My book “The Missing Years of Jesus – The Greatest Story Never Told” has been published in hardback and is now generally available, while you can order copies from Hay House Publishers.
My book is a meticulous investigation into the so-called “missing years” of Jesus, or that period of his life between the ages of 12 and 30 about which the New Testament is mysteriously silent. After looking into the matter as thoroughly as I could, there’s no doubt in my mind that Jesus spent most of these 18 years in the west of England and south Wales, although Glastonbury is by far and away the most famous of the sites associated with a visit by Jesus “in ancient times”.
Aside from the other stunning implications of this prolonged stay, it places the most famous human who has ever lived in the vicinity of Stonehenge, the most famous prehistoric monument on Earth, for a period of almost two decades.
I realise that the book’s title is an extremely ambitious one, while few people will be familiar with all the subject matter it contains. With this in mind, I’m regularly updating this page and posting new pieces on Eternal Idol, so as to try to give everyone the clearest possible idea of the contents.
It’s only natural that many people will have preconceived but mistaken ideas of the stance the book takes and what it contains, so any questions are welcome and I’ll try my best to answer them, short of revealing the entire contents of the book, of course.
It seems to me that the easiest way to start this process is by posing some obvious questions that spring to mind, then supplying brief answers, so I’ll add to this list as and when these things occur to me.
Q: Is it a novel?
A: No, it’s non-fiction, but the “Greatest Story Never Told” refers to reconstructed events in the life of Jesus during the 18 years or so that he’s apparently absent from the record.
Q: Is it a religious book?
A: No, inasmuch as it doesn’t contain subtle or overt exhortations to subscribe to Christianity or any other religion. It certainly touches on spiritual, religious and mystic realms, and it sometimes looks very deeply indeed into what might be termed subject matter dealing with the supernatural, but these things are not exclusively related to Jesus by any means. It is an impartial investigation into the whereabouts of a missing person, albeit one who went missing around 2,000 years ago.
Q: I can’t help being suspicious that your book will contain deliberately provocative elements or that it will be unworthy of consideration by Christians. Has any mainstream Christian, preferably with an academic background, expressed an opinion on it?
A: My book is a serious investigation into the physical whereabouts of Jesus between the ages of 12 and 30. I’ve presented evidence that I believe points towards him being in the West of England and South Wales during this time, but I don’t see anything remotely provocative or offensive about this.
If you’d like to read a mainstream archaeological opinion on my book, then please feel free to read the foreword. If you’d like to read and consider an initial assessment by a devout Christian, with a more detailed review to follow, then I’ve reproduced the observation below – it may be worth pointing out that the site referred to at the end of the quotation has won awards from the Sunday Times, Newsweek and the Discovery Channel, among others, while the site’s proprietor has also been recognised by the World Lebanese Cultural Union for the excellence of his research.
“Dennis Price is a scholar and a writer who possesses a breadth of vision and gift of expression that captivates the reader with an incessant desire to follow his line of thought and depth of analysis in search of the truth, as he sees it. His relentless and passionate pursuit of the solution to a particular mystery often leads him to discover treasures of knowledge outside his initial scope, so although his end focus is never compromised, he enriches his readers with the side experiences gained along the way.
If there is any true measure of a scholar, then Dennis possesses it, because he is uncompromising, unflattering, unwavering and unforgiving even of himself in trying to present the best that can be thought and said, which he does with the conviction of apostles and the fearlessness of martyrs. I wish that all scholars and writers who choose to apply themselves to a study of the apparently insoluble mysteries of the ancients would take Dennis as their example and model.”
Sincerely yours,
Salim George Khalaf, BA, MA.
Author, Editor and Proprietor of A Bequest Unearthed Phoenicia, the award-winning and largest repository of information on the ancient Phoenicians on the Internet.
Q: Do you have an opinion on your studies that doesn’t necessarily view your investigations and conclusions from a religious, historical or archaeological perspective?
A: Yes, see the Reviews page or see below, from Dr Richard Brough, whose work involves dealing with national governments:
“Dennis Price has an unconventional yet first rate intellect that enables him to pursue his investigations into aspects of human history so remote and inaccessible that few others are prepared to explore them. Uncluttered by any form of prejudice, he possesses the strength of character to express fearlessly and with great clarity the conclusions he has reached. It is one thing to hold controversial views, but quite another to back them up with the sheer weight of compelling and thought-provoking evidence that Dennis Price has presented.”
