An action thriller set in modern day Israel. Aaron Skorsky is a poor man's Indiana Jones. The Archeologist becomes embrioled in a fight between the Israelis and Palestinian terrorists over a mysterious alchemy found at a dig on Masada. In a search for the truth relating to the 1st century mass suicide of Hebrew zealots, an American archeologist finds documentation that challenges historical writings. This information leads to the unearthing of an ancient power hidden in a box containing mysterious celestial stones. The archeologist becomes a pawn in political deception, when the Israeli government and Palestinian terrorists vie for control of the alchemy. When the Palestinian terrorists fail to expose the evidence, an influential American woman supporting the dig is kidnapped and held for ransom. This further complicates the quest, ultimately leading to a change of tactics by the Israeli army. Once in their possession, the secret of the stones must be protected, even at the cost of lives and reputations.

Professional Reviews
The Masada Stones / Reader Views
E. W. Bonadio brilliantly combines ancient history, fast-paced adventure, mythology, and deception
in his novel “The Masada Stones.” Aaron Skorsky, an American professor and archeologist, has
spent his entire career intrigued by the story of the Masada stones and the legend purporting that
Josephus, the Jewish first-century historian had written a retraction of his account regarding a
Roman plan for the annihilation of Hebrew zealots and the alchemy of the Masada stones.
Tension, excitement, academic rivalry, terrorism, and romance move the plot forward as Aaron
seeks to find and proclaim the truth behind the myth of the power of the stones.
Bonadio weaves his plot around a politically-charged environment of the Middle East and a specific
period of Israeli and Roman history. He intricately and realistically brings to life the possible
explanations for the effort to change the veracity of the reporting of an historical event.
The great non-stop action and strong character development take the reader on an archeological
student dig at Masada. A bright, young, American coed uncovers scrolls that lead to the discovery of
a box containing the mysterious Masada Stones. The Israeli Army, the government secret service, a
Palestinian spy, and a terrorist cell group in Jerusalem compete to retrieve the stones to use in
surreptitious operations as weapons against their enemy.
A rich widow, and benefactor of the Masada dig, mother of the coed that made the discovery of the
scrolls, is kidnapped by the Palestinians. Skorsky saves her life and becomes emotionally and
romantically involved. He discovers that he has missed an important purpose in life in his pursuit to
resolve the myth of the Masada stones.
Bonadio’s writing is creative and ingenious. He takes the reader on a wonderful, imaginative, and
vicarious journey. His dialog is strong and intelligent. The descriptive settings are vivid and realistic.
The quest for the academic truth is convincing and challenging. The dramatic climax is thought
provoking haunting, and memorable. The message behind the “Masada Stones” will linger, long, in
the subconscious mind of the reader.
“The Masada Stones,” by E. W. Bonadio, is a truly great read.
Reviewed by: Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (6/08)

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