Книга Veritas: a Harvard professor, a con man, and the Gospel of Jesus’s Wife
From award-winning author Ariel Sabar comes the gripping, true story of a sensational religious forgery and the scandal that engulfed Harvard University.
In 2012, Dr Karen King, a star professor at Harvard Divinity School, announced a blockbuster discovery. She had found an ancient fragment of papyrus — ‘The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife’, as she titled it — in which Jesus called Mary Magdalene ‘my wife’. Her announcement made international headlines. If early Christians believed that Jesus was married, it would upend the 2,000-year history of the world’s predominant faith, threatening not just the celibate, all-male priesthood but sacred teachings on marriage, sex, and women’s leadership.
As debates over the manuscript’s authenticity raged, award-winning journalist Ariel Sabar set out to investigate a baffling mystery: where did this tiny scrap of papyrus come from? His indefatigable search for answers became an international true-crime story, in which, remarkably, he managed to solve the crime.
"
‘Ariel Sabar tells a fascinating story.’
" - The Mail on Sunday"
‘A dramatic tale of gullibility, deception, ideology and academic politics.’
" - Times Higher Education"
‘[A] madcap, unforgettable book … [F]or enthusiasts of ancient Christianity … and readers of idea-driven capers, whether by Daniel Silva or Janet Malcolm. It’s a barely believable tale, crazier than a tweed-sniffer in the faculty lounge.’
" - New York Times Book Review"
‘It’s a story about journalism done right, about Sabar’s own capable, dogged sleuthing to get to the bottom of those famous headlines … Veritas offers a vital lesson less about Christianity than about what happens when a scholar decides that the story is more important than the truth.’
" - Time"
‘Mesmerising … [Sabar] has our attention, and slowly, remorselessly, he pays out the rest of his devilish yarn … Savour the denouement — and don't leave at intermission.’
" - Wall Street Journal"
‘Intriguing religious/true-crime story involving a possible wife of Jesus … A lengthy yet fascinating tale of how one scholar was duped, both by a con man and by herself.’
" - Kirkus Reviews"
‘If turning scraps of ancient papyrus into an enthralling true-crime escapade takes a miracle, consider Ariel Sabar a miracle worker … Veritas, Latin for truth and inscribed on the Harvard seal, is an extraordinary and mind-bending adventure into ancient traditions with modern consequences.’
" - Shelf Awareness"
‘Sabar has written a true story of mystery and intrigue … [B]lending religious history with a tale of deception … [A] well-researched, engrossing backstory of failed discovery from a noted scholar.’
" - Library Journal"
‘A work of exemplary narrative nonfiction … [F]itting neatly into the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction category … Provocative and probing.’ STARRED REVIEW
" - Booklist/American Library Association"
‘Fascinating … Ariel Sabar digs out every detail in his engrossing book … The interaction of these two characters, one with a deep need to deceive and the other with a desperate need to believe, presents a wholly human story of frailty and weakness.’
" - NPR"
‘[A]n exhaustive examination of the whole affair in a work of exemplary narrative nonfiction … Provocative and probing, this will entice readers interested in the history of early Christianity.’
" - Booklist"
‘Extraordinary … [A]stonishing … The book is as good as a detective novel, possessing plot, subplots, hidden motives, bees in eccentric bonnets and startling revelations.’
" - Minneapolis Star Tribune"
‘A tour de force of investigative journalism … Mr. Sabar’s book is a model on how to investigate any new ‘discoveries’ from ancient texts. It is also a cautionary tale about the acceptance of experts and expertise at face value.’
" - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"
‘Sabar offers plenty of fascinating arcana about scientific and historical methods for testing and analysing such an object, and he also brings to life many of the people involved … Veritas is packed with details and tells a complex story, but Sabar’s prose is clear and inviting, and the book is structured with a well-tuned sense of suspense. It’s a wonderfully absorbing example of truth being stranger than fiction.’
" - Tampa Bay Times"
‘A thriller for eggheads.’
" - Boston Globe"
‘A testament to the value of investigative journalism … [F]ull of shocking and revelatory moments.’
" - Daily Beast"
‘Scintillating … Sabar is a master storyteller.’
" - Tablet"
Praise for My Father's Paradise:
‘A biography, a memoir, a meticulously reconstructed history of a largely vanished people and place … Transcending mere reportage, it acquires a novel-like warp and weft.’
" - Los Angeles Times"
Praise for My Father's Paradise:
‘Sabar offers something rare and precious — a tale of hope and continuity that can be passed on for generations.’ STARRED REVIEW
" - Publishers Weekly"
Praise for My Father's Paradise:
‘Graceful and resonant.’
" - New York Times Sunday Book Review"
Praise for Heart of the City:
‘A beguiling romp.’
" - New York Times"
Praise for Heart of the City:
‘Charming, uplifting tales.’
" - Library Journal"
Praise for Heart of the City:
‘Quirky true tales about city landmarks and chance encounters.’
" - New York Magazine