Dr Richard Brough BA MSc PhD, former archaeologist and more recently international management consultant and adviser to national Governments and the European Union on global development issues.
34 Responses to “Book – The Missing Years Of Jesus”
Alan, thank you for taking the time and trouble to write in with such kind and encouraging words – others might see the book as provocative, but I personally see it as simple and straightforward.
As for taking time to digest the information, rest assured that it took me a long time to put it all together, although when I’d done so, what I see as the inevitable conclusions sprang to mind very rapidly. Regardless of whether or not you agree with me, I hope you enjoy reading it and I also hope that it at least gives you food for thought, as it did me.
Best wishes from
Dennis
Dennis, I have followed your work for some time, I have just ordered a copy of your book and can’t wait for it to arrive. I shall let you know what I think of it.
Best wishes and good luck with the book,
Chris Morgan.
Well Chris, it is an honour, a privilege and a pleasure to hear from you, and thank you very much indeed for taking the time and trouble to write in with such kind words. I hope you enjoy the book and I look forward to hearing what you think of think of it.
Best wishes from Dennis
My copy has been ordered today (pay day). My family think I have gone religious as my current reading is the “Holy Kingdom”
Without the prompt of the “Missing Years” I would not have explored this avenue at all. Since Christmas I have learnt a lot about Roman Britain but also the way academia works (although as a student I had my doubts) and I now expect to acquire more from Dennis’ book.
To sour this occasion, however, there may come a point where the arguments presented can go no further. Then the help of the Establishment and their access to excavations may be required? However, it is apparent these are designed to prove their own “pet theories” (no matter how far removed from reality) so they do not advance knowledge by as much as they should.
Leaving aside the “Missing Years” (sorry Dennis but as a customer now I am sure you will now allow me that 
) my particular beef is the “dark layer” in the ditch at Stonehenge. It is there, but it is not really understood. As such, it should be examined and explained – not just guessed at or dismissed. From what I have seen of excavations near to Stonehenge there is not an equivalent layer in the ditches of the Cursus Long Barrow or the Cursus.
Desk work can take this no further. And it is not as if a major dig is required – an augur would probably do. However, the desire seems to be to prove a “Madagascian” or “Hospital” theory and only advance knowledge if the results fit in with them. We must therefore live in ignorance.
Anyway, I will not be viewing this site for a few days until I have read the “Missing Years”. (How are you going to control the discussions so that the tome is not given away?)
Dennis, it is one hell of an achievement to have a book published and I congratulate you and hope for a successful venture (and it has not been so bad so far).
John, I’m truly honoured that you should choose to spend your hard-earned cash on a copy of my book, I really am. I hope you enjoy it, and given the nature of our exchanges over the years, I’m sure there are more than a few things between the covers that will interest you a great deal.
We’ll see.
As for the dark layer, I must admit that I’ve not given it much thought recently, for obvious reasons, but I’ll look into it as best I can when I have the time.
As for what you write about The Establishment, it’s something I’ve had reason to ponder for many years now and as far as the archaeological establishment’s concerned, I’m fast coming to some conclusions I think I should have reached a long time ago. Anyway, I’m sure that will make for some lively discussions in one medium or another, so it’s something else I’m looking forward to.
As for controlling discussions, I’ll be very pleased if people think there’s anything to discuss, while I still have a few gems waiting to see the light of day that didn’t appear in my book. I’m going to post up a Review page, that people can read or ignore as they see fit, so I’m sure we’ll all get by.
Thank you for your kind words and for your encouragement, and best wishes to you as always from Dennis
As you know from our numerous discussions, both in general and in relation to your new book, I do not profess to be a scholar. However, I am keen to aquire additional “knowledge” when specific subjects are of interest to me. I will be buying my copy tomorrow and feel certain that I will have read it by the time we meet at the rugby club next Wednesday. The last time I got this excited about a book was about 10 years ago when “Fingerprints of the Gods” was published.
