The Last Gospel [Hardcover]

David Howard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2000

This suspenseful, philosophical novel shifts on parallel plot lines from the 1st to the 21st century. THE LAST GOSPEL is a captivating adventure in philosophy, romance and spirituality that springs from the author's life-long love for both Jewish tradition and the New Testament Gospels. A meticulously researched historical novel with an intriguing futuristic edge. THE LAST GOSPEL inspires and delights the reader even as it infuses ancient scripture with renewed meaning.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It is 2021, and Rafaela Baruch da Costa, a historical linguist, is poised for triumph. In her early 40s, she has finally met the man of her dreams and become pregnant. Moreover, Rafaela is part of a team of scholars about to publish the Isaac Papers. Recently released by the Vatican, these first-century scrolls make the Gnostic Gospels look tame. They reveal shocking truths about the New Testament era: Mary Magdalene had an affair with the disciple Thomas, for starters, and Peter framed Judas. But all is not well. Mohammed, Rafaela's lover, turns out to be married, and disgruntled believers leave threatening, obscene messages on her machine. To complicate matters further, Rafaela discovers that a text she and her fellow scholars thought was simply Hebrew gibberish is actually an elaborate code predicting a terrible earthquake that will strike Jerusalem in a matter of weeks. Mohammed, who has the ear of several international higher-ups, jets off to Israel to try to avert disaster. As the earthquake's date approaches, he tells Rafaela that he plans to leave his wife and marry her. But first, they have to live through the cataclysm and surmount the threats. Journalist Howard's first novel is no great work of literature. The character development is shallow and the complicated structureDwhere chapters from Rafaela's letter to her unborn daughter alternate with passages from the Isaac PapersDdisjointed. But some readers may find it a lively adventure. (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Born in Harford, Connecticut, David Howard spent a dozen years in Mexico City as a journalist, university professor and consultant to the Ministry of Education before settling with his wife Cecilia and daughters Hannah and Eva in Southern California. In addition to writing fiction, Mr. Howard is a professional translator and teacher. The Last Gospel is his first novel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 263 pages
• Publisher: Disc-Us Books (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584441151
• ISBN-13: 978-1584441151
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,480,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Captivating Story, August 13, 2000

By 

Yoshiko Samuel (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Gospel (Hardcover)

David Howard's "The Last Gospel" is a captivating story, at once provocative and inspiring. With his vivid imagination and outstanding talent for storytelling, the author weaves in this novel two stories--one of a biblical testimony, that challenges the conventional image of Jesus, and the other, set in 2020 A.D., of a young Jewish linguist and her lover, who struggle against all odds to decode a prophecy contained in the testimony. Synthesizing the past and the future; spirituality and science; and romance and tragedy, this novel is a tapestry of rare complexity, pleasing tension, and superb beauty. It belongs in the library of any serious fiction lover. -- Yoshiko Samuel, Profesor of Asian Literature at Wesleyan Univeristy

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Midrash, July 16, 2000

By 

Harold Lindenthal (Hartford, Connecticut USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Gospel (Hardcover)

"The Last Gospel" continues in the worthy literary tradition of the novelist Sholem Asch, who interpreted the life and times of Jesus for an audience largely composed of Jews who were allergic to Christianity because of the atrocities visted upon the Jewish world for centuries. Nevertheless, Jewish readers wished to understand Jesus and his milieu in a safe spiritual and intellectual environment, devoid of proselytizing.

Open-minded people generally and people involved in interfaith relationships specifically will find "The Last Gospel" fascinating because it expresses the idea that the teachings of Jesus (as differentiated from what became known as Christianity) are very much within the Jewish prophetic tradition. While this idea is not original to author David Howard, its expression in an intriguing suspense novel and love story set in both the ancient 1st century and the technologically sophisticated 21st century results in a unique combination of fact, fantasy and midrash. My interest was completely sustained.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE LAST GOSPEL, July 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Gospel (Hardcover)

"The Last Gospels" was a treat. I had the pleasure of reading it on a long plane trip back East and the time flew by! Two aspects of the book particularly impressed me: that a man could capture so well the voice and thoughts of a woman -- a pregnant woman at that -- and the level of research that made the historical sections so lively. Having read many books, primarily non-fiction, on religion and the history of religion, I was surprised how much I enjoyed a fictionalized account. The book is well written and paced. I recommend it to not only those who are interested in religion but to those who enjoy a good mystery as well.