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Despite--or rather because of--all the veneration that has surrounded the figure of Jesus for centuries, historian Baigent asserts that Jesus and his death have been heavily mythologized. Using his access to hidden archives, secret societies, Masonic records, and the private collections of antiquities traders and their moneyed clients, he explores the religious and political climate in which Jesus was born and raised, examining not only the conflicts between the Romans and the Jews, but the strife within the different factions of the Jewish Zealot movement. He chronicles the migrations of Jesus's family, his exposure to other cultures, and the events, teachings, and influences that were most likely to have shaped his early years. Baigent also uncovers the inconsistencies and biases in the accounts of the major historians of Jesus's time, including Josephus, Pliny, and Tacitus. Their enduring influence reveals that spin is not a new phenomenon.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
It's a fun read, it's full of conspiracy but it is an interesting look at a different reflection on early Christianity.
Like Holy Blood Holy Grail this book is all over the place, I guess
This book went way off topic and more or less described religion from the Neanderthal burials, Egyptian beliefs and several other communities that were in close proximity of the Jewish people and how some of the rituals were absorbed from each of these communities.
As far as credibility of his research, his first chapter... his proof disappeared from a college, his view of the Jesus papers cannot be confirmed because he cannot read Aramaic text. About the only thing that I would find credible in his book is the fact that the Vatican has sought out ancient written texts to destroy anything that they find heresy.
By the way, this is the same author who recently sued Brown over "The da Vinci Code" because he said Brown stole his theory of Mary Magdalene being the mistress of Christ. Since Baigent claims the theory is fact, it cannot be plagarized. After all, you can't copyright an historical event, you can only copyright fiction.