Sisters Of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Found the Hidden Gospels - Rilegato

Soskice, Janet

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0701173416 ISBN 13: 9780701173418

Casa editrice: Chatto & Windus, 2009

Riassunto

Sisters of Sinai tells an extraordinary tale of nineteenth century exploration; how two Scottish sisters made one of the most important ancient manuscript finds of the age. Hidden in a cupboard beneath the monastic library at St Catherine's in the Sinai desert the twins discovered what looked like a palimpsest: one text written over another.It was Agnes who recognized the obscured text for what it was - one of the earliest copies of the Gospels written in ancient Syriac.Once they had overcome the stubborn reluctance of Cambridge scholars to authenticate the find and had lead an expedition of quarrelsome academics back to Sinai to copy it, Agnes and Margaret -in middle years and neither with any university qualifications - embarked on a life of demanding scholarship and bold travel.

In this enthralling book, Janet Soskice takes the reader on an astonishing journey from the Ayreshire of the sisters' childhood to the lost treasure trove of the Cairo genizah.We trace the footsteps of the intrepid pair as they voyage to Egypt, Sinai and beyond, Murray's guide book in hand coping with camels, unscrupulous dragomen, and unpredictable welcomes.We enter the excitement and mystery of the Gospel origins at a time when Christianity was under attack in Europe.Crucially this is the story of two remarkable women who, as widows, were undeterred in their spirit of adventure and who overcame insuperable odds to become world class scholars with a place in history.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

"In Sisters of Sinai Janet Soskice has achieved the impossible - she has brought biblical scholarship to life. A gripping story of two spirited women determined to pursue the truth whatever the cost, with camels to boot. Wonderful." (Sara Wheeler)

"An extraordinary and compelling book, combining vivid travel adventures, wonderful characters, and absorbing journeys of the mind and heart. Janet Soskice brilliantly and accessibly unfolds one of the most gripping sagas of Biblical detection, while telling the story of two magnificent women who trespassed intrepidly in worlds that sought to exclude them." (John Cornwell)

"You needn't follow a particular religion to become engrossed in this enthralling narrative. Sisters of Sinai is a tale of grand adventure and far-flung travels... Soskice is so adept at making a rarefied subject accessible and vivid that the narrative seems almost cinematic." (The Christian Science Monitor)

Descrizione del libro:

Narrative non-fiction at its best: an exciting, fascinating and thought-provoking book about the discovery of an early New Testament manuscript on Mount Sinai by two audacious Victorian ladies.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Chatto & Windus
• Data di pubblicazione: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0701173416
• ISBN 13: 9780701173418
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 352