Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a
disciple and one of the original
Twelve Apostles of
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
. According to all four canonical
gospels, Judas
betrayed Jesus to the
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin ( Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , '' synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as " rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temp ...
in the
Garden of Gethsemane by
kissing him on the cheek and addressing him as "
master" to reveal his identity in the darkness to the crowd who had come to arrest him. His name is often used synonymously with betrayal or treason.
The
Gospel of Mark gives no motive for Judas's betrayal, but does present
Jesus predicting it at the
Last Supper, an event also described in all the other gospels. The
Gospel of Matthew states that Judas committed the betrayal in exchange for
thirty pieces of silver
Thirty pieces of silver was the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to an account in the Gospel of Matthew 26:15 in the New Testament. Before the Last Supper, Judas is said to have gone to the chief priests and agreed to hand ...
. The
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Luke), or simply Luke (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). tells of the origins, Nativity of Jesus, birth, Ministry of Jesus, ministry, Crucifixion of Jesus, death, Resurrection of Jesus, resurrection, and Ascensi ...
and the
Gospel of John suggest that he was
possessed by
Satan. According to , after learning that Jesus
was to be crucified, Judas attempted to return the money he had been paid for his betrayal to the chief priests and committed
suicide by hanging. The priests used the money to buy a field to bury strangers in, which was called the "
Field of Blood" because it had been bought with blood money. The
Book of Acts quotes
Peter as saying that Judas used the money to buy the field himself and, he "
ellheadlong... burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." His place among the Twelve Apostles was later filled by
Matthias.
Due to his notorious role in all the gospel narratives, Judas remains a controversial figure in Christian history. His betrayal is seen as setting in motion the events that led to Jesus's crucifixion and
resurrection, which, according to traditional
Christian theology, brought
salvation to humanity. The
Gnostic Gospel of Judas—rejected by the
proto-orthodox Church as
heretical—portrays Judas's actions as done in obedience to instructions given to him by Jesus, and that he alone amongst the disciples knew Jesus's true teachings. Since the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, Judas has sometimes been portrayed as a personification of the Jewish people and his betrayal has been used to justify
Christian antisemitism.
Historicity
Although Judas Iscariot's historical existence is generally widely accepted among secular historians,
this relative consensus has not gone entirely unchallenged. The earliest possible allusion to Judas comes from the
First Epistle to the Corinthians , in which
Paul the Apostle does not mention Judas by name, but uses the passive voice of the Greek word ''paradídōmi'' (παραδίδωμι), which most Bible translations render as "was betrayed": "...the Lord Jesus on the night when he ''was betrayed'' took a loaf of bread..." Nonetheless, some biblical scholars argue that the word ''paradídōmi'' should be translated as "was handed over". This translation could still refer to Judas, but it could also instead refer to God metaphorically "handing Jesus over" to the Romans.
In his book ''Antisemitism and Modernity'' (2006), the Jewish scholar
Hyam Maccoby suggests that, in the New Testament, the name "Judas" was constructed as an attack on the Judaeans or on the Judaean religious establishment held responsible for executing Jesus. In his book ''The Sins of Scripture'' (2009),
John Shelby Spong concurs with this argument,
insisting, "The whole story of Judas has the feeling of being contrived ... 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 the
Gospel of Mark (), who wrote in the early 70s CE."
Most scholars reject these arguments for non-historicity,
noting that there is nothing in the gospels to associate Judas with Judeans except his name, which was an extremely common one for Jewish men during the first century,
and that numerous other figures named "Judas" are mentioned throughout the
New Testament, none of whom are portrayed negatively.
Positive figures named Judas mentioned in the New Testament include the prophet
Judas Barsabbas (Acts 15:22–33),
Jesus's brother Jude (Mark 6:3; Matt 13:55; Jude 1), and the apostle
Judas the son of James (Luke 6:14–16; Acts 1:13; John 14:22).
Life
Name and background
The name "Judas" () is a
Greek rendering of the Hebrew name
Judah (, , Hebrew for "God is thanked"), which was an extremely common name for Jewish men during the first century AD, due to the renowned hero
Judas Maccabeus. Consequently, numerous other figures with this name are mentioned throughout the
New Testament.
In the
Gospel of Mark , the earliest of all the gospels, which was written in the mid-60s or early 70s AD, Judas Iscariot is the only apostle named "Judas". follows this portrayal. The
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Luke), or simply Luke (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). tells of the origins, Nativity of Jesus, birth, Ministry of Jesus, ministry, Crucifixion of Jesus, death, Resurrection of Jesus, resurrection, and Ascensi ...
, however, replaces the apostle whom Mark and Matthew call "
Thaddeus
Thaddeus (Latin ''Thaddaeus'', Ancient Greek Θαδδαῖος ''Thaddaĩos'', from Aramaic תדי ''Ṯaday'') is a male given name.
