Το Ευαγγέλιο του Ιούδα

by Anonymous, Rodolphe Kasser (Editor), Marvin W. Meyer (Editor)

Το μόνο γνωστό αντίγραφο...
Χαμένο για δεκαέξι αιώνες, το ανατρεπτικό ευαγγέλιο του Ιούδα ανακαλύφθηκε σε μια σπηλιά στην έρημο της Αιγύπτου

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, History, Christianity, Theology, Spirituality, Philosophy

222 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Chip · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a child in Sunday School I was always the thorn in the side of my teachers. The Judas problems (there were two for me) always nagged me and I could not get a straight answer from anyone. This "Gospel" does offer insight/validation about my childish concerns, if you can see through the Gnosticism.

Problem 1: if, as Jesus said, everything about his life was foretold by the Prophets, including his "betrayal" and death, then Judas was only fulfilling his role in the prophesies when he kissed Jesus. At the Last Supper, Jesus excused Judas early, telling him to go and do what he must. My problem is/was: how can it be a "betrayal" when he's fulfilling the prophesies and was directly commanded by his Lord to do it? Judas believed he was acting according to Jesus' wishes. This Gospel seems to be trying to fill in the backstory for Judas.

Problem 2: if Judas was indeed fulfilling the prophesies, why kill himself afterward? And how did he die? The Bible says he gutted himself and he hung himself. Which one is it? (This part always made the teachers blow spittle: caught in an obvious contradiction, some part of the Bible had to be wrong... but who can tell which part? This contradiction has quelled so many ravenous Southern Baptists asking me if I believe the Bible is the literal Word of God, therefore infallible. Regardless, I spent a lot of time in the hall at Sunday School. I remember more than one pastor expressing concern for my eternal soul because I couldn't keep my questions to myself (at which point I would ask about the child Jesus asking questions in the Temple and why was that okay and it wasn't okay for me to do the same thing; my mom had the best answer: "You're not Jesus"))

Thanks to this book I now have a beginner's understanding of Gnosticism. I'm convinced that Judas neither hung himself nor gutted himself (my best guess is that he is the mysterious unnamed disciple who accompanied and cared for Mary in her old age; this book would have you believe he took time to dictate/write his Gospel. After that he is lost to time). Most of all I believe Judas was given a divine mission to help Jesus complete the prophesies - let's face it, without the crucifixion there would be no resurrection and Christianity would have been over before it started. A mortal tapped by the divine for a Holy mission would not throw away his entry into Heaven by ending his own life. Furthermore, the other disciples must have been aware of all of this. One would think they would have hunted Judas down and slaughtered him for his "betrayal" if that was what they believed. Instead we're left with a stone-faced silence in the New Testament except for the footnote that he killed himself in various ways. Was this post-publication editing or embellishment? Wouldn't that be tampering with the infallible unchangeable Word of God?

So what, then, is the greater sin: tampering with the Bible/Gospel Truth or believing that Jesus knew what he was doing when he invited Judas to join the disciples - thus there was no "betrayal"?

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το είχα διαβάσει όταν πρωτοβγήκε επί εποχής Κώδικα Da Vinci (το έδινε δώρο το National Geographic ή κάτι αντίστοιχο αν θυμάμαι καλά). Ευχάριστο ανάγνωσμα, αφορμή για πολλή κουβέντα, ήμασταν και φοιτητές τότε, προ κρίσης κατάσταση, με κάτι τέτοια ασχολούμασταν στο φραπέ και το τάβλι --> αν και για το τελευταίο δεν έπαιζα, πάντα μου την έδινε ο ήχος από τα ζάρια!!!!!!

Τώρα που το ξανασκέφτομαι, τι ανέμελα χρόνια που ήταν τότε ρε παιδιά... δεν πρέπει να υπήρξε γενιά που έζησε φοιτητική ζωή περισσότερο ανεβασμένη σε ένα ροζ συννεφάκι από όσους είναι σήμερα σε ηλικία 30-35. Τότε που όλες οι προοπτικές καριέρας φαίνονταν δυνατές...

[Julian Worker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first known appearance of this remarkable gospel since it was hidden away in Egypt many centuries ago.

The Gospel of Judas was discovered as the third of four texts in a papyrus codex, called Codex Tchacos, in the 1970s in Middle Egypt. It is a coptic translation though the original would have been in Greek and created around the middle of the second century.

This date is secure because one of the fathers of the church, Irenaeus of Lyon, referred to this gospel in his work Against Heresies written around 180.

From the beginning of the gospel, Judas is portrayed as the only disciple having a special knowledge about Jesus' true identity. Judas is presented as the disciple who is able to allow his inner, spiritual personality to come to expression before Jesus. Jesus discloses certain information to Judas, a narration of the entire cosmological myth.

Jesus tells Judas "you will sacrifice the man that clothes me".

[Marco · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 2006 werd bekend dat fragmenten van het verloren gewaande evangelie van Judas zijn gevonden in een codex met meer mystieke teksten die samen een opvallende boodschap bevatten: het verraad van Judas was in opdracht van Jezus zelf. Judas is geen verrader, maar de uitverkorene die is ingewijd in de meest verborgen mysteriën van het geloof. Dat zou ook de opvallende tegenstrijdigheid in het Christendom verklaren: zonder het “verraad” namelijk geen kruisdood van Jezus met Pasen, geen mysterie van wederopstanding en geen verlossing van de zonden voor de mensheid. Want dat is volgens het gepredikte geloof de reden dat Jezus aan het kruis moest sterven. Dus wat is er dan precies mis met die daad van Judas (pg 85)? Overigens zijn deze gnostische teksten ook verder nog behoorlijk afwijkend van het Christelijk geloof, dat zoals we weten behoorlijk heeft ingezet op onderdrukking om zelf in weelde aan de macht te kunnen blijven. Niet dat de nieuw ontdekte gnostische teksten bijster opbeurend zijn: slechts enkelen onder de mensen hebben de goddelijke vonk ontvangen en kunnen worden verlost als ze door zelfontwikkeling leren hoe naar huis terug te keren. De rest keert terug tot de aarde, stof tot stof en verdwijnt. Nou lekker dan. Daar kan je het mee doen. Het is maar goed dat grote delen van het evangelie van Judas nog zoek zijn. Hoop dat uit de ontbrekende delen een iets positievere boodschap naar voren komt doet immers leven.

