Book Review: THE LOST SCROLLS

THE LOST SCROLLS by Michael J. Scott is an adventure story. Its central character is Professor Jonathan Munro, a genius in ancient languages and an authority on ancient texts. His quest to possess the Domo tou Bibliou leads him on a series of escapades where he witnesses much death and much greed. He finds out there are many more people trying to get their hands on this scroll, and the police are after the murderers and terrorists. The murderers and terrorists, of course, are following Jonathan, hoping he will lead them to the priceless find. This book is definitely exciting, full of shootings, car chases, and narrow escapes. Some of the main characters wind up dead—or left for dead. Jonathan and his friend’s sister keep running throughout the book.

I didn’t find much of a Christian message, although I get the impression that the author is a true Christian. The characters in the book certainly aren’t. Some believe in God, and Jonathan believes in the authenticity of the Bible, but it doesn’t go any farther.

There’s one passage that says it’s okay to lie for a good purpose, something I definitely don’t agree with.

Some expressions that are used throughout the book are not swearing or dirty language, but I didn’t appreciate them, as they are close.

I also felt there was a real mixture of “Christianity” presented: Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant all mashed together. I thought it was confusing, since true Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ died for our sins and can save us. Some of the bad guys were religious in name (a monk and a priest) but not in works, and some of the good guys weren’t religious at all. Sometimes, it was hard to distinguish between the good and the bad.

Overall, an entertaining read. I was fascinated with the search for the true autographs of Scripture and was entertained by the pace and adventures of a somewhat bumbling but smart professor and Isabel, his friend’s sister. I have to admit an admiration for one of the bad characters, Sean, as well. He was more “round” than the others, and I enjoyed learning about him as the book went on. I enjoyed the geographical backgrounds of Turkey and Syria and the color of the region.

A fun read, though not exactly what I would call a strongly Christian book.