The bones of St. Peter : the first full account of the search for the Apostle's body

Here is the fascinating account of the excavation that tunneled through the tangle of ancient structures beneath the magnificent high altar of the Basilica in Rome to locate finally the mortal remains of St. Peter. Thus broke a longstanding tradition concerning the real burial place of the great Apostle. "The Bones of St. Peter" is a complete report of the 30-year archaeological exploration — as scientists, researchers, and scholars sifted through layers of subterranean structures and back in time through cherished ruins to slowly unravel the secrets surrounding St. Peter's entombment and the identity of the bones discovered. Walsh's recounting makes an engrossing read of how the puzzle was slowly solved. "All the evidence," writes the author, "shows that, right from the start, Peter's burial was and remained a hidden one... and the true location was one of the Christian community's most carefully guarded secrets." How the bodily remains of St. Peter were rescued from oblivion and how an ancient tradition was realized add up to make this a lively and compelling book sure to appeal to a vast readership. Preface ix Acknowledgments xi List of Photographs xv Illustrations in the Text xvii Prologue: The Announcement 1 1. BURIED TOMBS 9 2. STREET OF THE DEAD 17 3. BENEATH THE HIGH ALTAR 33 4. PETER'S GRAVE 43 5. THE RED WALL COMPLEX 61 6. STROKE OF FATE 73 7. THE WOODEN BOX 81 8. WHAT THE GRAFFITI HID 91 9. THE BONES EXAMINED 99 10. THE PETER THEORY 109 11. DECISION 121 12. THE ANCIENT SILENCE 131 Appendices: 147 A. The Surviving Skeleton of St. Peter 149 B. Notes and Sources 152 C. Selected Bibliography 179 Index 185 Buried Tombs -- Street Of The Dead -- Beneath The High Altar -- Peter's Grave -- The Red Wall Comlex -- Stroke Of Fate -- The Wooden Box -- What The Graffiti Hid -- The Bones Examined -- The Peter Theory -- Decision -- The Ancient Silence -- Appendix A. The Surviving Skeleton Of St. Peter -- Appendix B. Notes And Sources -- Appendix C. Selected Bibliography. John Evangelist Walsh. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. [179]-183. Here is the fascinating account of the excavation that tunneled through the tangle of ancient structures beneath the magnificent high altar of the Basilica in Rome to locate finally the mortal remains of St. Peter. Thus broke a long standing tradition concerning the real burial place of the great Apostle.