As a Driven LeafA spirited classic of American Jewish literature, a historical novel about ancient sage-turned-apostate Elisha ben Abuyah in the late first century C.E. At the heart of the tale are questions about faith and the loss of faith and the repression and rebellion of the Jews of Palestine. Elisha is a leading scholar in Palestine, elected to the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court in the land. But two tragedies awaken doubt about God in Elisha's mind, and doubt eats away at his faith. Declared a heretic and excommunicated from the Jewish community, he journeys to Antioch in nearby Syria to begin a quest through Greek and Roman culture for some fundamental irrefutable truth. The pace of the narrative picks up as Elisha directly encounters the full force of the ancient Romans' all-consuming culture. Ultimately, Elisha is forced by the power of Rome to choose between loyalty to his people, who are rebelling against the emperor's domination, and loyalty to his own quest for truth.--Publishers Weekly |
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Common terms and phrases
Abuyah Akiba altogether Amram answer Antioch Antiphanes Aramaic asked Azzai began ben Zoma Beruriah Bnai Brak breath broke Caesarea called chamber Charicles Clarus court cried crowd Deborah disciples door Elisha ben Abuyah Elisha looked Elisha replied eyes face faith father friends Gamliel Greek greeted guests hand heard hope insisted Jewish Jews Joshua knew Libanius light lips live Manto Master Meir Meir's ment murmured Musaeum never Nicander Nicholaus once pagan Palestine Pappas Patriarch Pompeianus protested Rabbi robe Roman Rome rose Rufus sages Sanhedrin Scripture scroll seated servants shook his head shoulders Shraga silence Simeon Simeon ben Azzai slave slipped smiled soldiers spoke stared stood Syria tablets talk tell Temple thought Tiberias tion Tobias Trajan truth turned Usha voice waiting watched wax tablets whispered words Zoma