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Scholars reveal how they scrambled to authenticate Gospel of Judas
MSNBC ^ | 04/08/2013 | Stephanie Pappas

Posted on 04/08/2013 8:06:25 PM PDT by caldera599

A long-lost gospel that casts Judas as a co-conspirator of Jesus, rather than a betrayer, was ruled most likely authentic in 2006. Now, scientists reveal they couldn't have made the call without a series of far more mundane documents, including Ancient Egyptian marriage licenses and property contracts.

The Gospel of Judas is a fragmented Coptic text, traced back to Egypt, which portrays Judas in a far more sympathetic light than did the gospels that made it into the Bible. In this version of the story, Judas turns Jesus over to the authorities for execution upon Jesus' request, as part of a plan to release his spirit from his body. In the accepted biblical version of the tale, Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

As part of a 2006 National Geographic Society investigation of the document, microscopist Joseph Barabe of McCrone Associates in Illinois and a team of researchers analyzed the ink on the tattered gospel to find out if it was real or forged. Some of the chemicals in the ink raised red flags — until Barabe and his colleagues found, at the Louvre Museum, a study of Egyptian documents from the third century A.D., the same time period of the Gospel of Judas.

(Excerpt) Read more at science.nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bravosierra; elainepagels; epigraphyandlanguage; gnosticgospels; gnosticism; godsgravesglyphs; gospelofjudas; judas; judasiscariot; letshavejerusalem; news; nonsense; religion
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To: caldera599

I watched a show on TV about this last weekend. I wasn’t convinced of anything. The “scholars” involved were out to prove Judas was a nice guy who conspired with Jesus to help get Jesus crucified. BS.


21 posted on 04/08/2013 9:34:35 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Dude! Where's my Bill of Rights?)
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To: caldera599
I have never understood that part of the story. Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him and indeed needed him to so the authorities could arrest him. This was part of “God's plan”.

So why was Judas vilified and driven to suicide?

22 posted on 04/08/2013 9:39:01 PM PDT by BigCinBigD (...Was that okay?)
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To: BigCinBigD
>>So why was Judas vilified and driven to suicide?<<

Judas could've repented & been forgiven, but he didn't repent and seek forgiveness. He committed suicide on his own account.

23 posted on 04/08/2013 9:55:57 PM PDT by Smittie (Just like an alien, I'm a stranger in a strange land)
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To: caldera599

A piece of trash it is but it will produce reams of silliness about it was repressed because it reveals the “true” story.


24 posted on 04/08/2013 10:08:59 PM PDT by count-your-change (you don't have to be brilliant, not being stupid is enough)
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To: caldera599

The book sounds more like something someone under orders from Caiaphas or another High Priest would write. Remember there was an ongoing effort to discredit Christ. I haven’t read it and sure don’t intend to.


25 posted on 04/08/2013 10:14:53 PM PDT by cva66snipe (Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)
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John ch 17 v 9-12 makes things clear about Judas.


26 posted on 04/08/2013 10:24:47 PM PDT by cva66snipe (Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)
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To: caldera599

I’ve always believed Judas did what was asked of him. When Jesus was asked who would betray him and He responded “The one who dips his bread when I dip mine”, all Judas had to do was not dip the bread. It’s my belief that Jesus was leaving it up to Judas as to whether or not to be known throughout eternity as a traitor.

I also believe when Jesus said “You betray the Son of Man with a kiss”, He was acknowledging that He knew Judas loved Him.

Finally, the Priests and Romans who crucified Him went to Heaven. Jesus asked that His Father forgive them. He interceded on their behalf just like He interceded on our behalf.

I don’t wish to get into heated arguments. It’s my beliefs and has been as long I’ve known the story.


27 posted on 04/08/2013 10:37:12 PM PDT by VerySadAmerican
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To: BigCinBigD

Amen! And the Gospels were not written during the time of the Apostles or even by the Apostles. With the exception of John.


28 posted on 04/08/2013 10:37:12 PM PDT by VerySadAmerican
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To: 353FMG
Sorry y’all ‘scholars’ — the council of Nicea has had the final word on this subject.

Why do you trust 'scholars' appointed by a Roman emperor 300 years after Christ lived to be the "final word"?

