Book Review: The Last Ember by Daniel Levin

From the moment you step off the plane at Rome’s airport with main character Jonathan Marcus, The Last Ember takes you on a fast-paced ride through archeology sites and research labs, courtrooms and U.N. offices, churches and catacombs from Rome to Jerusalem and back again.

The story begins when Marcus, a New York lawyer, unexpectedly arrives in Rome, the scene of his academic disgrace seven years earlier. His past passions begin warring with his common sense almost immediately after examining a chunk of the Forma Urbis Romae (a detailed marble map of Rome made around 200 AD) at the center of the case. When his colleagues discredit his long-lost girlfriend in court, Jonathan Marcus can’t ignore his feelings or the lure of archeological sleuthing.

A modern web of terror, destruction and deception as complex as the ancient Roman-Jewish world it parallels emerges as Jonathan slips, once again, into the fray. At the center of the vortex is the preservation of the ancient Jewish temple menorah and the secrets of controversial Jewish historian, Josephus. Powerful and elusive enemies seek this artifact to corrupt and destroy history, along with all Jewish and Christian Temple Mount historical treasures, as Jonathan and Dr. Emili Tavia fight to uncover the truth and preserve it.

This thriller reveals the high stakes and dangerous world of archeology in the Middle East, and the very real threat to historical preservation and archeological research. The actions described in the book are reflected in headlines and even in Congressional bills to stop the destruction of the Temple Mount.

For an exciting summer escape and a crash course in ancient history and languages, pick up The Last Ember