led to a slaughter…

635 C.E. - the arrival of Islam. This was another chapter that made me mad… mainly because of a story of a woman who was raped… went to the local rabbi and was victim shamed because of some very specific language in the Torah and the Talmud concerning rape. Again I was thinking… “these ideas will soften or be reformed over time…”. I’m not sure how much it has.

1099 C.E. The Crusaders. In this chapter the misguided crusades are discussed- with many of the early battles fought against Christians by Christian’s. There was also the view of “Well… we are going to fight the infidel Muslims anyway… why not attack defenseless Jews along the way”. In Makor a crusader castle is built at the site.

1291 C.E. Fires of Ma Coeur (campfires… ummm - no). Enter the Mamelukes. I had never heard of them so looked them up. They were brought in as slaves from Asia to augment the Turkish forces. They revolted and overthrew the Turks as well as most o the Muslim empire. (I was surprised I hadn’t heard of them and reading on I found out they were pretty much wiped out by the Turks in early 1800s - by Muhammad Ali - interesting 🤔). I liked this chapter because it dealt with siege warfare. Spoiler Alert… the Christians lost.

1559 C.E. - Safed (Makor is gone - this is the nearest city) This is the story of three Rabbis who travel to Safed for different reasons… but all variations of Jewish persecution - rabbis Zaki, Abulafia, and Eliezer. Zaki’s story included the town selecting the five fattest Jews to race through the town against the local prostitutes. Abulafia’s involved fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. Eliezer fled his city where the Jewish people were clustered together into a Judenstrasse… a type of early ghetto. I also learned in this chapter about the Judensau… a statue/painting featuring Jews in obscene contact with a female pig. I had never heard of this before and when I looked it up was dismayed that several churches still have these on display even today. See wiki article. Another thing I found interesting while I was trying to learn more on the Spanish Inquisition was that it was actually only banned in Spain in 1816… under Queen Isabella II. I thought it had died out much earlier. While I found a lot of this chapter interesting it was also one that made me frustrated and angry. Lots of repression mixed with very archaic strict interpretation of religious beliefs set up thousands of years in the past.

1880 C.E. - this big jump in time surprised me a bit. Not that I wanted the book any longer… it was HUGE, but it seemed to skip several hundred years of what I thought might have been interesting topics. This chapter in particular dealt with Muslim control of the area, the local politics and administration, and even more covering Jewish persecution. Sound interesting? It wasn't for me - one of my less favorite of the sections. Maybe that's why Michener jumped 300 years?? 😜

1948 C.E. - so now we are right after WWII. The region has been broken up into Israel, an inland Arab state, and an internationalized Jerusalem. This chapter was primarily about the city of Safed. It had been designed by the UN as part of the Jewish state, but was overwhelmingly Muslim. Fighting broke out and the outnumbered Jewish fighters fought a seemingly unwinnable battle. I thought this was just Michener combining events, but poking around on the net it seems like this kind of played out this way. It seemed to have been not totally accurate in his version. The British – according to Michener – sided and fought with the Arabs. That's not what wikipedia said anyway. They said that the British kind of stepped aside as non-combatants... I will have to research that more thoroughly. In any case – this was one of the more interesting chapters. It did dive a LOT into modern Jewish politics and ideology – which I think I might research a bit in a non-fiction book. It was also a chapter where I felt something for the characters. It made me sad. There is an interesting tie between the members of the archaeological team and this story.

The last section takes us back to current time – which for this book was 1964. There was a lot more on the philosophical divide between traditionalist Jewish believers and more modern thinking ones. Again, this is a topic better researched in a non-fiction book dedicated to the subject. Given that this book is 50+ years old.. Michener's arguments on this are not up to date. I hope that the modern Jewish religion has shed of it's traditionalist beliefs and modernized - as other religions have slowly done over time, but I have no idea really.

So what did I think? There are many aspects of this book that are amazing. I did like having more historical figures in it for sure. One thing I learned was how badly the Jewish people have been treated over the years. I thought most of the bad treatment of the Jews was isolated to the Spanish Inquisition and what happened in the lead up and during WWII. I didn't realize how many other examples there were – it was just terrible.

The epic scope was also far bigger than the other Michener stories I have read thus far. This had both good and bad consequences for me though. Because it covered such a large span of time I felt less emotionally connected to the characters. There was no way for any character in one section to be related to another... leaving Michener to say things like 'So and so was related to the tribe of Ur'... it just wasn't the same. Also, because there were so many characters it kind of was like a collection of short stories – which I typically rate lower. Many parts of Hawaii, Alaska, and Centennial read like adventure stories – with lots of exciting parts. I never really got that feeling from this however. All the 'talking to God' parts didn't work for me either (I'm not sure I buy into any of that in the Bible either.. nowadays if you talk to God they put you under special care. If God does talk to you and says - “kill everyone not like you” I'm not sure that's a God I want any part of anyway.).