As of the 1990 Census, ''Thaddeus'' was the 611th most popular male name in the United States, while ''Thad' ...
" with "Judas son of James".
Peter Stanford suggests that this renaming may represent an effort by the author of the Gospel of Luke to create a "good Judas" in contrast to the betrayer Judas Iscariot.
Judas's
epithet "Iscariot" ( or ), which distinguishes him from the other people named 'Judas' in the gospels, is usually thought to be a Greek rendering of the
Hebrew phrase , (), meaning "the man from
Kerioth". This interpretation is supported by the statement in the
Gospel of John that Judas was "the son of Simon Iscariot". Nonetheless, this interpretation of the name is not fully accepted by all scholars. One of the most popular alternative explanations holds that "Iscariot" (, in Syriac Aramaic, per the
Peshitta text) may be a corruption of the Latin word , meaning "dagger man", which referred to a member of the
Sicarii ( in Aramaic), a group of Jewish rebels who were known for committing acts of
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
in the 40s and 50s AD by assassinating people in crowds using long knives hidden under their cloaks. This interpretation is problematic, however, because there is nothing in the gospels to associate Judas with the Sicarii, and there is no evidence that the cadre existed during the 30s AD when Judas was alive.
A possibility advanced by
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg is that "Iscariot" means "the liar" or "the false one", from the Hebrew .
C. C. Torrey suggested instead the
Aramaic
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated i ...
form or , with the same meaning.
Stanford rejects this, arguing that the gospel-writers follow Judas's name with the statement that he betrayed Jesus, so it would be redundant for them to call him "the false one" before immediately stating that he was a traitor. Some have proposed that the word derives from an Aramaic word meaning "red color", from the root . Another hypothesis holds that the word derives from one of the Aramaic roots or . This would mean "to deliver", based on the
LXX rendering of Isaiah 19:4—a theory advanced by J. Alfred Morin.
The epithet could also be associated with the manner of Judas's death, hanging. This would mean Iscariot derives from a kind of Greek-Aramaic hybrid: , , meaning "chokiness" or "constriction". This might indicate that the epithet was applied posthumously by the remaining disciples, but Joan E. Taylor has argued that it was a descriptive name given to Judas by Jesus, since other disciples such as
Simon Peter/Cephas (''Kephas'' "rock") were also given such names.
Role as an apostle
Although the canonical gospels frequently disagree on the names of some of the minor apostles, all four of them list Judas Iscariot as one of them. The
Synoptic Gospels state that Jesus sent out "the twelve" (including Judas) with power over unclean spirits and with a ministry of preaching and healing: Judas clearly played an active part in this apostolic ministry alongside the other eleven. However, in the Gospel of John, Judas's outlook was differentiated—many of Jesus' disciples abandoned him because of the difficulty of accepting his teachings, and Jesus asked the twelve if they would also leave him.
Simon Peter spoke for the twelve: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life," but Jesus observed then that despite the fact that he himself had chosen the twelve, one of them (unnamed by Jesus, but identified by the narrator) was "a devil" who would betray him.
One of the best-attested and most reliable statements made by Jesus in the gospels comes from the
Gospel of Matthew , in which Jesus tells his apostles: "in
the new world, when the
Son of Man shall sit on his glorious throne, you will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel." New Testament scholar
Bart D. Ehrman
Bart Denton Ehrman (born 1955) is an American New Testament scholar focusing on textual criticism of the New Testament, the historical Jesus, and the origins and development of early Christianity. He has written and edited 30 books, includin ...
concludes, "This is not a tradition that was likely to have been made up by a Christian later, after Jesus's death—since one of these twelve had abandoned his cause and betrayed him. No one thought that ''Judas Iscariot'' would be seated on a glorious throne in the Kingdom of God. That saying, therefore appears to go back to Jesus, and indicates, then, that he had twelve close disciples, whom he predicted would reign in the coming Kingdom."
Matthew directly states that Judas betrayed Jesus for a bribe of "
thirty pieces of silver
Thirty pieces of silver was the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to an account in the Gospel of Matthew 26:15 in the New Testament. Before the Last Supper, Judas is said to have gone to the chief priests and agreed to hand ...
" 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.
