Elizabeth George Speare's The Bronze Bow was originally published in 1961 by Houghton Mifflin. Set in Israel, the novel follows a young man named Daniel bar Jamin, who is alive at the same time that Jesus of Nazareth is. After his father is killed by the Romans, Jamin vows to remove the Romans from his land once and for all. But when Jamin meets Jesus, a humble carpenter who preaches kindness, forgiveness, and compassion, he starts to question his vow and starts to wonder if Jesus' way is the right way.
When it was published, The Bronze Bow received incredibly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. At the time of publication, Kirkus Reviews reviewed the novel and wrote that "The author succeeds admirably in re-entering the era and filling it with entirely human characters... Alive and colorful biblical fare in the well-modulated manner of Elizabeth Speare." Other reviewers felt similarly about the novel, but other groups were concerned about some of the themes of Speare's book. After an uproar which caused Speare's novel to be removed from the required reading list at San Rafael City schools, critics said that the novel "glorified Jesus and vilified Jews."