Overall I rated it 3.5 stars. I can't bring myself to round it down to three – and since GR doesn't allow half stars I have to either round up or down... so I rated it a 4. Overall I enjoyed it no where near as much as I did with either Hawaii, Alaska, or Centennial... but it's still a good read. I haven't decided which book to pick for 'Michener December' for next year. I have 11 months to decide though.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! It's daunting since it's over 1000 pages and has been on my shelf since my mom gave it to me in high school or college. I finally picked it up in August and had a rough start with it, but once I got going, found it facinating and more of a history lesson that I feel I got in school (even though it's fiction.)

I would recommend it strongly to anyone interested in world history (any era) and world religions. It was particularly relevant to the past weeks events in Gaza. Many parts of this book made me wonder again the value of humanity at times and if it will always be human nature to hate, disagree and hurt one another. Although I know historical horrors, they never seem to amaze and sadden me. Religions, cultural differences and war seem to be neverending. This book makes me want to learn and read more. To better understand what has gone before me and what will likely follow.

[Lars Andersson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to understand things about other people and theminds and how they think. So I guess this can be a book worhty reading. Religion is in fact the force of the universe and we have the power to connect.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written! Very well researched and meticulously put forth.

[Dick Tatro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be required reading for all students. Michener uses his historical fiction style to trace the development of the worlds three great religons (jewish, Christian and muslim) through the story of the family of UR. The UR family's orgin was in the caves of Makor in 10,000 BCE. The story is based on a dig in the Tell of Makor in 1964. Makor is a fictional place that had been refered to in the old testament. The dig is made by a group from Chicago but most of the workers are from the newly formed state of Isreal. The have a great interest in history of their newly won Jewish stste in the Holy land. This book is about the Holy land. As layers of history are unearthed the story deveolps through time. With it the reader sees the deveolpment of the the three faiths. This book explains a great deal of why many of the Muslins hated Christians. It also looks at the suffering of the Jews at the hands of others muslins christians, Greeks and Romans. The book also for me made we see why the founders of our country believed that only a secular government will allow for freedom of religion. The christian right should read this book especially the chapters dealing with the crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. The Catholic churchs corruption and control of politics during this time surely influence Voltarie and others who influenced founders of our nation. We are not a Christian nation, we are a secular nation that allows all religions to be practiced. When one faith rules then you no longer have freedom of religion. This is s great book!

[Oobydoo65 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this torn, twenty-five year old copy three times now. No easy feet, as it is one of the thicker michener books. The first time I read it, Iwanted to convert to Judaism and go to Israel and live on a kibbutz. I wanted to dig in the dirt and find relics and artifacts that would confirm the existence of God. I wanted to be a part of the spirit that was behind the community of believers, scientists, anthropologists. The educated and strong. I wanted to get tan and lean and smart and worldly.
This book did that for me. The second time I read it, I was less idealistic, more pragmatic. I saw the history as a back drop for the love story.
The third time i wanted to travel to Israel and see the Holy Land, not to dig in, but just to dig.
This book is one of the top three books on my list. I have never read any other Michener, but i hear he is good. I only needed this one.

[Paula Yerke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did it!! I have had this book on my "to read" list for a long time. The subject matter, the history of Judaism, has always been of great interest to me. The problem is the sheer length of this book. It is a monster and so I always found starting it to be a daunting task. As my early Christmas present to myself, I decided to go for it. It sure did not disappoint! I am awed by the scope of this book. Michener tells the tale of Judaism starting in 9834 BCE and continues to 1964 CE. He does this through an archaeological dig and the findings of that dig. It is really many books that he is able to connect through family and place. I cannot fathom the amount of research he must have done. I also loved his fictional stories of non-fictional characters such as Josephus. Amazing! It is a masterful work. Stunning! I can't use too many exclamation points in this review.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books ever. It's a long one, so give yourself plenty of time.

Tells the story of religion in Israel through the findings of an archaeological dig 90 miles north of Jerusalem. It's divided into stories about 100 pages long, so it doesn't feel quite like you're reading a 1,000 page book. Like all Michener novels, it is very well researched. The characters seem real, and Michener also fleshes out historical figures.

Some sex and violence (have you read the Old Testament?) but nothing gratuitous.

