They say that Judas was actually one of Jesus's closest confidant and not a betrayer -- that he was only doing what Jesus told him to do.\n\nThe churches knew about the book for hundreds of years, but denounced it saying it was sacrilegious and should be burned.\n\nI don't know what to think, maybe Judas was led to believe he was talking with Jesus when in all reality it was Satan.  It could have been planned so that it would be found now so that a bunch of people will start a Judas cult and will follow the 'false prophet' the Bible speaks about at the end of times????\n\nWhat do you think?
136614
Go here and get the full thing, including how it was authenticated.  Sounds real to me.\nhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0406_060406_gospel.html
175836
Um, there IS a gospel of Judas, and it says NOTHING about Judas being the Messiah. You can read it for yourself at the link. What's with the disdainful way you phrase your questions? I know it has little to do with beliefs, because I've met many a respectful and tolerant atheist and agnostic on this site.
313320
I just checked out the Gospel of Judas the other day @ the local B&N. Wow. It felt like a part of history jumping into my hands.\n\nKnowing what Judas was to become; reading what depictions he'd written of Jesus; the pieces of text felt so raw with emotion. They felt so real. Knowing the ending of the story of course, did make some of the pre-betrayal friendliness tough to swallow.\n\nThis brought me to the realization that these newer books need to be included, don't they? I haven't asked my priest at church, but a newer version has to be in the works.\n\nForget about red tape, just order the entries and publish the thing.\n\nWith the Da Vinci Code getting more publicity than the Dead Sea Scrolls, now'd be a pretty good time to release a newer, fuller edition of The Bible.\n\nThanks for answering my last question,\n\n-Justin
316318
it is HERETICAL. I heard parts of it read and I could not believe my ears it is a joke. Christians do not need to worry.\n\nThe "Gospel of Judas": National Geographic Attacks Christianity With Biased "Research"\nhttp://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/gospel_judas.html
304892
The thing is, the Bible is almost completely anonymous; and how can we be sure when a particualar bit was changed over the course of two thousand years of Roman Catholic possession of all the remaining documents, after they did their darndest to eradicate every scrap of parchment that was antithetical to their conspiracy. \n\nAs I recall, the Jesus Seminar was an attempt to winnow out of the New Testament all of Jesus's speech that has the highest probability of being actually from his mouth. I also seem to recall that only a small percentage was deemed to be worthy of having been spoken by Jesus.
215723
While millions were celebrating the memory of the passion and death of the savior the National Geographic Society unveiled the first modern translation of the third-century Coptic translation of the Gospel of Judas on April 6 in Washington. \nThe Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John focus on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and include events supposedly related to the life of Jesus. \nHowever, the Gospel of Judas and the others, the text of which was always been known, in whole or in part, really are texts attempting to bolster the importance of the personalities they are named after, not of Jesus. It is therefore really amazing that it is being given such a level of credence.\nWe are in the age of the media and the media are more interested in novelty and money but least in truth. Consider the media reports regarding the Pope’s Homily on Maundy Thursday. The headlines screamed “POPE BANISHES GOSPEL OF JUDAS, PORTRAYS HIM AS DOUBLE-CROSSER.”\nDid they expect him to adopt the Gospel of Judas forthwith and banish the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in a jiffy!!!\nDoes it really matter the circumstances that surround the death of Jesus? Does it change who He was or what He did for us? \nThere are some people around the world who seem to be constantly seeking to discredit the Church in some form or the other. The challenges before the Church today are no different from those faced by the early Christians after Jesus died.\nFalse/sensationalistic reports spread like wildfire, fuelled by unprincipled journalism.\nHowever, responding to such malicious slander is not productive. But it doesn’t mean that one should never respond. The important thing is how one responds. If your response is of anger and in self-defense then you are only walking into the trap but your response should be gentle, firm, respectful, and in defense of the truth.
