“Quae amissa salva”, Lost things are safe. Ruins of civilization’s great religions over two thousand years old beneath the streets of Rome and under the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem are being brutally destroyed. Jonathan Marcus a lawyer with a strong background in archaeology and Dr. Emili Travia, a preservationist for the United Nations team up to find out what is going on and why. The preserved body of the last princess of Jerusalem discovered by the Rome police is one of the many artifacts being destroyed. A tattoo in a circle around the woman’s navel reads “Phere nike umbilicus orbis terrarium” or Victory in the navel of the world. John and Emili are off on the chase with little information but their great knowledge of ancient Roman history gradually gains them traction.
The Roman historian, Josephus, close to the Roman Emperor Titis was long thought to be a traitor to his Jewish roots when he was captured in Roman battle and then worked his way up from slave to the right hand of the emperor. But, it turns out that he was a spy on behalf of his beloved Jerusalem. Josephus managed the impossible feat of stealing and hiding an 8 foot solid gold Menorah. Throughout history it had not been seen and some thought it had long been melted down or that maybe it was just a myth.
But Josephus left clues behind in his writings and in frescoes painted on the walls in tunnels beneath the Roman Coliseum and tunnels beneath the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Jonathan and Emili follow the words and maps from Rome to Jerusalem and then back to Rome. They seem to get close to finding the holy menorah only to discover more hidden clues and must continue their journey to another location.
In “The Last Ember” Daniel Levin weaves one of the most intricate and complicated plots I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Gradually the tension builds as Jon and Emili get closer to their target. As they get closer the bad guys who are destroying vast amounts of archaeology with the sole purpose of finding the gold menorah become desperate and begin to kill ruthlessly. The ending is exciting and full of twists and turns that are sure to excite the reader. If you liked Dan Brown’s similar works you must read “The Last Ember”
