Throughout history, the world has been ruled by descendants of so-called royal blood. Bloodlines also play an important role in the scriptures. The Torah, the Bible, and the Qur'an all indicate that the sequence of Prophets and Messengers throughout time are actually a chain, bound by holy blood.
Consider the Book of Genesis, which states the order of the early Prophets, all descendants, one after the other, tracing all the way back to Adam. Other stories follow the same pattern. Prophet Solomon was the son of David. Joseph was the son of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac. John the Baptist was the son of Zechariah.
This matches what the Qur'an says:
Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of Imran over the worlds - Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
– The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 3 (Al-Imran), Verses 33-34
Meaning that all of God’s Messengers from the time of Adam until the present day are from a single lineage of holy blood, including Jesus Christ.
According to history, Jesus wasn’t married. And he certainly wasn’t a father. Or was he?
Is it possible that Jesus did, in fact, have a child?
Some say legend is used to tell a tale when the truth is too dangerous — to preserve secrets throughout the ages… and few legends have proven more captivating, throughout history, than that of the Holy Grail.
But what, exactly, is it? The word, itself, “grail,” comes from an Old French word “graal” (gra-al or growl) or “greal” which means bowl, vessel, or cup. By most accounts, it is the cup that Jesus and his disciples drank from during the Last Supper. And there are many so-called relics, throughout the world, claiming to be the sacred cup or vessel itself.
This is the question at the heart of the story, which ignited people’s imaginations and more than a little controversy when it was released in 2003. It’s a fictional novel called the DaVinci Code, authored by Dan Brown. Only, according to Brown, much of the story is actually lifted from reality.
The DaVinci Code offered a brand new take on an age old legend — the search for the mysterious Holy Grail…but it did a lot more than that. The DaVinci Code also asked readers to consider an alternate reality that would shake the very foundation of Catholicism; a reality, in which Jesus was married, fathered a child, and had a secret bloodline. The Catholic Church not only knew about it, but covered it up for centuries.
That’s no small claim. And it’s a story, which just might provide the long-lost missing link between Christianity and Islam.
The Holy Chalice of Valencia (Valen-sia); The Grail of León’s Basilica of Saint Isidore; the Hawkstone Grail. Each one has its following. Each one claims to be the Holy Grail. Could one of them be a genuine article? Or is it all the greatest hoax in history? Perhaps, we need to find out how this story got started in the first place…
It all traces back to the South of France. Back in the Middle Ages, in the late 12th century, French writer Chrétion de Troyes, penned one of the first novels ever written. It was called the Conte du Graal, the story of the Holy Grail, and it is the Grail’s first appearance in writing anywhere in the world.
According to this story, the cup, which Jesus and his disciples drank from at the Last Supper was believed to have been endowed with the miraculous ability to give eternal life to whoever drank from it. The characters of this story are searching for the Holy Grail. And here’s how the story unfolds: Percival, one of the knights of the Round Table, finds himself in a mysterious castle, where he witnesses a grand procession. A beautiful maiden appears carrying a golden bowl, encrusted with jewels, the Holy Grail. But when Percival wakes up the next morning, every trace of the procession is gone. So he sets off on a quest with King Arthur to discover the secrets of the Holy Grail. So what happens next? Well, oddly enough, that’s where the story ends.
The author, Chrétien, mysteriously died before he could reveal the rest of the tale… and so began a persistent fascination that has lasted for centuries…the mystery of the Holy Grail.
Was the grail really a bowl or a cup? Or was this story encoded with symbolic secrets? Maybe the answer is tied to the religious beliefs of its author.
According to historians, Chrétien de Troyes, was likely part of a secretive sect of Christianity, known as the Cathars. A group, which the Roman Catholic Church vowed to destroy.
In Languedoc, a tiny mountain village in Southern France, in the early Middle Ages, there lived the Cathars, a community of believers in Christ. But they weren’t just any Christian group. Unlike most Christians in the Middle Ages, they didn’t believe that Jesus was the last Prophet to walk the earth.
As the story goes, not long after Jesus, another Prophet appeared, in the land of Babylonia, and called himself the “Apostle of Jesus.” His name was Mani, and he considered himself to be the successor of Jesus Christ. And somehow, generations later, the Cathars of Southern France became his followers.
So who was this mysterious Babylonian Prophet and what did he believe? Like the Catholics and Muslims today, Mani preached the importance of successorship. He saw himself as one link in an unbroken chain of men guided by God, including Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Zoroaster, Buddha, Plato, and Jesus.
Mani (PBUH) once said:
“Apostles of God have constantly brought wisdom and deeds in successive times. In one era they were brought by the apostle Buddha to the land of India, in another era by Zoroaster to Persia, and in another era by Jesus to the West. Now this revelation has descended and this prophecy is promulgated during this final era by me, Mani, the apostle of the God of truth to Babylonia.”
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Mani sought to spread the message of Jesus throughout his homeland and beyond. But his version of Christ’s message was quite different from that of the Roman Catholic Church. Mani taught about three different Jesuses – Jesus the Luminous, Jesus the Messiah, and the Suffering Jesus. Jesus the Luminous is like the soul of Jesus, his essence. Jesus the Messiah is Jesus the Messenger, his physical body from the moment of his baptism, onward. So that covers both body and soul, and yet, Mani taught of a third Jesus – the Suffering Jesus; the one who endured the crucifixion. And this Jesus, according to Mani, was an illusion.
Mani, the apostle of Jesus taught something, that threatened to rock the very foundation of Christianity – that the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus were only in appearance; that humanity was not redeemed for all time by the crucifixion. Mani was branded a heretic and those in power tried to silence him…but they couldn’t stop his message from spreading.
Centuries later, the Cathars of southern France, adopted this controversial belief. They rejected the Catholic priesthood and the authority of the Pope, calling it “unworthy and corrupted.” They followed another successor instead, who they believed was the true successor of Jesus – Prophet Mani (PBUH).
In contrast to the opulent wealth of medieval Catholic bishops, Cathar priests lived simply and had no possessions…they regarded men and women as equals. They believed in some things, which many early Christians believed, but the Roman Catholic Church had chosen to reject… like reincarnation and a belief that the world is governed by a clash between two distinct forces – good and evil, beliefs that trace back to the teachings of Prophet Mani (PBUH).
What else did Mani pass on to his followers? According to local legends, the Cathars of Southern France were the guardians of a very important secret about Jesus. Perhaps, this is why the Catholic Church officials branded the Cathars as a heretical sect and decided to snuff them out.
In 1208, Pope Innocent III ordered the wholesale extermination of the Cathars of southern France. An army of 40,000 men descended on the south of France with a mandate to destroy everything. For 20 years, crusaders waged a brutal, bloody war against the Cathars.
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It all culminated in a standoff between the Crusaders and the Cathars, at the Castle of Montségur. Both sides knew the end was near. The Cathars stayed put for 14 days, then celebrated Easter and walked out of the castle in surrender. A solemn line of men, women and children were led into the flames.
