The Sacred Blood by Micheal Byrnes. © 2009 HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780061781988. eBook. Suspense/Thriller. 279 pages. $10.19 US [ Purchase ] Source: Books on Board purchase.

Synopsis: When American geneticist Charlotte Hennesey examined what she believed were the bones of Jesus, the Vatican tried to stop word of her discovery from spreading. Now, her proof has vanished.

But the bones were just the beginning. In her tests, Charlotte discovers that the DNA extracted from the bones contains miraculous powers. Dying from cancer, the determined scientist uses herself as a human guinea pig to astonishing results. When she injects herself with this miracle DNA, the bone cancer that is slowly killing her doesn’t just go into remission, it vanishes completely. It seems the DNA has the ability to repair damaged genes, to heal the sick, to cure incurable diseases. And much to her surprise, Charlotte discovers that now she possesses these very powers.

But someone wants those bones—and Charlotte. Rabbi Aaron Cohen—a descendant of the biblical Aaron and the high priests of the long-destroyed Temple in Jerusalem—foresees a time when Jerusalem’s Temple Mount is cleared of the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque and replaced with the Third Temple. And for Cohen, that time is now. Cohen’s family has been the guardian of the Ark of the Covenant for many years and he is ready to retrieve the Ark from its hiding place and bring it back to Jerusalem to unleash its awesome power. He has only one problem—he cannot touch the Ark because his bloodline isn’t pure. Charlotte, her blood now purified by Jesus Christ’s own DNA, is kidnapped and brought to Israel in order to open the Ark.

Cohen’s dangerous plan doesn’t go unnoticed, however. When Israeli archaeologist Amit Mizrachi—digging in the Qumran cave area where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947—uncovers a mysterious Egyptian hieroglyph in a hidden and previously undiscovered room, he brings in noted Egyptologist Julie LeRoux to interpret it for him. Their romantically charged sparring leads them on a quest to unravel the mystery, and when the bullets start to fly, they know they are onto something huge.

As Cohen puts his plan into action, the Muslim keepers of the mosques on Temple Mount are outraged. Will this be the act that leads to vast armies meeting on the hills of the town named Megiddo causing a global Armageddon?

Review: I bought this book as I was reading the previous book in the series Sacred Bones, and I have to admit while not as impressive as the first one, it is still impressive.  It is a good story that keeps you engaged.  The author shows more of his understanding of the dynamics in Palestine and how fundamentalism on both sides can be dangerous, and can cause much more bad then good on either side.  The author seems to emphasis the oral traditions and how they can inform and corrupt at the same time if not seen correctly and by balanced people.

I liked that the book continued the story of Charlotte and Father Patrick, and I loved the new twist on the Ark of Covenant.  The new characters were very funny and dynamic, and the story of the exodus was interesting, certainly raising questions that people who love religion mysteries will adore. Perhaps my interest in the story of Moses is not as profound as the Jesus story and let’s face it the conspiracies seem to surround Jesus more than Moses, but this story spins something new, and might just make people ask more questions about Moses.

I’m giving this book 3.75 out of 5.