ebooks The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels by Janet Soskice in History

Review

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful. Amazing Book on Many LevelsBy J. HollerbachMy grandmother always used to say that "truth is stranger than fiction." It took me many years to appreciate that statement. And Janet Soskice has certainly provided strong evidence for that with this well-written biography. She has written a multi-layered book that becomes more and more fascinating as each section unfolds. This is not only a book about how an ancient manuscript of the Gospels was discovered; although that would have been interesting alone. Janet Soskice manages to intertwine the story of two sisters; twins whose circumstances were so unusual that their Presbyterian belief in Providence would be difficult to dispute; with attitudes toward women in the 19th Century; the excitement of the Academy during the Victorian era; and a travelogue of the Middle East. The book is rich; complex; exciting and sometimes extremely frustrating; as various characters render their judgments about gender; religion and values. It is very real and very genuine. The author treats her subjects with the respect they clearly deserve; while not glossing over their bigotry and eccentricities. She is; likewise; very clear in revealing the bigotry that the sisters received at the hands of the Academy; especially Cambridge. As the sisters launch on their search for manuscripts; the book can read as well as any good detective story. And the conflicts between the sisters and the more established members of academia bring some high drama and tension to the book. So the story itself is well written and quite fascinating. What I found so incredible about the book; however; was the sisters themselves. This is a story of overcoming incredible obstacles; of digging in and getting things done when; objectively; one's goals seem daunting at best and impossible at worst. In short; Janet Soskice has written the story of two absolutely amazing women who traveled through the Sinai desert without husbands when that was unheard of; befriended some wonderful Greek Orthodox monks even though they were staunch Presbyterians; discovered obscure documents written in Syriac (not exactly the ligua franca of the day); and became two of the top Orientalists in their era - and in middle age yet! It is the story of relationships developed (I just loved their relationship with Solomon Schechter!) with others who were as excited about religion; God and scholarship as they were. All in all; it was a pleasure reading of how their lives so beautifully and brilliantly unfolded; and how scholarship; religion; and their own natures grew and expanded as a result of their adventures. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the history of religion; the Victorian era; women's studies; archeology; or anyone who just enjoys settling down to a great read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Two Wealthy Scottish Sisters Take Us Closer To The Original GospelsBy Rev. D. Thomas Ford; Jr.This is the great; well-told story of two very wealthy Scottish Prebyterian sisters who are extremely gifted in foreign languages and adventursomness who discover a third century copy of the Gospels in Syria at The Saint Catherne Monastery on the top of Mt. Sinai in the Arabian Peninsula in the late 19th century. It revolutionized biblical scholarship. This book is a must read for all serious Bible scholars and lay students of the Bible.12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Surprising and ExcitingBy Anglo-American ReaderEach morning on my way to work I drive past the gates of Westminster College;Cambridge; England; founded in 1899 as the Presbyterian (now United Reformed Church) seminary in this great center of British learning. These days when I go by I find myself thinking of the twin sisters whose generosity paid for the theological college; and who are the subject of this delightful book by Janet Soskice; Canadian-born Professor of Philosophical Theology at Cambridge.These two ladies; Agnes Lewis and Margaret Gibson; were formidable both as travellers and as intellects. From a small town in western Scotland where their shrewd father was a lawyer; they eventually as middle-aged widows established themselves in Cambridge and became self-taught scholars; collecting; collating; and translating early Christian manuscripts -- biblical scholars of the highest order.Re-reading my words I realize I have made them sound incredibly boring; but they were not; and neither did they sit at home by a warm fire doing needlepoint. At a time when women from their background were likely to be cosseted; they thought nothing of criss-crossing the Middle East looking for lost manuscripts -- a passion that was ignited when they turned up a very early manuscript of the gospels in the chaotically organized library at St. Catherine's Convent in the Sinai Peninsular. After it was confirmed that this was a winner they were hooked. Not only did St. Catherine's become a regular stopping-off point; but they even went scampering around the oldest monasteries in Egypt that had been established by the Desert Fathers in search of texts -- often being welcomed with open arms by monks whose attitudes until that point had certainly not been female friendly.I can promise a reader that this fabulously written book will neither certainly bore you or nor send you off to sleep. Page-turners are seldom written by Cambridge academics and about those fascinated by ancient Syriac manuscripts -- but this book shatters forever such stereotypes! Agnes and Margaret were obviously both brilliant and memorable characters; to be both admired and of whom to be just a teeny bit frightened. It helped that they inherited from their father the substantial fortune that he had amassed through careful business dealing; but they used their wealth wisely and well -- paying for the building the Presbyterian seminary in Cambridge was just one small part of their generosity.I am the father of two grown daughters; but if we were out to start our family over again and I had known about this dynamic little pair I would have been very tempted to try to persuade my wife that we should call them Agnes and Margaret after these two fascinating beings. Read this book: it will be good for your heart and good for your soul.