LOS ANGELES — Actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson has ignited debate after suggesting that so-called “missing words of Jesus” may be preserved in the Ethiopian Bible — a claim that biblical scholars say requires significant evidence.

In recent remarks circulating online, Gibson reportedly referenced ancient texts maintained by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which possesses one of the most extensive biblical canons in Christianity.

What Is the Ethiopian Bible?

The Ethiopian Orthodox canon includes books not found in most Protestant Bibles, such as 1 Enoch and Jubilees, along with additional ancient writings preserved in the Ge’ez language. However, the four canonical Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John — remain central and consistent in their resurrection and teaching narratives across Christian traditions.

Scholars emphasize that while manuscript traditions can vary in wording and include additional texts, there is no widely accepted academic evidence of a suppressed or radically different set of “missing words” of Jesus contained uniquely within the Ethiopian canon.

Academic Response

Historians of early Christianity caution that sensational claims about hidden teachings often arise from misunderstandings of apocryphal literature — early Christian writings that were not included in the mainstream biblical canon.

“There are many early Christian texts outside the New Testament,” one religious studies professor explained. “But none have been shown to overturn the established Gospel accounts in a way that would fundamentally change Christian theology.”

To date, no peer-reviewed study has confirmed the existence of newly discovered sayings of Jesus within Ethiopian biblical manuscripts that would alter historical understanding of the Easter narrative or core Christian doctrine.

Faith and Fascination

The Ethiopian biblical tradition is among the oldest in the world and holds immense historical and theological significance. Its manuscripts provide valuable insight into early Christian development and textual transmission.

However, experts stress that extraordinary claims require documented textual analysis and scholarly consensus — neither of which currently supports the idea of hidden or revolutionary “missing words.”

For now, Gibson’s remarks have amplified longstanding public fascination with ancient manuscripts, but scholars say the core foundations of the New Testament remain unchanged by the claims circulating online.