The Last Fortress

by Gloria D. Miklowitz

• Fiction

• Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (Eerdmans)
• Published: 1999

Publisher's Description

In this work of historical fiction, a 17-year-old Jewish medical apprentice helps victims of war while struggling with a forbidden love In the year 72 C.E., after a four-year war between Rome and Judea, only one fortress remains to be taken: Masada, high above the Dead Sea in what is now Israel. Two years later, the commander of the famous Roman Tenth Legion, Flavius Silva, marches toward Masada to capture or kill the 960 Jewish zealots who hold it. In this eloquent and powerful novel, we meet 17-year-old Simon ben Eleazar, son of the Jewish leader of Masada. Apprenticed to Masada’s only physician, Simon learns to help victims of the enemy’s onslaught. He also struggles with his love for Deborah, the intended of his best friend, and with a painful decision he must ultimately make. A Junior Library Guild selection. Association of Jewish Libraries , Notable Books for Older ReadersBank Street College, Best Children's Books of the YearBooklist, Top Ten Religious Books for YouthCalifornia Readers, California Collections - High SchoolNew York Public Library, Books for the Teen Age ListSugarman Family Award for Jewish Children’s Literature