Michael V. Day .... Author

Media release

 A  secret journey leads to a beacon of peace on a holy mountain 

A beacon of  peace in a region of conflict, the Shrine of the Bab in Haifa Israel  has its origins in one of the greatest spiritual journeys in modern history. 

A new book, Journey to a Mountain, by award-winning journalist Michael V. Day tells the story in detail for the first time.

The story begins in Persia (now Iran) with the execution  in 1850 of  the Christ-like figure of the Bab. His followers recover his remains in dramatic circumstances, place them in a casket and hurry them away from the place of his execution in Tabriz to Tehran, 630 kms away. 

The casket is concealed in a series of  hiding places for 48 years. Then a small group take it with great secrecy over hills, mountain, desert and sea  to the Holy Land, then part of the Ottoman Empire, now Israel.

There the leader of the Baha'i Faith, 'Abdul-Baha (1844-1921) builds a Shrine in the heart of Mount Carmel for the Bab.

The Bab was the foreunner of Baha'u'llah (1817-92), the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith, whose five million followers strive for world unity and international peace, starting at the grass roots in  neighourhoods.

The Shrine is now set in exquisite garden terraces stretching a kilometre up the northern face of Mount Carmel in Haifa,  Israel's third biggest city .

This  World Heritage listed site brings more visitors than any other attraction there.* {see note below}.

The Shrine is sacred to members of the Baha'i Faith, an independent  world religion.

The Baha'i Faith teaches the oneness of God and the underlying oneness of the world's great religions. Its  basic principle  can be found  in the words of Baha'u'llah

"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."

Author Michael V. Day is  a New Zealand-born journalist living in Australia. A former foreign correspondent in Indonesia and later the editor of the Baha'i World News Service, he  devoted six years to researching and writing three stand-alone volumes, taking the story up to 2011.

Drawing on a range of sources, many examined for the first time, the author presents a highly readable account of the dramatic events leading up to and following the 1909 interment of the remains of the Bab.

Included in the book are rare photographs, some published for the first time, and two new maps.

George Ronald Publisher of Oxford, England, published the book.

ENDS

* Trip Advisor rates visiting the "Baha'i Gardens and Golden Dome" as one of the top 10 Things to Do in Israel.

Contact

To interview author, Michael V. Day

Email: michaelvday@gmail.com

Phone:  Australian Eastern Standard Time

(AEST) +1000 UTC

 Office hours: 9am-5pm

+61-7-3832 6532

Biographical details: see Author Bio on this website.