The Source: A Novel

A great book and written well, but such a sad subject. Kudos to the author for not telling happy stories, but instead unflinchingly capturing the humanity of the recurring tragedies.I wonder if the author had lived later whether he would have also continued the story and told how Israel now torments and persecutes Palestinians as the Jews once were.A very good book and I love the device of the Tell, but it was harder for me to read this one as it’s so tragic.

This book was so enlightening in its portrayal of the history of the Jewish people, the persecution they endured and their stubborn fight for a homeland.

The book arrived in perfect condition...no wrinkles or bends. Thank you, Jean

For decades, author James A. Michener lived and worked in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — same as me. But the differences between us far outweigh any similarities. For example, in 1964, Michener wrote The Source, a historical novel about the Jewish people and their religion. He actually wrote it; I only wish I had written it.His novel is a masterpiece. I have always been amazed at how Michener, a Quaker, came to have such a profound understanding and appreciation for the Jews, their history, their homeland and their faith.It is also amazing to me that Michener had so much to say, and to say it so well. Like The Source, many of his novels are well over a thousand pages. I have so many favorite passages from The Source, any one will do to exemplify the beauty of his writing and the artistry of his sentence structure:“For what the rabbis were doing, in part consciously and in part unconsciously, was to create a body of law that would bind the Jews together as they went into exile to the Diaspora. Without a homeland the Jews would live within their law and become a nation mightier than those which had oppressed them. Without cities of their own they would as a cohesive unit help determine the destinies of cities they had not yet seen. Wherever they went — to Spain or Egypt or Argentina — they would take with them the decisions of the rabbis of Tverya, and within the limits established by these decisions they would live, a more permanent group of people than any who had surrounded them in their two thousand years in Israel. Gentiles, observing their homelessness, would construct the myth of the Wandering Jew, but in reality this phrase was meaningless, for no matter where the Jew wandered, if he took with him the Talmud he was home.”To tell his story, Michener cleverly uses a contemporary (circa 1964) archeological dig in Israel at a fictional location called Makor (the Hebrew word for Source), and from artifacts found at various levels he created narratives around them using fictional and historical characters to construct his story about the Jews, from the dawn of civilization to today. In the book, Jewish, Christian and Arab perspectives are fairly, helpfully and intelligently presented by Ilan Eliav, John Cullinane, and Jemail Tabari, respectively, all archeological scholars working together on the dig.I have read thousands of books. After almost 60 years since its publication, The Source remains one of my two favorites. It was an emotional, educational and unforgettable reading experience.

Michener has an intriguing framing story: a multi-ethnic group of archaeologists work their way down an ancient tell through more than a dozen layers of history while having conversations mimicking that between the three protagonists reflecting the major monotheistic religions in Lessing's "Nathan der Weise." For each of the layers they unearth, from ancient pre-history to modern times, Michener transports the reader into a story fitting the respective historical layer.Unfortunately, the result is not what it could have been. Most of the stories are flat and only mildly interesting. They are full of cliches (in fact, I wonder if I've ever read a book with this many cliches; of course, not many books have a 1,000 pages, but even per page). If I was, say, 10, I might have accorded Michener's prodding storytelling place of honour next to Karl May, and might indeed have felt transported into those ancient times. But I'm 57, and I no longer read Karl May, either. Regarding his mimicking Lessing, it falls flat, too. Lessing is a first-rater thinker, his dialogues are subtle, his characters have depth; Michener is not, his dialogues are crude, and his characters are shallow and naive.These three elements of the framing have aged very poorly. In fact, they would only really have been possible for a few years in the early 1960s, exactly when Michener wrote the book. Firstly, his enthusiastic and naive support for the State of Israel: it was evidently possible, even for a well read, well travelled persons, to take such a stance in the wake of the Eichmann trials and the subsequent outpouring of sympathy--JUST: only a few years later, with the Six Day War and after, it no longer was. Secondly, his depiction of archaeology fits Schliemann bulldozing through Troy rather better than 1960s archaeological practice. Again, in early 1960 it was, perhaps, JUST possible to still depict it like that, at least in so far as Israel is concerned: so-called biblical archaeology (which seeks to unearth proof of the historicity of the Bible) was on the way out, but professional archaeology (which seeks to unearth history as it was) was only starting to find its way into Israel. Thirdly, the historicity of the Bible itself had already begun to be challenged, but it was perhaps only in the 2-3 decades or so after Michener wrote his book that archaeology largely debunked it altogether. On all three accounts, then, Michener CAN be excused; he fell, as it were, JUST within time with regards to all three areas, at least within Israel (I presume he spent time there when he wrote the book, though I don't know that positively); but reading his book in 2022, his framing story is rather embarrassing. Had he been less of a shoot-from-the-hip storyteller, and more of a critical mind, he SHOULD and WOULD have anticipated that this framing story, as well as all those cliches in the historical tales, would not stand the test of time.

