Rating: 
Summary: These folks are wacky.
Review: I was about two chapters into this book when I realized that I was in the presence of some real dingbats. World class dingbats. AFter recognizing that this book has absolutely no connection with reality, I was then able to read it as a farce. As such, it makes good reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Great entry into the truth about Christianity
Review: I was already aware through my vast religious studies that the Catholic Church had masterminded "The Big Lie" about the true legacy of Christ, but this book offered many new and exciting avenues to explore further. There are millions of "Christians" out there blindly following a religion they have never bothered to examine, study or look into beyond a cursory reading of the Bible, and it really bothers me that so many people know so little about the man they proclaim to worship and adore. Jesus was a man with one hell of a history and a legacy that continues to this day. If you truly love this man and what he stands for, do yourself a favor and get educated by reading as many differing opinions and studies as you can. The Catholic Church alone has destroyed much of the literature that could reveal the truth to us, so we are already at a great disadvantage, but books like this and others by James Shelby Spong, Barbara Thiiering, Laurence Gardner, etc. are working to reveal the truth behind the big lie. Wonderful, dedicated work. Also read "The Messianic Legacy," and then read a few different Bibles to see just how distorted and different they are - the truth is out there somewhere!
Rating: 
Summary: The truth is in there.
Review: Although many of the assumptions drawn by the authors have been disproved since, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who believes that history is what did happen and not what people wish or want history to be. Although I think that by the last few chapters the author started to lose his way, much of the book's disparaged "assumptions" could, from an open and logical point of view be very true. Even a religious, albeit open minded, person could read this with some sense understanding. If however, if you like your history unchallenged or your religious dogmas unquestioned then stay well away! Personally, I believe making Jesus more human may actually draw people to his message. There is no doubt the Knights Templar existed nor that they gained much wealth and influence in an illogically short period of time. There is no doubt that at the turn of the century, a pauper priest went through much the same transformation. Although the contents of this book may not agree with everyone and it conclusions may be off the mark, I strongly, strongly believe that the essence, the kernel of the truth of the secret of the Templars lies in there somewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly well researched and explosively informative.
Review: This book is for all those who have no fear of new insights. The authors reveal information that has been kept secret for a long time. When completing the book, the big question you're left with is who has what to gain by keeping this material hidden. A great read for those really seeking the truth.
Rating:
Summary: Erm, the BBC blew this out of the water
Review: Yes this is a fantastic read but as Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum" shows - it's a house of cards. In 1998 the BBC did a documentary about "The Tomb of God", an attempt to solve the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery. In it they showed Pierre de Plantard-Sinclair to be a proven fraudster who has served prison time for it and interviewed the French journalist with whom he concocted this hoax. The journalist gave the solution to the "blue apples" cryptic messages and expressed his amusement at the havoc this joke has caused. Sorry folks, it ain't true, it's made up. As made up as Pierre's lineage. However don't let it stop you reading it, it's a cracking good read. And the sources the authors used on the biblical bits are still valid. If you want the lowdown on what early Christianity was really like, Prof Robert Eisenman, Hugh Schonfield and Dr Barbara Thiiering make interesting reading and haven't to my knowledge been disproved yet.
Rating:
Summary: Pseudo-historical tripe.
Review: Anyone who is well-educated or well-informed, especially in history, will see through the amateur attempt by the authors to appear to be impartial and logical in their hypothetical reasoning. Anyone who has a sound understanding of the Bible will, at the very least, be annoyed by their mis-quotes, quotes out of context, non-sequiturs, inaccurate translations of Greek and Hebrew, and general ignorance of Judaism and Christianity, both of which are disparaged by this inept conspiratorial concept. It is a long, tiresome maze leading nowhere. Far better for children to stick to fairy tales than to meddle in adult themes.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating story; authors seem to lack true conviction
Review: I stumbled onto this book almost by accident and found it incredibly enjoyable. The prose is entertaining, and the way it skips about history gives the reader a broad overview of many different periods of time. The premise of the book is compelling, and it is well-documented. The authors have done their research, and they have included many varied sources. The Dead Sea Scrolls make an appearance, as do the "lost gospels" discovered in Egypt in the early 1900s. By examining every available manuscript, the authors have enabled themselves to draw some conclusions that mere examination of the Bible and "standard" Christian texts doesn't allow. The authors make several good points often lost in the din of history: 1. history is written by the victors and the obviously Roman slant to the Bible is a reflection of that; 2. no one is going to openly document a secret society (it would defeat the purpose); and 3. historians narrow their views so tightly that cross-"genre" analysis is virtually unheard. The one complaint I have about the book is this: the authors never conclusively state whether they believe any of their own allegations. It is customary for an author advancing a controversial treatise to state what (s)he believes to be true. These authors never do. They hem and haw about "this could certainly be the case" or "one could easily assume" and "it would not be hard to assume" but they never say "we think this to be the case" or "we believe..." and by not doing so, they take away some of the power of an otherwise outstanding book. One last tidbit: there are numerous references to a series of documents in the Bibliotek Nationale in Paris that are never directly quoted. An appendix of photostats of these documents would have been an invaluable aid in examiining the authors' evidence. Not all of us ave the ability to fly to Paris, but that does not dinimish our enthusiasm for reseaerch.
Rating:
Summary: ENTERTAINING ...BUT STRETCHING CREDULITY
Review: While I found the book historically enlightening, it is fraught with logical errors and presumptions which lead the reader to invalid and erroneous conclusions.
Rating:
Summary: Awe-inspiring!
Review: I read this great book over a decade ago and haven't looked back since. It became one of the many things in my life which convinced me to look at spirituality from another angle.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating but improbable
Review: I gave this book four stars because it's a fascinating read, but I couldn't take it all seriously. It's not that the ideas put forth are totally impossible, but they're pretty improbable. It's not so implausible that Jesus had children, but it IS implausible that he had a claim to the throne. My crackpot alarm went off especially when I started reading about the tribe of Benjamin migrating to Greece. Go ahead and read this for fun, because it really is interesting and gives you a lot to think about. But if you want the historical Jesus, read John Dominic Crossan.
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