The Fire Gospel

By Michel Faber

Book Overview

Theo Griepenkerl, a Canadian linguistics scholar, is sent to Iraq in search of artifacts that have survived the destruction and looting of the war. While visiting a museum in Mosul, he finds nine papyrus scrolls tucked in the belly of a bas-relief sculpture: they have been perfectly preserved for more than two thousand years. After smuggling them out of Iraq and translating them from Aramaic, Theo realizes the extent of his career-making find, for he is in possession of the Fifth Gospel, and it offers a shocking and incomparable eyewitness account of Christ's crucifixion and last days on Earth. Nakedly ambitious and recently dumped by his girlfriend, Theo sets out to share his discovery with the world in the form of a headline-grabbing U.S. book tour. Caught in the throes of his newfound fame, Theo fails to consider the global and cultural ramifications his discovery will have with God-fearing folks and religious zealots worldwide. Like Prometheus's gift of fire, Theo's book has incendiary consequences. A hugely entertaining, and by turns shocking story, The Fire Gospel is a smart, stylish, and suspenseful novel by the celebrated author of The New York Times best seller The Crimson Petal and the White .

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1847671837
• ISBN13: 9781847671837
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Canongate Us
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

a major discovery from the first century A.D.

Essential reading for all Christians. Newly translated from the Aramaic scrolls discovered in Mosul in 2006 and dated to 38/40 A.D. The testament of Malchus (not a disciple but a Christian convert and eyewitness to the crucifixion) stands beside the Gospels in shedding light on the events in the final days of our Savior. The translation by Theo Griepenkerl and the intoduction and commentary by Michael Faber are exciting reading. The only reservation I have is the title, this is not a Gospel as we have come to use the term but the account of a man who by his own admission envied the silver coins delivered to Judas for the betrayal of our Lord.