'Gospel of Judas' Surfaces After 1,700 Years

[occuserpens]

2006-04-06 "Gospel of Judas" from the NYT

NYT. JOHN NOBLE WILFORD, LAURIE GOODSTEIN. 'Gospel of Judas' Surfaces After 1,700 Years: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/06/science/06cnd-judas.html
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.

[HereSince1628]

1. Can the Democrats hire the marketer working this for Nat. Geographic?

This is everywhere. That person is GOOD.

[kweerwolf]

6. You mean Rove's not handling it?

He was the first person I thought of when I heard "Judas" and "marketing" in the same sentence.

[occuserpens]

7. Nope, it has little to do with Rove - directly

[Warpy]

2. Actually, what that gospel does is confirm the divinity

of Jesus, at least for believers, since it shows him as needing an accomplice to help shed his earthly form in a way acceptable to heaven.

For unbelievers, of course, it is either a Johnny come lately of a gospel that was meant to explain Judas in the terms of an omniscient god on earth, or it chronicles the descent of a great teacher into madness and self immolation. Suicide by cop, in other words.

It's an interesting document and the debates over it should be fascinating.

[Neil Lisst]

3. It means Jesus knew the story needed a strong finish.

He had to make the Passover news cycle.

[dorktv]

4. you know, good fiction has a basis in fact and the Da Vinci Code

was actually based in a lot of facts about the early Christian Church.

Jesus was probably married but I am not sure if he produced offspring.

[HamDon]

5. It's on the National Geographic Channel tonight

CLICK HERE to see a video preview... very provocative...