The Bronze Bow takes place 2,000 years ago in Palestine during the reign of the Roman emperor Tiberius and the time of Jesus Christ's ministry. The people of Palestine live under Roman rule; many regard the Romans as foreign military occupiers, although others take advantage of the new economic opportunities that the Roman Empire provides. The Romans do little to endear themselves to the Hebrew people of Palestine. Jews must always show deference to Roman soldiers: if food is demanded by the soldiers, then the Jews must provide it; if a Roman soldier needs help, then the Jews must drop whatever they are doing and immediately provide assistance. The Romans even enact a law requiring ordinary people to carry the soldiers' burdens during journeys, if the soldiers demand it. For those who profit from the opportunities the vast empire offers to merchants and civil servants, the burdens of military...