[Δημήτρης · Rating 5 out of 5]

Βρήκα σήμερα στη βιβλιοθήκη του πατέρα την έκδοση του National Geographic για το Ευαγγέλιο του Ιούδα. Μαζί με το εν λόγω Ευαγγέλιο βρέθηκαν και κάποια άλλα κείμενα στην Αίγυπτο τη δεκαετία του '70 θαμμένα για περίπου 16 αιώνες.

Δε μπορώ να σχολιάσω το περιεχόμενο του Ευαγγελίου καθώς είναι κάτι που γράφτηκε πριν πολλούς αιώνες και συν τοις άλλοις πρόκειται για φιλοσοφία. Άλλοι διαφωνούν, άλλοι συμφωνούν. Εγώ ανήκω στην πρώτη ομάδα διαφωνόντας γενικά με την θεολογία. Από εκεί και πέρα όμως έχει μεγάλο ενδιαφέρον η μελέτη των θρησκειών και των αποκρύφων απόψεων για αυτές.

Η έκδοση πέρα από το Ευαγγέλιο έχει και άλλα τέσσερα κείμενα που αναφέρονται στην διατήρηση των χειρογραφων, την ανάλυση του περιεχομένου και τη σύνδεσή του με τους Γνωστικούς. Εγώ το βρήκα εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρον, ειδικά ως προς την εγκυκλοπαιδική γνώση που μου προσέφερε ανεξάρτητα από την πίστη (που δεν έχω).

[Абрахам Хосебр · Rating 5 out of 5]

Термін "гностицизм" походить від грецького "гнозис", тобто "знання". Гностики - це «ті, що володіють знанням». Що вони знають? Їм відомі секрети здобуття порятунку. Згідно з поглядами гностиків, людина знаходить порятунок не тому, що вірить у Христа чи робить добрі справи. Ні, людина рятується завдяки знанню істини — істини про світ, у якому ми живемо, про істинного Бога і насамперед про те, хто ми є самі. Іншими словами, йшлося про широке самопізнання: знання про те, звідки ми прийшли, як опинилися тут і яким шляхом зможемо повернутися до нашої небесної обителі. На думку багатьох гностиків цей матеріальний світ не є нашим домом. Ми в полоні у нашої плоті, і нам слід знайти знання про те, як вирватися з полону. Гностики-християни (багато гностиків християнами небули) вважали, що це таємне знання згори несе нам сам Христос. Він відкриває істину своїм найближчим послідовникам, і ця істина робить їх вільними.
Звичайно ж, традиційне християнство вчить, що наш світ є добрим творінням єдиного, істинного Бога. Але гностики цього погляду не поділяли. На думку великої кількості груп гностиків, бог-деміург, який створив цей світ, не є єдиним Богом, причому навіть не наймогутнішим чи всезнаючим. Він — мале, нижче і найчастіше неосвічене божество. То як ми можемо дивитися на світ і знаходити його добрим творінням? Гностики бачили, що у світі відбуваються лиха — землетруси, урагани, повені, голод, посухи, епідемії, злидні, страждання, — і тому заявляли, що світ поганий. Але, казали вони, не можна звинувачувати у цих бідах Бога! Ні, цей світ — космічна катастрофа, і порятунок знайдуть лише ті, хто дізнається, як вийти з лещат цього світу та його матеріальних кайданів.
Деякі мислителі, прихильні до гностицизму, пояснювали існування цього зла, тобто матеріального світу, за допомогою складних міфів про творення. Згідно з цими міфами, верховне Божество абсолютно усунуте з цього світу, оскільки його сутність виключно духовна і не має будь-яких матеріальних властивостей або якостей. Це Божество породило безліч так званих еонів, які є духовними сутностями. Спочатку існував лише божественний світ, який населяли Бог та його еони. Але потім відбулася світова катастрофа: один із еонів якимось чином випав із божественного царства; ця подія призвела до появи поза божественною сферою інших божественних сутностей. Ці нижчі божества створили наш матеріальний світ. Він був створений як пастка для божественних іскор, що розмістилися всередині людського тіла. Іншими словами, деякі люди несуть у собі, у глибині своєї сутності, елемент божественної природи. Душі цих людей безсмертні, вони лише тимчасово укладені у неміцній та убогій речовій оболонці. Цим душам необхідно звільнитися, повернутись у священне царство, звідки вони прийшли.

Так Барт Ерман в загальному охорактеризовує явище гностицизму. "Євангеліє від Юди" - текст, який належить до сефіанської гілки геостицизму теж говорить це.
В даній книзі, окрім переклад тексту, вміщено п'ять післямов, кожна з яких розповідає про знайдення кодексу, його місце се��ед гностичних трактатів та можливості протрактування.

В "Євангелії від Юди" Ісус розповідає про те, як з'явилися на світ від Самопородженого чотири інших ангели, або посланця, названі «світилами», і про те, що вони стали служниками Самопородженого. В інших сифіанських творах, Чотири Світила мають імена: Гармозель, Ороїаель, Даветхай та Елелет.
Явне посилання на перших Тетраморфів!

