We weren’t even a twinkle in our daddy’s eye when Exodus was published in 1958, but Leon Uris‘ hugely successful novel about the birth of Israel still rocked our world to the last page. Certainly more entertaining than boring old history books, but we had to keep reminding ourselves that Exodus is fiction…or is it?
Uris, who died last year, is credited with bringing the story of the Jewish people to the modern world. He interviewed thousands of people and combed every square inch of Israel to provide an accurate background for his characters. Upon finishing it, we felt like we knew more about the historical events that helped the Jewish state into being. But we’re wondering: has this novel become the primary historical reference for most of us when it comes to speaking about Israel? Is that bad?