The Lost Book of Moses

The Hunt for the World's Oldest Bible

By: Chanan Tigay

Narrated by: Chanan Tigay

In the summer of 1883, Moses Wilhelm Shapira - archaeological treasure hunter and denizen of Jerusalem's bustling marketplace - arrived unannounced in London claiming to have discovered the world's oldest Bible scroll. When news of the discovery leaked to the excited English press, Shapira became a household name. But before the British Museum could acquire them, Shapira's nemesis, French archaeologist Charles Clermont-Ganneau, denounced his find as a fraud. Humiliated, Shapira fled the country. Six months later he was dead.

With the discovery of the eerily similar Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, investigators reopened the case, wondering whether the ill-fated merchant had in fact discovered the first Dead Sea Scroll decades before the rest. But by then Shapira's scrolls had vanished. Award-winning journalist Chanan Tigay set out to find the scrolls and determine Shapira's guilt or innocence for himself. The globetrotting hunt that followed vibrates with the suspense of a classic detective tale.

Weaving meticulous research into fast-paced storytelling, Tigay spins a remarkable tale of history and theology; intrigue and scandal; greed, ambition, and the struggle for authenticity.

©2016 Chanan Tigay (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A work of broad appeal, for the history buff and mystery lover alike." ( Kirkus)

Unusual level of detai

Author’s level of commitment to research to get to the truth was impressive and helped tie up loose ends.

This book was very fascinating!!

Any additional comments?

This book was very fascinating, as I had never heard of Moses Chapelle. So the ending of this book was definitely surprising to me, as I thought the author had already made up his mind. I was definitely wrong, the author of this book did a fantastic job in explaining his venture and his Biblical research. If you like adventure and the Bible you will love this book.

Fascinating!

It's easy to go on a treasure hunt if you're certain of the outcome. This journey, however, is the exact opposite. The twists & turns, blind alleys, disappointments and surprises make this a true adventure. I won't spoil the ending but I guarantee that it won't be what you are expecting.
If you have any interest at all in ancient manuscripts, you will love this book.

The Lost Book of Moses

I love historical mysteries, especially involving ancient texts, and this scratched my itch. Well researched and written, with perhaps a slightly forced ending contrived in lieu of not finding the scrolls, but a book about an as-yet unsolved mystery needs an ending, so fair enough.

I enjoyed reading about the many places in Israel that I've visited.

Tigay did a good job of narrating his own book.

Excellent Adventure

Chanan Tigay does a phenomenal job narrating his adventure. The clever and engaging analysis twists and turns through the life of one of histories most interesting shopkeepers. We learn not just the story of his epic quest, we are transported back to a past. The listener sometimes feel Tigay has not only researched the ancient scrolls but he has experienced the subject firsthand. He traces the steps of his subject shopkeeper and impresses the audience with an analysis of these historic events.