Posted on 04/04/2005 10:11:49 AM PDT by robowombat
2005-03-30 Gospel of Judas back in spotlight after 20 centuries Swiss foundation seeks to shed light on controversial Christian text named after apostle said to have betrayed Jesus. By Patrick Baert - GENEVA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About 2,000 years after the Gospel according to Judas sowed discord among early Christians, a Swiss foundation says it is translating for the first time the controversial text named after the apostle said to have betrayed Jesus Christ.
The 62-page papyrus manuscript of the text was uncovered in Egypt during the 1950s or 1960s, but its owners did not fully comprehend its significance until recently, according to the Maecenas Foundation in Basel.
The manuscript written in the ancient dialect of Egypt's Coptic Christian community will be translated into English, French and German in about a year, the foundation specialising in antique culture said on Tuesday.
"We have just received the results of carbon dating: the text is older than we thought and dates back to a period between the beginning of the third and fourth centuries," foundation director Mario Jean Roberty said.
The existence of a Gospel of Judas, which was originally written in Greek, was outlined by a bishop, Saint Irenee, when he denounced the text as heretical during the second century.
"It's the only clear source that allows us to know that such a Gospel did exist," Roberty explained.
The foundation declined to say what account Judas is said to give in his alleged gospel.
According to Christian tradition, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ by helping the Romans to find him before he was crucified.
"We do not want to reveal the exceptional side of what we have," Roberty said.
The author of the text is unknown.
"No one can clearly state that Judas wrote it himself," Roberty said, while pointing out that the other gospels were probably not written by their supposed authors either.
The four recognised gospels of the New Testament describe the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and are said to record his teachings from the eyes of four of his disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The Roman Catholic Church limited the recognised gospels to the four in 325, under the guidance of the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine.
Thirty other texts - some of which have been uncovered - were sidelined because "they were difficult to reconcile with what Constantine wanted as a political doctrine," according to Roberty.
The foundation's director said the Judas Iscariot text called into question some of the political principles of Christian doctrine.
It could also to some extent rehabilitate Judas, whose name has often come to symbolise the accusation of deicide - God-killing - levelled by some Christian teachings against the Jewish people, he added.
After the manuscript is restored, the text is due to be translated and analysed by a team of specialists in Coptic history led by a former professor at the University of Geneva, Rudolf Kasser.
Jean-Daniel Kaestli, an expert on gospels who has seen the manuscript, said the discovery was "very interesting", although the papyrus was in a bad state.
He added that it was not going to lead to a revolutionary change in the vision of the Bible, although it could shed some new light on parts of Christianity's holy text.
The Maecenas Foundation, which aims to protect archaeological relics found in poor countries, hopes to organise exhibitions around the manuscript and to produce a documentary on the process of unravelling the text.
The full launch is due in Easter 2006.
Gospel of Judas back in spotlight after 20 centuries Swiss foundation seeks to shed light on controversial Christian text named after apostle said to have betrayed Jesus. By Patrick Baert - GENEVA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About 2,000 years after the Gospel according to Judas sowed discord among early Christians, a Swiss foundation says it is translating for the first time the controversial text named after the apostle said to have betrayed Jesus Christ.
The 62-page papyrus manuscript of the text was uncovered in Egypt during the 1950s or 1960s, but its owners did not fully comprehend its significance until recently, according to the Maecenas Foundation in Basel.
The manuscript written in the ancient dialect of Egypt's Coptic Christian community will be translated into English, French and German in about a year, the foundation specialising in antique culture said on Tuesday.
"We have just received the results of carbon dating: the text is older than we thought and dates back to a period between the beginning of the third and fourth centuries," foundation director Mario Jean Roberty said.
The existence of a Gospel of Judas, which was originally written in Greek, was outlined by a bishop, Saint Irenee, when he denounced the text as heretical during the second century.
"It's the only clear source that allows us to know that such a Gospel did exist," Roberty explained.
The foundation declined to say what account Judas is said to give in his alleged gospel.
According to Christian tradition, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ by helping the Romans to find him before he was crucified.
