Please Pass the Dandelion Salad.
In one scene from THE DEADLIEST THIEF, Miriam and Judah are having dinner. Among other delicacies, they share a salad of dandelion...
The Moneychangers
Although there were banks in Miriam’s Alexandria to lend money, manage land and buildings, collect outstanding debts, and handle the...
Analyzing Bloodstains in Ancient Rome
The study of forensics dates back to Roman times. In fact, the term “forensics” is derived from the Latin word "forum" because the Romans...
Mandrake Root: An Ancient Medicinal
Mandrake is a mysterious nightshade with a long, thick taproot that resembles the human body. At one time, people believed the plant...
TURNING AN IDEA INTO A STORY
To write a story, you first need an idea for the plot. One source is the stories you’ve read or heard about but with a “what if” twist...
MEET ABYZOU
In THE DEADLIEST THIEF, Miriam is pregnant with her first child. In one passage, she tells us what she and Judah spoke about during...
LITERACY AMONG THE ROMANS
In THE DEADLIEST THIEF, we again encounter Bion, Phoebe’s husband. Once a slave owned by the Roman authorities, he was able, through good...
Miriam Searches for Phoebe
Miriam had been to the Abandoned Village on Pharos Island before, but when she directs the bearers to take her there in THE DEADLIEST...
A Roman Funeral Procession
“Look,” Bion says in THE DEADLIEST THIEF, “I can’t be sure when Phoebe will be back so let me choose the undertaker. I’ll select a burial...