Thanks again for enthralling me during the many hours of discussion over the last rugby season – it has made training evenings bearable in the biting wind that somehow seems to arrive every Wednesday between 6 and 8 o clock ! I am delighted to hear that the official launch and initial sales went swimmingly well.
I can only guess (or perhaps not) at the time, expense, and sheer effort you have put in to producing your investigations, and for this alone I hope it brings you the recognition you deserve together with the “funding”to accelerate your next work.
Well Dave, it’s an honour, a privilege and a pleasure to know you too, while I really hope you enjoy reading my book, even if you don’t agree with my conclusions. I don’t profess to be a scholar, either, because I simply try to pay close attention to “the vast importance of little distinctions, the endless significance of trifles.”
And I didn’t come up with that by myself – I learned about it as a result of reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories of Sherlock Holmes, then reading about Dr Joseph Bell. Anyway, if you’ve read the book by next Wednesday, I look forward to hearing what you’ve got to say about it and I’m perfectly prepared to listen to 15 minutes or so of your customary incisive humour beforehand!
Anyway, thank for taking the time and trouble to write in, and thank you also for your kinds words.
Best as ever from
Dennis
If you work on the Archimedian principle of Jesus gaining certain skills during an 18 year interlude for which the New Testament doesn’t comment, and you can just about eliminate all other possibilities, then the hypothesis remains that Jesus must have learned them in the West Country where Druidic knowledge and Apollo Wisdom flourished before being subdued by the Romans – What did the Romans ever do for us? – destroy our heritage, that’s what!
I haven’t read the book, but the first thing that I would say is that the only mystery I can see about Jesus is why anyone thinks he existed in the first place. There is no eye witness account of his life, no book of Jesus, there are many other saviour Gods from Middle Eastern antiquity that have very similar if not identical biographies to Jesus. The nearest contemporary accounts of Jesus life are the gospels themselves. The gospels are completely unreliable as historical documents as well as being contradictory.
Basically we know nothing whatsoever about a real living Jesus, so how anyone can speculate about the ‘missing years’ is beyond me. The Jesus figure is clearly a myth and any subsequent stories about him living in England, or India etc are even more clearly further layers of myth built upon the original.
Speculation about Stonehenge is one thing, but Jesus?
Jesus!
“I haven’t read the book, but….” I absolutely love it when people submit comments like this! Others have written whole reviews about it without having read it, some people are afraid to pick it up, and others dismiss it on different grounds to yours, even though they haven’t read it.
I’m glad that matters are so clear for you, while I’m sure that I’m not alone when I say that I greatly envy your penetrating and comprehensive insight into events of 2,000 years ago, whatever those events may or may not have been.
Perhaps you’d care to pass a verdict on other matters that perplex the rest of us – did King Arthur exist, for example? Who killed the Princes in the Tower? Who was Jack the Ripper? Who was Robin Hood – clearly a myth? Or a real person? Did the Phoenicians visit America? Who was Kaspar Hauser? Did the real Rudolf Hess die in Spandau Prison?
“I haven’t read the book, but…..” you still feel 100% qualified to comment in a meaningful fashion?
Ah, it makes me proud to be British!
After seeing you on TV with Mr Gardiner I will definitely get your book; I have looked into the history of Jesus and also Stonehenge and the Druids, I am a Druid myself and know that when Christianity first came to the Druids, they felt it was part of the puzzle and embraced it. Did they embrace it as they had actually taught much of it to Jesus, and Jesus took it one step further. Ancient Britain is mentioned in many cultures as a place of learning and mystics. I see no reason why Joseph wouldn’t bring his nephew Jesus here. I look forward to getting your book and reading it with enthusiasm. I’m going to Glastonbury in three weeks and will look around with fresh eyes.
Is there a link to leylines? I always wondered what came first the Dragon lines or people walking a path and leaving their energies creating the lines?
please how do i have The book,the missing years of jesus?
thanks
I read this extraordinary book three weeks ago and am still digesting everything you’ve said.
I am Cornish and have always somehow “known” that Jesus was in Cornwall. I seem to have absorbed this knowledge subliminally and I can only say it was a tremendous relief to have the historical proposition addressed so powerfully.
