The archeologists consist of an American, two Israelis and an Arab (the symbolism of using these types is so obvious as to be congenial). So, it’s 1964 and there’s an archaeological dig at a fictitious site thought to be the biblical city of Makor. In 1964 the Jews were a downtrodden, sympathetic, beleaguered people at the mercy of larger political actors. The 6-day war dramatically changes Israel’s global profile from a bumbling, religious state to a powerful international player. It’s a few years (can’t remember exactly) before the 6-day war, a conflict where Israel pre-emptively attacks Egypt and defeats them, along with Syria and Jordan.

For anyone familiar with their history, this is significant.

Michener begins the novel with an archaeological dig in 1964 Israel. The short-story format, the fictitious city, the vagaries in narration and tone, the switch between modern times and the various eras, the genealogical tree that extends throughout the novel – all are tools contrived by the author to condense Judaism as a religion and expound it as a philosophy. Some undoubtedly were used to further the plot and sustain the reader’s interest while I suspect others are a means to blend fact and fiction together for Michener’s own purpose. There are several original devices that Michener employs in this novel. As a guide to Judaism it is almost encyclopedic – as a survey of history, it is heroic. King David, the Babylonian exile, the Hellenistic influence, Roman rule, the Diaspora, Christian encroachment and eventual domination, Islamic development, the Crusaders, and finally the founding of Israel as a sovereign state are all lived and experienced through the characters. It is a city that is both the victim and instigator of history, a city that suffers the consequences of and initiates changes in Judaism. The major events of Judaism are explored by using a fictitious city as a microcosm. From a writer’s point of view, it’s breathtaking. Irrespective of the usual concerns a novelist faces, Michener had to conduct an immense amount of research, sifting through thousands of years of conflict, mythology, hearsay and speculation to finally distill his novel into a readable format that is both instructive and artistic.

Just imagine the scope – the entire history of Judaism as experienced through various generations of a family. One of the most ambitious and epic novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading (three times).

The source by james michener summary