BOOKS MENTIONED IN THE GOSPEL OF BARNABAS
OR IN THE SPANISH PREFACE
There are a number of mysterious books - otherwise unknown to us - mentioned in either the Spanish Prologue or the Gospel of Barnabas:
"The Gospel of Barnabas"
According to the Spanish Preface the Gospel of Barnabas itself was found by "Fra Marino" in the library of Pope Sixtus V. We are also told that it was translated from Italian into Spanish by the Muslim "Mustafa de Aranda".
"Four Glosses on the Scriptures"
In the Spanish Preface Marino reports four glosses on the Scriptures coming into his possession. Of these we are told:
* They were glosses on the Prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel & Joel.
* They were handed to Marino while working for the Inquisition by a gentleman of the Urfini family.
* They were written in Latin
* The Urfini gentleman described them as "of the Old Prophets but repugnant to the Christian law..." and deemed them heretical.
* The Urfini gentleman had found them in his library "among the books of his fore-fathers".
* Fra Marino at first mistook them for Bibles before having a closer look.
* We are told of their contents that they are "very different to those of our day" and that they were "penned by Prophets" [Presumably, glosses on the Prophets written by prophets...This seems to be a reference to a literature of inspired interpretations of canonical texts. The "prophets" who penned the glosses are possibly of the same "sons of prophets" tradition so prominent in the Barnabas text.]
"Three Books of the Church Fathers"
In the preface we are told of three volumes of the Church fathers. Of these it is said:
* Fra Marino received them about a year after receiving the four glosses on the prophets.
* They came from a Lady of the Colonna Family. Her husband had died (leaving her with two sons) and on taking an inventory of her husband's goods she found the three volumes in a "chest" belonging to him.
* Lady Colonna could not read them, but one of her son's could. He described them as "exclaiming against Paul". She put them in a linen bag and took them to Marino fearing that her husband would be dug up and burned as a heretic.
* They consisted of: a treatise on the Virgin written by Ignatius, a work by Zosimus "disciple of the apostles", and a third by Irenaeus "disciple of Ignatius"
* The volume by Irenaeus was anti-Pauline and Irenaeus quoted as his authority "the Gospel of Barnabas".
"The Book of Daniel"
There are several important references in Barnabas to a 'Book of Daniel' that in no way corresponds to the canonical Book of Daniel. Of this we are told:
*There are two installments of 'Daniel'. After both of them we get Barnabas' quarrel with orthodox texts. Thus after the first installment we get the Words of Amos Interpreted episode (chpt. 161). After the second we get Jesus' condemnation of the 'false Pharisees' and doctors who have "corrupted every prophecy". (chpt. 189.)
*Note that Jesus testifies to the truth of the contents of the Book of Daniel by making the sun stand still in chpt. 189. The purpose of the miracle is that "everyone may know this to be the truth." Compare chpt. 162 where Jesus causes an earthquake so as to testify to the truth of unorthodox interpretations of the prophet Amos. There is a clear parallel between these two events. Jesus causes a great natural calamity - which strikes fear into all Judea - to show that what he says about Biblical texts or the mode of their interpretation is true.
"The Little Book of Elijah"
In chpt. 145 Jesus, arguing with the Pharisees, mentions a Little Book of Elijah. He then quotes the book in full. Of this book we are told:
* Elijah wrote it at the prayer of his disciple Elisha
*It contains all human wisdom and the Law of our Lord God.
* Hearing of the book completely confounds the Pharisees because "through their tradition" they knew that "no one observed such doctrine..."
"The Old Book of Moses (and Joshua)"
The Old Book of Moses (and Joshua) is described by the good scribe (Nicodemus) in chpt 191. Of this book we are told:
* That in it is written that the Messiah shall come through Ishmael's line and the messenger of the Messiah through Isaac's line. The scribe quotes the book to this effect:
And thus says the book, that Moses said: "Lord God of Israel, mighty and merciful, manifest to your servant the splendour of your glory." Whereupon God showed him his Messenger in the arms of Ishmael, and Ishmael in the arms of Abraham. Near to Ishmael stood Isaac, in whose arms was a child, who with his finger pointed to the Messenger of God, saying: "This is he for whom God has created all things." Whereupon Moses cried out with joy: "O Ishmael, you have in your arms all the world, and paradise! Be mindful of me, God's servant, that I may find grace in God's sight by means of your son, for whom God has made all."
* That it does not contain the doctrine that God eats the flesh of cattle or sheep.
* That it does not contain the doctrine that "that God has locked up his mercy in Israel alone, but rather that God has mercy on every man that seeks God his creator in truth." [Note that the scribe is interested in what the book does not say, more than what it does.]
* The scribe found the book in the library of the high priest.
* The scribe was not able to read all the book because the high priest forbade him from doing so because "an Ishmaelite" had written it.
* Jesus responds to the scribe's report of the book by telling him to never repress the truth but to propogate it as widely as he can.