Harvest of Gold
Praise for
Harvest of Gold
Harvest of Gold
is a great story. But it is more than that.
The people come alive on the pages
and in their pain and struggle you will see yourself.
—CHRIS FABRY,
award-winning author and radio personality
Harvest of Gold
is a
compelling historical novel
whose characters will dwell in your thoughts long after you close the book. Author Tessa Afshar has done a wonderful job with this story set in the days of Nehemiah, giving us a glimpse of what might have been. I could
see
ancient Jerusalem and Persia through her descriptions, and am richer in my knowledge of those times for having read this book.
Don’t miss it!
—JILL EILEEN SMITH,
bestselling author of the Wives of King David series
Engaging. Inspiring. Heart-stopping and heartrending.
Harvest of Gold
takes readers on a journey from ancient Persia to the broken-down walls of Jerusalem, rebuilding our hope as Nehemiah’s story is woven through
a complex plot with multi-layered characters we love and hate and then love some more
. A fabulous historical novel that sent me straight back to God’s Word!
—MESU ANDREWS,
award-winning author (winner of the ECPA Christian Book Award for New Author of the Year, 2012)
Praise for
Harvest of Rubies
Sarah is a Jew in ancient Persia, cousin of Nehemiah, and the daughter of the scribe Simeon, whose attention she wins only when she proves to possess literary abilities of her own. In this latest by Afshar (
Pearl in the Sand
), the Bible’s ancient Near Eastern context is the setting for an engaging story of pluck, friendship, and faith. Sarah becomes a professional scribe and wins the affections of the queen only to find herself bound to marry a man she doesn’t know and forced to give up the job she loves. When she botches her wedding and is abandoned to a rural estate, it would seem that all is lost. But Sarah finds wisdom and strength in the texts and traditions of her people, and knits together an unconventional community of support. Afshar’s story challenges misconceptions about harem life and the roles of ancient women while
introducing readers to a lovable heroine whose good heart wins out over bumbling ways to prove a boon to others, too
.
—WENDY LAWTON
, agent, Books and Such,
Publishers Weekly
, 5/14/12
In
Harvest of Rubies
, gifted author Tessa Afshar transports us to an ancient time where
we find a heroine who feels like a contemporary friend
. A scribe in the court of Persia, Sarah struggles with placing her value in what she does instead of who she is in God. Her faith journey strengthened mine and will inspire yours.
—LAUREN YARGER
, National Book Critics Circle
I loved your book
Harvest of Rubies
! … Sarah is a wonderful character—always herself no matter what the situation. I loved the way she always said exactly what she thought. And Darius is terrific too—readers will adore him.
A wonderful story with a totally captivating heroine. Readers won’t be able to tear themselves away
.
—JOAN WOLF,
author
© 2013 by
TESSA AFSHAR
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Scripture references are from Psalm 16:10–11; Psalm 139:13; Psalm 127:1; Psalm 23:6; Judges 6:15; Nehemiah 6:2–3; 6:6–7; Deuteronomy 6:4–5; 14–15; 7:7–10; 30:6.
Some Scripture quotations are taken from the
Holy Bible, New International Version®
, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
www.zondervan.com
Some Scripture quotations are taken from the
Holy Bible, New Living Translation
, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189, U.S.A. All rights reserved.
Published in association with the Books & Such Literary Agency, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, CA 94509-5370.
Edited by Pam Pugh
Interior design: Ragont Design
Author photo: Christine Richenburg
Cover design: Brand Navigation, LLC
Cover images: Fotolia #44539542 / 43222776 / 13517409 / 3964088
Shutterstock #43641661 / 93812500
iStock #18200424
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Afshar, Tessa.
Harvest of gold / Tessa Afshar.
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-8024-0559-3
1. Marriage--Fiction. 2. Jewish families--Fiction. I. Title.
PS3601.F47H37 2013
813’.6--dc23
2013002306
ISBN: 978-0-8024-0559-3
We hope you enjoy this book from River North Fiction by Moody Publishers. Our goal is to provide high-quality, thought provoking books and products that connect truth to your real needs and challenges. For more information on other books and products written and produced from a biblical perspective, go to
www.moodypublishers.com
or write to:
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Imprint of Moody Publishers
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For my brother:
Thank you for your loyalty, generosity,
and unwavering belief in me
.
Contents
587–586 BC
Judah is captured by Babylon, and the Temple is destroyed.
559–530 BC
Cyrus the Great establishes the largest empire the world has ever known and founds the Achaemenid dynasty. In 538 Cyrus sets Israel free from its Babylonian captivity as foretold by Isaiah (44:24–45:5). He donates money from his own treasury toward the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.
530–522 BC
Cambyses, Cyrus’s eldest son, conquers Egypt. His reign is briefly followed by his younger brother, Bardia, who dies shortly thereafter under strange circumstances.
521–486 BC
Darius the Great expands the Persian Empire so that at its height it encompasses approximately eight million miles of territory. Next to Cyrus, he is the most admired Achaemenid king. He is probably not the king referred to in the book of Daniel 6:1–28, since Daniel would be quite old at this time.
486–465 BC
Xerxes takes over his father’s great dynasty. He is best known for his notorious attack on Greece and for choosing a simple Jewish girl named Esther as his queen. The date of this event is not known. For details, see the book of Esther.
465–424 BC
Artaxerxes is known as a benevolent king who replaces several harsh laws with more humane rulings. He sends his cupbearer, Nehemiah, back to Jerusalem in 445 in order to rebuild its ruined walls.
334 BC
Alexander the Great conquers Persia.
Approx. 33 AD
Jesus of Nazareth is crucified.
CHARACTERS
in order of appearance or mention
Sarah—
former scribe to the queen; wife of Darius
Darius Pasargadae—
Persian aristocrat; Sarah’s husband
Pari—
handmaiden to Sarah
Damaspia—
queen of Persia
Artaxerxes—
king of Persia
Nehemiah—
cupbearer to the king; relative of Sarah
Arta and Meres—
members of Darius’s personal guard
Niq, Nassir—
Babylonian brothers
Megabyzus—
Persian general
Mardonius—
member of the Immortals
Lysander—
friend of Darius
Hanani—
brother of Nehemiah
Pyrus—
nephew of Megabyzus and a provincial governor
Zikir—
high-ranking official from Damascus
Roxanna—
daughter of a Persian aristocrat and woman of many talents
Sanballat the Horonite—
leader of Samaria who opposes Nehemiah
Tobiah—
Ammonite leader who opposes Nehemiah
Zenobia—
daughter of Zikir
THE TWENTIETH YEAR OF KING ARTAXERXES’ REIGN
*
WINTER, PERSEPOLIS
Sarah’s head snapped up as the door to her chamber burst open with uncharacteristic force. Her friend and handmaiden, Pari, rushed in, tunic askew, strands of usually pristine brown hair hanging around her face in a haphazard tangle.
“The baby’s here!” she said, her voice high as she waved a long arm for emphasis.
Sarah jumped to her feet. “And Apama? How is she?” Apama, the wife of the second assistant gardener, had gone into labor with her first baby three days ago. The baby had proven reluctant to come. By the end of the second day everyone had started to fear the worst.
Pari’s lips flattened into a straight line. “Bardia says she is too weak. They allowed me a glimpse of her before I came over. She’s whiter than a bowl of yogurt, and lies shaking in spite of the fire burning in the brazier next to her pallet.”