An early Christian manuscript, including the only known text of what is known as the Gospel of Judas, has surfaced after 1,700 years. The text gives new insights into the relationship of Jesus and the disciple who betrayed him, scholars reported today. In this version, Jesus asked Judas, as a close friend, to sell him out to the authorities, telling Judas he will "exceed" the other disciples by doing so.
Though some theologians have hypothesized this, scholars who have studied the new-found text said, this is the first time an ancient document defends the idea.
The discovery in the desert of Egypt of the leather-bound papyrus manuscript, and now its translation, was announced by the National Geographic Society at a news conference in Washington. The 26-page Judas text is said to be a copy in Coptic, made around A. D. 300, of the original Gospel of Judas, written in Greek the century before.
Terry Garcia, an executive vice president of the geographic society, said the manuscript, or codex, is considered by scholars and scientists to be the most significant ancient, nonbiblical text to be found in the past 60 years.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
FOUND: GOSPEL OF JUDAS
Jesus H. Christ, as some would exclaim. The New York Times tells the story:
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5 comments:
If he isn't -- too bad. I would think he would really enjoy the company of von Rhumsfeldt and Woffie ....
Why assume Judas is in hell anyway? In order for the prophesies to have come true, someone--Judas, Peter, Andrew--someone had to betray him. If anything, Judas should be in heaven simply because by his action he allowed the prophesy to be realized and he thus created the situation in which the Christ could be resurrected. Judas did what was his destiny, and what his God meant for him to do. And in that sense, I never have understood why Judas was villanized...
Anon: Good point. But Peter also betrayed Christ, yes?
oh what difference does it make, we all die in the end
Like the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi discoveries, this latest 'gospel' increases the amount of new scriptural material only available this century making the concept of 'canonical scriptures' and the traditions built upon them even less credible.
What might 'Christianity' look like if all these resources were available from the beginning? Check this link: www.energon.uklinux.net
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