The magnificent work of modern fiction that brings the age of the Talmud to life. The characters include the well-known historical figures: Akiba, Yohanan, Joshua, Eleazar, Beruriah, and Elisha ben Abuyah, whose struggle to live in two worlds destroyed his chance to live in either. Foreword by Chaim PotokRabbi Steinberg's portrayal of Elisha ben Abuyah, a talmudic rabbi who repudiates Judaism and turns to Greek philosophy in search of a rational basis for faith.