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George D. LeMaitre

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Crucified Under Pontius Pilate

by George D. LeMaitre

great historical novel, reviewed December 19, 2003

History condemns Pontius Pilate as the executioner of Jesus, though to the Roman Prefect of Judea from 27-37 AD at that time his victim was just one more Jew crucified. After his decade in Judea, he returned to Rome accompanied as always by his wife Claudia of five decades to serve as a minor government worker. When Jews and Christians move into his sector of Rome, debates occur over the new religion. Pontius learns that the Christians were followers of a Jesus Christ, who he had crucified when he ruled in Judea. He and Claudia return to Judea to learn more about Jesus, but find a divided populace. Was he the messiah, a superstar prophet, or a PR charlatan? As Pontius begins to change his beliefs, he mentally breaks down due to feeling guilt over his role in the murder of Jesus.

CRUCIFIED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE: THE PARTIALLY RECOVERED MEMOIRS OF HIS BELOVED WIFE CLAUDIA will turn up on the short lists of best historical novel of 2004 by those fortunate to read it. Claudia's fictionalized account is an insightful work of fiction that provides a deep look at the secular Roman Empire, the monotheistic Judea, and several polytheistic kingdoms. It illustrates real events and actions of historical persona especially her husband. The Jews are an interesting people clearly divided over Jesus while the Romans seem bewildered by the whole affair. Finally of course there is Jesus as seen through several individuals but especially Pontius (through his wife's memoirs) looking back at what he wrought. This is a fantastic tale filled with historical personage and a feel for the era that hooks the audience throughout.

Harriet Klausner

Fascinating Ensemble Of Fact
appearing on Amazon March 16, 2004
Reviewer: kdaly from Weston Massachusetts

CRUCIFIED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, an historical novel by George LeMaitre, is a fascinating ensemble of fact, fiction and fancy, all packaged in a 413 page memoir of Pilate's wife Claudia, as she tries to unravel the many personalities of a man who ruled Judea for the Romans 2000 years ago, and a man responsible for the most heinous crime in history, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

There is an almost superabundance of great history here. At first it swirled in my head, causing confusion and anxiety, as I tried to keep all these facts of the Roman occupation of Judea clear in my mind. They were tough rulers, demanding heavy taxes and a conformity to their pagan culture, something totally unacceptable to the monotheistic Jews. The Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate, himself a secularist, ruled over a kingdom of people who held. to the presence of a one, true God. The clashes are evident throughout the novel.

Claudia seeks to understand her husband as he, later in his middle years, tries desperately to understand what this Christianity is all about, who this Jesus was and what role, if any, he played in the crucifixion. I was struck by the bi polar nature of this man Pilate as characterized by his wife throughout the novel. When facing any physical or military confrontation, Pilate was as strong as Tarzan and unbeatable by any enemy. This contrasted with his political and social weaknesses and failures, a man unable to face another with any degree of self assurance.

The novel has many themes: it is the fifty year marriage of two people who remained faithful to each other but not in their beliefs and visions; a geo political clash of cultures, a stand off cold war between Empires, and a study of the complex issues of guilt and responsibility for the death of Christ.

Approach this great piece of work, as I did, with caution and patience. Your effort is worth the price. It is filled with surprises, intrigues and conundrums, not to mention some damn good history of ancient Rome and Palestine. You will probably love Claudia, as I did. You may have very ambivalent feelings towards Pontius Pilate. I surely did.

Things truly do not change, not even after 20 centuries!

Reviewed by Kathleen Daly
Weston, Massachusetts

CRUCIFIED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, written by Dr. George Le Maitre, is a treasure trove of ancient History with a seamless joining and blending of fact and fiction as told by Claudia Procula, the loving and dedicated wife of Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate, known intimately as "Pilatus", and his feelings spilled out onto every page: his questioning, wondering, depression, and anxiety were truly real. While reading one could feel his agony. Should he or shouldn't he have ordered the execution of Jesus Christ? That is the big question that follows Pontius Pilate to his grave.

For Ancient History buffs and students of Religion, information seekers, believers, defenders, and questioners, for those wanting desperately to know the answers to whether the Jews, Jewish priests, or the Romans, crucified Christ or whether all Christians were first Jews and then Christians, for those wanting to know how the transition happened, how long this situation took to resolve itself, if it is indeed resolved even today, for those looking for clear cut, definitive answers to questions that formed two thousand years ago, this book is a "must read".

CRUCIFIED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE explodes as a metaphor of what is happening in our world today: excessive drinking, gambling, sex abuse, child molestation, briberies and murders. Furthermore, the ability to use a woman as the speaker is handled so well, so cleverly done, by Dr. Le Maitre that not once would you imagine Claudia to be anything but a loving, thoughtful, kind, brilliant woman standing by her husband under times of stress and deep agony of mind.

Mary Guziejka and
Ed Guziejka, author of Pain—My Friend
www.painmyfriend.com

5 star review on Amazon.com, reviewed 12/02/2003

This historical novel by George LeMaitre, to be published in January 2004, ranks high on my list of exciting, history-filled and relevant information about ancient Rome and the occupation of ancient Palestine.

On its surface it is a book dealing with the issues of guilt and responsibility for the crucifixion and death of Jesus some 2000 years ago. The author surely deals with this controversial subject in a most balanced way, focusing sharply on the place of the Jewish priests, the issue of Jewish people involvement and, of course, the place ancient Rome and its Judean Governor Pontius Pilate played in all of this.

But it is deeper than that in a most mysterious and profound way. It really addresses a 2000-year-old cold war, a war between the West and the East. Then it was Rome versus Parthia, a kingdom coincidentally including Iran and Iraq! But it was also secular Rome, a deteriorating, polytheistic Empire versus Palestine, populated by Jews, the only people in the world who held to one personal God.

