A fascinating book that travels effortlessly from biblical times to tomorrow, with stops in Israel, Europe, Africa, and the Diamond Dealers' Club on New York City's 47th Street. As Nebuchadnezzar's hordes approach Jerusalem, sacred objects are hidden: the Tablets of Law, the Ark and its cover, the golden cherubim, and the breastplate of the High Priest, bearing twelve precious stones, one from each tribe. The stone from the tribe of Zebulon is a great yellow diamond. This novel is the story of how three of the world's great religions compete to gain the diamond as desperately as they have struggled over the tiny land, which the stone represents. It is also the story of Harry Hopeman, a diamond man from a diamond family; of his love for a remarkable Yemenite woman; and of his painstaking search for the valuable ancient diamond whose history is interwoven with the past of the Jewish people. A chronicle of ancient Judaism and modern Israel, The Jerusalem Diamond is at once an exciting adventure, a passionate love story, and an absorbing voyage through history.
"Panoramic . . . like a diamond itself, of numerous facets…Gordon has packed a suspense tale with religious, historical and archeological underpinnings, along with fascinating insights into an industry whose conduct is generally shrouded from outside scrutiny."
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"A rich historical saga . . . an exceptionally well-written, fast-paced adventure."
