THE AGNOSTIC GOSPELS SERIES Who was Jesus of Nazareth? Man or God? Aside from the New Testament and other gnostic writings, there is scant historical evidence that he lived. Flavius Josephus, the Roman historian, is considered to be the most reliable source and even the provenance of his writings is in question. Yet the New Testament is compelling. Could a simple man have gathered such a following, fulfilled all the ancient prophecies and performed astounding miracles? Or was he, indeed, The Messiah, The Son of God? A Christian believer will resoundingly say 'yes'. An atheist will say 'no'. The agnostic will say it is possible and not presume to know either way, for sure. The Bible, confoundedly, overlooks perhaps as much as twenty four years of the life of Jesus (Yeshua); from his preaching to the priests in The Temple at age twelve, to the start of his ministry. What happened in those ‘missing years’? Did he travel to distant lands? Who influenced his thinking? Based on Biblical writings, apocrypha, folk lore and historical facts, The Agnostic Gospels recounts a possible course of events. This first volume, Arimathea, tells how Yeshua’s (Jesus’) Great Uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, is the major mentor and architect of his early life. The story also explores the importance of Mary Magdalene and her relationship with Yeshua. Why was she portrayed in the gospels as being so troubled? Why did Yeshua tell her she was the most-favoured of his disciples? Set in the vividly described landscapes of today's Britain, the Holy Land and the East, the reader can visit the actual locations today and wonder if those feet really did walk there in ancient time? Book 1: Arimathea Book 2: Magdalene (in development for Summer 2025 release) Book 3: Yeshua (in development) ARIMATHEA This is the first gospel in the series. It tells how Jesus' (Yeshua) wealthy Great Uncle, Joseph of Arimathea has a major influence on the young Jesus. After Yeshua's seemingly willful disobedience at age twelve, when he remains at the Temple after the Passover, Arimathea undertakes the boy's education, which includes two years of education with the Essenes (the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls) at Qumran. Arimathea is also the guardian of Mary Magdalene. When he is compelled for political reasons to go to Rome, Arimathea decides to take the fourteen year old Yeshua and Mary with him. He decides to continue beyond Rome to Albion (Britain) to conduct tin-trading, in which Arimathea specializes. During the trip, the travelers are befriended by a Druid master, Brynn, who introduces them to tribal life in Albion. The (historical) tribal chief of the Dobunni, Boduoc, provides them a haven and opportunities to trade. Brynn introduced Yeshua to Druidic ways of medicine and spirituality. Yeshua struggles to reconcile the pantheistic beliefs of Rome and the pagans of Albion with his certainty of the One True God of the Hebrews, his Father in Heaven. At the same time, Mary, as strong-minded as Yeshua, is growing to womanhood and faces the dilemma of being attracted to men and not incurring the wrath of Arimathea. At some point, passions must come to a head and decisions made. This gospel concludes with Arimathea having to accept the decisions, for now, of his independent young adult wards. Bernard F Clark's is a unique, new voice in the narrative being shared about the missing years in the life of Jesus Christ. This debut novel tells the story of Jesus as seen through the eyes of his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, a tin trader and world traveler as he interweaves the stories of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. The Mary Magdalene of this story is a mysterious, feisty, strong willed, young, woman determined to live life on her own terms. Joseph of Arimathea is her protector. Mr. Clark's exploration of the lives of these characters takes us on a magical, imaginative, journey that lets us share in their numerous adventures. His novel is a creative approach to this timeless story, as he suggests possibilities I had never considered before. Taking an agnostic point of view, Mr. Clark provides no easy answers but allows the readers to form their own determinations as to what the truth may have been. It's a fun, fascinating read that I'm sure you'll enjoy, and you'll leave it wanting more.. By profession, Bernard F. Clark is a systems consultant specializing in the design and coaching of software development methods. By Spirit, he has always been a traveler, photographer, artist, storyteller and poet. Born in 1958 in Hertfordshire, England, it wasn't until he moved to America in 1983 that he found his creative voice. During his 'working years', he hosted poetry open mics at Java Beach and Sacred Grounds in San Francisco and published three poetry books: Caffe Latte, Spritzers, and GooGooG'Joob, the latter also comprising a collection of short stories. He was also inspired to create a children's book, David Oodle's Doodle (illustrated by K. Plottner) that poetic