The Noah Bird – Jan van Staden

A5, 258p.

The day started like any other in Tiberias, idyllic harbour town on the Sea of Galilee. Excited townsfolk streamed to the newly built open-air theatre on the slope west of the town. It was a special occasion, as a high-ranking Roman would address them and the tenth anniversary of the town would be celebrated. Herod Antipas had made certain that everyone, rich and poor, would be there.

There was silence as Lucius Aelius Sejanus entered. Some whispered softly that he was standing in for emperor Tiberius. That he would possibly be the next emperor of Rome.

Little did they know what was brewing in his mind. Never in their wildest dreams would they have known how the day would develop.

Sejanus’s actions put events into place which will have far-reaching effects, not only for the whole Roman Empire, but also for various Israelites. The rebellious Abigail is one of them and her rebellion against all forms of authority brings her into direct conflict with the blood-thirsty Sejanus.

She disappears mysteriously and this plucks her secret lover totally out of his comfort zone. As Roman captain, stationed in Galilee, Claudius Ianuarius Celsus has to make the most important choice of his life.

Forget about Abigail or take revenge. The road to freedom is not always so clear…