A Father’s Dream

In The Deadliest Lie, Miriam’s father expresses his hope that Binyamin become a scholar, certainly not an outcast to be destroyed for public entertainment while the crowd shouts gleefully.

“After his studies, he might enjoy the sauna, the hot and cold pools, or a massage at the Roman-style baths. Or he could amble over to the water gardens where he’d relax and socialize while cooling himself in its fountains. Still later, he could saunter under the covered gallery past the wrestling arena to the theater. There, before ending the day at an evening banquet, he might listen to a politician charm the crowd or watch the latest play fascinated like the rest of the audience by Hero’s special effects: the thunder and lightning, the ‘gods’ flying through the air, and the rotating scenic backdrops.”

Miriam herself remarks on the tourists eager for a glimpse of Hero: “In front of the Museum and the adjoining Great Library, I carved my way through a thickening crowd of tourists. Some in robes, others in turbans, they were shouting in a host of languages, perhaps hoping for a glimpse of the free-roaming exotic animals that the scholars keep in their private zoo or of even Hero himself.”

Hero’s inventions captivated the imagination of first-century CE Alexandrians. What father wouldn’t want that scholarly life for his son? Aside from being a mystery and a step back into Roman Alexandria, The Deadliest Lie is the story of every broken-hearted parent and rebellious child. To hear an excerpt go to the navigation bar and click "Home".