In 1892, two adventurous sisters made one of the most important religious finds of the century. Hidden amongst the scrolls in the monastery library on Mount Sinai, they spotted what looked like a palimpsest- one text written over another. Both sisters had a great love of learning languages but it was Agnes who was able to recognise the underlying document for what it was a manuscript that remains to this day one of the earliest known copies of the Bible written in ancient Syriac. In this enthralling book, Janet Soskice uses the story of the Smith sisters to take the reader on a truly nineteenth-century journey. In part it is a physical journey- we trace the footsteps of the admirable Agnes and Margaret as they voyage to Egypt, Sinai and beyond, clutching their Murray's guidebook, and enduring camels and unscrupulous dragomen. But it is also one of discovery, for this was an era when Faith was being questioned, when important discoveries were being made about the origins of the Bible, and when Europe was beginning to discover the East. Lastly, and most movingly, it is the emotional journey of Agnes and Margaret,who embarked as young women eager for an education, who became grie

Author Biography

Janet Soskice grew up in Canada and has lived for some years in England where she is Reader in Philosophical Theology at Jesus College, University of Cambridge. As well as lecturing around the world, she writes for The Times and The Times Literary Supplement, and is a frequent contributor to radio and television.