The Last Gospel

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)