Magi: A Historical Novel

by Mark Tedesco

In a hidden chamber beneath the ruins of Babylon, archaeologists uncover an ancient testimony sealed for two thousand years - the account of Mithradat, a Parthian Magus, who journeyed west to find the meaning of a star.

What follows is his story.

In the final days of King Phraates' reign, a light appears in the heavens that no chart can explain. For young Mithradat, the star becomes a summons he cannot ignore. Alongside his father Aridemus, a Magus known as much for his wonder as for his wisdom, and two companions, he sets out on a journey that will take them through the ancient streets of Babylon, across trade routes ruled by bandits and kings, and into the troubled land of Judea, following where portent and prophecy led.

Twenty years later, Mithradat sets down his account - a testimony that will wait two thousand years to be found.

Magi is a sweeping work of historical fiction that reimagines one of history's most enduring mysteries. Rich in period detail and alive with the bonds between fathers and sons, it tells the ancient story through the eyes of those who lived it.

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 1, 2026

About the author

Mark Tedesco writes historical fiction set in the ancient world — I Am John, I Am Paul and The Dog on the Acropolis among them — combining meticulous research with vivid storytelling to uncover the human struggles at its heart. His most recent novel, Magi, is the culmination of years of study into first-century Parthian, Jewish, and Roman cultures.

He also writes about the place that reshaped him: Italy. She Seduced Me: A Love Affair with Rome and Stories from Puglia draw on years of living in Rome and, now, a stone house in Santa Fiora, Tuscany, where he splits his time with California.