The Magdalene Legacy: The Jesus and Mary Bloodline Conspiracy

I bought the Grail Bloodline book and this one came as a recommended addition and I enjoyed as well!

I found this a very eye-opening book, one that I had really waited all my life to read. Basically I agree with most of the other reviewers: Dr. Gardner is a shrewd detective but leaves a number of questions unresolved (which is understandable and - in my opinion - also the most honest thing to do...) however, the paramount question arising after reading The Magdalene Legacy is the very one I auspicate someone should soon bend upon and write an equally enthralling book about. If Jesus was the heir in a lineage of orthodox priests, and far from being a mystic figure with supernatural powers he was instead a religious/monarchic heir, designated to unite Israel against the roman invader, if he was a prince of great riches* etc. etc. then WHAT have we been believing in all our lives? What is the heritage of Christ? Then give me Che Guevara, Gandhi, Garibaldi, even Napoleon: for the same money we know more about them and their teachings. I urge anyone, but in particular catholics, to read this authoritative book. And to consider how Christianity is really not at all what we thought it was (but we had hints...) *one of the aspects that I really miss in Gardner's analysis is the financial power of Jesus family. After all, according to Gardner's findings, they should have been surrounded by servants, maids and perhaps even slaves, as well as by accountants, superintendents and other administrators. In order to set up a reign in exile Maria Magdalena and her following should have brought along a conspicuous, stately fortune with which to thrive for years... And the Templars?... How many royals have rusted away unseen and forgotten for lack of money? This is obvious, if we consider that lineage, power and money are the elements not of any form of mysticism or spiritual research but of worldly power.

What makes this a top notch exploration of Mary Magdalene's role in the ministry of Jesus and her life and its impact is how well the author has researched the material. The sheer linquistic analysis alone is worth the read, as well as the logic applied to discussing complex sequences of events involving cultures and traditions totally foreign to us who live today. I have to admit, I was stunned in several places but totally convinced, and not because the book told me to believe something but because it laid out the facts and let me reason it out for myself. The only thing which saddens me is the unwritten but probable end of the line of David when the Merovingians finally ceased to exist. Which is not to say a bloodline didn't go foward, but the line of King David can only go through the father to the son, and that failed at the end of the Merovingian dynasty. This book is worth its weight in monatomic gold.

I read "Bloodline of the Holy Grail" and found familiar family names published in the geneology charts. That awakened a deep curiosity that led to a lifelong quest for the truth about my own heritage, and this changed my life forever. My journey led me to Kashmir to do an in-depth study of "Jesus in India." Now, having read "The Magdalene Legacy" I still want to know more. Mr. Gardner is a powerful writer who does extensive research, and his books will alter many more lives well into the future. Few books can have such powerful impact on history and on changing lives. His may be the books that actually change yours too. What greater testament to an author's impact than this?

Laurence Gardiner touches on a subject that has been shrouded in mystery for years. The book is packed with facts and history, but reads like a well written story. I could not put it down. Having read The Davinci Code by Dan Brown, Gardiner's book complimented it and clarified many ideas. This book is well documented and has opened new doors in history for me. I have since purchased The Lost Books of the Bible, The Dead Sea Schrolls and the Gnostic writings.

Extremely interesting, well researched and documented and superbly written. Having read all of Lawrence Gardner's books, this one explores Magdalene beyond what I have read about her up until now. I enjoyed the read and it is definitely a page turner. I highly recommend it for your home library.