The King of Flesh and Blood

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East and West Library, 1958 - History - 542 pages
The novel is set against the backdrop of the spectacular conquests and the humiliating defeat of Judea's Hasmonean kings, bitter strife between the Pharisees and Sadduccees, and the clash between Greek and Hebrew civilization. Yannai was imprisoned by his elder brother Aristobulus but released by the latter's young widow Salome Alexandra, on Aristobulus' death. Yannai was imprisoned by his elder brother Aristobulus but released by the latter's young widow Salome Alexandra, on Aristobulus' death. Yannai was ambitious and self-aggrandizing, but Salome prevented him from persecuting the Pharisees (the popular group which was loyal to both the Written and Spoken Torah), for a short while, and excessively oppressing the people of Israel. But not for long.

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Contents

Section 1
10
Section 2
30
Section 3
44
Copyright

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About the author (1958)

Born in Safed and raised in Tel Aviv, Shamir is a writer of novels, plays, short stories, and contemporary comment. His early works showed strong interest in the human concerns of social and national problems. As he begins to criticize his heroes' motives, he turns his attention to the psychological and social issues facing Israeli society. At one point, Shamir declared that history had usurped the place of religion in Jewish life, so, although committed to Israeli life, he frequently returns to the times of the first and second commonwealth. He shows strong narrative talent, writing in a high literary style with elaborate descriptions and dialogues.

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