1 Bible’s drastic inclusion of a first and second book with the same name (6)
4 He prophesied the finding of mum going west to east Wales town (6)
8 Ring zero before starting to talk to someone from 17 (5)
9 Reformed monsters taking time out for moralistic discourses… (7)
10 …with way-out music, officer dismissed such devotion to a minority interest (7)
11 Pizza crust a marine filled with ham and cheese, being somewhat famous here in Italy (5)
12 Concerning, a faith this maniac’s organized (11)
17 Opening bits of Susanna’s association with Daniel’s nation,… (5)
19 …17’s, confused after dividing New Testament interest in it’s saint (7)
21 Takes senior policeman to hit drug points (7)
22 Sinai’s lead, for instance, is in the common pencil (5)
23 Arthur’s dad left, starting to become a revolting man (6)
24 Hampers have snacks with many without salt initially added (6)
Cryptic down
1 One that’s lacking in Europe, without United Nations and Church (6)
2 Tom Jones, classic novel Ella hid (7)
3 Thanks said in Britain in Arabic type, about Asian range (5)
5 Appropriately, a rugby forward’s XXL (7)
6 An oarsman’s westerly heading out of a city on the Arnon (5)
7 Book to get to avoid nearly everything (6)
9 Greek poet on the odd days gets to meet Peter (9)
13 Point to one in Canada, symbolically, as something materially old Church (7)
14 Makeshift termini? (7)
15 Animal’s distress after attack (6)
16 Nubia’s diabolical god of the dead (6)
18 Old money’s invested in education (5)
20 Mesopotamian city reflecting a land in Middle Earth (5)
Quick across
1 Unravel; work out (6)
4 Breakfast-time receptacle (6)
8 Afro-Cuban dance (5)
9 In New England, the 14th state of the Union, capital Montpelier (7)
10 Down in the dumps; melancholic (7)
11 One of the Great Lakes (5)
12 System of theology adopted by a branch of Methodists (11)
17 Capital of Bolivia (2,3)
19 Ancient kingdom of the Adriatic, now parts of Dalmatia, Montenegro and Albania (7)
21 Dawns; first lights of mornings (7)
22 Elastic fabric used for making tight-fitting sportswear (trademark) (5)
23 Philistine king who twice gave David refuge from Saul (6)
24 Lean; bare (6)
Quick down
1 Mock; scorn (6)
2 George Cukor movie (1936) starring Greta Garbo (7)
3 One of a race of creatures whose kings were granted Seven Rings in Tolkien lore (5)
5 Head of a Levitical family (7)
6 Vocal ensemble (5)
7 Developing surface film; sheen (6)
9 In Norse mythology, maidens of Odin (9)
13 The beggar of Jesus’ parable of the rich man and the beggar (7)
14 Nomad of the Syrian desert in opposition to the Crusades (7)
15 Mountain beast of burden, local to 17, perhaps (6)
16 Erratic notion or action (6)
18 Structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance (5)
20 Pale purple flowering shrub (5)
Crossword answers
Cryptic answers to No 0553: Across: 5 Pontifical, 7 Pope, 8 Painters, 9 Zenith, 10 Manger, 11 Oyster, 14 Cantab, 16 Kirkwall, 17 Troy, 18 Dominicans. Down: 1 Engedi, 2 Zilpah, 3 Miriam, 4 Canton, 5 Proselytic, 6 Freemasons, 12 Take on, 13 Roadie, 14 Calvin, 15 Not bad.
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