Dr. James S. MacDonald (JamesMacDonald.com), founding and senior pastor of the Harvest Bible Chapel, is a Bible teacher nonpareil. Access to his inexhaustible mind and research was a treasure, as is his friendship.
Thanks to Dr. Laurie Norris, formerly of James’s staff and now a member of the faculty of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, who so ably and quickly tracked down every detail I needed.
Dr. Charlie Dyer was another always at the ready with a thorough response to any question about the Holy Land.
I’m grateful to the following for their helpful input on the New Testament at various stages: Dr. Wallace A. Alcorn, Joe Buonassissi, Dr. Michael Easley, Dr. Gene Getz, and Dr. Grant Osborne.
Christopher (Kit) Denison served as nautical consultant.
Chuck and Krissie Cilano helped with the Italian for the prequel, I, Saul.
Thanks to my agent, the delightfully irrepressible David Vigliano of New York.
Thanks to Worthy Publishing CEO Byron Williamson for green-lighting the project.
Jeana Ledbetter, editorial vice president at Worthy, has been steadfast in her support and encouragement throughout.
Copyeditor Holly Halverson added her deft review to the make the final product the best it could be.
More than three hundred people came alongside from the first announcement of this project and agreed to pray for and encourage me. I cannot think of I, Saul or Empire’s End without a deep sense of connection to that team, too numerous to list here but wholly appreciated nonetheless.
Thanks to my executive assistant, Debbie Kaupp, and her husband, Lynn, our properties manager, whose innumerable acts of service and kindness seem to double my productivity every day.
I could not be a writer, and certainly not a novelist, without my wife, Dianna. It would take another book as long as this one to list all she does for me and means to me.