In the Shadow of the Sword

 By Tom Holland, the Historian

I have been reading/listening to this work. 

Just some notes and thoughts

Pre Islamic Paganism is a horror. 

The Gospel of Basilides is one of the most shocking things I have ever read- The account of the crucifiction 

He appeared on earth as a man and performed miracles. Thus he himself did not suffer. Rather, a certain Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry his cross for him. It was he who was ignorantly and erroneously crucified, being transfigured by him, so that he might be thought to be Jesus. Moreover, Jesus assumed the form of Simon, and stood by laughing at them

Holland in his Rest of History Podcast has an episode where he describes the agony of the cross. Birds would peck at your eyes. A Christ mocking the fate of the Cyrenian who has been condemmed to that agony. 

I think Holland over sold this book with it's idea of higher criticism . I think he has moved away from that idea. The idea that Damascus might be important to the Arab conquests -That young wealthy men moved to join the warriiors is hardly shocking. That people listened to the rich tall guy.. 

It strength as a book  Is in the picture of the Middle East as much like the Med or the North Sea earlier and later- as a interconnect space. So the a Christian heresy may slip into the sands of the Arabia and not be lost. Nothing is ever truly buried