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Summary: When did Jesus live? Revelations...
Review: This book has revealed details that no other book has... The author really knows his subject matter well. I would also recommend to read "History: Fiction or Science?", you'll find revelations not only on the history of J.C. but on many other parts of antiquity, a controversial book but when the author/mathematician claims that J.C. was born in the 11Th century AD, he proves it with Astronomy and mathematics.
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Summary: A must read
Review: This book offers a rare insight into a much misunderstood religion. Even if you don't agree with what's written in this book,it will surely open your eyes to the possibility that christianity may have been tampered with.
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Summary: Great follow-up....
Review: This book was an interesting sequel to the first book, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, but didn't captivate me as much as its predecessor. There really wasn't much in the way of "new" information, but I did enjoy the chapters on Jesus and how he quite possibly fit the pattern of Messiah that the Jewish people were expecting. The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas was referenced quite a bit, and the theory of Thomas(Didymus) the Twin was also discussed. From there the authors covered a broad panorama of sociology and religion which I found extremely interesting. Fundamentalist Christians will no doubt be offended as there are many allusions to their beliefs, such as the Rapture. Fans of President Reagan will also be somewhat dismayed as well. Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia were also covered at some length, illustrating how governments can gain momentum and displace religion for a short while, uniting people in a common cause which isn't necessarily a good thing. The authors switched gears and then seemed to make a case for constitutional monarchy. By the end of the book, they finally returned to familiar territory and discussed secret societies and Sauniere's documents. This was a well-written book, but by the time I was finished I didn't feel as if any new territory had been covered. To be honest, if you read Holy Blood, Holy Grail, you probably won't find a whole lot of additional information, so I recommend it with some reservation.
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Summary: Try Holy Blood Holy Grail instead
Review: This book, a sequel to "Holy Blood Holy Grail", was apparently precipitated by the commercial success of its predecessor. It is not nearly as engaging, or as interesting. see my review for "Holy Blood".
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Summary: Pandering for the dollar
Review: This is the kind of book that you just can't pick up. After reading "Holy Blood,etc" and enjoying it immensely, I expected more of the same. Not so. Instead I got a loosely connected screed about the Bible, Christianity, and whatever the authors could come up with just to fill up the pages. Boring and very disappointing.
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Summary: A belief changing exercisethat leaves the reader hungry for
Review: When I first stumbled on this book I was searching for meaning an another take on my catholic education,Ifound neither between the covers of this book. But, I did find a a thought provoking and intelligent work that shook me to my very foundations. This book is historical detective work that reads like a modern thriller.
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Summary: Must Read for Fans of Umberto Eco
Review: When it comes to writing about history from 2000 years ago through the Dark Ages, a lot of speculation is necessary. Literacy was low so there weren't many written records to begin with, and the church, etc., had a lot of control over what information could be dispensed. As a result, a lot of speculation over this period is necessary. Baigent, et al., recognizing this, for part of the book examine Biblical history using the oldest surviving records as a basis point instead of church doctrine or the latest translation of a translation, etc, of a pieced together, largely edited, and largely oral history called the Bible. Therefore, while their speculations may be as historically sound as anyone else's, some will denounce them as blasphemous. The rest of the book then seeks to at least verify that their interpretations of the Bible have existed long throughout history by trying to determine the beliefs of certain secret societies who claim to be guardians of "The Truth".However, now instead of being impaired so much by a lack of records, the authors are forced to speculate about the secret societies' beliefs. Despite tracking down sources within a secret society, the authors' job is made difficult by the fact that such societies not only keep their secrets secret, but also fractionalize, engage in internal political struggles and have their own debates about dogma. Like Foucault's Pendulum, which this inspired, this book is ultimately a detective novel about various writers trying to get inside the minds of secret societies and running into various obstacles. It may dissapoint readers who want all their answers handed to them (and the authors don't even pretend to have them), but life is not that simple. Sometimes knowing what the right questions are is just as important. This is a fun, interesting, thought-provoking, mind-expanding book.
