THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS
(The Papyrus document)
Judas Iscariot, the name itself of one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ has become the synonym for traitor. Judas had listened to the holy words direct from the Lord. He could witness to many of the miracles of Jesus. He was so fortunate to have the divine love from his own Master. But none of these could turn him away from his greed for money. Finally he was succumbed to thirty silver coins which he priced for his rabbi and consequently that turned to be the price of his own life. This is what we think about Judas. However, the gospel of Judas, now found, suggest to rewrite our concepts.
In 1970 a leather bound papyrus document was found from a cave in El Minya, Egypt. The last line of the gospel is, 'The Gospel of Judas.' The codex is believed to have been translated from ancient Greek to Coptic language in 300 AD. Contrary to what we have learnt about Judas, the newly found document portrays him as a different man. He was the best friend and favourite disciple of Jesus. He betrayed Jesus as suggested by the Lord Himself to fulfill the scriptures.
The entire story of the gospel, how this was found, the international effort to authenticate, conserve and translate it are chronicled in the new book 'The Lost Gospel' by Herb Krosney. After finding the papyrus document, it had gone to the hands of antiquities traders. It went from Egypt to Europe and to the US and languished in safe deposit box in Long Island, NY for 16 years and then went into the hands of a Zurich based trader. Then it went to an ancient art center in Switzerland in 2001 for conservation and translation. A leading Coptic scholar Rodolphe Kasser was recruited to reconstruct the manuscript and translate the text. The 66 page manuscript contained other than the gospel, a text titled James(First Apocalypse of James), a letter of Peter to Philip and a fragment of a fourth text scholars for now are calling the Book of Allogenes. The National Geographic Society unveiled this only copy and transmitted the world over.
The author of The Lost Gospel, Herb Krosney further explained about the contents of the gospel. Judas and his Master had a different relationship than learnt by us. After the resurrection Jesus met Judas, but there is no mention about the resurrection. Judas is the one asked to make the ultimate sacrifice and that sacrifice is to sacrifice the life of Jesus. Judas is the best friend of Jesus and he is the one who enables Jesus to fulfill His mission to die and to release that inner spark within himself and within all of us that is divine.
Christian community has so far not recognised this document and made part of the New Testament. There are many scientific ways to confirm whether this is an authentic text or not. If this is found to have written by Judas Iscariot, there is nothing wrong in accepting this as a true gospel.
(Indebted to various web sources)
K V George
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