The Gospel of Barnabas is an apocryphal gospel attributed to the biblical figure Barnabas, one of the earliest Christian disciples and an associate of the apostle Paul. The gospel text claims to have been written by Barnabas, but it was likely composed sometime between the 14th and 16th centuries. The Gospel of Barnabas contains narratives of the life of Jesus that differ significantly from the accounts found in the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It conforms to the Islamic view of Jesus rather than the Christian view. This has led many scholars to believe the Gospel of Barnabas was created during the Middle Ages by converts to Islam. Some key differences between the Gospel of Barnabas and the biblical gospels include:
- The Gospel of Barnabas states Jesus was not the Son of God, not divine, and not part of the Trinity. It calls him a prophet and messenger of God.
- It says Jesus predicted and foretold the coming of the prophet Muhammad, not himself.
- It denies Jesus died by crucifixion, claiming Judas Iscariot took on Jesus’ appearance and was crucified in his place, while Jesus ascended to heaven.
- It contradicts the biblical account of Jesus’ ministry, saying it took place entirely in and around Jerusalem, not Galilee.
History and Origins
The Gospel of Barnabas first appears in historical records in the early 18th century, when a Spanish manuscript of it was deposited in Vienna’s Imperial Library (which is now the Austrian National Library). However, this was a late Italian manuscript copy translated from an earlier 16th century Spanish text. Scholars believe the Gospel of Barnabas was originally composed in Italian or Spanish sometime between the 14th and 16th centuries. At some point later, it was translated from Italian into Spanish, from Spanish into Dutch, and then from Dutch into English. The author of the gospel is unknown, but likely was one or more European converts to Islam. The promotion of Islam and validation of Muhammad as a prophet are clear themes throughout the text.
Prior to the 18th century, there are no surviving historical records mentioning the Gospel of Barnabas. This has led most scholars to conclude it is a late and pseudepigraphical work, falsely attributed to an early Christian figure. If the Gospel of Barnabas were an authentic 1st century text, it almost certainly would have been mentioned by early Christians like Clement of Alexandria, Origen and Eusebius, who documented apocryphal texts. However, none of them are aware of this gospel’s existence. There are also no surviving manuscripts of the Gospel of Barnabas older than the two 16th century Spanish copies. If it truly originated in the 1st century, older manuscripts would be expected.
The Gospel of Barnabas contains anachronisms that indicate it was composed well after the 1st century AD. For instance, it mentions jubilees taking place every 100 years, but jubilees were only instituted in the 14th century. It also uses the term “gospel” as a book genre, something not done in the 1st century. Additionally, scholars argue the gospel reflects the political, social and spiritual realities of the Middle Ages more than that of first century Judea. For these reasons, even some Islamic scholars regard the Gospel of Barnabas as pseudepigraphical. However, a minority of academics do believe the text may preserve remnants of an ancient original gospel tradition independent of the biblical gospels.
Contents of the Gospel of Barnabas
The Gospel of Barnabas contains 222 chapters and resembles the structure and content of the canonical gospels in some ways. It begins with the nativity of Mary and the birth of Jesus, then describes Jesus’ childhood, ministry, death and resurrection. As in the biblical gospels, Jesus descends to hell before ascending to heaven. It includes many of Jesus’ parables and teachings, such as the Sermon on the Mount. However, as outlined below, major events differ significantly from the biblical accounts:
- Nativity and Early Life – The Gospel of Barnabas includes details about Jesus’ birth and childhood not found in the biblical gospels. It says an angel told Mary she would conceive and give birth while remaining a virgin. Jesus is able to speak immediately at birth and performs miracles even as a young child.
- Ministry – The Gospel of Barnabas says Jesus’ ministry was limited to the area in and around Jerusalem. It does not mention travels to Galilee, Samaria or other regions that are central in the canonical gospels. The text also omits Lazarus’ resurrection and Jesus’ transfiguration.
- Nature of Jesus – The gospel repeatedly insists Jesus was not divine, but solely human. It denies the virgin birth and Trinity. Jesus is described as a prophet of God predicted by Moses, not the Son of God.
- Prediction of Muhammad – In the Gospel of Barnabas, Jesus predicts the coming of a prophet named “Ahmad” (another name for Muhammad), saying he will come after Jesus with sacred scriptures. This aligns with Islamic teaching.
- Death by Crucifixion – The gospel claims Judas Iscariot miraculously took on the appearance of Jesus before the crucifixion. It was actually Judas who was arrested and crucified. Jesus is said to have ascended directly into heaven without dying.
- Resurrection – The Gospel of Barnabas tells a unique version of the resurrection story. After Judas dies on the cross, the disciples discover Jesus was never among the dead. Jesus then appears to the disciples, revealing he had ascended into heaven alive.
These radical differences from the biblical gospels, along with the anachronisms and other evidence, have led most scholars to conclude the Gospel of Barnabas is pseudepigraphical and has no historical connection to the actual Barnabas of the 1st century. However, because it conforms closely with Islamic teaching about Jesus, some Muslim scholars view the Gospel of Barnabas as authentic and divinely inspired.
Modern Significance and Controversy
Since its emergence in the 18th century, the Gospel of Barnabas has been promoted by Muslim scholars and groups as an original gospel that was later suppressed. Muslim academics often cite it as providing evidence that Jesus foretold Muhammad’s prophecy and conformed to Islamic teachings. This has led to major controversy, as some politicians and even heads of state in the Islamic world have pushed for the Gospel of Barnabas to be accepted alongside the canonical gospels.
For example, in the early 1980’s former Pakistani President Zia-ul-Haq sought to have the Gospel of Barnabas declared an Islamic religious text. In 2000, the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi made the Gospel of Barnabas compulsory reading in schools and offered copies to Christian churches in Libya.
