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Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, but by no means authoritative
Review: As a person who believes uncovering past lives (and communicating with the individual found) is nothing more than communicating with evil spirits, my rating of four stars is awarded purely for the entertaining nature of the story told. Evil spirits cannot be trusted to tell the entire truth, therefore what the reader learns may be enlightening, but by no means authoritative.
Rating: 
Summary: Jesus is absent from the Qumran scrolls
Review: Delores Cannon certainly gives us an interesting view into the lives of the Essenes. Built on the assumption of reincarnation and the possibility of past life regression, she attempts to show much detail of the times and peoples that were the Essene community, and ultimately, the life of Christ. While it certainly is interesting reading, it is completely devoid of corroborating evidence. She tends to agree or disagree with Archaeologists (never saying who her sources are), depending on whether they agree with her research. Also, she supports the validity of her story as being more authentic than the Biblical account, as she claims to have an older source, a teacher named Suddi from the Essene community. Some problems include the fact that while she claims the Biblical record has been changed, she seems to forget that the Dead Sea Scrolls from Qumran actually show the accuracy of the Biblical record, by moving the Old Testament back 1100 years, and yet with no significant changes. It seems that her purpose is to promote her own view of reality, than to deal with any real historical evidence. While it's an interesting story, I have to deeply question that there's anything resembling true research or evidence in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Unique Wisdom
Review: I have never been a Jesus "freak," however, I do know he existed and one should strive to live life according to his teachings. The sad fact is I didn't remember much about what he taught (even after going to a Catholic school for 10 years). This book has sparked my interest to (re)learn about one of the greatest and most influential teachers that ever lived. When reading this book, it doesn't matter whether or not one believes in reincarnation. It also doesn't matter whether or not the female subject of this book was REALLY regressed into a past life as a man who was a teacher of Jesus. (I happen to believe this DID happen - I have studied reincarnation enough to know this could easily be true, and Cannon does an excellent job validating her research). What DOES matter is that people read this book for the lessons that will be learned. There are wonderful insights on biblical references (Old and New Testaments), the power of knowledge, as well as meditation techniques and the chakras. Also, the history of the Essene community at Qumran is explored in great detail. Even if one was to read this in the frame of mind that it is fiction, there would still be plenty gained from this book.
Rating:
Summary: Unique Wisdom
Review: I have never been a Jesus "freak," however, I do know he existed and one should strive to live life according to his teachings. The sad fact is I didn't remember much about what he taught (even after going to a Catholic school for 10 years). This book has sparked my interest to (re)learn about one of the greatest and most influential teachers that ever lived. When reading this book, it doesn't matter whether or not one believes in reincarnation. It also doesn't matter whether or not the female subject of this book was REALLY regressed into a past life as a man who was a teacher of Jesus. (I happen to believe this DID happen - I have studied reincarnation enough to know this could easily be true, and Cannon does an excellent job validating her research). What DOES matter is that people read this book for the lessons that will be learned. There are wonderful insights on biblical references (Old and New Testaments), the power of knowledge, as well as meditation techniques and the chakras. Also, the history of the Essene community at Qumran is explored in great detail. Even if one was to read this in the frame of mind that it is fiction, there would still be plenty gained from this book.
Rating:
Summary: Cannon does it again!
Review: If you are someone who claims to be a christian, then you will not be able to read this book and get anything out of it. However, one must realize that the bible, written in several languages, then re-written into English so the rest of us could read it, through transcription gives us only what 'they' (being the church)intended you to read. Jesus did exist and it isn't too hard to believe that what Dolores states in her book(s) is fact brought to her through regression of a subject. Reincarnation (recycling if you like) exists and the Quamran and the scrolls exist ... but do we ever hear the whole truth? Dolores, in her exemplary way, gives us the facts as she receives them. You may read it and believe, or you can disregard it as rubbish ... the fact remains Dolores is true to her research and more power to her. In regression, however, one must realize that information coming from the 'regreesee' (if there is such a word) will be more or less stated in their own idea of the subject ... i.e. if they have believed that suicide is wrong, and that God will not want them with him, then that will come through their interpretation, sorrowfully. I believe the Creator loves us all ... end of sermon. To end, Dolores is sincere both in her work and her research and you can't help but love her books, no matter the subject!
Rating:
Summary: Interested in the origins of Christianity and the Essenes?
Review: Read this book! It offers more fresh insight into the origins of Christianity, the early education of Christ, and the Essene community as a whole, than a dozen scholarly tomes whose depth and breadth could fill a thimble with their own enlightening, or in the very least, pertinent, conclusions. Cannon's book is based on conversations she had with an Essene named Suddi, who lived in the Qumran community at the time of Christ. She had these conversations through regressionist therapy. They are a record of a past life of one of her patients. I, personally, do not believe in reincarnation, but I do believe we can and do experience, first-hand, the lifetimes of other people. I have no doubt this interview with Suddi is truly that -- a 20th century interview with a Qumran Essene. The repercussions of that, coupled with the statements made by Suddi in this book, are startling. The true origins of Christianity, its teachings, as well as the lifestyle and learning of the Essene community, are brought into a whole new light. This, coupled with genuine 20th century research, shakes the very foundations of our assumptions concerning Christianity and the Essenes and asks us to delve further into the issues which surround them. Even if you do not believe in past lives, I would recommend you're reading this book. The perspective alone, even if it is totally made up in the mind of the author, is worth the cover price and more. If you're interested in the Essenes or the origins of Christianity, don't miss this book! It will bring all the rest of true scholarship into startling clarity, and may even help you formulate some new conclusions of your own.
Rating:
Summary: using re-incarnated "souls" to explain history scares me!
Review: Someone help! Am I overlooking something? Here we have a story, purporting to be historical, based on the testimony of a person living today, who, under past-life regression tells all about the community of Essenes which thrived some 2,000 or so years ago? I can't imagine such a book based on hocus pocus receiving 5 stars. I feel cheated for having been seduced into buying this book because of its rating, rather than another book based on scholarly research. If there is a "point" that I have missed, someone please tell my what it is.
Rating:
Summary: Jesus is absent from the Qumran scrolls
Review: The Qumran scrolls are now all published and you can see for yourself that Jesus is not in them. Moreover there is nothing in them that allows to doubt the originality of Christianity, as confirmed by Hershel Shanks, Jewish scholar and editor of Biblical Archology Review (The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls, p. xvi). The theories of Jesus and His disciples being Essenes are mostly based on dr J. Allegro's and dr R. Eisenman's mistaken translation of 4Q285, a text from cave 4 about Teacher of Rigthousness mentioned along with piercing. They've seen Jesus Christ as an object of piercing in this fragmentary text, while in fact it is the Teacher of Rightousness who is doing the piercing and killing! Allegro and Eisenman after some time finally and publically admitted their error, but the myth was already created and is being prolonged mostly in New Age literature by the ignorant, even though it is based totally on outdated theories and wishful thinking.
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting
Review: Whether you believe in past life regression or not, this book is relevant and interesting to boot. The Essenes were, according to many accounts, key to the education of Jesus and their beliefs and practices were adopted by the early Christians. Their property was held in common, and they shared and shared alike. They also incorporated virtually all the spiritual teachings and religions of the East and Mid East into their belief system, and accepted that all the enlightened ones taught much the same universal and eternal truths.
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