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As Mary and Joseph set out on their perilous journey, astronomer Melchior sees unusual activity in the stars. He is convinced something important will happen soon in Israel.

NO OF PAGES: 342 SUB CAT I: Fiction SUB CAT II: Historic Fiction SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: The little town of Nazareth is a long way from Jerusalem. But is anywhere in Judea safe from Herod?s evil clutches?

Gossip swirls around the newlyweds Mary and Yosef. It is far too soon for her womb to carry the growing baby, neighbors say. Yet too much is at stake for Yosef to reveal the truth. He vows to protect Mary and the baby with his life, but how can he protect her heart from the barbs of betrayal?

As beloved prophetess Hannah boldly foretells the coming of Israel?s true King, King Herod plots her doom . . . and that of anyone else he believes challenges his throne. When a dying slave stumbles into Beth-lehem on a stormy night, shepherd Zadok and his wife, Rachel, wonder: Is her arrival guided by God or a trap set by the paranoid Herod?

As Mary and Yosef set out on a perilous journey to Jerusalem, astronomer Melchior sees unusual activity in the stars. He?s convinced something important will happen soon in Israel . . . and it will impact the world, for all eternity.NOTES: Purchased from the Amazon Marketplace. SUBTITLE: Book 5 A.D. Chronicles

I had to force myself to finish this book. For one, the pace slow down a whole lot. Second, the narrative portions of the book take a back seat to the teaching portions. The lessons on Hebrew and on the Old Testament, as well as the observations of the wise men take up quite a large part of the book (or at least it seemed that way). I feel bad at not being appreciative, because I'm sure Bodie and Brock Thoene spent a lot of time researching these aspects. However, the result was fairly flat.
Another thing that I wasn't crazy about was the portrayal of Mary—she's so perfect. Too perfect. In contrast, Yosef struggles and doubts (like any normal human being). Bottom line? This was a disappointing read. Hopefully the next book will be better. ( )