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| Shulamit Lapid |
As a Broken Vessel |
| Novel |
Jerusalem, Keter, 1984. 312 pp.
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In March 1884 a man named Moses Wilhelm Shapira committed suicide in a small hotel in Rotterdam. A Jewish convert to Christianity, explorer and crook, collector and forger, Shapira was one of the most intriguing characters of his time in Jerusalem. His death sealed a mystery which has not been solved to this day: were the scrolls bearing the Ten Commandments which were found in the Jordanian caves genuine or forged? The British Museum’s offer to buy them from him for one million pounds precipitated a scandal which shook biblical and archaeological circles. In this biographic-historical novel, Shulamit Lapid attempts to decipher Shapira's complex personality, while depicting the complexities and intrigues of life in Jerusalem in the latter half of the 19th century.
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About the Book
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"Suspense is maintained throughout this novel, which deserves a wider readership in translation," wrote The Jerusalem Post. Many reviewers praised the combination of historial material and detective story technique.
"Shapira's greed and immorality in business are described...as contributing factors towards achieving his goal. More than mere material success - although inseparable from it - his aim was to achieve a spiritual greatness, a social, financial and scientific standing," wrote Ha'aretz. Critics also praised the author's recreation of late 19th century Ottoman Jerusalem.
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