Gospel of Judas

Genre

Dialogue gospel: four appearances over eight days before Passover.^{11 22}

Written

Probably the middle decades of the second century (David Brakke); about AD 150 (Simon Gathercole).^{11 33}

Language

Survives in Coptic; Brakke infers a Greek original.^{11 44 33}

Found in

Codex Tchacos, pages 33–58; about a tenth of the gospel is missing.^{11 44}

Judas receives private teaching from Jesus before the gospel ends with money and a handover. Does Jesus praise him for surrendering his body, or condemn him? National Geographic unveiled the restored text in 2006. Translator Rodolphe Kasser read Judas as the friend who would free Jesus from his body. Critical scholar April DeConick instead reads a parody in which Judas is a demon; critical scholar David Brakke likewise emphasizes condemnation. The disagreement concerns translation and meaning, not whether Judas hands Jesus over.^{13 sources13 sources}13 sources×1. Brakke2. Mattison)5. Mattison)6. Mark 14:107. Mark 14:118. Lovgren9. Lovgren10. Lovgren11. DeConick12. DeConick13. DeConick14. DeConick15. Mattison)

1. Jesus laughs at the disciples

   Pages 33–35

   The disciples give thanks over bread. Jesus laughs at their prayer to their own god; Judas alone recognizes his origin in the immortal realm of Barbelo.^{4 sources4 sources}4 sources×16. Mattison)1. Brakke17. Mattison)18. Mattison)

2. Judas hears about the rulers

   Private dialogues

   Jesus teaches Judas about creation and its rulers, named Nebro or Yaldabaoth and Saklas. Brakke calls this a Sethian creation myth, a modern scholarly label drawn from the figure Seth.^{1717 1818 11}

3. A sacrifice and a handover

   Pages 56–58

   Jesus tells Judas he will sacrifice the human bearing him. Later Judas receives money and hands Jesus over; the surviving narrative ends there.^{6 sources6 sources}6 sources×19. Mattison)9. Lovgren5. Mattison)1. Brakke6. Mark 14:107. Mark 14:11

• The thirteenth demon

  Page 44

  Mattison translates Jesus' address to Judas as thirteenth demon. The National Geographic team chose spirit; DeConick argues that demon fits the passage.^{6 sources6 sources}6 sources×15. Mattison)1. Brakke11. DeConick12. DeConick13. DeConick14. DeConick

• What will Judas accomplish?

  Page 56

  Jesus' prediction of Judas's sacrifice is central to the dispute. Kasser reads release from the body; DeConick reads condemnation rather than a heroic mission.^{7 sources7 sources}7 sources×19. Mattison)9. Lovgren10. Lovgren11. DeConick12. DeConick13. DeConick14. DeConick

Around AD 180, early Greek church writer Irenaeus attacked a Gospel of Judas as a fictitious history associated with people who honored Cain. Brakke and evangelical scholar Simon Gathercole identify the surviving work with that title. The rejection therefore predates Nicaea. More generally, critical scholar Nicola Denzey Lewis cautions against imagining one mass exclusion of gospels: by the time of canon compilation, many were probably no longer widely known. That general account does not erase Irenaeus's specific condemnation.^{5 sources5 sources}5 sources×22. Irenaeus3. Taylor)1. Brakke23. Lewis 202224. Kruger 2013

• Myth The Gospel of Judas unambiguously makes Judas a hero.

  Actually: That was Kasser's reading in the 2006 presentation. DeConick argues the opposite, and Brakke also reads the text as strongly condemnatory.^{8 sources8 sources}8 sources×10. Lovgren9. Lovgren11. DeConick12. DeConick13. DeConick14. DeConick15. Mattison)1. Brakke

• Gospel of Thomas →
• Gospel of Mary →
• Gospel of Philip →

• Gospel of Judas · David Brakke¹¹
• Lost Gospel Revealed; Says Jesus Asked Judas to Betray Him · Stefan Lovgren¹⁰¹⁰
• The Thirteenth Apostle · April D. DeConick¹¹¹¹
• Interview with Simon Gathercole on the Gospel of Judas and the Gospel of Thomas · Simon Gathercole (interviewed by Justin Taylor)²⁵²⁵