Although this short story won’t win any literary prizes, every page of it illuminates the Gospel accounts of the last week of the Messiah’s earthly life. Told from the perspective of Ya’acov, a Galilean pilgrim who travels to Jerusalem for Passover, this imaginative little tale sets Jesus as the Lamb of God in a Hebraic historical setting. Everything Ariel Berkowitz writes is based on ancient Jewish sources and therefore even the most speculative parts of Ya’acov’s story are nevertheless thought-provoking.

Though simple enough for a child to read and understand, preachers and Bible teachers will find the half hour it takes to read this booklet worthwhile for gaining helpful background information for next Easter’s sermons.

Mike Moore