Prophet Author:Shulamith Hareven A work of historic imagination, Prophet is set during the time of the Gibeonites and roughly follows the biblical story that appears in the Old Testament's Book of Judges. Hivai, the Gibeonite prophet, disembowels a slave child and in the smoldering mess sees the destruction of Gibeon by the conquering nation of Ai. Disguised, he leaves Gibeon a... more »long with a group of elders to discover the lay of the land. Eventually, after the elders return home, he joins the wandering Hebrews, nomadic shepherds who teach him their language and mores. He is stunned to learn that the God of Moses prohibits murder and is invisible. Hivai leaves after seven years, still in search of a true prophecy and a new god. The ancient landscape of the Judean hills and the daily life of several nomadic tribes during early biblical times are portrayed with startling simplicity. Hareven's parable on moral verities in this retelling of the biblical narrative is inspired.« less