Why did the Inquisition go to such great lengths to eradicate this group?
In the end, thousands of Cathars were killed, apparently martyrs for their beliefs – a fact of history. But some believe they marched to their deaths to guard a secret – a secret so dangerous it could threaten the very foundations of the church. A secret that stayed under wraps for hundreds of years. Up until the 20th century, when the legend suddenly came back to life.
In recent decades, novels have brought the Holy Grail Legend to the forefront of public imagination once again. In 1982, a non-fiction book entitled “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail” was released. And it changed everything. Why? It overturned the 800-year-old theory that the Holy Grail was a cup, containing the blood of Christ, and offered a radically different image of Jesus Christ.
“The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail” claimed, like the old French legend, that the Grail was held by a woman — Mary Magdalene. But it wasn’t a dish or a cup, it was a baby.
According to the book, Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child, resulting in a secret bloodline of Jesus Christ, from the line of David. The book suggests that the Cathars were not only in on this dangerous secret, but protecting and preserving this knowledge was a core principle of their religion.
This was the secret that the Catholic Church wanted, so badly, to destroy through the Inquisition. And in the present day, it was a story they still wanted to suppress. “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail” was denounced by the Catholic Church as heresy, and banned in several Catholic Countries.
This story went on to inspire another book, which took the world by storm in the new millennium – the DaVinci Code. The church also spoke out against the DaVinci Code. Speaking from inside the Vatican, Cardinal Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone pleaded with Catholics not to read the book. What were they so afraid of?
Painted on the walls of the Santa De La Grazia church in Milan, is “The Last Supper” by Leonardo DaVinci — the picture at the heart of the Da Vinci Code’s conspiracy mystery. The book uses the picture as an illustration of its central theme, that Mary Magdalene was Jesus’ chief disciple. That she was married to Christ and was the bearer of his holy bloodline.
If you take a look at Leonardo’s painting, the Last Supper, based on the story as told in the gospels – according to the biblical narrative, Jesus announces that one of his companions would betray him, an act that would lead to his death. Seated on the table were loaves of bread and a cup of wine.
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it; this is my body.’
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,’ he said to them.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Mark, Chapter 14, Verses 22-24.
If you take a look at this painting, you will find Jesus and his disciples breaking bread. But one thing is conspicuously missing…the cup.
What does history tell us about Mary Magdalene? The Western world has regarded her as a prostitute, a slander thrust upon her by Pope Gregory in the 6th century. The Papacy later admitted its mistake and retracted the statement in 1969. But what do the scriptures tell us about Mary Magdalene?
The gospels make it clear that she was likely a woman of high social status and wealth. After all, the Gospel of Luke declares that she provided for Jesus and his disciples from her own resources.
She was one of the only disciples to witness the crucifixion. She prepared the body of the crucified one for burial… and days later, she was the first person to witness Jesus alive. The last time Mary is referenced in the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus gives her a mission.
He says:
“Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'”
– The Holy Bible, Book of John, Chapter 20, Verse 17
She did exactly that. For this reason, she is called the “apostle to the apostles.”
Mary Magdalene played an important role throughout the events of the crucifixion. It stands to reason that after the crucifixion, when Jesus told his disciples to:
“Go, and make disciples of all nations.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 28, Verse 19
Mary would have been on the front lines, as she had always been throughout his ministry. However, according to history, Mary Magdalene mysteriously disappeared. She doesn’t appear in any of the letters of the apostles. Nothing is known for certain about what happened to her.
And, perhaps, we never would have known… had it not been for a secret that was unearthed from a cave, 70 years ago. A secret, which radically changed our understanding of both Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ.
In December 1945, a peasant farmer called Mohammed Ali Al-Sammad made a discovery that changed the history of Christianity. Mohammed was digging in an Egyptian desert near a place called Nag Hammadi, searching for loose soil they use for fertilizer. Instead, he found a tall, earthenware jar. When he split open the jar, he found 13 papyrus books, covered in leather, containing 52 manuscripts. So he took them home, his mom burned some of them, the rest he either sold or gave away. Mohammed Ali had discovered and nearly destroyed what are now known as the gnostic gospels. Filled with secrets, which were buried and hidden for centuries.
The Gospel of Thomas begins with this intriguing line:
“These are the secret sayings, which the living Jesus spoke…”
– Gospel of Thomas, Saying 0
In this gospel, like many others, Mary Magdalene is no longer a side character, she has a starring role. She is portrayed as Jesus’ closest disciple and much more… In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus gave Mary Magdalene unique praise.
Simon Peter said to them, “Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.” Jesus said, “I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
– Gospel of Thomas, Saying 114
In the Gospel of Mary she claims to have teachings that were not given to the others. His close disciple, to whom he entrusted his deeper teaching. The Gospel of Philip uses a word to describe Mary, which can be translated to mean partner or companion.
It says:
“There were three who always walked with the lord: Mary his mother and her sister and Magdalene, the one who was called his companion. His sister and his mother and his companion were each a Mary. ”
– The Gospel of Philip
This statement, alone, is telling – because at that point in history, the word ‘companion” meant spouse. But the Gospel of Philip goes even further, revealing:
And the companion of the [...] Mary Magdalene. [... loved] her more than [all] the disciples [and used to] kiss her [often] on her [...]. The rest of [the disciples ...]. They said to him, “ Why do you love her more than all of us?”
– The Gospel of Phillip
The rest of the Disciples were jealous of Mary’s closeness to Jesus…
The savior answered and said to them, “Why do I not love you like her? When a blind man and one who sees are both together in darkness, they are no different from one another. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness.”
– The Gospel of Philip
If it hadn’t been for that chance discovery in an Egyptian desert, we never would have known the truth about Mary Magdalene. Her story was suppressed. But why? It all goes back to the Roman Catholic Church. The fate of these gospels was sealed when the Catholic Church got mixed up with the power of the Roman Empire and went from being the resistance to supporting the political establishment.
Christianity has been around for centuries, now. It’s hard to imagine it any other way. But if you could travel back to the first centuries after Jesus, the religion looked very different.
There were no denominations. No Catholics or Protestants. There wasn’t even a definitive holy book – only a variety of books written by the apostles to the apostles of Jesus were in circulation. But these books did not agree on everything. Nor did the believers in Christ. The bible as we know it, was presided over by one man…and he was not even a Christian, but a Pagan… the Roman emperor Constantine.
During his reign, a growing religious turmoil was ripping Rome apart. Throughout time, Romans had worshiped their own cast of deities. Then a man by the name of Jesus came along preaching a single God. His followers received extreme persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire, but eventually, the tables turned.
A couple of centuries later, Christianity was on the rise. And Christ’s followers had started a religious war against the Pagans. The conflict grew to such a point that it threatened to tear the Roman Empire apart… but Constantine had a plan.
In the year 325, he decided to unify Rome under a single religion: Catholicism. But there was a problem. The faith, itself, was divided on many important issues; perhaps, the most important being the divinity of Jesus.
