The Jesus Conspiracy

by Holger Kersten

Seeking to disprove the 1988 carbon-dating that declared the Shroud a forgery, this controversial study makes conclusions about Church's support of the declaration, the authenticity of the Shroud, and the question of Jesus' death on the cross.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Religion

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Holger Kersten (born 1951) is a German writer on myth, legend, religion, and esoteric subjects. He is best known for speculative books about the time Jesus spent in India.
These are some of the books written by him.

Jesus Lived in India (1983)
The Original Jesus (1994)
The Jesus Conspiracy (1997)

Reviews

[Derek · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was raelly a failed attempt a two different things and it was neither of them. First it tried to be a historical/scientific paper style account of the history/science behind the Shroud of Tourin. Secondly it tried to present this information with failed attempts to add mystery and intrigue as if it were a Dan Brown novel. I am a Catholic, an avid fiction reader and a Theoretical Chemical Physicist by training so I am familiar with everything this book was trying to be. I will be encapsulated by the most dry of scientific papers in JCP or Nature but this book failed to deliver what I would expect from that type of publication. I actually lost all interest when the author started to use actual bible passages as if they were a "police account" of the events of the crucifixion. Save yourself some time, pass this book by. My wife also a Catholic and a Chemist by training and profession could not even finish this book. She told me not to read it and I should have listened.

[Robert LoCicero · Rating 4 out of 5]

The feast day for the Shroud of Jesus is May 4. Since 1990 the Catholic Church has claimed that the chapel roof in Turin, wherein the Shroud is exhibited, is in danger of collapse and has therefore closed the exhibit to the public. This is the Church's answer to the continuing controversy over this relic and its significance for Christianity. This richly researched work features the double-barrelled efforts of Mr Kersten on the historical Jesus and Mr Gruber on the Shroud analyses and contradictions. It is an extraordinary story through a 2000 year history in which religious dogma butts heads with human emotions and spiritual upliftment. A person must approach this reading with an open mind and be ready to challenge oneself regarding long-held religious beliefs. There is much to admire in this work and even more to be astonished with. Take the plunge.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book very much. Some of it dragged a great deal, but toward the end it got fascinating.

[Caroline Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched book, though Kersten doesn't go far enough. There are numerous Eastern and Middle Eastern documents from Jesus' time that mention him, and indicate that he traveled throughout India, Tibet and Europe, both in the "lost years" between age 13 and 29, and after the crucifixion, which many believe that he survived.