I never really understood the conflicts in the Middle East until I read this book.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a number of Michener's books and this is one the best. I just loved how Michener introduced each period in the story by how a dig reveals artifacts in different layers (era). I particularly enjoyed the parts where the Olympic games were held - how the people observed them. There was also a fascinating chapter about the evolution of religion through the introduction of a figurine of Astarte. This book is quite educational. I recommend it to those who are interested in learning more about Israel and surrounding places.

[Johnny D · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which I review this book's one star reviews:

"Painfully simplistic, implying that some of the greatest, centuries-long developments of mankind could happen within a generation or two. I had to stop reading less than halfway through, as I couldn't get past the gaping inaccuracy, anachronisms, and sheer fallacies. Other than that, and a few fairly flat characters, the writing was decent enough."

Our reviewer opens up his review with his metaphorical knife at the throat of the book. Not only does he feel that the book is simplistic, but he believes it to be painfully so. I imagine the reviewer wincing gingerly as he attempted to slog his way through such an uncomplicated book with all its implications toward the time scope involved in mankind's developments. I enjoyed this review overall, if only because he uses the word "anachronisms." Anachronisms just so happens to be one of my favourite words. What would have really brought this review to the top for me, though, would be if the reviewer had provided some examples of these anachronisms. If there is anything that I love more than the word itself, it's examples of it. I would have also liked to see some examples of fallacies and maybe a comparison between fallacies and sheer fallacies (just so I can distinguish between the two in the future). ***

"I didn't actually finish reading the book. Seemed like a lot of speculation on how the Jewish faith began with little connection to biblical history."

This reviewer opens with some refreshing honesty: she did not finish the book. After I read that sentence I was left wondering why the reviewer did not finish the book. Fortunately, I was not to be disappointed, because the very next sentence explains her reasoning. She did not finish the book because she felt that it was too speculative and not connected in the proper way to biblical history. I enjoyed the themes of disappointment and outrage in this particular review. However, I was a little confused as to which biblical history she was referring to or if speculative historical fiction is ever justified in her opinion. It was a good review, but I was left wanting more. **

"Natural labor is easier than reading this book. Seriously.

This review was great. I laughed, I cried, and I contemplated female labour pains. Basically, this reviewer would have an easier time giving birth than reading the book. I wondered if she was serious, but she finished the review by assuring me that she was, indeed, serious. I'm looking forward to sequels to this review. I think a review using comparisons between well-known literature and c-sections or water births is just what the world needs. Seriously. ***

"Normally I love Michener's books, but I just couldn't get into this one. I think a lot of the reason is because it relies on evolution being a fact, and since I've recently become aware that evolution is in fact a heavily flawed theory and very much just a belief system, it annoyed me pretty badly."

This was a revolutionary review, and it deserves a lot more attention than it has received thus far. In one paragraph, the review completely disproved the theory of evolution and shook the entire foundations of the scientific method. I don't want to give away the whole thing, but I think any reader of this review will be surprised to learn the true nature of evolution. Can anyone say conspiracy? I think the scientists might be suppressing this review to prevent their plans from being exposed. This reviewer really communicated their angst well, and I was left stunned at their mind-blowing revelations. ****

"I'm done!!!!!! Huzzah!!!!!!!"

Rarely does one read a review that contains such unmitigated joy and enthusiasm. I counted six exclamation marks, and that was just in the first sentence. I gave up counting after that, but I'm sure there were at least twice as many as that. I recommend reading the entire review at least three times, it's that rewarding. Truly an ebullient review - I have never read a review that communicated a reviewer's exhileration so simply and so well. *****

[Ram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so easy to summarize a book like this in a few paragraphs.

Basically this book gives a broad deep picture of the Jewish history from prehistoric times (naturally before Judaism) to the mid 1960's. The frame of the story is an archeological expedition digging in an imaginary site of an ancient town in the north of Israel. Using this framework the author goes back in time to various episodes in the history of the site and other places related to Jewish history (and related to the site in some way).
A few observations on this book:

The research was amazing. It is hard to believe that a person who did not live here achieved such deep understanding of the historical, cultural, religious and political issues related to the Jewish history.

The scope is amazingly large. The book touches so many aspects related to Jewish history, Jewish religion and philosophy, Israeli history and Israeli/Jewish politics and much more.
As an Israeli most of the issues were not new to me but the unusual way of presenting them was interesting and did help me understand my history better.

It is interesting to be exposed to an external view of my history/culture/politics etc…. I am not sure I agree with all the points of view expressed in the book but they are generally accurate as far as I know, or at least accurate to the time they were written (about 50 years ago)

The book is long… very long…..and longer. It is not a page turner and sometimes it took me time to get back into it and some parts required a bit of a struggle… It was worth it at the end and I do recommend this book (for people with time and patience).