Matti Friedman

Spending an entire book on the search for a Jewish artifact that possesses ancient scriptures may seem like a sure thing. The large cast of players include countries wanting to hide the document, individuals wanting to increase their wealth by exchanging the codex, and archaeologists. Despite the mystery about whether there are missing pages or if it has been completely destroyed, I was less than involved. I needed to be rooted in actual passages in the book in order to invest my time in the search. A rare revelation dealt with Pharaohs in Egypt trying to recreate the ten plagues upon the Jewish. A major disappointment.… (más)

It was only when I got halfway through the book that I found anything compelling- Friedman’s explanation about Jewish identities—someone who looks like you but isn’t you. He brings up the example of Dreyfus believing himself to be a Frenchman but France thought of him as an alien
Amazing that the Jewish spy might have gotten caught because he used toilet paper rather than cleaning themselves with water-an Arab Muslin practice.
The book rarely introduces the ways these spies had to deny their identity as Jews. In one sequence there is discussion about what happens if they saw Arabs beating up an Israeli and the advice was to join in—if not there were disastrous results resulting in deaths because their undercover identities would be exposed. Gamliel, one of the spies, passes by a synagogue and hears Hebrew prayers. He nearly breaks down but then has to remind himself that he is playing the role of an Arab Muslim.
The final sections of the book that explore the relationships the spies had with women almost redeems the work.… (más)