Customer Reviews

Jesus: The Explosive Story of the 30 Lost Years and the Ancient Mystery Religions

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I could not put the book down. Ms McCannon writes clearly and keeps you interested. I particularly liked the heavy footnoting which made the book more meaningful. If you are interested in seeing Jesus as the man he was and why he was so learned in the ancient mystery religions, this is the book. If you become hooked with the topic there are many citations to keep you searching. Everywhere I look now I see the symbolism which is the foundation for much of Christianity today, including the "beehive" hat the Pope wears to the "fish" symbol that appears so ubiquitously on the back of automobiles and the origin of the "cross", which was already an important ancient religious symbol before Christ. Rather than travel to the Holy Land, I suggest go to the Isle of Avalon in Gastonbury England where Jesus lived and his followers, lead by Joseph of Aramethia, went to start the first Christian church. You will find out that Jesus also traveled extensively in India and was well grounded in the ancient teachings of the Egyptians, from which he may have learned about resurrection. The raising of the Eucharist during the Catholic mass is a symbol for the Sun, based on the Egyptian god of the Sun, Ra, whose "eye" is the derivation of the "fish" symbol. All this and more is explored by this wonderful book that places our current Western religious practice and the life of Jesus in in a modern perspective.

Tricia takes you on a journey of Jesus' life - from birth through death and Resurrection, but most importantly she speaks of Jesus' journeys to Britain, India, Tibet, Persia and Egypt - what he learned and what he taught.
You get the clear message that the wisdom of the ancients - held in the ancient mystery schools - that have been around for at least 5000 years, is embraced by Jesus, and played out on the world stage with his life.

If you have ever wanted to know the symbolism, or hermetic language in the art of all cultures - read this book - filled with over 100 illustrations.

We have never been alone - and the teachings are now surfacing for all to know.

I have to give kudos to Tricia on her book of the pre-ministry years of Jesus. I've also been studying Christian origins for over 20 years and found much of her research very interesting and supportive of my own studies. It is outside the main stream scholarship, but then they tend to focus on studying the trees and not looking at the forest. What I found most interesting is the conncetion for ancient myths with the mystery religions which I had previously made also. There is very little written on the similarities of these religions although you can find a number of books claiming Jesus plagarized his religion from pagan sources and event more astounding is their claim that Jesus never really existed, that he too was mythical; these seem to be hasty generalizations from authors promoting their own atheistic agenda.

This book comes at a very different angle, supporting my findings that most of the major religions came from a very ancient single source. The problem for most Christians in reading this book will be that it is too far out there for them to make a connection. As one reviewer previously put it, "I'll rely on the NT" [paraphrasing]. This "solo scriptora" (scriptures only) attitude has caused Christianity to remain in an ever shrinking box that becomes more and more disconnected with time. There are a number of other books that support that original Christianity was more esoteric and probably closer to the Gnostic Christian version than the orthodox version we have today (Inner Christianiyt for one). So Christians have to give up a few of their idealistic beliefs such as Christianity being a unique revelation in the doctrinal sense. Jesus himself confirms that what he teaches is not something new, but rather something very, very old as he questions why Nicodemus doesn't get the concept of being 'born again' (Jn 3:10) The verse implies that this Pharisee was, or should have been taught that this ancient concept in his training also. Most people have no problem realizing that Jesus was Jewish and much of his theology came from his Jewish religion. I also subscribe to the theory that Christianity was more Essene in it's theology than Pharisitic. But some how it we discover that Jesus taught concepts similar to those in non-Jewish religions then somehow it has to be false. The logic doesn't follow here. Again, we have Christians having to give up the assumption that they have a monopoly on truth. Margaret Barker, Oxford scholar, wrote on the Hidden Tradition of Christianity and one has difficulty walking away from reading that book without knowing that Jesus taught the mysteries of the kingdom. In fact both Christianity and Judaism were mystical and mystery cults. So to say that other mystery cults had similar teachings is not something that should be thought of as heretical. But the biggest problem of this book facing a Christian audience is that most do not study their own religion, let alone the stories and legends outside the Bible. This book may be too much of a quantum leap for them to embrace.

I appreciate the many footnotes the author provided, but also consent that although there may be traditions of Christ visiting those other countries in his pre-ministry years, it is far from solid evidence for absolute proof. Too often, the author seems to throw in premises without fully building an argument in favor of. All in all, it's a book I would recommend for those ready to receive it.

Tricia McCannon not only writes a scholarly book of the birth, life and death of Jesus, she writes in a clear and easy to understand way that make this book as suspenseful as any work of fiction. She brings Jesus the man to life. She shows that Jesus was human, that he worked at his knowledge visiting Egypt, England, India and Tibet, learning from the greatest minds of his time. That he didn't just come into this world knowing all things, though he was one of the four great Kumaras, the solar lords, the eternally young sons of God who 'realized the truth of self', he did his homework.

