Pillar of Fire: A Historical Novel (Promised Land Series)

601 B. C. ...The Babylonians have come and gone, leaving Jerusalem plundered, weak, and broken. The power-hungry Elders in the city council have banished and murdered the prophets. Anyone foolish enough to voice their support for the prophets has been labeled a "Rekhabite, " a dissenter, a traitor-worthy of death. In the midst of this turmoil, Jonathan the blacksmith has moved his family from Sidon to Jerusalem, bringing with him knowledge of the new alloy, steel. Torn between heeding his wife's warnings and a fear of not providing for his family, Jonathan becomes a pawn in the hands of the Elders of Laban, the captain of the guard. Aaron, Jonathan's crippled son, receives a blessing and a promise of healing, and is told that he will save the life of a prophet. When he is hired by the oil-merchant Lehi, Aaron's life changes forever.