Israel, My Beloved

I just finished this spectacular book, and lost some sleep in the process.  Written with attention to detail yet able to span thousands of years of history, it captured my attention and tied many tidbits of history into a comprehensive whole. 

The main character Sarah, exists separate of time and represents the Jewish people.  We pick up her story in the days of the first destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the Assyrians and follow her all over the earth throughout the history of the last 2500 years.  She experiences the rebuilding of the temple and the destruction yet again by the Babylonians.  Again the temple is rebuilt only to be destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, never to be rebuilt.

She experiences the Crusades of the Middle Ages and the horror of Auschwitz.  She has friends that walk with her through these difficult times, and loses some dear to her as well.  Many of the things I have learned in history classes or sermons or Bible studies were finally brought together in a cohesive way by the story of Sarah.  An excellent read.