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Headlines proclaimed:
1500 Year Old Bible Confirms That Jesus Christ Was Not Crucified -
Vatican in Awe. Note 1
1500 year-old 'Syriac' Bible found in Ankara, Turkey: Vatican in
shock! Note 2
Pope resigns due to hidden Gospel of Barnabas? Note
3
So what is the truth regarding this so-called Bible or Gospel of
Barnabas? Is this a ground breaking find that shakes the very
foundation of Christianity as these headlines infer? The
reality does not live up to the hype.
This manuscript, based on what can be seen in it, is not anywhere
near 1500 years old (the style of writing, with vowel pointers, being
post 8th century A.D.), plus a line in it stating "in the year
1500 of our Lord Jesus Christ," along where it was written.
This document, only about 500 years old, was written by monks in a
monastery in Nineveh (today's Mosul, Iraq), likely related to the
Assyrian Church of the East (written in Eastern Syriac).
The Syriac language, the language of Jesus, has continued to be used,
with some modifications, by some branches of the church in the Middle
East to this day - so the language of the document means nothing and
is no indicator of age.
The Muslim (and very anti-Christian) Turkish government had a vested
interest in the media coverage of the "find" of this
so-called "Gospel of Barnabas." Take note that
it is not a Bible, nor is it part of a Bible, rather a separate work.
If verified as authentic (and the document has not been) it is
perhaps the oldest known copy of this work. The first
known copy of this document appeared in Holland in 1709 and was
written in Italian and had foot notes in poor Arabic (and it still
can be seen in the Imperial museum in Vienna). Since that time,
many Muslims have claimed it to be an authentic and original
gospel. The early translators into English (1907) compiled a
list of reasons (internal and external evidence Note
4) that this document was a Medieval forgery (which
they included in the introduction). Later reprinting's and
subsequent Arabic translations have omit this introduction, some of
the latter adding an introduction from an Islamic point of view.
Muslims like to use this so-called gospel as proof that the Bible
was corrupted and the true gospel was hidden away for almost two millennia.
This "gospel" reveals:
1. Jesus Christ is not the Son of God and not divine
2. Jesus is a messenger preparing the way for a later Messiah,
Mohammed. Note 5
3. Jesus is not crucified, Judas dies in his place.
4. Jesus was taken directly to heaven from a house in the Garden of
Gethsemane, through the window, by four archangels into heaven.
Numerous historical errors are intertwined in this invented account. Note
6
Muslims claim that that this (1709 version) of the gospel of Barnabas
must be an early document because Pope Gelasius (Circa 492-495 A.D.)
issued a decree that ten apocryphal writings under the names of other
Biblical figures (such as Thomas, Bartholomew, Andrew, etc.) along
with one under the name of Barnabas were all to be rejected (as
Gnostic and Pseudepigraphal works). Some cite a view
other possible references to an early book of Barnabas (none earlier
than the 4th century A.D.), some of which are quite dubious. Note
7 These early references to a Book of Barnabas are
said to be of a work originally composed in Greek.
It is quite likely that there was a 4th century book of Barnabas
composed in Greek. By this time a number of Gnostic
Pseudepigrapha were in circulation by people who had taken pagan
ideas and blended them with Christianity and composed numerous
forgeries in an effort to spread their ideas. BUT, this (1709)
Gospel of Barnabas, and if it is the same and authentic (still to be
proven), this (1500) Gospel of Barnabas, show no evidence of having
been translated out of the Greek language. Basically someone in
a later time frame made a new forgery with a purpose of having it
accepted as an older work because an unknown document was said to
have circulated under that name a millennium or so earlier.
Why a new forgery, whether in the 18th century or 16th century (even
if this manuscript is found to be authentic)? Muslims wanted a
"gospel" to serve their purposes, even as the Gnostics did
a millennia before. Note 8
This is why they would want people to gullibly believe that this new
find is 1500 years old, rather than something from 1500 A.D.
Sadly, millions of Muslims believe the propaganda (and many
non-Muslims too).
END NOTES
1.
1500 year Old Bible Confirms That Jesus Christ Was Not Crucified -
Vatican In Awe. Moorish Harem, April 28, 2014. Excerpt:
1500-2000 year old bible was found in Turkey... the book contains the
Gospel of Barnabas - a disciple of Christ - which shows that Jesus
was not crucified, nor was he the son of God, but a Prophet.