Mark's Gospel states that the chief priests were looking for a way to
arrest Jesus. They decided not to do so during the feast
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According_to_the_account_in_the_Gospel_of_John,_Judas_carried_the_disciples'_money_bag_or_box_(,_),_but_the_Gospel_of_John_makes_no_mention_of_the_thirty_pieces_of_silver_as_a_fee_for_betrayal._The_John_the_Evangelist.html" "title="demonic_possession.html" ;"title="Passover">f_the_Passover.html" ;"title="Passover.html" ;"title="f the Passover">f the Passover">Passover.html" ;"title="f the Passover">f the Passover since they were afraid that people would riot; instead, they chose the night before the feast to arrest him. According to Luke's account, demonic possession">Satan entered Judas at this time.[
]
According to the account in the Gospel of John, Judas carried the disciples' money bag or box (, ), but the Gospel of John makes no mention of the thirty pieces of silver as a fee for betrayal. The John the Evangelist">evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:
Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a co ...
comments in John 12:5–6 that Judas spoke fine words about giving money to the poor, but the reality was "not that he cared for the poor, but [that] he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it." However, in John 13:27–30, when Judas left the gathering of Jesus and his disciples with betrayal in mind, some [of the disciples] thought that Judas might have been leaving to buy supplies or on a
Charity (practice), charitable errand.
Ehrman argues that Judas's betrayal "is about as historically certain as anything else in the tradition", pointing out that the betrayal is independently attested in the Gospel of Mark, in the Gospel of John, and in the Book of Acts. Ehrman also contends that it is highly unlikely that early Christians would have made up the story of Judas's betrayal, since it reflects poorly on Jesus's judgement in choosing him as an apostle. Nonetheless, Ehrman argues that what Judas actually told the authorities was not Jesus's location, but rather Jesus's secret teaching that he was the Messiah. This, he holds, explains why the authorities did not try to arrest Jesus prior to Judas's betrayal.
John P. Meier sums up the historical consensus, stating, "We only know two basic facts about
udas (1) Jesus chose him as one of the Twelve, and (2) he handed over Jesus to the Jerusalem authorities, thus precipitating Jesus' execution."
Death
Many different accounts of Judas' death have survived from antiquity, both within and outside the New Testament. states that, after learning that Jesus
was to be crucified, Judas was overcome by remorse and attempted to return the 30 pieces of silver to the
priests, but they would not accept them because they were blood money, so he threw them on the ground and left. Afterwards, he committed suicide by hanging himself according to Mosaic law (
) The priests then used the money to buy a
potter's field, which became known as
Akeldama
Akeldama (Aramaic: חקל דמא or 𐡇𐡒𐡋 𐡃𐡌𐡀 ''Ḥaqel D'ma'', "field of blood"; Hebrew: חקל דמא; Arabic: حقل الدم, ''Ḥaqel Ad-dam'') is the Aramaic name for a place in Jerusalem associated with Judas Iscariot, ...
(חקל דמא – ''khakel dama'') – the Field of Blood – because it had been bought with blood money. states that Judas used the money to buy a field,
and "
ellheadlong... burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." In this account, Judas' death is apparently by accident and he shows no signs of remorse.
The early
Church Father Papias of Hierapolis ( 60–130 AD) recorded in his ''Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord'', which was probably written during the first decade of the second century AD, that Judas was afflicted by God's wrath; his body became so enormously bloated that he could not pass through a street with buildings on either side. His face became so swelled up that a doctor could not even identify the location of his eyes using an optical instrument. Judas' genitals became enormously swollen and oozed with
pus and
worm
Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always).
Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete wor ...
s. Finally, he killed himself on his own land by pouring out his innards onto the ground, which stank so horribly that, even in Papias' own time a century later, people still could not pass the site without holding their noses. This story was well known among Christians in antiquity and was often told in competition with the two conflicting stories from the New Testament.
According to the apocryphal
Gospel of Nicodemus
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
, which was probably written in the fourth century AD, Judas was overcome with remorse and went home to tell his wife, who was roasting a chicken on a spit over a charcoal fire, that he was going to kill himself, because he knew Jesus would rise from the dead and, when he did, he would punish him. Judas's wife laughed and told him that Jesus could no more rise from the dead than he could resurrect the chicken she was cooking. Immediately, the chicken was restored to life and began to crow. Judas then ran away and hanged himself. In the apocryphal
Gospel of Judas, Judas has a vision of the disciples stoning and persecuting him.
The discrepancy between the two different accounts of Judas's death in and has proven to be a serious challenge to those who support the idea of
Biblical inerrancy. This problem was one of the points leading
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univer ...
, for example, to reject the view "that every statement in Scripture must be historical truth". Nonetheless, various attempts at
harmonization have been suggested. Generally they have followed literal interpretations such as that of
Augustine of Hippo, which suggest that these simply describe different aspects of the same event—that Judas hanged himself in the field, and the rope eventually snapped and the fall burst his body open,
or that the accounts of Acts and Matthew refer to two different transactions. Some have taken the descriptions as figurative: that the "falling prostrate" was Judas in anguish, and the "bursting out of the bowels" is pouring out emotion.
