This epic novel is at once a hybrid of top class science fiction and Biblical/historical fiction.
It is full of action and adventure while also a philosophical work with a deep spiritual message.
It traces the exploits of Peleg, a descendant of Shem and an ancestor of Avraham Aveinu, the founder of the Hebrew Nation.
Peleg lives in Babylon where he is commissioned by Reu-Nathor, High Minister of the Citadel to be the Chief Cartographer of the Urbat, which is to explore the world to look for the source of life.
The Urbat travels to such exotic locations as the Pacific coast of South America where they encounter the pre-Inca peoples, Antarctica, West Africa where they encounter the Fulani and finally come across a settlement known as the Haganah inhabited by the community monotheists, persecuted by Sargon (Nimrod) as 'Gutians'.
Haganah is the Hebrew for defence and this community serves as the defence of the creed of the true G-D, Yaweh. They are ruled by Noah's son Shem, who teaches Peleg (who is his descendant) about the onew G-D Yaweh, and the seed or Zerah that will produce the Messiah.
Where I (As a Jew) digress form the author is the idea that the Zerah will be born from immaculate conception i.e without a father, which in my opinion destroys the idea of the seed, but I respect the author's theology.)
Peleg defies Sargon's daughter Innana, on whose character many ancient female deities where modelled such as Aphrodite in Greece Shing Moo in China, ,Astarte in the Levant and Hecate in central and northern Europe, except in Arabia, where she was changed into a male deity known as Allah on whom the Islamic god is modelled.
Innana's pagan theology represents what today takes the shape of post modernism/secular humanism and aspects of the New Age movement, based around a hatred of the concept of Yaweh.
Through a rich, colourful and exciting narrative the author outlines his view of creation and the truth that there is a creator.
He draws on Christian and Jewish hagiography including the Jewish Midrash, as well as ancient Sumerian legend.
Seldom has a work, which at least partially falls into the Science Fiction genre, reflected such a strong theological and philosophical base.
The end of the book takes us to the time of Abraham and his battles with the five kings, to rescue his nephew Lot, followed by his historic meeting with the King of Shalem (later Jerusalem) Melchizedek.
According to this account Shem is buried in the caves of Amud in Israel.
The book is an important defence of the Judeo-Christian world view in a most unusual way.
Slowly from seeming at the beginning more in the Science Fiction class, the pieces fall into place as a religious and historical work.
In some ways it is reminiscent of CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia in it's use of science fiction fantasy to spread the word of G-D.
