Posted on 04/06/2006 12:41:01 PM PDT by Justice
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Lost for almost 1,700 years, a manuscript entitled "Gospel of Judas" is putting a new spin on the case of the biblical bad guy, maintaining that Jesus actually asked disciple Judas to betray him.
The third- or fourth-century ancient Coptic manuscript -- authenticated, translated and displayed Thursday at National Geographic headquarters here -- paints a different picture of Judas and Jesus.
The papyrus manuscript known as a codex maintains, as the bible does not, that Jesus requested that Judas "betray" him by handing him to authorities, something it says pained Judas greatly.
"The codex has been authenticated as a genuine work of ancient Christian apocryphal literature on five fronts: radiocarbon dating, ink analysis, multispectral imaging, contextual evidence and paleographic evidence," said Terry Garcia, executive vice president for Mission Programs for the National Geographic Society.
"This dramatic discovery of an ancient non-biblical text -- considered by some to be the most significant in the past 60 years -- enhances our knowledge of the history and theological viewpoints of the early Christian period, and is worthy of study by historians, scholars and theologians," Garcia said.
"This process will take time and ongoing dialogue which has just begun."
The leather-bound papyrus text believed to have been copied down around 300 AD was located in the 1970s in the desert near El Minya, Egypt. It then moved among antiquities traders from Egypt to Europe and the United States.
It was purchased by Zurich-based antiquities dealer Frieda Nussberger-Tchacos in 2000, and now was to be returned to Egypt and housed at Cairo's Coptic Museum.
Elevating your own reason above God's, eh. It doesn't make sense to me, me, me; therefore it can't be God's plan.
I have no problem with God but I do question those who claim to speak for him.
I assume that there are caravan logs that can be traced to the reign of David? Cite your sources, please.
( I find it hard to believe that mere caravan logs would be preserved to this day...)
King David is a well established historical figure. He was quite real.
>genuine work of ancient Christian apocryphal literature
Thus, genuinely not widely circulated among early Christians, thus not canon, thus made up by a guy/group.
Go to your archeological dept of any good library and look up trade routes of the Hitties and or others who worked the area at that time. There is no history Of King David out-side of the Bible. And while you are there see if you can find any history Of the Jews in Egypt I think you will find they were not allowed with-in 19 miles of the place. You may also note that the stone work in Egypt is quite different that any stone work in the So Called Holy Land, it just does not measure up.
Run along now. I prefer discussions with adults. Bye (My last word to you).
Go to your archeological dept of any good library and look up trade routes of the Hitties and or others who worked the area at that time. There is no archeological history Of King David . And while you are there see if you can find any history Of the Jews in Egypt I think you will find they were not allowed with-in 19 miles of the place. You may also note that the stone work in Egypt is quite different that any stone work in the So Called Holy Land, it just does not measure up.
I suggest that you look at the year, and when you stop blushing, come back & apologize.
This will make an interesting movie.
I see you signed up with FR back in 99. That was when something drew nearly all Freepers together. Something everyone could agree on. "Clinton must go!".
LOL
Now there seems to be A LOT of contention in nearly every story that is posted. That gets real tiresome to me. I still like FR though mainly because there is no better way to get the news. Also many Freepers are really funny and entertaining to read.
Anyway take care long time Freeper.
Justice
I will do so. But I will use the library of Rice University and their their considerable reach into other universities. Not my local library.
There are three references to King David on monuments of the Moabites, an Aramain King of Damascus and a Pharoah's monument.
Recently, they uncovered a palace that they think may be the palace of King David in Jerusalem. I will keep you updated as to how the dig is going.
Wow. What was I thinking?
My ex wife and I had a standing joke that she was lost in space, and I'm lost in time...
Don't think I'll blush on this one, it's far too embarrassing for that!
Uhhhh, they are tax records...
Hey Great
Hi, Justice,
I consider myself a newbie when compared to the Class of 97-98. ;-) But yes, we all had a common goal during the Clinton years.
I don't mind some disagreement, as long as it's civil - in fact, I find it useful. If we can't convince each other we're correct (at least some of the time) how can we hope to convert any liberals? And we WON'T convert them by insulting them!
I find the Zot Fever more than slightly annoying. IMHO, ignore the trolls, try to convince the rest of the error of their ways. ;-)
FReegards,
Amelia
Of course I want to know.
If you were to tell me that you also read ridiculous tripe by lunatics like Dave Hunt or Alexander Heslop or Lorraine Boettner then I would have deeper insight into your religious pathology.
After all, Foxe - despite his demonstrable mental problems and addicition to lying - had a certain admirable recklessness and arrogance.
One might read him because of the historical figure he cut and because he was a talented spinner of yarns.
But if you move in the addled fever swamp of anti-Catholic bigotry regularly, I'd know that you share the paranoid obssessiveness of creatures like anti-Semites, Klansmen, etc.
Your lack of scholarship is showing. Source for your statement?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.