I believe it is a knowledge that has gone underground so to speak: it is, after all, extremely difficult to have an opinion on any aspect of the life of Jesus and almost taboo to express it openly, even in this supposedly enlightened age. I do not underestimate the power of this taboo; so well done to you, Dennis, for your forthright honesty backed up by considerable knowledge.
Jesus was and remains many things to many people, but at the end of the day all acknowledge he lived a human life. So whatever angle you come at Jesus from is a valid one. I, myself, have been unable to talk about sudden fragmented images I glimpsed from another time. It involved Jesus landing on the shoreline in the Falmouth area and I was able to write an account of it afterwards whilst still in a slightly hypnotic state of mind. So there, after keeping it to myself for several years I feel able to say this, thanks to the example of openness in your book.
I am equally fascinated by your summations of Stonehenge and visited a couple of days ago. My daughter lives nearby so I intend to go back and do some watercolour work. For my first visit I just wanted to get the feel of the place which is very difficult with so many people around and being at such a distance from the stones. Still, I feel a courtship is owed the place. I have seen it from the road many many times and it was a different experience up close.
Continue to draw down starlight for us all please, and thank you again for a real experience.
Ok Dennis, I’ve bitten the bullet and ordered your book. Should get it in the middle of next week. As a Brythonic polytheist, the evidence for the historical JC, real or not, is of secondary interest to me; my primary interest and main reason for purchase, is your methodology and conclusions. I look forward to reading it.
RR
I’m honoured and I look forward to hearing what you think of it, good or bad. I’ll just say that my methodology involved being thorough and open-minded, while I think my conclusions are logical. Many others have enjoyed reading it, regardless of whether or not they agreed with me, so I hope you enjoy it as well.
First point that has caught my attention, (ongoing as I read further) monotheistic druids. I understand the context with which you used this idea to relate to how it may have captured the attention of JC, but I find the idea that a culture who use a single point of creation (or God) to be therefore monotheistic to be somewhat flawed. You will probably be in a better position than me to check, but as far as I’m aware, most polytheistic cultures had a creation myth that specified a single source of creation, usually a God. Using your analogy, this would qualify any of them as monotheistic under your terms of reference, thus widening the field for JC if he wished to examine this concept further. I find most of your other conclusions in relation to how JC may have viewed the possible druidic culture to be logical, this one aspect though to be flawed. .
Pedantic, moi?
RR
No, not at all – you’re perfectly right to point this out. What caught my attention was the fact that Caesar thought it worth recording that the Druids claimed descent from a single ‘heavenly father’, so I’m assuming that this precise choice of words reflected something that was well-known at the time and which was an important part of Druidic belief, or was an important aspect of how the Druids were viewed by others.
It’s not the be-all and end-all by any means, but if this kind of story was doing the rounds at the time, my guess is that it’s something that would have registered on Jesus’s consciousness and it would have helped to formulate at least a favourable impression of the Druids, in addition to the many other factors that I think influenced him.
If you got the impression that I was arguing that a culture who use a single point of creation is therefore monotheistic, what can I say apart from “Mea maxima culpa?”
Is it possible that Caesar’s words were more a case of political PR? Seeing as the Romans were polytheistic at the time, linking monotheism to the druids would help to shape unfavourable public and senate impressions upon them, guilt by association (that would be a new concept, wouldn’t it? Iraq, anyone?).
RR
Well, many things are possible, but I think Caesar was simply reporting what he heard and saw. I don’t think that the Romans would have been remotely bothered by what others practised by way of religion, least of all an innocuous claimed descent from a heavenly father. As for Iraq, it’s tempting to start a new website, but I don’t think my blood pressure could bear the strain of listening to the evidence from the enquiry.
You use the edits from the four church councils of the early 1400′s to illustrate the possibility of how the early British church may have had it’s origins, but is it not the case that at this time, the church was split and there was more than one accredited pope? Therefore these edits may not have the authority implicitly implied?
RR
I don’t know if there was one pope, two or twenty when each one of these councils was held, and I really don’t care. It simply struck me as noteworthy that on four separate occasions, mediaeval church councils affirmed that Christianity had taken root in Britain before it took root anywhere else on Earth, and that this founding was credited to Joseph of Arimathea, of all people.
