The Forgotten Gospels

Waiting to be rediscovered in the British Library is an ancient manuscript of the early Church, copied by an anonymous monk. The manuscript is at least 1,450 years old, possibly dating to the first century. And now, The Lost Gospel provides the first ever translation from Syriac into English of this unique document that tells the inside story of Jesus’ social, family, and political life.The Lost Gospel takes the reader on an unparalleled historical adventure through a paradigm shifting manuscript. What the authors eventually discover is as astounding as it is surprising: the confirmation of Jesus’ marriage to Mary Magdalene; the names of their two children; the towering presence of Mary Magdalene; a previously unknown plot on Jesus’ life (thirteen years prior to the crucifixion); an assassination attempt against Mary Magdalene and their children; Jesus’ connection to political figures at the highest level of the Roman Empire; and a religious movement that antedates that of Paul—the Church of Mary Magdalene.Part historical detective story, part modern adventure, The Lost Gospel reveals secrets that have been hiding in plain sight for millennia.

The Forgotten Gospels shows how the creation of the canon that we now take for granted excluded many important, informative, and illuminating writings about the life, death, and teachings of Jesus. Here are texts newly translated from their original Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Slavonic, and Coptic and accompanied by clear, concise explanations of their origins and relevance. Together, they form a supplement to the New Testament that will set the record straight. The materials have survived in fragments and snippets, some only discovered in modern times (the gospel of Thomas turned up in 1945), others via the writings of early Christians. Many will challenge: The gospel of the Hebrews introduces an alternative account of the resurrection; Clement of Alexandria writes of and quotes from a secret gospel of Mark; Celsus claims that Mary had an adulterous affair with Panthera and the result was Jesus—all will be of intense interest. No text of any consequence from the earlier period relating to the historical Jesus has been omitted. They provide one last, unexpected window onto his life and teachings.

Presents the original teachings of Jesus written by his contemporaries and early followers

Recent headlines, bestselling books, and even a blockbuster movie have called a lot of attention to the "Lost Gospels"-ancient documents that portray a Jesus far different from the one found in the Bible. What are the "Lost Gospels," and where did they come from? Are these writings trustworthy? Are they on par with the Bible? Have we had wrong perceptions about Jesus all along? A careful comparison of the "Lost Gospels" to the Bible reveals a number of alarming discrepancies that are cause for concern. This eye-opening resource will enable you to take a well-informed and well-reasoned stand on a controversy now sweeping the world. Book jacket.

'It has been slowly dawning on me over many years that there is a fundamental problem deep at the heart of Christian faith and practice as I have known them . . . we have all forgotten what the four Gospels are about.' With that surprising assertion, Tom Wright launches this ground-breaking work in which he helps us to see the gospel story in radically a new light, and to acknowledge that, for many generations, the Church has been avoiding its full impact and holding back from proclaiming its full meaning. 'Classic Wright: clear, accessible, robust, engaging and challenging.' Paula Gooder in Third Way 'Scholarly, accessible, insightful and provocative.' Christianity 'Wright argues compellingly that the twin themes of kingdom and cross are inseparably linked. . . This is a much-needed reorientation. The book makes its case for 'rethinking' cogently and deserves widespread attention.' Theology

The "Lost Gospels" refer to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library, both discovered in the 1940s. The Nag Hammadi Library consists of writings found by two peasants who unearthed clay jars in 1945 in upper Egypt. These did not appear in English for 32 years, because the right to publish was contended by scholars, politicians, and antique dealers. The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in clay jars in Palestine by a goatherder in 1947, weathered similar storms. The first team of analysts were mostly Christian clergy, who weren't anxious to share material that frightened church leaders. As Dr. Hoeller shows, they rightly feared the documents would reveal information that might detract from unique claims of Christianity. Indeed, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Nag Hammadi Library both contradict and complement accepted tenets of the Old and New Testaments.

The Gospel of John in the King James Holy Bible is only 15 pages, but this new Gospel of John is a massive volume packed with intense knowledge.

An accessible translation of this important lost gospel of the Bible, with an account if its reconstruction and analysis of its far-reaching implications. This is the first full account of the lost gospel of Jesus’ original followers, revealing him to be a Jewish Socrates who was mythologized into the New Testament Christ. Compiled by his followers during his lifetime, the Book of Q (from Quelle, German for source) became the prime foundation for the New Testament gospels. Once lost, it has now been reconstructed through a century of scholarship. Instead of telling a dramatic story about Jesus’ life as the Christian gospels do, the Book of Q contained only his sayings. The first followers of Jesus focused not upon his life and destiny, but on the social experiment called for by his teachings. Their book collected his proverbs, aphorisms, and parables to offer instruction in living authentically in the midst of a most confusing time. In presenting his own translation, Burton Mack explains how the text of Q was determined and explores the implications of the discovery that Jesus was transformed into the dying and rising messianic savior of Christianity by the New Testament gospels.