Customer Reviews

Jesus in Kashmir: The Lost Tomb

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As a child growing up in India, I used to travel each summer to Kashmir along with my family and spend a week in what we considered to be paradise. The shimmering Dal lake, the beautiful gondola-esque Shikharas, the apple and cherry orchards, the wonderfully ornate houseboats and the pristine air. We had to stop visiting Kashmir from the 1980's once the separatist movement gathered steam and paradise became hell with bombs exploding virtually each day. The slight improvement in the situation today is overshadowed by the resurgence of the Taliban in the Northwest Frontier province of Pakistan as well as the shaky political climate in Pakistan.

Viewed against this backdrop, the fact that Suzanne Olsson was able to achieve what she did in Kashmir is truly commendable. Having spent the last two years writing my fictional account on the Rozabal tomb, each and every word in Suzanne's book makes me understand the extent to which she has sacrificed a considerable part of her life to the cause of Rozabal. Her book, more than a terrific tome of research for generations to come, is also a desperate plea to ensure that Rozabal is not lost. It is far too precious!

There were so many things that I loved about Suzanne's book. Where do I begin? Do I tell you about her observations (on page 45) as Kashmir possibly being the closest thing to Shangri-La? Do I tell you about how (on page 82), Suzanne reveals the Brahma-Abraham and Sara-Saraswati connection magnificently. Or do I talk about how (on page 108) she talks about the 354 idols in the temple of Mecca before they were cleared by Mohammed and establishes the connections between Hinduism and Islam more firmly than probably anyone else before her? Or do I talk about her heartfelt plea for religious tolerance (on page 359) and her feeling of helplessness with the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha by the pre-9/11 Taliban regime of Afghanistan? Jesus in Kashmir, The Lost Tomb is NOT about The Lost Tomb. Well, yes it is... BUT it is significantly more important than that. It is a testament to the fact that world religions are much more closely related to each other than is revealed by those who guard such secrets and that religious intolerance is rather ridiculous given these close historical and philosophical relationships.

The alternative explanation to the Jesus story is presented in a comfortable and clear-headed style that will leave the reader wanting much more. In fact, if you are serious about wanting to know more about Jesus in India and the reasons why Rozabal could very well actually be his final resting place, DON'T read my book, The Rozabal Line which lays no claims to serious scholarship and instead attempts to simply provide a "fun read" using historical material that is already out there thanks to dedicated researchers such as Suzanne), and instead pick up a copy of Suzanne's book which is truly a remarkable work of scholarship, dedication and commitment. I salute you, Suzanne!

As a lifetime resident of Kashmir,and author of several books about the life of Jesus in Kashmir, I have devoted my life to research into the tomb of Roza Bal.I feel this book will help
change the world.

The references, the words, and the thoughts are about the real story of Jesus, written by his decendent.

Here you will follow the family sagas as they roamed between worlds. What had begun with Adam and Noah, ended with the deaths of Mother Mary and Jesus. You will learn surprising new clues for the real reasons of the crucifixion: why Jesus, the new king, was brought before Pilate. You will visit the tomb of Roza Bal in Kashmir, and be shocked to find out what has been deliberately hidden from the world because of petty religious intolerances, jealousy, ego, and greed. The ancient tomb and its artifacts and documents will prove the identity of the man buried within. Jesus died in his old age: at his side was his lifetime companion John, the Bishop of Edessa, member of the White Brotherhood who was known to the Buddhists as Anjuna. You will find how Jesus' life and teachings touched upon every culture and religion in the world in ways you could never have imagined. Readers will be startled, then pleased to see these new details about this most extraordinary man's life, and the most extraordinary adventures he lived.
What you will find is an affirmation of many faiths. Approach this new information in the spirit of seeking
the "what-if" truths, for scattered herein is an incredibly new trail of leads for you to follow. There are places herein for an occasional smile as well as some frowns, and this perks up the reading of lengthy genealogies and confusing names and connections weaving across the millennium.

