This is powerful tale that follows the life of one man both before and alongside the Biblical tales of Jesus Christ, a man known to Christians and others alike as the betrayer. Judas Iscariot’s well-known tale lacks context, and that’s what Iscariot offers. Historical and fictional context for why a devote follower would turn on his master.

Judas is not the best of men–he is no saint–but he tries to find truth and faith amid horror and doubt.

There are few who don’t know the end to this story already. In fact, the book begins at the end with Judas dying on the olive tree where he hung himself. But the end is not the point of this story. It brings the adage of walk a mile in his footsteps before you judge his life.

This novel takes you from Judas Iscariot’s childhood through to the moment he made the critical decision to turn Jesus over to the authorities. It’s not a straightforward history as he is personally affected by a number of efforts to free the Jews from Roman control.

His life is a complicated path that asks the reader to question what is generally accepted, but does so through events and characters that compel, amaze, and even delight. Whether you read this for religious reasons or as historical fiction, I think you’ll enjoy the journey.

I selected this title on NetGalley because a friend recommended Tosca Lee as an author. And the same friend recently pointed out that there is a Good Reads giveaway for Iscariot right now if you want to try for a copy that way: Iscariot