Set during the Roman occupation of Israel/Palestine (beginning with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. and ending after the Bar Kochba rebellion, 132-135 C.E.), it tells the story of Elisha ben Abuyah, an obscure historical figure. Born into a Hellenistic Jewish family, at age 10 Elisha is sent to learn Torah and eventually becomes a rabbi of the Sanhedrin, the ruling Jewish body during the Roman occupation. But in his mid …showed first 75 words of 263 total…

…showed last 75 words of 263 total…Israel is particularly moving, as is his recounting of the death of the Ten Martyrs. Rabbi Steinberg apparently faced many of the same conflicts as his protagonist. A scholar and Jewish historian, he was shunned by the Orthodox world because of his modern views. This novel was his attempt to re-create his own conflicts with the American Jewish community. However, the reader should be warned: "As A Driven Leaf" is not an easy-reading "beach" book.