Richard Zimler’s Inspiration for The Lost Gospel of Lazarus

November 9, 2022

Richard Zimler’s inspiration for The Lost Gospel of Lazarus came to him in a troubling, reoccurring dream.

In this dream, his brother who’d recently died from AIDS returned to him. It made Richard think that there’d been some mistake – that he hadn’t really died. Except, Richard soon found his brother deeply changed. He’d lost a range of emotions and only truly felt despair. Though he was living once more, he was not the person he was. The dream ends when Richard’s brother leaves, and Richard finds himself unable to follow him.

Thus, Richard began to think about figures from stories and history who had undergone a resurrection. This led him to re-read The New Testament and think about the Raising of Lazarus. Richard’s interests expanded into the daily life of ancient Jerusalem and the Jewish roots of biblical characters. From all that came The Lost Gospel of Lazarus – the dream was just the beginning.

What if your beloved friend brings you back from the dead, and you see nothing of any afterlife? Learn more about The Lost Gospel of Lazarus here and grab a copy here.