У заключній частині "Євангелія від Юди" Ісус стверджує, що зірка Юди засяяла. Юді суджена сумна доля, про що він отримує попередження, зафіксовані в тексті, він стане тринадцятим, буде вигнаний із числа дванадцяти учнів, буде проклятий рештою і замінений кимось ще (Євангеліє від Юди 35–36; Дії апостолів 1:15–26) ). Ісус називає Юду «тринадцятим духом», використовуючи термін, який Платон відносив до духа, який керував Сократом та іншим. Але, незважаючи на всі труднощі та протидію, що чекають на Юду, Ісус обіцяє, що в майбутньому йому притовані благословення та слава. Барт Ерман у своїй статті зазначає, що тринадцять стає щасливим числом для Юди. Ісус велить Юді підняти погляд до зірок і побачити, що його зірка вказує шлях.
Тут відразу приходить на гадку Телема і її мотто: "Кожен чоловік і жінка - зірка".

Словник базових термінів:

Аллоген - той, що походить з іншого роду, мандрівник
Саклас - деміург, ім'я означає "Дурень"
Ялдабаот - деміург, ім'я означає "Дитя Хаосу"
Небро - деміург, "той, що повстав", в інших гностичних текстах - Небруель, жінка-деміург з якою Саклас зачав людський рід
Сиф (Сет) - Христос, прародитель аллогенів, які відрізняються від людей породжених Сакласом

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happen to be a fan of all of the “Banned from the Bible” specials on the History Channel, both parts I & II. I actually sit through them every time they air, you might even say I do this religiously. Although this tends to be something like a six-hour event I’m somewhat powerless to resist. I find the fact that one of the world’s most dominant religions once had several different versions to it as endlessly fascinating and is well worth re-watching again and again. I pick up on something different each time.

It also makes me wonder about several “what if” scenarios. For me, it almost seems like all the best parts were taken out of the bible but I know it’s just the contrarian in me that believes this. Had all of these apocryphal texts been included in the beginning I’d surely find them to be old hat and easily ignorable. Maybe not. Who knows?

Well, despite my interest in this sort of thing, I unfortunately found the reading of the actual text of this lost gospel as something of a letdown. The fragmentary nature of what could be salvaged from the severely damaged original papyrus copy pretty much ensures that just when the story is getting to the good parts all is lost. Something along the lines of this, "...and the secret to life, its meaning and everything else is _____________!”

Not only did I find this frustrating but it was also sort of like watching a fairly exciting dramatic movie on satellite TV in a thunderstorm. As the dish on your roof gets battered about your reception keeps freezing and alternately skipping all over the place only to start up again sometime later leaving you really no clue as to what really is going on or what you may have missed.

Well, thanks to several experts and authorities who’ve written essays that are included in this book we can get a general idea as to what this text might hold. Although I’m still glad the actual text is included here as a reference, it could largely be passed over for all it really manages to convey in its present state. In truth, it is these essays that are really what this book is about. I find all of these interesting in their own way but some more than others.

The first of these essays details the saga of the initial discovery of the codex to its eventual translation several decades later. It’s an epic story and there’s a separate History Channel special devoted to this that essentially tells the same thing but it was interesting to read about it nevertheless.

Another essay covers the 2nd century scholar Irenaeus and his mention of this gospel in a work he compiled in 180 AD on heresies. Overall, this essay explores this ancient scholar’s motivation and potential bias for writing about it, as well as uses the date of his book to attempt to accurately estimate when this gospel may have been written.

Lastly, there is a rather scholarly exploration of other Gnostic texts, which I found interesting but did not fully enjoy as I felt it also required a greater familiarity with the subject to fully appreciate. Essentially, for me it was like an obscure and gothic written sermon read to me while I had a serious hangover. My mind kept wandering to more lighter and pleasant things like napping quietly in the shade rather than try to grasp what was being said in this. Entirely my fault I can assure you.

On the whole, it is the second essay by Bart D. Ehrman that is my favorite here. This explicitly explores the interpretative meanings of the text as well as provides some general background on the Gnostic faith. Overall, I dig the Gnostics and find them to be a fascinating group. They had some rather interesting ideas. Of course, the main and most relevant one worth mentioning here being that Judas was the favorite disciple of Jesus.

However, even though the reason for this perverse favoritism is given it is not completely explored to my satisfaction and I find myself having a lot more questions to ask. Rather than blame the book for not having answered these I look at this more as a primer or introduction to this subject and will most likely at some point will pick up some other books to see if I can find the answers I’m looking for there. (As it turns out, I found out after posting this review that this author has written an entire book on this subject)

If anything, I was absolutely intrigued by this little book and see no reason why anyone should shy away from it based on a little thing like the stigma associated with Judas of Iscariot. He might not have been such a bad guy according to this gospel and if you think about it this wouldn't be the first time history needed to be rethought.

Besides, I strongly believe everyone should entertain a critical assessment of all of their personal beliefs or what they think they know to be true. At the very least, if doing so doesn’t alter your way of thinking in any way then it allows you to find further affirmations for your beliefs, as well as in the process maybe understand other peoples just a little bit better. No matter what the outcome, I see absolutely nothing wrong in this.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Around 180 Irenaeus, Bishop of what's now called Lyon, in his Adversus Haeresis, five books denouncing the errors of those deviating from his own orthodoxy, mentioned a gospel of Judas. In the late seventies such a text was found and, finally, over thirty years later, partially restored by experts and entered into the public record. The Coptic holograph itself carbon dated to about 300, but the original of which this was a copy may--or may not--be the text mentioned by Irenaeus. If so, it originated prior to 180.

