Judas Iscariot
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{{portal|Christianity}}
{{redirect|Iscariot|the Iscariot featured in the anime series "[[Hellsing]]"|Iscariot (Hellsing)}}
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'''Judas Iscariot''' (died April AD 29–33, {{lang-he|יהודה איש־קריות}} '''{{unicode|Yəhûḏāh ʾΚ-qəriyyôṯ}}''') was, according to the [[New Testament]], one of the twelve original [[Twelve Apostles|apostles]] of [[Jesus]]. Among the twelve, he was apparently designated to keep account of the "money bag" (Grk. γλωσσόκομον),<ref>{{Bibleverse||John|12:6|31}}, {{Bibleverse||John|13:29|31}}</ref> but he is most traditionally known for his role in Jesus' betrayal into the hands of Roman authorities.<ref>{{Bibleverse||Matthew|26:14|16}}, {{Bibleverse||Matthew|26:47|56}}, {{Bibleverse||Mark|14:10|11}}, {{Bibleverse||Mark|14:42|52}}, {{Bibleverse||Luke|22:1|5}}, {{Bibleverse||Luke|22:47|53}}, {{Bibleverse||John|13:18|30}}, {{Bibleverse||John|18:1|11}}</ref>
His name is also associated with a [[Gnostic gospel]], the [[Gospel of Judas]], that exists in an early fourth century [[Coptic language|Coptic]] text. Judas has been a figure of great interest to esoteric groups, such as many [[Gnostic]] sects, and has also been the subject of many philosophical writings.
==Etymology==
In the [[Greek language|Greek]] [[New Testament]], Judas Iscariot is called Ιούδας Ισκάριωθ (Ioúdas Iskáriōth) and Ισκαριώτης ({{unicode|Iskariṓtēs}}).
"Judas" (spelled "Ioudas" in ancient Greek and "Iudas" in Latin, pronounced ˈyudas' in both) is the Greek form of the common name [[Judah (biblical figure)|Judah]] (יהודה, Y<sup>e</sup>hûdâh, Hebrew for "God is praised"). The same Greek spelling underlies other names in the New Testament that are traditionally rendered differently in English: [[Judah]] and [[Jude]].
The precise significance of "Iscariot," however, is uncertain. There are two major theories on its etymology:
*The most likely explanation derives ''Iscariot'' from [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] איש־קריות, ''Κ-Qrîyôth'', that is "man of [[Kerioth]]." The Gospel of John refers to Judas as "son of Simon Iscariot" ({{bibleverse||John|6:71}}), implying that it was not Judas, but his father, who came from here.<ref>Richard Bauckham, ''Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony'', Eerdmans (2006), page 106.</ref> Some speculate that ''Kerioth'' refers to a region in [[Judea]], but it is also the name of two known Judean towns.<ref>[http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=10#n11 New English Translation Bible, n. 11 in Matthew 11]</ref>
*A second theory is that "Iscariot" identifies Judas as a member of the [[sicarii]]. <ref>Bastiaan van Iersel, ''Mark: A Reader-Response Commentary'', Continuum International (1998), page 167.</ref> These were a cadre of assassins among Jewish rebels intent on driving the Romans out of Judea. However, many historians maintain that the [[sicarii]] only arose in the 40s or 50s of the 1st century, so Judas could not have been a member.<ref>Brown, Raymond E. (1994). ''The Death of the Messiah: From Gethsemane to the Grave: A Commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels v.1 ''pp. 688-92. New York: Doubleday/The Anchor Bible Reference Library. ISBN 0-385-49448-3; Meier, John P. [[John P. Meier#A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus|''A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus'']] (2001). v. 3, p. 210. New York: Doubleday/The Anchor Bible Reference Library. ISBN 0-385-46993-4.</ref>
Because of Judas' role in betraying Jesus, the name ''Judas''—which was common during the time of Jesus—has almost entirely fallen out of use as a name among Christians. The Hebrew equivalent "Yehuda" remains common among Jews, and the etymologically equivalent name "[[Jude]]" is not unknown among Christians.
[[Image:Judas.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Judas returns the silver coins to the priests.]]
==Traditional Christian views==
===Biblical narrative===
Judas is mentioned in the [[synoptic gospels]], the [[Gospel of John]] and at the beginning of [[Acts of the Apostles]].