I won’t deny for a moment that I thought this was highly relevant to the stories of Jesus in Britain and to the question of where this man spent his missing years, but if you seriously think it’s logical to believe otherwise, then you are welcome to do so and I have no intention whatever of trying to change your mind.
I am somewhat surprised at your last post. My question was to establish the possible context of the period when these councils were held. The fact that it would appear to have been a period of schism within the catholic church would indicate to me a couple of things.
1. There would be no “unified” opinion or edits under the control of any one individual.
2. Whereas some may view this as weakening any edits from that period, I would contend that it is possible things that would normally have been “lost” to officialdom, may have actually have been purposely recorded to prove a political or personal point.
The fact that is was recorded four times would indicate also the possibility of two things,
1. All the council’s were attended by the same people trying to prove a point. Looking at the different locations I would consider this to be somewhat unlikely.
2. There was actually quite a lot of different people in attendance. If this was the case, then the information recorded must have represented common knowledge.
I will leave you to consider the logic (if any) and conclusions I have drawn from your information.
If my questioning or postings are causing you embarassment, concerns or creating other unwanted consequences, please indicate and I’ll refrain from further interactions. It is somewhat unusual to be able to interact with the author of such a piece of literature, if my style or reasoning is not appropriate for such interactions, please accept my apologies and I’ll take my leave.
RR
Absolutely not – no apologies are necessary at all and the fault is mine. It’s the same old problem of how one person writes one piece of text and thinks it looks perfectly reasonable, but someone else reads it in another way. Not only do I not have a problem with questions being aired, but I positively welcome them, because I’m only interested in the truth of the matter.
My reply to your last was written in haste and I was simply trying to convey a point, so let me try again. For example, Mike Parker Pearson has expressed various opinions on and theories about Stonehenge – he runs the Stonehenge Riverside Project, which has undertaken the most extensive excavations in the Stonehenge landscape for many years. So, if a man such as this expresses an opinion, then I am bound to take it seriously, regardless of how many other archaeologists express contrary views.
And so it is with the matter of these church councils. They were powerful institutions, so if they repeatedly expressed the belief that the British church was the oldest of them all, then I’m bound to take it seriously, regardless of any schisms or opposing beliefs. I see a similar scenario with Caesar’s accounts of the Druids, where on one hand, many people eagerly take the many positive things he has to say, then accuse him of being politically-minded as far as the parts they take exception to are concerned.
All I’ve tried to do in my book is to bring to the attention of others different facts that may or may not have a bearing on the question of Jesus visiting Britain. It should be clear what my conclusions are, but I positively welcome any contributions, such as yours, that make us aware of possibilities I may have overlooked. With this in mind, the fault for the misunderstanding was entirely mine, for which I am sorry, and I hope you will continue to write in with any matter at all that you think is worth discussing.
Thanks for the clarification, Dennis, I’m not “precious” as some can be, if I view something I’ll usually ask for clarification before responding.
Next, the carvings on Stonehenge. This may be of some interest to you. Earlier in the year, I visited the Carnac area of Breizh in France and visited this, the Table des Merchand dolmen, taking several photo’s. Now, if this download works, take particular notice of the ceiling and the shield idol at the back, which has been dated to around circa 4,500 BC. The roof carvings are thought to be later but the similarities with the Stonehenge carvings struck me straight away. Labyrinth?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/3671734153_4af4c52aab_m.jpg
RR
I’m in terrible danger of tying myself in knots here, because I want to post up some more material pertinent to the question of whether or not Jesus visited England. However, I also have a photo directly related to the idea of Stonehenge having functioned as a labyrinth, so I’m going to have to find the time somehow. Which is all a roundabout way of thanking you for the photograph, which is fascinating. I’ll sleep on it and try to let it filter into my subconscious, because something there’s crying out for attention, but I don’t know what it is.
For your info, the dolmen was reconstructed in the late 90′s after being “rediscovered” in the early 90′s after part of it fell into a quarry revealing it’s location, no-one knew of it’s existence before that. That carved roof was part of a 14 metre length menir which is now in three locations, including this one. The others are another, now closed, dolmen a few hundred metres away and last piece is 4 km away in the Gavrinis dolmen. So, the carvings were made on an upright menir originally. It is thought the crook carvings on the shield idol are a representation of deity.
A few more views…..