Today, Christ’s divinity goes unquestioned… but in the gospels, Jesus never once refers to himself as “God.” And up until the 4th century, he wasn’t regarded as one-third of a Holy Trinity. Early Christians differed over how to understand his divine nature.
Some believers held that Jesus was a mortal prophet of God.
“This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 21, Verse 11
“He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Luke, Chapter 24, Verse 19
Jesus – the one who taught monotheism, the worship of one Almighty God…
“Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 4, Verse 10
“I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of John, Chapter 8, Verse 50
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Mark, Chapter 10, Verse 18
Others held that Jesus was divine and called him God. A belief, flavored by Roman politics in the first centuries after Christ. At the exact same time Romans began calling their emperor “God,” some Christians also started calling Jesus “God.” With the Council of Nicaea, Constantine sought to put an end to this debate and establish Christ’s divinity once and for all.
Doing so would unify the power of both so-called Gods – the church of Christ and the emperor. In order to do that, the books of the bible had to be in agreement.
Today, the standard line, which the church puts forth is that the gnostic gospels are somehow less reliable than the biblical gospels, but that’s simply not true. The New Testament is filled with epistles, classified as “pseudepigrapha” (sud-a-pa-grapha), meaning they were not authored by Peter or Paul, as they claim. Not only that, but some epistles may have been written after the gnostic texts, as late as the 2nd century. Whereas the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas was written as early as 60 AD. In other words, the New Testament you’re holding contains “scriptures” that are no more reliable than Nag Hammadi texts – the Gospels of Thomas, Philip or Mary.
So if the books were not chosen based on apostolic origin, why did they include certain books and exclude others?
Establishing Christ’s divinity was critical to the further unification of the empire and to the Pope’s new power base in Rome. And in order for Christ to be divine rather than mortal, he had to be seen a certain way. He had to be seen as celibate — something which the so-called gnostic gospels called into question. Not only were these books excluded from the canon of the Bible, the Catholic Church tried to erase them from the pages of history, as if they never existed at all.
Censorship is a dangerous thing, usually reserved for fictional dystopian stories; cautionary tales about the dangers of brainwashing and the corruption of power. But the undeniable truth is that censorship played a very real part in shaping Christianity, as we know it today.
In the 4th century, the Roman Catholic Church waged a massive campaign to eradicate the gnostic gospels.
In the year 367, the Archbishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, sent an Easter letter to far-flung churches, demanding that they “get rid of those illegitimate, secret books.” The church proceeded to burn entire libraries, to destroy all books except those found in the New Testament today. But it seems somebody from the monastery took them from the library, sealed them in an ancient jar, and hid them out on the cliff, in order to preserve them… where they remained hidden, and forgotten for some 1600 years.
The discovery of the Nag Hammadi library gave us back a piece of history lost. These gospels showed us that there was an alternative version of Christianity, a version which the church tried to erase forever.
The version of Christianity we have today was carefully curated by the Roman Catholic Church. So what are its fruits? Is this a religion that authentically reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ? Do they practice what they preach?
Jesus demanded that his followers give up their worldly treasures and said:
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 19, Verse 21
So, why does the Pope, who claims to be Jesus’ successor, reside in a palace? Why is he dripping in jewels… adorned with robes and rings of gold? Why does he stroll, golden scepter in hand (papal ferula)? Or ride upon a golden throne (sedia gestatoria)?
Why is the Vatican sitting on top of billions of dollars in assets, its bank embroiled in scandals of corruption, while ordinary people around the world are homeless, starving, and suffering? If Saint Peter, who is supposedly buried in the center of Vatican City, could see what is going on there today, what would he say?
What would Jesus say about the tidal wave of child abuse cases, which happened under the guardianship of the Pope? Records show that pontiffs, dating back at least as far back as John Paul II, not only knew about it, but also helped to hide it behind a veil of “pontifical secret”, a rule of confidentiality that protects information related to the governance of the church.
Has the Roman Catholic Church become like the religious authorities in Jesus’ time? About whom, he warned:
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 23, Verses 2-3
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 23, Verses 27-28
Why does the church betray Jesus’ words? And why do they never talk about Christ’s second coming? Jesus said to be prepared for his return: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” So why does the church downplay the imminence of Jesus’ second coming?
Despite the appearance of signs which Jesus mentioned, why did Pope Benedict, just a few years ago, say this:
“Jesus does not describe the end of the world and when he uses apocalyptic images, he does not act as a “seer”. On the contrary, he wishes to prevent his disciples in every epoch from being curious about dates and predictions; he wants instead to provide them with a key to a profound, essential interpretation and, above all, to point out to them the right way on which to walk, today and in the future, to enter eternal life.”
– Pope Benedict XVI, 11/18/2012, St. Peter’s Square
But Jesus did address the very thing the pope says he did not. Among other things, he said:
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 24, Verses 6-8
So why is the church downplaying the return of Jesus Christ? Maybe they aren’t awaiting him at all. Maybe they have stolen his call. And maybe Jesus warned us all along, when he said:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 23, Verses 13-14
The Roman Catholic Church is not alone in its silent stance. The non-working scholars of other religions have also stayed quiet. Like the Christians, Muslims believe that Jesus will have a second coming. According to the prophecies, he will return alongside Imam Mahdi, the promised savior, in the end times. But the so-called Muslim scholars are ignoring all the signs and becoming obstacles in the way of the awaited savior. All of this is a fulfilment of prophecy.
It’s a story, which has repeated time and time again. Whenever a messenger from God appears, the religious authorities – the same people who claim to await him – instead, reject him and cling to their own power. Just like the Jewish scholars denied Jesus, it is foretold that the Muslim scholars will deny Imam Mahdi. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) warned that the scholars of the end times will hijack the religion.
He (PBUH & His Family) said:
“…they claim to be upon my religion, my sunnah, my path, my laws but they are innocent of me and I am innocent of them.”
– Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 74, p. 99
The non-working scholars may be misleading. But God would not leave this world, without guidance, without a guide. So the question remains: where is he? Maybe the answer to that question is hiding in a word.
In the Arthurian legend of the Holy Grail, the knights are looking for a vessel, which contains the blood of Jesus. Something, with the power to give them eternal life. Doesn’t this sound like the words of Jesus? Many times, in the Bible Jesus said that he himself, as God’s representative on earth, was the key to attaining eternal life.
He said:
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of John, Chapter 5, Verse 24
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of John, Chapter 10, Verses 27-28
So following the right shepherd, in other words God’s chosen representative on earth, is the key to eternal life.
It is stated:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of John, Chapter 3, Verse 16
What if that son was not Jesus, but the son of Jesus? Has the true religion of Jesus Christ survived through an unknown heir? Is there a true king, a true successor from the lineage of Jesus, somewhere in the world, today? The blood of Christ?
As Jesus said,
“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Luke, Chapter 8, Verse 17
And Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him Is Peace) and his son, Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him Is Peace) the Second Mahdi, have revealed, with these affirming pieces of evidence mentioned, that Jesus (PBUH) does indeed have a bloodline. So who was the family of Jesus (PBUH), and what connection does all this have to the Holy Grail?
