{"product_id":"american-priestess-the-extraordinary-story-of-anna-spafford-and-the-american-colony-in-jerusalem-9780385519267","title":"American Priestess: The Extraordinary Story of Anna Spafford and the American Colony in Jerusalem","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor generations in Jerusalem  a fabled mansion has been the retreat for foreign correspondents  diplomats  pilgrims and spiesbut until now  few have known the true story of the house that became the American Colony Hotel or its bizarre history of tragedy  religious extremism  emotional blackmail  and peculiar sexual practices.  During the boom years following the Civil War  in the countrys heartland capital  Chicago  a prominent lawyer Horatio Spafford and his blue-eyed wife Anna rode the mighty wave of Protestant evangelicalism deluging the nation. When suddenly tragedy struck  the charismatic Spaffords  grieving  attracted followers eager to believe their prophecy that the Second Coming was at hand and in 1881 sailed with them to Jerusalem to see the Messiah alight on the Mount of Olives.  No sooner had they settled into the Holy City than the U. S. Consul and the established Christian missionaries declared them heretics and whispered of sexual deviance. Yet Muslims and Jews admired their unflagging care of the sick and the needy  and Jews were intrigued with their advocacy of a Jewish Return to Zion. When Horatio died  Anna assumed leadership  shocking even her adherents by abolishing marriage and established a dictatorship that was not always benevolent. Ever dogged by controversy  she and her credulous followers lived through and closely participated in the titanic upheavals that eventually formed the modern Middle East.  Written with flair and insight  American Priestess provides a fascinating exploration of the seductive power of evangelicalism and raises questions about the manipulation of religion to serve personal goals. A powerful narrative  the story sweeps through the dramatic collapse of the Ottoman Empire  the establishment of the British Mandate  and finally the founding of Israel where Annas house in East Jerusalem  now the American Colony Hotel  stands as an exemplar of beauty and comfort  despite its turbulent history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67600512254005,"sku":"ByrdShop_0385519265","price":27.67,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780385519267.jpg?v=1790973020","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/american-priestess-the-extraordinary-story-of-anna-spafford-and-the-american-colony-in-jerusalem-9780385519267","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}