Posted on 11/04/2007 5:26:37 PM PST by blam
Contact: David Ruth
druth@rice.edu
713-348-6327
Rice University
Rice University professor debunks National Geographic translation of Gospel of Judas
A new book by Rice University professor April DeConick debunks a stunning claim by National Geographic's translation of the Gospel of Judas. According to that translation, Judas was a hero, not a villain, who acted on Jesus' request to betray him. DeConick disagrees.
Before releasing her book "The Thirteenth Apostle: What the Gospel of Judas Really Says," DeConick was intrigued by the original release of the Coptic Gospel of Judas and as a scholar wanted to read it for herself. While researching and translating it, she discovered that National Geographic's translators had made some serious errors.
"Once I started translating the Gospel of Judas and began to see the types of translation choices that the National Geographic team had made I was startled and concerned," DeConick said. "The text very clearly called Judas a 'demon.'"
DeConick contends that the Gospel of Judas is not about a "good" Judas or even a "poor old" Judas. It is a gospel parody about a "demon" Judas written by a particular group of Gnostic Christians who lived in the second century.
"The finding of this gospel has been called one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the past 60 years," DeConick said. "It's important that we get this right."
DeConick said many scholars and writers have been inspired by the National Geographic version.
"It appears to have something to do with our collective guilt about anti-Semitism and our need to reform the relationship between Jews and Christians following World War II," she said. "Judas is a frightening character. For Christians, he is the one who had it all, and yet betrayed God to his death for a few dollars. For Jews, he is terrifying, the man whom Christians associated the Jewish people, whose story was used against them for centuries."
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DeConick is the Isla Carroll and Percy E. Turner Professor of Biblical Studies at Rice University in Houston. To read more about her teachings, visit http://reli.rice.edu/rice_reli.cfm?a=cms,c,38,1
"The Thirteenth Apostle" (Continuum International Publishing Group) is available to purchase on www.amazon.com.
April DeConick is available nationwide for media interviews. To book an interview, contact David Ruth at 713-348-6327 or druth@rice.edu.
High school, worst five years of your life, eh?
They probably claimed the earth revolved around the sun.
Yes, my impression has been that the so-called “Gnostic Gospels” are the ancient productions of the Howard Dean - Rosie O’Donnell cult of far-left pseudo-Christianity (not that Dean or Rosie is really a Christian, but you get the idea). These works were left out of the standard compilations of Christian texts because they were obviously NOT mainstream Christianity - they are cultish efforts from eccentric outcasts. They have been revived in recent years by people with an agenda that is furthered by placing importance upon these otherwise insignificant texts. I remember reading Elaine Pagels’ “The Gnostic Gospels” soon after it came out and thinking it was much ado about nonsense.
I totally agree. I find the glee with which these people latch on to these writings to be somewhat demonic in nature!
Mel
More like a century and a half. All of the gnostic gospels date from the late second century.
Really? Jesus told Pilate that "he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin" (Jn 19:11). Further, in the first Christian sermon ever preached, the Apostle Peter says the jews crucified and killed Jesus "by the hands of lawless men". For Jesus and Peter, at least, the jews were more to blame than the Romans.
Worst six years of mine. Good thing I dropped out early.
So, you’re reduced to nonsensical trolling in response? Guess that answers that.
He went on to own three car dealerships and is now retired to some island off Floriduh.
You’d be surprised at the array of talents present on discussion boards, and how participants understate their abilities.
Yes, post the original text (preferably photos), and the sophistication of analysis from the “general rabble” may be amazing.
ping
“This was done by the fourth century.”
The surviving writings from between 95 A.D. and, as I recall, 180 A.D. of Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp identify the NT canon. The only reason there was a later council that spoke on the subject was that from the second century on various people, primarily gnostics, began writing the equivalent of Dan Brown novels about Christ. Some scholars believe that all of the NT was written before 70 A.D. One reason is that is it likely that if the NT had been written afterward there would have been mention of the fall of Jerusalem.
In any event, according to Polycarp’s pupil, Irenaeus, Polycarp was himself a pupil of the apostles, most especially of John, and had conversed with many who had seen Jesus in the flesh. According to Tertullian and Jerome, Polycarp was consecrated Bishop of Smyrna by John.
Oh pardon me then. I hadn’t realized that the Earth and Sun weren’t part of the Universe.
Actually, I think Mark was probably the first written. He was not an apostle and probably sourced his material first hand from the accounts of the apostle Peter. Some scholars think that Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source. Luke clearly wrote Luke, as you note. This is the first I’ve heard that Matthew didn’t write that Gospel. Perhaps the Apostle Matthew didn’t write it..rather it was written by another apostle named Matthew. John was written the latest—around 90 AD. I don’t know of any reason to think that Paul’s epistles were written before all the gospels.
No doubt.
Some of the Epistles were written before the first Gospels. John was written later and for a different purpose. Matthew, Mark, and Luke used the same source, also identified as Matthew, but a different Matthew and that was in Hebrew and not in publication form, but was at least as old as the oldest Epistles, practically eyewitness.
Note:
The “Gospel of Judas” is NOT Scripture!
Yep, nothing but nonsense used for trolling, as expected.
Thank you for lowering the level of discourse here on Free Republic.
Oh no. Thank YOU!
I think that it was written in Coptic as were all the gnostic gospels.
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