Before the Nativity...

The nation of Israel toiled under the yoke of one of history's most infamous tyrants, Herod the Great. From his youthful days as a fearless military leader in the Jewish civil wars to his twilight years as a savage despot, Herod was a towering figure, repeatedly triumphant in the worlds of war and politics. But at home he found himself whipsawed by the conflicting demands of his haughty queen, his scheming mother-in-law, his vengeful sister, and his nemesis Cleopatra. By turns magnanimous and murderous-his insecurities fueled by an unholy network of informants, torturers, and spies-Herod's sixty-eight years were a whirlwind of conquests, conspiracies, and catastrophes. The palace intrigue that raged incessantly within his family eventually destroyed his dream of building an empire within an empire, paving the way for the Roman takeover of Judea shortly after his death.

Interwoven with this historically accurate account is a compelling portrait of life in Jerusalem during the last months of Herod's reign, as the hopes of a young woman with an active mind become ominously entangled in the ailing ruler's struggle to maintain his iron grip. Swept up in the turbulent crosscurrents of politics and religion that swirl across the city, she finds herself facing the fate she fears most as the chapters of her uncle's secret history reveal the disastrous consequences of Herod's pride and paranoia. Past and present come together in the tumultuous days preceding Herod's death, as the girl's destiny hinges on the final decree of a mad king.