The Jesus Papers

✦ In an interview with MSNBC the author of “The Jesus Papers”, Michael Baigent is quoted as saying:


“I don't think Jesus died at the crucifixion. I think he survived.”

“If we read them [the Gospels] closely and ask the questions, we can come up with a very, very different construction.”

✦ Baigent makes numerous good points in his book. Unfortunately, Baigent references two sets of documents that cannot be produced. One of the documents was last seen at the Church of San Sulpice in Paris - a document, Baigent claims, contains incontrovertible evidence that Jesus was alive in the year 45 CE. In the late 1800’s, that mysterious document was seen by a prominent member of the English Church, Canon Alfred Lilley. The alleged document supposedly indicated that Jesus didn't die on the cross. But soon after, Lilley’s document vanished, never to be seen again. The other set of documents were supposedly written by Jesus, himself, and are in the private collection of a secret proprietor, who Baigent will not identify. If any or all of the two sets of documents could be produced for scientific and historical examination, it could be fascinating and monumental. But since they cannot, their discussion is essentially meaningless since their content is unknown and even their existance is hearsay.