1,500-year-old handwritten Bible discovered in Turkey includes
depiction of Last Supper
25 Feb Xinhua
A handwritten Bible, believed to be 1,500 years old and is recently
kept in the Ethnography Museum of Turkish capital Ankara, includes a
drawing of the Last Supper, local media reports said on Friday.
The 52-page Bible is written in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke,
and consists the depiction of the Last Supper, which shows Jesus dining
with his 12 Apostles, and also a depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus,
a symbol of the sun and a cross, according to Turkish newspaper Today’s
Zaman. The report added that there is also a depiction of a cave and a
large rock which are thought to be the grave of Jesus.
Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay confirmed on
Thursday that the 1,500-year-old Bible was discovered by policeman
during an anti-smuggling operation in 2000 and is currently being kept
in Ankara, according to Today’s Zaman.
A smuggling gang seized during the operation was reportedly convicted
of smuggling various items, including the Bible. After that, all the
artifacts were kept in a safe at an Ankara courthouse.
The Bible, which was reportedly kept at the courthouse for years, was
only recently handed over to the care of the Ethnography Museum of
Ankara weeks ago, the newspaper quoted Zulkuf Yilmaz, head of the
General Directorate of Museums and Cultural Assets, as saying. The Bible
will be sent abroad for carbon dating in order to determine its actual
age, Yilmaz said, adding that the book will be put on public display
after restoration. Regarding claims that the book could in fact be the
Gospel of Barnabas, Yilmaz said, “I hope that is the case.”
The Gospel of Barnabas contradicts the canonical New Testament
account of Jesus and his ministry but has strong parallels with the
Islamic view of Jesus. Much of its content and themes are in line with
Islamic ideas, and it includes a prediction by Jesus of the Prophet
Muhammad coming to earth.
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