Mohammed Alies and his brother stopped their camels at the base of the crusty mountain Djebel-el-Tarif in the desert not far from Nag Hammadi.
"This will be a good place to collect sabakh," Mohammed yelled out over the hot desert wind.
They slid off their camels grabbing their goat skin satchels and began to dig immediately for the soil they used regularly to fertilize their crops. Scraping away the loose top layer of sand they dug deeply with their scoops into the rich, thick soil that lay beneath it.
Mohammed jumped to his feet as he unearthed a huge green scorpion, its angry tail ready to strike. He quickly crushed the venomous insect with his heel and chose another site that was closer to the base of honey-combed caves tunneled throughout the surrounding mountains.
His last satchel bulged with soil when his scoop struck something buried deep in the dirt. "I have hit something, it doesn't sound like a rock. Come here. Help me dig it out."
Mohammed dug around the container while his brother finally loosened it from the dry grip of the desert sand.
They sat for several moments examining the large, red earthenware jar which stood almost a meter high. Buried near the base of the boulder, it must have reposed there safely for centuries.
Struggling to loosen the tightly sealed lid, Mohammed grabbed his mattock and raised it over his head to crack the jar. With a nod from his brother, he smashed the ancient earthenware.
They looked with disappointment at books, bound in thick leather artfully engraved now lying among the pottery shards.
The men briefly scanned the brittle pages of the manuscripts as the odor of old leather and papyrus swirled around them caught by the gritty winds. "I cannot read this script," Mohammed said with annoyance. "They look very old, though. They might be worth something."
In December 1945, Arab peasants uncovered thirteen papyrus books bound in leather and stored in earthenware jars buried deep in the Egyptian sand. After black market sales and circumstances woven with intrigue some of the ancient books were purchased by the Jung Foundation in Zurich
Among the thirteen books discovered at Nag Hammadi were the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Philip, both describing a Jesus quite different from that depicted in the New Testament. This Jesus included many women in his ministry but his favorite disciple was Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene is a beautiful, rebellious and inquisitive young woman, who experiences a recurrent spiritual dream that leads her on a journey to discover its meaning. Leaving her home with her long-time friend Joanna she visits the old Essene prophetess, Judy, who reveals the meaning of her dream and her ultimate mission.
Despite her Essenic training in Mount Carmel , she is possessed with evil spirits which lead her into political intrigue with Judas Iscariot, a member of the Zealots, and a torrid romance with Titus Cornelius, a Roman Tribune.
Joanna takes Mary Magdalene to Jesus who casts the demons from her. She joins his ministry becoming a powerful healer and disciple in her own right. Joanna is murdered by the Romans who attempt to destroy the accounts of Jesus’ ministry which she has documented. After the death of Jesus, Peter strives to take complete control of the evolving Christian church.
How is it that Mary Magdalene remains either forgotten, or when remembered, denigrated as a penitent prostitute?