According to one of the most popular and age-old Arthurian legends the Holy Grail was encoded with a secret message.
The grail, according to the story, was not a cup or a chalice in the literal meaning of the word…but the chalice was the womb which carried a holy child, the physical heir and son of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.
We set out on a quest to uncover the truth about the Holy Grail, and the secret bloodline of Jesus. Along the way, we discovered an alternative version of Christianity. One which the Roman Catholic Church tried its hardest to bury… but this version of Christianity was unearthed in 1945, in Egypt, near the caves of Nag Hammadi. These infamous scriptures are known as the Nag Hammadi Scriptures – or the “Lost Gospels” – and within these gospels, we find out very quickly why the Roman Catholic Church wanted to erase these writings from the pages of history.
Before delving into the unknown, we must first take a look at a familiar subject — the disciples of Christ… because the twelve disciples are the eyes, through which we view Jesus. After all, the teachings, which they left behind, gave us the gospels of the New Testament.
The men who walked with Jesus Christ laid the very foundation of Christianity, as we know it today. But just how solid was that foundation?
Jesus had his secrets…secrets, which not everyone could handle. He once said:
“It is to those [who are worthy of my] mysteries that I tell my mysteries”
– Gospel of Thomas, Saying 62
You might assume that the disciples, the men who shaped the Christian church, were worthy… but you would be wrong. Only one person was privy to the secret knowledge of Jesus, and it wasn’t one of the 12 men, but a woman – Mary Magdalene.
In the Gospel of Mary, Simon Peter asks Mary to reveal the secrets, which Jesus confided in her, exclusively:
Peter said to Mary, “ Sister, we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of women. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember - which you know (but) we do not, nor have we heard them.”
– Gospel of Mary
Why were the disciples left out? Although they had a perfect teacher, the disciples often failed to understand Jesus correctly. For example, after Jesus miraculously fed thousands of people, with just 7 loaves of bread, he and the disciples got into a boat, and Jesus warned them:
“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod..”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Mark, Chapter 8, Verse 15
The disciples took his words literally.
They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Mark, Chapter 8, Verse 16
Jesus chided them for not grasping the deeper meaning of his words.
But he left them in their own confusion:
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Mark, Chapter 8, Verses 17-18
Even Simon Peter, “the rock” upon which the church was built, didn’t understand his master. Jesus once asked the disciples,
“Who do you say I am?” And Peter answered: “You are the Messiah.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Mark, Chapter 8, Verse 29
Peter had the right word — Messiah or Christ — but he had the wrong idea of what a Messiah would do. When Jesus mentioned suffering and death, Peter talked back to his teacher.
But Jesus rebuked him sharply saying:
“Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Mark, Chapter 8, Verse 33
Here we have a verse in the Bible that so many often overlook… It is important to understand exactly who the disciples were, how they were… because they shaped Christianity as we know it today. And none of the disciples were more influential than Simon Peter, who is regarded as the first Catholic pope…
They say all roads lead back to Rome and, thanks to Peter’s ministry, all Christian confessions trace back to there as well… But what if it was never meant to be like that?
The Secret Book of James offers a dramatically different take on the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry. This secret book just so happens to be one of the books from the Nag Hammadi Library, which the Catholic Church tried to destroy. And its story changes everything…
The year is 35 AD – 550 DAYS AFTER the crucifixion… The disciples were gathered… feverishly writing down all that Jesus had told them, organizing his sayings into books…When Jesus, himself, walked in. Yes, that’s right! OVER 18 MONTHS AFTER the crucifixion, Jesus came face to face once again, with his disciples.
Traditionally, the church has taught that Jesus appeared for just 40 days after the Crucifixion, then departed from them never to be seen again, but here is a Christian text, stating that Jesus appeared again, much later, very much alive.
And five hundred and fifty days since he had risen from the dead, we said to him, “Have you departed and removed yourself from us?” But Jesus said, “No, but I shall go to the place from whence I came. If you wish to come with me, come!” They all answered and said, “If you bid us, we come.” He said, “Verily I say unto you, no one will ever enter the kingdom of heaven at my bidding, but (only) because you yourselves are full.”
– Secret Gospel of James
So Jesus did not “depart” and leave the earthly realm, but he was away, in another place. He was going to return back there – and he wanted his disciples to come too.
You might imagine, after running away from Jesus… denying Jesus, and losing Jesus, that the disciples would have jumped at this momentous, blessed, and extremely merciful opportunity to follow Jesus anywhere and to set things right… but the disciples responded by saying, “If you bid us, we come”?
The disciples didn’t want to follow Jesus… instead, they wanted to forge their own path; writing books, preaching and prophesying to the people in Jesus’ name.
Jesus pulled aside his most beloved – Simon Peter and James — and asked them:
“You have received mercy [untranslatable fragments] Do you not, then, desire to be filled? And your heart is drunken; do you not, then, desire to be sober?”
– Secret Gospel of James
But Peter talked back to his teacher, saying,
“Lo, three times you have told us, ‘Become [full’; but] we are full.” Peter wanted to continue on preaching. He asked Jesus: “Master, can we prophesy to those who ask us to prophesy to them? There are many who bring a request to us and look to us to hear our pronouncement.”
– Secret Gospel of James
Peter wanted to continue on preaching. He asked Jesus:
“Lord, how shall we be able to prophesy to those who request us to prophesy to them? For there are many who ask us, and look to us to hear an oracle from us.”
– Secret Gospel of James
Jesus responded negatively to his request and said,
“Liken yourselves to foreigners; of what sort are they in the eyes of your city? Why are you disturbed when you cast yourselves away of your own accord and separate yourselves from your city? Why do you abandon your dwelling place of your own accord, making it ready for those who want to dwell in it? O you outcasts and fugitives, woe to you, for you will be caught!”
– Secret Gospel of James
He said:
“And as long as I am with you, give heed to me and obey me; but when I depart from you, remember me. And remember me because when I was with you, you did not know me.”
– Secret Gospel of James
He told Peter and James,
“Behold, I shall depart from you and go away, and do not wish to remain with you any longer, just as you yourselves have not wished it.”
– Secret Gospel of James
Rome wasn’t built in a day… but it can certainly be destroyed in a day… This heart-breaking tale is like an arrow, piercing the very heart of the Roman Catholic Church. It shows that Peter was never meant to go to Rome. His mission was to walk with Jesus… to travel with Jesus wherever he was going. But where was that, exactly?
How was Jesus still alive on earth, a year and a half after he was supposedly lifted up into heaven, Body and Soul? And where had he been all that time?
In order to answer those questions we need to go back to the beginning… back to the night of Jesus’ arrest.
Jesus sat, alone, in the garden of Gethsemane. He knew at any moment he would be arrested,
“Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Mark, Chapter 14, Verse 43
Betrayal lingered in the air. This is not how it was supposed to end for Jesus.
