II.
Internal Evidence
Internal evidence is the evidence supplied by the contents of the book
itself. These contents are certain to bear the marks of a particular age and a
cultural setting of the events they claim to record. The claim to authenticity
will be sustained or rejected by its agreement with the historical setting,
the substance and the consistency of the text.
A. Historical
setting
With even a superficial reading, The Gospel of Barnabas cannot be said
to breathe the first century atmosphere. It bears too many traces of European
Medieval times, some of which are:
- The mention of casks of wood or barrels washed and refilled with wine
(GB 152)*. In the days of Jesus skins were used for wine. Casks or barrels
of wood were unknown in ancient Palestine.
- ‘The Virgin’ (GB 219) as a title was not given to the mother of Jesus
before 300AD.
- Expressions (words and phrases) well known in Italy from the Italian
poet Dante who lived 1265-1321 are scattered throughout the book (GB 23, 59,
60, 78, 217).
- Adam and Eve were commanded by God to do penance (GB 41), a practice
of the Middle Ages, not of New Testament times.
- Reference to court procedure of the Middle Ages is given where a
prisoner is questioned by a magistrate while a notary records the evidence
(GB 121).
- Reference is also made to a duel between two rival lovers which
reminds one of the age of chivalry In Medieval Europe (GB 99).
- Among the clearest of all European traces are those of feudalism. The
Gospel of Barnabas represents Mary, Martha and Lazarus as feudal lords of
whole villages (GB 194, 122).
- The picturesque description of the summer season in the fields and
valleys (GB 169) is much more suggestive of beautiful Italy than of
Palestine in summer when the fields are utterly burnt dry.
- Asceticism and other traces of Medieval society, customs, times and
beliefs appear throughout the book, e.g. (GB 150) taking the habit of a
monk-like Pharisee and dwelling in seclusion for 30(?) years.