When the first of the Magdalene Scrolls arrives, Professor Ben Messer is puzzled, intrigued, excited. What scholar of ancient languages wouldn’t be, when he held in his hands something even more astonishing than the Dead Sea Scrolls—a scroll just discovered to contain the life story and last confession of a man who had lived in Jerusalem just after the death of Christ.
By the time the second scroll arrives, Ben’s interest has begun to be more than professional. For it seems that David, the writer of the ancient scrolls, is in many ways very much like Ben—and he seems to be speaking directly to Ben, across nearly 2,000 years of history. Before long, the terrifying transformation has begun, and there can be no turning back.
What do the words of a Jew who lived 2,000 years ago have to do with today, and with Ben Messer, a man who had forsaken his Jewish identity years ago—or thought he had. And why does David’s life suddenly seem so much more real—and powerful—than Ben’s own? Why does Ben suddenly shut himself off from the beautiful woman he intends to marry and become involved with Judy Golden, a very different kind of woman? And what will happen if Ben surrenders completely to the power of the scrolls?
Combining elements of the supernatural, history, and religion, Barbara Wood has fashioned a breathtakingly suspenseful story of one man’s confrontation with himself.
“Dramatic, intriguing, engrossing." —Publishers Weekly
“Wood creates genuine, engaging characters whose stories are fascinating.” —Library Journal
“Wood makes her fiction come alive with authentic detailing and highly memorable characters.” —Booklist
“Wood shows herself a wizard at juggling action and romance, maintaining the momentum and sparkle of both.” —Kirkus Reviews
New York Time bestselling author Barbara Wood has written twenty-five books to date, which have been translated into over thirty languages. Barbara transports her readers to exotic countries that she has meticulously researched to provide them with a true sense of the culture and history relevant to each story. She has visited every country she has written about and in fact does not feel comfortable writing about a country that she has not walked on or breathed its air. In addition, she feels that the country of origin is by far the best source for research information. But research for a book does not end there. Barbara immerses herself completely into the subject at hand. This includes extensive reading of books, newspapers, and magazines, internet research, as well as first hand interviews and contacting experts in the various subjects relevant to her current project.
When not writing, Barbara often takes time to enjoy the work of other authors, and play golf with her husband, Walt
Norman Gilligan has been the voice behind many audiobooks over the years. He is a professional actor, voice talent and literary editor working out of his studio near Manchester, in the United Kingdom. Before he became an actor, and voice talent, he had spent most of his career as an IT specialist in the marine insurance industry. Norman says that his complete change of direction, away from the daily grind, was one of the scariest but most satisfying things he has ever done and wishes that he had done it sooner. He now looks forward to every day being different and challenging.
Find Norman behind the mic in other outstanding Cherry Hill Publishing audiobook productions including Barbara Wood's The Watch Gods, Emancipation by Jo Michaels, and Brian Harmon's Temple of the Blind series.