The Gospel of the Beloved Companion: The Complete Gospel of Mary Magdalene Paperback – November 9, 2010

I encountered the Gospel of the Beloved Companion though a women's group exploring spirituality. Decades in the Baptist church had taught me that at least half the human population was unfit and unworthy of consideration, merely because of having been created female. Scripture said it was so.I did not find that teaching intellectually satisfying, nor was it consistent with a loving God who created the human family - all of it - and called it good. Based on the Scripture I had, unfortunately, that irreparable flaw seemed an inevitable conclusion.We had Father, Son, and "It" the Holy Spirit. Where was the Mother?This book includes the complete text of a first-century gospel known as the Gospel of the Beloved Companion (GBC,) as well as significant supporting documentation. In the text of the GBC, the author identifies herself as Miryam of Bethany. She is elsewhere identified as Mary Magdalene, a disciple present at the foot of the cross of Jesus, and the first witness of the resurrection. The author of the book, Jehanne de Quillan, lays out a careful comparison of the GBC with material both from the Canonical Gospels as well as the so-called Gnostic writings, demonstrating deep threads of connection between them. Importantly, we find that the GBC includes chronistically-important detail that anchors it in the life and culture of first-century Judaism, in contrast with other Canonical Gospels which include language and points of reference which clearly developed many decades later. The book's author explains how this Gospel came to reside in France, and why it has not been published until now.The Gospel at the center of this book is unique in at least three aspects: first, as an account by an eyewitness to the life and death of Yeshua the Nazorean, whom tradition has come to call Jesus of Nazareth. Second, it is an original text preserved from the ravages of mistranslation, additions, cross-cultural misunderstandings and effects of doctrinal bias that so plague what we refer to as Scripture. Third, it is an account stated to be written by a woman, clearly with full stature as a disciple.This latter point alone should cause each of us to sit up and take notice of this Gospel. Any honest inquiry into the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, from this point forward, must include study of The Gospel of the Beloved Companion.

At this time of giving, Jehanne de Quillan, out of true generosity and love, has translated from 1st century Greek, a Gospel, for which millions of people died and which has been secured in France in Her spiritual tradition. If you read no other Gospel, this one will give you the authentic teachings of Yeshua, that he taught to Miryam, the apostle who truly had eyes to see and ears to hear.When I first received my copy, I stayed up until 1:30 AM reading this lovely gospel, but next evening, I read again and savoured. In very clear language, in the idiom of the first century, Miryam tells first hand the story of her teacher,Yeshua. Her story begins with the embrace of Yeshua by the Holy Spirit at his baptism, and it ends with her sharing with the other disciples the teachings that he gave to her after his death. In clear terms, Miryam teaches the practice: Becoming still by going into silence; and the path from darkness(attachment to the ego) to ever increasing awareness and consciousness until one attains true humanity(enlightenment) and the embrace of the Holy Spirit. Yeshua also teaches that to become truly human one must balance masculine and feminine energies within oneself (make the two into one), become aware of one's own Prince of Darkness inside(the ego), become greatly disturbed and make a choice to follow the path of ascending The Tree of Life.In this gospel, Yeshua teaches nothing about establishing a church and specifically tells his disciples to establish no dogma, and he NEVER refers to himself as the son of GOD. What would this world look like if Miryam's gospel had been allowed to see the light; Instead of acting from fear and then suffering, we would "fast from the world" in order to hear and listen to Her(the Holy Spirit). She never speaks of death but of Eternal Life. From all who seek Her embrace, thank you Jehanne de Quillan.

My experience of reading this gospel was unlike that of any other I have had, in that it was coherent and consistent, lacking in contradictions. Unlike some of the stories in other gospels, I found the content in this gospel entirely believable. It seems to be the clear, accurate account of a single author, one voice. After a life of hearing teachings I found confusing and which did not ring true to me, where I did not feel I fit in or belonged, this gospel for me was like the missing puzzle piece at last falling into place within my heart. After years of questioning and searching, this work's being made accessible to me, and then the opportunity to study it, came as an immeasurable relief. I am forever grateful to the author and her lineage for the precious gift of preserving this gospel and sharing it with the world.