An elite group of ancient Israeli military leaders are tasked with securing the freedom of their clansman from a series of ruthless oppressors. Known as Judges these select men and women fight decades for their homeland as well as their freedom from a group of savage Imperialists known as the Philistines. The Mighty Samson is the last in the line of the Judges.Endowed with supernatural strength and abilities,Samson battles his clansman’s tormentors for years leaving casualties on both sides of the Gaza strip.It’s an all out war and the fate of Israel rest in the balance.
Targeted Age Group:: 12-36
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I have been interested in Samson and his dynamic story since I was a kid. I loved watching the animated Hanna Barbara Biblical cartoons they showed on TV and even owned the series on VHS tape. It is important to me to let the people know who Jesus really is. However I wanted to be able to capture not only a child’s imagination but also the child in all of us. Samson’s story should definitely not be overlooked nor any of the other Old Testament patriarchs, these men where truly incredible. They fought in wars for the freedom of their clansmen and also fought for the one true God. I have done extensive research on Samson. .Looking at his life in I can say that addition to warfare, judicial duties and religious obligations He would’ve been used for farm work. I don’t think it’s farfetched to say that carrying a ton a day would’ve been easy work for him. Because The Holy Spirit is intelligent and is part of the Trinity of God; The Holy Spirit knows of man’s inabilities to handle certain feats due to human frailties. So it’s not too farfetched to say that the Holy Spirit would’ve genetically engineered his body, his muscles, his bones and his body composition to with stand what his body was going to go through. After his daily tasks and even battle chores Samson would’ve had more than an extra pep in his step. This is also supported by Samson strict diet. Why else he had to abstain from foods that are forbidden? I have always believed that it is because they had no nutrients to fuel his body.
Even though Judges is a book rooted in the study of human weakness when ensnared with the ugliness of sin it is also about The Holy Spirit and a testament to his majestic power manifested throughout the life of Samson as well as the other Judges. With each read, I feel as though the story is dedicated to the Holy Spirit and provides some insight into a tiny bit of his glorious power. The Holy Spirit is an unstoppable testament to the supernatural story of Samson. This is why I truly love the story of Samson. It is 4 Chapters of The Holy Spirit greatest display of power and might.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
Most of the Characters are directly lifted from the text, which comes from The Bible and Hebrew lore. The specific book this is adapted from is Judges. I did some research on the main villains who are actually mentioned elsewhere in the bible. Although it is Christian Fiction, most of the book can be described as non fiction.
Book Sample
Preface
The tribe of Dan was one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. It was often considered the least of the tribes compared to those of the mighty Judah, Levi, Benjamin, and the others. The tribe of Dan was the second largest of the tribes; Judah’s was the largest. After Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, Dan existed as a loose confederation of Israel, meaning it had no central government. What Jehovah decided to bring out of the tribe of Dan was unlike anything mankind had ever seen before. In short, the great Jehovah was working to bring Israel from out of the oppression of the Philistines, and he was about to establish them as a great nation of people.
Since the deaths of Joshua and Moses, the Hebrew people had struggled to find a leader. There was no unified nation of Israel; Israel had no monarchy and was scattered across parts of modern day Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa, and Turkey. Jehovah had raised up new leaders known as Judges. Leaders such as Deborah, Gideon, and Jephthah had proven effective during their reigns, but no one could seem to quell the suffering that was being brought upon these great people.
Many enemies had come against Israel: the Midianites, Egyptians, Kushites, and Canaanites, to name a few. All enemies were mighty, but none was a match for the judges! These special men and women were skilled in warfare and strategy once the Spirit of the Lord fell upon them. Ordinary shepherds, farmers and priests now could command the respect of whole tribes while also striking fear in the hearts of their enemies.
A vicious new enemy from the north, the Philistines, seized control of the Promised Land, or what is now known as Israel and the Gaza Strip; lay in the hands of the vicious Philistines. Little is known about them, but they had previous skirmishes with the father of Israel, Abraham. During the Israelites’ forty-year stint in the wilderness, the Philistines seized control of the land as well as all they felt belonged to them. What made them such a powerful enemy was their use of iron weapons. This was something foreign to the Israelites, who used bronze as well as makeshift weapons, which included slings, plowshares, and other farming tools. The era of the judges was a dark period for the Israelites of about three hundred years. As the book of Judges states, “Each man did what was right in his own eyes.” This means that the old adage “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” applied, and it was strictly enforced.
With this law serving as the backdrop to the lives of the men and women of Israel, times were truly chaotic. Many of the Hebrew tribes turned their backs on Yahweh and began to worship false gods, such as Dagon, a horrid half fish, half man that required his servants to perform child sacrifices and give in to group orgies and drunkenness. Despite their disobedience and contempt for the Lord, the great Jehovah would always listen to his people when they called out for help. He would always raise up mighty warriors and leaders to protect and save his people from violent occupation and the oppressors put before them. This is where our story begins.
Chapter 1
How the Mighty Have Fallen
Deep in the tunnels of a pristine stone palace lies the belly of filth and sewage. We are taken down to a stone-hewn cell where a dark-skinned, statuesque man slowly grinds away at a mill. Step by step, in a slow yet rhythmic pace, he marches to an unknown beat. He is in tears, and he is physically, mentally, and emotionally broken. To look upon this man who is bruised, battered, and beaten is to look upon a portrait of pain.
This is a true sight of pity, but how did it all come to this? This is no place for a man. Many would say this is a true representation of hell on Earth. Excommunicated from his people, Samson’s only crime is loving all the wrong things in life: sex, women, food, and drink. It is truly the smallest blade that cuts the deepest. It slips quietly against the bones and slowly strips its victim of life. He once walked in pride and was a person to be feared; with each step he took, authority was given to him. He was the weapon of God that would inspire his people to cast off the reins of oppression, but now his dignity has been stripped.
Above his cell his captors torment him, hurling feces, urine, and rotten food at him. He is forced to grind away day to day for hours at a time. His punishment is so severe, it seems as though the creator of the universe has turned his back on him. Could this be? Is all hope lost? His fabled strength is now gone. There are empty sockets covered with scar tissue where his radiant brown eyes used to be.
Two of the guards positioned above Samson quarrel over who now has claim to his garments, coins, and belongings. Slightly stoic in appearance the two guards converse with one another, asking, “How has it come to this? He escaped so many of our traps before. Is the God of Israel not the God of the same people who were delivered from the hands of the Egyptians and others before us?”
“Who cares? I sure as hell don’t. Ha ha! Look at the Hebrew scum now. I piss on his God. I spit on his God. Dagon has delivered the Hebrew into our hands, and now Samson’s people have no protection. We will ravage all their women, and their land will once again be ours. It’s like the general said: ‘And now that Samson is ours, we will, run him through, but before the light disappears from him we will take delight in knowing that he failed his people.’ Ha ha!”
“Do you hear that, Samson? You and all your people will be dead a week from today. Let’s go, they said to one another. We have much work to do.” Samson was living his own private hell, seeing himself reduced to menial and degrading labor was almost as cruel as the deepest and most inner parts of Sheol. The Lord’s champion was now rendered helpless in defending himself and Israel was once again without a leader.
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