Babylon 589 BC.-BelkA Souash, the high profile envoy of Nebuchadnezzar, is dispatched on a top secret mission to confront the King of Judah with an ultimatum to submit to his overlord, or expect an imminent military attack. At the same time Prime Minister Daniel imposes the equally hazardous mission of rescuing the Sacred Writings from impending destruction. Intrigue builds up as enemies emerge, including the cunning priestess of the moon god Sin, who plots murder. To complicate matters further BelkA, himself a worshipper of pagan gods, faces questions of faith that connect him to the most fascinating woman he could ever meet. A showdown is inevitable. Will the mission cost him the love of his life? A daring rescue A life-changing encounter A daunting choice: duty or love A first hint of Bible translation into Aramaic A haunting reminder of our own era. ABOUT THE AUTHOR From an international background in Africa and Europe, Joanne writes with a passion for culture, history, people and the Bible. As a child she witnessed the arrival and placement into waiting hands of the first New Testament in the Kikongo language. Ever since she's carried an intense curiosity concerning the survival and world outreach of the Bible. She is also the author of an as told to biography of her pioneer missionary Dad in a two-volume set, Shiny Shoes on Dusty Paths. Married to a retired university history professor, Frank Mahar, the two reside in Oregon.