Ebook
There is no sound archaeological evidence for the biblical story of the exodus from Egypt, but this work of fiction revisits the Bible story using clues from Egyptology and molecular genealogy of three mysterious mummies discovered nearby the Saqqara step pyramid. A group of English and Egyptian archaeologists and geneticists working together discover that one of the mummies carried a gene that confirms he was from the tribe of the Cohanim, and one of the mummies must be that of Nefertiti, the wife of the monotheist pharaoh, Akhenaten. From this they deduce the identity of Moses from the Bible and then follow clues for the route taken by the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land. Along the way they are able to discover rational explanations for the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. These observations are not welcomed by the extreme orthodox community of Jews intent on rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem and ultimately end up in a battle on the Temple Mount. For this the army of the modern Israelites find common purpose with the Palestinian militias to protect the ground that is holy to both Muslims and Jews.
“Baum has successfully combined his wide and expert knowledge of
Egyptology, Israel, Judaism, and medicine to create, with enviable
literary skill, a nonstop action thriller. It kept me on edge from
the very beginning to its explosive end. I look forward to the
movie!”
—Maurice J. Summerfield, Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of
Music, London
“This book—a novel with several injections of scholarly
inserts—contains something for almost everybody, from scuba diving
at the outset, archeology, and ancient Egyptian mummies to a
thrilling rescue of several principal characters who are being held
as hostages toward the conclusion. It’s a work of fiction, but
nevertheless, one has to remind oneself of this simple fact from
time to time—a real thriller with many plots and subplots.”
—Stanley Waterman, University of Haifa, emeritus
“A good read which accompanies the reader over four thousand years
in space and time. Impeccably researched. A fascinating
reconsideration of a familiar story.”
—Linda Kingsley, specialist speech and language therapist
(MRCSLT)
“This book has something for everyone—scuba diving, history,
archeology, Egyptology, and religion. Above all, it is a
fast-moving thriller which is spellbinding.”
—Isabel Oberman, justice of the peace (JP)
Michael Baum qualified in medicine at Birmingham University in
1960. He held chairs of surgery at Kings College London, the
Institute of Cancer Research, and University College London. On
retiring as a professor of surgery at University College London in
2010, he spent the rest of his career teaching and promoting
“medical humanities” including fine art, literature, and
philosophy. He was a medical officer at the Masada dig and
researched biblical archaeology at the Palestine Exploration
Fund.