The Robe

A magnificent novel, translated from the English by Mrs. Tamam Dawud, in a beautiful, sweet, limpid language.

This "Robe" is a world-famous novel that raised a great stir in literary circles throughout the world, and Mrs. Dawud is truly worthy of admiration and esteem for venturing to translate this massive book in such language and with such flow.

The Roman Empire was in its last days, and the Roman sovereign in his sick old age, tormented by delusions...

And in Jerusalem, the Roman colony, the soldiers of this Roman sovereign were nailing a great man to the wood of the cross; and the robe of the great, holy man falls upon the dust of Golgotha, and the Roman commander carries it away, a memento of that night — "the night of the cross."

And this holy robe goes on working its magic until the fingertips of truth touch the soul of the great commander, and of the enslaved bondsman, and of the loving woman; and their faith in this new truth, springing forth from the mountains of Galilee, carries them to proclaim this truth even unto death.

And the wood of the cross triumphs over the scepter of Rome, and the crown of thorns prevails over the Empire's great crown upon the earth...

The novel is magnificent in its narrative, its events, and the beauty of its style; no one tires of it. Nor should the reader suppose that it is a religious tale; rather, it is the triumph of a lofty idea, and a violent struggle between the powers of the soul — between earth and heaven, between pride and humility, between good and evil...

It is man's longing for the unknown — for something he feels in the depths of his soul and his mind cannot find. A longing for God.