Like its origins, the text itself is obscure, particularly when it details its cosmology. Here one is reminded of numerous 'gnostic' texts like the Pistis Sophia--and of what Irenaeus called 'the delirious melons' of Valentinus. While this book provides, in addition to a translation of the surviving text, a commentary by Marvin Meyer which attempts to explain the various aeonic generations, I certainly didn't get it--nor, I suspect, does Meyer or anyone else.

Beyond that, yes, the hype is true. In this gospel the most favored of the disciples is indeed Judas. He alone is entrusted with Jesus' explanation of the true nature of things. He alone is entrusted with the mission of securing his master's arrest and execution.

What this and the myriad other gospels and apocalypses which didn't make the current canon say about the early, pre-monarchical Church is the most remarkable aspect of the whole, otherwise overblown, affair. Yes, The Gospel of Judas radically challenges 'the myth of Christian beginnings' as represented, say, by Acts or by Eusebius, but so too do the others.

[Belsac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting Gnostic text and intelligent discussion. Of course, I don't feel any of the Gnostic texts are authentic to the 1st c, most experts place them in the 2nd c. which is far too late to be an accurate narrative.

The Gnostics had radical beliefs and I see this Gospel as a 2nd c propaganda piece to promote their desire to radically alter Christianity from Everyone can be saved to just the enlightened can be saved. Despite my deep skepticism about the authenticity of the Gospel, the author does an excellent job of presenting it and explaining the text in the context of the 2nd c. early Christian Church without accepting or rejecting the text.

It is a fascinating read and a must for anyone interested in the early history of the church.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but dry.

[Miguel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and concise without any religious or supernatural agenda. The essays at the end really help make sense in a historical and fact based manner

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, judas did nothing wrong. Ler fantasía épica e ler relixión...la misma cosa

[John Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the early church fathers and bishops, Irenaeus, best known work was Against Heresies, which was a defense against gnosticism. Gnosticism claims secret wisdom necessary for salvation. One of the works addressed by Irenaeus was The Gospel of Judas. No one else saw this early writing until 1,600 years later and was published in 2006.

This early writing portrays Judas in a different light from the devil-inspired betrayer presented in the four gospels. Here, Judas, is Jesus's closest friend, the "beloved" disciple who turned Jesus over to the authorities when prompted by Jesus. Judas's actions allow him to escape his material body and to return to his heavenly home. In fact, Jesus's spirit ascended before the crucifixion. Judas was the hero that allowed this ascension to happen.

In gnostic writings, the god of creation is not the same that received Jesus in heaven. Salvation does not come from the death and resurrection of Jesus; it comes from denying the world and rejecting the body that holds your divine spirt. In the Gospel of Judas, Judas is given secret information by Jesus and is told that he will join him in paradise after he suffers awhile for his betrayal (which Jesus encouraged? Talk about entrapment!)

This book contains parts of the 25 pages of The Gospel of Judas. Since portions are demaged the scholars made educated guesses regarding words or phrases missing or leaves aspects of the gospel blank. The remainder of the book additional commentaries by various scholars, including my favorite, Bart Ehrman. The subject of the commentaries on the Codex Tchacos, which included The Gospel of Judas; The Gospel of Judas compared to the canonical gospels; gnosticism; and Irenaeus.

Afer reading this book, I have a better understanding why orthodoxy had to eliminate gnosticism. The two were diametrically opposed theologically. I also understand better the origins of the Nicene Creed. If you are interested in the history of the early Church, this book is a must read.

[Guillermo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's get this straight. I finished the text, not the entire book. I'm sure the essays that followed The Gospel of Judasare interesting and provide historical insight to the lost text, it doesn't further my pursuit of reading as many religious texts as I promised - a stupid idea last year, but I bought all these books so I better damn read them.

It's hard to "review" a religious text - especially one that is considered a "lost book" of the Bible. Especially hard when said "lost book" also has several lines of text missing. We also know the ending - "Judas answered them as they wished. And he received some money and handed him over to them."

So what this book offers is an unique insight to the times before Judas' betrayal. It even offers a hint that Jesus already knew and warned Judas of said betrayal: "But you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me./Already your horn has been raised,/your wrath has been kindled,/your star has shown brightly/and your heart has [...]."

It's a new look at Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, as well as, Jesus the messiah. It's also no wonder why this text will never make it into any canon. Interesting read and you should definitely pick it up.

[Katie Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This as a challenging socio-cultural read on the early Christian faith and its deeply divergent schools of thought. There was a total book nerd writing one of the essays in here who reminded me of Blathers from Animal Crossing and his love of the ancient manuscript made me laugh in delight. It was also a cool book about that historical baddie Yehudah "Judas" Κ-Qrîyôt and how we can think about him in different ways.

[Atwalys Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating...Astonishing!!!
The discovery of the Gospel of Judas is definitively one of the most important archeoligical discoveries of all time.
Intriguing!!!! This book reveals a most beautiful portrait of the long-hatred and despised apostle and his role in the Passion of the Christ is more important that described in sacred scriptures .
The Redemption of one of the most iconic vilains in history!!!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most people become infatuated with the gnostics once they discover them. The way they're usually presented these days is as if the Early Church was "scared" of them and the "secret truths" that they had (in the style of the History Channel and other slop). The real reason they were opposed was their anti-Jewish theology, which is on clear display here in the supposed Gospel of Judas.

It's the classic Rian Johnson formula: when in doubt, subvert expectations! So, you've heard of this Judas guy? Kinda the worst betrayer in history? Well yeah, turns out he was actually a good guy! Jesus was in on the whole betrayal thing the whole time. Thus, instead of betraying Christ, Judas actually was freeing him from his fallen, mortal form! Pretty wicked, right??

