Gods and Kings ¿ A Novel

He was born to rule the people of God . . . but Yahweh is only a vague, powerless memory in the minds of his people.

Though born the second son of King Ahaz, Hezekiah is not protected from his father''s perverted attempts to gain the favor of the idol Molech. Terrified and powerless at the foot of Molech''s altar, Hezekiah encounters for the first time the one true God of his royal ancestry, Yahweh.

But his journey to the Holy One is riddled by influence from an assortment of men: Zechariah, a grandfather of noble standing who has fallen into drunkenness; Uriah, the High Priest whose lust for power forces him to gamble the faith he proclaims; and Shebna, the Egyptian intellectual who guides Hezekiah''s instruction.

For the two women who love Hezekiah, the meaning of love--and its sacrificial essence--will direct the course of their lives and help shape the young prince''s future.