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My Impressions:
Wow! That is how I describe Tosca Lee’s portrayal of Judas Iscariot, the infamous betrayer of Jesus, in her newest novel, Iscariot. I readily admit that wow is inadequate. So how about puzzling, confusing, powerful, inspiring, and convicting. This is a novel you may think you would never read, but I think it is a novel you must read.
Iscariot is told from the perspective of Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, yet was called His friend. The political intrigue of the day — the Roman occupation, the legal and religious parties, and the outlaws — is brought to life. The other disciples and Jesus Himself are shown through the eyes of Judas, a Judas that might have been — wounded by a childhood of struggle and horror, shaped by the need of a savior, and forever searching to become clean. Lee faithfully follows scripture and presents meticulous research. This is no light treatment of a despised Biblical character, but an in depth study of the man that Judas may have been.
Lee’s writing is beautiful. The characterizations precise and believable. The setting — well — really comes alive. You can see the Judean and Galillean countryside, feel the desperation and hope of the people seeking their Messiah. The scriptural accounts are presented faithfully, but with a description that makes the reader want to go back and read more. Above all it presents a man that has been vilified (perhaps rightfully so) and shows what could have been his motivations — freedom, greed, pride . . . love. And Lee never justifies or condemns Judas’s actions. She lets the reader draw his own conclusions and convictions.
A must read, Iscariot is for anyone who loves Biblical fiction, historical commentary or a look into the life of a man Jesus counted as one of His closest friends. I give this book a very rare designation —
Very Highly Recommended.
(Thank you to The DeMoss Group for a copy of Iscariot to read and review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
To purchase a copy of Iscariot, click on the image below.