Mark also states that the chief priests were looking for a "sly" way to [[Arrest of Jesus|arrest Jesus]]. They determine not to do so during the feast because they were afraid that the people would riot; instead, they chose the night before the feast to arrest him. [[Satan]] [[demonic possession|enters]] Judas at this time, as described by the [[Gospel of Luke]].<ref name=Luke>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2022:3&version=31|title=BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Luke 22:3|publisher=[[BibleGateway]]|accessdate=2008-06-21}}</ref>
According to the account given in the Gospel of John, Judas carried the disciples' money bag<ref>{{bibleverse||John|12:6|131}}</ref> and betrayed Jesus for a bribe of "thirty pieces of [[silver]]"<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|26:14|131}}</ref> by identifying him with a kiss—"[[the kiss of Judas]]"—to arresting soldiers of the High Priest [[Caiaphas]], who then turned Jesus over to [[Pontius Pilate]]'s soldiers. These "pieces of silver" were most likely intended to be understood as silver [[Tyre (Lebanon)|Tyrian]] [[shekel]]s.
Tyrian tetradrachmas bore the likeness of the [[Phoenician]] god [[Melqart]] or [[Baal]], accepted as the [[Olympian]] [[Herakles]] by the Greeks and derided as [[Beelzebub]] by Jews in the time of the [[Seleucid]]s, wearing the [[laurel]] reflecting his role in the Tyrian games and the [[Ancient Olympics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archaeology.about.com/od/biblicalarchaeology/ig/Dead-Sea-Scrolls/Tyrian-Shekel.htm|title=Tyrian Shekel}} with image)</ref> These coins, the size of a modern Israeli half-shekel, were minted in Israel, but were required to bear this image by the Romans to avoid accusations that the Jews were given autonomy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.begedivri.com/shekel/J-Tyrian.htm|title=Jerusalem's Tyrian Shekels: a lesson in priorities}}</ref> The Tyrian shekel weighed four Athenian [[drachma]]s, about 14 grams, more than earlier 11-gram Israeli shekels, but was regarded as the equivalent for religious duties at that time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.aol.com/FlJosephus/coins.htm}title=Ancient Jewish Coins Related to the Works of Josephus}}, citing David Hendin's Guide to Biblical Coins and Y. Meshorer's Ancient Jewish Coinage.</ref> Because Roman coinage was only 80% silver, the purer (94% or more) Tyrian shekels were required to pay the temple tax in Jerusalem, but were exchanged by moneychangers in the temple for coins with the approved priestly image.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www-scf.usc.edu/~ciccone/html/role%20of%20coins%20in%20revolt.htm|title=The role of coins in the First Revolt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dqhall59.com/fish_and_coin.htm|title=Israel photos III}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://abr.christiananswers.net/articles/article62.html|title=The Tyrian shekel and the Temple of Jerusalem}}.</ref> The most common coin of its era, the Tyrian shekel today sells for approximately $600 to $1000 USD and contains $7-$8 USD value of silver.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.littletoncoin.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product5%7C10001%7C10001%7C-1%7C53580%7C15258 | title=(Market reference)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kitco.com/charts/livesilver.html | title=24-hour silver spot chart}}</ref>
====Death====
There are two different [[Biblical Canon|canonical]] references to the remainder of Judas' life:
*The ''[[Gospel of Matthew]]'' says that, after Jesus' arrest by the Roman authorities (but before his execution), the guilt-ridden Judas returned the bribe to the [[priest]]s and committed [[suicide]] by hanging himself. The priests were forbidden by Jewish law from returning the money to the treasury so they used it to buy the potter's field (''ton agron tou kerameōs'', {{Polytonic|τὸν αγρὸν τοῦ κεραμέως}}) in order to bury strangers. The Gospel ({{nasb|Matthew|27:9-10|Matthew 27:9-10}}) presents this as fulfilment of a prophecy "which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet".(see {{nasb|Jeremiah|32:6-15|Jeremiah 32:6-15}} also 18:1–2 and 19:1–13; cf. {{nasb|Zechariah|11:12-13|Zechariah 11:12-13}}).<ref>See also Maarten JJ Menken, [http://www.bsw.org/project/biblica/bibl83/Comm10.html 'The Old Testament Quotation in Matthew 27,9-10'], ''Biblica'' '''83''' (2002): 9-10.</ref>
*The ''[[Acts of the Apostles]]'' ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%201:18 1:18]) says that Judas used the bribe to buy a field, but fell down, and ''burst asunder in the midst, and all his [[bowel]]s gushed out''. This field is called [[Akeldama]] or ''Field Of Blood''. ''[[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]]'' 1 goes on to describe how his place among the apostles was subsequently filled by [[Saint Matthias|Matthias]].
