Joseph fights to maintain his spiritual integrity while trying desperately to keep his family together and his farm alive. By accepting the Rabbi's request, Joseph unknowingly thrusts himself and his family into a bitter and emotionally draining life-or-death conflict. With crisp prose, tangible description and thought-provoking insights, Before Bethlehem takes readers on a vivid journey to the dusty Galilean village of Nazareth, where Joseph is summoned by Rabbi Boethus, a Sadducean high priest, to marry an orphaned virgin in Jerusalem. “Before Bethlehem” is available at Pinnacle of History through the Eyes of a Boy This spellbinding work of historical fiction offers the eyewitness account of 15-year-old James, son of Joseph bar Jacob, and the dangerous and heartrending choices his family must make in the days leading up to Joseph's relationship with Mary, and the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. “People can relate to not knowing where the journey of life will take us,” he said. The story will explore what it was like for them to be in a land with unfamiliar traditions and customs and how Joseph cared for his special wife and son. His credentials also include a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications management and a master’s degree in business administration from DeVry University, a graduate certificate in professional writing from Cincinnati University and a certificate in biblical and theological studies from Sewanee-The University of the South.įlerlage, who now works for an engineering services and software provider, said “Before Bethlehem” ends with Joseph and his family fleeing from Bethlehem, so his next book will pick up the story from there and take the family to Egypt. Since 1996, he has written articles for a number of magazines, including Cincinnati Business Courier, Microsoft Windows Magazine, Cross Country Music, Desktop Engineering and Master Teacher.

Additionally, an English professor at DeVry Institute of Technology in Kansas City, Mo., recognized his talent and encouraged him to be more serious about his writing.

Marys sparked his interest in writing and helped develop his skills. Flerlage said his teachers at his elementary and high schools in St.

Before Bethlehem by James Flerlage