Rating: 
Summary: Holger Kersten's scholarly approach deserves credit
Review: One of the most scholarly approaches to proving that Jesus, indeed, treaded to the East living and spending time in India. The book begins with an account of Nikolai Notovich's stunning observations in 1894 about the theory of Jesus having lived in India and imbibing Buddhism. Account of Nikolai's trips to various Buddhist monastries of Jammu & Kashmir in search of evidence is interesting and stunning. Bible does not account for about 17 years of Jesus's life beginning age 12 or 13. Bible does not account for his life after crucification (obviously) as well. Its a common belief that Jesus did not survive crucification. This book is an attempt by the author (there are few other books on this subject by other authors as well) to propogate the revisionist theory that Jesus spent those 17 or so years in India and then survived crucification, escaped to India and lived in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir where he eventually breathed his last. His tomb lies close to the city of Srinagar, the winter capital of the state. Jesus developed antipathy towards Brahministic rituals during his stint at Jagannath Puri temple; he subsequently migrated to Kashmir to adopt Buddhism. Didn't Buddha give up Hinduism because of his dislike for Brahministic rituals? Get this one: The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel referred to in Christian scriptures have been linked to those who live in Kashmir today. Its hard to believe that today's Kashmiri population has Jewish roots! Its mostly Islamic today - conversion began in 700 AD or so. The book has been so well-written with evidences. Infact, NASA's involvement in the analysis of The Shroud (to prove that Jesus survived crucification) is information to me - as would be the case to most of the readers.
Rating:
Summary: Very impressive book
Review: This is very impressive work, carefully researched, and presented in a fairly logical fashion. If one looks deeply into the teachings of Jesus, one finds that they are same as of Buddha's. This book provides historical foundations for Jesus' life and puts various controversies in proper perspective. Open minded people who study religion, philosophy, history, psychology, and fiction, should definitely read it.
Rating:
Summary: This book is not to be lightly dismissed--it's explosive!
Review: To those who are unfamiliar with this topic, Holger Kersten may seem to be "stretching" an interpretation of history, if not even inventing some. That is not the case at all. The first full length book regarding a possible post-crucifixion life of Jesus Christ was written in the year 1890 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Ahmad, at his peak, was considered a foremost and formidable scholar of the Indian Sub-continent. The book was written in the Urdu language, and was entitled Masih Hindustein Mein [English: Jesus in India]. In it, with stunning detail, Ahmad traced Jesus' entire sojourn from Galilee to Kashmir; he listed in detail the books of history that mention the presence of Jesus (Yuz Asaf) in India; he listed two full pages of references--from books of the Orient and the Occident--that mention the actual ointment ("Marham-i-Isa") that was used to heal Jesus' wounds after the crucifixion, etc. What disturbs Kersten's critics are two things: Firstly, he has brought the issue OUT of the halls of religious academia (where the subject is VERY WELL KNOWN) and down to earth for the common person. Secondly, by exposing this subject, he has introduced a massive challenge to religious structures, particularly Christianity & Islam. The Christian challenge is obvious: the entire doctrine of Christianity falls when it is understood that Jesus survived the crucifixion. The Islamic challenge is little known, but HUGE. The world's Muslims believe that Jesus Christ is returning, in the flesh, to MURDER anybody who does not accept Islam. He will come as "Imam Mahdi" to establish Islam in the "latter days" by force. Anyone refusing him will be killed. This repugnant belief has been dinned into the ears of Muslim children for centuries, and has shaped the character of many Muslims [not all of them], and represents the true, psychological root of violence in the Islamic world--the expectation of a bloody Imam, full of spite and hatred. This is no exaggeration. Kerston, along with other scholars like Professor Thomas Sheehan of Loyola University, have challenged Christians to accept THE TEACHINGS of Jesus, not his divinity as God. Last, this is NOT a bogus, un-scholarly book. There are now at least 15 books written on this subject in English, and some in German. It's an excellent piece, and to attempt to trivialize it reflects ignorance of the subject.
Rating:
Summary: This book is not to be lightly dismissed--it's explosive!
