The Gospel of Judas

[Albert Rolls]

One of the Gospels, I forget which and am not going to look it up now, suggests Judas had no intention of betraying Christ when he was at the Last Supper. Jesus said something like "the one I give the sop [of bread] to will betray me," and he gave it to Judas and the spirit of betrayal, perhaps the devil, I can't remember, entered into him [Judas].

-----Original Message-----
>From: David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
>Sent: Apr 26, 2011 3:58 PM
>To: P-list <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: The Gospel of Judas
>
>http://www.blizzpub.net/forums/topic/47233/
>
>Manuscript Indicates Jesus Urged Judas' Betrayal
>From Associated Press
>
>12:47 PM PDT, April 6, 2006
>
>WASHINGTON — For 2,000 years Judas has been reviled for betraying
>Jesus. Now a newly translated ancient document seeks to tell his side
>of the story.
>
>The "Gospel of Judas" tells a far different tale from the four gospels
>in the New Testament. It portrays Judas as a favored disciple who was
>given special knowledge by Jesus -- and who turned him in at Jesus'
>request.
>
>"You will be cursed by the other generations -- and you will come to
>rule over them," Jesus tells Judas in the document made public today.
>
>The text, one of several ancient documents found in the Egyptian
>desert in 1970, was preserved and translated by a team of scholars. It
>was made public in an English translation by the National Geographic
>Society.
>
>Religious and lay readers alike will debate the meaning and truth of
>the manuscript.
>
>But it does show the diversity of beliefs in early Christianity, said
>Marvin Meyer, professor of Bible studies at Chapman University in
>Orange, Calif.
>
>The text, in the Coptic language, was dated to about the year 300 and
>is a copy of an earlier Greek version.
>
>A "Gospel of Judas" was first mentioned around A.D. 180 by Bishop
>Irenaeus of Lyon, in what is now France. The bishop denounced the
>manuscript as heresy because it differed from mainstream Christianity.
>The actual text had been thought lost until this discovery.