A renowned priest is killed in Rome. A Roman coin is recovered from a wreck off the coast of ancient Judea.
It’s up to a young American Jesuit priest and a vivacious, brilliant, female archaeologist to connect these seemingly disparate events and unravel the greatest mystery of all.
Together they pursue their passion for truth, while fighting to control their passion for each other. What they uncover is an ancient Roman imperial stratagem so controversial the Vatican fears it could undermine the foundations of the Catholic faith.
From the ancient port of Caesarea to Rome's legendary catacombs and the sacred caves of Cumae, this straight from the headlines thriller follows their quest to uncover the truth about the historical existence of the real "Christ Savior."
Essential Reading for fans of Dan Brown or James Rollins.
The book has had 400+ amazon reviews to date, and has downloaded over 80,000 copies (of which approximately 60,000 were sales). Its controversial subject matter, exploring the historicity of Jesus Christ, is reflected in the number of 1-star reviews from horrified fundamentalists who don't even realize the book is not an attack on Christianity, only on institutional Christianity. It's based on my years as a professor of classics, and research by a noted 19th-century numismatist that draws innumerable parallels between the life and legends of Augustus Caesar and that of Jesus. Written as a romantic thriller, the reader follows the discoveries of a young Jesuit priest studying Christian origins in Rome and a brilliant archaeologist who's discovered an Augustan aureus in the ruins of Caesarea.
1
Angel of Death
The three-wheeled truck, having weathered World War II and every day after, carried its battle scars proudly. Its motor purred raggedly in neutral. Its V-shaped bumper was as jagged as a saw. Behind the wheel its latest owner, Zbysek Bailin, waited patiently, smoking a Gitane as though he were long accustomed to that acrid luxury as well as to committing murder on a rainy Wednesday evening.
Squinting through the steady downpour, his eyes were intent on the façade of the Chiesa del Sacro Nome di Gesù, the church of the Holy Name of Jesus. He’d been told the old man would exit the basilica from the sacristy door when the early evening services had ended. From there he would walk up the narrow alleys and broad avenues that meandered through the maze of the Antico Centro, “the ancient city,” toward the Pontifical Institute. This is the gentleman’s habit, he was told. His color is purple. It’s all you need to know.
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Portuguese
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Already translated.
Translated by nick hops
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Roxana Krause
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