The main problem with gnosticism is the obvious overtones of conspiracy theory brain, the assumption that the mainstream narrative must be wrong, despite it having the lion's share of the evidence and support. The thing they gloss over in the introduction of this text is that all the gnostic gospels were written well after all the eyewitnesses had died, where as all the canonical gospels were written during the lives of the people who witnessed the events. Most gnostic gospels are later than the Gospel of Judas, and many of them were still being written as late as the 300s and 400s! The other important tell is that the gnostic gospels are boringly straightforward and obviously self-serving (theologically and politically), whereas the canonical ones are actually strange, mysterious, warty, and fun to read (why did Mark go into detail here, but not there?). For example, in the canonical gospels, the apostles are regularly portrayed as total dumbasses, whereas in the gnostic ones, they're evil vipers, and Judas, the Only Good One, is portrayed precisely as the only good and worthy one. Convenient.

Only a few small things are notable about this text, since most of it, like in all gnostic texts, is a waste of time with esoteric names and symbolic numbers. 1) Jesus laughs a lot: I detected a lot of disdain and egotism here, as is common among esoterics like the gnostics, but is absent from the historical Christ; 2) Christ explicitly says "your god" when talking to the 11 disciples besides Judas, a convenient insertion to support their dualistic/evil creator demigod anti-monotheism; 3) Jesus continues the disdain by accusing the orthodox Christian church (hence how we know this isn't an eyewitness account and is far from "true" in any traditional sense) of sinfulness in a thinly veiled "parable"; 4) possibly the most chilling moment is this line: "But you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me." Here the gnostic disdain for the body and hatred of materiality is on clearest display, as contradicted by the historical account of Christ's unapologetic incarnation (weeping, eating, bleeding, dying, etc.).

This all leads me to my main thoughts on the text: The supremely ironic thing about the gnostics is that, while their name gestures toward the pretense of secret knowledge and wisdom ("gnosis" is Greek for "knowledge"), they preclude all knowledge and wisdom in their very disdain for the body and material reality, opting instead for a lazy renunciation of materiality. Orthodox Christianity miraculously kept in tension the paradox of Christ's two natures: fully man and fully God. In this they acknowledged that knowledge itself is at once embodied and transcendent. Every other heresy denies one or the other aspect: Arians deny Christ's divinity, gnostics his humanity. What both lack is any understanding of dialectic, which is the ability to hold two competing things at once and to not let go of either, not to privilege either, but to patiently sit in the tension and the uncertainty and the paradox until a truer truth arises.

Ultimately, too much of this text is too fragmentary to parse, partially because of the carelessness of the people responsible for keeping the manuscript safe. But, I'd dare to ask: is anything really lost? All the gnostic texts waste considerable time autistically listing names and numbers as if they mean anything (other than serving as a shibboleth and exclusionary tool); the few other details we get are interesting, but only passingly so, as the immaturity of gnostics is so glaring in them. In their foolish quest for absolute gnosis they lose both truth and the body, two losses too huge for me to bear. They lose truth because they willfully invent self-serving myths and put false words into the mouth of Christ, and they lose the body because they only value the mind.

Of course, all of this is quite convenient for me to say while I'm feeling healthy. Just yesterday I was feeling quite awful physically, and it was dramatically impacting my mind. However, I think there's a lesson in this: Does this mean that I hate the body and want to be rid of it? No! Far from it! I want to have a healthy body, and to enjoy it. I can't think of a faster highway to hell than a brain in a vat, which I am most certainly not, and can never tolerate. I am embodied, I am here, and good riddance that the gnostics got wiped out.

[Elfgiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

The interesting part of this book is not so much the "gospel" but the glimpse into the world of the antiquities trade.

[Bella Baxter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Η ανακάλυψη του Ευαγγελίου του Ιούδα διαφημίστηκε από τα μέσα ενημέρωσης ως κάτι που "ανταγωνίζεται την εύρεση των Χειρογράφων της Νεκράς Θάλασσας". Το βιβλίο παρουσιάζει έναν αποσπασματικό απολογισμό της ζωής του Χριστού και μια σειρά δοκιμίων για την προέλευση του βιβλίου, αλλά απογοητεύει γιατί δεν διερευνά επαρκώς τη σύγχρονη σημασία του ή τους λόγους που γεννά τόσο ενδιαφέρον σήμερα.
Το πραγματικό κείμενο, γραμμένο σε κοπτική γλώσσα (πιθανότατα μεταφρασμένο από τα ελληνικά), είναι πολύ σύντομο, μόλις 30 σελίδες. Είναι εξαιρετικά αποσπασματικό (πολλές λέξεις, γραμμές και ενότητες λείπουν) και παραμένει ασαφές και δυσνόητο. Τα υπόλοιπα 190+ σελίδες περιέχουν αναλύσεις, ιστορικό της ανακάλυψης, συζητήσεις για άλλα "αιρετικά" βιβλία και σχολιασμούς από μελετητές. Αυτό οδήγησε σε μια αίσθηση "κλοπής" για όσους περίμεναν μόνο το μεταφρασμένο κείμενο του Ευαγγελίου.
Το Ευαγγέλιο του Ιούδα δεν αναιρεί την παραδοσιακή ιστορία της προδοσίας. Ωστόσο, το ερμηνεύει μέσω του Γνωστικισμού, όπου ο Ιούδας δεν είναι ο κακός, αλλά ο ήρωας που επελέγη από τον Ιησού για να τον "απελευθερώσει" από τη φυλακή του ανθρώπινου σώματος.
Το κείμενο προσθέτει ελάχιστα στη γνώση που υπάρχει ήδη για τον Χριστιανικό Γνωστικισμό.
Οι ιδέες του κειμένου φαίνεται να εξαρτώνται από την ελληνική φιλοσοφία και αντικατοπτρίζουν απόψεις του δεύτερου αιώνα, όχι την πραγματική εμπειρία του πρώτου αιώνα των ανθρώπων που γνώριζαν τον Ιησού.
Η εξήγηση ότι ο Ιούδας το έκανε για "ηρωικό" λόγο φαντάζει ως λεπτή δικαιολόγηση.
Το μόνο θετικό είναι ότι είναι ενδιαφέρον να δει κανείς την ύπαρξη αυτού του κειμένου και να διαβάσει τις συζητήσεις γύρω από τις πρώιμες χριστιανικές διαμάχες.
Συνολικά, η βαθμολογία μου είναι 3 στα 5 αστέρια. Το βιβλίο είναι περισσότερο μια μελέτη για το πώς μια δευτερεύουσα ανακάλυψη μπορεί να διογκωθεί από τον θόρυβο των μέσων ενημέρωσης, παρά μια αποκάλυψη που αλλάζει τα δεδομένα.
Συνολική Εμπειρία: Μέτρια, με αίσθηση υπερβολικής διαφήμισης

[Faranaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

عیسی خطاب به یهودا:
" لیک تو از جمله ایشان فراتر خواهی رفت، چه آن انسانی را قربانی می‌کنی که مرا پوشانیده است."

اگر بایسته بود که عیسی برای نجات جهان بر صلیب جان بدهد، پس آیا یهودا با تسلیم عیسی کاری نیک انجام نداده است؟


در این کتاب یهودا دیگر خائن نیست. او نزدیکترین شاگرد عیسی و گویی همراه او برای نجات جهانیان است.

[Denny · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easily readable and understandable translation and explication of a little-known noncanonical gospel. Fascinating take on some early Christians' beliefs about the most-reviled Apostle in modern Christian belief.

[Ivan Irizarry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brinda perspectiva a la discusión teológica. Muy interesante

[Ioannis Savvas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Το National Geographic δημοσίευσε πρόσφατα το ευαγγέλιο του Ιούδα. Πρόκειται για μια προκαταρκτική έκδοση του κειμένου με εκτενή σχόλια και αναφορά στην ιστορία του.

Το ευαγγέλιο του Ιούδα αποτελεί το τρίτο από τα τέσσερα κείμενα ενός παπύρου (που ονομάστηκε Codex Tchacos) 66 σελίδων, ο οποίος βρέθηκε τη δεκαετία του ΄70 στην Αίγυπτο. Ο πάπυρος είναι γραμμένος στη σαχιδική (μία από τις δύο συχνότερες διαλέκτους) της κοπτικής γλώσσας (αρχαία αιγυπτιακή). Εντυπωσιακή είναι η περιπέτεια του παπύρου μέχρι να φτάσει πριν από λίγα χρόνια στο Maecenas Foundation for Ancient Arts, το οποίο έχει αναλάβει το τιτάνιο έργο της συντήρησής του και της μελέτης του. Ο πάπυρος πέρασε από μύρια «κύματα», κλείστηκε σε θυρίδα τράπεζας, τσαλακώθηκε, σχίστηκε, καταψύχθηκε, με αποτέλεσμα όταν έφτασε στα χέρια των συντηρητών να ��ρυμματίζεται στο παραμικρό άγγιγμα!

Ο πάπυρος υπολογίζεται ότι γράφτηκε τον 4ο αιώνα μ.Χ. και μάλλον πρόκειται για μετάφραση από το αρχικό ελληνικό κείμενο που γράφτηκε τον 2ο αιώνα μ.Χ. (και βέβαια δεν σώζεται). Ο συγγραφέας του είναι άγνωστος. Στην έκδοση του National Geographic παρατίθενται αναλυτικά τα στοιχεία που τεκμηριώνουν την αυθεντικότητα του κώδικα. Η πιθανότητα να πρόκειται για πλαστό τεχνούργημα είναι πρακτικά μηδενικές.

Σε αυτή τη βάση το κειμήλιο αποκτά ανεκτίμητη επιστημονική αξία για τους μελετητές των πρωτοχριστιανικών κινημάτων. Όπως αναλύεται στο βιβλίο, το κείμενο εκφράζει τη φιλοσοφία των γνωστικών και πιο συγκεκριμένα των σηθιανών (από τον Σηθ, τον τρίτο γιο του Αδάμ και της Εύας). Οι γνωστικοί πρεσβεύουν τη γνώση, την απόλυτη Γνώση της Αλήθειας, η οποία είναι τελείως διαφορετική από αυτήν του ορθόδοξου χριστιανισμού. Μέσα από μια εξαιρετικά πολύπλοκη «κοσμογονία» οι γνωστικοί πιστεύουν ότι ο θεός των ορθόδοξων χριστιανών δεν είναι παρά μια κατώτερη θεότητα. Ο πραγματικός θεός είναι πέρα και πάνω από την αντίληψή μας και σκοπός μας είναι να φτάσουμε στον ανώτερο θεό εγκαταλείποντας το σώμα μας, το οποίο έχει φτιάξει ο κατώτερος θεός. Προσωπικά, μου έκανε εντύπωση πόσο επηρεασμένη είναι αυτή η θεώρηση από την πλατωνική φιλοσοφία (ο κόσμος των πνευμάτων και των ιδεών). Ένα άλλο σημείο άξιο αναφοράς είναι η θέση των γνωστικών ότι κάποιοι άνθρωποι έχουν αθάνατη ψυχή, η οποία θα επανέλθει στον δημιουργό της (τον ανώτερο θεό) και κάποιοι έχουν θνητή ψυχή, η οποία φθείρεται μαζί με το σωματικό θάνατο. Αυτό μού μοιάζει σαν σπέρμα ρατσισμού.