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2601/3671734135_b7a74c3d6d.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3651/3670694107_c9865000d4.jpg
RR
I have no doubts that Christ was ‘here’. It is the only explanation for a whole range of issues. One is the distinct Christian flavour of the recent ‘gold hoard’ found. How come Britain was so strong in that area without the aid of Rome? Eventually at Whitby the ‘British’ church succumbed. Of more interest to me, once the reality of His being here is accepted, is the next visit by Christ. Not so serene as Blake’s vision.
The return of Christ is my specific interest, videos on: http://readandrun.blip.tv/
Michael Storey
Michael, I watched your link, in which you said something along the lines of “All the way through the Bible, God never does anything giving a very good warning first.” I’m no Biblical scholar, let alone expert, but I think that Job might completely disagree with you here.
Is it not possible that Joseph of Arimathea was the Joseph of Mary and Joseph fame? Is it also not possible that Jesus came to Britain after the crucifixion event, as he was not actually crucified at all but another took his place, as stated in gnostic texts such as the Gospel of Judas, Second Stele of Seth, and elsewhere? More pertinently, as the name Jesus is an honorific for “saviour”, is it not possible that there was more than one Jesus, which explains why the genealogies and infancy narratives cannot be reconciled? In that case, which one came to Britain?
Hello Mark,
Well, I suppose a great many things are possible, but it’s unlikely in the extreme that Joseph of Arimathea was Mary’s husband – in fact, I’d go so far as to say it was unthinkable. As for Jesus surviving the crucifixion event, then I personally think that this scenario is far more likely, all things considered, but my interest is in Jesus the teenager and the young adult, as this is the person who is described in the legends as visiting Britain.
I also have an interest in Jesus the adult on account of the various characteristics he displays, which I believe demonstrate that he spent a great deal of time in Britain, but my interest in him effectively ends at the crucifixion. In the same vein, it’s possible that there may have been more than one Jesus in the sense you describe, but I don’t know enough to pass comment and I certainly don’t know which of the putative Jesus-in-the-plural came to Britain. I’ve simply gone on the evidence in the accepted gospels, which all seems clear enough to me, but I might well start looking more seriously into some of these gnostic texts one of these days.
Hi, just a quick thought. As an honours student in the field I’ve been reading your website and some of your back posts with interest, especially those about how the physical landscape of Britain is treated in ancient literature. I think I would enjoy reading a book of your theories about Jesus’ missing years too, especially if your argument is he came to Britain. I must confess I am very sceptical, but I always find arguments which I’m likely to want to agree or disagree with much more fun to read.
Anyway, although it’s been about a year since this book was published now I was wondering whether there’s any talk of getting an electronic form of the book out? – I much prefer reading books on my Kindle; it’s much easier to take notes, and to read everywhere, plus I love having a searchable resource when I’m writing.
I realise this is probably just a shot in the dark but I just thought I’d ask anyway: if, on the off-chance, you’re asked about it by your publishers in the future you can assure them that there is an audience.
If there’s an ebook form already and I’ve just failed to find it, then I’ll be pleased to stand corrected!
All the evidence I’ve ever seen tells me that Jesus spent as many as 18 years in Britain, although it may have been less and he may have also spent time elsewhere during these ‘missing years’. My book contains the bulk of information on this subject, although there will of course be those who contest the admissibility of the evidence and who disagree with my conclusions. That’s absolutely fine by me and I’m more than happy for people to be extremely sceptical about it, while if they can point out where I’ve gone wrong, then all the better.
Since the book was published, yet more information has come my way, much of which I’ve published here under the category AD 12 – 30. A lot of these posts have contributions from other people, either agreeing or disagreeing with me, so you can make up your own mind about the matter. Circumstances have forced me to call a temporary halt to writing original posts on this site, but there’s still more material waiting to be published and it will be for each individual to decide for themselves whether or not it’s relevant. I publish the material because the mystery of these missing years fascinates me and I’ve yet to see a credible argument for Jesus having spent his teenage years in any location other than Britain.
As for the matter of ebooks, the honest answer is that I don’t know, but I’ll ask my publisher and I’ll let you know how things stand.
Care to comment?
Thanks for producing this provocative book. It will take me some time to digest your information. Keep up the good work. Alan Christian