Here is a concise summary of the provided text:
**Title:** Hidden Truths: The Gospel of Barnabas and the Catholic Church
**Summary:**
* In 2000, a manuscript known as the Gospel of Barnabas was discovered in Cyprus, allegedly written by an apostle of Jesus.
* The gospel challenges Catholic Church teachings, suggesting:
+ Jesus was a mortal human who experienced divine enlightenment.
+ The true Messiah would come 500 years after Jesus (potentially referencing Muhammad).
+ Jesus was not crucified; instead, Judas was crucified in his place.
* The Catholic Church may have hidden such truths to maintain control and sovereignty.
* Similarities with Islamic beliefs have led some Muslims to use the Gospel of Barnabas to defend their faith.
* The Vatican has a history of updating and censoring biblical texts, including the removal of 14 original books in 1684.
* Another controversial manuscript, the Gospel of Thomas (found in 1945), also presents an alternative view of Jesus, sparking questions about the Vatican's motivations for keeping such texts hidden.
Here are the extracted key facts, numbered and in short sentences, without opinions:
**Historical Events**
1. In 2000, police in Nicosia, Cyprus, raided a smugglers' residence and found old manuscripts.
2. The manuscripts were held in custody for a decade before being transferred to the Ethnography Museum in Ankara, Turkey.
3. The Gospel of Thomas manuscript was discovered in 1945 near Nag Hammadi, Egypt.
**The Gospel of Barnabas**
4. The Gospel of Barnabas is dated to the 5th or 6th century after Christ.
5. The gospel is attributed to an Apostle named Barnabas, who is not one of the 12 apostles listed in the Bible.
6. The Gospel of Barnabas contains 70 apostles, not just the 12.
7. Barnabas quotes Apostle Paul in the prologue and epilogue of his gospel.
**Content of the Gospel of Barnabas**
8. The gospel describes Jesus as a mortal human being who experienced divine enlightenment.
9. According to the gospel, the true Messiah would appear 500 years after Jesus.
10. The gospel claims Jesus was not crucified, but rather, Judas was crucified in his place.
11. The gospel describes paradise as having nine separate levels.
**The Gospel of Thomas**
12. The Gospel of Thomas is considered an apocryphal text.
13. The gospel contains 114 references to Jesus, with 40 being exclusive to this text.
14. Approximately 50% of the exclusive references are considered offensive to women.
**Church History**
15. The Vatican authorities updated the Bible in 1684, removing 14 of the original 80 books.
16. The early Church Fathers did not recognize the Gospel of Barnabas as authentic or inspired by the Holy Spirit.
17. The Gospel of Barnabas is considered Christian by some minority groups, such as the Ebionites.