The Betrayal: The Lost Life of Jesus: A Novel
The Gears, archaeologists and authors of the North America’s Forgotten Past series, turn their attention away from Native Americans here in order to focus on reworking the legends of familiar New Testament figures. Promoted as an “alternate story of the life of Jesus,” this fictional biography is guaranteed both to ignite controversy and attract a large readership. According to the authors, extensive historical and archaeological evidence suggests that many details pertaining to the historical life of Jesus may have been suppressed by the Church. The narrative weaves back and forth through time depicting both the Crucifixion era and the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, where renegade monk Brother Barnabas endangers his own safety by piecing together clues that paint a more robust picture of the life and times of Jesus than Emperor Constantine will tolerate. Though many of the basic plot elements draw on The Da Vinci Code, the Gears, seasoned writers and researchers, add plenty of their own twists. --Margaret Flanagan