Do the Non-Canonical Gospels Challenge the Historicity of the New Testament?
A recent press release **announced an upcoming conference in the United Kingdom in which two “scholars” are going to argue the story of Jesus was “actually constructed, tip to stern, on prior stories, but especially on the biography of a Roman Caesar” in an effort to keep order amongst the citizenry of Rome. The new reinterpretation of Jesus is apparently based on a re-reading of Josephus’ War Of The Jews. This sort of thing is becoming more and more common, especially in an era of profitable television documentaries and book deals. Simcha Jacobovici and Barrie Wilson are also about to release a new book arguing for a reinterpretation of Jesus, this time based on what they call “The Lost Gospel,” a 6th Century Syriac manuscript “translated from much earlier Greek writing” (in other words: “Yes we realize this text first appears 500 years too late to be credible, but we’d like you to believe it can be dated to the 1st Century”). We are increasingly deluged with pseudo-academic efforts to discredit the classic Christian version of Jesus. Skeptics would like us to believe the canonical Gospels aren’t the only 1st Century stories about Jesus. They claim there are a number of ancient Gospels describing a version of Jesus very different from the one we accept today. If this is the case, how can we know which versions of Jesus are the truth and which are lies?
Fortunately, we can separate late legend from early reliable history. The late non-canonical gospels (like the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary or the Gospel of Judas) have risen in popularity as skeptics attempt to argue Jesus either (1) failed to perform any miracles, (2) failed to resurrect from the dead or (3) failed to teach the things described in the New Testament. The truth, however, is the canonical Gospels alone are the trustworthy source for information related to the life of Jesus.
The Non-Canonical Gospels Appear Too Late
The Gospels found in the New Testament appeared very early in history. There is good reason to believe that Mark’s Gospel was written as early as 50AD and that John’s Gospel was written no later than 70AD. These texts appeared early enough to be eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus, just as they claim to be. By comparison, the entire catalogue of non-canonical Gospels were written much later in history (The Gospel of Thomas, for example, was written from 130-150AD, the Gospel of Mary from 120-180AD and the Gospel of Judas from 130-170AD). The non-canonical Gospels appear far too late to have been written by eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus.
http://ntweblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/jacobovici-and-wilsons-lost-gospel.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MarkGoodacresNTBlog+(Mark+Goodacre%27s+NT+Blog)
The Non-Canonical Gospels Were Known to be Fraudulent
The earliest disciples of Jesus and leaders of the Church knew that these late appearing Gospels were fraudulent. Early leaders like Polycarp, Irenaeus, Hippoyltus, Tertullian and Epiphanus wrote about most of the Non-Canonical Gospels when they first appeared in history, identifying them as heretical frauds. Irenaeus, writing in 185AD about the growing number of non-canonical texts, said that there were “an indescribable number of secret and illegitimate writings, which they themselves have forged, to bewilder the minds of foolish people, who are ignorant of the true scriptures.” Those who were closest to the action knew the late non-canonical texts were not to be trusted.
The earliest disciples of Jesus and leaders of the Church knew that these late appearing Gospels were fraudulent. Early leaders like Polycarp, Irenaeus, Hippoyltus, Tertullian and Epiphanus wrote about most of the Non-Canonical Gospels when they first appeared in history, identifying them as heretical frauds. Irenaeus, writing in 185AD about the growing number of non-canonical texts, said that there were “an indescribable number of secret and illegitimate writings, which they themselves have forged, to bewilder the minds of foolish people, who are ignorant of the true scriptures.” Those who were closest to the action knew the late non-canonical texts were not to be trusted.
The Non-Canonical Gospels Reflected Ulterior Motives
The authors of the non-canonical Gospels allowed their theological presuppositions to corrupt their work. Many of the non-canonical texts, for example, were written by Gnostic authors utilizing the pseudonym of an apostle to legitimize the text while co-opting the person of Jesus to legitimize their theology. As a result, Jesus was often portrayed to be the source of hidden, esoteric wisdom communicated in sayings or dialogues with a selected disciple who was privileged enough to be “enlightened”. In addition, Jesus was often described as a “Docetic” immaterial spirit without a body, forcing the author to account for the appearance of a bodily death at the crucifixion or other physical appearances described in the New Testament.
The authors of the non-canonical Gospels allowed their theological presuppositions to corrupt their work. Many of the non-canonical texts, for example, were written by Gnostic authors utilizing the pseudonym of an apostle to legitimize the text while co-opting the person of Jesus to legitimize their theology. As a result, Jesus was often portrayed to be the source of hidden, esoteric wisdom communicated in sayings or dialogues with a selected disciple who was privileged enough to be “enlightened”. In addition, Jesus was often described as a “Docetic” immaterial spirit without a body, forcing the author to account for the appearance of a bodily death at the crucifixion or other physical appearances described in the New Testament.
