The Captive from Judea: A short story of the Ancient Roman World

by Ory H. Kallush

There is nothing left to live for...

Or so Shlomzion thought after losing her family during the siege of Jerusalem and then being sold as a slave.

Marcia, a lady from Caesarea, buys the captive of Judea when she recognizes the leather pouch hanging around her neck. It reminds her of the first time Marcia met her in Jerusalem before the destruction when she made a pilgrimage to fulfill her mother's vow.

However, life in Caesarea is not easy for Shlomzion as Marcea's husband is a rude man and her friends are drunken Roman soldiers. But when their lives are in danger, they are forced to leave everything behind and embark on a new path.

In this lovely short story, Ory Kale shows how two brave young women in Roman-occupied Judea don't give up despite the loss.

28 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2022

Reviews

[Emziethebookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I really did like this book from the start to finish as it had a plot that I haven't really read before so it was all different for me which I don't mind different, however the only downside was that it was too short for the book itself.
A mean 6 chapters isn't too bad but I only wished it was longer as I felt more could of been put into the chapters but in all fairness I did still enjoy it.
The characters pretrayed the book very well on the outcomes that were faced through the 6 chapters and it was still good but I didn't like one of the characters in the last 2 chapters really hated him for what he said and wanted.
Overall the chapters were short which is good a don't mind short chapters at all, I would love to read more from this author whenever a get another chance again to see what else the author writes about.

[Caroline Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting if implausible. The Roman soldiers treat the Jewish women like Medieval Christians treated the Jews in this story, and it’s my understanding that was not the way it was historically. The Romans didn’t care what religion a person practiced as long as you paid homage to the state gods. Once the Jewish revolt was over, the people involved or believed to be involved were punished, but there wasn’t a Medieval style Empire wide backlash against every follower of the religion throughout the Empire or mass hatred against every Jew.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkably, this very short read tells a weighty parable. In Caesarea, Judea, Shlomzion, a slave about to be sold to the Romans, is bought by Miriam, a wealthy Jewish woman forced by her convert husband to live as Marcia, a gentile. The two women had known each other as young observant Jewish girls. Twenty years later, while Marcia lived in luxury, her life was empty and cold. The slave, Shlomzion, however, despite suffering horrific abuse and the death of her family, was never without hope because she had the freedom to be a Jew.

This a story that could inspire debate among young teenagers or tweens, of any religion, who at that age often grapple with the question “what is freedom?”

In exchange for an honest review I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Mary's Bookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotional short-read that was fabulous from beginning to end. The author really brought to life the era and the characters were wonderfully drawn. This book is something very special indeed and I highly recommend it.

[Sarah Nix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story!

I didn't really know where this story might lead me, but was pleasantly surprised at the wonderfully simple story told. It completely satisfied my need for a happy ending. I enjoyed it very much!

[Kathy Cvetnich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would love to read more

Had my attention from first chapter.
Great story and I would love to read the servant got what he deserved.

[Patricia L .Jex · Rating 1 out of 5]

More of a fragment than a short story. Not much detail to build the story out. Language doesn't seem appropriate to the setting. Overall not convincing.