The Scroll by Miriam Feinberg Vamosh – Review

From the caves to the sea, Miriam Feinberg Vamosh takes readers on a journey through the Israel countryside two thousand years ago.

About the Book

The Scroll is a multi-generational historical novel about the survivors of Masada that draws from a real archaeological find – the divorce document of a real-life woman named Miriam. The document was issued at Masada in 71 C.E., and discovered in the lower chamber of a Bedouin cave in Wadi Murabba‘at in the Judean Desert in 1951. The story begins on Masada’s final, horrific day. It characters must choose between nation and family, and finally, between life and death. Will they learn the lesson of Masada’s downfall, or will enemies — within and without — rob it from them? Though it deals with events that took place two millennia ago, The Scroll helps us make sense of the complexities of today’s Israel and the choices its leaders make.

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In My Opinion…

Travel back two thousand years and enter the world of oppression and persecution the Jewish people suffered under Rome’s rule.

More than half of The Scroll is told through the eyes of Miriam—a woman whose greatest possession is a divorce document given to her from her husband at Masada and who escaped. The remainder of the book follows the procession of the document through Miriam’s bloodline.

There were several points of view and at times it got a bit confusing where perspective would shift in the middle of a scene or chapter, but the descriptions of Israel—from Masada to Jerusalem to the caves and more—leave the reader feeling as if they are walking the land themselves.

And though this book has some heavy content with little joy, anyone interested in the geography of Israel or Jewish history will enjoy the details Mariam Feinberg Vamosh pours into The Scroll.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.