Several times a year my University’s bookstore holds clearance sales, and when books are selling for $0.99 each, I’m not too discriminatory about what I pick up. No book is a bad book in my opinion and I attempt to read each and every one. Sometimes you get a dud, other times, like in the case of Michael Byrnes’ The Sacred Blood, you get a really good read.
I was not aware that this book was a sequel to The Sacred Bones until I was a few pages into the book, but enough information is given about what went on before to easily follow the action of the present book, and it’s enough of its own standalone story that I didn’t feel I was missing anything, not having read the prior book, so I continued to plow forward, losing myself in the intrigues and conspiracies.
In the first book, an ossuary is discovered that purportedly contains the bones of Jesus Christ. The Vatican very kindly returns the ossuary to Israel, but the bones and other contents “disappear”. Working with the group of archaeologists is American geneticist Charlotte Hennesy who extracts DNA from the bones and discovers something very surprising – a strange genome that appears to replicate and repair all genetic disorders. Suffering from bone cancer, she injects serum made from the genome and is miraculously cured,
In The Sacred Blood, we learn of a century’s old plot to return the Testimony, or the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the very spot where God handed Moses the Ten Commandments and where Abraham went to sacrifice his son Isaac. According to legend, a new Messiah will be chosen, will open the Ark of the Covenant, and so will begin a Messianic Age whereby God will smite down those who blaspheme and fail to follow his covenant, and raise up a new Temple and reward true believers.
Unfortunately, the rabbi who is purportedly a direct descendant of Aaron, and whose family has passed down this secret plot for generations upon generations is also incredibly corrupt, killing at will those who get in his way. Adding to the problem is the fact that the sacred spot the Ark must be returned to is located in the Dome of the Rock, a place of Islamic worship. What the rabbi is proposing to do could very easily set off World War III. Racing to prevent this disaster is Israeli archaeologist Amit Mizrachi who rapidly pieces together the rabbi’s plans. It’s a breathless race to the finish, and a delightfully delicious story of religious conspiracy akin to The DaVinci Code. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Till next time, happy reading!
L 
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