I have read almost all of Micheners books. In fact, that is what led to my purchasing this book as I was unfamiliar with it.The first half of the book was brilliant. Michener at his best.He did a masterful job of creating interesting characters and weaving their lives into the history of the area.Unfortunately, he seemed to lose focus during the second half of the book. It was still very interesting, however the previously mentioned character development and engaging plot twists were lost - resulting in a laborious trudge to the finish.Despite the mixed review I am glad that I read this book. I learned a great deal and enjoyed the well written part...

My first Michener novel and it was super. Learning from the perspective of "story" about the region was a great take on drawing me into the characters, the culture, the world they new and how it related to them in their time.

Bought for my 95 year old father. One of the best works of fiction ever written.

To say that this novel is a tour de force is a gross understatement. The framework on which the story hangs is so vast that it covers the history of Galilee from almost 10000 years BC right up to 1964. Michener uses the ploy of an imaginary archeological "dig" based on a mound or "tell" in the South of what we now know as Israel. In the depths of this mound is the detritus of succeeding generations and he uses these layers to describe the events that relate to each era. We are taken from the time of cave dwelling man without the gift of language all the way to the present time. Along the way he deals with the Greek empire, the rule of the Romans, the conquest of the Byzantines, the assault by the Crusaders, rule by the Mamelukes and the Turks and then, finally, the creation of the state of Israel. Throughout the story, details of Jewish faith are central, with the power of the Rabbi and the inflexibilty of the law emphasised time and again. The main characters are well depicted and memorable. The privation suffered by Jews is harrowing and their courage is astonishing. There are many parallels between this book and "Exodus", written by Leon Uris which was first published 7 years earlier (1958) but whereas Uris deals entirely with the birth pangs of the new state of Israel, Michener has produced a work of much greater academic weight. This is a read on the scale of War and Peace and since it lacks the compulsion of an adventure story, only the committed reader will finish it. I am glad to have read it, but could only recommend it to anyone with a real interest in the land of the Christian bible.

I first read The Source about forty years ago. Since then I have reread it many times, sometimes in its entirety, sometimes dipping into a single section to remind myself of the history of a particular period. It is a pleasure to have it on Kindle so I don't have to tote around this enormous tome!Twenty years ago as a (very!) mature student, I began a two year course to be a guide in Israel. I told my fellow students about The Source and was met with scepticism. By the end of the course, half the group had bought it.Michener has the gift of using history to produce a fascinating work of fiction. His research, the depth of his accuracy is, as with all his books, astounding. No politics, no personal agendas, no bias, what a writer Michener was.An imaginary archeological dig (based on the genuine sites of Hazor and Megiddo) is the thread that ties everything together.I am sure it was not his aim but for me Michener brought the Bible to life and taught me more about the background, the history and even the geography of the Land of Israel and of course its Jewish people than the Bible itself. And I am Jewish and live in Israel!A book full of characters you may love or hate but will always engage with.I can't recommend The Source highly enough, both for those who would like to understand better the background to this troubled land, and also for those who just want a fascinating and entertaining read.My only regret is that Michener isn't alive today to bring the book right up to date to the present time. His view on the current situation would be enlightening. And fair.

This is an old book, I once had a copy of this book when it was first published, over the years of lending, I lost it. A book with stories of events that runs closely to the Bible, I never ever got to finishing this book but I remembered how the author mixed useful real world the information that filled in this book with his friction creations. So well researched, that I used the information, whenever I see some artefact displayed in museum or private collections, to recollect the symbolic importance or significance to the original owners rather then monetary value. This author reveals his interesting perspective the life in the land that is now Israel, where on historic sites, archaeological team digs down representing hundreds of years, using has several starting points in the history of the world and the digs of present day then was digging down to meet these time lines and the story of the historic findings matches up. Most of all the present day history then which was also added to it as the world spins on.Similar to this great historian's book http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Unauthorized-Version-Truth-Fiction/dp/0141022965

I'm not yet half way thru' this very large book yet - been at it for a few days and I'm still captivated. But it is of particular interest to me as it's set in Israel - a country and culture I know quite well; it covers life in the desert and early settlements - again something I have a particular interest in; and a lot of theology (set in layman's language rather than academic) - and yes, again, an interest of mine. As the story relates to a town over many centuries, each story is unique, but all based on the theme of the town and it's surroundings. Although the town is fictional, it brings history to life. A good holiday read.

This is a great joining together of fact and fiction and of past and present but be warned it is a very long read but if you like long books it is very well worth the time. The fictional events from the past are probably better dealt with than the relationship plot between the "present day" archaeologists, whish is a bit predictable, but overall it's a good book.