Authorpreneur Dashboard – Shimon Avish
Masada: Thou Shalt Not Kill
Literature & Fiction
When 18-year-old Daniel is abducted by Sicarii assassins and taken to their walled fortress of Masada, he's forced to let go of the Jewish Law he's learned from his parents and to adopt his kidnappers' code of violence and thievery, simply to stay alive. Wracked with guilt but determined to survive, Daniel becomes part of the Sicarii culture, even marrying one of their soldier's sisters. Between violent raids against neighboring settlements to prevent starvation and being called upon to commit suicide along with all the other Sicarii residents rather than be enslaved by invading Roman forces, Daniel is faced with choice after choice that test his character, strength, and resolve and push him to discover the kind of man he wants to be. Set against the backdrop of the last confrontation between the Jews and Romans during the Second Temple period, author Shimon Avish masterfully weaves together history and his real-life experiences in the army and as a kibbutznik, bringing to life a painful chapter in Jewish history through the eyes of young Daniel.
Book Bubbles from Masada: Thou Shalt Not Kill
Brutal Times
Life in first-century Israel was a tumultuous time. Not only were the Jews under brutal Roman occupation but there was also an ever-present messianic expectation in the air. Jewish society was deeply divided into numerous cross-cutting subgroups, such as socioeconomic groups (rich and poor), religious sects (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes), urban versus rural, and divisions within the priesthood (Kohan, Levites, Israelites). Moreover, individuals had different positions on relationships with the Roman occupiers depending on which group they were affiliated with and whether they yearned for the messiah's arrival who would herald in the re-establishment of an independent Jewish state. This led to rebelliousness in the population, with ultranationalists and extremists willing to assassinate Romans and their collaborators. This brings us to our protagonist, Daniel, the son of a high priest, who is taken hostage by Sicarii assassins after witnessing them murder the High Priest in Jerusalem. The Sicarii retreat to Masada and Daniel is forced to go with them. Daniel embodies the struggle within Judaism since he was raised under the strictures of the Ten Commandments, but the Sicarii are assassins willing to quickly resort to the expedients of murder and thievery. Masada: Thou Shalt Not Kill explores the high costs of violence to those on the receiving end and the perpetrators.