Kashmir had been a secret place of refuge for this Hebrew family for many millenniums.The aim of this book is clearly to inform the west that the east does have more unpublished
information about the historical Jesus. The life and works of Jesus are of vital interest to the people of the whole world. The wonderful prophecy made in Isaiah is clear that Jesus, being descended of King David, was to live. To have survived the crucifixion is to have truly fulfilled the prophecies. To have survived the crucifixion is the true message of the cross. To understand the true historical Jesus, this book is an absolute requirement.
Professor Fida Hassnain, Srinagar, Kashmir
author: 'Search for the Historical Jesus'
http://www.spinninglobe.net/histjesusearch.html

We have extensively researched the core aspects of this incredible and detailed account gifted to the world by Suzanne Olsson. The years of research and dedication to truth are overwhelmingly obvious in reading this book.

Our independent research sourced documentation dating back thousands of years and, we believe, supports the findings in this book.

From our position of health care we understand the need to reduce barriers and unfounded fears that prevail. Fundamentally all core religious teachings are from the same platform.

What is outstanding within this book is that greater wisdoms in the most prevalent religions are the result of one man and his key followers. No one person has achieved such a profound and sustained creation of spiritual wisdom since Jeshua. Not only was his work of great importance, he bridged the borders and boundaries of the world's greatest faiths and brought greater awareness and alignment to all.

Many myths are dissolved by this research, all of this information reduces fears and boundaries that have been created through centuries of errors.

The universal importance of this work should be applied Srinagar, Kashmir. It is the place where science needs to continue the work.

Now is the time, in the ancient traditions of Chaldi Colleges (pronounced Kaldi), that these referenced historical records are brought together in a way that people of any faith and persuasion can freely and readily explore for themselves the thousands of documents and books available in little known places. It is time to bring scientific process to play and go forward with the scientific investigations, proposed within this book. Of immediate importance is the undertaking of the authorised DNA investigations at Roza Bal and at Muree. Expanding this work by comparing the findings with similar DNA research at the Tialpot tomb and the mummies of Egypt, many of whom were also considered princes, kings, and holy people, will lead to exciting growth in our understanding of history.

The foundations for tolerance and peace will be enhanced by this work. Such important developments have profound positive contributions to health and growth of all communities.

Such constructive undertakings may well lead to a major and much needed economic industry in Srinagar as a result of this non-partisan development.

John Doel - Chartered Accountant - for Pascas Health

I found this book to be fascinating and informative and very well researched. Although it is obviously the author's opinion, she makes a very solid argument for the presence of Jesus in Kashmir and challenges the popular opinion of the outcome of His crucifiction. It is far from being just the the story of Jesus though, as she dilengently traces the connection of many other historic Jews, including Moses, Solomon and Abraham to this ancient section of India. In addition, she lays the ground work for the theory that Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism and Christianity all have roots in this area and were influenced by (dare we say related to) each other. Ms.Olsson's mission appears to be to draw attention to this grossly neglected part of the ancient world and it's priceless artifacts before their history and their message is lost forever in the destruction that seems to be the mandate of certain Muslim sects that dominate the area. Her first hand accounts of her extensive travel in this region and her use of current and archival photos and maps made this a riveting and provocative read. I highly recommend it.

Suzanne Olsson has written a plausible, more robust picture of the personality known as Jesus in the West which deserves the attention of both serious scholars and believers who wonder about the veracity of some of the claims about his life.

Not an arm-chair scholar, Suzanne has spent years with Persian, Afghani, Pakistani, Kashmiri, Indian, and Sri Lankan professionals and ordinary people in a search for the Jesus beyond the Gospels. She was caught up in the aftermath of "9/11" on the other side of the Kyber Pass. She often traveled by foot and animal power to identify the legendary sites associated with the major figures of Hebrew history and the Eastern ministry of Jesus and some of his disciples beyond the Tigris and Euphrates and down through India to Sri Lanka.

Old documents and artifacts accessed by Suzanne, with the assistance of indigenous scholars, reveal numerous corroborations of the life of Jesus and his family before and after his crucifixion. Material written in ancient Persian, Pali-Prakit (ancient Indian languages), Sanskrit, Vedic, Hebrew and other regional scripts fleshes out (literally) the saga of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Solomon, David, and Joseph and Jesus. This historical evidence, unknown to all but a few Western scholars, place these legendary archetypes, along with their female partners like Sarah, Mary, and Marjan, in real time and actual places. These mystical figures are grounded in history by their actual homes, temples, and tombs whose existence has been lost to the Western mind for almost two millennia.

