T. R. Winslow

After challenging a rabbi and being coined a blasphemer, 18 year old Jesus of Nazareth is convinced by Mary Magdala, to escape Nazareth by way of caravan.

In the process of his duties as caravan dung boy, Jesus meets and becomes good friends with two Buddhists - Gautama who is shifty but resourceful, and Harisha, a noble caravan master.

After a tragic event, Jesus ends up at a monastery where he trains to become a Buddhist monk, even going so far as to replace his Hebrew name with a Dharmic show more one.

Throughout the over ten years that Jesus was away from Nazareth - aside from a voice asking him to eat honey - he had no personal relationship with God and he was a Buddhist, which was very confusing in view of his futures path.

Around 30 years of age, Jesus finally decides to return to Nazareth and in the process of ship travel where he works as resident slop bucket attendant, he is jumped by several men and nearly raped.

This was a fictional idea of what the life of the Messiah may have been in the years leading up to his crucifixion.

To this fictional Jesus who loathed Judaism as he knew it, Buddhism was a more peaceful, logical path while the Torah made the ancient deity of Abraham an over bearing, vengeful God who imposed unfair rules on humanity.

So finally after over a decade away from Nazareth, Jesus returns in ragged monk's attire to a still bad reputation, questionable familial ties and a discarded Mary Mag.

In the last 5 pages Jesus suddenly accepts his fate and begins collecting disciples but himself has no intimate relationship with God.

Interesting events happen within this book, but Jesus had little to no divine guidance. I tried and failed to connect with his character. show less

This book concerns itself with the missing years of Jesus. At first glance I wasn't sure the book was going to work. But after I began reading it, I began to get acquainted with the character. The book tells an interesting story. One that could've happened. But unfortunately, for me, It didn't ring true. The story seemed to die in the day to day routine of the caravans. I think that part of the story could be shortened considerably. I'm still not sure that the story rings true though. There show more seems to be something missing. After reading the story, I cannot see Jesus as the character in the book. show less

Available on kindle unlimited, although must have gotten it through some free source think library thing because wasn't on my ku list but instead was on my desktop waiting to be read. There were some points that didn't make sense, such as the decapitation part, because it's rare that a moving target and/or someone on the defensive could have that done to them in one blow plus rarely with the type of weapon mentioned. I felt that at some points the story dragged, but usually don't read longer show more stories or ones with that much detail so could have been that on my part and not the writer's. It was somewhat interesting take on the 'missing' years. show less

Available on kindle unlimited, although must have gotten it through some free source think library thing because wasn't on my ku list but instead was on my desktop waiting to be read. There were some points that didn't make sense, such as the decapitation part, because it's rare that a moving target and/or someone on the defensive could have that done to them in one blow plus rarely with the type of weapon mentioned. I felt that at some points the story dragged, but usually don't read longer show more stories or ones with that much detail so could have been that on my part and not the writer's. It was somewhat interesting take on the 'missing' years. show less