"We do not want to reveal the exceptional side of what we have," Roberty said.
The author of the text is unknown.
"No one can clearly state that Judas wrote it himself," Roberty said, while pointing out that the other gospels were probably not written by their supposed authors either.
The four recognised gospels of the New Testament describe the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and are said to record his teachings from the eyes of four of his disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The Roman Catholic Church limited the recognised gospels to the four in 325, under the guidance of the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine.
Thirty other texts - some of which have been uncovered - were sidelined because "they were difficult to reconcile with what Constantine wanted as a political doctrine," according to Roberty.
The foundation's director said the Judas Iscariot text called into question some of the political principles of Christian doctrine.
It could also to some extent rehabilitate Judas, whose name has often come to symbolise the accusation of deicide - God-killing - levelled by some Christian teachings against the Jewish people, he added.
After the manuscript is restored, the text is due to be translated and analysed by a team of specialists in Coptic history led by a former professor at the University of Geneva, Rudolf Kasser.
Jean-Daniel Kaestli, an expert on gospels who has seen the manuscript, said the discovery was "very interesting", although the papyrus was in a bad state.
He added that it was not going to lead to a revolutionary change in the vision of the Bible, although it could shed some new light on parts of Christianity's holy text.
The Maecenas Foundation, which aims to protect archaeological relics found in poor countries, hopes to organise exhibitions around the manuscript and to produce a documentary on the process of unravelling the text.
The full launch is due in Easter 2006.
Constantine asked that the Church define the canon of the NT... A synod of biships gathered, and in about 360 they requested that this be undertaken.. In 390, the first "official" canon was assembled under Pope Damascus..
Otherwise known as St. Jude, who, in tradition, is believed to be a cousin of Jesus.
1 (888) ASK-HANK
ping
..its the devil.. he planted it to cause confusion.. just imho.... I dont think I will be reading anything "written" by a man who killed Him...
The other three are synoptic, in that they begin with His birth (Matthew, Luke) or the beginning of His earthly ministry (Mark). In contrast, virtually all of the book of John takes place in the weeks before the crucifixion.
You asked this question just to enliven your day didn't you?
Like to stir the pot don't you?
;-}
When I say the Thomas gospel fits, it is because there are quite a few references to events that are described in the four gospels, and enough info to show that it's not something totally made up. It is very gnostic in flavor, and goes along and extends John.
As far as I know, I thought the accepted version of the Bible was established at the Council of Nicea in 325. Supposedly there was alot of politics involved.
I'll either have to move on or do some homework. I'm a lazy poster.
lol, I only expected one or two replies to my post. By tommorow I will have about a hundred I expect.
It sounds like Dan Brown stuff. I'm amazed that so many people use a novel as a factual basis for information. John's Gospel looks just like the others. All claim that Jesus was divine. The resurrection proves that.
You didn't present facts. Only opinions.
Why wasn't Thomas acceptable?
Wasn't the difference that the Gnostic books contained the philosophy that man could work out his view o God without the church and the church couldn't have that?
Really? Kinda tough to write a gospel after hanging yourself.
I din't intend to come off as an expert. I asking questioons from my readings about 10 years ago, including Thomas. Didn't hear about Dan Brown then. If you have more to add, I'll read it.
We are opining about things that happened 1700 years ago. There is a very little factual information. There is a whole lot of speculation.
Judas was not a rare name then..
Course Hebrew and Greek have no "J's"..
Only latin has "J's".. no orginal text was written in latin..
Actually Jesus name was not Jesus and Jehovas name was not Jehova..
really, the so-called Jehova has no name..(Ex;Ch 3)
I agree it is marginal and appears to have not been known till recently.
And it does not seem to be ANOTHER synoptic gospel, being almost entirely sayings of Jesus, almost all pararaphs and verses starting "Jesus said..."
But by the same token one could say the Dead Sea scrolls were fraudulent because early historians didn't mention them.
I just try to keep an open mind on the subject, my personal favorite being Murdocks translation of the Syriac Peshito, 1851.
(In 1982 I found and original hardcover in a barn back east. Had it rebound last year).
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