by Tom Fox
The idea of a forged document was fresh in my mind while writing this book due to a significant case of apparent document forgery having been in the news over the past year. The so-called ‘Gospel of Jesus’s Wife Fragment’, a scrap of papyrus supposedly 1,300 years old, written in ancient Coptic and containing ‘the only known reference to Jesus Christ being married’, was initially presented at a conference in Rome in 2012 after its apparent discovery had ultimately led to its arriving in the hands of an eminent and well-known scholar, hailing from one of the most eminent universities in the United States (and the world). The impact that this tiny fragment of ancient paper – a tattered rectangle of just a few centimetres – had on historical and religious discussions over the coming years was extraordinary. However, its origins and provenance had not been sufficiently studied, leading to serious questions and suspicions that culminated in the summer of 2016 with the publication of an article in The Atlantic (called ‘The Unbelievable Tale of Jesus’s Wife’, written by Ariel Sabar, which I highly encourage readers to locate online – it reads with as much suspense and action as any fiction) which provided compelling evidence that the ‘ancient’ fragment was a forgery and a hoax. The fact that a reporter at a popular magazine had discovered what scholars and university departments had not, is still causing waves in the academic community; but more importantly, the whole matter showed that even in our modern world, with all our technology and acumen, forgery is still possible, and still happens – and can have widespread effects. It was the unfolding of this real-life drama of deception that inspired me with the idea of creating a tablet in another ancient tongue, to speak to another kind of deceit.
The volcanic explosion that features in the book is something I hope will never befall the good people of Pantelleria (a real island which genuinely is the cone of a dormant volcano, as described in the story); but the details of how dramatic such an explosion can be – including the production of thick black clouds that can travel in excess of 180 kilometres an hour – are genuine. I was ‘inspired’ (if that word can be used of such destruction) by watching Werner Herzog’s Into the Inferno (2016), which features video documentation of explosions similar to the one I fictionalised here, and with consequences that are not at all dissimilar.
Finally, a brief word on the Charismatic Catholic Church. While the community and clergy featured in this book are fictional, the movement itself is not. Its origins are complex, as with most movements, but it had a significant starting point in 1966 when the book The Cross and the Switchblade (1962), authored by a non-denominational American evangelist, was read by a group of Catholics and began a movement emphasising the role of Pentecostal experience, charisms, healings and similar revelations within a Roman Catholic framework. Usually known as the ‘Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement’, it has grown ever since, and today claims some 160 million members worldwide. It is officially a movement within Catholicism, though since its beginnings has had a tenuous relationship with the broader Catholic Church, often being held in suspicion. Yet its members are deeply devoted, officially in good standing with the Catholic Church as a whole, and committed to the life of their communities with intense devotion. I am grateful for the experience of getting to know several of them.
Acknowledgements
I want to thank the readers of Dominus, together with its novella companions Genesis and Exodus, for the extraordinary response their publication met last year. It was an absolute thrill for me to see Dominus climb through the charts in so many countries, to see its covers on the sides of buses and on trains throughout Europe, and to receive such a wonderful response from readers and reviewers. It was this reaction, above all else, that inspired me to push forward with the present book, and I can only hope that those of you who enjoyed the previous will enjoy this one as well.
To my friend, masterful literary agent and ever-willing lunch companion, Luigi Bonomi, my sincerest thanks, as ever. He, together with Alison, Dani and the rest of the crew at LBA Books, put such effort and enthusiasm into my work, and it is a joy to have them behind (and beside, and in front of) me in this wonderful literary world. There simply isn’t a better agent out there.
Emily Griffin has always been such a tremendous believer in my writing, and working with her at Headline was a genuine treat. I miss her now that she’s moved on to other roles, but am absolutely delighted to be surrounded by the enthusiastic likes of Frankie Edwards, Kitty Stogdon and the whole, energetic team at Headline in the UK. In the USA, my Quercus team continue to pour their hearts and souls into the amazing American editions of my books; and all the international editors, translators and publishers do jobs that simply amaze me. I am fortunate to be surrounded by as superlative a set of publishers as an author could hope to work with, and my thanks are due to them all, both for the great success of Dominus as well as the enthusiastic labours poured into this book and future projects.
As with the writing of Dominus, I had access to a collection of priests who provided extraordinary insider knowledge on both the operations of the Curia in Rome, as well as an induction into the extraordinary communities of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. All, as before, wish to remain anonymous, but my profound ‘surreptitious’ thanks to Fr A—, Fr I—, Fr J— and the young monk Br D— who became as much a friend as a resource.
Finally, to all the reviewers who take the time to transfer their enthusiasm for a good book into a review, whether in the national papers, on the radio, on blogs, on Goodreads or Amazon or elsewhere: thank you! You’re such an integral part of this beautiful, book-minded world, and as an author I am far from alone in being truly, deeply appreciative of the time you take on our behalf.
Here’s to what’s ahead!
If you enjoyed THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT, you will love Tom Fox’s first novel . . .
The Vatican Cathedral is packed to the rafters as Pope Gregory XVII leads the congregation in mass. A cloaked stranger steps suddenly and fearlessly towards the altar and commands the wheelchair-bound Pope to stand.
He does.
The miracle stops the world in its tracks. Who is this stranger?
More miraculous events follow and as the Vatican retreats and closes its doors to the world, journalist Alexander Trecchio and police officer Gabriella Fierro set out to find an explanation that might calm an increasingly hysterical nation.
Because the question on everyone’s lips is what the stranger’s arrival might mean . . . and whether it finally heralds the End of Days.
Available in paperback and ebook.
The world of doesn’t end there.
Read the action-packed prequel . . .
In the centre of Rome, a man of God fires a gunshot that echoes throughout the Santa Maria in Trastevere church.
The shot misses its intended target, police officer Gabriella Fierro, by a whisper. But it’s clear her investigation is on the brink of exposing a truth that some will go to untold lengths to keep hidden.
Now journalist and partner Alexander Trecchio must work quickly to uncover the conspiracy, and to save Gabriella, before all hell breaks loose.
. . . and the electrifying sequel
In just eight hours and forty-five minutes, an explosive device is primed to rock the foundations of Rome . . .
When journalist Alexander Trecchio is awoken from dark dreams and called to the Vatican in the face of emergency, he knows just how much is at stake. Someone has desecrated the Sistine Chapel – and they have revenge in their sights.
As Alexander is drawn deeper into the deadly web of lies, it’s clear he is about to come face-to-face with an evil force who will stop at nothing to succeed . . . Can he stop them in their tracks before it’s too late?
Both short-stories are available exclusively in ebook.