A Timely Book. The recent plethora of sensational books in Europe and America about Jesus and Mary Magdalene, their bloodlines, the Mother Mary and Jesus' siblings, the angel Gabriel, and a virgin birth demonstrates that millions now question the unsubstantiated assumptions of the supernatural theology of Western religions. However, such speculative books would have a small market of credulous readers if the public had general access to the more authentic Hebrew and Buddhist literature and artifacts of the East in Olsson's book.

This review provides only a sample of Olsson's well-documented answers to the questions unanswered by Western historiography. The questions include: Who was the angel Gabriel who announced to Mary her conception of Jesus? Who were the magi who visited Jesus at the time of his birth? Why would the birth of an "illegitimate" son of a "poor" carpenter attract the attention of magi from afar and from Herod the local Roman governor?

Gabriel was likely one of the beings described in the Bible as the "gods who had intercourse with the daughters of men." The magi who visited Jesus appear to have been Hebrew kings or kings-in-waiting who were members of Jesus' own royal family tree descended from Noah. They acted as if Jesus was a son of one of the Biblical gods who was destined to become a magi-priest-king.

Why was Jesus described as physically different form others? Where did he spend the years between age 12 and 30? What was his Egyptian connection?

Jesus, described as one with unique physical features, and light hair and eyes, was associated with the beings responsible for Adam and others considered progeny of "miraculous" conceptions. As a member of the ruling elite he was reportedly educated in Egypt in preparation for assuming his birthright as the king of the area known as Kashmir.

What did the title "King of the Jews" mean as it was reportedly inscribed above Jesus' head on the cross? Why was Jesus missing from the tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea after the crucifixion? And why could his disciples see and touch him later? What happened that led to the myth of resurrection?

His expected future as the king of the Jewish colony in Kashmir merited the title used in irony by his Sanhedrin opponents who wanted him killed. Taken from the cross before dusk by Pontius Pilate's soldiers who had been ordered to go easy on him, Jesus survived the crucifixion. When he was well enough, he presented himself to some of his followers. His survival with assistance from "heavenly beings" and subsequent departure from Israel demanded an explanation for his followers. Legends of earlier Hebrew leaders being taken into the heavens (ascending) in the gods flying vessels added fuel to the supernatural concept of resurrection invented in the New Testament.

Can evidence be found for the descendants of Jesus? How did Jesus fit into the Hebrew genealogy of royal (from the gods) blood? What did he do after leaving Jerusalem?

Olsson reports both the historical accounts of Jesus' family in Kashmir and the family traditions maintained by his alleged descendants. They describe his extended family as the lineage of Noah and the major Hebrew patriarchs. Jesus was reportedly still working with Thomas and other disciples in the East eleven years after the crucifixion. Texts refer to his coronation as the king of Kashmir and his participation in the 4th Buddhist Council circa 90 C.E. Some allege his death at age 100 or over. A case can be made for his progeny.

Why do Christians in the West have so little knowledge of the influence of Jesus in the East? Where was the physical body entombed?

When I was in Kashmir is 1988, embedded in my Western heritage, working on my book Gods, Genes, and Consciousness: Nonhuman Intervention in Human History, I had little insight into the region's history that lay beneath the surface or recorded in scattered documents. Suzanne Olsson has now made it possible for others to re-discover the lost half of the Indo-European traditions that gave birth to Western civilization. Tradition and artifacts point to Jesus' burial in Jewish fashion (east/west alignment) in the tomb known as Roza Bal, where also lies a 12th-century Muslim on a north/south axis.

Readers who look for a good index and bibliography will be frustrated with these deficiencies. The documented sources are scattered throughout the book, so keep notes as you go.

I believe the author is sincere. I admire her for her avid digging and work on this book and bringing to light the destruction of archaeological treasures that we can't afford to lose. I also admire her for living near the site of the reputed Jesus tomb and lobbying for dna research in these areas. However, the sources quoted are sometimes called fraudulent by those who are supposed to know (like the letter of Pilate to Tiberius Caesar with the description of Jesus), and some of the documentation is highly suspect, even to (unexpert) me. I don't have a problem with the premise that Jesus lived after the crucifixion. We know he did. Did he go to India? Possibly. I just wish so many assumptions in this book were not built on sand. It makes me uneasy to accept any of it. Also, some of the ideas expressed, like Jesus was "working on the family business" by building up his church and Kingdom in Kashmir really gives me the bends. Sounds nothing like the non-material spiritual master, to me.

