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Golgotha
"The brutal, disturbing novel of Roman-occupied Palestine and the man they called the Son of God."
Hardcover
First published July 1, 1975
About the author
Chayym Zeldis
17 books3 followersBorn in Buffalo, N.Y., noted author and educator Chayym Zeldis went to Israel in 1948, where he worked on various agricultural settlements. He served in the Israel Defense Forces and in the Sinai campaign of 1956. He returned to the U.S. on a Creative Writing scholarship to the New School for Social Research.
Zeldis and his wife, Nina, are now settled in Israel, where both currently teach at Tel Aviv University.
Zeldis and his wife, Nina, are now settled in Israel, where both currently teach at Tel Aviv University.
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December 31, 2022
A tale of carnal urges: lust, jealousy, and brutal murder. Can we make this canon?
An interesting read set in the days leading to the crucifixion amongst familiar characters before they acquired their halos. Golgotha describes the harsh reality of Roman-occupied Palestine and the characters it breeds should come as no surprise.
Jesus is portrayed as an ageing radical, wrestling with the growing disillusionment of his disciples as well as his own. Finding love, he ultimately decides to try and escape his past but as a known dissident, he has more than just ideology to contend with.
It may be deemed uncharacteristic of a messiah to run away with a servant girl but to me, this departure from the biblical canon helps to crystallize a truth about Jesus, he was a man like any other with hopes and dreams but was not immune to the baser urges of life. This is in part what made his message of love and peace so pertinent in a time of war and oppression and why it still imbues billions today with the resolution that they too can be better.
An interesting read set in the days leading to the crucifixion amongst familiar characters before they acquired their halos. Golgotha describes the harsh reality of Roman-occupied Palestine and the characters it breeds should come as no surprise.
Jesus is portrayed as an ageing radical, wrestling with the growing disillusionment of his disciples as well as his own. Finding love, he ultimately decides to try and escape his past but as a known dissident, he has more than just ideology to contend with.
It may be deemed uncharacteristic of a messiah to run away with a servant girl but to me, this departure from the biblical canon helps to crystallize a truth about Jesus, he was a man like any other with hopes and dreams but was not immune to the baser urges of life. This is in part what made his message of love and peace so pertinent in a time of war and oppression and why it still imbues billions today with the resolution that they too can be better.
Displaying 1 of 1 review