The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot by Jeffrey Archer Page A

UMRAN: The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls ( circa 1947) led to the uncovering of a fortress-like building at Khirbet Qumran, close to the Dead Sea, which housed a community of pious Jews. The building stood from about 150 BC until AD 70, when it was destroyed by the Romans. It is widely accepted that a group of Jewish sectarians, known by other first-century witnesses as the Essenes, had gathered at Khirbet Qumran. They lived in community, and were hostile to a Jewish leadership that compromised the traditions of Israel in order to maintain good relations with foreignpowers. Since 1947, many scrolls, some containing biblical texts and others containing texts that had been composed at Qumran, have been unearthed. The texts mentioned ( Community Rule, Rule of the Congregation, The War Scroll ) were written by the Essenes at Khirbet Qumran.
    xix. T HE M ESSIAH AND THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN: The link between the gift of the manna and the messianic era had already been made in Judaism during the first century. The citation from 2 Baruch in The Gospel According to Judas 10:26 comes from a document that can be dated from the end of first century AD .
    xx. C AESAREA P HILIPPI: The town is unknown before the time of Antiochus IV of Syria, but is identified around 200 BC as Panion. This name already reflects the cult to Pan that was discovered there. In 20 BC Augustus handed over the district to Herod the Great, and after his death it fell into the hands of his son, Philip, who renamed it ‘Caesarea’ in honour of the Roman Emperor. However, it was known as ‘Caesarea Philippi’ to distinguish Philip’s Caesarea from the beautiful Herodian seaport to the south, the seat of the Roman government at the time of Jesus. This is the name found in the Gospels, including The Gospel According To Judas 11. At a later date it reverted to Paneas, and this is the name that is still to be found in the contemporary Arabic word Banias.
    xxi. S ON OF M AN: This expression, found throughout all four Gospels, is only ever used by Jesus to speak of himself. It is perhaps the clearest indication of Jesus’ own understanding of his person and mission. It is an expression that is widely used in Ezekiel to indicate the humble human status of the prophet. It is also found in Daniel 7:13–14. The meaning of the expression in Daniel is widely debated among biblical scholars, especially as Jesus seems to use it in a way that looks back to Dan 7:13–14. It clearly refers to a figure who will overcome all opposition and return in glory. In the Gospels, Jesus also associates the Son of Man with suffering (see Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:32–34), and some suggest that a suffering Son of Man is already implied by the experience of the people of Israel at the time Daniel was written.
    xxii. P ETER THE STUMBLING BLOCK: In the Gospel of Matthew, this play upon words using Peter as the stumbling block is very clearly spelt out. The Evangelist reports Jesus’ blessing of Peter as ‘the rock’ (Greek: petros/petra ) (Matt 16:18). But when Peter tries to prevent Jesus’ journey to the cross, Jesus calls him ‘Satan’ (Aramaic: satana ) and goes on to explain that this means he is a ‘stumbling block’ (Greek: skandalon ).
    xxiii. A BBA/FATHER: Jesus spoke Aramaic, and on one occasion in the Gospels (Mark 14:36) he uses the Aramaic word Abba , and the Evangelist translates it for his Greek readers as ‘father’. The term was used by children whothought of their father in a way that was respectful, obedient and loving.
    xxiv. M OUNT T ABOR: This small mountain, reached by means of a very steep climb, is located south of Nazareth, on the road to Judea. It is difficult to be certain what actually happened during the strange encounter the disciples have with the transfigured Jesus. It is also impossible to be sure where it took place. The Orthodox traditions generally locate the transfiguration on the more