The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot by Jeffrey Archer
Authors: Jeffrey Archer
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S CRIBES AND THE P HARISEES: The Scribes were largely a servant group. They were men who studied the law and served as legal consultants to anyone who required their expert services. Thus, there were Scribes of the Sadducees and well as Scribes of the Pharisees. The Pharisees emerged in Israel during the two centuries before the Christian era. At that time Jewish leadership, including the High Priest, was controlled by foreign powers, initially the Hellenistic leaders, and then the Romans. The Pharisees (whose name probably reflects the concept of being âcut offâ from corruption) attempted to live a strict Jewish life, obedient to the commands of the Torah. They opposed corrupt leadership and suffered a great deal because of their faith. They travelled wherever there were Jews, but their base was always the Synagogue, where the Torah was the centre of Jewish worship. Their focus on the Torah and Synagogue ensured mobility; thus they survived the Jewish War and eventually produced what is known as Rabbinic Judaism.
x. U NDER A FIG TREE: There is a Jewish tradition that a person reflecting on the Torah should do so under a fig tree. The Jewish texts are late, but probably refer to a widespread and early tradition of the learned men of the law sitting under a fig tree to study scripture.
xi. T HE S ON OF G OD: Judas does not believe that Jesus is the âSon of Godâ, as is found in the Johannine tradition ( AD 100), and as it was eventually understood and defined by the Church at Nicea ( AD 325) and Chalcedon ( AD 451): Jesus as thesecond person in the Trinity. Judas does believe in the messianic âson of Godâ, as expected in Israel on the basis of such texts as Ps 2:7 and 2 Sam 7:14.
xii. S IN AND S ICKNESS: The Hebrew Bible often links the punishment of sin with sickness and death (2 Sam 12:13â23; 24:1â25). Only God has authority over sickness and sin.
xiii. C ONFLICT STORIES: The description of the conflicts between Jesus and the Jewish leadership, found in The Gospel According to Judas 6:9â15, is based on Mark 2:1â12. Judasâ account suggests a mounting crisis. The initial response to Jesusâ miracles is surprise. By the time he has performed all of his miracles, the Jewish Elders have judged him to be a blasphemer, and only worthy of death.
xiv. T HE D ECAPOLIS: This term refers to a group of Hellenistic towns located in Transjordania, the region to the north-east of the river Jordan. The word in Greek means âten citiesâ, but it is difficult to trace the exact names of ten cities. The following nine have been identified: Abila, Canata, Dius, Gadara, Gerasa, Hippos, Pella, Phildelphia and Scythopolis. These cities were largely inhabited by Gentiles, who followed Greek customs and religion.
xv. T HE T WELVE: The list of the twelve disciples in The Gospel According to Judas 8:30 reflects the lists in the Christian Gospels. Judas Iscariot is always named last. The placing of Judasâ name at the end of the list and his delineation as the one who betrayed Jesus were all part of the early Christian determination to blacken Judasâ character.
xvi. J ESUS â SERMON: The sermon of Jesus, beginning with the âbeatitudesâ, is loosely based on Jesusâ sermon on the plain as found in Luke (6:20â49), rather than the longer, better-known version of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5, 6 and 7).
xvii. O UR F ATHER: The version of the âOur Fatherâ found in The Gospel According to Judas 9:37 is based on the Lucan version of this prayer (Luke 11:2â4). It is very brief, and full of urgent promises that look to an imminent fulfilment. The version in the Gospel of Luke is likely to be closer to the words that Jesus actually taught the disciples than the elaborate and better-known form of the prayer, found in Matt 6:9â13, which is currently used in most Christian liturgies and prayer books.
xviii. T HE C OMMUNITY AT K HIRBET Q
x. U NDER A FIG TREE: There is a Jewish tradition that a person reflecting on the Torah should do so under a fig tree. The Jewish texts are late, but probably refer to a widespread and early tradition of the learned men of the law sitting under a fig tree to study scripture.
xi. T HE S ON OF G OD: Judas does not believe that Jesus is the âSon of Godâ, as is found in the Johannine tradition ( AD 100), and as it was eventually understood and defined by the Church at Nicea ( AD 325) and Chalcedon ( AD 451): Jesus as thesecond person in the Trinity. Judas does believe in the messianic âson of Godâ, as expected in Israel on the basis of such texts as Ps 2:7 and 2 Sam 7:14.
xii. S IN AND S ICKNESS: The Hebrew Bible often links the punishment of sin with sickness and death (2 Sam 12:13â23; 24:1â25). Only God has authority over sickness and sin.
xiii. C ONFLICT STORIES: The description of the conflicts between Jesus and the Jewish leadership, found in The Gospel According to Judas 6:9â15, is based on Mark 2:1â12. Judasâ account suggests a mounting crisis. The initial response to Jesusâ miracles is surprise. By the time he has performed all of his miracles, the Jewish Elders have judged him to be a blasphemer, and only worthy of death.
xiv. T HE D ECAPOLIS: This term refers to a group of Hellenistic towns located in Transjordania, the region to the north-east of the river Jordan. The word in Greek means âten citiesâ, but it is difficult to trace the exact names of ten cities. The following nine have been identified: Abila, Canata, Dius, Gadara, Gerasa, Hippos, Pella, Phildelphia and Scythopolis. These cities were largely inhabited by Gentiles, who followed Greek customs and religion.
xv. T HE T WELVE: The list of the twelve disciples in The Gospel According to Judas 8:30 reflects the lists in the Christian Gospels. Judas Iscariot is always named last. The placing of Judasâ name at the end of the list and his delineation as the one who betrayed Jesus were all part of the early Christian determination to blacken Judasâ character.
xvi. J ESUS â SERMON: The sermon of Jesus, beginning with the âbeatitudesâ, is loosely based on Jesusâ sermon on the plain as found in Luke (6:20â49), rather than the longer, better-known version of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5, 6 and 7).
xvii. O UR F ATHER: The version of the âOur Fatherâ found in The Gospel According to Judas 9:37 is based on the Lucan version of this prayer (Luke 11:2â4). It is very brief, and full of urgent promises that look to an imminent fulfilment. The version in the Gospel of Luke is likely to be closer to the words that Jesus actually taught the disciples than the elaborate and better-known form of the prayer, found in Matt 6:9â13, which is currently used in most Christian liturgies and prayer books.
xviii. T HE C OMMUNITY AT K HIRBET Q
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