Everest Media - Summary of Michael Ivanovs The Mount of Olives

#1

The boy was disgusted with himself for falling asleep and his anger turned to the soldier. How can a man like that be in the army but I cant join.

#2

The boy, who was born a mute, was hoping to join the Roman army and become a burdenless soldier. However, the general told him that the army needed an execution guard, and the pay was not much.

#3

The Roman method of execution was a slow and painful death. The condemned were stripped naked and nailed to a cross, with their arms stretched out. They died from the pain within hours.

#4

He was often jealous of the other boys at the orphanage, who could speak freely about everything, even things that made them look foolish. He wished he could speak about his dreams and thoughts, but he couldnt.

#5

The boy, whose name was Marcus, was extremely lucky and successful. But he was also extremely frustrated, because he couldnt sell in the market place and he hadnt been raised with any skills like the men in the blacksmith shops or the stables.

#1

The boy, Felix, was abandoned as an infant. He was raised by the nuns of an orphanage in Rome, and when he was 11, he learned about the olive tree theory from the girl who ran the orphanage. He would one day do the same with his life.

#2

The boy, Felix, was sitting on the docks watching the slaves load bags onto a ship when he was accosted by a man who asked him what he was running from. The man said he believed in omens, and always listened to his heart.

#3

The man offered Felix a job as a ship guard, and he accepted. He was surprised to learn that the mans name was Haziq, and that the ship was already prepared.

#1

The boy, Felix, was on his way to a new life in Rome. He had jumped on the ship before his mind could scare him with the unknown and turn him around. He was afraid of what he must go through to become a new man with a new life.

#2

The boy listened intently as Haziq explained the principles of wealth. He explained that all men have the equal opportunity to attain the life they want by simply choosing a better way to live.

#3

The first principle you must learn is to never speak to yourself in a way that would destroy your life. Words spoken set your life in motion. The universe echoes what you tell it.

#4

The boy was given a book by Haziq, which was made of paper cut into square pieces and stacked neatly. The outside was covered with animal skin and the whole thing was banded together by twine on the left side. It looked like the paper used in scrolls.

#5

The boy began to write down the principles that Haziq shared with him. He would write a declaration to himself that had as much authority as the guards carried.

#1

The boy was in no hurry to fall asleep. He had spent the last few years listening to what people had to say to him and about him. Their voices had suffocated him, and the voice inside his own head had joined the chorus.

#2

The boy spent time with the man, and he grew closer to him. He enjoyed the tough work, and was becoming stronger because of it. The crew kept track of the distance and the days, but the boy had lost count after the third night.

#3

The crew of the ship had their own path that led them to this point. Some had been working for Haziq since they were young, while others were there for the first time. Each man must have had a dream, something he was working toward.

#4

The boy was tied up with his hands and feet tied together, and was thrown overboard with the rest of the crew. The pirates did not look like what he had imagined. They were unruly farmers with big beards and uncut hair.

#5

The boy was saved by a man named Haziq, who took pity on him. He helped the boy gather his belongings and continue on his journey. The boy was shocked to see that Haziq was more relieved than angry about the pirates taking everything except for his books.

#6

The boy thought about the pirate who held the blade to his throat. It wasnt evil or anger that he saw in the pirates eyes; it was desperation. The pirate had failed to live with the end in mind. A life like his would surely put him on the cross.

#1

The boy, Felix, was always interested in the wisdom of Haziq, and he loved how the man prayed and gave thanks before every meal. He spoke a lot about his God, and explained that we must work hand in hand with what He gives us and what happens to us.

#2

Felix was given a life with no voice, no family, and no parents. He compared himself to other boys, and rarely saw anyone who had things worse than he did. But he noticed that most men complained no matter their circumstances.

#3

Felix had a wonderful time on the ship, and when they reached Crete, he was thrilled. He loved the island, and when he saw the city of Phoenix, he was amazed by the torches floating on the water.

#1

Felix was finally treated like an adult when he was thrown into the mix of life on a pirate ship. He was now treated like one, and he proved it by working hard and outworking the crew.

#2

The boy was invited to a party hosted by a market vendor from whom Haziq had purchased wine. The boy was amazed by the architecture of the house, and the high ceilings and thick pillars.

#3

The boy was given a job on the ship, and he was extremely eager to begin working. He learned a important lesson: men must learn to give of themselves more than they ever have before. If you continue to approach each day the way you have on this journey, you will prosper in all things.

#1

The boy was eventually set on track and sent to Caesarea, which was farther than he had ever been from Rome. He was glad the girl couldnt see him now. He had proven himself to be equal to any other man, but he had had to leave everything he had ever known to prove himself worthy.

#2

The boy washes the blood off the sword, and when he hands it to the Roman officer, he is shocked to hear that the sword was given to him as a gift in Rome.

#3

The boy was unable to speak, but he was able to write on a paper: The sword came from my work as a guard. He had never returned it. The general did not allow him to join the army. They said he would create a weak spot. Thats what he had been his whole life, just a weak spot in society.

#4

The boy began writing on the fifth blank page of his book. He wrote, Blame only postpones progress. When I was still a young man, I watched many days pass by as I pointed my fingers in every direction but my own. I was the master of excuses. With this, I only mastered the ability to find blame in everything.

#1

The boy wanted to create as much distance between himself and Rome as possible. The loneliness he felt on that last day on the hill was more than he could handle. It was better for him to disappear than to have the girl see him fail yet again.

#2

The boy began to plant seeds of desire in his mind, and he soon realized that every time he pictured his land, his house and the rows and rows of olive trees, the girl was always there. If what he desired must come to him, then Licinia would be brought to him.

#1

The boy was free to go, but he decided to stay with Haziq. He was excited to see the city, and the chaos of the market, and the many different people.

#2