The Hidden Story Of Jesus part 7/7
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Just outside the village of Nakamadi in Egypt
is a complex of caves carved out of a massive cliff.
In December 1945 there was an extraordinary archaeological discovery here.
A local farmer was searching for some fertilizer
when he uncovered an ancient clay job.
When he broke it opened he found thirty manuscripts containing
fifty two religious and philosophical texts.
It has been described as one of the greatest discoveries in Christian history.
The texts that were uncovered with the older version of Jesus's story
that had been hidden away for over 1600 years.
The Christianity we have today is largely based on the work of one man, Paul.
For Paul, Jesus was a heavenly being sent to Earth to save the Earth from sin.
Over the last 2000 years Christianity has built a huge edifice to affirm those basic ideas.
A theology around Jesus, the son of god,
born of a virgin, died and was resurrected.
It is Paul's version of Christianity that dominates the world today.
What was discovered here in this cave over 60 years ago
revolutionized scholars' understanding of early Christianity.
And in particular, I believe it revealed the core elements of Jesus' story.
Today, most of the manuscripts are locked away in the Coptic Museum in Cairo.
I'v been granted special permission to view one of the 1600 yr old text,
an ancient gospel that paints a very different picture of Jesus,
the gospel of Thomas.