Yet another account was preserved by the early Christian leader, [[Papias]]: "Judas walked about in this world a sad example of impiety; for his body having swollen to such an extent that he could not pass where a chariot could pass easily, he was crushed by the chariot, so that his bowels gushed out." <ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.vii.ii.iii.html (Papias ''Fragment'' 3, 1742-1744)]</ref>
In the [[Gospel of Judas]], it is implied that the other Apostles stoned him to death for his perceived betrayal.
[[Raymond E. Brown]] gave the contradictory accounts of the death of Judas as an example of an obvious contradiction in the Bible texts: "Luke's account of the death of Judas in Acts 1:18 is scarcely reconcilable with Matt 27:3-10."<ref>Raymond E. Brown, ''An Introduction to the New Testament'', p.114. </ref> This problem was one of the points that caused [[C. S. Lewis]], for example, to reject the view "that every statement in Scripture must be historical truth".<ref>letter to Clyde S. Kilby, 7 May 1959, quoted in Michael J. Christensen, ''C. S. Lewis on Scripture'', Abingdon, 1979, Appendix A </ref> Various attempts at harmonization have been tried since ancient times,<ref>E.g. [[Alfred Edersheim]] concluded, "there is no real divergence." [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edersheim/lifetimes.x.xiv.html Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 5.xiv], 1883.</ref> such as that Judas hanged himself in the field, and afterwards the rope snapped, and his body burst open on the ground,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christnotes.org/dictionary.php?dict=ebd&q=Judas|title=Easton’s Bible Dictionary: Judas|publisher=christnotes.org|accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> or that the accounts of Acts and Matthew refer to two different transactions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.levendwater.org/companion/append161.html|title=The purchase of "the potter's field", Appendix 161 of the Companion Bible|accessdate=2008-02-15}}</ref>
Modern scholars tend to reject these approaches <ref>Charles Talbert, ''Reading Acts: A Literary and Theological Commentary'', Smyth & Helwys (2005) p. 15.</ref><ref>Frederick Dale Bruner, Matthew: A Commentary, Eerdmans (2004), page 703.</ref> stating that the Matthew account is a [[midrashic]] exposition that allows the author to present the event as a fulfilment of prophetic passages from the Old Testament books of [[Book of Zechariah|Zechariah]] and [[Book of Jeremiah|Jeremiah]]. [[David Reed|Reed]] argues that the author adds imaginative details such as the thirty pieces of silver, and the fact that Judas hangs himself, to an earlier tradition about Judas's death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://academic.shu.edu/btb/vol35/06Reed.pdf|title="Saving Judas"—A social Scientific Approach to Judas’s Suicide in Matthew 27:3–10|author=Reed, David A.|publisher=Biblical Theology Bulletin|year=2005|accessdate=2007-06-26|format=PDF}}</ref>
==Identity==
[[Image:Nikolaj Nikolajewitsch Ge 002.jpg|thumb|250px|left|''Judas Iscariot'' 1891 by [[Nikolai Ge]] ]]
Judas Iscariot is mentioned only a few times in the canonical gospels. The apostle whose name is generally rendered in English as [[Saint Jude]] was actually named ''Judas son of James'', and outside the New Testament the apostle [[Thomas the Apostle|Saint Thomas]] is sometimes called Judas Thomas Didymus. Some persons have speculated that Judas Iscariot is the same as one or both of these persons, and have advanced as support for their theory the fact that some manuscripts refer to Judas son of James as [[Judas the Zealot]], which they link with the theory that the name Iscariot refers to the [[Sicarii]]. However, the list of the Twelve in Luke 6:15,16 clearly treats Thomas, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot as three separate persons and the list in Acts 1 treats Thomas and Judas son of James as still alive at a time when Judas Iscariot is dead.
John 14:22 indicates that Jesus had a disciple called "Judas (not the Iscariot)," probably Judas son of James or possibly Thomas. The latter identification is less likely, since Thomas is not called Judas anywhere else in the New Testament, but it is supported by many writings in the Syriac church which refer to him by this name. The most famous writings naming "Thomas" as Judas are perhaps the Gospel of Thomas and the Acts of Thomas. Thomas itself simply means 'twin' and was thus this individual's nickname rather than his actual name.
Another New Testament Judas, [[Jude, brother of Jesus|Jesus' brother Judas]], is referred to in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3. He may be the same person as Judas son of James (his different father would be explained by the Roman Catholic theory that Jesus' so-called "brothers" were really his cousins), or, in view of the statement in John 7:5 that "even his brothers did not believe" in Jesus, he may be someone else. In any case, Judas was a common name at the time of the New Testament.
