The Secret Initiation of Jesus at Qumran: The Essene Mysteries of John the Baptist [Paperback]

Robert Feather (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 8, 2005

An examination of the early, mysterious Essene community at Qumran that links it with John the Baptist, Jesus, and the beginnings of Christianity

• Offers an eyewitness account of the final burial place of John the Baptist

• Makes the case that Christianity grew out of a form of monotheism first formulated by the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten

• Includes physical and photographic evidence never before published

In his earlier book The Mystery of the Copper Scroll of Qumran, Robert Feather analyzed the Dead Sea Scroll engraved on copper that is considered the work of the secretive, devout Jewish sect known as the Essenes, who lived at Qumran around the time of Jesus. To continue his research into the Essene community's way of life and how its beliefs may have influenced the beginnings of Christianity, he met with Father Jozef Milik, one of the scholars who worked on deciphering the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1950s. Feather learned that during Milik's work somewhere near the Qumran ruins, he had excavated a headless corpse that he believed to be that of John the Baptist.

Feather presents persuasive, powerful evidence illustrating the strong link between the Qumran Essenes and New Testament teachings and showing that both John the Baptist and Jesus were intimately involved with this community at Qumran. He further supports the claim that early Christians continued a belief system centered on a form of monotheism first formulated by the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten and uniquely espoused by the Essenes at Qumran.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Feather’s book appeals because of its startling thesis, its systematic presentation of the evidence, and the author’s excellent story telling, Obviously, the last word about the origins of Christianity has not been spoken as yet. Perhaps, with The Secret Initiation of Jesus at Quamram, we are getting a little closer to the truth."
(Georg Feuerstein, Traditional Yoga Studies Interactive, January 17th 2006 )

"A fact-filled book about the Essene mysteries, and the role that John the Baptist performed with Jesus' initiation, are part of this big book of information. It is a good, old-fashioned reading experience, one the reader will deeply enjoy!"
(Lee Prosser, Ghostvillage.com, Feb 8, 2006 )

From the Back Cover

CHRISTIAN STUDIES / GNOSTICISM 

In his earlier book The Mystery of the Copper Scroll of Qumran, Robert Feather analyzed the Dead Sea Scroll engraved on copper that is considered the work of the secretive, devout Jewish sect known as the Essenes, who lived at Qumran around the time of Jesus. In The Secret Initiation of Jesus at Qumran, Feather now presents persuasive, powerful evidence illustrating the strong link between the Qumran Essenes and teachings of the Christian Scriptures, demonstrating that both John the Baptist and Jesus were intimately involved with this community. He further supports the claim that early Christians continued a belief system centered on a form of monotheism first formulated by the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten and uniquely espoused by the Essenes at Qumran.

To assist his research into the Essene community’s way of life, Feather met with Jozef Milik, previously a Catholic priest and one of the scholars who worked on deciphering the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1950s. Feather learned that during Milik’s work somewhere near the Qumran ruins, he had excavated a headless corpse that he believed to be that of John the Baptist. Feather tracks down the site of this grave and gives an eyewitness account of the final burial place of John the Baptist, offering physical and photographic evidence never before published.

ROBERT FEATHER is a metallurgist, engineer, journalist, and scholar of world religions. He is the founding editor of The Metallurgist, editor of Weighing and Measuring, and the author of The Mystery of the Copper Scroll of Qumran. He lives in London.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Bear & Company (August 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591430445
• ISBN-13: 978-1591430445
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #645,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A different kind of scholarly treatise., December 23, 2005

By 

Joseph F. Pauswinski (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret Initiation of Jesus at Qumran: The Essene Mysteries of John the Baptist (Paperback)

I bought "The Secret Initiation of Jesus at Qumran" because I had read Robert Feather's previous book, "The Mystery of the Copper Scroll of Qumran" and I wanted to see where his research had led. I settled into the "serious reading" chair in my home office that is very different from my "fun reading" chair (which actually consists of lounging on the living room sofa). I figured that I would need intense concentration and I even had a notepad handy to try to keep the names and dates orderly.

Perhaps it would be best to describe what this book isn't. I was prepared for a typical, dry, academic study. That would consist of a brief statement of facts followed by a seemingly endless series of footnotes. The purpose of the notes would be to show how other experts agreed with the wisdom being presented. There would be long paragraphs that needed to be diagramed to keep my understanding from getting untracked. That was the reason for my notepad.