Just three years earlier, Jesus had called his disciples to leave their old lives behind and follow him and his ministry began. Throughout time, the Prophets and Messengers prophesied and prepared the world for the appearance of a Messiah. And that savior was none other than Jesus…That’s what Simon Peter declared in the Gospel of Matthew, in a conversation, which is often cited, but its true meaning is overlooked.
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 16, Verses 13-16
Think about that — “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Clearly, the Jewish people during Jesus’ time, not only believed in reincarnation but the immediate transmigration of souls. Otherwise, how could this statement possibly make sense? How could Jesus bear the soul of John the Baptist, a man roughly his own age, the same man who walked with Jesus, who baptized Jesus and who had only recently died. This verse is an important clue, hiding right in the New Testament of the Bible, which helps us to uncover the truth of what really happened during the events of the Crucifixion.
Jesus was the Messiah but when he appeared, the very people who claimed to be awaiting him, rejected him. Jesus wasn’t at all what the people expected. He was, by all appearances, an ordinary young man — not a scholar or a powerful official. People, back then, much like people today, expected that their religious institutions would embrace the Messiah. But that’s not how it played out.
Jesus was a revolutionary, who came to flip the religious establishment on its head. He taught that the religion of God had been corrupted by the scholars. And his ideals posed a big threat to their power. Part of Jesus’ mission was to establish the “Kingdom of God” on earth, a sovereign state, not ruled by the high priests or the tyrant kings, but by God’s representative on earth. This is just one of the many things Jesus, as the Messiah, was meant to accomplish. And, according to the prophecies, he was also meant to die a sacrificial death.
Jesus was meant to die on the cross — at the end of his ministry — but not just yet. It had only been three years, but already the people abandoned him and Judas betrayed him. If Jesus had left the world then, his life and message would have been cut short too soon. So what did Jesus do?
He prayed to God. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus falls on his face and prays:
“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 26, Verse 39
What is the meaning of Jesus’ prayer? Many have called it a normal, human expression of a desire to avoid pain and suffering. But how could that be? Jesus was better than that. He knew he was enforced by the divine.
In fact, he said to Simon Peter:
“Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 26, Verse 53
And Jesus made it clear that he could only be slain by his own choice. Don’t forget that he said:
“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of John, Chapter 10, Verses 17-18
Far away from him were fear and hesitation. He was ready and willing to sacrifice his life. And that’s exactly what he did…but not in the way that most people understand it…
Today, the church teaches that Jesus died on the cross, but not all of the early Christians believed this to be true. In fact, several of the gnostic gospels — the books, which were banned from the bible, clearly state that Jesus did not die on the cross. Rather, it was an illusion.
In the Revelation of Peter, Jesus states:
“He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshly part, which is the substitute being put to shame, the one who came into being in his likeness. But look at him and me.’ But I, when I had looked, said ‘Lord, no one is looking at you. Let us flee this place.’ But he said to me, ‘I have told you, ‘Leave the blind alone!’ And you, see how they do not know what they are saying.”
– The Revelation of Peter
The man who hung on the cross was not Jesus, but a substitute, “the one who came into being in his likeness.” While this may seem like a shocking idea, if we take a look at the different scriptures, a clear picture starts to emerge.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Mark, Chapter 16, Verses 34-35
Similarly, Islamic tradition records:
“When Allah wanted to raise Jesus to him he went to his companions and in the house were twelve men from the disciples. And he said to them as his hair and head was dripping with water … verily, from you are those who will disbelieve in me twelve times after they believed in me. Which of you would be willing to take my likeness and be killed in my place and be with me to my same degree? Until the part of the hadith where a youth volunteered and he said that’s you.”
The volunteer was not one of the disciples – the twelve men who disbelieved in Jesus after they believed in him – the men to whom Jesus often said “you of little faith.” But if it wasn’t one of the twelve, then who could it be? The truth is, Jesus had other disciples – not physical ones but spiritual ones. And the proof of that is in the Bible.
“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 17, Verses 1-8
Just for a moment, the disciples of Jesus caught a glimpse of the unseen. They saw Jesus in his true form of light. And they saw the other disciples of Jesus. It seemed as though Moses and Elijah were standing in front of them. They appeared so real that the disciples wanted to set up tents for them. If we know that Jesus was accompanied by the souls of Elijah and Moses, doesn’t it stand to reason that more souls of Prophets also followed him? In fact, they did. And the youth who volunteered to take Jesus’ place on the cross was one of them.
Just as Jesus transfigured into pure light in front of his disciples, he also walked on water, healed the sick, and turned water into wine. The gospels are filled with stories which highlight the mystical, wondrous abilities of Jesus. The crucifixion is simply another story, in which Jesus did the seemingly impossible. In fact, you might say, on that day he performed the greatest disappearing act of all time…
In one of the Gnostic Gospels Jesus said:
“And I was in the mouths of lions. And the plan which they devised about me to release their Error and their senselessness – I did not succumb to them as they had planned. But I was not afflicted at all. Those who were there punished me. And I did not die in reality but in appearance, lest I be put to shame by them because these are my kinsfolk… It was another, their father, who drank the gall and the vinegar; it was not I. They struck me with the reed; it was another, Simon, who bore the cross on his shoulder. I was another upon Whom they placed the crown of thorns. But I was rejoicing in the height over all the wealth of the archons and the offspring of their error, of their empty glory. And I was laughing at their ignorance.”
– The Second Treatise of the Great Seth, The Nag Hammadi Collection
Jesus said it was another one, Simon, who took his place. But who is Simon? Before we answer that question, remember his words: whoever wants to be worthy must be ready to bear and lift his cross and follow him. Throughout his entire ministry, only one man did exactly that. And his name was Simon.
Jesus was chained, beaten, and tortured as he marched to his own death, bearing the cross on his back, up until the moment his body collapsed and a man miraculously appeared, and reached out a helping hand.
“As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 27, Verse 32
This series of events brought Jesus’ parable to life. This moment, when Jesus fell to the ground and Simon picked up the cross is deeply meaningful. Recall this verse, from the Gospel of John:
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of John, Chapter 12, Verses 23-24
When Jesus fell to the ground, he did, in a sense, die. Because at that very moment, the switch took place. Jesus’ soul departed his body…and entered another body… the body, which carried the cross.
“I visited a bodily dwelling. I cast out the one who was in it first, and I went in. And the whole multitude of the archons became troubled. And all the matter of the archons, as well as all the begotten powers of the earth, were shaken when it saw the likeness of the Image, since it was mixed. And I am the one who was in it, not resembling him who was in it first.”
– The Second Treatise of the Great Seth, The Nag Hammadi Collection
Jesus suffered horrific abuse on the road to Calvary… at the hands of his captors, he was whipped, flogged, and scourged within an inch of his life. But there was one thing his enemies were not able to do — they were not able to put him to shame, by taking his life. Just as he said he would, Jesus laid down his own life and picked it up once again. And this is a story the Catholic Church did not want you to know.
