Daniel, a Judean youth, is taken to Babylon as a hostage. Rising to prominence in the royal court of King Nebuchadnezzar, he becomes a pawn in the conflict between the warrior-king and the powerful caste of priests serving the false gods. Nebuchadnezzar, obsessed with conquest and self-aggrandizement, creates much human suffering. Stricken insane by the God of Abraham, the curse ridden king destroys Jerusalem and its holy temple in a futile attempt to end his torment. Daniel strives to salvage the sacred texts written by Israel's prophets and turn his exiled countrymen back to God in preparation for their inevitable return to the Promised Land. Finally acknowledging God as the ultimate authority over mankind, King Nebuchadnezzar is haunted no more and allows Daniel to usher in a golden age of peace and prosperity. Evading extinction, the priests of Marduk continue to undermine Daniel's efforts, plotting his death until meeting their ill-fated end, ironically, in the lions' den. Since his youth, Daniel encounters recurring visions of a man nailed to the crossed timbers he hangs from. Daniel finally learns the answer to this life-long mystery when the angel Gabriel reveals to him the fullness of heaven, only hours before his decreed execution. The Exile threads together the biblical accounts found in the Old Testament Book of Daniel. Driven by war, political intrigue, and love, the story is set against the backdrop of the Babylonian captivity. Its unfolding drama reveals the tumultuous nature of the historical events surrounding remnant Israel's seventy year exile, while sharing the gospel message from this unique perspective centuries before Jesus Christ's birth, sacrificial death and resurrection. An avid student of the Bible and ancient history, Michael Blakeslee resides in Sacramento, California, from where he continues to support evangelical missions abroad and the concept "one nation under God."

Consider the status of music education as you read Music Education at a Crossroads, a collection of addresses from the Centennial Congress of MENC: The National Association for Music Education. Noted leaders in music education including Paul Lehman, Bennett Reimer, Samuel Hope, and Michael Mark joined Brenda Welburn and Anne Bryant in addressing the challenges and opportunities faced by music educators today. The Centennial Congress renewed a shared professional commitment to a comprehensive music education for all students and discussed the impediments to the vision of the Centennial Declaration: "It is the right of every child to receive a balanced, comprehensive, sequential music education taught by qualified music teachers."