The book also calls Apostle Paul "The Impostor". The
book also claims that Jesus ascended to heaven alive, and that Judas
Iscariot was crucified in his place. ... The text maintains a
vision similar to Islam, contradicting the New Testament's teachings
of Christianity. Jesus also foresees the coming of the
Prophet Muhammad, who would found Islam 700 years later.
Screen Grab
2. 1500 year-old 'Syriac' Bible found in Ankara,
Turkey: Vatican in Shock! National Turk, February 23,
2012. Excerpt:
Turkish police testified in a court hearing they believe the
manuscript in (sic) the bible could be about 1500 to 2000 years old.
Screen Grab
3. Pope resigns due to hidden Gospel of
Barnabas? The Washington Times Communities, February 24,
2013. Excerpt:
... Nader Talebzadeh, an Iranian journalist and film director, told
an audience at Imam Khomeini International University the real reason
for the Pope's resignation. ... Talebzadeh claims that the
truth behind the Pope's surprise announcement is related to a book
most of our readers have probably never heard of. "A
gospel named the Gospel of Barnabas, which recognizes the prophet of
Islam, which Christianity claims to be fake, is the reason [for the
Pope's resignation]. ... It is a gospel in which the name of
Islam's prophet has been mentioned many times."
4. Example 1: All quotations of Scriptures in this
(1709) Gospel of Barnabas are from the Latin Vulgate (translated
circa 380 A.D.), a few centuries after the time of Barnabas who they
claim actually wrote this "gospel."
Example 2: In the "gospel" there is an account of a duel
between two rival lovers, yet this type of chivalry was an invention
of Medieval society.
Example 3: The text mentions a denarius as being made up of 60
minuti, yet these gold coins were used only in Spain under the Muslim
Khalif Abdul Malik (circa 685 A.D.).
5. Mohammed is mentioned by name numerous times in
the book, as though prophetically revealed 6 centuries in advance.
6. One example: It says that Jesus was born when
Pilate was governor, but in fact Pilate only became governor between
A.D. 26 and 27, shortly before Jesus was crucified, not born.
7. One legend they cite is that a copy of
the Gospel of Barnabas was found in the arms of Barnabas when his
tomb was discovered in Cyprus (circa 478 A.D.). The legend they
offer says that Barnabas appeared in a vision to the Bishop of
Salanus (Cyprus) and said: "You will find a cave and a coffin,
because there my whole body has been preserved and a Gospel written
in my own hand." Muslims have actually dropped the ending
of the legend, it ends with the words "Which I received from the
Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew." If the legend is
true, it does not support the Muslim view of the Gospel of Barnabas
as the legend references Barnabas being buried with a gospel he
recorded on behalf of Matthew, which would be the Gospel of Matthew!"
The "Decretum Gelasianum" cites the following (excerpt, my
comments in square parenthesis):
HERE BEGINS THE DECRETAL 'ON BOOKS TO BE RECEIVED AND NOT TO BE
RECEIVED' WHICH WAS WRITTEN BY POPE GELASIUS AND SEVENTY MOST ERUDITE
BISHOPS AT THE APOSTOLIC SEAT IN THE CITY OF ROME [This
begins in section III, first listing some books worthy of being read
but not considered to be Scriptures, then continues...]
V. The remaining writings which have been compiled or been recognised
by heretics or schismatics the Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church
does not in any way receive; of these we have thought it right to
cite below a few which have been handed down and which are to be
avoided by catholics:
LIKEWISE A LIST OF APOCRYPHAL BOOKS
[Seven works listed here, then...]
the Gospel in the name of
Barnabas
apocryphum
[55 more appearing in this chart, plus a few more in a sentence.
All noted as apocrypha, pseudepigrapha: "in the name of"
or "prefixed with the name of", or "forged"]
8. Numerous Muslim beliefs, lining up directly to
the Qur'an (alt. Koran), are intertwined through the Gospel of
Barnabas. Three quick examples:
Example 1: The Muslim concept of "the Book": It has the
angel Gabriel presenting to Jesus a book. This corresponds very
well with Surahs 5:49 and 2:97.
Example 2: It has Jesus praying five times a day in accordance with
specific Muslim prayer times.
Example 3: God is said to be the God of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. |
