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The Book of Abraham
A family saga with a difference.
The Book of Abraham opens on the backdrop of a burning Jerusalem in 70 AD as Abraham the Temple scribe flees the destruction of his home. Two thousand years and a hundred generations later, another Abraham perishes, immolated in the fires of the Warsaw Ghetto.
But the chain that links these two Abrahams--a chain that stretches from Jerusalem to Warsaw through Rome, Alexandria, France and Greece--is one of family ties, and the unforgettable, powerful and poignant story that is told is that of one family--the author's own.
The Book of Abraham opens on the backdrop of a burning Jerusalem in 70 AD as Abraham the Temple scribe flees the destruction of his home. Two thousand years and a hundred generations later, another Abraham perishes, immolated in the fires of the Warsaw Ghetto.
But the chain that links these two Abrahams--a chain that stretches from Jerusalem to Warsaw through Rome, Alexandria, France and Greece--is one of family ties, and the unforgettable, powerful and poignant story that is told is that of one family--the author's own.
600 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1983
24 people are currently reading
651 people want to read
About the author
Marek Halter
81 books180 followersMarek Halter was born in Poland in 1936. During World War II, he and his parents narrowly escaped from the Warsaw ghetto. After a time in Russia and Uzbekistan, they emigrated to France in 1950. There Halter studied pantomime with Marcel Marceau and embarked on a career as a painter that led to several international exhibitions. In 1967, he founded the International Committee for a Negotiated Peace Agreement in the Near East and played a crucial role in the organization of the first official meetings between Palestinians and Israelis.
In the 1970s, Marek Halter turned to writing. He first published The Madman and the Kings, which was awarded the Prix Aujourd’hui in 1976. He is also the author of several internationally acclaimed, bestselling historical novels, including The Messiah, The Mysteries of Jerusalem, The Book of Abraham, which won the Prix du Livre Inter, and Sarah, the first of the Canaan trilogy, and Lilah, the concluding one.
In the 1970s, Marek Halter turned to writing. He first published The Madman and the Kings, which was awarded the Prix Aujourd’hui in 1976. He is also the author of several internationally acclaimed, bestselling historical novels, including The Messiah, The Mysteries of Jerusalem, The Book of Abraham, which won the Prix du Livre Inter, and Sarah, the first of the Canaan trilogy, and Lilah, the concluding one.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 7, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, I wish I could really understand how much was true and how much was made up. I began this book with the intent of supplementing my study on Abraham from the Book of Genesis. Considering Halter has written fictionalized, but historically and culturally accurate (as much as is possible) stories about biblical characters, I thought this was the same. (Clearly I did not even read the dust jacket, or I would have known better!). But I must say, I was proud of myself being as familiar as I was with the history portrayed.
If you have an Interest in Jewish history and want the twist of a family story, I would highly recommend this. I look forward to reading more by Halter, I have 4 more by my bedside now, but first I am on to a study of the Gospel of John for a stretch.
If you have an Interest in Jewish history and want the twist of a family story, I would highly recommend this. I look forward to reading more by Halter, I have 4 more by my bedside now, but first I am on to a study of the Gospel of John for a stretch.
March 5, 2015
n this epic work of Jewish history, Marek Halter uses an ancient document passed down from generation to generation through the centuries, and fleshed it out to create an exciting and informative epic novel.
Beginning in 70 CE (AD) Halter begins with the flight of a Jews called Abraham fron the burning city of Jerusalem, together with his family, during it's destruction by the Romans.
Taking us through the history of a Jewish family from Jerusalem to North Africa to Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and Poland, This is a history of Halter's family and of the Nation of Israel.
The words of the book are permeated with words of wisdom such as "A dream of cake is a dream, not a cake, but a dream of a journey is itself a kind of journey" as well as the prayers of the Jews through the millenia: " May the Allmighty protect us from those who persecute us, and against those who speak evil of us. Blessed be the Allmighty". These words are as pertinent today as ever. The book deals with question such as why the Chumash started with the creation. And sayings such as Sof Tov Hakol Tov- All's Well That End Well"-Now we know how Shakespeare got the name for the play of that title.
