The banned manuscript showing the secret teachings of Jesus has been unearthed by scholars after a period of 1,600 years.
The manuscript: (Picture: Nag Hammadi
A heretical manuscript which reveals Jesus’s ‘secret teachings’ to his brother James has been unearthed by American researchers.
In it, Jesus reveals information about the heavenly realm – and prophesies future events, including James’ inevitable death.
Many Christians believe that James was not Jesus’s brother but instead a cousin or step-brother – and the manuscript is considered heretical and not part of the ‘true’ Bible.
Heretical apocalypse manuscript ‘reveals Jesus’s secret teachings to his brother’ The manuscript was unearthed at Oxford University by biblical scholars from the University of Texas at Austin.
The heretical text was thought only to survive in Coptic translation – until two researchers found several fifth- or sixth-century Greek fragments of the First Apocalypse of James.
‘To say that we were excited once we realized what we’d found is an understatement,’ said Geoffrey Smith, an assistant professor of religious studies.
‘We never suspected that Greek fragments of the First Apocalypse of James survived from antiquity. But there they were, right in front of us.’
‘The text supplements the biblical account of Jesus’ life and ministry by allowing us access to conversations that purportedly took place between Jesus and his brother, James — secret teachings that allowed James to be a good teacher after Jesus’ death.’
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