The Gnostics were a heretical sect of Christians whose views were ultimately repudiated by mainstream Christianity in the early days of the Church. One of the many Gnostic texts known only from obscure references in other works was the so-called "Gospel of Judas". Well, that book has been found in Egypt, translated, and is available to those who wish to know more about the beliefs of the Gnostics and other groups which flourished and died out in the early days of Christianity.

An early Christian manuscript, including the only known text of what is known as the Gospel of Judas, has surfaced after 1,700 years. The text gives new insights into the relationship of Jesus and the disciple who betrayed him, scholars reported today. In this version, Jesus asked Judas, as a close friend, to sell him out to the authorities, telling Judas he will "exceed" the other disciples by doing so.

Though some theologians have hypothesized this, scholars who have studied the new-found text said, this is the first time an ancient document defends the idea.

The discovery in the desert of Egypt of the leather-bound papyrus manuscript, and now its translation, was announced by the National Geographic Society at a news conference in Washington. The 26-page Judas text is said to be a copy in Coptic, made around A. D. 300, of the original Gospel of Judas, written in Greek the century before.

Terry Garcia, an executive vice president of the geographic society, said the manuscript, or codex, is considered by scholars and scientists to be the most significant ancient, nonbiblical text to be found in the past 60 years.

Analyses by various experts in the field of ancient documents confirm that the codex is real, and its contents are fit with the Gnostic world-view.

The most revealing passages in the Judas manuscript begins, "The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week, three days before he celebrated Passover."

The account goes on to relate that Jesus refers to the other disciples, telling Judas "you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me." By that, scholars familiar with Gnostic thinking said, Jesus meant that by helping him get rid of his physical flesh, Judas will act to liberate the true spiritual self or divine being within Jesus.

The codex, known as the Codex Tchacos (after the purchaser of the manuscript) was discovered in the 1970s, but only recently became available to scholars.

As pointed out in the Washington Post, the Gnostic work clearly sets itself at odds with the mainstream of Christianity. Only the initiated are let into the secret knowledge (Greek gnosis) which truly elevates one spiritually to the true worship of the true God.

The other apostles pray to a lesser God, Jesus says, and reveals to Judas the "mysteries of the kingdom" of the true God. He asks Judas to help him return to the kingdom, but to do so, Judas must help him abandon his mortal flesh: "You will sacrifice the man that clothes me," Jesus tells Judas, and acknowledges that Judas "will be cursed by the other generations."

Having studied some of the Gnostic writings from Nag Hammaddi during my seminary days, I'll be curious to read this translation and see how the Gnostic "Gospel of Judas" fits with other Gnostic works.

Posted by: Greg at 11:01 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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