Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #212766 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Customer Reviews

Action-Packed Novel About Israel's Struggle For Statehood
"The Gates of Zion" begins with a brief prologue set in Qumran, 68 C.E.. Jerusalem has just fallen to the Romans. A Jewish scribe quickly and carefully copies the last passages of the book of the Prophet Isaiah. Then he wraps the scroll in linen, coats the linen with pitch, and prepares to bury it in a clay jar - along with all the other scrolls. He makes sure, at this hour of his death, that the words of God will be preserved for future generations. The Dead Sea Scrolls are about to be hidden.

Two millennia later, on November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly, in its 128th plenary session, by a two-thirds vote (33 to 13 with Britain and nine others abstaining), passed Resolution 181 partitioning Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. The Arab national movement in Palestine, as well as all the Arab countries, angrily rejected partition. Almost immediately there was Arab violence against the Jews in Palestine.

Ellie Warne is an American photojournalist for LIFE Magazine, who unknowingly becomes the focus of danger when she takes pictures of ancient scrolls recently discovered by Bedouins. Ellie is staying with her uncle Howard, an archeologist, in Jerusalem. She finds new purpose when she decides to help the Hagganah prepare to defend the city of Jerusalem after the Partition.

Rachel Lubetkin is a beautiful Jewish Holocaust survivor. She left the concentration camps behind in Europe, along with a big part of her soul. On her arm she bears the tattooed legacy, "Nur Fur Offizere, "For Officers Only." The Nazis had used her as a prostitute. She is shunned by many of the refugees and called a traitor for not choosing death over forced prostitution.

Moshe Sacher is a brilliant archeological linguist at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is also an active Hagganah leader who smuggles European Jews, refugees from the camps, into Palestine. Moshe, a tall, slender, good looking young man, is in love with Ellie Warne.

David Meyer, a US Air Force war vet, is also in love with Ellie. He has come to Palestine for her, and also to help form the new State of Israel's air force. David, a reckless, carefree man, never realized the extent of his affection for Ellie until she left California. Now he wants her back, but she has another man on her mind, as well as her career and the commitment she made to build the newly formed state.

Nine year-old Yacov Lebowitz lives in the Old Jewish City of Jerusalem with his elderly grandfather, a Rabbi. Yacov was in Palestine with his grandfather when his parents and siblings were taken away by the Germans.

These characters and many more - Jew, Arab and British - hero and villain - come together to make this an action-packed historical novel. Ms. Brodie's narrative is obviously biased and simplistic. Her tale is based on the Jewish/Zionist point of view. While she exposes the cruelty, deception and politics of Arab terrorism, she never mentions the Palestinian Muslim's position. The author is Christian and her own religious beliefs come to the fore from time to time.

While I enjoyed parts of the plot, I think that the novel is written on a Young Adult level. I prefer historical fiction with more depth and objectivity. The characters are too simplistic for my taste. I read Leon Uris' "Exodus" when I was 13 years-old, and it appeals to me as much today as it did years ago. Mr. Uris tells a similar story with more historical facts and perspective. His characters are much more complex also. And frankly, I prefer an author's religious preferences to remain with the author. I didn't realize until after I purchased the novel that it is labeled "Christian Fiction." As I am not a Christian, I felt a bit uncomfortable at times.

I do recommend Bodie Thoene's "Gates of Zion" for those who enjoy Christian Fiction and are looking for an action novel depicting Israel's struggle for statehood.
JANA

I loved it! I couldn't put it down.
This book caught my attention right from the beginning. I grew to love all the characters. Ellie is somebody I always wished I could be. She is smart, beautiful, and brave. Uncle Howard reminded me of one of my own uncles. I thought he was great. I cried with Rachel and felt her pain when the women looked down on her. I got mad when they called her names. I was very happily suprised when Yacov ended up being Rachel's youngest brother. I was glad that she did have some family left though. Moshe is the kind of man any woman would want as her husband. I was kind of annoyed at first by David, but by the end of the book, he turned out to be a great man.

5 stars isn't enough. I was captivated!!!
Never have I come across a better author. Bodie Theone (tay-nee) is truly amazing. These books are full of drama. It's like the characters became my friends. When I finished the series, It felt as though I lost some good friends. I really don't know if I could be as entertained, enlightened and fulfilled by reading anything else after reading this series. Originally I was checking the series out one at a time from the library. But when I realized I'd finally found something I couldn't put down, I figured I better buy the whole series. I have never bought books before, because I've never found anything worthy of being read more than once. I was just so compelled and I want to share her writings with all my friends and family. She's spectacular. So is anything written by her husband Brock, who helps her co-write everything. It's almost like watching a movie, because there are so many plots intertwined. I was shocked to read the epilogue in RETURN TO ZION. You'll have to find out for yourself. Just don't start reading in the middle of the series. If I could never read another authors works but one it would be the Theone's. - Megan Villa