The Last Testament

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

They say writing is a lonely business, but it’s not completely true. Writers rely on people who are willing to share their time and wisdom-and I am delighted to have a chance to thank some of them here.

John Curtis, Keeper of the Department of the Ancient Near East at the British Museum, and one of the very first to sound the alarm at the looting of Iraq’s heritage following the invasion in 2003, patiently explained the full extent of that tragic series of events. His colleague at the Museum, Irving Finkel, was kind enough to tutor me in the customs of the Abrahamic period and the rarefied field of old Babylonian cuneiform writing, a subject in which he may well be the world’s leading authority. The sample of cuneiform that appears in this book was his handiwork, while some of Shimon Guttman’s experiences as a scholar echo those of Dr Finkel. I am greatly indebted to him for both his learning and his energetic backing for this project.

Insight into the extraordinary international trade in stolen antiquities came via Karen Sanig of London lawyers Mishcon de Reya, along with former Detective Sergeant Richard Ellis, the founder of Scotland Yard’s Art and Antiquities Squad. I hugely admire their determination to fight a crime that seeks to deprive civilization of some of its greatest treasures. I’m also grateful to Dr Rupert L Chapman III, formerly Executive Secretary of the Palestine Exploration Foundation and to Edward Fox, whose book Palestine Twilight explains so well the political charge generated by archaeology in the Middle East. The staff of BA Cargo at Heathrow and of HM Revenue and Customs could not have been more helpful.

I was introduced to Second Life by my Guardian colleagues Aleks Krotoski and Victor Keegan, Vic generously playing Virgil as he guided me through the depths of that mysterious underworld. Once again Tom Cordiner and Steven Thurgood were ready to share their limitless wisdom on matters computing.

On the Middle East itself, I owe a debt to the hundreds of people, Israeli and Palestinian, I have met while studying or writing about this region over two decades. Many of their stories inform this one. Particular thanks are due to Dr Meron Medzini; Aryeh Banner of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation; Chris Stevens of the US State Department; Doug Krikler; and my old friend, Marshall Yam, who offered a pivotal thought just as I was first shaping this story. Both of my parents, Michael and Sara Freedland, along with my father-in-law Michael Peters, read an early draft, giving valuable advice along the way.

At HarperCollins, Jane Johnson is the kind of editor every writer would kill for: eagle-eyed, enthusiastic, demanding and with a maddeningly consistent habit of being right. She and Sarah Hodgson form a dauntingly capable team.

Three individuals deserve special thanks. Jonathan Cummings is not only able to ferret out the most obscure nugget of information at lightning speed, he has also become a cherished comrade and co-conspirator. Jonny Geller is the godfather to this entire project, having believed in it from the very beginning, nudging it along with regular doses of sage advice. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: he’s the best agent in the business, a model friend-and none of this would have happened without him.

Finally, my wife Sarah. Her enthusiasm and excitement for this story never flagged, even when work on it kept me chained to the desk for too many hours. She read the manuscript with insight and care, suggesting multiple improvements. She is a source of constant encouragement, laughter and love. Like this book, my story has a heroine-and it is her.