This book has an important place in any study of Christianity and history. It is a book for open minded researchers and for all Christians. Olsson has the ability to connect the smallest detail to the big picture and a knack for summarizing vast concepts in a few sentences. I am surely not the expert here, in the Bible, or in religious matters but for my simple mind, the church views and Bible do not add up and I for one, do believe that Jesus' true message and life has been completely mis-portrayed. This book begins to raise many difficult questions and provides some compelling answers that you cannot ignore.
The structure of the book is roughly as follows:
In the Introduction she established her own bloodline and lays the foundations for her bloodline search and her journey to India in search of desposyni of Jesus. However, she makes no personal claims to glory, and states clearly that descendants, if any, may number in the millions today, thereby avoiding an ego pitfall.
In the first two chapters, Olsson lucidly examines the pros and cons of the existence of God. If we can't believe in God, then we can't believe in Jesus. Then she examines some of the highlights of Jesus' life, and eye-witness to unusual events surrounding his birth and ascensions.
Then several chapters establish links between Greek gods, Hebrews and Hindus, methodically building her case for Jesus in India. The most compelling new evidence is the Rod of Moses, she follows its history from Moses to the crucifixion and then into the Roza Bal tomb.
The Chapter on Magdalene as a child prostitute was very convincing especially because Olsson was able to tie it into modern practices in India today. Olsson puts aside speculation that Magdalene was wed to Jesus, and instead finds the only historical references I know of in print to an alternate bride for Jesus. This then brings us to the children of Jesus in India. This could easily be an entire research book linking the eastern and western genealogies. The discovery of this son of Jesus in plain sight melds flawlessly with the research that has been done in Europe for decades. Had European research not been so ego-ethno centric, they could have established the missing children long before now.
Her summary of the crucifixion and Jesus' survival has sufficient supporting evidence to convince me that he really did survive the crucifixion.
In a new historical twist, Olsson then delves into the life of Muhammad and the impact of Islam on the world, how this resulted in the destruction of the evidence for Jesus, and how this directly touches on her own family. These are by far the most disturbing chapters that highlight the dangers these sites have faced and are still facing.
The chapter about DNA was interesting. She offers information and advice that could be applied to any family, anywhere.
Overall, I think the author has penetrated to the heart of most of the important issues about Jesus and tied them together very well. There are plenty of references and I appreciate that Olsson placed footnotes at bottom of pages, saving a lot of page turning to the end of the chapters or the book. As a mild criticism, I found that certain topics could have been reduced or left out, such as long name changes. Some of her discoveries could easily form the subject of entire books.
This is certainly a highly controversial book covering a broad range of topics. Olsson gives us sweeping birds-eye historical views. The knowledge I gained from just two or three chapters was easily worth the price of book by itself, and it was an absolute joy to have my eyes opened to some of the mind-boggling events in Jesus' life, especially revolving around the crucifixion, the Rod of Moses and the magi.
Olsson does a great job of writing a revolutionary, poignant, understandable book that connects with the reader. She handles her subject with reverence and respect while she tastefully dismantles every religious belief from Buddhism to Judaism, and Christianity to Islam, and rebuilds them.
To conclude, if any book shakes you up, leaves you `thinking'about it long after, and wanting to know more, then it was a good read worth the price of the book, and Olsson has given us an outstanding good read full of fresh new ideas. I would strongly recommend this book and I will overlook a few niggling little typos to give the author a hearty 5 stars. I like her style and I can't help but to wish her well.

Suzanne Olsson has written a book that is so reavealing and so amazing that I think it will literally change the life of anyone who is able to read it with an open mind. Suzanne has done some amazing hands-on research of what she is telling us about and she opens up theories that most people would never even think were possible to do and she makes them come alive. Reading this will take you through a story that could change not only your believs about Jesus and his followers but actually the whole history of humankind! The time has come when we finally will get to know the truth about our history and the origins of christianity as well. What is myth and what is fact? Suzanne Olsson is a skilled and well educated author and a very intelligent guide, so let her take you on a journey you will never forget! I specially love the part about Mary Magdalene and the relationship between her and Jesus. So many stories has been written in this subject and the litteral findings that exists about their relationship in India is now beeing revealed as well. What we get to read about in this book is both mindblowing and down to earth at the samt time! The evidence is out there. Get the book and have a great read folks!I love it!

