Imagined as a sequel to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible by Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen, The Last Testament features visual accounts and stories of seven men around the world who claim to be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Building on biblical form and structure, chapters dedicated to each Jesus include excerpts of their scriptural testaments, laying out their theology and demands on mankind in their own words.

Through Bendiksen’s personal testimonies and intimate portraits, The Last Testament investigates the boundaries of religious faith, and a world in need of salvation, yearning for a new prophet. Whether escaping an angry mob in the streets with the Jesus of Kitwe, joining a Messianic birthday pilgrimage in Siberia, or witnessing the End of Days with Moses in South Africa, Bendiksen immerses himself among the disciples of each Jesus. He takes at face value that each is the one true Messiah returned to Earth, to forge an account that’s both a work of apocalyptic journalism and of a compelling artistic imagination.

Jonas Bendiksen began his career at the age of nineteen as an intern at Magnum Photos’ London office, before beginning his work as a photographer in Russia, resulting in his first book, Satellites (Aperture, 2006). The Places We Live (Aperture, 2008) told the story of twenty families living in urban slums across the world, with exhibitions of the work combining still photography, projections, and voice recordings. Bendiksen’s awards include an International Center of Photography Infinity Award, 2003; Telenor International Culture Prize, 2008; and several World Press Photo and Pictures of the Year awards. His work has been widely published by GEO, the Sunday Times Magazine, and National Geographic magazine. He has been a member of Magnum Photos since 2004, and lives near Oslo.