Babylon: A Novel of Jewish Captivity

by Michelle Cameron

Overview

Babylon is the epic saga of an exiled Judean family, set against the deadly ambition of Nebuchadnezzar’s royal court and the struggle of Biblical prophets and scribes to keep the Hebrew faith alive.

586 BCE. Everything changes for Sarah the day Nebuchadnezzar’s army storms Jerusalem. In an instant, her peaceful life on the farm is ripped away: her city sacked, her temple desecrated, her people enslaved. Marched across cruel desert sands to Babylon, Sarah and the remaining Judean people must find a way to keep their faith alive in a new and unforgiving home.

Displaced within an empire of strange gods and unimaginable wealth, Sarah and her descendants bear witness to palace intrigue, betrayal, brutal sacrifice, regicide, and a new war brewing in the east. Through every trial, the Hebrew people attempt to preserve their religion. Uri, Sarah’s son, transcribes incredible stories of prophets and visions, Creation and Exodus—stories that establish the central tenets of the Hebrew faith.

A family saga spanning three generations of exile, captivity, and return, Babylon weaves a powerful narrative of hope and perseverance during one of the darkest and least-explored eras of Jewish history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781637587614
Publisher:	Wicked Son
Publication date:	09/12/2023
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	266,427
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Michelle Cameron’s Beyond the Ghetto Gates, published by She Writes Press (2020), was awarded a Silver Medal in Historical Fiction by the Independent Book Publishers, won First Place/Best of Category for the Chanticleer Goethe Awards, and was a Foreword Indies finalist.

The Fruit of Her Hands, published by Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books (2009), is based on the author’s thirteenth-century ancestor, Meir ben Baruch of Rothenberg.

Michelle’s novel-in-verse, In the Shadow of the Globe, was published by Lit Pot Press (2003). Named Shakespeare Theatre of NJ’s 2003–2004 Winter Book Selection, it was performed at the Stella Adler Studio’s Shakespeare Benefit, among other line readings and performances.

A director of The Writers Circle, Michelle teaches creative writing to children, teens, and adults in NJ and virtually. Living in Chatham, NJ, with her husband, Michelle has two grown sons of whom she is inordinately proud.

Editorial Reviews

The extraordinary true story of the exile of the Jews in Babylon and their miraculous return seventy years later. The tale is personal and powerful, passing through the experiences of several generations. Some served in the palace, some made their homes in the city of Babylon, and others inhabited the deserted farms of the exiles. Insightful, colorful, and fascinating.

Margaret George

Michelle Cameron brings the ancient world to life in a heart-wrenching story you won’t want to put down. Beautifully written, with imagery so vivid you’ll feel like you’re actually there.

Michelle Moran

Babylon vividly evokes hanging gardens, exile, and a too-neglected but powerfully significant period of our cultural history. Michelle Cameron has written a unique and memorable historical tale, rich with Biblical and historical acuity, well-developed characters, vivid changes of milieu, themes of exile and adaptation, and wonderful ironic twists. Informative, entertaining, and evocative, Babylon is a book you'll remember."

Mitchell James Kaplan

Extraordinarily rich in detailed descriptions, Michelle Cameron’s Babylon takes you on a young Judean woman’s brutal journey of exile to Babylon and later to the victorious return of her extended family to Judea. Her life in and out of court, and the men she deals with all play important roles of her future generations in Babylon and ultimately, Judea. Other characters are interwoven in this tapestry of captivity and all, through their trials, cling to the hope of God’s blessing and the return to their homeland...seventy years later. An excellent story.

S.A. Jewell

To read Babylon is to be completely transported to another time and place. Cameron’s impeccably researched novel is a lush and evocative page-turner.

Rebecca Kanner

Fascinating from first page to last, Babylon is an intense retelling of the brutal exile of the Judeans from Jerusalem in 586 BCE. Every character comes to life in the deadly enforced march and the ensuing poverty, despair, and slavery. When they are finally allowed to return home after seventy years, they discover their land is now owned by others. Dreams and disappointments flow through the lives of the characters as they first push away the ‘heathens’ and then find themselves inextricably bound with them. Michelle Cameron’s epic novel will keep you up late reading.

American Book Award winner Stephanie Cowell

Babylon brings one of the most exciting Biblical eras to life in realistic, almost cinematic detail. You'll meet Biblical prophets, get caught up in palace intrigue, and witness the devastation of ancient warfare. You’ll also fall in love with many compelling characters, especially Sarah and Chava, who leap right from the page into your heart. A thrilling and gripping read!"

Lori Banov Kaufmann