In fact, this version of events was nearly erased forever by the church’s actions. For centuries, Christians never even knew it existed. But we are here to deliver the glad news that Jesus did not die on the cross that day. The soul of an angel entered Jesus’ tortured body, so that his soul could carry on. Jesus’s soul, then moved from body to body….
“And I subjected all their powers. For as I came downward, no one saw me. For I was altering my shapes, changing from form to form. And therefore, when I was at their gates, I assumed their likeness. For I passed them by quietly, and I was viewing the places, and I was not afraid nor ashamed, for I was undefiled. And I was speaking with them, mingling with them through those who are mine, and trampling on those who are harsh to them with zeal, and quenching the flame. And I was doing all these things because of my desire to accomplish what I desired by the will of the Father above.”
– The Second Treatise of the Great Seth, The Nag Hammadi Collection
Suddenly, a lot of things make sense. Like all of those mysterious sightings of Jesus after he supposedly died…According to the gospels, the crucifixion took place on a Friday, and three days later, on a Sunday, Jesus made his comeback. He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, but she didn’t recognize him.
“At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”
– The Holy Bible, Book of John, Chapter 20, Verses 14-16
How could Mary fail to recognize her beloved teacher? Unless, he didn’t look like Jesus anymore. Mary wasn’t the only one who couldn’t spot him. He appeared several times to his disciples who also failed to identify him each time.
“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee….Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. ”When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”
None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of John, Chapter 21, Verses 1-14
This was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after the crucifixion, how could they possibly fail to recognize him? Unless… his soul appeared each time in a different body….
And, in fact, the verses of the Bible confirm that it was a normal, belief at the time.
As the story goes, Jesus stuck around for 40 days following the crucifixion. But he couldn’t stay in the same place, with the same people and repeat the same story. So after those 40 days, he slipped out of Judea and out of the pages of history. The story of Jesus Christ came to an end but it was far from over…
There are a few question marks about Jesus in Islamic tradition. One being a curious hadith, which places Jesus in a land, which he never even visited…
“…And Jesus (PBUH) spoke to his people a speech and they did not handle it and they rebelled against him in Tikrit and so they fought him, and he fought them, and he killed them…”
– Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 7, p. 284
Where is Tikrit? According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Tikrit is a city in north-central Iraq. It lies on the west bank of the Tigris River about 100 miles northwest of Baghdad.
According to the Biblical narrative, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, just south of Jerusalem, he then grew up in the town of Nazareth, in Galilee and lived his life in the Roman province of Judea. Never, in any text, does history record Jesus having lived in or even visited Mesopotamia. Which can only mean one thing. The Jesus, which this narration refers to, was not called Jesus anymore.
It may be hard to imagine, today, in our heavily regulated world, but back in the time of Jesus, there were no passports, no computers, no checkpoints. At that time, it was easy for a man to assume a new name, travel to a new land, and live a new life. And that’s what Jesus did….
You might be wondering — What name did he use? Where did he go? And what did he teach? The answers to all of these questions are hiding in plain sight, in Christian history.
It is well known that after Jesus left them, the disciples spread the good news of the savior to the four corners of the world. They planted the seeds of the young faith, but didn’t manage to convert many powerful figures or inspire mass amounts of people to believe…until a mysterious man appeared, claiming to be an apostle of Jesus.
The story was recorded in Ecclesiastical History by religious historian, Eusebius of Caesarea. During the years of Jesus’ ministry, in a land called Edessa, nestled between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, there was a King called Abgar. The king was very ill, when he heard about Jesus’ miraculous ability to heal people. He wrote a letter to Jesus, requesting his help. Jesus wrote back to him, declining, saying he had things to complete where he was. But he also made a promise to the king:
“Blessed are you who hast believed in me without having seen me. For it is written concerning me, that they who have seen me will not believe in me, and that they who have not seen me will believe and be saved.”
– Ecclesiastical History (The History of the Church), Eusebius of Caesarea
Jesus delivered on that promise. An apostle came to the King, in Jesus’ name. When he appeared before the king, Abgar saw a spectacular vision. The apostle’s face transformed into a bright light. Immediately, the king prostrated before him. The apostle, then, placed his hands on Abgar and healed him. Historians agree that the name of this king is Abgar IX, and under his reign, Christianity became the official religion of Edessa… but who was the mysterious “Apostle of Jesus?”
Throughout time, different historians have called him by different names — including Judas, Thomas, Didymus, Thaddeus, Labbaeus and Addai. While this may sound like a highly complex collection of titles, there are a number of duplicates in different languages here with Thaddeus, Labbaeus, and Addai meaning “big heart”. And Thomas and Didymous both meaning “twin.”
So the names can be simplified to just three: Judas Thomas and Addai. The most prominent of those names was Thomas.
A 4th century traveler to Edessa, called Madam Egeria, made no mention of Thaddeus or Addai in her accounts. She simply assumed the mysterious apostle was Thomas. Similarly, a copy of the Addai story from Kirk Magara, one of the ancient cemeteries at Edessa, dated from the 5th century, refers to “Thaddeus who is Thomas.” Thomas is mentioned in literature in the Syriac language dating back to the 1st century.
Edessa became known as the “City of Thomas” as he is heralded as the founder of Christianity in this Mesopotamian city. But he didn’t operate alone… according to legend, he had an equally elusive disciple and pupil called Saint Mari.
Who is Saint Mari? Not much is known of his biography. Although he is regarded as one of the great apostles to Syria and Persia, practically nothing is known about Mari’s early years. He just appears, suddenly, at this point in history, in Mesopotamia. All that we know about him, really, are his association with Thomas and the route of his travels recorded in the apocryphal text, The Acts of Mar Mari.
The Acts traces Mari’s itinerary, preaching in what is now the land of Iraq — throughout Nineveh, Nisibis, and along the Euphrates river. According to The Acts, Mari founded the first Christian church near the Hellenistic city of Seleucia.
So here we have two mysterious characters — Thomas and Mari. And according to legend, they are both disciples of Jesus. But here’s where the story gets really interesting. Seleucia, the same city where Mari founded the first church, is the birthplace of another important figure in this story — Jesus’ apostle, Prophet Mani. And according to Oriental Christian tradition, Mani had three disciples, who spread his call throughout the world. Two of them were called Thomas and Mari.
According to various traditions, the disciples of Jesus and the disciples of Mani even followed the same travel routes. Could these characters be one and the same?
While it seems like the logical conclusion, there is just one problem… Mani was born in the year 216, generations after Jesus. How could the two men possibly share the same contemporaries? It simply couldn’t make sense. Unless… the timeline of history wasn’t exactly accurate.
In recent years, the Roman Catholic Church has confirmed that to be the case, admitting Christ’s birth was mis-recorded. He was likely born years before the switch from BC to AD. Errors in the calendar caused years to be lost. And bear in mind, they didn’t have smartphones or even personal calendars back then. They relied on historians to record history. Historians who often put pen to paper hundreds of years after the events took place. And a lot of what the historians wrote down, indicates a timeline mix up.
