Before I tell you about what is inside this book, take a look at its cover above. See the irreverent humour in the tagline at the top ‘Spoil Christmas for someone special’, the homage to the title graphics of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, the fact it is by that film’s editor. Factor in some knowledge of the film’s rocky road after its release – some Councils banning it for instance. Some may remember that interview with the pompous Malcom Muggeridge & the Bishop of Southwark and Michael Palin almost having to be restrained by John Cleese. There were protestors outside cinemas – we walked past a few to see it on its release at the Odeon Kensington High St. in 1979. But I can add yet another Brian experience, that I dine out on still, 45 years later, to show how much this film, regarded by many including me as the Pythons’ masterpiece still means.
As a student, I happened to be in the union where there were tickets to a test screening at a private cinema in Wardour St lying on the table. No mention of what the film was about – but I grabbed some and off we went. It was for Life of Brian. The cinema in the basement was full of bean bags rather than rows of seats – except for a row of arm chairs two-thirds of the way back. All of us students relaxed, and then were on tenterhooks as the Pythons (bar Cleese) joined us on the chairs. And the film started – the credits weren’t finished at that stage, so they just had slides with ‘Credit’, ‘Another credit’, ‘Yet another credit’, ‘Another f***ing credit’ etc on (in homage to ‘Away from it all’ – a travelogue pisstake featuring ‘More f***ing gondolas’ that preceded the main feature). The uncut version of the film followed, but the only bits I really remember as different are that the music for the aliens wasn’t yet added, so they used some from Star Wars, and they were wise to cut most of ‘Otto’s Suicide Squad’ which was extremely close to the bone and quite offensive! We all repaired to the pub opposite after the film, as did some of the Pythons. It was a real experience. Anyway, I was delighted many years later that Michael Palin had mentioned the screenings in the first volume of his diaries.
Back to the book. It arrived, and the author had signed it. “To Annabel, From a very naughty boy.” alluding to one of the most famous quotes from the film. Given that tongue-in-cheek personalisation, I hope the author will forgive me for my equally tongue-in-cheek review of a book that was not what I expected at all! I think, given all my explanations above that I can be forgiven for not having read the press release quite thoroughly enough after getting the Python link instantly…
It turns out that Julian Doyle is not just involved in making movies, he’s an expert on Christian mythology and has written a handful of previous books on the subject, including The Gospel According to Monty Python (2018), which compares the scenes in the film with actual Biblical events, concluding that Brian was ‘the most accurate Biblical Film ever made.’ In his new book, he takes inspiration from the film again, to look at aspects of the historic Jesus, rather than the Jesus of faith, a critical look at elements of history including the whole methodology of crucifixion in particular.
I’m sorry, but my heart sank slightly at this discovery. I’m the kind of C of E Christian that likes a good sing, and enjoyed the bible stories as a kid. Nothing more; I see myself as an agnostic verging on atheist these days, and although I would not search out a book with religious themes to read, I remain slightly fascinated by the historical background. I should add that I’m near word-perfect on the lyrics of Jesus Christ Superstar, my favourite musical, and I recently encountered Robert Powell, which brought a desire to rewatch Jesus of Nazareth again for those eyes!!!
After an introductory chapter about hidden messages and allegory in art (fingers pointing to heaven etc), and questioning if John the Baptist was more important than Jesus at first (as proposed by Baigent and co in Holy Blood, Holy Grail), we get into looking at crucifixion proper. Crucifixion was the method of capital punishment used by the Romans at the time for slaves and criminals. Plutarch reports that 6,000 slaves were crucified along the Appian Way outside Rome. Doyle asks, where did they get 12,000 trees? And as for trees outside Jerusalem for Jesus’ crucifixion, they’d have to be imported. ‘Makes you wonder how much work there was for a carpenter!’ he quips. Assuming you source some trees, how do you build the cross, and how do you dig a hole in the rocky terrain to hold it, and how do you attach the crucifixee? Then he discusses what actually killed those nailed (through the gap between ulna and radius, not the hands which would pull through the flesh!) to the cross, probably dehydration. You get the picture? This was presciently envisioned by the Pythons who had Terry Gilliam removing mummified skeletons from old crosses – yes, they obviously recycled. Doyle posits that most of those crucified were probably just impaled, which would ensure a speedier death.
We then move onto what I consider to be shakier ground. He starts taking the text of the Gospels to task, beginning with Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, and his staying at Bethany where he had raised Lazarus from the dead. I am not, nor never have been, under any illusion that the four Gospels are telling the absolute truth. The earliest of them was written thirty or so years after Jesus’ death, so I can only see them as what we now call ‘narrative non-fiction’. He goes on to analyse various depictions in art of the Last Supper and whether ‘the disciple Jesus loved’ was present, was Mary Magdalene present too? Was Jesus annointed in Bethany? It is all related to that household it seems.
Then we change tack and look at the Roman PoV. He starts off by trashing the timeline given in the Gospels for John the Baptist starting to baptize and Jesus being crucified – 29-33 CE. He compare this with the writings of Josephus, a 1stC historian, and surprise, surprise they don’t quite match. He quotes Tacitus, who cannot confirm it is Jesus that was killed by Pilate, as many claimed to be King of the Jews apparently.
As John Cleese says in Life of Brian, “He is the Messiah, and I should know I’ve followed a few.”
He continues to look at Jesus’ burial in the tomb and Joseph of Arimathea, the High Priests Annas and Ciaphas, Judas and more, before honing in on the cult of Mary Magdalene and her role in everything – ongoing with the Templars. Yes, them again. He stops short of the Resurrection though.
Throughout, Doyle uses quotes from Brian, to help set out his stall. While it breaks up the text, it also makes it harder to concentrate on his theories about the life and times of the historical Jesus surrounding his crucifixion. I couldn’t say whether I go along with them or not, but his book did entertain hugely on occasion as much as it bamboozled me, raising all kinds of questions. Julian Doyle is indeed “a very naughty boy” for doing this.
His references to the Freemasons and Templars did make me want to re-read Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco, a novel he quotes from. I’ve been meaning to revisit it for years, and I will think about that for the New Year. Naturally, it also made me want to watch Life of Brian again too – which I did! “What have the Romans done for us?” I hear you ask…
You can find Julian’s entertaining website here and see the extent of his fascination with the subjects covered. Paperback original, 302 pages. BUY the book at Amazon UK via my affiliate link (which will work even though crossed through).
