Author Description

THE PARAGON is the bold and controversial epic of the journey of Jesus of Nazareth to the east, and the adventure and ideas that changed him. When Yeshua (Jesus) and his cousin Yonnah (John the Baptist) leave Galilee on an open-ended journey, they have no idea they're being pursued by assassins. Yeshua is on a quest to learn more about the ideas of the Buddhists, Hindus and others he's heard about as an Essene monk. Yonnah thinks this is a reckless idea but goes along to protect his cousin who he believes will be the Messiah who rids the Jewish people of Roman rule. Traveling in the caravan of Hadi Ba' Riel, veteran of the Royal Road, Yeshual learns about a monastery called the Paragon that becomes his ultimate objective. Yeshua is prodded by those he meets to seek this outpost of fellowship of itinerant monks of all traditions. Early on he meets an emotionally damaged prostitute, Meryam (Mary Magdalen) and begins a challenging relationship that will change his life. Along the way he comes to understand his divinity while fully appreciating his humanity. Written for believers, non-believers, or the merely curious, THE PARAGON is a tale of imagination and allegory set against the perils of first century travel. It's a story of love and murder, revenge and forgiveness, building to a climax in Maracanda (Samarkand) that is both triumphant and tragic. Interwoven into the plot is the interplay of the eastern ideas that birthed Yeshua's new way of thinking out of his Jewish tradition. THE PARAGON takes inspiration from Joseph Campbell, who articulated the commonality in the myths of all religions; from Carlos Castaneda, who brought diverse traditions together in an allegory showing how to bring spirituality to daily life; and from Herman Hesse who gave a sense of humanity to the life's journey of the Buddha. Yeshua's journey brings him to an understanding in his heart, beyond all ideas, of his and our true nature.