201173
Jesuit scholar says Gospel of Judas does not merit name 'Gospel'\n\nBy Cindy Wooden\nCatholic News Service\n\nROME (CNS) -- The Gospel of Judas was unimportant to most Christians when it was written hundreds of years ago and it is unimportant today, said a Jesuit professor who has convoked a series of ecumenical studies of the historical Jesus. \n\nJesuit Father Gerald O'Collins, a longtime professor of Christology at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, said the text, like the gospels of Mary Magdalene and Philip, "does not merit the name 'Gospel.'" \n\nThe National Geographic Society unveiled the document April 6, posting a copy of it on the society's Web site, www.nationalgeographic.com, and releasing English translations of portions of the text.\n\n"A 'Gospel' is a literary genre -- established by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John -- focusing on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus," Father O'Collins said. \n\nWhile including events supposedly related to the life of Jesus, the Gospel of Judas and the others really are texts "attempting to bolster the importance" of the personalities they are named after, not of Jesus, the priest said. \n\n"They are not summaries of the good news," he said.\n\nThe texts come from the gnostic tradition, a religious-philosophical current popular in the second, third and fourth centuries. The gnostics claimed to have secret knowledge unavailable to the vast majority of people and focused so strongly on the spiritual and intellectual that they despised material creation, including the human body. \n\nIn the year 180, St. Irenaeus condemned the gnostics, mentioning particularly a Gospel of Judas.\n\nFather O'Collins said the most important thing about the text released in early April is that "it shows just how right Irenaeus was in saying the gnostics were against mainstream Christianity and Judaism, they were against our God." \n\n"To give Judas greater credit," the Jesuit said, the gnostics "portray Jesus giving him secret knowledge. It was a nice try," but there is no evidence to support the claim.\n\n"It was junk then and it is junk now," he said .\n\nFather O'Collins, who between 1996 and 2003 convoked a series of ecumenical, interdisciplinary summits for scholars on the historical Jesus, said it was "ridiculous" for anyone to claim publication of the Gospel of Judas will challenge mainstream Christianity. \n\nEND
675474
Not Sure\n\nFirst 12 Appointed Apostle will rule of Israel in Rev.  Jesus Christ Appointed = Judas was one of them\n\n2nd  In the bible suicide does not mean you will go to Hell, it only says you MAY  = May can mean May Not\n\n******\nJudas did repent, He did take the money back, but had guilt, how many people doyou know today that  are eat up with guilt?\n\n3rd  Someone had to betray Jesus, Do you think this was a example Jesus set on us, we are all sinner and weak, even if we do live for God and do our best ( we still sin), we are human also?
654978
Jesus' purpose was to bring us a message from our creators. There is some truth to the teachings of the Christian church but a lot of it has been distorted. A lot of Christianity's beliefs were predicated upon the teachings of St.Paul.\nSaul of Tarsus (St. Paul) was commissioned with the onerous task of 'selling' the concept of Christianity so Christ's 'Gospel' message would remain alive and valid until the time of the Apocalypse when we would all be in a position to understand the mystery behind it all.\nUpon following Paul's lead, the Church's initial elders, in their limited wisdom,  did an excellent job of attempting to explain away the bizarre events that took place at that time. Although somewhat embellished, the story surrounding Christ's dilemma had to remain alive until today.\nIn order to ensure this would happen, something very dramatic had to occur in order to impress the citizens of that day that this 'Christ' person was worthy of note. \nOne effective way of ensuring that Christ's message would remain alive, would be to undertake the performance of a 'miracle'. Therefore, what better solution was there to have him die and then be brought back to life? The primitive superstitious minds of that day would, undoubtedly, have been overwhelmed by such an event and predictably carried its phenomenal story forward for a long time.\nAlthough he wasn't too excited about it, Jesus knew this particular event had to take place in order to ensure the continuance of its legacy for years to come.\nThe newly revealed 'Judas Gospels' describes well how Judas, who was Christ's confidant, was asked by him to undertake his 'deed' of betrayal in order to ensure that the prophesy of the Old Testament scriptures be fulfilled.\nAnd, the Nazarene knew before his impending death that he was to be 'recreated' afterwards under the aegis of his 'Father' in order to complete the biblical prophesy as described.