==Gospel of Judas==
{{main|Gospel of Judas}}
During the 1970s, a Coptic papyrus<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4882420.stm "Judas 'helped Jesus save mankind',"] BBC News Website, published 2006/04/07 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/americas/4882420.stm)</ref> was discovered near Beni Masah, [[Egypt]]. This has been translated and appears to be a text from the [http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/timeline.html 2nd century] A.D. describing the story of [[Historical Jesus|Jesus]]'s death from the viewpoint of Judas. The conclusion of the text refers (in [[Coptic language|Coptic]]) to the text as "the Gospel of Judas" (''Euangelion Ioudas'').
According to a 2006 translation of the manuscript of the text, it is apparently a [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] account of an arrangement between Jesus and Judas, who in this telling are Gnostically enlightened beings, with Jesus asking Judas to turn him in to the Romans to help Jesus finish his appointed task from God.{{Fact|date=May 2008}}
In December 2007, a [[The New York Times|New York ''Times'']] [[op-ed]] article by April DeConick asserted that the [[National Geographic Society|''National Geographic'']]'s translation is badly flawed: 'For example, in one instance the National Geographic transcription refers to Judas as a "daimon," which the society’s experts have translated as "spirit." Actually, the universally accepted word for "spirit" is "pneuma" — in Gnostic literature "daimon" is always taken to mean "demon."'<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/01/opinion/01deconink.html April D. Deconick, 'Gospel Truth', ''New York Times'', 1 December 2007]</ref> The National Geographic Society responded that 'Virtually all issues April D. DeConick raises about translation choices are addressed in footnotes in both the popular and critical editions'.<ref>[http://press.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/index.jsp?pageID=pressReleases_detail&siteID=1&cid=1196944434958 Statement from National Geographic in Response to April DeConick's New York Times Op-Ed "Gospel Truth"]</ref>
==Criticism==
===Theological questions===
Judas has been a figure of great interest to esoteric groups, such as many [[Gnostic]] sects, because of the apparent contradiction in the idea of "the betrayal of [[God]]". The main questions seem to be these:
*Did Judas exist in his time only to betray Jesus just to fulfill the prophecy?
*Why did Jesus allow Judas to betray him?
**Was Jesus unable to prevent the betrayal?
**Did Jesus willingly allow the betrayal to go ahead?
**Did Jesus actively try to ''cause'' the betrayal to happen?
*Why is it that the 'villainy' of Judas becomes greater and more pronounced as one reads from Mark to John?<ref>This is a common occurrence; in general as one progresses from Mark to John, there is often a sense of moving from a simple recountal to [[theology]]. One hypothesis put forward by textual analysts is that Christianity itself was developing in that time (in terms of both audience and theology). However, in the Gospel of John, the person named Thaddaeus in the other Gospels (except Luke) is named Judas, and hardly a later Christian would transform the alternative Thaddaeus back into Judas (also see Jude 1:1). In the Gospel of John there is a statement by Jesus that others will after Him be able to do miracles that are greater than His, so such theories should be approached cautiously.</ref>
[[Irenaeus]] records the beliefs of one Gnostic sect, the [[Cainite]]s, who believed that Judas was an instrument of the [[Sophia (wisdom)|Sophia]], Divine Wisdom, thus earning the hatred of the [[Demiurge]]. In the Hebrew bible, the book of [[Zechariah]], the one who casts thirty pieces of silver, as Judas does in the Gospels, is a servant of God. His betrayal of Jesus thus was a victory over the materialist world. The Cainites later split into two groups, disagreeing over the ultimate significance of Jesus in their cosmology.
[[Origen]] knew of a tradition according to which the greater circle of disciples betrayed Jesus, but does not attribute this to Judas in particular, and Origen did not deem Judas to be thoroughly corrupt (Matt., tract. xxxv).
The early anti-Christian writer [[Celsus]] deemed literal readings of the story to be philosophically absurd, especially because Jesus knew about the treason in advance, and told of it openly to all the disciples at the Passover meal, as well as singling out who the traitor would be without attempting to stop him.
