An ancient Bible has been discovered in Turkey earlier this year, after Turkish officials seized the book from smugglers in a Mediterranean operation. Religious experts and specialists who have analyzed the ancient Bible claim that it is an authentic manuscript over 1500 years old. The smugglers who had been in possession of the ancient Bible were known to be involved with trafficking antique relics and explosives, as well as with illegal archaeological digs.
According to specialists, the ancient Bible is written in Aramaic, the language Jesus might have spoken, with gold lettering against blackened, worn-out leather. The ancient Bible is supposedly worth more than $28 million, putting it at the top of the most valuable books list. The ancient Bible could be one of the editions omitted by the Council of Nicea when deciding which Gospels should appear in the Bible, as known today. The ancient Bible found in Turkey contains the Gospel of Barnabas, which states that Jesus was never actually crucified, or murdered for that matter.
Supposedly, the Gospel of Barnabas is one of the many Gospels that have been discarded from the Bible as we know it today, a long time ago. Among discarded Gospels that have surfaced in the past decades we can mention the Dead Sea Gnostic Gospels. The ancient Bible contains the Gospel of Barnabas, which states that Jesus was merely a prophet, and not the Son of God and that he had risen to Heaven while still alive. The ancient Bible also states that that Judas was the one to be crucified and calls Apostle Paul “The Impostor”.
Even though various specialists have said that the ancient Bible containing the Gospel of Barnabas is authentic, many have already dismissed its very existence, saying that the book is nothing but a fake. The Vatican seems genuinely concerned and has asked Turkish authorities to allow for a private viewing of the ancient Bible within the Vatican. Many are saying that the fact that the ancient Bible was written in Aramaic, a mostly dead language, as well as the condition and materials of the book are definite proof that the Bible is authentic and probably written the same time the New Testament was.