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NY, UNITED STATES, February 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Manhattan Book Group proudly announces that “The Rabbi’s Knight: A Novel” by Michael J. Cooper, has been awarded Gold in the 2026 Manhattan Book Awards. The honor recognizes exceptional storytelling, originality, and imaginative scope in contemporary publishing.
The Manhattan Book Awards is a year-round literary recognition program honoring outstanding books from independent and hybrid publishers worldwide. Titles are judged by an industry-experienced panel and evaluated on criteria including narrative strength, originality, production quality, and overall impact. Gold honors are reserved for books that exemplify excellence within their genre and demonstrate exceptional craft.
About the Book:
War-weary Knight Templar Jonathan St. Clair is garrisoned in the port city of Acre in the year 1290—the twilight of the Crusades. In possession of an ancient scroll with a cryptic Kabbalistic inscription, St. Clair becomes more interested in studying Kabbalah than fighting Muslims when he learns that the inscription holds the key to unlock the secrets of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. But no Jewish scholar in Acre is able to decipher the inscription, and time is running out; Acre will soon come under siege, and the one man able to divine the scroll’s meaning, Rabbi Samuel, the last Gaon of Baghdad, has been targeted for assassination.
Deep in enemy territory, St. Clair apprentices himself to Rabbi Samuel and together with Zahirah, a beautiful Muslim woman who had been avoiding a local emir by hiding in a leper colony, they travel to Jerusalem. On this journey, St. Clair is torn between his vow of chastity and his desire for Zahirah. For her part, Zahirah finds herself drawn to the knight as she navigates a narrow path constrained by tradition and expectations. Once in Jerusalem, the rabbi, knight, and Zahirah are joined by a brilliant Muslim physician and cartographer in solving the riddle of St. Clair’s scroll. Together, they risk everything to fulfill their shared and sacred destiny as guardians of the Temple Mount.
“‘The Rabbi’s Knight’ is instantly compelling and fascinating in its arcane plot and propulsive pacing. Literally, a page turner!” – Sylvia Boorstein, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of “Happiness Is an Inside Job”
“A well-written historical adventure story . . . with unexpected twists and turns that keep you hooked . . . an exciting and historically fascinating read.” – Andrew Kaplan, New York Times bestselling author of “Blue Madagascar” and the “Homeland” novels
“Cooper establishes himself as a gifted historian with a penchant for research that encompasses his writings into a well-rounded, believable tale of ancient Jerusalem. The wonderful breadth of the tale, the language, the time period is all captured. A compelling read. Best book of the year by far.” – Mark Sadler, Suspense Magazine Review
About Manhattan Book Group
Manhattan Book Group is a New York–based independent publishing organization dedicated to discovering, developing, and promoting exceptional voices across fiction and nonfiction. Through its publishing services, imprints, and literary recognition programs—including the Manhattan Book Awards—the company champions quality storytelling, professional standards, and meaningful visibility for authors worldwide.
Michelle VanSledright
Manhattan Book Group
+1 800-767-0531
email us here
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