One of G. A. Henty’s most popular works of historical fiction, and my own personal favorite is For the Temple: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem.
In vivid detail, For the Temple shows the events leading to the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. by the most powerful Empire on earth—Rome. This adventurous story depicts the Jew’s desperate struggle in the vain defense of the Temple against the legions of Vespasian and his son Titus.
To tell this heroic tale, Henty uses a courageous young Jew, John of Gamala, who joins the guard of the Jewish military commander Josephus, and unites the people in the defense of their homeland. Multiple times John is miraculously spared from death, which draws the young Jewish men around him. They claim him as the deliverer of Jerusalem.
John forms a small band of 20 men and begins to
harass the Romans, attacking their workmen, and thwarting their plans whenever possible. Their success motivates hundreds of Jewish youth to join themselves to him and his band. Eventually some 8000 men submit themselves to his leadership. They continue to harass the Romans, until the time comes for their final stand in the defense of Jerusalem and the Temple.
Taking from the records of historian, Flavius Josephus, Henty paints a highly detailed picture of the actual events. For the Temple is G.A. Henty at his best—action, adventure, heroism, godly men taking a stand for the right. A solid story, and a satisfying ending.
George Alfred Henty (1832-1902), a former English army officer, veteran of the Crimean War, and newspaper war correspondent, taught world history to generations of young men and women through exciting historical novels. Over the course of his career, he would write more than 120 books which were widely read and accepted. The sale of Henty books were exceeded only by Rudyard Kipling’s works. Some important world leaders of the 20th Century like Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, and Douglas MacArthur, were all Henty readers and admirers.
