Either way, over the intervening centuries, the descriptions of each pope in that book have proved to be oddly accurate-up to and including the current head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI. Some historians believe that this recovered book was most likely a forgery. This grand accounting-a cryptic description of 112 popes-was recorded and safeguarded in the Vatican archives, but the book vanished, only to resurface again during the sixteenth century. In that ecstatic trance, he was given knowledge of all the popes who would come until the end of the world. It became known as the “Doomsday Book.”ĭuring the twelfth century, an Irish Catholic priest named Máel Máedóc, who would eventually be named Saint Malachy, had a vision while on a pilgrimage to Rome. Many mysteries still surround this survey, like why it was ordered so swiftly and why some towns were inexplicably marked with a single word in Latin meaning “wasted.” Furthermore, the strangeness of this census and its exacting detail earned the tome a disturbing nickname by the people of its time. Most historians accept that this grand accounting was done as a means to gather a proper tax from the populace, though this is not certain. It is one of the most detailed accounts of medieval life during that time. The results were recorded in a great volume titled the Domesday Book. Painter headed down the last flight of stairs to the…Īuthor’s Note to Readers: Truth or Fictionĭuring the eleventh century, King William of England commissioned a comprehensive survey of his kingdom. They all met at Senator Gorman’s office on Capitol Hill. Krista appreciated the shocked looks on their faces. “Are you sure this will blow that secret passage open?” Krista stalked across the cloister’s garden. Painter watched the Svalbard Archipelago vanish behind them as the…Ī library was an unlikely spot to plan a prison…
Krista paced the length of the ice-cold warehouse on the… Gray lounged in a steaming tub of hot water. Monk lay flat across the roof of the Sno-Cat as… R achel almost dropped Seichan when she saw Gray fall from… Monk sent a silent prayer of thanks to the engineers…Īs Gray prepared to descend into the crypt, the true… Gray rolled their SUV down the long hill toward the… The sun remained low in the sky as the private… Under his heavy…Īs the forest burned, Gray clutched the lead rope of… Monk strode briskly across the research park. It seemed impossible that murder could be traced back to… Ivar Karlsen pulled on the heavy oak door, its planks… Ivar Karlsen watched the storm building across the fjord. “The symbol’s not in the database of any known terrorist… It took…Īs Lieutenant Rachel Verona stepped out of the hospital and… Gunfire woke Jason Gorman from a bone-deep sleep. BARON NATHAN ROTHSCHILD, WEALTHIEST MAN IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY The time to buy is when blood is running in the streets. THOMAS MALTHUS, AN ESSAY ON THE PRINCIPLE OF POPULATION, 1798 The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man. In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock among many tribulations after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people.