We read of the cruel decrees of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, outlawing circumcision, observance of the Sabbath and study of the Jewish Law, in the Land of Israel, creating a situation where being a Jews in the Land of the Jews was punishable by death.
Hadrian went so far as changing the name of Judea to Palestine, after the enemies of the Jews who had once occupied the environs of Gaza, the Phillistines.
We learn of the massacres perpetrated during the crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and the bloody pogroms of Chmielnicki in which thousands of Jewish men, women and children were cruelly slaughtered. Of the struggles of the Nation of Israel: " Do not fear the venom of the wicked...aim your arrows and strike down the evildoer..."
The book speaks of the yearning through the exile, of the Jews for the Land of Israel and Jerusalem, and we are introduced to historical figures as diverse as the false messiah Shabbatai Tzvi, the beautiful Marrano Dona Gracia (Nasi), and the apostate Uriel Acosta.
We read of the loves and the struggles of the lives of the real life figures in this epic.
finally the book ends with the account of the Abraham who perished in the flames of the Warsaw ghetto, where the Jews fought a valiant battle against the Nazi monstrosity, always longing for freedom in their own land, the Land of Israel.
Beginning in 70 CE (AD) Halter begins with the flight of a Jews called Abraham fron the burning city of Jerusalem, together with his family, during it's destruction by the Romans.
Taking us through the history of a Jewish family from Jerusalem to North Africa to Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and Poland, This is a history of Halter's family and of the Nation of Israel.
The words of the book are permeated with words of wisdom such as "A dream of cake is a dream, not a cake, but a dream of a journey is itself a kind of journey" as well as the prayers of the Jews through the millenia: " May the Allmighty protect us from those who persecute us, and against those who speak evil of us. Blessed be the Allmighty". These words are as pertinent today as ever. The book deals with question such as why the Chumash started with the creation. And sayings such as Sof Tov Hakol Tov- All's Well That End Well"-Now we know how Shakespeare got the name for the play of that title.
We read of the cruel decrees of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, outlawing circumcision, observance of the Sabbath and study of the Jewish Law, in the Land of Israel, creating a situation where being a Jews in the Land of the Jews was punishable by death.
Hadrian went so far as changing the name of Judea to Palestine, after the enemies of the Jews who had once occupied the environs of Gaza, the Phillistines.
We learn of the massacres perpetrated during the crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and the bloody pogroms of Chmielnicki in which thousands of Jewish men, women and children were cruelly slaughtered. Of the struggles of the Nation of Israel: " Do not fear the venom of the wicked...aim your arrows and strike down the evildoer..."
The book speaks of the yearning through the exile, of the Jews for the Land of Israel and Jerusalem, and we are introduced to historical figures as diverse as the false messiah Shabbatai Tzvi, the beautiful Marrano Dona Gracia (Nasi), and the apostate Uriel Acosta.
We read of the loves and the struggles of the lives of the real life figures in this epic.
finally the book ends with the account of the Abraham who perished in the flames of the Warsaw ghetto, where the Jews fought a valiant battle against the Nazi monstrosity, always longing for freedom in their own land, the Land of Israel.
August 16, 2012
Piecing together bits of family lore and careful historical research, Halter traces a line of Jewish men for millenia. We see moments of many generations in ritual, weddings, births, and deaths, but most of all the persistent, malignant persecution of the Jewish people in political inequality, social injustice, pogroms, burnings, rape, pillaging, isolation and exile. While many people are familiar with the Holocaust, not as many understand that it was but a culmination of historical atrocities. I wish more people would read this book. As deeply critical as I am of Israel, it is hard not to be sympathetic to the desperate urge for a homeland (which doesn't mean you force someone out of theirs just because a book of magic tells you it's yours). It is also difficult to come away from this book without feeling bitter toward the Church and suspicious of the intentions of Christians toward Jews even if there has been an official move away from the stance that Jews killed Christ.
