New book available now!
Welcome! Baruch Aba! Ahlan wa sahlan! After many years of working on this new book, TWELVE is finally here! Historical fiction meets current events in this retelling of biblical accounts. What would it look like for Jesus to complete his mission in the twenty-first century? Who would he chose to partner with? How would governments handle him?
From the back cover:
PRESENT DAY ISRAEL. Covertly, a man named Yasha has been sent in to change a nation and to rescue its citizens. One by one, he gathers twelve divergent Israeli men—a group of unsuspecting accomplices that include blue collar workers, criminals, a student, and a former Orthodox Jew—who join him in undertaking a moral and spiritual revolution. They become known as the Twelve. Yasha infiltrates the international community by performing unexpected miracles: healing the sick, feeding refugees, and raising the dead. As he impacts the current landscapes, the Israeli and Palestinian governments feel threatened and move in to destroy the Twelve. Deception and betrayal by both governments, as well as one from Yasha’s inner circle, causes events to culminate quickly. Armed only with love in a world full of weapons, Yasha will need committed followers, divine support, and an unwavering resolve to accomplish his mission—one of ultimate sacrifice. Twelve, told in reverse chronological order, is a modern-day portrayal of Jesus and his disciples. Once Jews and Romans, now Israelis and Palestinians. Previously one country, now divided lands. Then a religious majority, now a secular front. The greatest story ever told—the good news of salvation through Jesus—takes on a new life, renewing our beliefs of his character, his purpose, and his victory.
As with my first novel, Seven, the idea for TWELVE was solely a divine inspo. I don’t even remember the day or why I began thinking about the narrative. The movie reel just started playing, and I started writing. It’s never a linear process for me, as evidenced by the first chapter that I wrote–the one of Yochanan the Immerser in prison, awaiting his release. That falls in Chapter 20. I write the storyline forwards and I write it backwards, and I re-write and re-write until my husband tells me I’ve gone in a complete circle and can now stop. The process is long and arduous, yet I truly love every minute.
Originally, I had thought of using the King James Bible text for the quoted conversations contrasting current day Israel against the timeworn version of scripture (think Baz Luhrman’s movie William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet), but after many attempts to make the story flow, I decided on using The Message Bible interpretation. Modern, unambiguous, expressive.
I read through the four gospel accounts in the New Testament, formulating the storyline in my head, and imagining what these accounts might look like today. In Israel, of course. Years ago, I had read a book called “Rich Thirsty Hungry” by Jamie Lisea, that asks If Jesus were alive in your community today, how He would look and sound? I loved the way it encouraged me to picture a modern-day Jesus having modern-day encounters with people. If He truly is the same yesterday, today, and forever (as Hebrews 13:8 declares), then His truth, mercy, love, and righteous indignation would translate into 21st century culture. After all, He is eternal and unchanging.
When imagining the characters that would be “the Twelve” (also known as the disciples), I aimed to cover a variety of sectors in the Israeli community. I believe that these men would be average citizens, ranging in intelligence, religiousity, and committment to a cause greater than themselves. Twelve diverse characters thrown together under the tutelage of a dynamic leader who’s deeply loved and passionately hated in an environment crackling with racial and political tension. What could go wrong?!
In the midst of all the personalities and turmoil and plot twists, don’t miss the one message that’s woven from start to finish: Love. It is the bedrock of the Judeo-Christian spiritual belief. It describes Yahweh God (1 John 4:8). It is commanded by God towards God and towards others (Deut. 6:5; Luke 10:27). Love is patient and kind and enduring and never failing (1 Cor. 13). Love lays down it’s life for a friend (John 15:13). And love took the form of a human, descending from heaven, dwelling among mortal men, and ultimately sacrificing everything to rescue us (John 3:16).
May this book compel you to look at Jesus in a new way. And may it provide a fundamental inspiration for you to follow him. Shalom!
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Tristan K. Hodges 