Levi is a boy destined for the Jewish priesthood. As the story begins his little brother, Chavivi, is murdered by Herod the Great's men. Herod's men have been given the order to kill every male two years old and under in Herod's kingdom in hopes of killing the coming Messiah, the King of the Jews. Levi is traumatized by this tragedy and turns against God relinquishing his claim to be a priest. He also finds a way to get back at Herod's government with his career choice as a tax collector. This novel takes the Bible's book of Matthew and makes it into a very readable story. ( )