Στο πλαίσιο αυτής της φιλοσοφίας, ο Ιούδας ουσιαστικά δεν είναι ο προδότης του Ιησού, αλλά αυτός που θα τον βοηθήσει να φτάσει στον αληθινό θεό. Φυσικό είναι λοιπόν το ευαγγέλιο να σταματάει σε αυτήν τη σκηνή, που αποτελεί την πράξη ύψιστης αγάπης. Τα επακόλουθα δεν ενδιαφέρουν, ούτε ο τρόπος του θανάτου του Ιησού, ούτε η ανάσταση (δεν χρειάζεται ανάσταση για να φτάσουμε στο θείο). Μέσα στο κείμενο, ο Ιησούς φαίνεται να γελάει συχνά. Ξεχωρίζει τον Ιούδα ως τον καλύτερο μαθητή του, ως αυτόν που μπορεί να τον καταλάβει καλύτερα και του αποκαλύπτει τις αλήθειες του (την πραγματική Αλήθεια).

Το ευαγγέλιο του Ιούδα είναι ένα ολιγοσέλιδο κείμενο, με πολλά κενά (λόγω της καταστροφής του παπύρου), αλλά νοηματικά ακέραιο. Χαρακτηριστικά αποσπάσματα (πρόκειται για την ελληνική μετάφραση της αγγλικής μετάφρασης):

Η πρώτη παράγραφος:

Η απόκρυφη διήγηση της αποκάλυψης που φανέρωσε ο Ιησούς σε συνομιλία με τον Ιούδα τον Ισκαριώτη στη διάρκεια μιας εβδομάδας τρεις ημέρες προτού εορταστεί το Πάσχα.
…..
Ο Ιούδας [είπε] σ΄ αυτόν, «Γνωρίζω ποιος είσαι και από πού έρχεσαι. Κατάγεσαι από τον αθάνατο κόσμο του Μπάρμπελο. Και είμαι ανάξιος να προφέρω το όνομα του ενός που σε έχει στείλει».
…..
Γνωρίζοντας ότι ο Ιούδας συλλογιζόταν πάνω σε κάτι που ήταν πολύ ανώτερο, ο Ιησούς είπε σ΄ αυτόν, «Πήγαινε μακριά από τους άλλους και θα σου πω τα μυστήρια του βασιλείου. Είναι δυνατόν για σένα να το πλησιάσεις, αλλά θα πικραθείς πολύ. Γιατί κάποιος άλλος θα σε αντικαταστήσει, με σκοπό οι δώδεκα [μαθητές] να μπορέσουν ξανά να συμπληρωθούν με το θεό τους».
…..
Όταν άκουσε αυτό, ο Ιούδας του είπε, «Τι καλό είναι αυτό που έχω δεχτεί; Γιατί με ξεχώρισες για αυτή τη γενεά».

Ο Ιησούς απάντησε, «Θα γίνεις ο δέκατος τρίτος, και θα αναθεματιστείς από τις άλλες γενεές και θα έρθεις να κυβερνήσεις πάνω σ΄ αυτές. Στις έσχατες ημέρες θα αναθεματίσουν την ανύψωσή σου στην αγία [γενεά]».
…..
Αλλά εσύ θα τους υπερβείς όλους αυτούς. Γιατί εσύ θα θυσιάσεις τον άνθρωπο που με ενδύει.

Η τελευταία παράγραφος:

Ο Ιούδας τούς απάντησε όπως επιθυμούσαν. Και έλαβε μερικά χρήματα και τον παρέδωσε σ΄ αυτούς. Το ευαγγέλιο του Ιούδα.

Ο τίτλος τότε έμπαινε στο τέλος του κειμένου. Ενδιαφέρον είναι ότι ο τίτλος δεν είναι «το κατά Ιούδαν ευαγγέλιο», όπως τα τέσσερα αποδεκτά από την εκκλησία ευαγγέλια, αλλά «το ευαγγέλιο του Ιούδα».

Γενικά, πέρα από τη φιλοσοφική, θεολογική, αρχαιολογική αξία, πέρα από τη σχέση που μπορεί να έχει με θέματα πίστης ή ιδεολογίας, πρόκειται για μια ανακάλυψη πολύ σημαντική.

[roland simarangkir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Membaca Injil Yudas tidak bisa dilepas dari pemahaman kaum gnostik, karena kitab ini merupakan salah satu kitab yang diyakini oleh orang-orang beraliran gnostik sebagai suatu kebenaran. Gnostik berarti 'pengetahuan', sehingga kaum gnostik dapat diartikan sebagai orang-orang yang memiliki suatu pengetahuan, biasanya pengetahuan rahasia menuju surga. Bertentangan dengan kitab-kitab Kanonik, ajaran ini percaya bahwa seseorang masuk surga bukan karena mempercayai Kristus atau melakukan perbuatan baik tetapi karena memiliki pengetahuan akan Allah, akan dirinya sendiri dan akan dunia ini. Mereka yakin bahwa manusia adalah percikan api ilahi yang terperangkap dalam tubuh jasmani, sehingga manusia harus memiliki pengetahuan untuk lepas dan menuju surga. Tokoh-tokoh Alkitab mereka merupakan orang-orang jahat dalam konsep orang Kristen konservatif seperti Kain, orang-orang Sodom dan Yudas Iskariot, karena mereka percaya Allah dalam Alkitab merupakan allah yang jahat, lebih rendah (inferior) dan tidak pantas dipuja. Mereka yakin bahwa Kain dan Yudas menemukan pengetahuan rahasia mengenai kebenaran yang membawa perlawanan kepada Allah dalam kitab Kanonik.

