Fallen from Babel

a contemporary time travel thriller in ancient Babylon

Peter Thornton doesn’t believe in God.

Or rather, he doesn’t believe in one God. “All paths are valid,” he teaches his university students.

One evening he ventures to the archaeology museum and touches an artifact recently discovered from ancient Babylon.

At the touch he is transported three thousand years back in time to Old Testament Babylon.

Somehow the people know him as Rim-Sin, sorcerer and high priest to the gods of Babylon. The moment he arrives he is accused of murder—a murder Rim-Sin committed—and he must run for his life.

Against the backdrop of Nebuchadnezzar’s court at its zenith, he and rival sorcerers vie with Beltshazzar, the Jewish upstart, for the king’s favor. As Peter scrambles to get back to the twenty-first century he encounters a lovely young woman who has some disturbingly powerful arguments about the God of the Bible.

Peter won’t get home until he has fallen from his pride. Fallen from his polytheism. Fallen from Babel.

Do ancient & contemporary religions differ that much?

Interesting & thought-provoking ancient historical fiction that takes on questions of worship in everyday life: Is there only one God? Are there many gods? Can man reach his own divinity? How does what a person worships affect his daily life?

Peter teaches comparative religion at a university & is sucked back in time to ancient Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar, surrounded by their pagan gods & beliefs. He wakes just as he has apparently murdered a young Israelite man. Even on the run from justice, he has a unique perspective as a diviner and wise man. Soon he meets a young woman exiled from Israel, who is his slave & concubine. She challenges his beliefs regarding his ability to reach his own divinity and in his definition of right and wrong. She urges him to consider the logical problems when following his desire and efforts to become divine. Along the journey, Peter experiences the tug on his spirit from more than one power desiring his devotion.

The author has traveled extensively in order to bring authenticity to her historical fiction. I loved the setting and the appearances of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego. This story involves many characters, which brings depth & complexity. I have only briefly touched on the main storyline!

As a Christian I found the questioning of Peter to be fascinating and informative as to the thinking of those who follow a “new age” religion.

The virtual voice narration is a bit of a struggle to follow sometimes. I did appreciate the pronunciation of difficult names! However, there is no longer pause between paragraphs switching to a different scene. I am sure in the printed book there is a larger space with a dividing line/symbol, differentiating them. The listener must pay attention to determine when different characters are speaking, as there is no change in the dialogue voices. Overall, narration is just okay, barely eeking out 3 stars.

The story was worth occasionally having to interpret the virtual voice. I will definitely be reading/listening to more by Tracy Higley!

really good

I was super excited how you tie in the characters with the lineage of Jesus of Nazareth

I didn’t expect to love this so much!

I power through audiobooks, but this one had me really interested. Clever story, and consistent with the way God seems to operate.