Review: To those who are unfamiliar with this topic, Holger Kersten may seem to be "stretching" an interpretation of history, if not even inventing some. That is not the case at all. The first full length book regarding a possible post-crucifixion life of Jesus Christ was written in the year 1890 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Ahmad, at his peak, was considered a foremost and formidable scholar of the Indian Sub-continent. The book was written in the Urdu language, and was entitled Masih Hindustein Mein [English: Jesus in India]. In it, with stunning detail, Ahmad traced Jesus' entire sojourn from Galilee to Kashmir; he listed in detail the books of history that mention the presence of Jesus (Yuz Asaf) in India; he listed two full pages of references--from books of the Orient and the Occident--that mention the actual ointment ("Marham-i-Isa") that was used to heal Jesus' wounds after the crucifixion, etc. What disturbs Kersten's critics are two things: Firstly, he has brought the issue OUT of the halls of religious academia (where the subject is VERY WELL KNOWN) and down to earth for the common person. Secondly, by exposing this subject, he has introduced a massive challenge to religious structures, particularly Christianity & Islam. The Christian challenge is obvious: the entire doctrine of Christianity falls when it is understood that Jesus survived the crucifixion. The Islamic challenge is little known, but HUGE. The world's Muslims believe that Jesus Christ is returning, in the flesh, to MURDER anybody who does not accept Islam. He will come as "Imam Mahdi" to establish Islam in the "latter days" by force. Anyone refusing him will be killed. This repugnant belief has been dinned into the ears of Muslim children for centuries, and has shaped the character of many Muslims [not all of them], and represents the true, psychological root of violence in the Islamic world--the expectation of a bloody Imam, full of spite and hatred. This is no exaggeration. Kerston, along with other scholars like Professor Thomas Sheehan of Loyola University, have challenged Christians to accept THE TEACHINGS of Jesus, not his divinity as God. Last, this is NOT a bogus, un-scholarly book. There are now at least 15 books written on this subject in English, and some in German. It's an excellent piece, and to attempt to trivialize it reflects ignorance of the subject.
Rating: 
Summary: Too good to be true
Review: When I read the book I was tempted to swallow most of it and faciful though it seemed it is a warm and bold script. But I don't believe most of it anymore after questioning experts and doing some research. A lot of the evidence for the book (that Jesus did not die etc.)comes from the Shroud of Turin and the author points to his (other)book about it, but we now know that the shroud was a clever forgery using pigments. No traces of blood or sweat have been chemically detected though pigments have and there is the carbon dating evidence. This matter is at any rate sealed by very good modern books explaining it all. Kirsten mentions that Jesus' language Aramaic was used in NW India. There is nothing mysterious about this, Aramaic was a widespread language and Emperor Asoka did some of his rock Edicts in this language so the fact that the Jews are supposed to have settled in NW India is again tenuous. As for similarities of place names with Biblical names, it's like comparing chalk with cheese just because they may look the same. There is no evidence that Jesus went to India or that he was a Buddhist which is what the author's arguments boil down to. It may well be that Eastern thought reached Alexandria by the 1st C. AD but we can scarcely reconstruct anything specific about the events following Jesus' death. The one event Christian scholars point to as certain is that Jesus died on the cross and it was the death that was the focal point for Christianity. Gnostic Christians persecuted as heretics may well have fled to India later which explains the St. Thomas debacle. The book does make you think, but it is not an article of faith.
Rating:
Summary: Too good to be true
Review: When I read the book I was tempted to swallow most of it and faciful though it seemed it is a warm and bold script. But I don't believe most of it anymore after questioning experts and doing some research. A lot of the evidence for the book (that Jesus did not die etc.)comes from the Shroud of Turin and the author points to his (other)book about it, but we now know that the shroud was a clever forgery using pigments. No traces of blood or sweat have been chemically detected though pigments have and there is the carbon dating evidence. This matter is at any rate sealed by very good modern books explaining it all. Kirsten mentions that Jesus' language Aramaic was used in NW India. There is nothing mysterious about this, Aramaic was a widespread language and Emperor Asoka did some of his rock Edicts in this language so the fact that the Jews are supposed to have settled in NW India is again tenuous. As for similarities of place names with Biblical names, it's like comparing chalk with cheese just because they may look the same. There is no evidence that Jesus went to India or that he was a Buddhist which is what the author's arguments boil down to. It may well be that Eastern thought reached Alexandria by the 1st C. AD but we can scarcely reconstruct anything specific about the events following Jesus' death. The one event Christian scholars point to as certain is that Jesus died on the cross and it was the death that was the focal point for Christianity. Gnostic Christians persecuted as heretics may well have fled to India later which explains the St. Thomas debacle. The book does make you think, but it is not an article of faith.
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