The canonical Gospels claim to be eyewitness accounts, and unlike the late, fraudulent non-canonical gospels, the New Testament Gospels were written early enough to have been penned by eyewitnesses; they were verified by those who were closest to the action. There are no “lost” Gospels. Instead, we have “discarded” gospel fakes identified by early church leaders who knew better. Those who sought to change the story of Jesus in antiquity were driven by a desire to validate their theological presuppositions. Those who seek to change the story of Jesus today are often driven by their own philosophical or political presuppositions. Joseph Atwill, the man behind the upcoming United Kingdom conference said recently, “Although Christianity can be a comfort to some, it can also be very damaging and repressive, an insidious form of mind control that has led to blind acceptance of serfdom, poverty, and war throughout history. To this day, especially in the United States, it is used to create support for war in the Middle East.” We have little reason to consider late re-writes of the life and ministry of Jesus; the non-canonical fictions were rejected by the ancients who recognized their late arrival and understood the self-serving motivations of their proponents. We ought to reject current efforts to re-write Jesus for very similar reasons.
MS mentioned above
As we let this ancient writing speak for itself, it opens up a fascinating, hitherto unknown world. The results are startling:
- The full humanity of Jesus and what it means for understanding his family life and sexuality.
- Roman politics and why Jesus had to fear for his life, constantly on the move to avoid Herod Antipas who successfully caught and executed John the Baptist.
- Pontius Pilate and his connections to the Roman Emperor Tiberius and to the real power behind the imperial throne, Sejanus.
- A different theology of redemption than the more familiar one promoted by Paul (as a sacrificial atonement for sin).
- A new early Christian movement alongside the ones led by Paul, by James and by the Gnostics.
- Strange archeological depictions of Sun Gods and Zodiacs that have hitherto defied analysis.
More than any other writing, this manuscript places Jesus on the world stage, as a major player within the Roman Empire.
The site went on to say "This book will be tied into an episode on a 7-part History Channel documentary series, "Secrets of Christianity," to air likely early 2011," but it looks like they decided not to include it in that series (which has six parts) and to save it for next year.
Since Wilson's website speaks about the document having been known for almost 200 years, there must be some who are more familiar with this document than I am. In the mean time, and since I am ever the optimist, I look forward to hearing more in due course.
Nevertheless, if there are some grounds for caution, one might see them in the idea that this work will provide "the confirmation of Jesus' marriage to Mary Magdalene". Since there are no ancient sources that speak of Jesus' marriage to Mary Magdalene, it is not clear at this stage how a newly discovered work could provide "confirmation" of this. The note that she is a "Gentile priestess" is curious and, one would have thought, makes it unlikely that the work goes back to the first century, so too the idea that they had two named children.
Since Wilson's website speaks about the document having been known for almost 200 years, there must be some who are more familiar with this document than I am. In the mean time, and since I am ever the optimist, I look forward to hearing more in due course.
Nevertheless, if there are some grounds for caution, one might see them in the idea that this work will provide "the confirmation of Jesus' marriage to Mary Magdalene". Since there are no ancient sources that speak of Jesus' marriage to Mary Magdalene, it is not clear at this stage how a newly discovered work could provide "confirmation" of this. The note that she is a "Gentile priestess" is curious and, one would have thought, makes it unlikely that the work goes back to the first century, so too the idea that they had two named children.
Some might find grounds for caution also in the idea that the authors had to "decode the basic symbolism" in the manuscript. The "discoveries" in the manuscript are revealed "now that it has been decoded". The idea that ancient manuscripts require "decoding" is a favourite element in popular historical fiction like The Da Vinci Code, and the metaphor is regularly used in Jacobovici's own work (see, for example, the Da Vinci Code and the Talpiot Tomb). However, it is worth noting that there is some reported substance to the claim here in that the manuscript features an introduction stating that the document has "an embedded meaning".
All in all, though, I am looking forward to hearing more about this exciting find and -- as always -- I will approach the claims made with an open mind.
The Non-Canonical Gospels Were Known to be Fraudulent
The earliest disciples of Jesus and leaders of the Church knew that these late appearing Gospels were fraudulent. Early leaders like Polycarp, Irenaeus, Hippoyltus, Tertullian and Epiphanus wrote about most of the Non-Canonical Gospels when they first appeared in history, identifying them as heretical frauds. Irenaeus, writing in 185AD about the growing number of non-canonical texts, said that there were “an indescribable number of secret and illegitimate writings, which they themselves have forged, to bewilder the minds of foolish people, who are ignorant of the true scriptures.” Those who were closest to the action knew the late non-canonical texts were not to be trusted.
