The Seventh Scroll

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{short description|1995 novel by Wilbur Smith}} {{Infobox book | name = The Seventh Scroll | title_orig = | translator = | image = Wilbur smith 7th scroll.jpeg | caption = First edition | author = Wilbur Smith | illustrator = | cover_artist = | country = | language = English | series = The 'Egyptian' novels | subject = Ancient Egypt | genre = | publisher = Pan Macmillan | release_date = 1995 | english_release_date = | media_type = Print | pages = 752 | isbn = 978-0-312-94598-5 | oclc = | preceded_by = River God | followed_by = Warlock }}

'''''The Seventh Scroll''''' is a novel by author Wilbur Smith, first published in 1995. It is part of the 'Egyptian' series of novels by Smith and follows the exploits of the adventurer Nicholas Quenton-Harper and Dr. Royan Al Simma. The tomb of Tanus, which is the focus of the book, refers to another novel by the author, ''River God''.<ref>{{cite news|title=In Egypt, A Cache of Buried Pleasure|author=Jacomb, Brian|work=The Washington Post|date=13 Apr 1995|page=C3}}</ref>

The novel was adapted into a miniseries in 1999.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272836/ ''The Seventh Scroll''] at IMDb</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/the-cinema-of-wilbur-smith/|title=The Cinema of Wilbur Smith|date=January 27, 2022}}</ref>

==Plot summary== This book is set in the present and follows the adventurer Nicholas Quenton-Harper and Egyptologist Dr. Royan Al Simma as they uncover the tomb of Tanus.

Duraid Al Simma and his wife Royan decipher the seventh scroll from the tomb of Lostris. They are attacked and their work is stolen. Duraid is brutally murdered, but Royan escapes. Royan heads to Britain and convinces an old friend of Duraid, Nicholas, of the existence of Pharaoh Mamose's tomb. Together, they travel to the highlands of Ethiopia following clues laid out by Taita.

The pair find the tomb's location, but are attacked by the Pegasus group, which were behind attempts on Royan's life. Royan and Nicholas' work are stolen. It is revealed that the Pegasus group is owned by Herr von Schiller, a ruthless German collector. With the help of his right-hand man Jake Helm, Colonel Nogo of the Ethiopian military, and Duraid's former assistant under his command, he acquires a strong force that are willing to go to extreme lengths.

Colonel Nogo is put in charge of keeping Royan and Nicholas out of their way and Duraid's assistant was in charge of exploiting the works Nicholas and Royan discovered, while Jake Helm provided them with Pegasus' facilities.

With the help of an old friend of Nicholas, the rebel Mek Nimmur, Nicholas and Royan sneak back into Ethiopia with equipment to search for the treasure.

How Nicholas and Royan manage to find the tomb and escape from von Schiller forms the rest of the novel.

==Reception== The book was a best seller in America.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130550241 |title=FEATURES A golden life crafted from a troubled land. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=13 May 1995 |accessdate=25 January 2015 |page=51 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-11999-7 Review] at ''Publishers Weekly'' *[http://www.wilbursmithbooks.com/novels/the_seventh_scroll.html ''The Seventh Scroll''] at Wilbur Smith's homepage *[http://us.macmillan.com/theseventhscroll/WilburSmith ''The Seventh Scroll''] at Pan MacMillan

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seventh Scroll}} Category:Novels by Wilbur Smith Category:Novels set in ancient Egypt Category:1995 British novels Category:Pan Books books