510569
Don't be deceived my friend by the DaVinci Deception....\nThe Scripture foretold of deceptions like these....\n\n" Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy..."(1Tim.4:1)\n\nBut there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who shall privately bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, bring swift destruction upon themselves". (2 Peter 2:1),
145244
When I read in my bible in John 6:70 "Jesus answered them, have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him being one of the twelve." Judas was hand picked just like the other twelve. There will always be a devil or somebody similar who will go the opposite of what thus saith the Lord all the time. Judas tried to stop Jesus in doing what was right. John 12:3-8 "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then saith Judas Iscariot Simon's son which should betray him, why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus Let her alone: against the day of my burring hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always."\n\nWhenever you want to do the will of God the devil will always be there to stop you. Moses in crossing the Red Sea the devil was right there not only Pharaoh was right there with his men and army to stop him but the people who didn't have any faith after what God had showed them in Egypt. Jesus said in Matthew 13 about the tares and the whet. There will always be tares in whet all the time because the devil doesn’t want anybody to believe the word the bible. Luke 10:38-42. Again another example how one (Mary) was at the feet of Jesus and listening to his word, (Just like I am today in the bible the feet of Jesus listening to his word doing what the bible says) and Mary tried to stop her sister Martha and was upset about the worldly things of setting the table etc. Jesus told Martha Luke 10:41 "And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." I read all over the bible that when Holy man of God from Adam and Eve and until today where doing the will of God the devil is always there to stop them. Jesus was tempted and was always facing rebuke from the serpent the devil. Jesus never listened to the devil he knew his bible as he was God's word in the flesh and he knew the writings of the Old Testament he didn't at all listened to the devil he just went on no matter what rebuking the devil. \n\nI face the same thing today with soph called Christians who claim they can't stop sinning, and they claim they can't be holy, (but they believe in holiness but they claim they can't be holy) and they claim they can't be perfect, (blameless doing what the bible says) and they claim they can't be righteous, they claim they can't be sanctified. The reason why they claim such stuff is because they have been seduced (bewitched) by the serpent that was talking to Eve and that came into Judas Iscariot and try to entice me in their false teachings. Paul said in 2nd Timothy 3:12 "yea, and all those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." John said this in 1st John 2:26 "These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (The word) The bible was also written for those people who seduce me to their funny gospel. Christians today don't read their bible and they have been seduced and bewitched for centuries and are going to the lake of fire and brimstone because they deny what the bible says and go against the bible. We are told to come out from among those liars called church. Revelation 18:4-5 "And I heard another voice from hea
350948
Dude, you've been smoking too many Dan Brown books. \n\n\nI've heard all kinds of crazy theories about Jesus but that doesn't mean they're true. Where's the documentation? Where's the historical proof? Where's the corroboration from witnesses? That's the problem with too many people: They hear something totally out in left field and believe it without any sort of evidence or even despite evidence to the contrary.
293855
Most of the book is a fabrication.  The National Geographic channel and 60 min. recently had specials on this topic, exposing the completely fraudulent claims made in the book. \n\nThe thing I find the most humorous is that numerous non-Christians have exposed many of the false claims.  Any knowledgeable historian who has looked into the matter will tell you the same thing.\n\nA plethora of books have been published exposing the bogus claims of the book, including the "FACT PAGE".  \n\nThe title itself is repugnant to art historians.  da Vinci means "from Vinci", it is not a last name. Any art buff will tell you they refer to him as "Leonardo". Furthermore, Leonardo experts will tell you that he did not put hidden meanings into his paintings.  In his painting of the Last Supper, there is a picture of John to Jesus' left. The book claims that this is actually Mary Magdalene. John has a somewhat feminine appearance, but John was young. Leonardo and others painted what we know was John many other times with feminine looking features, we still have these paintings.\n\nThe book claims that there was a secret organization called the Priory of Scion created to protect documents that proved Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. THERE IS NO FACTUAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS CLAIM.) On a logical level, if this secert were so terrible, then why wouldn't they just destroy the documents? It doesn't make sense. \n\netc.etc.etc.
117907
It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it.  Even Jesus knew that at the time.\n\nHe told Judas to go do what he had to do.
