Discovering the Lead Codices: The Book of Seven Seals and the Secret Teachings of Jesus

Everyone’s heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls, long-lost religious artifacts that changed our interpretations of language, religion, and history, but have you heard of the Jordan lead codices? Probably not, and that’s a travesty, because whether they’re the genuine article or well-made forgeries, they may very well rival the Dead Sea Scrolls in terms of historical resonance and value as a topic of debate.

Discovering the Lead Codices details the uncovering of a series of metallic symbol-inscribed plates that offers hints to a drastically different life of Jesus and those who carried on in his name. Actually, it’s really two books, one that chronicles the tangled, contradictory, and complex history of early Christianity, and the other a retelling of the sordid dealings the Elkingtons encountered trying to bring the codices to light.

While the historical side is engaging, if confusing – the who’s who of tribes and groups in those times quickly becomes borderline incoherent – the modern-day story is jumbled and lacks focus, trapped amidst shifty dealers, government intervention, and political maneuvering that becomes a bit tedious. (And while it serves to highlight the trials the Elkingtons endured, it can make for a frustrating read.)