The Ephesus Fragment by Gary E. Parker

a review

This is a good novel. It deals with archaeology, which I find very interesting, especially when it deals with biblical archaeology. The story begins in Ephesus, Turkey. Dr. Hugh McAuley is and archaeologist, but not a well-known one. He works for a well-known archaeologist who is more interested in seeing the camera than seeing artifacts. One day, Hugh finds a place in his dig that seems to house something. It’s hollow. When he finally is able to open the area up, he finds something he cannot believe. It is an ancient jar in which there is a document written in Greek. The scroll contains some fantastic words:

In the last days of this temporal life, I John, a follower of the Lord Jesus and witness to many signs and wonders that He did do now undertake to write an accounting of the life of Jesus, as told to me through the words of Mary, mother of our Lord, who lived in my house as the Lord commanded before His death and resurrection.

Could this be real? If so, it would do wonders for the world of archaeology. Hugh tried to keep it hidden, but his boss found out about it. Yet before she could investigate it, the document was stolen. And so the mystery begins: who stole it, and why? Eventually, we meet Valerie Miller, who works for the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. She meets Father Michael Del Rio, who is a representative of Cardinal Severiano Roca of the Vatican (who also happens to be his relative). Together, they forge a friendship as they seek to find out about the scroll and where it is.

The story is well written and fast paced. Very enjoyable. There is murder and mayhem along the way. The ending leaves a bit of mystery about Valerie and Michael and the possibility of a romance. A Baptist girl and a priest? Stranger things have happened!

The only part about the book that I was disappointed in was the fact that I believed it was soft on Roman Catholicism. The world’s second largest religion has many similarities to biblical Christianity, but there are also fundamental differences too. The Mass is a new sacrifice of Jesus, something the New Testament says is patently wrong (Hebrews 10:12). In all, though, it is a good read. Perhaps Mr. Parker will write a sequel to reveal what happens with Valerie and Michael.

The List by Robert Whitlow

a review

This book is set in the South, which is a big plus for me since I love the South so much. It begins in Georgetown, South Carolina, in 1863. The War Between the States was raging on, and a small group of men were meeting to begin something that would last well into the following century. They were concerned that when the North conquered the South, all their wealth would be plundered. So they took steps to prevent that. They made a list that was as secretive as it was wealth producing. This wealth was to ensure that future generations would never have to suffer. The Covenant List of South Carolina, Ltd. was its official name. Mysterious and intriguing.

Josiah Fletchall Jacobson, or Renny as he is called, is one of the benefactors of the List, but he doesn’t know it yet. When his father dies, events take place to call Renny to his heritage—and wealth. Along the way, he meets Jo Taylor Johnston, a pretty young woman who catches his eye. Over time, he finds out that she too knows about the List. She has been doing her own investigation. Jo is from Michigan and Renny from Charleston. Together they put their heads together to find out how they can profit from the List. The closer they get to solving the mystery, the stranger things become. Partly because those in charge of the List now think Jo is a man rather than a woman. The rules of the List forbid any endowments to women for any reason.

The story is well written and is a great mystery. Renny and Jo form a good friendship and more. They also come to know God in a fuller way as they realize the evil that is also part of the mystery of the List. Will they marry? What will happen to Renny’s share of the List’s fortune? You’ll have to read it to find out!