In Genesis of the Grail Kings, Gardener examines the books of Genesis and Exodus in the light of contemporary historical evidence. The thrust of Gardner's argument is that, whilst in some respects there is is more historical truth in the early texts of the Bible than most give it credit for, this truth has been perverted over the years, and in particular by the Church, to promote a form of social control.
Alongside the biblical narrative, Gardner looks at the foundations of civilization in ancient Sumer and Bablyon and continues through the nomadic wanderings of the Hewbrews into ancient Egypt. At each point, links are made between the theology and the related history.
Considerable research has gone into the writing of this book and it is hard not to be convinced by the persuasiveness of the thoughts presented. The author has in general pieced together enough circumstantial evidence to be indicative of fact and presents this in a methodical and logical fashion. Always presenting the most straight forward answer to the questions posed, Gardener's theories about the meaning of biblical passages are very appealing, to the extent that the reader feels compelled to question long held understandings.
A caveat for those seeking the gospel truth (no pun intended) however is that many of the references in the book which are treated as fact seem to be to equally speculative / inductive works. Also (and not being a linguist I feel unqualified to comment), some of the arguments regarding the origin of words seem to lack tenacity. A further potential turn-off for some readers will be that at points it could be said that arguments are taken one step too far and it becomes a bit 'X-filey'.
This said the book, and its core argument more than survive these shortcomings. Gardener writes eloquently and with measured passion. It is one of those books that, if it strikes a cord,it is very difficult to put down. Consequently Genesis of the Grail Kings comes highly recommended to those interested in theology, philosophy, the origins of civilization, ancient history and those who simply like to debate. At worst this is an entertaining and thought-provoking read; at best truly groundbreaking.