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Loading... The Lost Book of Moses: The Hunt for the World's Oldest Bible (edition 2016)by Chanan Tigay (Author), Chanan Tigay (Narrator), Tantor Audio (Publisher) meandmybooks | Aug 30, 2016 |   “If the fragments, and so the scrolls, were real, they would reveal so much about how the Bible developed – how it was written, rewritten, and revised over the course of centuries. And if they were a forgery, whoever created this manuscript was some kind of genius – clever, creative, and profoundly learned. In conjuring a wild version of Deuteronomy, they had somehow managed to predict the Dead Sea Scrolls decades before their discovery. Who had the chops to pull off a fraud this brilliant?” This book is meticulously researched and well-written in a journalist style. The author keeps a sense of suspense in the narrative by doling out information gradually. At any given time, the reader will not know more than the author knew at that point in his search. The mystery is unraveled in alternating chapters between Shapira’s story and the author’s search, with historical context provided as necessary. Tigay tells an intriguing tale of obsession, rivalry, scandal, suicide, and journeys into remote and previously unmapped regions. I found it fascinating. This book will appeal to those interested in historical mysteries or the history of theological artifacts. (  ) Castlelass | Oct 30, 2022 | ) ArtRodrigues | May 25, 2021 | Anyway, this is a story-within-a-story, and, while not exactly thrilling (I notice that some reviewers felt that it was “Indiana Jones-like.” My memories of Indiana Jones may be off, but I recall lots danger and action, rather than extensive library research and meetings. Still, there is a search for an Ark of the Covenant era artifact, and lots of antisemitism, if no Nazis, so...) it is interesting. Except when it gets repetitive. The story is about the hunt by our author, Chanan Tigay, for the leather strips, lost at the end of the 19th century, purported by their “discoverer”, Moses Shapira, to be the oldest copy of Deuteronomy. Along with the tale of his search, he tells Moses Shapira's story, debating the question of whether Shapira was the brilliant creator of a clever hoax, the persecuted victim of antisemitic prejudice, or the maligned discoverer of an ancient treasure. Or a little of all of these. An intrinsic problem for Tigay's story is that we, his readers, would have noticed if news headlines had recently gone wild with the story of the discovery of a genuinely ancient copy of the Book of Deuteronomy and of a maligned antiques dealer. So we know right up front that Tigay isn't going to find the strips, have them analyzed using modern dating methods, and discover that they really are what Shapira suggested they were. So, our options are more limited and with less potential for thrills. Still, given this, Tigay does manage to maintain some suspense and to create a reasonably satisfying conclusion. The ins and outs of Tigay's hunt and of Shapira's intrepid efforts are fairly engaging despite the predictable outcome. ( ) meandmybooks | Aug 30, 2016 | |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)098.3Information Manuscripts and rare books Prohibited; Lost; Imaginary ForgeriesLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (4.25)
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Anyway, this is a story-within-a-story, and, while not exactly thrilling (I notice that some reviewers felt that it was “Indiana Jones-like.” My memories of Indiana Jones may be off, but I recall lots danger and action, rather than extensive library research and meetings. Still, there is a search for an Ark of the Covenant era artifact, and lots of antisemitism, if no Nazis, so...) it is interesting. Except when it gets repetitive. The story is about the hunt by our author, Chanan Tigay, for the leather strips, lost at the end of the 19th century, purported by their “discoverer”, Moses Shapira, to be the oldest copy of Deuteronomy. Along with the tale of his search, he tells Moses Shapira's story, debating the question of whether Shapira was the brilliant creator of a clever hoax, the persecuted victim of antisemitic prejudice, or the maligned discoverer of an ancient treasure. Or a little of all of these. An intrinsic problem for Tigay's story is that we, his readers, would have noticed if news headlines had recently gone wild with the story of the discovery of a genuinely ancient copy of the Book of Deuteronomy and of a maligned antiques dealer. So we know right up front that Tigay isn't going to find the strips, have them analyzed using modern dating methods, and discover that they really are what Shapira suggested they were. So, our options are more limited and with less potential for thrills. Still, given this, Tigay does manage to maintain some suspense and to create a reasonably satisfying conclusion. The ins and outs of Tigay's hunt and of Shapira's intrepid efforts are fairly engaging despite the predictable outcome. (