By Way of Deception by Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn

By Way of Deception, book 2 in the Nir Tavor thriller series, is even better than book 1. 

Wow, talk about a wild ride! From deep in the Iranian desert to Houston and the South China Sea, this book takes the reader all over the world, keeping us on the edge of our seats wondering what is going to happen next. 

But even more than I love a good adventure, I love Israel, and I loved how Israeli this book is. Maybe it's because I've been studying there, but I saw so many elements that incorporated Israeli culture and history—like a member of Tavor's team being a descendent of Alexander Zaid, a Zionist hero who founded "The Watchmen". I've been to the kibbutz where his family lived, and have seen the statue mentioned on page 77, as well as to Beit She'arim National Park. So to see a fictional descendent of his have a role in the story was fun. 

I think my favorite thing about the whole story was the Jewish sense of humor throughout the book. It's even stronger here than in Operation Joktan, and had me laughing out loud so many times. 

All of it—the dialogue, the storytelling, the plot and structure—showcased so much of modern day Israel while also giving deep insight to its more recent—and ancient—history. For spoilers' sake, I'm not going to write too much about the events, other than to say that I loved how real and relevant Nir's journey as he is grappling with the truth that Jesus was (and is) the Son of God, all while risking his life... and one could even say, being willing to give his life to save others. 

The parallels are striking, not to mention the fact that this series is going to take us through all the countries mentioned in Ezekiel 38. It's set in modern times, with references to current events, and often forecasts what could happen to bring it all about. 

If you loved the first book, or if you love anything by Joel C. Rosenberg, I definitely recommend this series. But beware—it will leave you ready for more... I wonder when book 3 is coming out?

Click here to buy it on Amazon.

Operation Joktan by Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn

When I heard that Amir Tsarfati had co-written a novel with Steve Yohn, I was surprised. He's written many nonfiction books, but not many writers can make the transition between nonfiction writer and novelist. So I was a bit skeptical.

Operation Joktan did not disappoint.

The first of a trilogy, Operation Joktan takes the reader into the world of a Mossad agent. Through a complex and thrilling adventure, we follow Nir from South Africa to the Middle East, and Europe, with a final adventure in the United Arab Emirates. 

What's so fun is that Amir was a major in the IDF, so these events are based off of real events that the general public doesn't know about.

BUT, what has been shocking is that this book, released November 2021, seems almost prophetic, as in early 2022 there were terrorist attacks in the UAE. 

I'm always a little skeptical of writers who cross genres, and Amir did this well. Couple this with the fact that English isn't his first language, (he speaks it excellently, it's just that speaking and writing are very different mediums to excel in), and it's even more impressive.

If you love thrillers that literally could be pulled from the front pages, then I recommend this book.

Click here or on the links or image above to find it on Amazon, and come back next week for book 2 in this series!

The Golan: Syrian bunkers and views for days (Part 4 of 4)

Once you leave the Peace Vista, it's not too long before you find yourself on a steep switchback road, winding down along the ridge line. There are barbed wire fences with yellow signs warning of landmines all along the road, and the views go on for days...

Beautiful, magnificent... and dangerous.

The opposite ridge is Jordan!

A bunker from the Six Day War in 1967.

While on the drive through the Golan, you looked over and saw Syria. Then at some point, you passed the border and that from point, were looking at Jordan:

The border between Israel and Jordan is near this building. Below it are remains of the old Palestine railways.

You park the car, get out, and find an old Syrian bunker from the Six Day War. It supposedly goes several stories underground. Despite wanting to get out the heat, you remember that your Mama didn't raise a fool who wants tetnus... So you just take pictures of it instead:

Pretty incredible!

The Golan: Peace Vista (Part 3 of 4)

Driving south along the Golan, past the entrance to Gamla National Park and you'll find the Kfar Haruv Kibbutz and one of the most spectacular views of the Sea of Galilee that I've never seen: The Peace Vista.

It was windy that day we were up here, but I was so glad for that because it was late June and a documented 103 degrees Fahrenheit. The view did not disappoint!

It was so vast (and we were so close) that I couldn't fit the whole lake in the photo. WOW! 

Built on the stones of a 1,700 Talmudic village, the view point offers and incredible view to not only appreciate the beauty of the area but also to understand its history. From above, you can see much of the Golan. And if you're with a tour guide like I was, from there, you get to get about the history of the area, most recently in the Six Day War of 1967, with him pointing to and fro.

And, there was a bonus. It's hard to tell unless you zoom in, but beyond the taller trees on the mid-right of the photo is a ridge and some more ruins: Susita (Hippos)! You can almost see Kursi National Park as well. So cool!

Shalom for Israel, Shalom for Jerusalem, Shalom for all.

The Golan: the ancient synagogue of Afik (Part 2 of 4)

I had never heard of Afik until I still in its ancient synagogue, staring out at the incredible view over the Golan. 

That was an epic day. 

But when I started writing this series, I learned something interesting: somewhere near here is where King Ahab defeated Ben Hadad I of Damascus in 1 Kings 26-30. That's pretty cool!

Okay, back to the synagogue (also cool)!

As I stated in the last post, during the Talmudic era, there were 27 different villages along the Golan, all with a synagogue. Katzrin was one, and Afik was another. This is one of the synagogues. (There's one not too far away that they were able to put back together by numbering the stones and using a computer program, which is JUST INCREDIBLE and I can't stop dorking out about it. I definitely need to go there). 

Anywho, what's interesting about this one is that while synagogues are supposed to be facing Jerusalem when they are built, this one isn't. It faces west instead of south. 

Why? Because the topography of the area, with its many ridges, and the fact that it lies on the longest fault line in the world (think 363 AD, 749 AD, etc). However, despite this anomaly, the Torah room still faces Jerusalem.

Pretty cool, huh?

See the carving on the stone? It's another example of using found materials in building... it was originally used somewhere else.

Seriously, can we talk about this view? INCREDIBLE!