This book reads more like a novel. Mr. Feather provided me with a map, charts, a compass, and a flashlight. The preface warned that it would be necessary to understand the basic history before the conclusions would be apparent. But then I was introduced to a kind of adventure hunt/thriller. I first met a noted academic in a spooky apartment and all the facts changed from memory challenges to clues in a puzzle. Whenever there was an overload of facts coming at me from every direction, Feather provided a chart that made it all clear. The impressive thing about this was that he even made clear the reasoning of those who reached different conclusions from his own. You could easily choose which horse you wanted to bet on. I readily understood the evolution of the Hebrew/Jewish concepts of resurrection and afterlife. I could even tell you which historian had used what data to put a date and name on the Essene's "Teacher of Righteousness."

I enjoyed his unusual chapter titles, such as "Scribblers, Squabblers, and Scholars" and "Paul's Smoking Gun." After 224 pages of preparation, Mr. Feather went back to the spooky apartment and re-introduced all the prime characters. I felt as if I now knew them and how they might act. The book then became a rapid page-turner, hurtling toward the conclusion. Instead of dry prose, you read phrases such as "It was one of those nerve-tingling moments." I could actually feel the thrill of the discoveries.

The preface promised a trip of discovery. Feather shined light behind the curtains and into the caves. At he end, he delivered on his promise of an unexpected turn of events and the finding of someone he wasn't originally looking for. It seemed as if he set out not to prove something but rather to discover it. I felt as if I was there when he did.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Da Vinci Code Companion, December 8, 2005

By 

RONALD MCNEES (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret Initiation of Jesus at Qumran: The Essene Mysteries of John the Baptist (Paperback)

I whole-heartedly recommend this masterpiece to the "Da Vinci Code" fans, as well as to anyone who has ever curled up in front of a roaring fireplace to read a good mystery. Robert Feather is all about facts and logic, which might normally make it hard to keep one's fire, lit. But that's not the case with this fantastic story. Each turned page heats up more and more, making the book very difficult to put down.
It's a must read in today's world of religious uncertainty. It takes the reader behind the embryonic scenes of a new kind of Judeo-Christian-Islamic triangle, told in a way that only this author could, considering his background and extensive knowledge of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
As the pages were turned faster I could sense Mr. Feather's jubilant circumspection of the findings, which lead to this testament about missing (and perhaps deliberately hidden) links, within the corpus of those three religions. It's the stuff of Secret Societies and it may even be telling us where the bodies are buried! Until now, only by being a member of a select group or two, could one come to the same conclusions which Mr. Feather offers up for consumption by anyone who merely takes the time to read. "The Secret Initiation of JESUS at QUMRAN" is an easy and enjoyable path to enlightment.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Good Read from Robert Feather, October 27, 2005

By 

EGR (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Initiation of Jesus at Qumran: The Essene Mysteries of John the Baptist (Paperback)

You will enjoy the thorough scholarship in this engaging book more if you've already read Feather's Mystery of the Copper Scroll of Qumran. In this sequel, Feather builds on his research into the connections between Akhenaten and the monotheism that became Judaism.
For almost fifty years after their discovery, a small team of scholars prevented access to the Dead Sea Scrolls. What were they afraid of? What were they hiding? Did the Essenes practice a purer form of Judaism? Was this the path to which Jesus was calling people? For those who have pondered these questions, Feather's research provides a wealth of well-documented information.
Feather provides convincing evidence that the primary communities initially connected with Jesus's Way correspond to known Essene communities. This is exciting news to those who seek the truth and it clears up many previously inexplicable details in both chronology and doctrine. Some of the "hard sayings" that caused people to leave the Jesus movement could well be based on the stringent demands of the Essenes.
Be ready for lots of scholarly details presented in a highly readable format. Feather's interviews with Jozef Milik and his wife Yolanta gave him an inside track to uncovering some of the cover-ups of the Dead Sea Scrolls officials.
Though sources are cited in the extensive footnotes, the book could profit from a bibliography to make it easier for interested scholars to find related materials.
A great gift for those willing to leave their Sunday School paradigm behind.