The text of the Gospels suggests that Jesus both foresaw and allowed Judas' betrayal. In April 2006, a Coptic papyrus manuscript titled the [[Gospel of Judas]] (see above section) dating back to 200 AD, was translated into modern language, to add weight to the possibility that according to early Christian writings, Jesus may have ''asked'' Judas to betray him<Ref>Associated Press, [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,190826,00.html "Ancient Manuscript Suggests Jesus Asked Judas to Betray Him,"] Fox News Website, Thursday, April 06, 2006</ref>. While this seems quite at odds with the Gospel of John, where Judas is portrayed as an arch villain, the Gospel of Mark is much more ambiguous and could be considered to be fairly consistent with the stance of the Gospel of Judas on this question.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}
===Philosophical questions===
Judas is also the subject of many philosophical writings, including ''[[Problem of Evil|The Problem of Natural Evil]]'' by [[Bertrand Russell]] and "[[Three Versions of Judas]]", a short story by [[Jorge Luis Borges]]. They both allege various problematic ideological contradictions with the discrepancy between Judas' actions and his eternal punishment.
* If Jesus foresees Judas' betrayal, then it may be argued that Judas has no [[free will]], and cannot avoid betraying Jesus. If Judas cannot control his betrayal of Jesus, then he is not morally responsible for his actions. The question has been approached by [[Thomas Aquinas]] in his [[Summa Theologica]], which differentiates between [[foreknowledge]] and [[predestination]], and argues that the [[omnipotence]] of the divine is compatible with the existence of [[free will]].
* If Judas is sent to [[Hell]] for his betrayal, and his betrayal was a necessary step in the humanity-saving death of Jesus Christ, then Judas is punished for saving humanity. This goes hand-in-hand with the "free will" argument, and Aquinas's ''Summa'' deals with the issue of free will in demons and other beings instrumental in the life of Jesus that are nevertheless damned.
* If Jesus only suffered while dying on the cross and then ascended into [[Heaven]], while Judas must suffer for [[eternity]] in [[Hell]], then does Judas not suffer much more for the sins of humanity than Jesus? Should his role in the [[Atonement]] be that much more significant? As [[Jorge Luis Borges|Borges]] puts it in "[[Three Versions of Judas]]":
<blockquote>
"The ascetic, for the greater glory of God, degrades and mortifies the flesh; Judas
did the same with the spirit. He renounced honor, good, peace, the Kingdom of
Heaven, as others, less heroically, renounced pleasure."
</blockquote>
*Does Jesus' plea, "Father forgive them, they know not what they do," ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2023:34 Luke 23:34]) not apply to Judas? Is his atonement insufficient for Judas' sins?
*It has been speculated that Judas' damnation, which seems to be possible from the Gospels' text, may not actually stem from his betrayal of Christ, but from the despair which caused him to subsequently commit suicide. This position is not without its problems, but it does avoid the paradox of Judas' predestined act setting in motion both the salvation of all mankind and his own damnation.
The damnation of Judas is not a universal conclusion. The Roman Catholic Church only proclaims individuals' Eternal Salvation through the Canon of Saints. There is no 'Canon of the Damned', nor any official proclamation of the damnation of Judas.
===Motivation===
[[Image:Giotto - Scrovegni - -31- - Kiss of Judas.jpg|thumb|300px|''The Kiss of Judas'', by [[Giotto di Bondone]]]]
Some {{Fact|date=June 2008}} have questioned whether the monetary value of 30 pieces of silver, itself not an exorbitant amount of money, was the only motivation for Judas' actions. They have also questioned whether or not it was a coincidence that 30 pieces of silver is also the price one paid as liability if their ox had killed another person's slave as required in Old Testament Law (see Exodus 21:28-32). As well as if, after seeing Jesus' popularity declining, Judas was motivated to hand Jesus over in an attempt to force the "hand of God". Jesus often spoke of the [[Kingdom of God]], but was misunderstood. Several times Judas saw Jesus escape capture and stonings (cf. [[Gospel of John]] 6:15; 7:30) Judas might have been trying to spur Jesus into a war with the Romans by telling them where he was.
The last reading may be plausible if the etymology of "Iscariot" (see below) could be related to ''Sicarii'', a sect of the [[Zealot]]s committed to the violent overthrow of Rome. If Judas was a ''Sicarius'' then it's possible that he saw Jesus as the [[Messiah]] in the fashion expected by the Zealots: a military leader who would defeat and cast out the Romans. If this scenario was the case, then Judas may well have been trying to force Jesus into a position where he had to reveal himself as the divinely appointed warrior-king who would destroy his enemies.
===Modern interpretations===
Most modern Christians, whether laity, clergy, or theologians, still consider Judas a traitor. Indeed the term ''Judas'' has entered many languages as a synonym for ''betrayer''.
