Cover of The just steward

The just steward

  • Free to read
  • 13 hours to read
  • 72 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"The Just Steward" by Richard Dehan is a historical novel written in the early 20th century. Set in ancient Alexandria during the reign of Roman Emperor Diocletian, the narrative delves into themes of faith, identity, and social upheaval, focusing on the complex interplay between Christians, Jews, and pagans in a city steeped in cultural diversity. The central character appears to be Hazaël, a Jewish steward, whose relationship with Philoremus, a Roman official accused of Christianity, unfolds against the backdrop of rising tensions and persecution. The opening of "The Just Steward" vividly paints the bustling atmosphere of Alexandria as it describes the city’s agricultural richness and vibrant trade amidst the scars of past sieges. The narrative introduces key characters, notably Hazaël, who returns to find his master, Philoremus, in grave danger due to accusations of embracing Christianity. As political and religious tensions escalate, Hazaël is determined to support his master, bravely confronting the potential fallout from changing allegiances and the consequences of faith. The reader is instantly drawn into a world where loyalty, sacrifice, and survival are interwoven with themes of divine intervention and hope.

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  • English fiction · Irish authors

Read the opening

Chapter I

Beautiful even with the trench and wall of Diocletian's comparatively recent siege scarring the orchards and vineyards of Lake Mareotis, splendid even though her broken canals and aqueducts had never been repaired, and part of her western quarter still displayed heaps of calcined ruins where had been temples, palaces and academies, Alexandria lay shimmering under the African sun. Between the turquoise of the Mediterranean on the north and west, the beryl green of the Delta on the east, and the flaming opal of the Desert south and again east of the Delta, the Queen city of the dead old Ptolemies, set about with vineyards, fair orchards and stately palm-groves stretching in a broad band of shade and fruitfulness from the Lake across the Desert, and fringing both sides of the Nilotic canal, well merited the title: "Queen Emerald of the Jewelled Girdle," bestowed upon her by the librarian who unloaded upon Posterity a geographical treatise in heroic verse.

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Contents

Show all 72 chapters
  1. Chapter I
  2. Chapter II
  3. Chapter III
  4. Chapter IV: Suddenly the Jew winced as though stung, exclaiming
  5. Chapter V
  6. Chapter VI
  7. Chapter VII
  8. Chapter VIII
  9. Chapter IX
  10. Chapter X
  11. Chapter XI
  12. Chapter I
  13. Chapter II
  14. Chapter III
  15. Chapter IV
  16. Chapter V: "What? ... Who? ... Me! ... Great Moses in the Bulrushes!"
  17. Chapter VI
  18. Chapter VII
  19. Chapter VIII
  20. Chapter IX
  21. Chapter X
  22. Chapter XI
  23. Chapter XII
  24. Chapter XIII
  25. Chapter XIV
  26. Chapter XV
  27. Chapter XVI: Katharine said to him next morning as they sat together at breakfast
  28. Chapter XVII
  29. Chapter XVIII
  30. Chapter XIX
  31. Chapter XX
  32. Chapter XXI
  33. Chapter XXII
  34. Chapter XXIII
  35. Chapter XXIV
  36. Chapter XXV
  37. Chapter XXVI
  38. Chapter I
  39. Chapter II
  40. Chapter III
  41. Chapter IV
  42. Chapter V
  43. Chapter VI
  44. Chapter VII
  45. Chapter VIII
  46. Chapter IX
  47. Chapter X
  48. Chapter XI
  49. Chapter XII
  50. Chapter XIII
  51. Chapter I
  52. Chapter II
  53. Chapter III
  54. Chapter IV
  55. Chapter V
  56. Chapter VI
  57. Chapter VII
  58. Chapter VIII
  59. Chapter IX
  60. Chapter X
  61. Chapter XI
  62. Chapter XII
  63. Chapter XIII
  64. Chapter XIV
  65. Chapter XV
  66. Chapter XVI
  67. Chapter VII
  68. Chapter XVIII
  69. Chapter XIX
  70. Chapter XX
  71. Chapter XXI
  72. Chapter XXII

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About this edition

This free edition of The just steward by Richard Dehan comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #75518, released 2025-03-03. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Historical Novels.

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