There are books and they say something. True or false? Who knows? Could be that they are just books. But they say what they say.
The problem is that the books most people consider to be the gospels are utterly incomplete. Elaine Pagel's book, The Gnostic Gospels, is a very interesting rendition of certain gospels that didn't make it into what most people now consider to be "the gospels." If the Gnostic gospels had been accepted by then-developing mainstream, instead of being squashed by it, Christianity would have developed far differently than it has. Indeed, the course of Western history IMO would have been much, much different, probably for the better. I recommend it highly to anyone who has even a passing interest in the subject.
Her other books are also worth reading, particularly the one on Satan. She posits that the satanic concept is essentially a political one, and provides lots of evidence to support the view. Nothing new, but her historical work is first rate, and she's a very good writer.
An interesting person, too, if you've ever seen her discuss religion on the PBS programs. Her life has been inexplicably ringed by tragedy, loss of a husband in a hiking accident and loss of her only child to illness.
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