However, some scholars<ref> Dirk Grützmacher: ''The "Betrayal" of Judas Iscariot : a study into the origins of Christianity and post- temple Judaism''. , Edinburgh 1998 (Thesis (M.Phil) --University of Edinburgh, 1999)</ref> have embraced the alternative notion that Judas was merely the negotiator in a prearranged prisoner exchange (following the [[Jesus and the Money Changers|money-changer riot]] in the Temple) that gave Jesus to the Roman authorities by mutual agreement, and that Judas' later portrayal as "traitor" was a historical distortion.
In his book ''[[The Passover Plot]]'' the British [[theology|theologian]] [[Hugh J. Schonfield]] argued that the crucifixion of Christ was a conscious re-enactment of Biblical [[prophecy]] and Judas acted with Jesus' full knowledge and consent in "betraying" his master to the authorities.
A similar interpretation became well known to the general population through [[Martin Scorsese]]'s controversial film ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ (film)|The Last Temptation of Christ]],'' based on the novel by [[Nikos Kazantzakis]]. Kazantzakis' original concept was that Judas Iscariot's only motivation in betraying Jesus to the Romans was to help him, as Jesus' closest friend, through doing what no other disciple could bring himself to do. This portrayal shows Judas obeying Jesus' covert request to help him fulfill his destiny to die on the cross, thus making Judas the catalyst for the event later interpreted as bringing about humanity's salvation. This view of Judas Iscariot is reflected in the recently discovered and translated mid-second century text, the ''[[Gospel of Judas]]''.
[[Garry Wills]] believes that [[Jesus]] rescued Judas from Hell, as part of the [[Harrowing of Hell]].{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
The book ''The Sins of the Scripture'', by [[John Shelby Spong]], investigates the possibility that early [[Christian]]s copied the Judas story from three [[Old Testament]] [[Jew]]ish betrayal stories. He writes, "...the act of betrayal by a member of the twelve disciples is not found in the earliest Christian writings. Judas is first placed into the Christian story by [[Gospel of Mark]] ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%203:19 3:19]), who wrote in the early years of the eighth decade of the Common Era". He points out that some of Gospels, after the Crucifixion, refer to the number of Disciples as "Twelve", as if Judas were still among them. He compares the three conflicting descriptions of Judas's death - hanging, leaping into a pit, and disemboweling, with three Old Testament betrayals followed by similar suicides.
Spong's conclusion is that early [[Authors of the Bible|Bible authors]], after the [[First Jewish-Roman War]], sought to distance themselves from [[Ancient Rome|Rome]]'s enemies. They augmented the [[Gospels]] with a story of a disciple, personified in Judas as the Jewish state, who either betrayed or handed-over Jesus to his Roman crucifiers. Spong identifies this augmentation with the origin of modern [[Anti-Semitism]].
Theologian Aaron Saari contends in his work ''[[The Many Deaths of Judas Iscariot]]'' that Judas Iscariot was the literary invention of the Markan community. As Judas does not appear in the Epistles of Paul, nor in the Q Gospel, Saari argues that the evident anti-Twelve language indicates a split between Pauline Christians, who saw no reason for the establishment of an organized Church, given the imminence of the Parousia, and the followers of Peter. Peter leaves the Gospel of Mark--the first gospel in which Judas appears--in absolute disgrace, no longer the "Rock," but rather as Simon. Saari contends that the denigration of Judas in Matthew and Luke-Acts has a direct correlation to the elevation of Peter in these texts (see, for example, the bestowing of the keys to the kingdom upon Peter, which is special-M material). Saari argues (much as Elaine Pagels does in her work [[Beyond Belief]]) that early Christian gospels record the conflicts of communities over Christological and theological concerns. Highly provocative, Saari's theory challenges conventional notions concerning Judas Iscariot.
In the novel ''[[Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal]]'', author [[Christopher Moore (author)|Christopher Moore]] presents Judas' betrayal as an act born of humankind's own feelings of inadequacy compared to the divine.. <ref> Christopher Moore: ''Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal.'' HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2002.</ref>
The Rock Opera ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'', by [[Tim Rice]] and [[Andrew Lloyd Weber]], present Jesus' betrayal and crucifixion through the eyes of Judas. In that interpretation, Judas is motivated out of a fear of what the Romans will do to the Jewish people if Jesus is not stopped. Judas fears that Jesus's talk of the Kingdom of God and his whipping up of the crowds will be mis-interpreted by the Romans as an affront to their authority. In this interpretation, Judas is seen as a humanitarian who is more concerned with feeding the poor than saving their souls.