161947
The "Dead Sea Scrolls" don't prove that the Jesus of the Bible was a real person, nor do they prove that such a person performed the miracles attributed to him. \n\n"Noah's Ark" has never been found. That was a hoax and has been well-documented. http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/ark-hoax.html\n\nJust like all the other gospels, Judas' gospel proves nothing. The gospels in the Christian bible as we have it today, were written by anonymous authors, decades after Jesus' alleged death, with numerous contradictions, and they weren't eyewitness accounts.\n\nLaws aren't based on Christian principles. The idea of not killing one another, and treating others as you'd have them treat you, have been around much longer than Christianity has. In fact, the so-called "golden rule" was taught by Buddha hundreds of years before the Jesus story popped up.\n\nIf you want to look at Christian principles, let's see what Jesus allegedly said:\n\nLuke 14:26\nIf any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (The word "hate" in that verse is "miseo", the Greek word. The same one from which we get other words that indicate hatred, like "misogynist." It definitely means HATE.)\n\nMatthew 10:35-36\nI am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.\n\nLuke 19:27\nBut those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. (This one is a parable, but read it and make no mistake: who do you think the king is?)\n\nMark 14:3-7\nYe have the poor with you always. (Here, expensive oil is used on Jesus. Instead of using the oil to sell to provide money for the poor, this was his response: "You'll always have the poor." How compassionate.)\n\nThe fact that the Christian religion is supposed to fulfill Judaism, yet completely contradicts it should be more than enough evidence to undermine Christianity, but the ignorance of Christians when it comes to the origins of their own religion prevents them from looking beyond what they're taught at church.\n\nChristianity is supposed to be the "fulfillment" of the "Old Testament" - if so, the Jewish Bible is what must be used to determine what such fulfillment will consist of. Using the Jewish Bible, it can be shown that to date, no one has come who has fulfilled the requirements of the Jewish Messiah. Furthermore, the Messiah was only ever for the Jews - not the Gentiles - so even if Jesus *had* been the Messiah, it wouldn't concern a non-Jew, anyway.\n\nOutside of the Christian bible, which was written by a combination of anonymous authors and Paul (a self-confessed liar), there is nothing to support the existence of an historical Jesus whatsoever. There is nothing that is both historical and contemporary to show that there ever was a Jesus of the Christian bible at all. The so-called Josephus passage that is often cited, was not contemporary (Josephus never saw Jesus, let alone met him), and that single passage is agreed by the majority of historians to be a forgery. After all, if he truly believed Jesus to be "the Christ", why was only ONE sentence devoted to Jesus in all his writings, and why did Josephus himself remain a Jew? Not very convincing.\n\nExtraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I, too, was once a wide-eyed believer. I truly believed with every fibre of my being that Jesus was Lord. Then I saw the light.\n\nI strongly recommend you research your claims and your supposed evidence a little more thoroughly. They're the same pieces of "evidence" that I once believed existed as well.\n\nGood luck on your journey.
162597
Considering the Bible did not yet exist at the time Revelation was written, it seems obvious that verse is referring to Revelation itself, not the Bible as a whole.\n\nThe question you should be asking instead, is why did the author feel the need to put such a verse into Revelation?
319152
Ddi you know that anyone can wrte a book, especially if you pay to have it published.  That is whay Mr. Koestler did.  His last name is Germanix, so he hates the Jews for destroying Germany.\n\nEvery academice who has read this book calls is a lot of made up crap!  There is nothing of value in it.  It is all lies.\n\nJews have always accepted converts, but conversion to Judasim was outlawed by the CHurch.  THe Church was worried because people were more attracted to Judasim than Christianity!\n\nThe Khazars were a tribe that converted to Judaism en masse by order of their king.  Hebres, Israelites, Israelis, nd Jews are all temrs used to identify the members of the Jewish tribes descended from Avram!\n\nGenetic test have show that Jews can trace backk their ancestors to 4,000 years ago.\n\nDo you know there is not a singl piece of evidence that Jesus ever existed.  Why don't you read about that.\n\nJeffrey