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by F. V. Hank Helmick (Author)
The Blood of Lambs is a biblical historical fictional novel about the life of Saint Stephen, the first martyr as written about in the Acts of the Apostles pages 6&7. Stephen was a rich man's dissolute son from Alexandria with the face of an angel. Accompanied by his two brothers Benjamin and Nabal, they set sail for Israel where they meet Acacius ben Xanthine an agnostic soldier of fortune. They defend themselves from an attack by brigands led by Antigonis the One Eyed and Adder the mysterious deadly little killer who is the secret leader of the Sicarii-a deadly band of Zealot cutthroats, who plays both ends against the middle. Antigonis as an "Avenger of the Blood" creates an enmity between the two groups that threads its way throughout the entire story.
Acacius stumbles upon a plot led by Simon Magus the Magician to conquer the world. He works with the leader of the Roman Legion Italica II, the Tribune Julian Lombard to uncover the plot. Myra the Madam is the only person to ever escape from the secret cave of Antigonis and she is dedicated to avenge her friend's murders by Adder and Antigonis. The setting for the story is Israel at the time of Christ's Passion. Stephen meets and is infatuated by Jeshua and becomes a disciple and meets the beautiful and vivacious Michal.
Rabbi Agamemnon, the leader of the Synagogue of Roman Freemen lines himself up with Simon Magus. Both Adder and Antigonis are subjected to the prophetic curse of their prostitute victim Miriam, a cousin of a witch in the lineage of the Witches of Endor. The story follows the historical events of the era. The myths, mysticism and miracles of the early Church are played upon throughout the story. The author has been scrupulous in the use of authentic historical data, which is the only thing too which he will take pride.
