Gidon Rothstein

Gidon Rothstein (est. born 1967) - Jewish scholar, author, and educator, born in US and living in Israel. He has served as a synagogue rabbi, a high school teacher, and the Rosh Kollel for the YU Community Kollel. Murderer in the Mikdash  is a unique theological murder mystery that explores how a functioning Messianic society might look through the lens of a detective novel.

The story follows Rachel Tucker, an ABC News anchorwoman living in Israel. After her best friend dies of what is officially labeled “sudden respiratory distress,” Rachel becomes suspicious of the cause. Her investigation leads her into the heart of a newly established Third Temple (Mikdash) society, where she uncovers corruption and uncomfortable truths about the world she inhabits. 

The book’s most distinctive feature is its ”Hyper-Maimonidean” setting: 

A Natural Messiah: Based on Maimonides’ (Rambam) view, the Messianic era is not magical or supernatural; it is a rational world where political sovereignty has returned to Israel, but human nature remains the same.

Theocratic Monarchy: Israel is depicted as a functioning theocracy with a Sanhedrin and a Temple. The police (e.g., Officer Yoshor) monitor Torah law infractions, and Levites act as educators and public relations officers on the Temple Mount.

Persistence of Human Vice: Despite the arrival of the Messiah, the society still struggles with religious elitism, political maneuvering, and criminal intent, which provides the groundwork for the murder mystery.

Halakhic Realism: Rothstein integrates obscure Jewish laws (such as the eglah arufah ceremony for an unsolved murder) into the narrative to show how they would function in a modern, practical setting.  [Google/AI]

Rothstein, Gidon, (Murderer in the Mikdash [pb, BookSurge Publishing, 2005]) 978-1419607561