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Summary: Graduates of Conspiracy University
Review: Why are some people seemingly obsessed with viewing the world through a Matrix-like lens? Reality is actually a deep, dark mystery if we would only sit up and take notice. These modern Gnostics have their own rules - discarding texts they don't like, elevating obscure scribblings to Holy writ, developing a new theory of history based on multi-age conspiracies. The only problem with this approach is that all historians, theologians, archeologists, and other professionals must be discarded and discounted. Nowhere is this more true that in studies on the origins of Christianity. Perhaps this is because it is the only major religion that attempts to validate its claims through non-theological means, i.e. archeology. The particular subject of the Knights Templar, Mary Magdalene, Jesus and his offspring, his "real" purpose and mission, the Shroud of Turin, etc has become a cottage industry, churning out speculative "studies" that are greeted with the approbation they deserve. Sometimes it appear in fictional format ("The DaVinci Code") but more often as a non-fiction treatise with wildly differing claims ("The Sacred Mushroom" vs "The Passover Plot"). "The Messianic Legacy", read without context, is a rambling but coherent argument. The operative word, though, is "context". Accepting Baigent means discounting Jesus Seminar (searching for the historical Jesus), authors Robin Lane Fox, A.G Wells and other international scholars - they're all wrong. Baigent would say they are not asking the right question / thinking outside the box. But it is clear that at some point in the first century a group of Jews began to think of this Orthodox rabbi as someone special but specifically meant for them. The lack of absence supporting the various claims to kinship is deafening. The fact that James, his brother, allegedly led the group after the death of Jesus confirms the customs of the day. Like the X-Files, the truth is out there (but only the brave dare inquire) and the mythology is real (but bad guys - Mossad, CIA, Catholic Church) suppress it. The conspiritorial silence is to a degree not seen before or since. The author would better devote his time to debunking the ridiculous claims of others of his ilk.
Rating:
Summary: Graduates of Conspiracy University
Review: Why are some people seemingly obsessed with viewing the world through a Matrix-like lens? Reality is actually a deep, dark mystery if we would only sit up and take notice. These modern Gnostics have their own rules - discarding texts they don't like, elevating obscure scribblings to Holy writ, developing a new theory of history based on multi-age conspiracies. The only problem with this approach is that all historians, theologians, archeologists, and other professionals must be discarded and discounted. Nowhere is this more true that in studies on the origins of Christianity. Perhaps this is because it is the only major religion that attempts to validate its claims through non-theological means, i.e. archeology. The particular subject of the Knights Templar, Mary Magdalene, Jesus and his offspring, his "real" purpose and mission, the Shroud of Turin, etc has become a cottage industry, churning out speculative "studies" that are greeted with the approbation they deserve. Sometimes it appear in fictional format ("The DaVinci Code") but more often as a non-fiction treatise with wildly differing claims ("The Sacred Mushroom" vs "The Passover Plot"). "The Messianic Legacy", read without context, is a rambling but coherent argument. The operative word, though, is "context". Accepting Baigent means discounting Jesus Seminar (searching for the historical Jesus), authors Robin Lane Fox, A.G Wells and other international scholars - they're all wrong. Baigent would say they are not asking the right question / thinking outside the box. But it is clear that at some point in the first century a group of Jews began to think of this Orthodox rabbi as someone special but specifically meant for them. The lack of absence supporting the various claims to kinship is deafening. The fact that James, his brother, allegedly led the group after the death of Jesus confirms the customs of the day. Like the X-Files, the truth is out there (but only the brave dare inquire) and the mythology is real (but bad guys - Mossad, CIA, Catholic Church) suppress it. The conspiritorial silence is to a degree not seen before or since. The author would better devote his time to debunking the ridiculous claims of others of his ilk.
Rating:
Summary: AS IMPORTANT AS THE LATEST ELVIS SIGHTING
Review: WRITTEN IN THE LATEST PULP FICTION,COMIC BOOK SYNTAX,AND WITH ABOUT AS MUCH EVIDENTIARY MATERIAL AS THE RUN OF THE MILL U.F.O.INCIDENT.I AM ALWAYS AMAZED AT THE TRIPE THE AMERICAN READING PUBLIC WILL EMBRACE
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