They Called Him Yeshua: The Story of the Young Jesus
by Donald L. Brake
Bio
A former pastor, Don lives with wife Carol, in Flower Mound, Texas. He is the Dean Emeritus of Multnomah Biblical Seminary of Multnomah University. Don has served as a Missionary in Ethiopia, SIM; Professor of Theology, Multnomah Biblical Seminary; Pastor, North Carrollton Baptist Church; President, Institute of Holy Land Studies (now Jerusalem University College; and dean Multnomah Biblical Seminary; and co-founder Living Word Bible Museum. He is currently a freelance writer.
Don’s experience as president of the Institute in Jerusalem has given him insight into 
the historical, cultural, and geographical background of Israel and the life of Christ. Dr. Brake has led tours to the Holy Land and has taught the life of Christ and the Bible’s historical/cultural backgrounds for more than thirty-five years.
Dr. Brake wrote a series of fifteen articles for the St. Louis Metro Voice and has published the Wycliffe New Testament. His book A Visual History of the English Bible was published in 2008 (a 2009 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Christian Book Award finalist); Jesus, a Visual History with Todd Bolen, 2014; A Monarch’s Majestic Translation, in 2017; and A Visual History of the King James Bible, in 2011 (with Shelly Beach; also translated into Portuguese as “Uma Historia Visual Da Biblia King James”), a commemorative edition celebrating four hundred years of the King James Version. His major article “Versions, English” was published in The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, vol. volume 5, Abington Press.
Book Description
Brake and Beach invite the reader to “time travel” into the first century, the world of an ordinary family facing extraordinary challenges, as they grapple with young Jesus’s developing self-awareness and preparation for His divine mission.
My Review
4 Smiles
Dr. Brake’s first novel is a powerful glimpse into both the deity and humanity of Jesus, the Christ. Written from the perspectives of a young Joseph and Mary, this book takes us into the volatile world of the Roman occupation and the emotional upheaval of two people charged with the impossible task of parenting the Son of God.
Because I knew Dr. Brake lived in Israel for several years and I’d read his scholarly non-fiction, I was confident his research and accuracy would be faultless. His “world-building” descriptions were wonderful, placing me in the moment with Joseph and Mary’s families as they experienced Rome’s cruelty and Herod’s impulsiveness.
The biblical/history lover in me gives this book a 5+ star rating. The fiction/story lover gives it 3½ stars. The pacing, character development, and other “craft” elements could be stronger, but I was so caught up in the fascinating history of the Nativity story, I didn’t really care! This is not only an important work of fiction to make a regular part of my Christmas reading but also a thought-provoking read any time of year. Well done, Dr. Brake! I’d love to see more New Testament stories from this gifted scholar.
