by Nino Ricci
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. While it takes its inspiration from the figure who has come down to us as Jesus Christ, it does not purport to be an accurate historical representation of that figure. At the same time, I have made every effort to work within the bounds of historical plausibility, based on what is known to us of the time and place in which Jesus lived. In my research I have drawn on many sources, including the work of the Jesus Seminar and of other contemporary scholars who have tried to arrive at an understanding of the historical Jesus.
In the case of one of my characters, I have repeated an error that initially entered the Jesus tradition through the mistranslation of the Greek “simon kananites” as “Simon the Canaanite” rather than “Simon the Zealot.” In the novel, the character appears as both. I chose to retain the error since it seemed a way of entering a greater truth about the Galilee of that time, its cultural heterogeneity.
For their help with this book, I am deeply indebted to Erika de Vasconcelos, Don Melady, Anne McDermid, Maya Mavjee, and Martha Kanya-Forstner.
Copyright © Nino Ricci 2002
Anchor Canada edition 2003
All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication, reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisher—or, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a license from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency—is an infringement of the copyright law.
Anchor Canada and colophon are trademarks.
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION
Ricci, Nino, 1959–
Testament / Nino Ricci.
eISBN: 978-0-307-37508-7
I. Title.
PR9199.3.R512T48 2002 C813′.54 C2002-904261-5
PS8585.I126T48 2003
Published in Canada by
Anchor Canada, a division of
Random House of Canada Limited
Visit Random House of Canada Limited’s website:
www.randomhouse.ca
v3.0