==Representations and symbolism==
===Hymnography===
In the [[Eastern Orthodox]] hymns of [[Holy Wednesday]] (the Wednesday before [[Easter|Pascha]]), Judas is contrasted with the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive [[perfume]] and washed his feet with her tears. According to the [[Gospel of John]], Judas protested at this apparent extravagance, suggesting that the money spent on it should have been given to the poor. After this, Judas went to the chief priests and offered to betray Jesus for money. The hymns of Holy Wednesday contrast these two figures, encouraging believers to avoid the example of the fallen disciple and instead to imitate Mary's example of repentance. Also, Wednesday is observed as a day of fasting from meat, dairy products, and olive oil throughout the year in memory of the betrayal of Judas. The prayers of preparation for receiving the [[Eucharist]] also make mention of Judas' betrayal: "I will not reveal your mysteries to your enemies, neither like Judas will I betray you with a kiss, but like the thief on the cross I will confess you."
===Gospel of Barnabas===
According to medieval copies of the [[Gospel of Barnabas]], it was Judas, not Jesus, who was crucified on the cross. It is mentioned in this work that Judas' appearance was transformed to that of Jesus', when the former, out of betrayal, led the Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus who by then was ascended to the heaven. This transformation of appearance was so identical that the masses, followers of Christ, and even the Mother of Jesus, Mary, initially thought that the one arrested and crucified was Jesus himself. The Gospel then mentions that after three days since burial, Judas' body was stolen from his grave, and then the rumours spread of Jesus being risen from the dead. When Jesus was informed in the third heaven about what happened, he prayed to God to be sent back to the earth, and so he descended and gathered his mother, disciples, and followers and mentioned to them the truth of what happened, and having said this he ascended back to the heavens, and will come back at the end of times as a just king.
===Anti-Semitism===
Jewish scholar [[Hyam Maccoby]] suggests that in the New Testament, the name "Judas" was intended as an attack on the Judaeans or on the Judaean religious establishment held responsible for executing Christ.<ref>Hyam Maccoby, Antisemitism And Modernity, Routledge 2006, p14</ref> The English word "[[Jew]]" is derived from the [[Latin]] ''Iudaeus'', which, like the [[Greek language|Greek]] Ιουδαίος (''Ioudaios''), could also mean "Judaean". In the [[Gospel of John]], the original writer or a later editor may have tried to draw a parallel between Judas, Judaea, and the Judaeans (or Jews) in verses [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%206:70-7:1 6:70-7:1], which run like this in the [[King James Bible]]:
:6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 6:71 He spoke of ''Judas'' Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in [[Galilee]]: for he would not walk in ''Jewry'', because the ''Jews'' sought to kill him.
In Greek, the earliest extant language of the [[Gospels]], the words ''Judas'' — ''Jewry'' — ''Jews'' run like this: Ιούδας (''Ioudas'') — Ιουδαία (''Ioudaia'') — Ιουδαίοι (''Ioudaioi''). In Latin, the language of the [[Vulgate]] Bible, they run ''Judas'' — ''Judaea'' — ''Judaei''. Whatever the original intentions of the original writers or editors of the Gospel of John, however, there is little doubt that the similarity between the name "Judas" and the words for "Jew" in various European languages has helped facilitate [[anti-Semitism]]. In [[German language|German]] the same words run ''Judas'' — ''Judäa'' — ''Juden''; in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''Judas'' — ''Judea'' — ''judíos''; and in [[French language|French]] ''Judas'' — ''Judée'' — ''juifs''. He has also been seen as parallel to [[Judah (Biblical figure)|Judah]], son of [[Jacob]], by such writers as [[Charles Fillmore (Unity Church)|Charles Fillmore]] and [[John Shelby Spong]].
===Art and literature===
[[Image:Autun cathédrale chapiteau pendaison de Judas.jpg|thumb|250px|Cathédrale Saint-Lazare, [[Autun]]. Judas hangs himself]]
Judas has become the archetype of the betrayer in Western culture, with some role in virtually all literature telling the [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion]] story. In [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s ''[[The Divine Comedy|Inferno]]'', he is condemned to the lowest circle of [[Hell]], where he is one of three sinners deemed evil enough that they are doomed to be chewed for eternity in the mouths of the triple-headed [[Satan]]. (The others are [[Marcus Junius Brutus|Brutus]] and [[Gaius Cassius Longinus|Cassius]], who conspired against and assassinated [[Julius Caesar]].)
*Judas is the subject of one of the oldest surviving English ballads, dating from the 13th century, [[Judas (ballad)|Judas]], in which the blame for the betrayal of Christ is placed on his sister.
