Nicolas Notovitch

The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ [1890] Nicolas Notovitch

Shulim or Nikolai Aleksandrovich Notovich, known in the West as Nicolas Notovitch (1858-after 1916) was a Crimean Jewish adventurer who claimed to be a Russian aristocrat, spy and journalist. Notovitch is known for his 1894 book claiming that during his unknown years, Jesus left Galilee for India and studied with Buddhists and Hindus there before returning to Judea. Notovitch's claim was based on a document he said he had seen at the Hemis Monastery while he stayed there, but he later confessed to having fabricated his evidence. Some modern scholars view Notovitch's accounts of the travels of Jesus to India as a hoax which includes major inconsistencies. Notovitch also wrote some political books on the role of Russia in war.