The Crucifixion Trilogy

The Crucifixion Trilogy by James M. Handlin is an original and inspired fictional retelling of one of the most beloved stories in Christendom. Book One, Cornelius, follows the Roman Centurion by the same name and his boy-servant Matthias, both of whom are witnesses of Jesus' trial and crucifixion. Book Two, Magdalene, tells the stories of Jesus' wife, Magdalene, and explores her complex and intimate relationships with Mary, the mother of Jesus, their son Joseph, and Jesus himself. And the final book of the trilogy, Jesus, is told in Jesus' own voice and recounts his flight from Jerusalem after his crucifixion, to a distant and prophetic land, where he discovers the bitter truths of his teaching legacy. Handlin has written a book that transcends the timeworn Bible stories told in church and Sunday school. The Crucifixion Trilogy dares to explore the land of fictional imagination, and in so doing casts a new light of appreciation and insight into one of the great stories of the world.

James M. Handlin became convinced that the Shroud of Turin was the actual, physical cloth placed over the body of Jesus after the crucifixion. Once this belief set in, the next logical step was to believe that the Shroud had been placed over the body of a living man since there were blood trails and blood does not flow from a corpse. Once the idea that Jesus did not die on the cross took hold, it led to research into the numerous books that have been written throughout the centuries on the travels of Jesus, both before and after his crucifixion. Handlin has traveled extensively to gather research materials, including a visit to view the Shroud of Turin and the burial tomb of Saint Thomas in Chennai, India.