The Roman Empire, which dominated the whole known world at the time of Pontius Pilate, was a mélange of secular and polytheistic beliefs. The many gods of Rome came to be tucked away and honored in museums while the people became essentially secular. The Empire dominated Palestine and found a people steeped in an intense religious faith and the belief in one God. The Jews hung tenaciously to their belief in one supreme ruler and accepted no other gods, nor any images of gods. This created serious and recurrent controversies between Rome and the Jews. Rome could not easily tolerate this unique religious system. Roman law and custom required the worshipping of the Emperor. This the Jews could not do. This mismatch of beliefs between the conqueror and the conquered served always to create severe friction between the two groups.

Enter two personalities: Jesus, revolutionary, Jewish and monotheistic and Pontius Pilate, secular leader of Rome in Palestine. LeMaitre's novel deals with these conflicting arrangements of personalities in much detail, always through the observant mind of his wife, Claudia, the voice of the novel.

If you are interested in learning a magnificent array and assortment of details about first century Rome, the fifty-year marriage of Pontius Pilate and his wife Claudia, the geo-political nature of Rome's occupation of Palestine and the question of who was guilty and responsible for the death of Jesus, find a comfortable chair by the fireplace and do some heavy thinking as you peruse 431 pages of fact, fiction and fantasy. The similarity between ancient Rome and the modern world is breathtaking.

Reviewed by Denise Brown,
Topsfield, Massachusetts

Review appearing on Amazon.com

When agreeing to review CRUCIFIED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, I questioned who he was, and what that era was like. The answers to my many questions came from a surprising source: George D. LeMaitre, MD. Author George LeMaitre shows his readers, besides being a vascular surgeon, that he has a remarkable gift of the written word. It's quite apparent to this reviewer, that the author is quite knowledgeable of this era and these memorable people. Where someone would see Pontius as the executioner of Jesus, Author George Lemaitre shows us the man behind the legend, through the fictional memoirs of his wife Claudia. The author not only proves himself to be a competent historian, but an eloquent fictional writer as well. George Lemaitre brings life and personality to legends of our history. He shows his readers his obvious talent of bringing powerful passions and emotions to a compelling female character. This is a rare gift among male authors and George Lemaitre has mastered it well.

CRUCIFIED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE isn't a book I would normally find myself reading; however, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author did an outstanding job of mixing fact with fiction. Furthermore, unless you are attuned to this time in our history it will be hard to decipher fact from fiction. That's what makes this book such a great read.

Reviewed by Kimberly Hayes,
Dallas, Texas

Review appearing on Amazon.com

Pilate stands against the panorama of history as a spot of gray; not quite a villain, but certainly no hero. He has been portrayed as a tyrant by some, a man caught in the middle by others, and declared a saint in a few circles. The truth is most likely a mixture of the three, as proposed in this novel.

Beginning several years after the Resurrection, the story is told by Claudia, Pilate's wife who is said to have warned him not to sentence Christ to death. By now, the couple has returned to Rome and is witnessing the beginnings of the mysterious religious movement called Christianity. At first, it means little to them, but as time passes, curiousity grows, until Pilate is driven to return to Judea and try to reconstruct the life of Jesus, whom he bareely recalls. There he meets the original disciples and those who now follow. As he begins to remember and learn, both Pilate and Claudia are transformed.

*** Much has been written of late of the early church. While this novel will doubtlessly play to a smaller audience than a more popular book, it is superior in its portrayal of the men and women who followed Christ at the outset. Most notably, the author has shown clearly how Jesus can change the lives of those He touches, no matter how far they have fallen. ***

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore

"I have read Dr. LeMaitre's manuscript. I am neither a literary critic nor a professional historian, so I am in no position to appraise its prospects of publication, or its full factual accuracy on all details. But … I did find it an amazing and most enriching work.

The author, obviously, is a man of vast classical learning who has researched the place and period profoundly. He does succeed in bring to life some very unique personalities and environments. One might quibble about some very minor details, yet his overall command of that segment of Jewish, Roman and Greek realities is truly breathtaking.

And I was moved by his splendidly open-minded and empathetic approach to a most controversial subject. Quite clearly, his perspective is a Christian one (though at times a bit unorthodox.)

But his ability to recreate Jewish attitudes, feelings, fears, loyalties is indeed admirable. There is a generosity of spirit in evidence on every page ---- and I am touched by it, and very thankful for it.

I do sincerely hope that the work will gain the recognition it so richly deserves. Again I salute the author …"

Dr. Andre Ungar, Rabbi
Temple Emanuel
Woodcliff Lake, NJ
July 15, 2003

"Crucified Under Pontius Pilate is the balm for those who are concerned with the arrival of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion". George LeMaitre's novel brings us into a voyeuristic tour of Pontius Pilate's dealings with the inhabitants of Judea, his early concern for Rome as Christianity took root and his late in life return to Judea to discover his own connection to Jesus and his followers --- all that told through the memoirs of his wife, Claudia.

The charge of deicide, an issue until 1965 when the Vatican absolved the Jewish community of this crime, is now back on the scene. LeMaitre's approach, scholarly and timely, helps us confront the realities of the crucifixion without designation of culpability. Pontius Pilate's role leads to a reactive guilt and ultimately a symbiosis with the new religion preached by the Disciples.

LeMaitre's novel should lay to rest any possible implications of guilt on the part of the Jews that may be contained within Mel Gibson's upcoming movie."

Herbert Dardik, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Clinical Professor of Surgery
Mt. Sinai School of Medicine
New York City