As the ruler of Judea from 76 to 67 B.C.E., Queen Salome Alexandra (ca. 141 B.C.E.-67 B.C.E.) appointed the kingdom's high priest, led its men in battle, subjugated neighboring kings, and stopped the religious violence that plagued her society. Presiding over Judea's greatest period of peace and prosperity, she shaped the Judaism of Jesus' day as well as our own. Virtually unknown today, Queen Salome remained so unique that historians have largely ignored her rather than try to explain the perplexing circumstances that brought her to power. This volume recreates Queen Salome's fascinating life and the time in which she lived--an age when women ruled the Middle East.

Queen Salome Alexandra ruled ancient Judea in the turbulent century before the birth of Jesus. She led troops, introduced universal education, expanded the rights of women, and brought healing to a nation torn apart by a civil war between the Pharisees and Sadducees. Vividly evoking scenes of ancient Jerusalem, Judy Petsonk's novel brings to life the queen's stormy relationship with her husband--and her love for the people who called her Shalom-Zion: the peace of Zion.

Born in the small village of Modein, a town made famous by the warrior Maccabees, Salome Alexandra knows better than to harbor grand dreams for her future. She pales in comparison to her beautiful older sister, and though she learns to read at an early age, girls are not valued for their intellectual ability. But when her father and sister are killed, John Hyrcanus, a distant relative, invites Salome and her mother to live with his family in Jerusalem, where her thirst for knowledge is noticed and indulged. When her guardian betroths her to a pagan prince, she questions HaShem's plan. When Hyrcanus finally marries her to a boy half her age, she questions her guardian's sanity. But though Salome spends much of her life as a pawn ordered about by powerful men, she learns that a woman committed to HaShem can change the world.

Based on a story from the Bible, ‘Salomé’ provoked such outrage that it was banned from the British stage for a number of years. However, fiercely defended by academics for its literary worth, that law was finally overturned. In this dark tale, the beautiful Salomé tries to seduce the imprisoned prophet, Iokanaan. When he refuses her advances, Salomé is transformed into the ultimate femme fatale. A lyrical and fascinating play that deals with the themes of love, lust, revenge, murder, and madness, ‘Salomé’ is ideal for those who want to see Wilde at his most bloodthirsty. Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) was an Irish novelist, poet, playwright, and wit. He was an advocate of the Aesthetic movement, which extolled the virtues of art for the sake of art. During his career, Wilde wrote nine plays, including ‘The Importance of Being Earnest,’ ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan,’ and ‘A Woman of No Importance,’ many of which are still performed today. His only novel, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ was adapted for the silver screen, in the film, ‘Dorian Gray,’ starring Ben Barnes and Colin Firth. In addition, Wilde wrote 43 poems, and seven essays. His life was the subject of a film, starring Stephen Fry.

An epic cat tale set in the West Country: the House of Bast is in turmoil and only Ka, Princess of the Foreign Black clan, can save Alice and her beloved son Pangur Ban. She must call down the power of the goddess and seek the help of Cailleach Bheurr, Queen of the Ferals, if peace is to be restored.

What if reality TV met one of our oldest stories of blood revenge, lust, envy, and coming-of-age? Though the story of SalomŽ has been told down through the ages, this new rendition from a woman's perspective portrays mother-daughter forgiveness based on the story of the sensuous young woman who danced for Herod then demanded John the Baptist's head on a platter at her mother's instigation. Lush language and a riveting storyline combine to create this small jewel from debut novelist Patti Rutka.