Murder at Golgotha: Revisiting the Most Famous Crime Scene in History

Ian Wilson has written the most vivid book I have read on the crucifixion of Christ. Capitalizing on the success of Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ," and using the TV program "CSI" (Crime Scene Investigation) as a model Wilson looks at the crucifixion as a detective might. That sounds hokey in the telling --but it works well in constructing a story in which the facts are gathered and evaluated, and mixed with the author's speculation. Wilson's story is as bloody and shocking as Gibson's movie, with which he differs on many points. His description of the process of crucifixion will turn your stomach. He approaches Jesus's suffering as a police investigator: what were the consequences of being beaten by the Pharisees and scourged by Roman soldiers? What physical damage was caused by nails being driven through his feet and hands and a spear piercing his side? Wilson places a lot of faith, probably misplaced, in the authenticity of the shroud of Turin but points out persuasively the similarities in the wounds inflicted on Jesus and the marks on the shroud. He also makes the case that other relics of the crucifixion may be authentic, including a placard written by Pontius Pilate that Jesus was forced to carry with him on his way to the cross. He briefly goes into speculation about how these relics might have been preserved -- and dismisses carbon 14 tests that show the shroud dates from the Middle Ages rather than 30 AD. Unlike most authors, Wilson has the audacity to examine head-on the evidence for the resurrection -- the most unlikely and inexplicable event of Western history -- and he does so convincingly, even to my skeptical, rational, modern mind (so we describe ourselves). There are books designed to shake the faith of the believers; this book is designed to shake the doubt of the unbelievers. For the secular or religious reader, "Murder at Golgotha" is a thought-provoking read. Smallchief

This book reads like a csi story. It starts off giving a profile of the victim and It goes on to give an account of his trial and death and all the while exploring the politics and causes of his (jesus)death.It also shows how hollywood(especially the mel gibson movie)got it wrong.This is a great read and I highly recomend It!