McCannon's view of Jesus, heavily researched, is a thousand times more interesting than the whitewashed version of Jesus that portrays him as the son of God who was born of a virgin, knew everything, could do no wrong, and was killed for our sins. Instead we see a human being who studied and earned his powers showing us the way to the promised land.

Filled with illustrations, footnotes from works found in the Vatican that not many people get to see, oral traditions, and so many other books that I don't see how it was humanly possible to read, McCannon not only offers us an incredible look at Jesus, she backs it up. Simply an amazing work.
When I Dream

I would like to commend the author on an excellent book. It is well documented and I enjoyed her many sources and notes, and the fact that many of these same books are on my bookshelves, made it quick and easy for me to research further. She even has the Kolbrin! Although my conclusions vary greatly from Tricia McCannon, I must say that she has brought many fresh new insights into the life, death, and meaning of Jesus in world history. That she connected ancient spirituality and traced the continuity to modern man is the most commendable perspective of this book. She stimulates the senses, awakens the possibilities, and makes one think outside the norm. I like this. Had this been available when I wrote my book about Jesus in India, I would have made several key references to Tricia McCannon.Well done book, a pleasurable read, and highly recommended.

A non fiction that is a real page turner! If you've wondered how Jesus came to be who and what he was - this book is a great theory on how he developed his powerful skills. If you are a Biblical Literalist this book is not for you. But if you are curious, if you realize that the Bible is a book based on faith, this is a fun read.

The missing years of Christ are up for much debate in history. "Jesus: The Explosive Story of the 30 Lost Years and the Ancient Mystery Religions" looks at the potential expanded legacy of Jesus of Nazareth and how he could have had spiritual impact on many religions throughout Europe and Asia before he began his more well known tale in Palestine. Records from countless sources are speculated upon and makes "Jesus" a riveting and thought provoking tale that shouldn't be overlooked.

The inauspicious beginning of this piece resulted from the use of a particular reference employed by Ms. McCannon which immediately sounded bells, whistles, sirens with the accompanying red flags, flares and all manner of warning devices that caused this reviewer a bit of gastritis. I'm discussing of course, a reference whereby the information proffered was gleaned from some past-life regression; which ostensibly gives readers insights into the life and times of the enigmatic, cult-like assemblage of ascetics known as the Essenes. A device not nearly as empirical as I'd hoped.......

The balance of the text was dedicated to the possible journeys Jesus took and the principles undergirding the ancient mysteries as evidenced and related via: symbology, linguistics and oral traditions. While the information and ideas presented between the covers of this expansive tome where plentiful, interesting, and certainly plausible, the manner in which they relate to Jesus is managed rather parenthetically. Not to put too fine a point on this - but as an example - through-out the book one will read copious amounts of material (paragraphs and multiple pages) regarding the sphinx, the pyramids, the vast labyrinths underground, the symbology and hermetic meanings thereof and the rituals that may have been performed within; followed by something to the effect "And Jesus studied here."

This is a fine work with an abundant bibliography, yet missing the sinew that would more fully conjoin the subject with its predicates. As mentioned in other reviews with regard to the historicity of Yeshua ben Joseph, I find Suzanne Olsson's work unparalleled. I noticed that Ms. Olsson reviewed this work and by way of this assessment I'd like to say "Hello Ms. Olsson!!"

3 on the board, 3 ½ from me.

Tricia McCannon never intended to write this book. For years she had been working in the presence of the masters Horus, Divine Mother Isis, and teacher Thoth. Then one day Jesus himself appeared to her, making a personal request for her to put aside her other scholarly projects and to write his story. She surrendered to the radiant love of his presence and the depth of kindness in his eyes.

McCannon documents from multiple ancient sources an inside look at the life and purpose of this ageless avatar who came from beyond time and space to once again incarnate in human form to raise the consciousness of humanity. Placed in a hotbed of strife between the leadership in Palestine struggling with Roman occupation and the Essene community into which Jesus was born, he had to flee more than once to escape assassination. Yeshua, his Aramaic name, spent time in Egypt, which was a highlight of culture at that time, in England with his uncle Joseph of Arimathea, in India, and in Tibet studying the wisdom of other religions in preparation for his mission. Several of the feats he mastered from these studies were healing the sick, walking on water, commanding the elements, and being able to make himself invisible when he needed to escape an angry mob. He was an initiate in the mystery schools, and his final initiation in the halls beneath the pyramids in Egypt prepared him for the act of resurrection, mastering his nine subtle energy bodies to recreate a double of his physical body after his death.

Barbara Stone, author of Invisible Roots: How Healing Past Life Trauma Can Liberate Your Present

This is a wonderful book. Well researched and easy to read and understand the wonderful years Jesus spent in India, Tibet, Egypt, and the information about his grandmother, Mary's mother, Anna and her life and years in Cornwall and Avalon.

I will read and reread this book for years to come. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about the life and times of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.