Sue Olsson's book, "Jesus in Kashmir", makes a good case for the presence of Jesus Christ in India. She draws upon past evidence in a clear and concise manner and updates the material as required. The author has a casual and comfortable writing style that is appealing to the reader. The excellent photos and illustrations add to the attraction of the book, and I would say that she presents her case very well. She avoids the pitfalls of dogmatizing but asks all the relevant questions and ponders the evidence at hand in a fair and balanced review of the material.

However, the author may have been a little too critical with regard to her allegation of the negative global impact on the part of Islam. This reviewer has a far more favorable view of Islam.

I still rate this book highly for the serious student of the subject and for the casual reader!

This, I have to say, is the nist unorthodox, most disquieting (the two often go together) book that I have read in a very long time. It starts innocently enough when the author tells us that her own lineage (via Huguenot ancestors) is from the line of French kings of the Merovingian Dynasty. As any reader of Dan Brown or 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail' will know, this hints at descent from Jesus and Mary Magdalene. At this point many would be ready to put the book down, dismissing its author as just another 'new age' crank. However, this is just the start. From there we are immediately taken east to North India, which the author believes to be the original home of Noah and Abraham before the latter made his long journey to Canaan and Egypt. His wife Sarah, we are told, has a name linking her with an Indian goddess. She is not the only 'goddess' who is really a human: so too are the sons of Noah, who by the time they make it to western mythology have become Olympian gods such as Zeus. Greek and Roman mythology,it seems, not to mention the book of Genesis, are nothing more than late variants of much earlier prototypes that originated in India, the stories being brought west as people migrated.

Again at this point one might be tempted to put the book down, and with a shake of the head, turn to other things. However, this would be a mistake. For a start, much that she says on this score is backed up by other sources. Firstly, we know that Europeans come from the Aryan world, which includes north India, Afghanistan, Iran and what is now the Asian Repubics of the former Soviet Union. Furthermore there has long been a school of thought that the ancient Hebrews were also Aryan; 'Semitic', like 'Celtic' in its true meaning, being a language group and not a genetic or ethnic description. As a result of Nazi atrocities such ideas fell out of favoour as, indeed, did the very term 'Aryan', which actually has the same meaning as Iranian. 'Airyena Vaeja' means 'Old Iran', a geographical area that lies mostly to the north or the Amu Darya or Oxus River and which embraces southern Russia and the mountainous regions bordering India and Tibet. According to today's Zoroastrians, it was from this homeland that the Aryan peoples invaded India and what is now Iran bringing with them a religion that we might call 'proto Zoroastrianism': the prophet Zoroaster having not yet been born. Other groups of Aryans (called in our politically correct times 'Indo Europeans') moved westwards into Europe, giving rise to the civilizations of Greece and Rome as well as the pagan cultures of Germany, Scandinavia and other other countries of the north.

Such ideas were not alien to earlier thinkers and writers but have been expunged from our memories by those who, from Victorian times onwards, found such notions unsettling because they ran contrary to their reading of the bible.

These early chapters of Ms Olsson's book, however, turn out to be but a prelude to the central story: her search in Kashmir for the tombs of Jesus and Mary. Again this will be unsettling to those who believe that Jesus ascended into heaven, leaving no body behind or that Mary too was 'Assumed' into heaven body and all. For those of us with a more open mind on such matters, Ms Olsson's story of her search amiidst the mountains and valleys of Kashmir makes for a great read. It is sad that it culminates in the tragic news that what the locals claim to be these graves, which for her (see earlier) are her are of course of her own ancestors, are presently under threat from Muslim fanatics.

What the reader makes of Ma Olsson's claim to be descended from Jesus is down to the individual and I would not presume to know the truth on such matters. However, in my experience advances in knowledge are only ever made by those who at the time seem extreme or even crazy. This is a bold book that fearlessly attempts the near-impossible and is certainly worthy of serious attention. It is well-written and clearly a work of love. Further research in this field may refute some of her conclusions. However, every journey begins with a first step and she has clearly taken us a long way on our journey into a fresh investigation of our semi-mythic past.