It is the first century AD and the iron grip of the Roman Empire is tightening around the lands of the Great Sea. Varius is a young Roman soldier, satisfied with his comfortable life in the Eternal City. When he is thrust from the family home, he ends up on a ship bound for Egypt. Here he will garrison the coastal town of Alexandria under the shadow of Pharos and the Great Library. Eliashib is a revered scribe and Pharisee. He is fiercely ambitious and desperate to take over the leadership of his local synagogue. He is determined in his task but there are many who stand in his way. In the coastal town of Joppa, Sarah and Shifra struggle to survive in a man’s world. The feisty mother and her daughter have a choice to make: when tragedy engulfs the family, should they leave home and head for the Holy City? Their paths cross at a time when Emperor Tiberius is troubled by strange portents in his dreams. Soon the little Jewish province of Judea will become the centre of the world.