Naturally it is disappointing the way women are marginalized in this book, but when they do pop up they are dealt with as though they are complex intelligent people. Given that the author has in other places dealt compassionately and substantively with women in the Bible, I think the position of women here should be seen as a DEPICTION of patriarchy, not as its continuation.
Naturally it is disappointing the way women are marginalized in this book, but when they do pop up they are dealt with as though they are complex intelligent people. Given that the author has in other places dealt compassionately and substantively with women in the Bible, I think the position of women here should be seen as a DEPICTION of patriarchy, not as its continuation.
August 19, 2016
Jewish history through the generations of one Jewish family based on the actual genealogy of the author's family. I found the first half slow and somewhat repetitive. The pace picked up in the second half that focused on the 20th Century. This is a good book to learn about and appreciate some of the Jewish customs and rituals. It is definitely a good way to learn about the Jewish diaspora. The story is not for the faint hearted. The reader, like the members of the family and their associates, go through good times and then bad times, often at the will of one person, a king, lord, Pope, someone wealthy, who can turn a community against the Jewosh community. The author does a good job in relating events to different attitudes within the Jewish communities. His interjections about his research into his family's long history and personal thoughts about the meaning to the values he learned, and what the reader learns, makes this story of generations of one family different from other generational stories.
March 12, 2022
Found it a hard read compared to other historical sagas but the story was captivating. Loved the author's thoughts captured throughout giving greater insight into their journey in the creation of this saga.
February 3, 2008
Fairly boring. I love historical fiction but it's too hard to follow the many Abrahams, Solomons, etc, and to remember which one did what. This is not necessarily the fault of the author since they are real people. It has a very anti-Christian view, and seems pro-Muslim, which is odd for a Jew. It has gone into the recycle bin. I don't want anyone else to read this crap.
January 13, 2009
In all, I liked this book. There were places that seemed to be an echo of what came earlier, but I think that this is part of the subtext of the story. I'm left with a few questions concerning the amount of historical foundation for the early generations in this family, but it is billed as fiction, so I can't demand that it adhere to standards higher than that.
August 4, 2009
Enyone who has anyting to do with Judaism should read this book... Great prespective on future generations.
I loved how the author is using real historical events and connects it with the fictional elements of his family's history to fill in the blanks - genious...
Definitly read the sequel "Children of Abraham" (not as good as the "Book of Abraham", but still a great read)
I loved how the author is using real historical events and connects it with the fictional elements of his family's history to fill in the blanks - genious...
Definitly read the sequel "Children of Abraham" (not as good as the "Book of Abraham", but still a great read)
November 29, 2010
I ended up enjoying the later half of the book more than the first half, mostly because we stuck with characters longer and got to know them better. Halter did a great job researching this book, paying close attention to detail through the generations depicted in the book. It's quite an achievement to weave a tale spanning nearly two centuries.
March 17, 2013
An interesting, yet sad saga of the Jewish people. I learned a lot about Jewish culture and perspective. Hard to follow so many characters that don't last more than a chapter or two, though. Glad I read it. Quite a commitment of time.
October 5, 2020
The Book of Abraham is so many things in one book that I struggled to gather my thoughts in a coherent review. Plot-wise it's the story of Halter's family, starting in 70AD with the destruction of Jerusalem, and ending in 1943 with Halter's grandfather Abraham in the Warsaw Ghetto. As Halter follows his ancestors, the story moves through Jewish settlements in North Africa, Arab-ruled Spain, France, Italy, the Ottoman Empire and eventually Poland. Halter's family is presented as generations of scribes then printers, which means the characters often interact with historical figures like Gutenberg, Rembrandt and Gracia Mendes Nasi (side note: I had never heard of her and spent a whole afternoon looking up her story).
Since there are so many centuries crammed into 700 pages, the characters aren't always hugely developed, and some of the stories remain more anecdotal. For that reason I found the first 100p or so not hugely gripping, but that changed later in the book once the characters get more fleshed out and the historical/geographical setting becomes more developed. It's also a hard read at times (reading about centuries of pogroms is tough and required a breather every now and then, even if Halter never lingers on details) but a necessary one.
