Thunder from Jerusalem opens on May 19, 1948. The state of Israel is five days old, and--under attack from all points of the compass--its life hangs by a thread. After months of privation the siege of Jerusalem's Old City is lifted as patriot soldiers break through Zion Gate. But it is only the beginning of a long battle, as harrowing as it is glorious, for this ancient enclave. There unfolds a tale of heroism and tragedy, of romance, pathos, and triumph.