Modern scholars reject these approaches. Arie W. Zwiep states that "neither story was meant to be read in light of the other" and that "the integrity of both stories as complete narratives in themselves is seriously disrespected when the two separate stories are being conflated into a third, harmonized version." David A. Reed argues that the Matthew account is a
midrashic exposition that allows the author to present the event as a fulfillment of prophetic passages from the Old Testament. They argue 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.
Matthew's description of the death as fulfilment of a prophecy "spoken through Jeremiah the prophet" has caused difficulties, since it does not clearly correspond to any known version of the
Book of Jeremiah but does appear to refer to a story from the
Book of Zechariah which describes the return of a payment of
thirty pieces of silver
Thirty pieces of silver was the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to an account in the Gospel of Matthew 26:15 in the New Testament. Before the Last Supper, Judas is said to have gone to the chief priests and agreed to hand ...
. Even writers such as
Jerome and
John Calvin concluded that this was obviously an error. Evangelical theologian James R. White has suggested the misattribution arises from a supposed Jewish practice of using the name of a Major Prophet to refer to the whole content of the scroll group, including books written by minor prophets placed in the same grouping.
Some scholars have suggested that the Gospel writer may also have had a passage from Jeremiah in mind, such as chapters and which refer to a potter's jar and a burial place, and chapter which refers to a burial place and an earthenware jar.
Raymond Brown suggested, "the most plausible
xplanationis that Matthew 27:9–10 is presenting a mixed citation with words taken both from Zechariah and Jeremiah, and ... he refers to that combination by one name. Jeremiah 18–9 concerns a potter (18:2–; 19:1), a purchase (19:1), the Valley of Hinnom (where the Field of Blood is traditionally located, 19:2), 'innocent blood' (19:4), and the renaming of a place for burial (19:6, 11); and Jer 32:6–5 tells of the purchase of a field with silver."
Scholar Glenn W. Most suggests that Judas' death in Acts can be interpreted figuratively, writing that πρηνὴς γενόμενος should be translated as saying his body changed in position from vertical to prone, rather than falling headlong, and the spilling of the entrails is meant to invoke the imagery of dead snakes and their burst-open bellies. Hence Luke was stating that Judas became a snake and died like one.
Betrayal of Jesus
There are several explanations as to why Judas betrayed Jesus.
In the earliest account, in the Gospel of Mark, when he goes to the chief priests to betray Jesus, he is offered money as a reward, but it is not clear that money is his motivation. In the Gospel of Matthew account, on the other hand, he asks what they will pay him for handing Jesus over. In the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John, the
devil enters into Judas, causing him to offer to betray Jesus. The Gospel of John account has Judas complaining that money has been spent on expensive perfumes to anoint Jesus which could have been spent on the poor, but adds that he was the keeper of the apostles' purse and used to steal from it.
One suggestion has been that Judas expected Jesus to overthrow Roman rule of Judea. In this view, Judas is a disillusioned disciple betraying Jesus not so much because he loved money, but because he loved his country and thought Jesus had failed it.
Another is that Jesus was causing unrest likely to increase tensions with the Roman authorities and they thought he should be restrained until after the Passover, when everyone had gone back home and the commotion had died down.
The Gospels suggest that Jesus foresaw (, ) and allowed Judas' betrayal (). One explanation is that Jesus allowed the betrayal because it would allow God's plan to be fulfilled. Another is that regardless of the betrayal, Jesus was ultimately destined for crucifixion. In April 2006, a Coptic papyrus manuscript titled the
Gospel of Judas from 200 AD was translated, suggesting that Jesus told Judas to betray him,
although some scholars question the translation.
Nevertheless, the Gospel of Judas is an apocryphal Gnostic Gospel composed in the 2nd century and some scholars agree that it contains no real historical information.
Judas is the subject of philosophical writings.
Origen of Alexandria, in his Commentary on John's Gospel, reflected on Judas's interactions with the other apostles and Jesus' confidence in him prior to his betrayal. Other philosophical reflections on Judas include ''
The Problem of Natural Evil'' by
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British mathematician, philosopher, logician, and public intellectual. He had a considerable influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, linguistics, a ...
and "
Three Versions of Judas", a short story by
Jorge Luis Borges. They allege various problematic ideological contradictions with the discrepancy between Judas' actions and his eternal punishment. Bruce Reichenbach argues that if Jesus foresees Judas' betrayal, then the betrayal is not an act of
free will
Free will is the capacity of agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded.
Free will is closely linked to the concepts of moral responsibility, praise, culpability, sin, and other judgements which apply only to ac ...
