This is the groundbreaking novel that continues Canova's multi-award winning Pope Annalisa and The First Souls Trilogy. It fills in many puzzling passages and mysteries woven into the familiar scriptural stories of the Bible. Using the near- lost gospels of the earliest Judeo-Christian mystics recovered recent times, Peter Canova reconstructs Western spiritual history in a spellbinding thriller of fall, transcendence, and redemption.
Mary Magdalene's story in not just about the lost feminine voice of the early Church-her story is our story, the universal saga of humanity's origin, destiny, and purpose. It is the story of an explosive divine knowledge being silenced by opposing powers to prevent a shocking truth from transforming mankind with a new paradigm for existence. Magdalene escapes slavery and forced prostitution to become the primary disciple of Jesus and bear the secret, radical knowledge he taught to an elect few. Set against the clash of opposing empires and a backdrop of murder, espionage, and betrayal, Magdalene is pursued by a Roman assassin as she embarks on an odyssey across the ancient world. She seeks the key that will make her worthy to reveal the true saving message of the martyred Jesus before she too is silenced and her native Judea is destroyed in a rain of fire and blood.
Industry Reviews
Review Rating: 5 stars! Reviewed By Melinda Hills for Readers' Favorite Completed on: 08/25/2016 There is a tremendous gap between the purity of spirituality and the dogma of religion. The Thirteenth Disciple by Peter Canova beautifully differentiates between the two in this engrossing dual tale of the true meaning of Jesus' ministry and the modern addition of the fictional Gospels of Mary Magdalene. Mary suffers under Jewish law and lives with anger and vengeance until she meets and accepts the teachings of Jesus. As the Thirteenth Disciple, she continues his ministry with a pure understanding as one of the First Souls reincarnated to this time period. Together with other First Souls, Mary tries to spread the message of God within each person, but the people of ancient Judea are not quite ready. A team of scientists and biblical scholars, finding the Gospels in 'modern day' France, reopens the discussion about the real nature of God, only to awaken forces of darkness that try to prevent the spread of this new aspect of Jesus' ministry. Is the world ready now or have things not really changed in 2000 years? Peter Canova has masterfully intertwined modern science, ancient history, and the yearning of a world full of darkness for the light in this engrossing and uplifting story of faith and open-mindedness. Beautifully developed characters engage in incredible action both in ancient and modern times, demonstrating that although years may pass, the underlying elements of human nature don't. The Thirteenth Disciple is an incredible journey into what the true nature of God actually may be, and how the message of Jesus may have been distorted by people who did not really understand or who had everything to gain from twisting what He truly meant. This is an excellent alternative look at Christianity, true belief in God, and the power of each individual to be part of a better world. Wow! I loved this story and would love to know how much is fact/fiction. The author has blended a variety of beliefs and viewpoints into a philosophy that should guide mankind to a better place.
