{"id":12602,"date":"2023-06-15T23:05:30","date_gmt":"2023-06-16T03:05:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourwanderyears.com\/blog\/?p=12602"},"modified":"2023-06-16T17:04:04","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T21:04:04","slug":"witness-to-the-crucifixion-by-david-benjamin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourwanderyears.com\/blog\/2023\/06\/15\/witness-to-the-crucifixion-by-david-benjamin\/","title":{"rendered":"“Witness to the Crucifixion” by David Benjamin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Copyright 2022 by David Benjamin. Published by Last Kid Books, Madison WI.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The usual disclaimer: David Benjamin is a lifelong friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started reading Witness to the Crucifixion<\/em> with the expectation that it would be written with the same whimsy that characterizes Benjamin’s other books. I expected a fun read. But a quarter of the way into it I realized that this book was devoid of whimsy. It was a serious book. A mystery, like his Jim Otis books (e.g., Woman Trouble<\/a><\/em>), but heavier. I was disappointed. I occasionally read a serious book, but it is always non-fiction. When I read a mystery I want to be entertained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I put the book aside and started another. But the question kept nagging me: where was Benjamin headed with this most unusual book? I picked it up again. And finished it today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I have to characterize and evaluate the book. This is going to be very difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it is a mystery. But the “detective” is the apostle Paul. He is, 10 years after the death of Jesus on the cross, tormented by his role in his death (he was a spy who fed information to the men in power) and tortured by a growing belief that Jesus was, indeed, the Son of God. He is driven to understand fully what happened at the crucifixion as he believes that a great secret was revealed to the few who witnessed his death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I won’t reveal that secret but will say that it is a whopper. A mystery with a Big Reveal is always satisfying. But in this case I think the characters are even more interesting than the Big Reveal. As chronicled by Benjamin, the characters were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n