, and therefore should not be punishable. Conversely, it is argued that just because the betrayal was foretold, it does not prevent Judas from exercising his own free will in this matter. Other scholars argue that Judas acted in obedience to God's will. The gospels suggest that Judas is apparently bound up with the fulfillment of God's purposes (, , , , , , ), yet "woe is upon him", and he would "have been better unborn" (). The difficulty inherent in the saying is its paradox: if Judas had not been born, the Son of Man would apparently no longer do "as it is written of him." The consequence of this apologetic approach is that Judas' actions come to be seen as necessary and unavoidable, yet leading to condemnation. Another explanation is that Judas' birth and betrayal did not necessitate the only way the Son of Man could have suffered and been crucified. The earliest churches believed "as it is written of him" to be prophetic, fulfilling Scriptures such as that of the suffering servant in Isaiah 52–53 and the righteous one in Psalm 22, which do not require betrayal (at least by ''Judas'') as the means to the suffering. Regardless of any necessity, Judas is held responsible for his act (Mark 14:21; Luke 22:22; Matt 26:24).
Erasmus believed that Judas was free to change his intention, but
Martin Luther argued in rebuttal that Judas' will was immutable.
John Calvin states that Judas was predestined to damnation, but writes on the question of Judas' guilt: "surely in Judas' betrayal, it will be no more right, because God himself willed that his son be delivered up and delivered him up to death, to ascribe the guilt of the crime to God than to transfer the credit for redemption to Judas." The Catholic Church has no view on his damnation.
The Vatican 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.
It is speculated that Judas's damnation, which seems possible from the Gospels' text, may not stem from his betrayal of Christ, but from the despair which caused him to subsequently commit suicide. This is confirmed in
Cornelius a Lapide's famous commentary, in which he writes that by hanging himself, "Judas then added to his former sin the further sin of despair. It was not a more heinous sin, but one more fatal to himself, as thrusting him down to the very depths of hell. He might, on his repentance, have asked (and surely have obtained) pardon of Christ. But, like Cain, he despaired of forgiveness."
In the ''
Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature a ...
'' of
Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His '' Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ...
, Judas is punished for all eternity in the ninth circle of Hell: in it, he is devoured by Lucifer, alongside
Marcus Junius Brutus and
Gaius Cassius Longinus
Gaius Cassius Longinus (c. 86 BC – 3 October 42 BC) was a Roman senator and general best known as a leading instigator of the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar on 15 March 44 BC. He was the brother-in-law of Brutus, another leader of the co ...
(leaders of the group of senators that
assassinated Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
).
In his book ''
The Passover Plot
''The Passover Plot'' is a 1965 book by British biblical scholar Hugh J. Schonfield, who also published a translation of the New Testament from a Jewish perspective.Hugh J. Schonfield
Hugh Joseph Schonfield (London, 17 May 1901 – 24 January 1988, London) was a British Bible scholar specialising in the New Testament and the early development of the Christian religion and church. He was born in London, and educated there at ...
suggested that the crucifixion of Christ was a conscious re-enactment of Biblical
prophecy
In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or p ...
and that Judas acted with the full knowledge and consent of Jesus in "betraying" him to the authorities. The book has been variously described as 'factually groundless', based on "little data" and "wild suppositions", "disturbing" and "tawdry".
In his 1969 book ''Theologie der Drei Tage'' (English translation: ''
Mysterium Paschale
''Mysterium Paschale. The Mystery of Easter'' (german: Theologie der Drei TageBalthasar, Hans Urs von (2000). p3) is a 1969 book by the Swiss theologian and Catholic priest Hans Urs von Balthasar. The original German edition was published by Benz ...
''),
Hans Urs von Balthasar emphasizes that Jesus was not betrayed but surrendered and delivered up by himself, since the meaning of the Greek word used by the New Testament, ''paradidonai'' (παραδιδόναι, la,
tradere), is unequivocally "handing over of self". In the "Preface to the Second Edition", Balthasar takes a cue from
Revelation (
Vulgate: ''agni qui occisus est ab origine mundi'',
NIV: "the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world") to extrapolate the idea that God as "
immanent Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the ...
" can endure and conquer godlessness, abandonment, and death in an "eternal super-
kenosis".
Role in apocrypha
Judas has been a figure of great interest to esoteric groups, such as many
Gnostic sects.
Irenaeus records the beliefs of one Gnostic sect, the
Cainites, who believed that Judas was an instrument of the
Sophia, Divine Wisdom, thus earning the hatred of the
Demiurge. 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.