Historians agree that King Abgar from the story was Abgar IX, who reigned from 179 to 214, but the whole precept of the story places the king in the same time as Jesus. He even wrote a letter to Jesus and received a response. Other indications of a timeline mix up can be taken from historical writings.
In the 4th century, heresy under Cyril of Jerusalem spoke out against the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, stating:
“Let none read the Gospel according to Thomas for it is the work not of the twelve apostles, but of one of Mani’s three wicked disciples.”
– Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis V
If you want to decipher the truth about these mysterious figures — Thomas, the apostle of Jesus and Mari, the apostle of Thomas — we must first take a look at some telling details from the story of Mani. For he is the key to unlocking this mystery.
Mani called himself the “apostle of Jesus,” which indicates a deeply personal relationship; perhaps a belief that he was personally saved by Jesus. Another interesting fact about Mani was how he received divine revelation. In his own writings, Mani recorded that God communicated with him through something he called his “Heavenly Twin,” or “Twin Spirit.” The key word here, being Twin, as in Thomas.
Another little secret hidden in the story of Mani is the identity of his mother. All it takes is a quick search to discover that his mother’s name is awfully familiar. She was called Maryam or Mary.
There is no such thing as coincidence. All of these facts are scattered pieces of the truth, which have just been waiting for the right person to come along, and string them together.
The truth is, when Jesus left Judea he took on a new name, a name encoded with a clue: “the twin” Didymus Judas Thomas. This name is attached to many books, including the Gospel of Thomas. Consider this fascinating opening line of this gospel. “These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded.” Why specify that someone is living unless they are presumed to be dead?
The gospel continues:
“And he said, “Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death.” Jesus said, “Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all..”
– Gospel of Thomas, Sayings 1-2
Why would someone be disturbed by the interpretation of these verses? Perhaps, because they change all that we thought we knew about Jesus. Take, for example, this verse, which contains an important clue about the destiny of Mary Magdalene.
When Simon Peter said:
“Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.” Jesus replied:
“I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males.”
– Gospel of Thomas, Saying 114
This is, perhaps, the most puzzling thing Jesus ever said about Mary Magdalene. And its meaning is twofold. Jesus once spoke about the power of marriage to transform two individuals, man and woman, into one.
“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 19, Verses 4-6
Now recall his words: “I myself shall lead her”… As in, “I myself shall marry her”… and two will become one. Mary will become Jesus and Jesus will become Mary. There is also a literal meaning to his words. Mary became male not just on the inside but on the outside.
Mary Magdalene, like Jesus, left Judea and assumed a new identity. Mary became Mari, the companion of Judas Thomas Addai. In public, a disciple of Jesus, but in private, she was the Prophet’s wife.
Islamic tradition teaches that marriage is the tradition of God. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) said:
“Marriage is my sunnah, and whoever turns away from my sunnah is not from me.”
– Mizan Al-Hikmah (Scale of Wisdom), Mohammed Al-Reyshahri, Vol. 2, p. 1178
And God said, in the Qur'an:
“And never will you find in the way of Allah any change.”
– The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 48 (Al-Fath), Verse 23
And, indeed, all of the Prophets and Messengers throughout time, have upheld this tradition. Jesus was no exception.
Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had a family. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus said:
“He who knows father and mother will be called the son of a harlot.”
– Gospel of Thomas, Saying 105
A clear prophecy of history’s mischaracterization of his wife as a prostitute.
And an indication that they became father and mother. Just like legends preserved throughout the ages, Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a son and called the boy Mani.
And suddenly, it all makes sense. The man who appeared to King Abgar and converted an entire kingdom to Christianity was Christ himself. Mani’s teacher, his heavenly twin spirit, was none other than Jesus, in the flesh. The legend of the Holy Grail. The secrets guarded by the Cathars, the followers of Mani. Now we know why the Roman Catholic Church wanted, so desperately to eradicate them. And to remove The Gospel of Thomas and all of the other so-called Gnostic Gospels from the Bible and from history. It was all part of the greatest mystery and the greatest coverup of all time. An important piece of history, which was lost and then uncovered by the sands of time. A truth, which bridges the gap between the two largest religions in the world — Christianity and Islam.
Roughly 600 years after Jesus, Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) appeared in Arabia claiming to be a successor in a long chain of men sent by God, including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.
Jesus made it clear that he was not the final proof of God who would come to earth — he often mentioned a character to come, called the comforter or the spirit of truth.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
– The Holy Bible, Book of John, Chapter 16, Verse 13
But when Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) came along, he challenged what Christianity had become. He taught that Jesus had been misunderstood, his words had been twisted. That he was a Prophet of God, not God the Almighty. But that’s not all…he also taught that Jesus did not die on the cross. It says in the Qur'an:
“And for their saying, ‘We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of God.’ In fact, they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them as if the did. Indeed, those who differ about him are in doubt about it.”
– The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4 (Al-Nisa), Verse 157
And although it slipped past everyone to this day, The Qur'an revealed the truth about the secret second life of Jesus in this verse:
“When the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary - distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah].” And he shall speak to the people when in the cradle and when of old age, and (he shall be) one of the good ones.’."
– The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 3 (Al-Imran), Verses 45-46
How could Jesus speak to the people as an elder, if he left this world at the age of 33?
Today, this is one of the most controversial topics — the most painful difference between Christianity and Islam. But, perhaps, the time has come to reconcile that difference. The notion that Jesus didn’t die on the cross may have shocked 7th century Christians, but this idea didn’t originate with Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family). It dates back to the early Christians, as evidenced by the Gnostic Gospels. It was also taught by Jesus’ successor, Prophet Mani.
It might have appeared that the religion of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) was radically different from Christianity. But as it turns out there was nothing radical about it. Much of what Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) taught was first implemented by his predecessors.
Five times a day, Muslims bow before God… but hundreds of years before Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) put these prayers in place, Mani introduced the exact same thing. According to historians, Mani set somewhere between four and seven obligatory prayers at specific times each day. And what’s even more fascinating — they line up precisely with the Islamic prayers. According to one scholar, Ibn Al-Nadim, one prayer took place at mid-day, which is exactly the time of the “Dhur” prayer. In fact, “Dhur” means “noon”. Another prayer commenced in mid afternoon, which corresponds to “Asr” prayer. The next prayer was just after sunset, like “Maghrib” and the final prayer was at nightfall, the same time as the “Isha” prayer.
Mani taught that, before praying, one must perform a ritual ablution with water, comparable to ablution in Islam. The act of praying, itself, consisted of prostrating to the ground and rising again twelve times during every prayer, just as Muslims prostrate in “sujud” during the Islamic prayer. And just as Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) did, Mani established a Qibla, or direction of prayer. Mani introduced a month of holy fasting, much like Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) implemented the month of Ramadan. And Mani made almsgiving an essential sacramental rite, just as Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) set charity as a pillar of Islam.
