God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah

by Joanne Williamson, Daria M. Sockey (Introduction)

Overview

A never-before published tale by the author of the best-selling Hittite Warrior carries the reader back to Ancient Egypt and biblical Jerusalem. It is 701 B.C—rule of the Kushite dynasty in ancient Egypt. Young Prince Taharka, a very minor royal son, succeeds unexpectedly to the throne of Kush and Egypt—a "divine" rulership. It's not long, however, before a treacherous plot pushes him into sudden exile and into the hands of Amos, an emissary of King Hezekiah seeking help against the Assyrians. Posing as a medical assistant, Taharka journeys with Amos to Judea where he encounters two kings in conflict. His true identity suddenly uncovered, he must choose with whom he will fight—the mighty Assyrian, Sennacherib, promising alliance, or Hezekiah, the Jew who trusts in Yahweh. A novel inspired by research on the historical King Taharka and his period. Includes an introduction, with home-education suggestions, by Daria Sockey.

Egypt and Judea, 700 B.C.
RL4.3
Of read-aloud interest ages 9-up

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781883937737
Publisher:	Bethlehem Books
Publication date:	01/28/2002
Series:	Living History Library
Pages:	206
Sales rank:	18,761
Product dimensions:	5.58(w) x 8.48(h) x 0.64(d)
Age Range:	10 - 18 Years

About the Author

Joanne S. Williamson (1926-2002) was born in Arlington, Massachusetts. Though she had interests in both writing and music, and attended Barnard College and Diller Quaile School of Music, it was writing which became the primary focus for her car­eer after college. She was a feature writer for Con­necticut newspapers until 1965, when she moved to Kennebunkport, Maine and began to write historical fiction for young people. In each of Miss Williamson's novels, she explores unusual historical slants of well-known events. She has a remarkable knack for using her fictional characters and plot to make connections between real historical persons and events. In a time when history is often taught in bits and pieces these connections are a great help, not only to the younger reader, but to the older one as well.

Read an Excerpt

IT WAS CHILDREN’S nap time in the women’s quarters, but the boy and the girl in the garden
were not asleep.
“Hold him still,” said the boy.
The girl held hard to the injured lamb while the boy bound splints to the broken leg, as they had
taught him at scribe school.
“Where did you find him?” he asked her.
“In the main kitchen. I was stealing a honey cake.”
The boy laughed. “And you came out with this instead?”
“They were going to cook him. Well, they won’t cook him now.”
He laughed again, patted the animal and watched it hobble off.
“You’re good at this,” said the girl. “Just like a doctor.”
“That’s what I would like to be. That, or maybe a soldier. They say I’m good with the staff and the
spear, and it would get me out of here.”
They gazed around at the high walls hemming them into the
garden with the lotus pool.
“I’d be anything, to get out of here. Except,” the girl looked suddenly into his eyes. “Except that I
wouldn’t see you again.”
After a moment he looked away. He caught a glimpse of a tall, handsome youth crossing the garden,
followed respectfully by two priests. The girl saw him too.
“At least,” she said, “I’d never have to see him again.”
“You’d better get used to him,” said the younger boy, soberly. “Someday—”
“Never,” said the girl. She rose. “They’re calling me. I’ll have to go now.”
She walked slowly toward the door of the Great House where the head nurse
awaited her, frowning angrily. The boy stared up at the high sandstone walls. A
prison, he thought. It’s like a prison. Except that sometimes they let him out. Like tomorrow. The
hunt. He brightened a little at the thought of tomorrow. He glanced toward where the handsome youth
had disappeared around a corner. At least, he thought, I’ll never have to be king.

Table of Contents

Contents:

Introduction
Prologue
1. Crocodile!
2. Death of a God
3. Shabataka
4. The Journey
5. God and Goddess
6. Gathering Clouds
7. Embutah!
8. The Smile on the High Priest’s Face
9. Nightmare
10. The House of Talos
11. Physician
12. Shabataka, My Brother
13. Flight From Thebes
14. No Ships to the East
15. Shabataka in the Night
16. The Sea and the Smoke
17. Rab Shaka
18. The Tabernacle
19. “Don’t Let Them See You Cry”
20. “Pharaoh, King of Egypt”
21. The Spring and the Tunnel
22. The Mad King
23. “He Will not Come Into the City”
24. The Man With the Scar
25. The Confrontation
26. The Return of a King
Author’s Note