Author Guide · Narrative Nonfiction
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In 2012 a Harvard professor announced the discovery of an ancient papyrus fragment in which Jesus refers to “my wife”. Ariel Sabar, a journalist, set out to trace where it came from, and followed the trail from Berlin to a man in Florida with a past in Egyptology and pornography. His book exposed the fragment as a forgery. His first book was about his own father, a Kurdish Jew from a remote town in northern Iraq. This guide covers all three of his books in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 3 books · Narrative nonfiction · 2008–2020 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Ariel Sabar has published three books: My Father's Paradise (2008), about his father's Kurdish-Jewish community in Iraq, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award; Heart of the City (2011), true stories of love in New York; and Veritas (2020), about the forged “Gospel of Jesus's Wife”.
Where to Start with Ariel Sabar
If you want a detective story
→ Veritas (2020).
If you want family history
→ My Father's Paradise (2008).
All 3 Ariel Sabar Books, in Order
My Father's Paradise
His father's life, from a Kurdish-Jewish childhood in the Iraqi town of Zakho to a career as a scholar of Aramaic in Los Angeles.
Heart of the City
True stories of couples who met in New York's public spaces.
Veritas
Sabar's investigation into the origins of a papyrus fragment said to mention Jesus's wife, which revealed it as a forgery.
How Many Books Did Ariel Sabar Write?
Three books between 2008 and 2020.
- Investigation — Veritas (2020). Read the entries →
- Memoir and stories — My Father's Paradise and Heart of the City. Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Ariel Sabar
His books stand alone and can be read in any order.
A reading path
1. Veritas (2020)
2. My Father's Paradise (2008)
Quick facts about Ariel Sabar
- Family
- Son of the Kurdish-Jewish scholar Yona Sabar
- Work
- Journalist for Smithsonian and The Atlantic
- Prize
- National Book Critics Circle Award, for My Father's Paradise
- Books
- 3, from 2008 to 2020
How Ariel Sabar Works: Following the Trail
Sabar is a dogged investigator who follows documents and people across continents, as in his years-long hunt for the source of the papyrus.
He also writes intimately about family and identity, travelling to his father's birthplace in Iraq to reconstruct his past.
Frequently asked questions about Ariel Sabar's books
How many books has Ariel Sabar written?
Ariel Sabar has published three books: My Father's Paradise (2008), Heart of the City (2011) and Veritas (2020).
What is Veritas about?
Veritas (2020) tells how Sabar investigated and exposed the “Gospel of Jesus's Wife” as a forgery.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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