Judas: The Definitive Collection of Gospels and Legends About the Infamo us Apostle of Jesus

Marvin Meyer

ISBN 10: 0061348309 / ISBN 13: 9780061348303

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc, 2007

About this Item

Judas Iscariot has been portrayed as the quintessential traitor, the infamous disciple who betrayed his teacher for thirty pieces of silver. But the discovery of the long lost Gospel of Judas, with its portrayal of Judas as the disciple closest to Jesus, raises serious new questions. In Judas, Marvin Meyer, one of the world's leading experts on the Gospel of Judas presents a fuller portrait of this enigmatic figure. Meyer presents period texts that deal with Judas, including New Testament writings, Gnostic documents, and other early Christian literature. Later writings provide glimpses of the vilification of Judas and the emergence of anti-Semitic themes. Meyer also explores the possibility that the story of Judas and his betrayal of Jesus could be simply a piece of fiction. Marvin Meyer is Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies and director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute at Chapman University, Orange, California. Among his recent books are The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus: The Definitive Collection of Mystical Gospels and Secret Books About Jesus of Nazareth; The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene, the Companion of Jesus; The Gospel of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus; and The Gnostic Bible."This book offers a thrilling journey through early Christian texts about Judas, asking the question if the devilish figure of this disciple is founded on historical elements or if it is merely a literary creation . You won't be able to stop reading this book."- Madeleine Scopello, Directeur de Recherche au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Paris IV-Sorbonne, and author of Femme, Gnose et Manichéisme.

Seller Inventory # 00106579097

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Judas: The Definitive Collection of Gospels and Legends About the Infamo us Apostle of Jesus
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0061348309
• ISBN 13: 9780061348303
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

Judas Iscariot has been demonized as the quintessential traitor, the disciple who betrayed his master for the infamous thirty pieces of silver. But the recent sensational discovery and publication of the long lost Gospel of Judas, with its remarkable portrayal of Judas Iscariot as the disciple closest to Jesus, raises serious new questions. Was Judas the only member of the Twelve who truly understood Jesus? Did Jesus secretly collaborate with Judas to set in motion the series of events that would redeem all of humankind? In search of answers, Marvin Meyer, one of the world's leading experts on the Gospel of Judas presents a collection of the earliest accounts of Judas, which together paint a fuller portrait of this most enigmatic disciple.

This book presents the essential texts that deal with the figure of Judas, including New Testament writings, Gnostic documents, and other early and later Christian literature. These are the earliest known testimonies about Judas and include selections from the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, the Acts of the Apostles, and relevant passages from Paul. The centerpiece of the book is the Gospel of Judas, followed by excerpts from three other Gnostic texts—the Dialogue of the Savior, the Concept of Our Great Power, and the "Round Dance of the Cross"—which may shed new light on the figure of Judas. A series of additional writings on Judas produced over the centuries provide glimpses of the vilification of Judas and the emergence of anti-Semitic themes.

Meyer offers evidence of traitors before Judas—the Genesis story of Joseph's brothers who sold him into slavery, the duplicitous friend of the poet in Psalm 41, and Melanthius the goatherd in Homer's Odyssey—all of which raise the question of whether the story of Judas Iscariot could be simply a piece of religious fiction derived from earlier stories.

Judas provides a rich collection of original sources that tell the story of Christianity's most infamous figure, offering the fullest understanding of Judas Iscariot's undeniable importance in the climax of Jesus's life.

About the Author

Marvin Meyer is one of the foremost scholars on early Christianity and texts about Jesus outside the New Testament. He is Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies at Chapman University in Orange, California. Among his recent books are The Gospel of Judas, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus, The Gospels of Mary, The Gospel of Thomas, and The Nag Hammadi Scriptures.