* [[Edward Elgar]]'s [[oratorio]], ''[[The Apostles (Elgar)|The Apostles]]'', depicts Judas as wanting to force Jesus to declare his divinity and establish the kingdom on earth. Eventually he succumbs to the sin of despair.
*[[Mikhail Bulgakov]]'s ''[[The Master and Margarita]]'' presents a parody of the betrayal of Christ, as though first-century Jerusalem were Moscow in the 1920s-1930s. Judas betrays Jesus and is then killed on the instructions of Pilate.
*In [[Paul Féval]]'s novel, ''Vampire City'' two prominent but unseen rulers of the vampires are Baron Iscariot (implicitly Judas) and Baroness [[Phryne]]. This view of Judas as a vampire is also reflected in a series of films beginning with [[Dracula 2000]], which depicts vampirism as a punishment for Judas's betrayal of Christ.
* In [[George R.R. Martin]]'s short story "[[The Way of Cross and Dragon]]", a sect called the Order of Saint Judas Iscariot promotes a [[gospel]] of "Saint Judas" which is quite different than what is in the [[New Testament]].
* [[Michael Moorcock]]'s novel ''[[Behold the Man]]'' offers an alternative, sympathetic portrayal of Judas. In the book, [[Karl Glogauer]], the time traveler from the 20th Century who takes on the role of Christ, asks a reluctant Judas to betray him in order to fulfill the biblical account of the crucifixion.
*In [[Simon R. Green]]'s novel "Agents of Light and Darkness" Judas appears to the main character to defuse the Unholy Grail, the cup he drank from at the Last Supper and a force of evil analogue to the Holy Grail as a force of good.
*Playwright [[Stephen Adly Guirgis]]'s 2004 play titled "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" imagines what might happen if the case of Judas was brought before an afterlife appeals court.
* Judas is a main character in the rock opera ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'', which portrays him as disillusioned that Jesus' movement is becoming a cult of personality (he does not believe Jesus to be divine), and worried about negative repercussions that his rabid following will invite from the Roman authorities. After the betrayal, Judas feels personal guilt and senses that he has been a pawn in God's plan. He hangs himself, but returns (either from Heaven or Hell depending on the interpretation) as a spirit to sing the show-stopping title number.
* ''Judas Iscariot'' is the first track of former [[Sister Machine Gun]] frontman [[Chris Randall (musician)|Chris Randall]]'s solo blues/vaudeville project, ''The Devil His Due''.
*''Judas'' is a track on [[Depeche Mode]]'s album [[Songs of Faith and Devotion]]. The track references both Judas and [[Doubting Thomas]].
*[[C.K. Stead]]s' 2005 novel ''My Name Was Judas'' takes up the story of Judas 40 years after the death of Christ.
*A movie called ''Judas'' was debuted on ABC shortly after ''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'', depicting Judas as a wine-maker with his mother, while leading a double life as a zealot. After he sees Jesus overturn the tables in the temple, he meets him and becomes an apostle. The movie shows Judas bringing his passion as a zealot to the apostles and as a good friend to Jesus. But when his mother dies and he sees that Jesus is not the man he thought he was, Judas betrays Jesus' location for money that he plans to use for his mother's funeral. The centurion, who's slave Jesus healed, refuses to lead the arrest and Judas is forced to. Afterwards, he tries to call for Jesus' release but Jesus is still crucified. Disgusted with himself, Judas throws down the medallion his father gave to him as a boy and hangs himself. He is found the next day by Peter, James, and John, and they cut him down and pray for him, saying Jesus would have wanted them to.
{{commons|Category:Judas Iscariot}}
==See also==
*[[Burning of Judas]]
*[[John the Baptist]]
*[[Gospel of Judas]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
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*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08539a.htm Judas Iscariot: Catholic Encyclopedia article published 1910]
*[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=671&letter=J Jewish Encyclopedia: Judas Iscariot]
*[http://www.lieberknecht.de/~diss/papers/p_judas.htm "Death and Retribution: Medieval Visions of the End of Judas the Traitor" - 1997 lecture by Dr Otfried Lieberknecht]
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/01/opinion/01deconink.html?ex=1354251600&en=4aa1c48adc771d13&ei=5090 Gospel Truth]
{{Apostles}}
{{New Testament people}}
[[Category:Ancient people who committed suicide]]
[[Category:Antisemitism]]
[[Category:Twelve apostles]]
[[Category:Religious people who committed suicide]]
[[Category:Suicides by hanging]]
[[Category:Biblical criticism]]
[[Category:1st century deaths]]
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[[ru:Иуда Искариот]]
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