Kitab Yudas disajikan pada awal buku ini. Berdasarkan penjelasan sejarahnya, kitab ini ditulis sekitar 250 tahun sesudah Yesus (bandingkan dengan kitab Markus, 60 tahun sesudah Yesus) dan baru ditemukan pada abad ini. setelah banyak sekali berpindah tangan dan mengalami pemeliharaan yang tidak layak, kitab aslinya mengalami kerusakan disana-sini sehingga banyak sekali teks yang hilang baik berupa huruf, baris bahkan beberapa halaman yang robek, tertindih dan terhapus akibat lipatan yang asal-asalan.

Meskipun isi kitab ini menyerang Kekristenan secara frontal baik karena mengaanggap bahwa Yesus bukan Tuhan maupun penokohan Yudas Iskariot sebagai pahlawan, kitab ini tetap menjadi sebuah referensi berharga bagi ilmu pengetahuan.
Salut melihat kata pengantar buku ini ditulis oleh guru besar Pontifical Biblical Institute dengan kata-kata 'Temuan apa saja...entah itu temuan tekhnologi ataupun ilmu pengetahuan, layak dikaji dan diperiksa relevansinya dengan kehidupan'

[Jeff Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judas' gospel has an unexpectedly difficult time living up to the hype. From the days of Bishop Iraenus on (close to 2,000 years now) this book has been the subject of rumors, whispers, hints and innuendo. After the centuries of buildup what a lot of folks hoped Judas' gospel would contain was an earth-shattering explosive secret that would change the very way we look at Christianity, Jesus, and the church. Instead, the gospel, which has finally materialized to counter the whispers, is a somewhat boring "Sethian Gnostic" tract, offering the usual "the Jewish God is an evil God, and the world is evil" stuff. Having seen this in other texts (both directly and in discussion) for many years there is no real revelation here. Even the reaction to this new Gospel has been somewhat dulled. The Nag Hammadi Gospels introduced us to the early Christian opposition and forced us to rethink the orthodox Christian historical narrative. With them we learned that there was a great deal of competition among a myriad of early Christian sects, each asserting the primacy and orthodoxy of its own beliefs. Judas' gospel is the work of yet another of these sects -- one not too dissimilar to those whose writings are now familiar. This gospel starts no new fires on its own, but only adds to an already existing blaze. That leaves the scholarly commentators who contribute a number of essays to this book with little to talk about. The discussion here is a bit dull as a result. With the exception of an interesting outline of the discovery of the document, very little new is said.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I particularly enjoyed that the subject was presented objectively and clearly, and where necessary added enough historical context for a full exegesis of the Judas Gospel. Opposing scholarly views are expressed but generally both measured, without the media sensationalism this kind of content enjoys.

As a 2nd or 3d century gospel, this book will be most appreciated by anyone looking for insights into the early Christian church. Anyone with absolute opinions about the divine inspiration of the canon, and the heresy of the Apocryphal texts may find this book educational, if not challenging as it deals mainly with the Sethian view of Christianity.

The book opens with some background on the document and it's restoration, which is fascinating. The gospel itself is presented with thorough notes explaining omissions or translation issues and is followed by a number of scholarly essays which get heavier and less entertaining as you go, although most are interesting in any case. It is a small book, easily read in a day or two.

[The Spiritualist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preserved as a heart-breaking fragment, the Gospel of Judas sheds a new light on Jesus Christ. Jesus was mirthful and didn't take his disciples too seriously.
Surprise: Judas was Jesus' favorite disciple whom Jesus entrusted with bringing the crucifixion about and 'liberating his spirit from his mortal body'.
The Gospel of Judas includes a somber prophecy about the other disciples, e.g. that they would invoke Jesus Christ's name and sacrifice their own children or wives, sleep with men, get involved in manslaughter, and many other 'sins and lawless deeds'. It may be that this chapter of the Gospel of Judas has a polemic agenda and was directed at the exoteric church (we are in the 2nd century) and that the other twelve disciples would corrupt Jesus' teachings and were the 'true Judas'.
A few chapters deal with cosmology. These chapters suffered the most, but appear spiritually sound and contain gnostic terminology.

- The Spiritualist, www.thespiritualist.net

[Voyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure what to think..
POSTED AT AMAZON 2006
...but the whole subject is intriguing one, disturbing for orthodox Christians and perplexing for undecided ones.
What does not feel "righ" is the possible presence of two Creators: True One God and the lesser one(god). Occam's razor, which is a logical tool for determining the minimum requirements of an explanation, would require just one of them.
According to what Jesus states in this gospel, we on Earth are not equal - some of us will never reach salvation, no matter what, because we do not possess a "spark of divine within". Therefore so called "mortals" will never enter the "house that represents the divine realm". This sounds weird and unjust to me. Last chapter describes Christian Sethian teachings and I find it way too complex and strange. Again: one may think about Occam's razor. Nevertheless "The Gospel of Judas" represents interesting and very well presented book about Gnosticism.

[Michael Mccarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting Gnostic perspective of Jesus's teachings originally written in the Coptic language around 180 AD. Some parts of the text are missing. According to the Gnostic philosophy Jesus was sent as the Son of the "true spirit God", not of one of the lesser "earth gods". His mission was to show humanity that God resides in every human being, and that salvation lies in connecting with this God within. Through embracing the "internal God", human beings can return to an imperishable realm. I personally don't agree with Gnostic philosophy, but it was an interesting historical text to read. I would recommend it as a good read.

[Gabriel Vatin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un texte fort, malheureusement délaissé et "maltraité" pendant des années. Après des années de recherche et de négociation, une équipe franco-américaine a pu retrouver, restaurer et traduire ce codex. Le texte est court et malheureusement incomplet, mais les passages entiers sont marquants !
De très bonnes explications par les auteurs à la suite du texte, qui permettent de comprendre l'histoire du texte, le contexte, et toute son importance.