Centurion

Who was the man ordered to crucify Christ?

What did he witness that led him to proclaim, “This was surely the Son of God?” Traditionally, we named him, the Centurion Abenadar, and we know almost nothing about him. The novel, Centurion, gives life to Centurion Abenadar.

Abenadar’s life is based on primary source documents about the Roman Legion. Abenadar was close enough to the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, that Pilate trusted him with the responsibility of the controversial and potentially explosive crucifixion of Christ. At the same time, Abenadar was a man to whom Pilate effortlessly gave the dirty work of the crucifixion, the execution for which Pilate himself would not take responsibility.

Centurion casts Abenadar as the bastard child of the Roman ambassador to the court of Herod the Great. Abenadar’s mother was a Judean girl, the Roman ambassador’s concubine. When the ambassador returned to Rome, he left her pregnant, and in disgrace. The girl returned to her home in Nazareth of Galilee. She named her son, Abenadar, after his father.

Abenadar’s father did not leave him with nothing—he granted his son Roman citizenship. When Abenadar accepted his legacy, he also discovered a place in the Roman Legion stationed in Galilee. Abenadar found in the legion and Roman citizenship a boon and a curse. From his mother’s training in Herod’s court, Abenadar spoke and read Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and from the taint of his father’s legacy and his hard childhood, Abenadar learned to be a cunning fighter. The legion honed these skills. Centurion maps the rise of Abenadar through the ranks and units in Palestine until he is a chief advisor and one of the lead Centurions in Jerusalem. In this capacity, he both advised Pilate and became the vehicle to enact Pilate’s decree.

Abenadar was more than a Centurion; he was also half Judean. His abilities derived from his understanding and communication with the people of Judea. But Abenadar was a man, not a piece of cardboard—all the forces in his life shaped and formed him. He fervently trusted in God—and in the legion. When he accidentally rescued a prostitute, Ruth, in the streets of Jerusalem, he redeemed her—for himself. Ruth was a destitute girl; the death of her parents forced her into her past life. After Abenadar took her in, she lived a semblance of the life she was raised to lead. Life with Ruth changed Abenadar. He returned to the Judean practice of his youth, and through Ruth’s faith, Abenadar’s life became connected to the new prophet—Jesus.

Abenadar experienced the events in the city of Jerusalem from inside the court of Pilate and from the city streets. When Jesus was brought before Pilate, Abenadar became his interpreter and translator. When Pilate gave Jesus over to the Priests, he instructed Abenadar to crucify Jesus.

Through Abenadar’s eyes, Centurion reveals the crucifixion and the resurrection. Abenadar’s greatest fear was that he would lose Ruth, for she believed the message of the prophet he must execute. But Abenadar misjudged Ruth’s love and her faith. And he misjudged how his experience of the Christ would change him.

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The finest escape in literature is an escape into a real and inviting culture—so asserts L. D. Alford a novelist who explores with originality those cultures and societies we think we already know. He builds tales that make ancient people and times real to us. His stories uniquely explore the connections between events close and familiar and events of the past—he cleaves them together with threads of reality that bring the past alive. L. D. Alford is familiar with technology and cultures—he earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Dayton. He is a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and the US Air Force Test Pilot School. He is widely traveled and has spent long periods in Europe and Central America. His writing includes over 40 technical articles and a historical fiction novel The Second Mission published by Xulon. L. D. Alford is an author who combines intimate scientific and cultural knowledge into fiction worlds that breathe reality.

	Novels by this Author

	The Second Mission (Available now)
	Centurion (Available now published by Copestone)
	Aegypt (Available now published by Copestone)
	The Dragon and the Fox The End of Honor (Available now published by Copestone) The Fox’s Honor (Fall ’08) A Season of Honor (Winter ’08)


	ISBN: 1602900124 ISBN-13: 9781602900127 Format: Paperback, 400pp Publisher: Capstone Publishing Group LLC Pub. Date: January 2008

	Reviews:
	Book Review CENTURION By L.D. Alford Capstone, 978-1-60290-012-7, PB, 382 pages, $17.95 The book review below appeared in the Summer 2008 edition of Church Libraries, A Publication of the Evangelical Church Library Association. Click this link to see the review in context: CenturionNovel.com/Centurion Review in Church Libraries.pdf