The Syriac Infancy Gospel
The
Syriac Infancy Gospel
The Syriac Infancy Gospel, also known as the Arabic Infancy Gospel, is a New Testament apocryphal writing concerning the infancy of Jesus. It may have been compiled as early as the sixth century, and was partly based on the Infancy Gospel of Thom ...
borrows from some of the different versions of the
Infancy Gospel of Thomas. However, it adds many of its own tales, probably from local legends, including one of Judas. This pseudepigraphic work tells how Judas, as a boy, was
possessed by
Satan, who caused him to bite himself or anyone else present. In one of these attacks, Judas bit the young Jesus in the side; and, by touching Him, Satan was exorcised. It further states that the side which Judas supposedly bit was the same side that was pierced by the
Holy Lance
The Holy Lance, also known as the Lance of Longinus (named after Saint Longinus), the Spear of Destiny, or the Holy Spear, is the lance that pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross during his crucifixion.
Biblical references
The l ...
at the
Crucifixion.
Gospel of Judas
During the 1970s, a
Coptic papyrus
Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, '' Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to ...
codex (book) was discovered near Beni Masah,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
. It appeared to be a 3rd- or 4th-century-AD copy of a 2nd-century original, relating a series of conversations in which Jesus and Judas interact and discuss the nature of the universe from a Gnostic viewpoint. The discovery was given dramatic international exposure in April 2006 when the US ''
National Geographic'' magazine published a feature article entitled "The Gospel of Judas" with images of the fragile codex and analytical commentary by relevant experts and interested observers (but not a comprehensive translation). The article's introduction stated: "An ancient text lost for 1,700 years says Christ's betrayer was his truest disciple." The article points to some evidence that the original document was extant in the 2nd century: "Around A.D. 180,
Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon in what was then Roman Gaul, wrote a massive treatise called ''
Against Heresies''
n which he attackeda 'fictitious history,' which 'they style the Gospel of Judas.'"
Before the magazine's edition was circulated, other news media gave exposure to the story, abridging and selectively reporting it.
In December 2007,
April DeConick asserted that the ''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.' However, the universally accepted word for 'spirit' is 'pneuma'—in Gnostic literature "daimon" is always taken to mean 'demon.'" 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." In a later review of the issues and relevant publications, critic
Joan Acocella questioned whether ulterior intentions had not begun to supersede historical analysis, e.g., whether publication of The Gospel of Judas could be an attempt to roll back ancient anti-semitic imputations. She concluded that the ongoing clash between scriptural fundamentalism and attempts at revision were childish because of the unreliability of the sources. Therefore, she argued, "People interpret, and cheat. The answer is not to fix the Bible but to fix ourselves." Other scholars have questioned the initial translation and interpretation of the Gospel of Judas by the ''National Geographic'' team of experts.
Gospel of Barnabas
According to
medieval copies (the earliest copies from the 15th century) of the
Gospel of Barnabas it was Judas, not Jesus, who was crucified on the cross. This work states that Judas's 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 heavens. 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 rumors 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 descended and gathered his mother, disciples, and followers, and told them the truth of what happened. He then ascended back to the heavens, and will come back at the end of times as a just king.
This Gospel is considered by the majority of Christians to be late and pseudepigraphical; however, some academics suggest that it may contain some remnants of an earlier apocryphal work (perhaps Gnostic, Ebionite or
Diatessaronic), redacted to bring it more in line with Islamic doctrine. Some Muslims consider the surviving versions as transmitting a suppressed apostolic original. Some Islamic organizations cite it in support of the Islamic view of Jesus.
Representations and symbolism
Although the sanctification of the instruments of the
Passion of Jesus (the so-called ''
Arma Christi''), that slowly accrued over the course of the Middle Ages in Christian symbolism and art, also included the head and lips of Judas, the term ''Judas'' has entered many languages as a synonym for ''betrayer'', and Judas has become the archetype of the traitor in Western art and literature. Judas is given some role in virtually all literature telling the Passion story, and appears in numerous modern novels and movies.
In the
Eastern Orthodox hymns of
Holy Wednesday (the Wednesday before
Pascha), Judas is contrasted with the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive
perfume
Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent ...
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
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...
also make mention of Judas's 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."
Judas Iscariot is often shown with
red hair in
Spanish culture[pelo de Judas](_blank)
("Judas hair") in the '' Diccionario de la Real Academia Española''.[Page 314](_blank)
of article ''Red Hair'' from '' Bentley's Miscellany'', July 1851. '' The eclectic magazine of foreign literature, science, and art'', Volumen 2; Volumen 23, Leavitt, Trow, & Co., 1851.[ p. 256 of '' Letters from Spain'', Joseph Blanco White, H. Colburn, 1825.]
and by
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
.
[Judas colour](_blank)
in p. 473 of ''A glossary: or, Collection of words, phrases, names, and allusions to customs, proverbs, etc., which have been thought to require illustration, in the words of English authors, particularly Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
, and his contemporaries,'' Volumen 1. Robert Nares, James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps, Thomas Wright. J. R. Smith, 1859 The practice is comparable to the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
portrayal of Jews with red hair, which was then regarded as a negative trait and which may have been used to correlate Judas Iscariot with contemporary Jews.
