The king of Ashur plans to lay siege to Jerusalem, intending to take the city by blocking off the Jews’ water supply. Eleven-year-old Yonatan’s father, one of the best quarrymen in the city, is drafted in to resist the king and Yonatan is desperate to help. The Jewish men hatch a plan to divert the fresh water via a new tunnel so that they and not their enemies will have access to it. The family’s preparations for Pesach coincide with the enemy army’s planned siege. The enemies are struck down by a plague before they can attack. A Tunnel Facts section explains the true story behind the book.
The book is set in ancient Israel and is a wholly Jewish story.
The children have Hebrew names, the family celebrates Shabbat and prepares for Passover in the book, and when Yonatan is worried about what will happen to them, his father says, “Hashem (God) will surely protect us.”
The family observes the commandment of welcoming guests, hachnasat orchim, when a stranger comes asking for food.
Someone accidentally slashes the arm of a quarryman with an axe, and he screams and rolls on the ground. Some sensitive readers may find this upsetting.
What the Book Is About
The king of Ashur plans to lay siege to Jerusalem, intending to take the city by blocking off the Jews’ water supply. Eleven-year-old Yonatan’s father, one of the best quarrymen in the city, is drafted in to resist the king and Yonatan is desperate to help. The Jewish men hatch a plan to divert the fresh water via a new tunnel so that they and not their enemies will have access to it. The family’s preparations for Pesach coincide with the enemy army’s planned siege. The enemies are struck down by a plague before they can attack. A Tunnel Facts section explains the true story behind the book.
Jewish Content & Values
The book is set in ancient Israel and is a wholly Jewish story.
The children have Hebrew names, the family celebrates Shabbat and prepares for Passover in the book, and when Yonatan is worried about what will happen to them, his father says, “Hashem (God) will surely protect us.”
The family observes the commandment of welcoming guests, hachnasat orchim, when a stranger comes asking for food.
Content Advisory
Someone accidentally slashes the arm of a quarryman with an axe, and he screams and rolls on the ground. Some sensitive readers may find this upsetting.
