God King

A never before published tale carries the reader back to Ancient Egypt and to the biblical Jerusalem. Around 701 B.C. Egypt is being ruled by the Kushite dynasty. Young Prince Taharka, a very minor royal son interested in healing, is content to have no principal part to play in that rule. However, it is he and not the expected Prince Shabataka who succeeds to the throne of Kush and Egypt-a "divine" rulership. As Taharka grows older, he becomes resigned to the duties of being a god. Then, a treacherous plot pushes him into sudden exile and into the hands of Amos, an emissary of King Hezekiah, sent to seek help for Judea from the Egyptians against the Assyrians. Far from home, Taharka encounters two kings in conflict. One is the mighty Assyrian, Sennacherib, promising alliance; the other is Hezekiah, the Jew who trusts in Yahweh. Taharka must choose with whom to live or die. This novel of historical fiction is inspired by research into the historical King Taharka and his period. Introduction, with home-education suggestions, by Daria Sockey.

Ages 10 and up