In paintings depicting the Last Supper, Judas is occasionally depicted with a dark-colored halo (contrasting with the lighter halos of the other apostles) to signify his former status as an apostle. More commonly, however, he is the only one at the table without one. In some church
stained glass windows he is also depicted with a dark halo such as in one of the windows of the
Church of St John the Baptist, Yeovil.
Art and literature
Judas is the subject of one of the oldest surviving English ballads, which dates from the 13th century.
In the ballad, the blame for the betrayal of Christ is placed on Judas's sister. In
Dante
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ' ...
's ''
Inferno'', Judas is condemned to the lowest circle of
Hell: the Ninth Circle of Traitors, also known as the frozen lake,
Cocytus. He is one of three sinners deemed evil enough to be doomed to an eternity of being chewed in the mouths of the triple-headed
Satan (the others being
Brutus and
Cassius, the assassins of
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
). Dante writes that Judas—having committed the ultimate act of treachery by betraying the Son of God Himself—is trapped in the jaws of Satan's central head, said to be the most vicious Satan's three heads, by his(Judas's) head, leaving Judas's back to be raked by the fallen angel's claws. In art, one of the most famous depictions of Judas Iscariot and his kiss of betrayal of Jesus is ''
The Taking of Christ'', by Italian Baroque artist
Caravaggio, done in 1602.
In ''Memoirs of Judas'' (1867) by
Ferdinando Petruccelli della Gattina, he is seen as a leader of the Jewish revolt against the rule of Romans.
Edward Elgar's
oratorio, ''
The Apostles'', depicts Judas as wanting to force Jesus to declare his divinity and establish the kingdom on earth.
In ''Trial of Christ in Seven Stages'' (1909) by
John Brayshaw Kaye
John Brayshaw Kaye (June 10, 1841 – March 29, 1909) was an English-born American poet, lawyer and politician.
Life and works
John Brayshaw Kaye was born in Yorkshire, England, June 10, 1841, the fifth child and the fourth son of Abram and ...
, the author did not accept the idea that Judas intended to betray Christ, and the poem is a defence of Judas, in which he adds his own vision to the biblical account of the story of the trial before the
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin ( Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , '' synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as " rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temp ...
and
Caiaphas.
['']The Magazine of poetry
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
, Volume 2, Issues 1–4'' (1890) Charles Wells Moulton, Buffalo, New York
In
Mikhail Bulgakov's novel ''
The Master and Margarita'', Judas is paid by the high priest of Judaea to testify against Jesus, who had been inciting trouble among the people of Jerusalem. After authorizing the crucifixion, Pilate suffers an agony of regret and turns his anger on Judas, ordering him assassinated. The
story within a story appears as a counter-revolutionary novel in the context of Moscow in the 1920s–1930s. "
Tres versiones de Judas" (
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
title: "Three Versions of Judas") is a short story by Argentine writer and poet
Jorge Luis Borges; it was included in Borges' anthology ''
Ficciones
' (in English: "Fictions") is a collection of short stories by Argentine writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges, originally written and published in Spanish between 1941 and 1956. Thirteen stories from ''Ficciones'' were first published by New Dire ...
'', published in 1944, and revolves around the main character's doubts about the canonical story of Judas who instead creates three alternative versions. On April 17, 1945, the radio program ''
Inner Sanctum'' broadcast the story "The Judas Clock", in which the cursed title object, a 16th-century Italian marble
longcase clock
A grandfather clock (also a longcase clock, tall-case clock, grandfather's clock, or floor clock) is a tall, freestanding, weight-driven pendulum clock with the pendulum held inside the tower or waist of the case. Clocks of this style are common ...
, is unable to run without the thirty silver coins of Judas being placed in its hollow weights. The episode's main character, played by
Berry Kroeger, recites the fate of Judas from Matthew 27:5 (King James version) at the episode's conclusion.
The 1971 novel ''I, Judas'' by
Taylor Caldwell and
Jess Stearn () was one of the first published novels to portray Judas in a more sympathetic light. In the 1977 television miniseries ''
Jesus of Nazareth'', Judas was famously portrayed by
Ian McShane, in a critically acclaimed performance. He is portrayed as being torn between personal loyalty to his Rabbi and social loyalty to the Sanhedrin. Ultimately he is "seduced" into betraying Jesus by the temple scribe Zerah, the fictional character who acts as the series' lead villain.
In
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...
