The Gospel Of Barnabas: replies to commentators
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim. As salaamu 'alaikum; to continue:
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< "Geographical Errors" >
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1. "Jesus traveled to Nazareth by ship (GB 20). This cannot be, for Nazareth is on a hill in Galilee at 2000 ft. elevation and half a day’s march from the sea. "
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According to history, the city of "Nazareth" did not exist in the day's of Prophet Jesus' mission. There is such a city, today.
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2. "The next section (GB 21) confirms the confusion where it is stated that Jesus went up to Capernaum (from Nazareth). Of course it is just the reverse. He would have landed at Capernaum (the seaport), gone up to Nazareth and then down again to Capernaum."
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Inconsequential point. See reply to '1' above.
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3." The mistake is further compounded, for the incident which is reported to have taken place in Capernaum in fact occurred on the other side of the lake (Sea of Galilee) in the region of Gerasenes (Mark 5: 1)."
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This would of course be dependent upon whose version of the story would seem most plausible.
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4. "The same mistake is made again when Jesus comes to Nazareth (GB 143), gives a long uninterrupted discourse (GB 144-151 ) and then embarks on a ship (GB 151) and arrives (by ship?) at Jerusalem (GB 152), also far inland."
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Again, an inconsequential point. Historically, "Nazareth" did not exist during the sojourn of Prophet Jesus [PBUH]. Chapter 152, does not discribe how Prophet 'Isa arrived at Jerusalem. It only notes that He [PBUH], 'came to Jerusalem.'
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5. "The Prophet Jonah (GB 63) mistakenly flees and sails to Tarsus (In present-day Turkey) instead of to Tarshish (present-day Spain) as in Jonah 1: 3."
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The 'mistake' could be nothing more than a typo or copyist's error. There is a variation of the spelling as "Tartessus" which was an ancient kingdom, on the SW Iberian peninsula according to Encarta Encyclopedia. The story of Jonah [PBUH] is also found in Al-Qur'an, 037.139-148.
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6. "Then the fish that swallowed Jonah cast him out near Nineveh (GB 63). It is well founded that Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire and was built on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, not on the Mediterranean coast."
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Present day (northen) Iraq, to be sure. Thanks, for the correct geography.
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< "Errors of Exaggeration and Myth" >
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1. "‘Whereupon, as the food (apple?) was going down, he (Adam) remembered the words of God wherefore, wishing to stop the food, he put his hand into his throat, where every man has the mark’ (GB 40). Putting a hand to the throat will not stop the passage of swallowed food. Also, what mark is this talking about? "
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Of course the story is a parable. [We know today that "the garden" and the 'fruits' it is referring to is of "the world."] Readers of author James Morgan Pryse, have learned that the 'mark' being referred to, has become a vulgar expression. But it is actually an laryngeal protrusion / protuberance.
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2. "‘...the planets, that are distant one from another five hundred years’ journey for a man; and the earth in like manner is distant from the first heaven five hundred years’ journey (GB 178) or ‘four thousand and five hundred years’ journey’ (GB 105). These distances are in no way accurate but are rather fanciful conjectures."
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These discrepancies were considered in a "review" of this gospel, by their respective chapters.
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3. "‘God having created a mass of earth, and having left it for twenty-five thousand years without doing aught else; Satan, who was as it were priest and head of the angels...knew that God of that mass of earth was to take one hundred and forty and four thousand signed with the mark of prophecy...’ (GB 35). When has God ever left off caring for the earth? Also, Satan in no way can be considered a priest. Priests seek to reconcile man with God or gods by officiating over ceremonies and sacrifices. Satan in no way seeks to reconcile angels or men to God but seeks to foster rebellion toward God."
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Lucifer, was at one time an angel of Light. If he was not an head of the angels, how then did he have so many following him, even to planet (h)earth?
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4."‘Whereupon, in Mizpeh assembled three armies each one of two hundred thousand men that bare sword (GB 91). These were Jewish armies, each believing something different about Jesus and ready for a three-cornered battle where each side would simultaneously take on the other two. But quieted by a word from the heathen governor and the high priest they all simply laid down their arms, embraced one another, saying ‘forgive me, brother’. This story betrays itself as a phenomenal myth and fantasy, the author again resorting to wild exaggerations of facts and numbers in an apparent attempt to create a wondrous impact on his readers. Where did the Jews suddenly find six hundred thousand swords? During the Roman occupation of Palestine no manufacture of military hardware was permitted. If indeed the Jews were 600,000 strong, Pilate would only have been too delighted to see them decimate one another. And rather than fight among themselves, 600,000 armed Jews could with ease have driven the hated Romans right out of Palestine. The whole Roman army in the world at that time numbered only half this figure (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1966 ed. Vol. 19, pp. 527,528)."
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Another discrepancy, which must be taken into consideration.
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5. "Jesus intercedes in vain for God to pardon Satan. Then Jesus warns Satan: ‘Thou must know that the angel Michael must needs on the day of judgment strike thee with the sword of God one hundred thousand times and each blow will give thee the pain of ten hells’ (GB 51 57). This punishment is fanciful and meaningless, especially when compared to the actual punishments predicted for Satan in the Bible."
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Read again, how the Satan, replied to Prophet 'Isa [Jesus, PBUH].
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6. "On the day of judgment ‘...the demons and reprobates with Satan shall weep so that more water shall flow from the eyes of one of them than is in the river of Jordon’ (GB 55). Again, this is a fanciful description that does not befit holy scripture."
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The descriptions in #5 and #6, have the appearance of parables.
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7. "On the day of judgment ‘...the hair-shirt shall shine like the sun, and every louse a man shall have borne for love of God shalt be turned into pearl’ (GB 57). Where is mankind commanded or exhorted to bear with lice out of love for God"
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I can only imagine that it and much worst, has happened to many of the people, of THE ONE GOD. The Prophets [PBUT] especially, suffer. The desert sands, the forests, etc., have been known to contain lice.
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8. "Because of drought one says: ‘O brother, it is now two months since I have drunk water’ (CB 144,149). This is a physical impossibility."
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This could be a typo, or the suggestion could be taken euphemistically as one not having drunk ones fill of water in such a length of time. Because, there was a drought. But, an impossibility? Maybe not. Ask yourselves; how did the Prophets survive without food (and water) during their [PBUT] fasts? [re: Chapter 83 of this gospel (forty day's, and forty nights, fast)]
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9. "‘Rome alone hath twenty-eight thousand gods that are seen’ (GB 152). This is no doubt another effort to impress with exaggerated numbers (as well as in GB 21,178,179,199 and elsewhere). Rome had many gods and goddesses in its pantheon, but not 28,000."
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One should not reject the idea of idol worship, wherein a number like 28,000, would not be absurd. How many idols are being worshipped in this day and time? [Idolatry: Chapter 23, 32, 33, 38, 43, 72, 118, 144, 159, 212, & others]
To be continued inshaa'Allaah.
Salaam. EssentiallyIslam