If you support Tuvia on Patreon at $10 and up, you get to read the early drafts of the first novel. The second and third part are in different developmental stages.
The Secret Scroll of Magdala part 1 – the War 67 AD – 70 AD
The Secret Scroll of Magdala part 2 – the Scriptures 70 AD – 100 AD
The Secret Scroll of Magdala part 3 – the Revelation 110 AD – 150 AD
What happened after the Bible ended? What was it like to be a Christian who remembers Jesus from his childhood and sees how the apostle’s generation slowly fades away? How Jewish might the Christian faith have been at that point in history? Menachem is one of the children to whom Jesus said “let the children come to me.” When he is 50 years old, the Great Revolt breaks out.
“The Secret Scroll of Magdala – the War” is the first part. As the war breaks out, Menachem from Magdala hides a secret scroll before the Romans arrive. His daughter Judith joins the Jewish rebels, but finds herself up against Servius, a Christian Roman soldier. In Jericho, their relative Daniel, a Nazarene (Christian) Jewish scribe and date farmer, wonders whether he and his wife should stay or flee to Jerusalem. Will they survive the war and find the scroll? How will Servius act when his military duty calls for him to destroy the temple of the God he believes in?
“The Secret Scroll of Magdala – the Scriptures” is the second part and takes place after the war is over. The new Sanhedrin is established in Yavne under Yochanan ben Zakai, and Daniel studies under him. Under his influence, the Sanhedrin accept Nazarene Judaism as legitimate, and good relations are even established with the church in Antioch under Ignatius. But not everyone likes this, and something different is cooking under the surface. Will someone else take over the Sanhedrin? Shortly after the city Magdala is reestablished, a mysterious travelling prophet arrives at the Nazarene congregation. Is he really sent from the apostles? And what happened to the scroll? Meanwhile, Servius is sent to a new place to serve, but his traumas and conscience from the war in Judea will not let go. He has to do something.
“The Secret Scroll of Magdala – the Revelation” is the third part, and depicts the next generation. As the Christian Phoenician trader Azmelqart tries to fight heresies in Smyrna, the one Rabbi in Yavne who believes Yeshua is the Messiah realizes he must take a public stand. The young Rabbi Elisha ben Abuya’s faith is shaken to its very core while the emperor Trajan considers allowing the rebuilding of the temple. Will Judea erupt into another revolt under Bar Kochba? And what do the priest Polycarp of Smyrna and Rabbi Akiva in Yavne have in common?
The books are written from Tuvia’s Evangelical Christian Jewish point of view, but they can appeal to anyone. Tuvia bases them on his personal faith and worldview, so not everyone will agree that this is what the ancient church looked like and believed.
Tuvia has used Roman, Christian and Jewish sources for these books, including Josephus Flavius, writings of early church fathers, legends from the Talmud, etc. Among the real life characters who lived during this time, you will meet people like rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai of Yavne, Ignatius of Antioch, Josephus Flavius, etc. Tuvia has also consulted several historical experts and visited many of the sites and excavations where the story takes place.
Tuvia strives to make it similar to books by writers like Francine Rivers, Roseanna White, Bodie Thoene, Sandi Rog or Lew Wallace, but with the Jewishness of Milton Steinberg, Yochi Brandes and Miriam Feinberg Vamosh. (Although, he’s fairly certain he’s not in their league).
Here is a full list of the chapters:
Book 1 – The War – this book is available for Patreons now.