The earliest disciples of Jesus and leaders of the Church knew that these late appearing Gospels were fraudulent. Early leaders like Polycarp, Irenaeus, Hippoyltus, Tertullian and Epiphanus wrote about most of the Non-Canonical Gospels when they first appeared in history, identifying them as heretical frauds. Irenaeus, writing in 185AD about the growing number of non-canonical texts, said that there were “an indescribable number of secret and illegitimate writings, which they themselves have forged, to bewilder the minds of foolish people, who are ignorant of the true scriptures.” Those who were closest to the action knew the late non-canonical texts were not to be trusted.
The Non-Canonical Gospels Reflected Ulterior Motives
The authors of the non-canonical Gospels allowed their theological presuppositions to corrupt their work. Many of the non-canonical texts, for example, were written by Gnostic authors utilizing the pseudonym of an apostle to legitimize the text while co-opting the person of Jesus to legitimize their theology. As a result, Jesus was often portrayed to be the source of hidden, esoteric wisdom communicated in sayings or dialogues with a selected disciple who was privileged enough to be “enlightened”. In addition, Jesus was often described as a “Docetic” immaterial spirit without a body, forcing the author to account for the appearance of a bodily death at the crucifixion or other physical appearances described in the New Testament.
The authors of the non-canonical Gospels allowed their theological presuppositions to corrupt their work. Many of the non-canonical texts, for example, were written by Gnostic authors utilizing the pseudonym of an apostle to legitimize the text while co-opting the person of Jesus to legitimize their theology. As a result, Jesus was often portrayed to be the source of hidden, esoteric wisdom communicated in sayings or dialogues with a selected disciple who was privileged enough to be “enlightened”. In addition, Jesus was often described as a “Docetic” immaterial spirit without a body, forcing the author to account for the appearance of a bodily death at the crucifixion or other physical appearances described in the New Testament.
The canonical Gospels claim to be eyewitness accounts, and unlike the late, fraudulent non-canonical gospels, the New Testament Gospels were written early enough to have been penned by eyewitnesses; they were verified by those who were closest to the action. There are no “lost” Gospels. Instead, we have “discarded” gospel fakes identified by early church leaders who knew better. Those who sought to change the story of Jesus in antiquity were driven by a desire to validate their theological presuppositions. Those who seek to change the story of Jesus today are often driven by their own philosophical or political presuppositions. Joseph Atwill, the man behind the upcoming United Kingdom conference said recently, “Although Christianity can be a comfort to some, it can also be very damaging and repressive, an insidious form of mind control that has led to blind acceptance of serfdom, poverty, and war throughout history. To this day, especially in the United States, it is used to create support for war in the Middle East.” We have little reason to consider late re-writes of the life and ministry of Jesus; the non-canonical fictions were rejected by the ancients who recognized their late arrival and understood the self-serving motivations of their proponents. We ought to reject current efforts to re-write Jesus for very similar reasons.
**Although to many scholars his theory seems outlandish, and is sure to upset some believers, Atwill regards his evidence as conclusive and is confident its acceptance is only a matter of time. "I present my work with some ambivalence, as I do not want to directly cause Christians any harm," he acknowledges, "but this is important for our culture. Alert citizens need to know the truth about our past so we can understand how and why governments create false histories and false gods. They often do it to obtain a social order that is against the best interests of the common people."
Atwill asserts that Christianity did not really begin as a religion, but a sophisticated government project, a kind of propaganda exercise used to pacify the subjects of the Roman Empire. "Jewish sects in Palestine at the time, who were waiting for a prophesied warrior Messiah, were a constant source of violent insurrection during the first century," he explains. "When the Romans had exhausted conventional means of quashing rebellion, they switched to psychological warfare. They surmised that the way to stop the spread of zealous Jewish missionary activity was to create a competing belief system. That's when the 'peaceful' Messiah story was invented. Instead of inspiring warfare, this Messiah urged turn-the-other-cheek pacifism and encouraged Jews to 'give onto Caesar' and pay their taxes to Rome."
Was Jesus based on a real person from history? "The short answer is no," Atwill insists, "in fact he may be the only fictional character in literature whose entire life story can be traced to other sources. Once those sources are all laid bare, there's simply nothing left."
