| Edition |
First edition. |
| Description |
x, 391 pages : maps, genealogical table; 25 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references. |
| Summary |
Few other New Testament narratives adapt so readily to fictionalization as the melodrama of John the Baptist. Hansen imagines not just John's grisly end but also the whole narrative of his life. In a particularly well realized scene, John's father, Zechariah, aged and childless, encounters the angel Gabriel, who promises him a son and demands his silence till the baby is born. The political ferment of the times adds many layers of complexity and intrigue. The desert-dwelling Essene community of John's retreat contrasts with the royal clan's decadence. Hansen?s tale brings fisherman brothers Andrew and Peter into John's circle before their encounter with Jesus, Andrew's river baptism by John ringing with the cadences of Hebrew poetry rendered into vibrant English. Maps and genealogical tables guide readers through the welter of characters. |
| Subject |
John, the Baptist, Saint -- Fiction.
|
|
Christian saints -- Fiction.
|
| ISBN |
9780393069471 hardcover |
|
0393069478 hardcover |
|
