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[Batarang Force]

History of Christianity: The Gospel according to Judas

Yesterday [April 6], a 62-page codex, written from the point of view of the man who betrayed Christ and said to date from the 3rd or 4th century, was unveiled in Washington. A seismic moment for the Christian church? Paul Vallely and Andrew Buncombe report
Published: 07 April 2006

It will "shake Christianity to its foundations". Or so the pre-publicity suggested. A 3rd or 4th-century document called "The Gospel of Judas" was launched upon an unsuspecting world yesterday by no less a biblical authority than the National Geographic magazine in Washington. Its contents were "explosive", according to Mario Roberty, president of the Swiss foundation which now owns the ancient papyrus manuscript.

So as the heat faded from the television lights at the press conference, has 2000 years of orthodox Christianity been overturned? Well, not quite. But it was all jolly interesting, for those who love that sort of thing.

Half of the 62-page codex, written in Coptic script, is devoted to an account of the final days of Jesus Christ written from the viewpoint of the man who has for two millennia been excoriated as Christ's deadly betrayer. The text begins: "The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot three days before he celebrated Passover..."

Secret, hang on to that. That's the important bit.

And though the manuscript has been carbon-dated to around 300AD, it is likely to be a copy of an earlier Greek manuscript written around the year 150AD, in the same period when the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John were also written down. So, the new discovery is serious competition, the National Geographic people implied, for the official version. ..." Click Link to view rest of the story.
Source: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article356265.ece
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Note to all of you literalists.... This was to have "been carbon-dated to around 300AD, it is likely to be a copy of an earlier Greek manuscript written around the year 150AD, in the same period when the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John were also written down." What that means is that the Gospels weren't written at the time of Christ by the apostles.

Batarang Force

[pharaoh]

If this is indeed the Gospel according to Judas then the most obvious question is: If this is the guy who indeed betrayed Jesus then why would anyone believe his point of view or even anything that he says?!

[thefranzkafkafront]

It wasunt written by Judas, its just called the Gospel of Judas, none of the gospels were written by eye wittnesses, unless people lived to 90ish in the 1st centuary.

[Gilbert1908]

If not for the popularity of the DaVinci code and its "resurrection" of various hoaxes around aspects of gnostic themes, this would be relegated to the academic world.

Their discussion would have little to do with the "effect" on present day Christianity and much more to do with the historical nature of such documents how they impacted the development of early "Christian" sects and why.

But today we have a new group who simply uses the fact of existing materials, which were NEVER accepted as part of Christian theology, to "expose" some conspiratorial plot that never existed. Like the fiction that exposed such things to a mass audience, it is a good yarn and not much else.

[connermt]

Gilbert1908 wrote: If not for the popularity of the DaVinci code and its "resurrection" of various hoaxes around aspects of gnostic themes, this would be relegated to the academic world.

Their discussion would have little to do with the "effect" on present day Christianity and much more to do with the historical nature of such documents how they impacted the development of early "Christian" sects and why.

But today we have a new group who simply uses the fact of existing materials, which were NEVER accepted as part of Christian theology, to "expose" some conspiratorial plot that never existed. Like the fiction that exposed such things to a mass audience, it is a good yarn and not much else.

I am sure there is a reason why this has been brought to the forefront of cable TV & books lately. However, many people are now more intersted in religion that ever before (which can be seen by book sales, church attendance, 'religious' leaders being voted into office, etc). Also, many scholars around the world are taking a totally new look at currently accepted scriptures & other findings from around the world & trying to see where they fit in (or if they do).
I think it is a great thing!