City of Refuge

Coniah bin Huri is forced to flee to Hebron, a City of Refuge, when he is found kneeling over the dead body of his best friend and accused of murder. He finds refuge in the home of a Levite. From the moment he sees the Levite's mysterious daughter, he is hopelessly attracted and dreams of a life he can never have. Only Yahweh can protect him from the avenger who stalks the city and give him the hope of a future.

When Coniah bin Huri, eldest son of the wealthiest man in Lachish, is accused of murdering his best friend, Ethni bin Labin, he is forced to flee to the city of Hebron, one of the Jewish Cities of Refuge. Close on his heels is Jareb bin Labin, who vows to kill Coniah and avenge his brother’s death. Coniah, a proud man who is used to being in charge, must humble himself before the elders of the city. Nathan, one of the Levites, offers Coniah sanctuary in his modest household in exchange for temporary servant hood. At the same time, in the city of Jerusalem, Hezekiah is anointed King of Judah after the death of his wicked father, King Ahaz. Determined to restore the Temple his father defiled, Hezekiah calls for the Levites from Hebron to come help in the restoration process. Nathan, torn between his responsibility for Coniah and the king’s summons, must delay the trip while he and the other Levites travel to Jerusalem. When the Levites arrive in the Holy City, they find a remnant of King Ahaz’s Baal-worshipers intent on putting an end to the work on the Temple. Nathan finds himself in the middle of a desperate attempt discover the criminals who have sabotaged the work on the Temple. Meanwhile, Coniah finds himself fighting a hopeless attraction for Nathan’s daughter, who has secrets of her own. He wants nothing more than to stay and protect the beautiful woman and her young son, Mika, from the very real dangers they face. When Mika’s life is threatened, Coniah risks his own life to rescue the child. All too soon, King Hezekiah sends Nathan and the other Levites back to Hebron to escort Coniah to his hometown for trial. Coniah must leave the woman he has fallen in love with andvreturn to Lachish . When witnesses swear they saw Coniah push his friend to his death, he vows to accept his fate, rather than reveal the lies of someone he loves. Only God’s intervention will save Coniah from the hand of the avenger and give him the hope of a future.

Linda Pantana grew up in Findlay, Ohio. After graduating from college and marrying, she and her husband eventually ended up in Lynchburg, VA, where they still live. She taught Middle School English and History before resigning to follow her passion for writing. She is the mother of five grown children and nine lively grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys reading, singing, and spending time with her family. You can contact Linda at lkpantana@gmail.com.