Michener transports us back thousands of years to the Holy Land. 'In his signature style of grand storytelling, James A. As antisemitism becomes more prevalent this theme grows stronger, as if to show the strength of the faith that the Jewish people hold, and still do.An archaeological excavation of Tell Makor launches a journey into the history and culture of the Jews that includes the early Hebrews, the impact of Christianity, the Spanish Inquisition, and the modern Middle East conflict The final words of many of the book's characters are of prayer, they are defending their religion with their life. Later, as modern Judaism begins to take form, the theme of dedication and tenacity is brought forward again and again. The phallic is present from the Stone Age ('The Bee Eater'), until 606 BCE ('The Voice of Gomer'). During the earliest layer of history, the giant stone idol named El is created to please the earth, and bring good crops.Īs society moves away from a rural and agricultural existence, fertility is given less and less importance. In the early civilizations, the concept of fertility sprouts from agriculture, and the desire for a fruitful harvest. Recurring symbols and themes Fertility/The phallic

The Book follows the story of the Family of Ur from the age of cavemen to modern times, with its descendants now living in the Galilee-though, naturally, they themselves are not aware of the ancient antecedents revealed to the reader by the all-knowing writer. The site is continually inhabited until the end of the Crusades when it is destroyed by the victorious Mameluks (as happened to many actual cities after 1291-and is not rebuilt by the Ottomans. The novel begins with a Stone Age family whose daughter begins to realize that there is a supernatural force, then leads us to the beginnings of monotheism, the Davidic kingdom, Hellenistic times, Roman times, etc. Archaeologists digging at the tell at Makor uncover artifacts from each layer, which then serve as the basis for a chapter exploring the lives of the people involved with that artifact. The Source uses for its central device a fictional tell in northern Israel called 'Makor' ( Hebrew: 'source').Ī parallel frame story set in modern-day Israel supports the historical timeline. It is a survey of the history of the Jewish people and the land of Israel from pre-monotheistic days to the birth of the modern State of Israel. The Source is an historical novel by James A.

The source michener