Fascinating New History Book

Those interested in the history of social movements, including the history of early Christianity, should take a look at The Sign by Thomas De Wesselow, which posits the Shroud of Turin as playing a major role in the secret of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are holes in De Wesselow’s theory that one could drive a truck through. (The most obvious is that the image on the shroud clearly shows the face of a European man, with a long face and square chin, and not that of someone from Palestine.) Despite this, there’s a large amount of credibly-sourced history in the book. More important, few other works give the reader such a sense of what a historical miracle the rise of Christianity truly was. The narrative makes real and fascinating the questions raised by history’s greatest mystery. The ultimate detective story. As De Wesselow shows, history goes very close to the event, even without the shroud—yet the mystery remains unsolved. Thomas De Wesselow provides a novel possible solution which captivated, though not convinced, this reader.