Miklowitz, Gloria D. Masada: The Last Fortress. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999. This story describes the fall of Masada from the perspective of a young Jewish man helping to hold the fort from Roman forces. 188 pages. Fiction.

Ray, Mary. Beyond the Desert Gate. Bathgate, ND: Bethlehem Books, 2001. Set in Palestine in 70 A.D., three boys must survive the violent conflict between the Jews and the Romans. 190 pages. Fiction.

Speare, Elizabeth. The Bronze Bow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. Daniel, a Jewish youth, struggles with his bondage to a blacksmith and with his desire for revenge against the Romans for the death of his family. The messages from the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth are a part of the dilemma faced by Daniel. 256 pages. Fiction.

Upham, Linda. The Bronze Dagger. Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 2001. Set in first century Britain during the rebellion of Boudicca, two children set out in search of their enslaved father. The book provides a look at the how Britons felt toward Roman occupation. 128 pages. Fiction.

Connolly, Peter. The Holy Land. Oxford: Oxford Children's, 1999. Connolly gives a thorough overview of the daily life of Jewish people in Palestine, mostly during the reign of King Herod. 96 pages. Nonfiction.

Roberts, J. M. Rome and the Classical West. The Illustrated History of the World, Volume 3. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. This beautifully written and illustrated volume covers the time period from 800 B.C. to A.D. 600. It spans the rise of the Roman Republic to the dispersion of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. 192 pages. Nonfiction.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/
The First Christians. This PBS site explores many topics related to the rise of Christianity, including Jesus and his followers, the role of women, the diversity of early Christians, and conflicts with the Roman Empire.

http://www.mrdowling.com/605-christianity.html
The Electronic Passport: Homework to Christianity. This web site offers a short introduction to Christianity. Use the link in the blue text box at the bottom of the page to look up words or phrases in the various versions of the Bible.

http://www.roman-empire.net/
Illustrated History of the Roman Empire. Contains a wealth of knowledge about the beginnings of Rome, its society and culture, and its downfall. Many articles have a sidebar time line listing important dates covered by the readings. The best part of the site is its superb photo gallery. Be sure to check out both collections: one shows pictures of the city of Rome and the other displays photographs of historic sites in other parts of the former Roman Empire.

http://library.thinkquest.org/22866/
The Roman Empire. Containing information about many aspects of Roman life, this site covers the lifestyle of people in the empire, the military, notable emperors, and more. Would you like to learn some of a language that people no longer speak? Take a look at the short Latin lessons provided to do just that.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
National Geographic. Discover maps of the world, historical photographs, and interactive adventures on the National Geographic site.