The Lost Gospel: Decoding the Ancient Text that Reveals Jesus' Marriage to Mary the Magdalene
The Lost Gospel: Decoding the Ancient Text that Reveals Jesus' Marriage to Mary the Magdalene is a book published by investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici and New Testament scholar Barrie Wilson in 2014. In 2016, it was translated and published in Japan. It contends that the 6th century manuscript commonly referred to as "Joseph and Aseneth" is really a disguised history.
The authors contend that the writing is a Christian text on the grounds that it is prefaced by two letters indicating that the work contains "a hidden meaning," that it was preserved and transmitted in the eastern Christian context of Syriac Christianity, and that the story would be of no interest to monks if it were just a superficial love story between two ancient Israelites. Once decoded as Joseph = Jesus, and Aseneth = Mary the Magdalene, the historical narrative outlines their courtship, marriage, children and a plot against their lives, all well before the crucifixion of Jesus. It, moreover, outlines the politics that eventually led to Jesus’ death.
The writing also portrays an early form of Christianity that paralleled the Jewish movement led by James (Jesus’ brother), well before Paul appeared in the scene. The authors contend that this movement may pave the way for 2nd century Gnosticism. For this group, it was Jesus’ marriage that was of significance, not his death; his life and teachings, not his execution or sacrifice. The writing focuses on the human, family side of Jesus and this would have been dangerous in early Christian centuries when Jesus had become deified. Hence the need for disguise. The two prefatory letters position the writing as one of Wisdom, that is, as containing a truth that has to be puzzled out.
The two prefatory letters also indicate that the text is much older than the 6th century manuscript which survives.
Critical reception
While some in the popular media rejected the idea of a married Jesus out of hand,[1] scholars who have read through the evidence have expressed cautious support for the general thesis.[2]
"In their new book, 'The Lost Gospel,' Jacobovici and Wilson have uncovered one of the greatest ancient literary and archaeological mysteries. It is sure to revolutionize future scholarship and excavations in the history of ancient Christianity and Judaism."
– Rabbi Dr. Richard Freund, Maurice Greenberg Professor of Jewish History, University of Hartford
"I very much enjoyed reading the book and find the major thesis of Jesus’ marriage to Mary the Magdalene very convincing. I also liked the style – very modern and conversational I thought it well-structured and convincing I have always felt that the emphasis on celibacy and the identification of sex with sin and corruption is extremely annoying. It is very much part of the denigration of women and their place in the natural order of things."
- Madelyn B. Dick, Ph.D., Professor Emerita and Senior Scholar, History, York University, Toronto
"Simcha Jacobovici and Barrie Wilson have produced a rather impressive collaborative work [that] advances the hypothesis that the text belongs to a form of Gnostic Christianity in which a married Jesus with children was a core tradition that might well trace back to the historical Jesus. The public will find it fascinating, clerics will denounce it, and some academics will likely dismiss it as sensational--but it is well worth a careful read."
– James D. Tabor, Professor of Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
"The Lost Gospel is a tour-de-force, carefully documented…an important contribution to the on-going dialogue about Christian origins." – Margaret Starbird, author of The Woman with the Alabaster Jar
"Absolutely fascinating. Many would argue the biggest story or one of the biggest stories of our lifetime."
– NBC's TODAY