Author's Introduction

Few faiths evoke as much debate as Judaism. As early as the bible, this race was persecuted. The legendary Moses leading his people across the Red Sea is an image that captivates every person who studied theology. Their history repeated itself in Spain, Russia and most recently in Germany. Anti-Semitism became the bread and butter of every populist belief and the consequences have been death, suffering and discrimination in all its forms. Why should it be that a race can engender such hatred and distrust?

Most commonly, the response is that Jews are people who monopolize the positions of power and have consistently been able to excel whether it be in the arts, commerce and power. This does not stick with Europe of the thirties. Jews of every social strata were sent to the camp. In Israel today, the typical Jew is working or middle class. It is true that there is an over-representation of Jews in positions of power, but this is again a result of history rather than race. As a people under oppression, its survivors had to work harder and had no access to the comfortable professions of the army and civil service. In short, oppression resulted in their excellence.

Orthodox Jews believe they are a chosen people and their Torah affirms this. For them, their right to Israel was a birth-right authorized by Yahweh and the Old Testament relates the fables of their struggle to establish this right. That Noah’s flood myth appears in countless religions, including Utnapishtin in ancient Sumer, Coxcoxtli in Aztec and Manu in Hindu, does not get consideration. As with all religions, the mythology is not unique and so why should the Torah be considered exclusive?

Our story follows the creation of Israel, seeing it from several perspectives. At the start of the plot, our protagonists suffer the ravages of Nazi philosophy that saw its climax in the persecution of the Hungarian Jews. This strengthened the resolve of Jewish people to hold the British to their WWI promise to give them Palestine. On one hand, we see the incumbent Matthew Dixon who tries and fails to maintain the colonial British Empire. Rudi Bastler attempts to create Noah’s Ark and finds that its consequences visit him later in life as he becomes a pawn in the political struggles of the new country. Daniel like his biblical namesake joins Irgun, a terrorist organization that forced the British to withdraw. Mihael pursues his empty course of revenge and finds himself exiled. Finally Avram, like Abraham the father, prevails with diplomacy to found the new state.