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Rabbi Alex Israel is the author of "I Kings: Torn in Two."

By Itamar Shapira, student at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and a Huntsvillian

Rabbi Alex Israel's "I Kings: A Kingdom Torn in Two" acts as a companion for those studying the First Book of Kings of the Bible. I Kings is a complex narrative weaving between two dynamic kingdoms, along with their prophets, idolatrous priests and kings. It represents the epoch of national Jewish sovereignty, both at its climax and during its tragic march to calamity.

Beginning with United Israel's glory and prosperity following Solomon's accession to the throne, and ending with the final destruction of the First Temple Era Jewish world, the Book of Kings is critical for anyone wanting to understand the tumultuous, prophetic world which also serves as the backdrop of Jesus of Nazareth's ministry. In particular, it sheds light on the story of Elijah, who fights desperately to preserve Israel's devotion to God and consequently, national existence.

The world of the prophets, who are burdened with the responsibility of steering an often-unwilling nation back towards God's will, is illustrated in the Book of Kings. It depicts a love-hate relationship between the people and their moral compass, the prophets, whose moral clarion call is at times questioned or even reviled.

Israel's book, particularly because it was written within the context of Jewish, faith-based scholarship, is insightful for those seeking internally authentic, contextually aware Bible study. Academic perspectives are also interwoven into the analysis, adding a critical perspective.

"I Kings: A Kingdom Torn in Two" provides expert, in-depth analysis, with helpful graphics, and with Jewish rabbinic literature. The result is a fleshed-out and rich story otherwise inaccessible to most Christian audiences.

Israel expects to publish the II Kings continuation of "I Kings: A Kingdom Torn in Two" in early 2017.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Israel for a short Q&A.

Itamar Shapira: What significant parallels can we draw for our own lives?

Rabbi Alex Israel: I think that the Book of Kings has a universal message. When we look at Solomon, with his ambition and his wealth, it raises a lot of questions about our materialistic society with its ambition for total control in a highly scientific world. There is a sense in Kings that all of these things can come crashing down, thus it's a warning about overreaching. Solomon is a great story about someone who thinks they can control their passions, yet we see that sometimes one needs the humility to appreciate that that is not really the case. I think that any religious person in the modern world has to navigate between religious faith and modern culture. It might be in regard to sexual ethic, or even just the contrasts of a secular society versus a faith based society. In the struggle of ancient Israel: it is between the faith of Israel and the Baal, a foreign culture. This struggle is exemplified in the conflict between Elijah and Ahab. Ahab wants to be a modern person and swim with world culture, but Elijah is this irritating prophet speaking about the need to be true to one's religious commitments. The problem is that Ahab doesn't want to hear it.

There are a lot of very contemporary messages in Kings.

IS: Can the Book of Kings' history of biblical Israel help us understand contemporary issues in the USA?

RAI: Division is an issue for America as well. America sees itself as one nation; indeed, both countries see themselves as "one nation under God." We have to constantly remember that we are one family despite differences of ideology or temperament. Both [in ancient Israel] and in America there is great acrimony; in fact, both nations fought civil wars when divisions became irreconcilable. Ultimately, we have to see that we are unified by core values, whether that is the worship of the God of Abraham or devotion to American democracy.

IS: What might be a personal gain for a reader engaging with this book, or Bible study in general?

RAI: I do think that reading the Bible is very important as a counterbalance to what at times is a very superficial culture that we live in, which young people especially may be exposed to. When we study it together, this provides us with an opportunity for a moral or spiritual conversation with our families which can act as a spiritual anchor. It can help our families and our children as a counterbalance to the outside culture which may not be where we want ourselves and our families to be. Bible study is a moral counterculture, which can serve as a commentary or a critique of our times.

Rabbi Alex Israel teaches at Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi and at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, where he serves as director of community education and the summer program. He is a popular lecturer at campuses and communities on three continents.

Born and raised in London, Israel was an active youth leader in Bnei Akiva and was the director of the Sixth Form study center at London School of Jewish Studies. He moved to Israel in 1991 and gained rabbinic ordination from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate following several years of study at Yeshivat Har Etzion.

Israel holds degrees from London School of Economics, the Institute of Education, London and Bar Ilan University.

He lives in Alon Shevut, Israel, with his wife Aliza and their four wonderful children. He enjoys running, music and everything to do with contemporary Israel.