Ira the Orphan is the imagined 12-year-old cousin of the Virgin Mary and employee of Joseph, a carpenter from Nazareth. The name "Ira" means "one who watches," and our Ira is like Ezekiel, a "watchman of Israel." He studies the Hebrew scriptures at the synagogue under Rabbi Nathan in preparation for his coming of age and is uniquely situated to personally witness every miracle, dream, vision, and appearance of angels that together bring about the...