I surveyed the chamber in the wavering light: my new home. The events of a week had uprooted everything I knew. There would be no sunshine in the cave, no Yonaton, no Dahlia. Yet I was still alive, which was more than could be said for Shimon or Tzadok.

Drained from the journey, I laid out my sleeping mat. Uriel knelt down in front of the lamp and contemplated the flame with unblinking eyes.

Despite my exhaustion, I dared to break the silence we’d maintained since the roadblock. “What do you see, Master?”

“All things above are reflected below. So it is with the Lamp of Darkness, reflected in the flame.”

“You see darkness in the flame?”

“Look closely at the center. Darkness surrounds the wick, consuming it, emitting no light.”

I moved closer to examine the flame.

“That is the shadow of the lamp of darkness. Beneath the blackness is a thin layer of sapphire, the color of the Throne of Glory, on which the Holy One sits. The darkness appears greater than the blue, but does not dim its brilliance.”

The flame filled my vision. At first, the blue jumped and faded, but as I concentrated, it grew in depth and radiance. “Master, the darkness makes the blue seem even brighter.”

“Indeed. So it is with our world. No amount of darkness can destroy the light, no matter how deep the darkness grows.”

Uriel sighed. “The order of the world has flipped. Once, light dwelled above and shadows filled the caves. Now darkness will reign over the land and light will retreat underground.”

My master turned away from the lamp to face me and fire reflected in his bright eyes. “It appears, Lev ben Yochanan HaKohen, we have the time to begin your education after all.”

Dear Reader,

As an avid reader myself, I treasure the feeling of connection with an author that I get from reading a book. But now that I’m an author, I’m struck by the one-sided nature of that relationship: all readers get a glimpse into the mind of the author, but rarely does the author hear back from the readers. With your help, I’d like to rectify this.

The subject matter of this book is a real passion of mine. In fact, it was the vision of one day being able to share this passion with readers such as yourself that drove me through the six years of writing The Lamp of Darkness.

I’d love it if you would take a moment and share a bit of yourself with me as well. I’m so curious to learn who my readers are, where they live, what they do, and what their passions are. I’m also constantly trying to improve my writing, so it would be a great help to me to know what you liked about the book and what you didn’t. If you’re really willing to engage, please include a picture of yourself holding the book (or your digital device loaded to the book cover). Just note, I intend to post some pictures online, so let me know if you want yours private (and nothing explicit please). My personal email is Dave@TheAgeofProphecy.com, and it’s my aim to respond to all who contact me.

Personally, when curious about a new book, the first thing I do is check out reader reviews, normally on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Until recently, I almost never left reviews myself, but then I realized that the more I participate, the more I can help other readers, and the better the entire system works. Before you move on, please take a moment to leave a review online so that others can benefit from your insights as well.

It has been a privilege to share this journey with you.

P.S. Those of you hungry for more will find an ever-growing library of resources at TheAgeofProphecy.com. Sign up for the newsletter to receive advance notice of new materials, specials, or the next book release. Keep reading for a preview of Book 2, The Key of Rain.

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Glossary

Ahav: Also known as Ahab.

Binyamin: Also known as Benjamin.

Bnei Nevi’im: Literally the children of the prophets, figuratively their students.

Eliyahu: Also known as Elijah.

Emek HaAsefa: Literally, the valley of gathering. A fictional location.

Eved: Slave.

Halil: A straight flute.

Hevron: Also known as Hebron.

Izevel: Also known as Jezebel or Isabel.

Kohanim: Priests (plural).

Kohen: A Priest.

Kinnor: An instrument that most resembles an ancient lyre.

Labneh: A sour, spreadable cheese.

Malkosh: The late rains.

Matnat Ro’im: The shepherd’s gift.

Navi: Prophet.

Navi’im: Prophets.

Navua: Prophecy.

Nevel: An instrument that most resembles an ancient harp.

Nigun: A melody, usually without words.

Niggunim: Plural of Nigun.

Shalom: Peace, also used as a greeting.

Shavuot: Also known as Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks.

Shomron: Also known as Samaria.

Sukkah: The temporary huts built during the festival of Sukkot.

Sukkot: The Festival of Booths when we build and live in temporary huts.

Tefillah: Prayer.