The Lost Epistle of Jesus
Evan Drake Howard
Crown Oak Press, Jan 2007, 278 pp.
ISBN: 9781602661264
In 30 AD Judith Silva is betrothed to successful merchant Gabriel Latronum but is in love with his older brother Dismas who joined the cause of the Zealots. She believes in their cause of chasing the Romans out of Judea because her younger brother was run over by a chariot by centurions who never stopped to help. Her hatred and revenge fills her heart for the Roman conquerors and decides to elope with Dismas and join the Zealots led by Barabbas in Quman.
Gabriel is heartbroken and decides to kill himself by jumping off the Temple but the Pharisee Nicodemus, a member of the council that rules on Jewish law, saves him from his folly. He talks about the Epistle Jesus wrote to him and explains that it tells people to forgive themselves so they can forgive others. Judith has become disillusioned with the Zealot cause and reads the epistle she and Dismas stole from Nicademus’ home. The letters transforms her and gives her the strength to leave Dismas. Gabriel who wants to meet the writer of the epistle meets Mary Magdalene and saves her from two would be rapists. She loves Jesus as he does her but he will not consummate that love because he has is a different calling but through their love he understands and teaches why men and women struggle when they should be concerned with first loving each other spiritually.
THE LOST EPISTLE is the story of a man and a woman whose struggles mirror that of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. This is an exciting story filled with biblical history that is part of the New Testament. Readers see the human and the divine sides of Jesus and the love of Mary Magdalene for a man who loves her in the way all people need to be cherished. Her lessons from him are mirrored in Judith’s spiritual journey. Gabriel has to learn the same lessons as Judith if he wants to make a life with her.
Harriet Klausner
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