The Unknown Life of Jesus

Controversial since it was first published in 1890, Nicolas Notovitch's The Unknown Life of Jesus relates that Jesus Christ spent at least part of the years of his life unaccounted for in the Bible -- from the age of 13 to 29 -- teaching and studying in India and other parts of Asia. Notovitch was on an "extended journey through the Orient...to study the customs and habits of the inhabitants of India." During his travels, he visited a Buddhist monastery near Mulbek, close to the Wakha River. Here a Lama told him that Jesus, whom the Buddhists called "Issa", had visited the region and that there were ancient manuscripts documenting Jesus' visit and that copies existed at other monasteries. Notovitch was able to convince the monks at the Hemis Monastery to read from these documents and, as an interpreter translated, Notovitch transcribed.