	Book Review CENTURION By L.D. Alford Capstone, 978-1-60290-012-7, PB, 382 pages, $17.95 Abendar and his mother endured disapproving stares in the village of Natzeret, but so did Yesuha son of Yosef and Miryam. The two boy outcasts became fast friends. Abendar then left his village to join the Roman Legion and eventually rose to the rank of centurion. Abendar subsequently rescued Ruth, a woman from the streets, and fell in love with her. As the story now unfolds after years have passed, we see that Ruth believes that Jesus is the Messiah, but Abendar is doubtful, although curious. However, his duty to the legion and Pontius Pilate may cause him to lose everything-Ruth's love, his friendship with Jesus, and his soul's redemption. "Centurion" is a heartwarming tale about an unlikely friendship, love and a painful betrayal. A passage from Psalms begins each chapter and gives a clue as to what will happen. Alford does a beautiful job of creating realistic characters and believable dialogue. This is a book for teens and adults. The reader gets a picture of daily life in Jesus' time. Highly recommended. http://www.aboiteindependent.com/content/features_content.htm

	A longing heart. An unlikely friendship. Love...and the bitterest of betrayals.

	Who was the man ordered to crucify Christ?

	What did he witness that led him to proclaim, “This was surely the Son of God?” Traditionally, we named him, the Centurion Abenadar, and we know almost nothing about him. The novel, Centurion, gives life to Centurion Abenadar. Abenadar’s life is based on primary source documents about the Roman Legion. Abenadar was close enough to the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, that Pilate trusted him with the responsibility of the controversial and potentially explosive crucifixion of Christ. At the same time, Abenadar was a man to whom Pilate effortlessly gave the dirty work of the crucifixion, the execution for which Pilate himself would not take responsibility. Centurion casts Abenadar as the bastard child of the Roman ambassador to the court of Herod the Great. Abenadar’s mother was a Judean girl, the Roman ambassador’s concubine. When the ambassador returned to Rome, he left her pregnant, and in disgrace. The girl returned to her home in Nazareth of Galilee. She named her son, Abenadar, after his father. Abenadar’s father did not leave him with nothing—he granted his son Roman citizenship. When Abenadar accepted his legacy, he also discovered a place in the Roman Legion stationed in Galilee. Abenadar found in the legion and Roman citizenship a boon and a curse. From his mother’s training in Herod’s court, Abenadar spoke and read Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and from the taint of his father’s legacy and his hard childhood, Abenadar learned to be a cunning fighter. The legion honed these skills. Centurion maps the rise of Abenadar through the ranks and units in Palestine until he is a chief advisor and one of the lead Centurions in Jerusalem. In this capacity, he both advised Pilate and became the vehicle to enact Pilate’s decree. Abenadar was more than a Centurion; he was also half Judean. His abilities derived from his understanding and communication with the people of Judea. But Abenadar was a man, not a piece of cardboard—all the forces in his life shaped and formed him. He fervently trusted in God—and in the legion. When he accidentally rescued a prostitute, Ruth, in the streets of Jerusalem, he redeemed her—for himself. Ruth was a destitute girl; the death of her parents forced her into her past life. After Abenadar took her in, she lived a semblance of the life she was raised to lead. Life with Ruth changed Abenadar. He returned to the Judean practice of his youth, and through Ruth’s faith, Abenadar’s life became connected to the new prophet—Jesus. Abenadar experienced the events in the city of Jerusalem from inside the court of Pilate and from the city streets. When Jesus was brought before Pilate, Abenadar became his interpreter and translator. When Pilate gave Jesus over to the Priests, he instructed Abenadar to crucify Jesus. Through Abenadar’s eyes, Centurion reveals the crucifixion and the resurrection. Abenadar’s greatest fear was that he would lose Ruth, for she believed the message of the prophet he must execute. But Abenadar misjudged Ruth’s love and her faith. And he misjudged how his experience of the Christ would change him.

	Meet the Author

		Centurion

	The finest escape in literature is an escape into a real and inviting culture—so asserts L. D. Alford a novelist who explores with originality those cultures and societies we think we already know. He builds tales that make ancient people and times real to us. His stories uniquely explore the connections between events close and familiar and events of the past—he cleaves them together with threads of reality that bring the past alive. L. D. Alford is familiar with technology and cultures—he earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Dayton. He is a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and the US Air Force Test Pilot School. He is widely traveled and has spent long periods in Europe and Central America. His writing includes over 40 technical articles and a historical fiction novel The Second Mission published by Xulon. L. D. Alford is an author who combines intimate scientific and cultural knowledge into fiction worlds that breathe reality.

	L.D. Alford is the author of 41 technical papers published in international journals on flight test, military policy, flight safety, space, and cyberwar. Technical Writing

	L.D. Alford has been a professional aviator for 28 years. Aviation Writing

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	Invitation by Dorian Graham