29 posted on 04/08/2013 10:53:57 PM PDT by Gunslingr3
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To: caldera599

Hard to write a gospel with insides all over the ground after hanging oneself.


30 posted on 04/08/2013 11:15:32 PM PDT by skr (May God confound the enemy)
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To: BigCinBigD

Every story needs a heavy. Judas refused to leave tips, so ....

It will help you understand what a small sect called the Cainites, and Gnostic Egyptians believed, but was rejected as early as 180 AD by Iraenaeus. So ‘new’ only in the sense that it surfaced in the ‘70s, a Coptic translation from Greek. It says Judas was actually Jesus’ best buddy and ratted him out at his request, it contradicts the biblical story of creation and suggests that after death we journey to some different star system.
I think Robert Heinlin wrote it, during one of his reincarnations.
If this helps, it’s all argument ad ignoratio. All of them. Believe what you want.
I believe it’s bedtime.


31 posted on 04/08/2013 11:23:56 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: All armed conservatives.)
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To: Smittie
“Judas could’ve repented & been forgiven, but he didn't repent and seek forgiveness. He committed suicide on his own account”

Why would he have to repent of something he was asked?meant to do? If God selected him for that part of Christs mission. Judas should have been welcomed in to heaven and given a hearty well done.

32 posted on 04/08/2013 11:34:33 PM PDT by BigCinBigD (...Was that okay?)
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To: BigCinBigD

as an old monk explained to me long ago, Juda’s big mistake wasn’t in betraying Christ—it was in being so arrogant that he took it on himself and killed himself. She should have rushed to the cross and asked Jesus for forgiveness. Then, maybe , he would have become the greatest of all the apostles.


33 posted on 04/09/2013 12:02:06 AM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: caldera599

Scholars have proven the Gospel of Judas was written by him after his suicide.


34 posted on 04/09/2013 1:09:02 AM PDT by kaehurowing
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To: skr

Hi “skr”
That always puzzled me.
I haven’t looked up the passages about it, but I kind of thought that the ones who gave him the 30 pieces of silver strung him up and gutted him like a fish, because he felt horrible for his betrayal, and the silver givers didn’t want him spilling the beans so they did him in themselves. I don’t understand how one can hang and gut themselves at the same time, unless maybe they left him hanging in the hot sun for days and nature just took its toll.


35 posted on 04/09/2013 1:34:23 AM PDT by A child of Yah
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To: caldera599
The Judas in question died before Jesus, so I doubt he had time to write a book. Any other Judas would be hear say crap, IMO. The reason the Books ended up in the Bible was they agreed with what was know for sure. The books that didn't fit weren't included.

As a matter of faith, I believe the Holy Spirit put the Bible together. An unsaved person might say something like "men wrote the Bible". If men wrote it, then it's not worth spit. If God wrote it, it's eternal life! I would not try to add or subtract anything.

36 posted on 04/09/2013 1:52:39 AM PDT by chuckles
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To: BigCinBigD

I believe he “confessed” his sins to the Pharasees when he returned the silver By giving it back he was showing that he didn’t do it for money. He did it out of obedience to someone much higher than they.

As for committing suicide one account is he hung himself and another is that he “fell headlong into a field”.

One other point, Judas was the treasurer of the group. He would have been the one to take the money.

I also think Pilate got a back rap. He washed his hands of the whole affair. And by law he had to do what the Jews wanted.


37 posted on 04/09/2013 2:24:48 AM PDT by VerySadAmerican
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To: caldera599

Clearly it’s gnostic.

The article says”authenticate” but really what they’ve shown is that it’s not a RECENT fake but a 1700 year old fake.


38 posted on 04/09/2013 3:24:09 AM PDT by Mad Dawg (In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.)
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To: chuckles

I’ve always found it interesting that evangelicals which reject almost anything Catholics believe so strongly embrace that bible that the Catholics assembled.


39 posted on 04/09/2013 5:30:34 AM PDT by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied .. the economy died.)
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To: caldera599
For comparison, also see this scholarly product:

The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife: How a fake Gospel-Fragment was composed

40 posted on 04/09/2013 5:47:46 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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