The previously lost Gospel of Judas affords those interested in the study of Gospels (canonical and extra-canonical) with a very, very early narrative of the events leading up to the betrayal, arrest and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. This particular version of the story differs from every other known Gospel source as concerns the dark and shadowy events which arguably could be tagged as catalysts for one of the most tragic executions in human history. In other words, the Gospel of Judas is not your typical or familiar Gospel story. The hero and antagonist roles have been swapped in this narrative. It makes for seriously interesting reading. Do strap on your Gnostic goggles, this one is rich in Gnosticism, literarily speaking.
I have read the translated Judas text (Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst, in collaboration with Franciois Gaudard) many, many times prior to picking up New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman’s latest work on the Gospel. Ehrman’s “The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed” (Oxford University Press) is a literal mine of quality academic research and information dedicated to the fostering of an exhaustive, holistic and critical read of the Gospel text. My overall understanding of this sometime bizarre new text has been greatly informed by the critical work of Ehrman.
The Gospel of Judas, in case you have yet to hear, presents the Gospel’s most infamous Beelzebub as not only the most righteous disciple of the famous twelve, but also as the only (ONLY) disciple who actually understands Jesus. Judas is the one “who gets it.” Judas is the hero of the story. Consequently, Judas’ betrayal of Jesus – which results in Jesus’ death – is actually a Gnostic-laden event which separates Jesus from his evil earthly matter and actually frees him. Yes, it is a Gnostic gospel.
Ehrman’s approach to this text is as critical as it is exhaustive.
Ehrman starts with an examination of the Judas story as it appears in the writings of Paul and the earliest known Gospels. This section of Ehrman’s book will probably enlighten most readers to previously unconsidered aspects of Paul’s work and the Gospels as much as it will be revelatory regarding the Judas text itself. Ehrman is a New Testament scholar in every imaginable sense of the word. He is thorough, to say the least.
Consider this example, taken from a section wherein Ehrman is unpacking Paul’s knowledge of Judas and 1 Cor. 15:3-8:
In fact, there is one passage that might suggest that Paul did not know about Judas and his betrayal. Later in the same book [1 Corinthians], Paul is discussing the appearances of Jesus to various groups and individuals after his resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-8), and here he states that “[Christ first] appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.” This clearly refers to Jesus’ twelve disciples, but how could he have appeared to all of them if Judas was no longer among their number?
Ehrman then searches out the Judas tradition as it is told by later Gospel traditions. This section is incredibly interesting, especially if the reader is unfamiliar with extra-canonical Gospels. Tales concerning the life of Judas exist well beyond the more familiar “later Gospel traditions” (e.g., Acts and John) which are so strange they border on the entertaining. Papias’ writings regarding Judas, for example, tell us of a Judas who literally swelled bodily until he literally exploded. Prior to his detonation, however, Judas’ eyes sunk into his skull, his genitals quadrupled in size, and he emitted pus and worms in the place of urine. Yes, it is quite an unpleasant story of divine retribution for the act of betrayal.
The Gospel of Nicodemus, The Arabic Infancy Gospel, The Golden Legend, and the writings of the Church Fathers are all considered in this section of Ehrman’s work. I did mention Ehrman is thorough, right?
Ehrman then spends a chapter upon our previous knowledge of the Gospel of Judas, prior to the actual discovery of the text. He then spends a bit of time talking about the actual discovery of the Gospel.
I absolutely love his writing style. It is not often that a critical and academic work reads like a suspense novel (historical non-fiction, of course). Ehrman’s Lost Gospel of Judas reads in that fashion at times. It is a page-turning joy, at least for Gospel aficionados. The following “Discovery” excerpt is but a small example:
Ferrini finally caved in under pressure, and on February 15, 2001, Nussberger and Roberty flew to Cleveland to collect the manuscripts. Ferrini agreed as well to hand over all photographs, and copies of photographs, that he had taken of the manuscripts while in his possession. The exchange itself was an enormous problem: since Nussberger could not read Coptic and had not previously counted the pages of the manuscripts or known exactly what their contents were at a glance, she had no way of knowing if Ferrini was genuinely keeping his end of the bargain. Was he holding anything back? Any manuscript pages? Any photographs?
The remaining sections of Ehrman’s work focuses upon a historical study of the newly discovered Gospel of Judas. He begins with an enlightening overview of the Gospel itself. A literary trip through Early Christian Gnosticism follows. A deep look at the Gospel of Judas’ depictions of Jesus, Judas and the Twelve is offered next. Ehrman wraps up by asking who was the historical Judas and what did Judas actually betray and how did he actually betray it? Ehrman bring us back into perspective by chapter eleven, which is titled “The Gospel of Judas in Perspective.”
It is an enlightening and exhilarating read from the first page of the book’s introduction to the last paragraph of the last chapter, which serves as a fantastic summery of this strange new Gospel:
Only Judas had a glimpse of the truth. And so to him alone did Jesus reveal all that needs to be known. In return, Judas performed for him the greatest service imaginable. His betrayal was not the act of a traitor to the cause. It was a kind deed performed for the sake of his Lord. He turned Jesus over to the authorities so that Jesus could escape the confines of his body. In doing so, Judas is the greatest of all the apostles.
The Gospel of Judas is an interesting read. It is completely divergent from every other known Gospel source concerning Judas, betrayal, and Jesus. Yes, it is Gnostic to the core. It is interesting, however. It is best read along side of Bart Ehrman’s work on the subject. Much will be missed otherwise. If you are serious about your Gospel study, do grab Ehrman’s book.