's 1988 film ''
The Last Temptation of Christ'', based on the novel by
Nikos Kazantzakis, Judas' only motivation in betraying Jesus to the Romans was to help him accomplish his mission by mutual agreement, making Judas the catalyst for the event later interpreted as bringing about humanity's salvation. In the film ''
Dracula 2000'', Dracula (played by Gerard Butler) is revealed in this version to be Judas. God punishes Judas, not only for betraying Jesus, but attempting suicide at dawn, by turning him into the first vampire, and making him vulnerable to silver for taking 30 pieces of silver as payment for his betrayal, and his suicide attempt at dawn also tries to explain a vampire's violent reaction to sunlight. In ''
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot'' (2005), a critically acclaimed play by
Stephen Adly Guirgis, Judas is given a trial in Purgatory. In
C. K. Stead
Christian Karlson "Karl" Stead (born 17 October 1932) is a New Zealand writer whose works include novels, poetry, short stories, and literary criticism. He is one of New Zealand's most well-known and internationally celebrated writers.
Early l ...
's 2006 novel ''My Name Was Judas'', Judas, who was then known as Idas of Sidon, recounts the story of Jesus as recalled by him some forty years later.
In the epic miniseries ''
The Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts o ...
'', Judas is portrayed by actor Joe Wredden.
In September 2017,
Boom Studios
Boom! Studios (styled BOOM! Studios) is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States.
History
Origins
In the early 2000s, Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby had been working in Hollyw ...
announced a four-issue comic, ''Judas'', written by
Jeff Loveness
Jeff Loveness is an American screenwriter, television producer, actor, and comic book writer who has worked on the television series ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' and ''Rick and Morty,'' as well as the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Ant-M ...
and Jakub Rebelka. In March 2018,
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...
's ''
15 Minute Drama'' broadcast ''Judas'', written by Lucy Gannon, in 5 episodes with
Damien Molony
Damien Molony (born 21 February 1984) is an Irish actor. He is best known for his television roles as Hal Yorke in BBC Three's '' Being Human'', DC Albert Flight in the BBC's ''Ripper Street'', DS Jack Weston in Channel 5's '' Suspects'', Jon ...
in the title role. In the March 2018 film ''
Mary Magdalene'', written by
Helen Edmundson, Judas is played by
Tahar Rahim.
Judas is a lead role in
Andrew Lloyd Webber and
Tim Rice's ''
Jesus Christ Superstar''. The rock opera depicts Judas as somewhat of a
tragic figure
''Tragic Figure'' is an EP by the American post-punk band Savage Republic, released in 1984 by Independent Project Records. It was later appended to reissues of the band's debut album ''Tragic Figures''.
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from ...
who is dissatisfied with the direction in which Jesus is steering his disciples. Various actors and singers who have played the role include:
Murray Head (original concept album),
Ben Vereen (original 1971 Broadway production),
Carl Anderson (
1973 film adaptation),
Roger Daltrey (1996
BBC Radio 2 production),
Zubin Varla
Zubin Varla (born 1970) is a British actor and singer. He played the role of Judas in the 1996 West End revival of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', alongside Steve Balsamo (Jesus), Joanna Ampil (Mary Magdalene), and David Burt (Pilate). This produ ...
(1996 London revival),
Jérôme Pradon (2000 film adaptation based on the 1996 revival),
Tony Vincent (2000 Broadway revival),
Corey Glover (2006 "new" A.D. tour),
Tim Minchin (2012 Arena Tour), and
Brandon Victor Dixon (
live 2018 televised concert).
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
released a single entitled "Judas" from her 2011 album ''Born This Way'' in 2011.
In
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
, one of the
Phantom Stranger's possible origins is that he is Judas. After his suicide, he is judged by the Circle of Eternity and is sent back to Earth as an eternal agent of God. The thirty silver pieces he received for betraying Jesus is formed into the signature necklace he wears, and his deeds cause pieces to fall off, bringing him closer towards redemption.
The American band
Walk the Moon has a song called "Iscariot" on their
self-titled album.
See also
* "
Three Versions of Judas"
*
Judas goat
A Judas goat is a trained goat used in general animal herding. The Judas goat is trained to associate with sheep or cattle, leading them to a specific destination. In stockyards, a Judas goat will lead sheep to slaughter, while its own life is s ...
*
Judas tree
*
Judas's Ear mushroom ''(Auricularia auricula-judae)''
*
Burning of Judas
The burning of Judas is an Easter-time ritual that originated in European Christian communities where an effigy of Judas Iscariot is burned. Other related mistreatment of Judas effigies include hanging, flogging, and exploding with fireworks. A ...
Explanatory notes
Citations
General and cited references
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
"Judas Iscariot"in the ''
Jewish Encyclopedia''
"Gospel Truth" piece in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' on the Gospel of Judas
{{Authority control
30s deaths
Ancient people who committed suicide
Christianity and antisemitism
Suicides by hanging in Israel
Traitors in history
Twelve Apostles
Year of birth unknown