averybadinfluenz's review against another edition

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"Extremely speculative!! Every single one of the so-called evidence he provides has no base in history whatsoever. Speculative analysis of obscure and made up data along with playing with peoples ignorance of the truth is what made this book what it is (as well as farming on the element of doubt this book plants in ones mind as the book progresses.). Conspiracy theories has always been like this... just plain speculation! no more, no less!!

Authors like
[a:Michael Baigent|33358|Michael Baigent|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg], [a:Richard Leigh|33357|Richard Leigh|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] and [a:Henry Lincoln|40351|Henry Lincoln|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] are all trying to pocket Dan Brown’s loose change.

People who have read this book should read [b:Fabricating Jesus How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels|6184934|Fabricating Jesus How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels|Craig A. Evans|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518YySYPOiL._SL75_.jpg|6365130] and then try to argue their views from Baigents book or some of Brown's remarks. "

livmvel's review

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medium-paced

4.0

zeydejd's review against another edition

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2.0

Conspiracy theory-laden book about Jesus, his education, teachings, and whether or not he really died on the cross. Like (presumably) all conspiracy theory (I haven't read a lot), this was flat out absurd at times and thought-provoking at others. Took me way too long to finish the second half of it because I had become bored with the author's prose at that point. Was too excited to finish it that I didn't pay quite enough attention to the last two chapters. I probably would have had much wilder opinions on it if I knew a lick of theology and/or much about the Bible or Jesus to begin with.

epictetsocrate's review against another edition

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4.0

"Când am auzit prima dată istoria despre Isus ca fiind în viaţă în anul 45 d.Hr., ne-am adus aminte de o afirmaţie ciudată din opera istoricului roman Suetonius. În istoria lui despre domnia împăratului Claudiu (41–54 d.Hr.), Suetonius menţionează: „Din cauză că evreii din Roma provocau continue tulburări instigaţi de Chrestus, i-a alungat din oraş”.
Evenimentele despre care scrie el au avut loc în jurul anului 45 d.Hr. Acest „Chrestus” era un individ prezent la Roma în acea perioadă. Ne-am întrebat: putea acest individ să fie Hristos?"

"...este important de reţinut, crucificarea era pedeapsa pentru crime politice, conform istoriei. Conform Evangheliei, totuşi, Pilat l-a dat pe Isus pe mâna gloatelor, care i-au cerut execuţia pe motive religioase. Pedeapsa evreiască pentru acest tip de încălcare a legii era moartea prin lapidare. Crucificarea era pedeapsa romană pentru rebeliune, nu pentru excentricitate religioasă. Şi numai această contradicţie şi ilustrează faptul că Evangheliile nu respectă adevărul. Oare încearcă să ne ascundă aspecte vitale? Oare încearcă să arunce vina pe cine nu trebuie?"

"Samuel Brandon, de la Universitatea Manchester, din Anglia, a atras atenţia asupra acestei distorsionări teologice: „Crucial rămâne faptul că sentinţa fatală a fost pronunţată de guvernatorul roman şi că execuţia a fost înfăptuită de autorităţile romane”. Brandon continuă: Este sigur că mişcarea asociată cu Isus semăna suficient de bine cu o rebeliune pentru a determina autorităţile romane să-l interpreteze ca revoluţionar, iar după judecată să-l execute pentru această vină."

"Isus a fost crucificat între alţi doi oameni, descrişi ca tâlhari în traducerea Bibliei. Totuşi, dacă ne întoarcem la textul grecesc originar, aflăm că nu sunt numiţi tâlhari, ci lestai, care în traducere ad literam înseamnă „lotru”, dar, de fapt – în greacă este numele sub care erau cunoscuţi „zeloţii”, luptătorii evrei pentru libertate a căror cauză era eliberarea Iudeii de sub ocupaţia romană. (Matei, 27:38). Romanii îi considerau terorişti."

"Adrian, vrând să şteargă Iudeea din istorie, i-a schimbat numele din Iudeea în Palaestina (Palestina de astăzi). Dar două generaţii mai târziu, populaţia a primit suficientă autonomie – inclusiv aceea de a nu lua parte la „vreo îndatorire care contrazice respectarea legilor religioase şi a credinţelor lor”"


psalmcat's review against another edition

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2.0

I've been meaning to read this for years, but it was kind of a bummer because there were too many rabbit holes and dead-end theorizing. I was shouting at the author multiple times about giant leaps of supposition that were completely nonsensical.

Good background on the era, from a historical point of view, but the connections are weak between parts. Also, there's been a lot more translation and research since this came out that cause some trouble for his ideas.

mvuijlst's review against another edition

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2.0

Weinig controversieels, behalve dan dat Baigent zegt dat hij documenten gezien heeft waarvan de eigenaar zeg dat ze van Jezus zelf zijn-zijn verdediging voor de Sanhedrin. En dat hij zegt dat iemand hem gezegd heeft dat iemand hém gezegd heeft dat hij documenten gezien heeft die bewijzen dat Jezus nog leefde in 45 na Christus.

Zoals meestal met die mens: leutig om lezen. Jammer van de zware inzinking als hij vertelt over zijn "expeditie" naar Baia, en over een paar vakanties in Egypte, dat leest echt wel serieus bladvullerig en zweverig.

Euh: lees Holy Blood, Holy Grail. En dan dingen van het Jesus Seminar. Crossan van harte aangeraden, Karen Armstrong ook.

bartimaeus2002's review against another edition

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3.0

2.5 stars rounded up. It reads like a well researched history drawing conclusions from well-supported documentation - except, while it does appear to be well researched, the conclusions are too often bereft of references when references are needed most. Some of Baigent's arguments are difficult to oppose - even without references and others, well, had me turning pages forward and back trying to find where his conclusions were anything more than fantastic leaps to even more fantastic conclusions. Still, it was a very interesting read I just wish he'd written it before he was 3MM pound in debt over his legal case against the DaVinci code's publishers.

tricky's review against another edition

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1.0

Pretty disappointing, nothing new in the story, clutched at a lot of straws and tried to bring together a whole heap of theories on a presumption that this just might be the truth.

jeanetterenee's review against another edition

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4.0

Very scholarly, so a little hard to get through, but worth it for the information. The author is an agnostic, so he's not trying to convert anyone to his ideas. He doesn't make any claims to know the "truth." He presents his research and findings and some possible conclusions that *might* be drawn.
The photos are fascinating, too!

aunt_t's review against another edition

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4.0

Baigent makes a good argument based on multiple historical texts while at the same time going out on a limb with his inference. I'm sure the RC Church wasn't happy with many of his claims.