Chapter 1 – The City is Attacked, Magdala, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 2 – The Death March, Migdal-Tiberias, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 3 – The Sect near the Dead Sea, Skhakha, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 4 – The Christian Roman Soldiers, Roman camp near Caesarea, autumn 67 AD – a few weeks earlier
Chapter 5 – The City is Attacked, Magdala, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 6 – The Confrontation in the Cave, Arbel, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 7 – Daniel and Naamah, Jericho, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 8 – The Massacre, Tiberias, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 9 – The March to Slavery, Tiberias – Caesarea Philippi, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 10 – Together with the Zealots, Arbel, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 11 – The Nazarene Jews of Jericho, winter 67 AD
Chapter 12 – Menachem in Agrippas’ Palace, Caesarea Philippi, autumn-winter 67 AD
Chapter 13 – The Battle on the Golan Heights, Gamla, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 14 – The Birth, Caesarea Philippi, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 15 – Rebels in the Bushes, Gamla, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 16 – Rebels in the Bushes, Gamla, autumn 67 AD
Chapter 17 – Prisoner of the Jewish Rebels, somewhere in Dekapolis, autumn-winter 67 AD
Chapter 18 – The Kiss, Somewhere in Samaria, winter 67 AD
Chapter 19 – The escape from the Rebels, Gador, spring 68 AD
Chapter 20 – Forbidden Knowledge of the Torah, Jericho, spring 68 AD
Chapter 21 – Back in the Camp, Gador, spring 68 AD
Chapter 22 – A New Home, Gador, spring 68 AD
Chapter 23 – Where Did She Go? Gador, spring 68 AD
Chapter 24 – Raised Taxes, Caesarea Philippi, spring 68 AD
Chapter 25 – Passover, Gador, spring 68 AD
Chapter 26 – To Be Like Everyone Else, Judea and Samaria, summer 68 AD
Chapter 27 – Escape to the City with Walls, Jericho – Jerusalem, summer 68 AD
Chapter 28 – Servius on the Dead Sea, Jericho, summer 68 AD
Chapter 29 – The Truth about Servius, Gador and Jericho, summer 68 AD
Chapter 30 – The Fall Feasts, Jerusalem, autumn 68 AD
Chapter 31 – The Emperor is Dead! Caesarea Philippi, autumn 68 AD
Chapter 32 – With the Pharisees, Jerusalem, autumn 68 AD
Chapter 33 – Escape to Pella, Jerusalem, autumn 68 AD
Chapter 34 – When Time stands still, Jerusalem, autumn 68 AD – summer 69 AD
Chapter 35 – A New Emperor, Caesarea, summer 69 AD
Chapter 36 – The Siege Commences, Jerusalem, autumn 69 AD
Chapter 37 – Good News, Jerusalem, winter 69 AD
Chapter 38 – Give me Yavne and its Wise, Jerusalem, winter 69 AD
Chapter 39 – Menachem’s Story, Caesarea Philippi, winter 69 AD
Chapter 40 – Judith Waits, Gador, winter 69 AD
Chapter 41 – The Scroll, Migdal, winter 69 AD
Chapter 42 – Civil War, Jerusalem, spring 70 AD
Chapter 43 – Under Siege, Jerusalem, summer 70 AD
Chapter 44 – The Meadow, Caesarea Philippi, summer 70 AD
Chapter 45 – Escape to the Temple, Jerusalem, summer 70 AD
Chapter 46 – Death Should Be Humiliating, Jerusalem, summer 70 AD
Chapter 47 – The Last Day, Jerusalem, summer 70 AD
Chapter 48 – Blood, Fire and Death, Jerusalem, summer 70 AD
Chapter 49 – Love One Another, Caesarea Philippi, autumn 70 AD
Chapter 50 – Love Your Enemies, Caesarea, autumn 70 AD
Chapter 51 – Judith’s Future, Gador and Pella, autumn 70 AD
Chapter 52 – The Word was with God, and the Word was God, Jerusalem, autumn 70 AD
Chapter 53 – A Supernatural Letter, Gador, autumn 70 AD
Chapter 54 – Daniel Wakes Up, Jerusalem, autumn 70 AD
Chapter 55 – Kalba Savua, Tiberias, autumn 70 AD
Chapter 56 – In the Presence of God, Arbel, winter 70 AD
Chapter 57 – Leah is Agunah, Tiberias, winter 70 AD
Chapter 58 – Reunited, Tiberias, winter 70 AD
Chapter 59 – Palestine, Caesarea, winter 70 AD
Chapter 60 – Negotiations, Caesarea, winter 70 AD
Book 2 – The Scriptures (outline)
Chapter 1 – The abandoned sanctuary, Jerusalem, spring 71 AD
Chapter 2 – Fish Stew, Tiberias, spring 71 AD
Chapter 3 – The Congregation in Caesarea, spring 71 AD
Chapter 4 – Unity among the Jews, Yavne, spring 71 AD
Chapter 5 – With the Rabbis, Yavne, spring – autumn 71 AD
Chapter 6 – The Triumph, Rome, summer 71 AD
Chapter 7 – Unclean Hands, Yavne, autumn 71 AD
Chapter 8 – Linus and Ignatius, Antioch, autumn 71 AD
Chapter 9 – The Catholic Church, Antioch, autumn 71 AD
Chapter 10 – The City is Resurrected, Migdal, winter 71 AD
Chapter 11 – What a Coincidence, Migdal, winter 71 AD
Chapter 12 – Where Did the Scroll Go? Migdal, winter 71 AD
Chapter 13 – The Wandering Prophet, Migdal, spring 72 AD
Chapter 14 – Why Did God Let it Happen? Yavne, summer 72 AD
Chapter 15 – Don’t Follow Your Heart, Antioch, summer 72 AD
Chapter 16 – the Escape from the Camp, Antioch, summer 72 AD
Chapter 17 – Leah and Joel, Migdal, summer 72 AD
Chapter 18 – Do the Jews Need the Gospel? Yavne, summer 72 AD
Chapter 19 – Servius’ Confession, Migdal, summer 72 AD
Chapter 20 – Put Me Like a Seal Over Your Heart, Migdal, summer 73 AD
Chapter 21 – Everything Goes Wrong, Migdal, summer 73 AD
Chapter 22 – Who is Emunah? Yavne, autumn 73 AD
Chapter 23 – The Anniversary, Migdal, winter 73 AD
Chapter 24 – Time to Leave, Yavne and Migdal, spring 74 AD
Chapter 25 – How to Ask for Forgiveness, Migdal, spring 74 AD
Chapter 26 – Daniel and Ovadia, Migdal, spring 74 AD
Chapter 27 – Who wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews? Migdal, spring 74 AD
Chapter 28 – Letter to The Elder, Migdal, spring 74 AD
Chapter 29 – Answer from The Elder, Migdal, summer – autumn 74 AD
Chapter 30 – Everything Changes, Migdal, winter 74 AD
Chapter 31 – Two Bearded Men With Walking Sticks, Migdal and Smyrna, spring – summer 75 AD
Chapter 32 – The Last Apostle, Akko, Tiberias and Migdal, summer 75 AD
Chapter 33 – The Scroll, Migdal, summer 75 AD
Chapter 34 – Rabbi Eleazar Visiting, Migdal, summer 75 AD
Chapter 35 – The Teaching of the Apostles, Migdal, autumn 75 AD
Chapter 36 – In the Beginning was the Word, Migdal, winter 75 AD
Chapter 37 – The Rapist, Caesarea, winter 75 AD
Chapter 38 – The Flogging, Yavne, winter 75 AD
Chapter 39 – The Scream in the Night, Migdal, winter 75 AD
Chapter 40 – No More Pharisees, Migdal, winter 75 AD
Chapter 41 – The Years Roll By, Migdal, winter 75 AD – summer 79 AD
Chapter 42 – The Funeral, Tiberias, summer 80 AD
Chapter 43 – The Wedding, Migdal and Lod, autumn 82 AD
Chapter 44 – To Lay Down One’s Life, Lod, autumn 82 AD
Chapter 45 – Let the Children Come to Me, Migdal, autumn 100 AD
Book 3 – The Revelation
This book has not been outlined yet.
Tuvia Pollack - writer 