Product Description
A true-life thriller about the journey of one of the world’s most precious manuscripts—the 10th century annotated Hebrew Bible known as the Aleppo Codex—from its hiding place in an ancient Syrian synagogue to the newly-founded Israel. Using his research, including documents which have been secret for 50 years and interviews with key players, AP correspondent Friedman tells a story of political upheaval, international intrigue, charged courtroom battles, obsession, and subterfuge.
Reviews/Praise
—Kirkus Reviews
“Friedman has done a remarkable job—finding sources and digging through archives—of getting [this] fascinating story out of the shadows and into the light.”
—Booklist [HC starred review]
“A masterful account of a major religious document. . . . Friedman delivers an atmospheric, tense story.”
—Publishers Weekly [starred review]
“The Aleppo Codex could be read as a thriller. It could also be read as a history of the Jewish people, or as a meditation on history and myth. This great book comes closer to containing everything than any book I’ve read in a long, long time.”
—Jonathan Safran Foer
“Friedman’s account of how the Codex was taken from Syria in the 1940s, later to resurface in Jerusalem, although no longer complete, is full of betrayals, controversy and surprises—and raises larger questions about the ownership and preservation of historical treasures.”
—Jewish Week
