Publisher's Synopsis
Rebecca is a teenager living with her parents in the village of Bethlehem in the Holy land during crucial times in our history: a baby, born in her neighborhood, will forever change the face of humanity. She witnesses unexplained events and expresses her wonders in her diary, adding colorful illustrations portraying her experiences. Two thousand years later, her diary, found by a mission of archeologists, offers us a first-hand glimpse into these mysterious occurrences, as well as a quick look into a teenage mind, regardless of era and area. In Rebecca's diary we can read of local and global events, as well as community routines and people's lifestyle, and feel the spirit of the period that Jesus was born into. Although such a diary was not actually excavated rather it is the fruit of the author's imagination, Rebecca's story is historically accurate, based on the Scriptures and other written materials (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls; Rabbinic corpus; the writings of historians and especially Josephus Flavius) and archeological evidence. For example, Luke:2 tells about the census ordered by Emperor Augustus, causing Mary and Joseph to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem. The language used in the census order, suggested in this book, is inspired by imperial decrees actually found in archeological excavations in Egypt. In the diary, you will meet the Bethlehem shepherds; be impressed by astronomers and kings; amused by a jolly Nabatean and a clever matchmaker; be dazzled by the Olympic games, awed by the Holy Temple. You'll get to know the head of the village and be offered the local delicacies, and you will NOT cry when King Herod dies. The Author is a budding historian, who feels lucky to live her 21st century life in the Holy land, where it all began.
