The Archaeologist
In this novel Martí Gironell retells the dangerous and intrepid voyages into the Middle East (Egypt and Iraq) of the Catalan monk Bonaventura Ubach from the famous monastery of Montserrat. These adventures took place at the end of the 19th century and their aim was to obtain precious archaeological relics and compare the scriptures in the Holy Land with the scriptures from Montserrat.
Can you imagine a monk riding a camel through the Sinai Desert and facing all kinds of perils? Can you picture him without a gun or even a whip braving bandits, tomb raiders and frightening tribes such as the Iazidi devil-worshippers? Imagine he does all this only to realize a dream which he would like to share with us!
This monk, this man, is Bonaventura Ubach, the main character in the novel The Archaeologist. The trials and travels of a Montserrat monk in the Holy Land. A novel that will allow you to live the adventures which Father Ubach went through. A Montserrat monk who, at the beginning of the twentieth century, in 1910, leaves behind the peace and quiet of his monastic cell in order to achieve his goal, his dream. Without much ability to ride a camel but armed with exceptional faith and courage, Ubach decided to visit the biblical sites to find the inspiration to translate the Bible into Catalan (the Montserrat Bible) and to gather as many relevant objects as possible in order to set up the Biblical Museum, which in April will reach its first centenary. This is why he will go across the Sinai Desert, over the Red Sea into Israel, and then on to Petra, Jordan, Mesopotamia and Babylon so as to follow the footsteps of Moses and the Israelites, as well as Abraham’s trail. He will not have an easy ride but will face constant setbacks. Accompanied by a Belgian priest trying to find himself and his faith, in search of his own Holy Grail, and also by a group of Bedouins who will both show him the way and will help him understand local traditions, customs and the ancestral rituals of a Biblical culture, Ubach will face bandits, sheiks, and age-old societies such as the Guardians, who are the custodians of original essences. He will haggle with the curator of the Cairo Museum, and will meet a young Lawrence of Arabia at the service of British intelligence… A thousand and one adventures against colossal settings which will get you to experience first-hand the prowess of a monk who did his outmost to attain a world of knowledge which he wanted to share with Catalan society at the beginning of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, there will be certain things which will remain forever buried in the sand of the desert, relics which are beyond the reach of even the best archaeologist. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a great story which will leave nobody indifferent… That’s the word of Father Ubach!
Request more informationOriginal Language
CATALAN | Columna
Translation Rights
ARABIC | Al Arabi Publishing
ITALIAN | Newton Compton
PORTUGUESE (Brazil) | Record
POLISH | Bellona
SPANISH | Suma
