The Last Ember
by Daniel Levin
October 2010 Book Pick

Jonathan Marcus is a corporate lawyer who is called upon to Rome on a case regarding an ancient artifact at the center of a mysterious controversy. An unfortunate archaeological accident during his doctoral days has left this Rome Prize Winner scholar left to an unfulfilling life of corporate law, but this particular case seems to awaken his true love for classic history in a way he did not know possible. As the case starts to unfold, Marcus's past relationship with a UN Preservationist, Dr. Emili Travia, takes him on a suspenseful journey to try an uncover the truth around these artifacts.

As Marcus and Travia begin to investigate the past surrounding the artifacts, they start to unravel an ancient puzzle that calls in to question all of the current theories involving its history. They are not left without resistance, as a violent extremist group that resorts to illegal excavations and corrupt practices threatens to thwart their quest at all costs. Will Marcus be able to piece together the clues from long-ago and prove his theory that could vindicate his reputation in the classical world?

Book Club Picks: The Last Ember Opinion

This novel starts out by throwing an intimidating amount of detail at the reader, all involving very specific historical references that one might not be well-versed in. However, if you can take the time to catalog all of the pieces of the plot as you read, you will be very satisfied with your investment in the story once it reaches its climax. The intricate plot and well-developed characters make for a fast-paced and rewarding read, all the while getting a lesson in classical history without reading a textbook.

Levin's level of historical detail and his intimate knowledge of Roman history make the reader feel as though he is right there with the protagonist, Jonathan Marcus, running through the ruins of Rome as if he lived during the ancient times. Anyone who enjoyed the novel The Davinci Code or the movie National Treasure will be thoroughly satisfied by this work of fiction that is centered on historical revisionism and religious mysticism. Levin combines suspense, history, love and religion into a story that is well worth the initial commitment that it takes to become invested.

Book Club Picks: The Last Ember Discussion Questions

1. This novel revolves around a classical education, specifically ancient Roman history. If you are not versed in this particular era in time, did the story spark an interest in you to learn more? If you do have a background in this history, did Levin's story do the history justice?
2. The complex love story between Jonathan Marcus and Dr. Emili Travia is central to the suspenseful storyline. Where do you see their relationship going? Did Levin leave things off with them in a satisfying manner?
3. The story has a lot of historical context involving Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Did Levin call to question your own beliefs regarding your religion?

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Daniel Levin, author of The Last Ember

First, let me say that your level of detail and the intricacy of the plot in this story are astounding. How much time did it take you to research and write this book? Did it require a lot of travel to the actual settings in the story?

Thanks - I spent two years, researching and writing, and then another year with the publisher refining it. Originally it was a huge manuscript. As for the development of the plot, I first thought of the idea for The Last Ember while overseas as a lawyer. I was on a case in Jerusalem and we discovered that the Waqf Authority, an Islamic land trust that currently controls the Temple Mount, had dumped 20,000 tons of archaeologically rich rubble into the valley of Kidron. We learned they were trying to erase any evidence of a Judeo-Christian past.

That would be a great thriller, I thought: "What if someone was trying to control not just the future, but the past." I started writing once back in the states at the law firm, and eventually, the research brought me to the rare books room of American Academy in Rome, the labyrinth beneath the Colosseum, and ultimately beneath the Temple Mount itself. Yes - the travel was indispensable, and it put in some tight spots. Literally.

The Last Ember interview with Daniel Levin

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Daniel Levin

I see that you studied Roman and Greek civilization in college and also were a visiting scholar at the American Academy in Rome. How much of yourself did you write into the main character, Jonathan Marcus? Is he a character that you hold close to your heart because he is so much like yourself?

Yes, I'm a lawyer and former classicist, but I'm quite different from the protagonist. For one thing, he has a broken past - thrown out of the American Academy in Rome after accidentally killing a colleague on a late night expedition. How he becomes a lawyer and ends up reconnecting with a beautiful old flame upon arriving in Rome by cross-examining her in court? None of that is autobiographical!

On a deeper level, though, there are some similarities I suppose. In thrillers, we use a protagonist who can take us into dangerous worlds: a multinational conspiracy, or toward an ancient secret. My own real-life introduction to historical revisionism was through my role as a lawyer, and I wanted to reproduce that irony in my main character. Here he is ultimately risking his life to stop this deadly historical revisionism, and yet, he's a lawyer who is often told to revise the facts in favor of his client! Now that's something I can relate to.