But beyond the main 'Halter family' plot, The Book of Abraham is about Jewish memory and history. As the family moves from one country to the next, most of the time to flee persecutions, it shows a vision of history that is fluid and ever moving, and very different from the rigid, limited-to-one-country version I was taught at school. If you grew up in a Christian society, this book makes you realise just how much this influences our current version of history. Here various religious groups coexist, influence events and governments. Thanks to the generations of scribes and printers, The Book of Abraham also gives a glimpse at Judaic literature and its body of sacred texts -- basically a whole society that existed parallel to anything that makes the school curriculum (I certainly had never heard of the Jewish Enlightenment!).
The book has had its controversies in recent years -- whether Halter used a ghostwriter, and whether some parts of his family's history was made up. To be entirely honest I don't find this relevant; it's obvious that the book combines a huge amount of historical research with a fictionalised narration of many characters, and Halter himself explains that in a few chapters. Ultimately the aim of the book isn't to present a "true" history of a family, but an epic work on Jewish history and memory -- and it does that perfectly.
PS: there's a sequel to this book called The Sons of Abraham, which picks up in the 50s and follows Halter's cousins in Argentina, France, Israel and Russia. Since it's focused on a few decades and only a handful of characters, it's faster-paced and even reads like a spy novel at times. Highly recommend it.
Since there are so many centuries crammed into 700 pages, the characters aren't always hugely developed, and some of the stories remain more anecdotal. For that reason I found the first 100p or so not hugely gripping, but that changed later in the book once the characters get more fleshed out and the historical/geographical setting becomes more developed. It's also a hard read at times (reading about centuries of pogroms is tough and required a breather every now and then, even if Halter never lingers on details) but a necessary one.
But beyond the main 'Halter family' plot, The Book of Abraham is about Jewish memory and history. As the family moves from one country to the next, most of the time to flee persecutions, it shows a vision of history that is fluid and ever moving, and very different from the rigid, limited-to-one-country version I was taught at school. If you grew up in a Christian society, this book makes you realise just how much this influences our current version of history. Here various religious groups coexist, influence events and governments. Thanks to the generations of scribes and printers, The Book of Abraham also gives a glimpse at Judaic literature and its body of sacred texts -- basically a whole society that existed parallel to anything that makes the school curriculum (I certainly had never heard of the Jewish Enlightenment!).
The book has had its controversies in recent years -- whether Halter used a ghostwriter, and whether some parts of his family's history was made up. To be entirely honest I don't find this relevant; it's obvious that the book combines a huge amount of historical research with a fictionalised narration of many characters, and Halter himself explains that in a few chapters. Ultimately the aim of the book isn't to present a "true" history of a family, but an epic work on Jewish history and memory -- and it does that perfectly.
PS: there's a sequel to this book called The Sons of Abraham, which picks up in the 50s and follows Halter's cousins in Argentina, France, Israel and Russia. Since it's focused on a few decades and only a handful of characters, it's faster-paced and even reads like a spy novel at times. Highly recommend it.
April 23, 2025
I don't know how they can claim it was 600 pages on Amazon because my paperback was 782 pages--and I want credit for all of them!!
This book is the genealogy of a Jewish family from shortly after the life of Christ to the present--Roots on massive steroids. I knew going in that there would be heartache, persecution, and atrocities; but I was unprepared for the length and breadth of what the Jewish people have endured for all time! All the family's history was recorded on scrolls that were passed down from father to son, and each was expected to add their own descendants and any relevant life events. Luckily at some point they printed a few extra copies to share with more family members. There were countless characters and countless names I didn’t know how to pronounce. What kept my attention was the personal and usually tragic stories and the current events during the time of each generation of the family. I was intrigued by the customs, traditions, and ceremonies that were part of the Jewish lifestyle. For all these generations, the family has produced scribes, writers, printers, and historians who guarded, propagated, and added to the robust genealogy. An amazing book.