The Qur'an contains secret stories, also found in the Gnostic Gospels. Like the illusion of the crucifixion. But that’s not all.
“And [remember] when I taught you writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you designed from clay [what was] like the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission.”
– The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 5 (Al-Ma’idah), Verse 110
This story was also recorded in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
“And having made soft clay, he fashioned thereof twelve sparrows…Jesus clapped his hands together and cried out to the sparrows and said to them: Go! and the sparrows took their flight and went away chirping.”
– The Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Clearly, Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) was not the inventor of a new religion. Rather, he was the torchbearer of the religion of God — the Pope of his time. How else can you explain the fact that Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) knew the mysteries, which Jesus taught during his later years?
Jesus came to pave the way, for what was to come, and that’s exactly what he did! Jesus taught his son, one on one. When Mani was 12 years old, Jesus revealed to him the secrets of his past. For the next 12 years, he prepared his son to be the successor of his call. And at the age of 24, Mani went forth to preach his ministry.
For four decades, Mani spread his doctrine far and wide until he was met with a cruel and unusual end, with a death mirroring the crucifixion. He was flayed alive, his skin stuffed and nailed to a cross. Mani paid the ultimate price for teaching the truth… but his life fulfilled part of Jesus’ mission.
This later chapter in Jesus’ life provided a second chance for his ministry to thrive. But perhaps most importantly, the extra years allowed Jesus to preserve his true message. All along, Jesus was meant to deliver certain knowledge; In his later years, he was finally able to do so. His teachings were recorded. And Mani’s teachings were recorded. And these are the teachings, which provide the missing link between Christianity and Islam.
For hundreds of years, the truth was buried. And just a few decades ago, it was unearthed – right at this point in history, when all of the signs of the end times have appeared in the world. And it is a fulfillment of prophecy.
In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus said:
“Jesus said: Recognize what is before you, and what is hidden from you will be revealed to you; for there is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest.”
– The Gospel of Thomas, Saying 5
Similarly, a Manichaean prophecy, written in the time of Mani, states:
“A thousand books will be preserved ... they will come into the hand of the just and the faithful [the] Gospel and the Treasury of Life, the Pragmateia and the Book of Mysteries, the Book of Giants and the Epistles, the Psalms and [the] Prayers of my lord, his Icon and his Revelations, his Parables and his Mysteries ... How many will be lost? How many will be destroyed? A thousand lost, another thousand recovered; for they will find them at the end. They will kiss then, and say "O Wisdom of Greatness, O Armor of the Apostle of Light! When you were lost ... where did they find you?" ... And you shall find them reading them aloud, uttering the name [of each book] among them: the name of its lord .. and the name of those who gave all [for it to be written] and the name of the scribe who wrote it... and of the one who punctuated it... (Homilies 23.13 - 25.19)”
– Emerging from Darkness: Studies in the Recovery of Manichaean Sources, Paul Mirecki and Jason BeDuhn, p. 7
These books survived so that, in the final hour, sincere truth seekers and true lovers of Jesus would be able to find and follow the legacy he left behind.
Jesus’ legacy can be traced by following the family tree. It says in the Qur'an:
“Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of Imran over the worlds - Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.”
– The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 3 (Al-Imran), Verses 33-34
And in the interpretation of this verse, Imam Mohammed Al-Baqir (From Him is Peace) said:
“So when Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) had finished his prophethood and his days had been finished, God the Almighty inspired to him, ‘O Mohammed, verily you have finished your prophethood and your days are finished. So make the knowledge that is with you and the faith and the greater name and the inheritance of knowledge, and the relics of the knowledge of prophethood in the people of your house with Ali Ibn Abi Talib (PBUH). For verily, I will never cut knowledge or faith or the greater name or the inheritance of knowledge or the relics of the knowledge of prophethood from the descendants of your lineage as I have not cut it from the households of the prophets who were between you and your father Adam.’”
– Al-Kafi, Al-Shaikh Al-Kulayni, Vol. 8, p. 117
Since the time of Adam, a day has not passed on this earth without a proof of God walking amongst us. A guardian, a father, a pope. And these men, the popes throughout time, have always descended from a single family tree. A chain, which carried on from Jesus to his son Mani to his descendant Mohammed and on until this very day.
But how do we know who to follow today? That question is answered by the Will of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family). Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) said, “Come, let me write for you a statement after which you will never go astray.” Meaning, his Will guarantees guidance for the one who follows it. The narration records the names of the Prophet’s successors, the twelve Imams, concluding with Imam Mahdi, and then he says:
“Those are the twelve Imams. Then there will be twelve Mahdis after him, so if death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the first of the close ones, he has three names, one like mine and my Father’s and it is Abdullah (Servant of God), Ahmed (the Praised), and the third name is Al-Mahdi (the Guided), and he is the first of the believers.”
– Ghaybat Al-Tusi, Al-Shaikh Al-Tusi, Vol. 1, p. 174; Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 53, p. 148
Hidden within this statement are the identities of the successors of Jesus in this day and age. Imam Mahdi, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan and Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Them Is Peace) — All true popes, successors, one after the other.
The Family of Mohammed (From Them is Peace) often leave knowledge hidden within their narrations, which only they can decipher. And Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan revealed the true meaning of this sentence, which names not one man but three men, the first three Mahdis – Ahmed, Abdullah, and Al-Mahdi (From Them is Peace).
In one book, on one page, this one narration is the only surviving Will of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family). And it calls Ahmed and Abdullah by name. And, in over 1,000 years, that have passed since it was left, no one has claimed it except Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan and Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Them is Peace).
And they have come forth and claimed it together. And, again, the Will is divinely protected from false claimants.
Imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) said:
“This matter will not be claimed except by the rightful owner, or else Allah will cut off his age.”
– Al-Kafi, Al-Shaikh Al-Kulayni, Vol. 1, p. 373, Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 25, p. 112
The name Abdullah means “Servant of God.” And this is his destiny. Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) is the true successor from the lineage of Jesus Christ. The rightful heir to the throne. And the signs are everywhere, not only in the scriptures, that the face of the papacy is on the verge of a change. Just a few years ago, HBO premiered an unusual new series, centered around a different kind of pontiff — a young, American, who calls the people back to God. And hidden within this series is an important message.
Talk about an easter egg… An American with the heart of an Egyptian. A Muslim, and a Christian. The hidden pope is hidden no more.
They covered up the truth; tried to keep humanity divided; and told us that we were different from one another.
They tried to convince us that the God of Islam was not the God of Judaism or Christianity. That the Jesus of the Qur'an, was somehow different from the Jesus of the Bible.
But we are one. And the time has come for us to unite under one leader. One true pope. And now you are faced with a choice.
To reject the blood of Christ or to believe in him. To be like the Jewish people in the time of Jesus, who followed the high priests, and clung to their tired traditions and expectations. Or to be like the followers of Jesus.
Now, you have two Popes. Who will you follow?
The establishment or the resistance?
The pope who lives like a king? Or the pope who says there is no king but God?