NEW FROM RICHARD L. BLACK

MAXIMUS

An unsettled Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judaea, has requested assistance from Rome to investigate a threat to Roman rule in the form of Jesus of Nazareth whose followers increase daily – and refer to him as King of the Jews. General Fabius Lucius Maximus and his close friend, Legion Commander Androcles, by direct assignment from Emperor Tiberius, travel to Judaea disguised as common Jews to investigate Jesus and report their findings. Accompanying them on their journey from Rome to Judaea is a former member of the Jewish Sanhedrin named Ezra. This wise mentor teaches them about Jewish history and tradition to aid them in their understanding of the Jewish people and enhance their disguise. Their journey is filled with unexpected encounters and experiences in which Maximus finds love, in the form of a beautiful Jewish woman who is a disciple of Jesus, and a resolution to his disillusionment with Roman politics and his long internal struggle with the pagan Gods of his homeland.