This book is the genealogy of a Jewish family from shortly after the life of Christ to the present--Roots on massive steroids. I knew going in that there would be heartache, persecution, and atrocities; but I was unprepared for the length and breadth of what the Jewish people have endured for all time! All the family's history was recorded on scrolls that were passed down from father to son, and each was expected to add their own descendants and any relevant life events. Luckily at some point they printed a few extra copies to share with more family members. There were countless characters and countless names I didn’t know how to pronounce. What kept my attention was the personal and usually tragic stories and the current events during the time of each generation of the family. I was intrigued by the customs, traditions, and ceremonies that were part of the Jewish lifestyle. For all these generations, the family has produced scribes, writers, printers, and historians who guarded, propagated, and added to the robust genealogy. An amazing book.
March 15, 2021
I took a chance on this book after seeing it at a thrift shop. I'm glad I did.
The book is a historical fiction in which the author traces his Jewish family lineage from Jerusalem, AD 70, to the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII. Along the way we meet all kinds of characters living throughout Europe, all of whom take great pains to record their family history in the Book of Abraham.
If you are interested in Jewish history, as I am, this is a great book. It's also a good story in its own right. I am very interested in reading more Marek Halter books in the future.
The book is a historical fiction in which the author traces his Jewish family lineage from Jerusalem, AD 70, to the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII. Along the way we meet all kinds of characters living throughout Europe, all of whom take great pains to record their family history in the Book of Abraham.
If you are interested in Jewish history, as I am, this is a great book. It's also a good story in its own right. I am very interested in reading more Marek Halter books in the future.
March 28, 2022
An incredible historical fiction of the lives of the Halter family dating back to 70 A.D. It Details greatly triumphs, tragedies, love, Marriage, children, deaths, and current events of the time. It describes how the family became involved as scribes, then as printers. This family book would be read aloud for special occasions and in times of fear. It gives the perspective of the Jewish life with all its antisemitism from every type of people. And those who protected, saved, and rescued them until 1943 when Hitler came into power. Very powerful!
December 14, 2019
A very interesting book about the travails of the Jewish people through the centuries. From the destruction of the Temple to the Warsaw ghetto, we follow generations of the "Halter" family. The book holds your interest with the stories of each generation. It moves from Alexandria , Egypt, to Hippo to Spain, France, Alsace and finally Warsaw. Recommend to anyone interested in history and various cultures
January 7, 2025
It was a plodding effort to complete this epic. As I took breathers, I would come back and struggle to regain the character connections. It is truly a picture of the suffering of the Jews throughout history- and their remarkable abilities to overcome.
May 23, 2018
Great read!! History at its best!!!
December 21, 2018
I read this book many years ago. It was amazing how the author chronicled his family history of two thousand years.
September 20, 2019
One of the best books I ever read. I have read it 3 times to remember what was done to the Jews since time began.
April 8, 2020
Gedigen genomgång som ger en djup förståelse för det judiska släktet
June 7, 2020
Long slow read, but if you're into Jewish history, it's amazing!
December 4, 2020
The true story of a Jewish family from the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD all the way to the Warsaw ghetto. One of the most unique books I have read.
November 22, 2022
A wonderful book that takes us on a long journey of one family generation after generation through hardships moving from the Holy Land through northern Africa, to Spain and on.
January 3, 2023
Geweldig boek! Hele geschiedenis van het jodendom vanaf de verwoesting van de tempel in 70 na Christus tot en met de 20e eeuw, langs een familielijn.
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April 15, 2023(Purchased at O'Hare)
Finished 3/24
Finished 3/24
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October 5, 2023Maravillosa historia que te lleva de la mano por toda la ruta de los judíos
March 7, 2024
Magnifique fresque d'une famille avec 2000 ans d'histoire
January 21, 2025
Los eternos "inocentes".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2025
I read it when I was young — this book taught me about life and left a deep impression on me.
It’s my personal bible.
It’s my personal bible.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews