Review: First Light

‘First Light’ is a historical fiction novel by husband and wife team, Bodie and Brock Thoene. It begins in 2002 when we learn of thousands of precious ancient scrolls hidden in a secret library underneath a house in the Old City of Jerusalem.

• Bodie and Brock Thoene, First Light, 1939.

Among this vast collection are the ‘A.D. Chronicles’, through which we enter into the world of spiritual and political darkness and the perils of 1st century Jerusalem. We see the rule and cruelty of Rome, the intrigues of Herod’s court, the manipulations of the Jewish religious rulers and the longing of some for a vision of hope.

Intertwined are the stories, the searching and questioning of Peniel the blind beggar, Marcus the Roman centurion, aristocratic Jews Susanna and Manaen and Zadok, the Chief Shepherd of Israel.

When a healer named Yeshua walks the streets of Jerusalem, the questions arise ‘who is He’? and how do those who meet him respond?

The book is historical fiction, not Biblical fact, but in painting a vivid picture of the searching and struggles of the fictional characters, we too can find ourselves challenged by the questions they asked. The writers encourage us to use the ‘Digging Deeper’ study guide at the end of the book to find answers to some of these questions for ourselves.