The Last Ember
3 journalers for this copy...
Amazon Editorial Review:
An Italian antiquities squad discovers a woman's preserved corpse inside an ancient column. Pages torn from priceless manuscripts litter the floor of an abandoned warehouse. An illegal excavation burrows beneath Jerusalem's Dome of the rome, ground sacred to three religions.
Jonathan Marcus a young American lawyer and a former doctoral student in classics, has become a sought-after commodity among antiguities dealers. But when he is summoned to Rome to examine a client's fragment of an ancient stone map, he stumbles across a startling secert: a hidden message carved inside the stone itself. The discovery propels him on a perilous journey from the labyrinth beneath the Colosseum to the biblical-era tunnels of Jerusalem in search of a hidden 2,000-year-old artifact sought by empires throughout the ages. As MArcus and a passionate UN preservationist, Dr. Emili Travia, dig more deeply into the past, they're stunned to discover not only an anicent intelligence operation to protect the artifact, but also a ruthless modern plot to destroy all trace of it by a mysterious radical bent on erasing every remnant of Jewish and Christian presence from the Temple Mount. With a cutting-edge plot as intricately layered as the ancient sites it explores, The Last Ember is a gripping thriller spanning the high-stakes worlds of archaeology, politics, and terrorism in its portrayal of the modern struggle to define--and redefine--history itself.
An Italian antiquities squad discovers a woman's preserved corpse inside an ancient column. Pages torn from priceless manuscripts litter the floor of an abandoned warehouse. An illegal excavation burrows beneath Jerusalem's Dome of the rome, ground sacred to three religions.
Jonathan Marcus a young American lawyer and a former doctoral student in classics, has become a sought-after commodity among antiguities dealers. But when he is summoned to Rome to examine a client's fragment of an ancient stone map, he stumbles across a startling secert: a hidden message carved inside the stone itself. The discovery propels him on a perilous journey from the labyrinth beneath the Colosseum to the biblical-era tunnels of Jerusalem in search of a hidden 2,000-year-old artifact sought by empires throughout the ages. As MArcus and a passionate UN preservationist, Dr. Emili Travia, dig more deeply into the past, they're stunned to discover not only an anicent intelligence operation to protect the artifact, but also a ruthless modern plot to destroy all trace of it by a mysterious radical bent on erasing every remnant of Jewish and Christian presence from the Temple Mount. With a cutting-edge plot as intricately layered as the ancient sites it explores, The Last Ember is a gripping thriller spanning the high-stakes worlds of archaeology, politics, and terrorism in its portrayal of the modern struggle to define--and redefine--history itself.
Jonathan Marcus, an American lawyer is sent to Rome by his law firm to examine and authenticate a client's fragment of a stone map. He is a former disgraced doctorate candidate specializing in the biblical era. Upon examination he finds a hidden message carved inside the stone. He presents his findings in court against his former colleague and lover, a UN preservationist, Dr. Emili Travia.
After the case Emili and Jonathan start to dig deeper and deeper into the past. They are driven into a more and more perilous route, from a labyrinth under the Colosseum to the ancient tunnels of Jerusalem. They seek a 2,000 year old eight foot menorah. A terrorist group wanting to eradicate this symbol of freedom is close on their trails every step of the way. They get help from a old rabbi in Rome who explains the story of a possible Jewish double agent, Josephus Flavius who managed against all odds to possibly save the menorah when Jerusalem was razed by the Romans. This menorah according to legend has been kept lit throughout eternity. Jonathan's doctoral thesis was about Josephus Flavius.
Unfortunately I know little of the Roman and Biblical region of Jerusalem and found myself a little bogged down in trying to understand the geography, politics and religions of that era. But this is a wonderful thriller and full of information. I had no idea of the destruction going on under Temple Mount and the complexity of the jurisdiction of Temple Mount. I also loved the spy intrigue of Josephus Flavius.
Political intrigue, archaeology, religion and pulse-racing thriller is what awaits the reader. It is like a one stop book buffet.
After the case Emili and Jonathan start to dig deeper and deeper into the past. They are driven into a more and more perilous route, from a labyrinth under the Colosseum to the ancient tunnels of Jerusalem. They seek a 2,000 year old eight foot menorah. A terrorist group wanting to eradicate this symbol of freedom is close on their trails every step of the way. They get help from a old rabbi in Rome who explains the story of a possible Jewish double agent, Josephus Flavius who managed against all odds to possibly save the menorah when Jerusalem was razed by the Romans. This menorah according to legend has been kept lit throughout eternity. Jonathan's doctoral thesis was about Josephus Flavius.
Unfortunately I know little of the Roman and Biblical region of Jerusalem and found myself a little bogged down in trying to understand the geography, politics and religions of that era. But this is a wonderful thriller and full of information. I had no idea of the destruction going on under Temple Mount and the complexity of the jurisdiction of Temple Mount. I also loved the spy intrigue of Josephus Flavius.
Political intrigue, archaeology, religion and pulse-racing thriller is what awaits the reader. It is like a one stop book buffet.
Won this in a BookObsessed Swap - Looking forward to this mystery - looks to be an "Angels and Demons" like book.
This arrived in today's mail -- one of my selections from bookstogive's Mystery/Thriller VBB. Thank you! Looking forward to it!
