The Masada Scroll

Paul Block and Robert Vaughan
Forge Books (2007)
ISBN 9780765313386
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (3/07)


Paul Block and Robert Vaughan joined the ranks of authors who recently wrote books on possible alternative history of Christian religion, the life of Jesus Christ, his disciples and the true meaning of some of the Church’s teachings. “The Masada Scroll” introduces yet another twist – the existence of another gospel, which predates the four so-far-known gospels of the New Testament. This one was written by Dismas bar-Dismas and prominently features a much better known figure of Simon of Cyrene. The gospel was discovered in Masada, a well-known ancient fortress in today’s Israel.

The newly unearthed gospel, a very important discovery, since the author actually met Jesus Christ and heard him teach, includes an intriguing symbol. It incorporates the Star of David, the Cross of Christianity, and the Crescent and Star of Islam. Since none of those symbols were known when the gospel was purportedly written, that only deepens the mystery that needs to be unraveled by Father Michael Flannery, a Catholic priest whom the archeologists - who discovered the scroll with the gospel – call for help.

Father Flannery heads to Vatican, where he starts to discover the meaning of the symbol as well as its name – Trevia Dei, meaning Three Paths to God. Jesus actually taught the unity of three possible paths to God, but throughout the centuries his message was distorted and turned into a single path to salvation.

This startling discovery of course does not sit well with some mysterious high-ranking Church officials and so the chase begins. Will father Flannery save the gospel? Will he finally understand what the message truly says?

Block and Vaughan write in a compelling way, alternating between current events and a parallel story of Dismas bar-Dismas, Simon of Cyrene and their friends and followers. Switching easily between the two worlds which are nearly two thousand years apart, they manage to keep reader’s attention. Although the excursions into the distant past considerably slow down the pace of the current days’ race for the scroll, they were for me an even more enjoyable part of the book. It was easy to imagine – for a moment – that their book was not fiction, but a true historic document. The message of universal love and unbounded acceptance is so badly needed today that one just wants to believe in it as an actual fact, not only well written fiction.

The ending was a slight let-down. It left me with too many unanswered questions. This is a book that calls for a sequel – or two. I’d love to know how Father Flannery fulfills his mission. And being an incurable romantic, I also need to know what happens with Sarah and Preston. So hopefully the abrupt ending only means that there is more to come.

I would recommend “The Masada Scroll” to a wide circle of readers. People who enjoy historic fiction, action, adventure, romance, and mystery -- all of those will find something interesting and worthwhile in this smooth read.

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