However, most academic Christian and even many secular scholars strongly reject the authenticity and historical value of the Gospel of Barnabas. They argue it contradicts well-established historical evidence about early Christianity and the formation of the biblical canon. Some have accused Islamic political leaders of exploiting an inauthentic text for ideological purposes. The Gospel of Barnabas remains controversial today, but is seen by most scholars as a medieval pseudepigraphical composition. Nevertheless, it provides an interesting example of how texts can be creatively interpreted to advance specific religious or political agendas long after being written.
Manuscripts, Translations and Editions
As mentioned previously, the earliest surviving manuscript of the Gospel of Barnabas is an Italian language copy translated from a late 16th century Spanish text. Two Spanish manuscript versions from the 16th century are the oldest known copies. These were likely translated from an original composition in Italian or Spanish sometime between the 14th and 16th centuries. An English translation of the Italian manuscript was published by Oxford University in 1907. However, this 1907 text contains numerous transcription errors.
In the 1970s, an English version directly translated from the Italian manuscript was produced by Lonsdale and Laura Ragg. This is considered the most accurate English translation available. Spanish and Italian language editions based on the two surviving 16th century Spanish manuscripts have also been published. But there are no known copies of the Gospel of Barnabas dating back to the Middle Ages or earlier, indicating the text was not widely circulated when it was initially composed. It experienced a resurgence of interest after the Italian manuscript was rediscovered in 1713.
Influence of the Gospel of Barnabas
While largely dismissed as pseudepigraphical by modern scholars, the Gospel of Barnabas has had some influence since its 18th century reemergence:
- It is regarded by some Muslim academics as a lost original gospel text that confirms Islamic beliefs.
- Several Muslim political leaders have promoted the Gospel of Barnabas and called for its acceptance in their countries.
- Some Islamic literature aimed at Christian evangelism cites passages from it to argue Jesus was simply a prophet, not the Son of God.
- A few scholars theorize it may preserve vestiges of independent traditions about Jesus that developed outside the biblical gospels.
- It provides an example of how spiritual texts can be creatively reinterpreted centuries later to promote new ideologies.
Overall, while the Gospel of Barnabas has not made a large impact on mainstream Christian thought, its role in promoting Islamic perspectives on Jesus during the late medieval and early modern periods remains noteworthy. The text continues to be referenced occasionally in apologetics literature and academic debates over the historical Jesus.
Comparison to the Biblical Gospels
Several key differences between the Gospel of Barnabas and the four canonical gospels stand out:
- Jesus as the divine Son of God – The biblical gospels clearly present Jesus as divine and the Son of God. The Gospel of Barnabas adamantly rejects Jesus as divine and instead claims he was a human prophet.
- Death by crucifixion – All four canonical gospels recount Jesus willingly accepting death by crucifixion. But the Gospel of Barnabas claims it was actually Judas, not Jesus, who died on the cross.
- Account of the resurrection – The resurrection accounts sharply diverge between the canonical gospels and Gospel of Barnabas. In the biblical gospels Jesus rises from the dead after three days. In Barnabas’ gospel, Jesus never dies but instead ascends into heaven alive.
- Prediction of Muhammad’s coming – The Gospel of Barnabas contains lengthy predictions by Jesus of a prophet named Ahmad (Muhammad) who will found Islam centuries later. No such predictions are found in the biblical gospels.
- Earlier manuscript evidence – Thousands of ancient manuscripts verify the antiquity and reliability of the biblical gospels. No ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of Barnabas exist.
Due to these radical differences in history, chronology and theology, the Gospel of Barnabas is at sharp odds with the traditional canonical gospels and Christian faith. The lack of any ancient manuscripts or historical references to it until the late Middle Ages has led most scholars to reject its authenticity and historical reliability.
Potential Explanations for Origins
Scholars have proposed several theories to explain the possible origins of the Gospel of Barnabas:
- It was created to validate Islam by Muslims who converted from Christianity in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period.
- A European Christian composed it as an Islamic apologetic text to aid evangelism by contextualizing Christianity for Muslims.
- A group of Middle Eastern Christians who had converted to or ingratiated themselves with Islam wrote the gospel to syncretize the two faiths.
- It preserves some authentic sayings and stories about Jesus that circulated outside the biblical tradition.
- It was ostensibly based on scattered hints about Barnabas’ gospel in early Christian literature.
While each theory has its proponents, the view that it was composed to promote Islam sometime between the 14th and 16th centuries is the most popular explanation among scholars. However, some church historians have suggested Middle Eastern converts to Islam may have authored it even a few centuries earlier. Due to the lack of conclusive evidence, the origins of the Gospel of Barnabas are still debated within academic circles.
Summary of Key Points
- The Gospel of Barnabas is an apocryphal text attributed to Jesus’ disciple Barnabas, likely composed between the 14th and 16th centuries.
- It promotes an Islamic view of Jesus, denying his divinity, crucifixion death, and resurrection.
- The Gospel of Barnabas was heavily promoted in the Muslim world but viewed as heretical and non-historical by the Christian world.
- Most scholars regard it as pseudepigraphical, with no authentic connection to the biblical Barnabas.
- It provides an example of how spiritual texts can be reinterpreted centuries later to serve new religious agendas.
In conclusion, the Gospel of Barnabas offers an intriguing example of how pseudepigraphical texts can develop over time and be exploited for ideological purposes long after being written. While rejected by most experts as historically unreliable, its influence within some branches of Islam remains noteworthy. The text provides perspective on how different groups can interpret the life and identity of Jesus in radically contrasting ways.
