File:2006 * Ehrman.jpg

The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed (2006) is a book by Bart D. Ehrman.

Abstract

The book recounts the events surrounding the discovery and handling of the Gospel of Judas, and provides an overview of its content, in which Judas is portrayed as a faithful disciple.

"The recent National Geographic special on the Gospel of Judas was a major media event, introducing to tens of millions of viewers one of the most important biblical discoveries of modern times. Now, a leading historian of the early church, Bart Ehrman, offers the first comprehensive account of the newly discovered Gospel of Judas, revealing what this legendary lost gospel contains and why it is so important for our understanding of Christianity. Ehrman, a featured commentator in the National Geographic special, describes how he first saw the Gospel of Judas--surprisingly, in a small room above a pizza parlor in a Swiss town near Lake Geneva--and he recounts the fascinating story of where and how this ancient papyrus document was discovered, how it moved around among antiquities dealers in Egypt, the United States, and Switzerland, and how it came to be restored and translated. More important, Ehrman gives the reader a complete and clear account of what the book teaches and he shows how it relates to other Gospel texts--both those inside the New Testament and those outside of it, most notably, the Gnostic texts of early Christianity. Finally, he describes what we now can say about the historical Judas himself as well as his relationship with Jesus, suggesting that one needs to read between the lines of the early Gospels to see exactly what Judas did and why he did it. The Gospel of Judas presents an entirely new view of Jesus, his disciples, and the man who allegedly betrayed him. It raises many questions and Bart Ehrman provides illuminating and authoritative answers, in a book that will interest anyone curious about the New Testament, the life of Jesus, and the history of Christianity after his death."--Publisher description.

Editions

Published in Oxford [England] and New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Translations

• Iskarióti Júdás elveszett evangéliuma (s.d. Ehrman), book (Hungarian ed.)

Contents

My introduction to the Gospel of Judas -- Judas in our earliest Gospels -- Judas in later Gospel traditions -- Before the discovery: our previous knowledge of a Gospel of Judas -- The discovery of the Gospel of Judas -- The Gospel of Judas: an overview -- The Gospel of Judas and early Christian Gnosticism -- Jesus, Judas, and the twelve in the Gospel of Judas -- Who was Judas Iscariot? -- What did Judas betray and why did he betray it? -- The Gospel of Judas in perspective

External links

• [ Google Books]