Atwill's most intriguing discovery came to him while he was studying "Wars of the Jews" by Josephus [the only surviving first-person historical account of first-century Judea] alongside the New Testament. "I started to notice a sequence of parallels between the two texts," he recounts. "Although it's been recognised by Christian scholars for centuries that the prophesies of Jesus appear to be fulfilled by what Josephus wrote about in the First Jewish-Roman war, I was seeing dozens more. What seems to have eluded many scholars is that the sequence of events and locations of Jesus ministry are more or less the same as the sequence of events and locations of the military campaign of [Emperor] Titus Flavius as described by Josephus. This is clear evidence of a deliberately constructed pattern. The biography of Jesus is actually constructed, tip to stern, on prior stories, but especially on the biography of a Roman Caesar."
How could this go unnoticed in the most scrutinised books of all time? "Many of the parallels are conceptual or poetic, so they aren't all immediately obvious. After all, the authors did not want the average believer to see what they were doing, but they did want the alert reader to see it. An educated Roman in the ruling class would probably have recognised the literary game being played." Atwill maintains he can demonstrate that "the Roman Caesars left us a kind of puzzle literature that was meant to be solved by future generations, and the solution to that puzzle is 'We invented Jesus Christ, and we're proud of it.'"
Is this the beginning of the end of Christianity? "Probably not," grants Atwill, "but what my work has done is give permission to many of those ready to leave the religion to make a clean break. We've got the evidence now to show exactly where the story of Jesus came from. Although Christianity can be a comfort to some, it can also be very damaging and repressive, an insidious form of mind control that has led to blind acceptance of serfdom, poverty, and war throughout history. To this day, especially in the United States, it is used to create support for war in the Middle East."
Atwill encourages skeptics to challenge him at Conway Hall, where after the presentations there is likely to be a lively Q&A session. Joining Mr.Atwill will be fellow scholar Kenneth Humphreys, author of the book "Jesus Never Existed."
About Joseph Atwill: Joseph Atwill is the author of the best-selling book "Caesar's Messiah" and its upcoming sequel "The Single Strand."
The second half of the documentary focuses on the documents the Flavians left behind which prove their authorship of the Gospels. The Bible scholars deconstruct the Gospels and the character Jesus, showing that they are based on archetypes found in the ancient pagan mystery schools and in earlier Jewish literature. Much of the teachings of Christianity are traced back to the writings of Philo of Alexandria — who was combining Jewish scripture with Greek pagan beliefs — and Stoicism, a philosophy promoted by the Flavians. When the Flavians seized control of the Roman Empire, they needed to legitimise their rule, so they had their Jewish court historian Josephus (originally Yosef ben Matityahu who adopted the name Titus Flavius Josephus) create a large body of work which became the only official history we have of the Jewish-Roman War.
Bible scholar Joseph Atwill noticed many parallels between this historic account of the war and the events in the life of Jesus in the Gospels. Through his study of the ancient Greek texts and his discovery of an antiquated Hebrew literary genre, he found dozens of parallels between the Jesus story and the war history that occurred in the exact same sequence. This shows that the events of Jesus’ life which supposedly took place forty years earlier, were actually all dependent on the events in the military campaign of the Roman Caesar Titus Flavius. Ancient texts were much more allegorical, multi-layered and complex than today’s writing, and when you read the Gospels and the histories of Josephus side by side, a new meaning arises which reveals the authors of the Gospels to be the Roman Flavian Caesars, their co-conspirators, and their literary team.
Along the way, the Bible scholars show how the Roman Imperial Cult — set up to worship Caesar as a god — formed the basis for the Roman Catholic Church, and that some of the Church’s first saints were members of the Flavian court. Atwill also shows how the “second coming of the Christ” referred to a historical event that already occurred. Featuring scholars Joseph Atwill, Robert Eisenman, John Hudson, Ken Humphreys, Rod Blackhirst, Acharya S / D.M. Murdock, and Timothy Freke, this ground-breaking documentary not only gives us a revolutionary new understanding of the origins of Christianity, but shows how the political use of religion is still affecting our personal lives today. We currently live on the brink of an immense paradigm shift, and this modern time is very parallel to the era in which Christianity emerged. Studying this ancient era can give us the much-needed perspective for coming up with solutions to today’s problems, so we can create the better world that we envision.
http://www.covertmessiah.com/
KENNETH HUMPHREYS
author of "Jesus Never Existed"
VISIT KENNETH HUMPREYS' WEBSITE
Humpreys holds a Master's degree from the University of Essex in history and social sciences, a post-graduate pedagogic certificate from the University of Leicester, and a higher national certificate in business studies. He taught for many years in the UK and abroad. Religion, and in particular the claims of Christianity, have been a life-long interest. His book Jesus Never Existed, published in 2005 by Iconoclast Press, currently ships to 30 countries. His website receives more than a million visitors a year. He is now fully occupied as a writer, radio broadcaster, and public speaker, and campaigns energetically against the tide of resurgent superstition and unreason.
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