The Last Ember interview with Daniel Levin

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Daniel Levin

As someone who is not trained in ancient history, how much of the historical reference in the book can I take as truth? At times I found myself believing every ounce of the detail, including all of the revisionism surrounding the King Titus/Josephus mystery. Is a lot of the history in the book actual fact?

Nearly all of it is. As a classics major in college, I was fascinated by the espionage of the ancient world. Spies around every archway. I wanted to use espionage or deceptive tactics that were all legitimate. For example, in the beginning of the novel, an Italian antiquities squad finds a preserved ancient corpse of a woman floating inside an ancient column. There's an inscription in her flesh. The question I always get is, is that level of preservation possible from the ancient world?

Well, it is. In the ancient Roman world, some corpses were submerged in honey, amber, and other oils. What got my imagination really going was when I read a historical report by some 15th century Roman masons that they accidentally discovered a tomb and inside lay a perfectly preserved ancient Roman maiden floating in oils. I knew right then that the possibilities were rich. That's just one example how many nuances in the novel have a historical backdrop that I've included in The Last Ember.

The Last Ember interview with Daniel Levin

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Daniel Levin

Your plot centers on the theory that Flavius Josephus was in fact not a traitor to Jerusalem who became a confidante to Titus, but actually an insider spy who was part of a major espionage scheme to steal and protect The Temple Menorah. Is this an actual theory that you investigated during your studies? Do you believe this theory to be true?

I get this question a lot. Absolutely, I think its possible Josephus might not have been a traitor to Jerusalem, but a spy who left clues as to the location of a sacred artifact sought by the Romans. He might have been the best undercover agent until the Mossad. We know that some strange things happened in Emperor Titus' palace after he returned from sacking Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Everyone within the emperor's immediate circle - his mistress, Berenice, his court historian, Flavius Josephus, his favorite stage actor Aliterius, were either executed or mysteriously disappeared. Titus himself went mad and, on his deathbed, his parting words were, "I have made only one mistake." What better fodder for a novelist that that. Josephus' story makes even more sense if he was - as Ian Flemming would put it - running Titus as a double.

The Last Ember interview with Daniel Levin

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Daniel Levin

You make a reference in the story to the Russell Crowe movie Gladiator, and the erroneous reference that his character makes to the Colosseum (which at the time was not yet named the Colosseum). Do these inaccuracies in major motion pictures also make you cringe since you are so well-versed in the actual history of this time period? If there were to be a movie made of The Last Ember, would it be important for you to ensure that the writing would stay accurate to the history in your novel?

When it comes to Hollywood bloopers, most classicists cringe. But I'm not one of them. Any movie about the ancient world shares a single truth: their world was precisely like our own. People argued like we do, made love like we do, they spied like we do. That truth is more important to me than any factual error. Having said that, I think a movie about The Last Ember would owe a special debt to historical accuracy, considering that its theme is about confronting historical revisionism!

The Last Ember interview with Daniel Levin

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Daniel Levin

Your story involves a very violent and corrupt side to archaeology that includes illegal excavations and inexcusable lengths that some extremist groups will go to in order to uncover what they want. Are these types of efforts really a problem in the world of archaeology today? Is your antagonist, Salad ad-Dinh based on anyone in real life?

The Waqf Authority is a real-world Islamic land trust that has systematically erased nearly all Judeo-Christian archaeology from the Temple Mount. As an international thriller, The Last Ember is, of course, fiction. But its topic - the dangers of archaeological destruction beneath the Temple Mount - is quite real. At its heart, The Last Ember argues that history is fragile as fire, and whether it's the Islamic excavations beneath the Temple Mount, or Achmanedinijad's denial of the shoah - there are people who are trying to snuff its last ember out. All the great thriller writers - Ludlum, Forsyth, Clancy - were driving at a single point in their novels. The Bourne series is about not letting the government tell you who you are. Le Carre was all about the heartlessness of spying. I wanted my readers to feel the flickering nature of historical continuity in the real world, too.

The Last Ember interview with Daniel Levin

Book Club Discussion: Interview with Daniel Levin

What can we expect from you in the future as far as writing goes? Will you continue the story of Jonathan Marcus and Dr. Emili Travia?

You bet. I'm deep into the next novel as I write this. Antiquities Lawyer Jonathan Marcus doesn't get a breather quite yet. Check the website for hints: www.thelastember.com!

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