I have rarely encountered a book so original, exciting, accessible and informed on subjects that are of obvious importance to the world and to which I have myself devoted such a large part of my scholarly career studying. In this book they have rendered a startling new understanding of Christianity with a controversial theory of its Roman provenance that is accessible to the layman in a very powerful way. In the process, they present new and comprehensive archeological and iconographic evidence, as well as utilizing the widest and most cutting edge work of other recent scholars, including myself. This is a work of outstanding and original scholarship. Its arguments are a brilliant, profound and thorough integration of the relevant evidence. When they are done, the conclusion is inescapable and obviously profound. --Prof. Robert Eisenman, Author of James the Brother of Jesus and The New Testament Code A fascinating and provocative investigative history of ideas, boldly exploring a problem that previous scholarship has not clearly or credibly addressed: how (and why!) the Flavian dynasty wove Christianity into the very fabric of Western civilization. --Mark Riebling, author of Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler Valliant and Fahy have given us a rare and valuable gift worthy of the Magi: A readable, balanced, and scholarly text on one of the most controversial topics in history. What makes this work approachable are its clearly wrought style and beautifully organized sections. What makes it invaluable for anyone (scholar or amateur) with an interest in Christianity (be it religiously inspired or not) is that it provides the reader with research that is too compelling to dismiss. --Eric Hill, University Honors College Senior Instructor, Rhetoric (Semiotics, Epistemology, Abrahamic Religions, and Translations), Oregon State University