The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot (12 page)

xx. C
AESAREA
P
HILIPPI:
The town is unknown before the time of Antiochus IV of Syria, but is identified around 200
BC
as Panion. This name already reflects the cult to Pan that was discovered there. In 20
BC
Augustus handed over the district to Herod the Great, and after his death it fell into the hands of his son, Philip, who renamed it ‘Caesarea' in honour of the Roman Emperor. However, it was known as ‘Caesarea Philippi' to distinguish Philip's Caesarea from the beautiful Herodian seaport to the south, the seat of the Roman government at the time of Jesus. This is the name found in the Gospels, including
The Gospel According To Judas
11. At a later date it reverted to Paneas, and this is the name that is still to be found in the contemporary Arabic word Banias.

xxi. S
ON OF
M
AN:
This expression, found throughout all four Gospels, is only ever used by Jesus to speak of himself. It is perhaps the clearest indication of Jesus' own understanding of his person and mission. It is an expression that is widely used in Ezekiel to indicate the humble human status of the prophet. It is also found in Daniel 7:13–14. The meaning of the expression in Daniel is widely debated among biblical scholars, especially as Jesus seems to use it in a way that looks back to Dan 7:13–14. It clearly refers to a figure who will overcome all opposition and return in glory. In the Gospels, Jesus also associates the Son of Man with suffering (see Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:32–34), and some suggest that a suffering Son of Man is already implied by the experience of the people of Israel at the time Daniel was written.

xxii. P
ETER THE STUMBLING BLOCK:
In the Gospel of Matthew, this play upon words using Peter as the stumbling block is very clearly spelt out. The Evangelist reports Jesus' blessing of Peter as ‘the rock' (Greek:
petros/petra
) (Matt 16:18). But when Peter tries to prevent Jesus' journey to the cross, Jesus calls him ‘Satan' (Aramaic:
satana
) and goes on to explain that this means he is a ‘stumbling block' (Greek:
skandalon
).

xxiii. A
BBA/FATHER:
Jesus spoke Aramaic, and on one occasion in the Gospels (Mark 14:36) he uses the Aramaic word
Abba
, and the Evangelist translates it for his Greek readers as ‘father'. The term was used by children who
thought of their father in a way that was respectful, obedient and loving.

xxiv. M
OUNT
T
ABOR:
This small mountain, reached by means of a very steep climb, is located south of Nazareth, on the road to Judea. It is difficult to be certain what actually happened during the strange encounter the disciples have with the transfigured Jesus. It is also impossible to be sure where it took place. The Orthodox traditions generally locate the transfiguration on the more spectacular Mount Hermon. The link and subsequent confusion were inspired by the juxtaposition of Hermon and Tabor in Psalm 89:12: ‘The north and the south – you created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.'

xxv. J
ESUS' PASSION PREDICTIONS:
Jesus' predictions of his passion during this journey to Jerusalem have developed in the telling. Jesus most likely spoke of his forthcoming death in words very close to: ‘The Son of Man will be given into the hands of men and they will kill him.' He probably also spoke, in faith and hope, of his ultimate vindication by God. By the time the Gospels were written, this vindication is expressed in terms of what the early Church believed had actually taken place: resurrection on the third day.

xxvi. T
HE STRANGER FROM
G
ALILEE:
At this point the dependence of
The Gospel According to Judas
on the traditions that formed the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) becomes evident. Jesus comes to Jerusalem for the first time. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is seen regularly in Jerusalem.

xxvii. J
ESUS AS A PROPHET:
Many historical-critical studies of the ‘pre-Easter Jesus' have come to the conclusion that Jesus and his disciples understood him to be a prophet.

xxviii. J
ESUS
, S
ON OF
D
AVID:
Early Christians regarded Jesus as the messianic Son of David (see, for example, Matt 1:1). But in
The Gospel According to Judas
, Jesus does not identify himself with the Son of David. The curing of Bartimaeus is the only occasion in this Gospel where Jesus does not reject the title. It is widely agreed among scholars that the solitary acceptance by Jesus of the term ‘Son of David' in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 10:46–52) does not refer to the messianic use of this expression, but to the Jewish tradition that looked back to the historical ‘son of David', King Solomon, as a healer. In
The Gospel According to Judas
, Judas misunderstands blind Bartimaeus' appeal to Jesus as a healer. His question of Peter shows that he has renewed hope that Jesus is the Son of David in the sense of being the Davidic Messiah.

xxix. J
ESUS
'
ENTRY INTO
J
ERUSALEM:
It is difficult to reconstruct what took place, historically, on the occasion of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. The scene as it is described in
The Gospel According to Judas
depends on John 12:12–16 and Zech 9:9–11.

xxx. S
EQUENCE OF EVENTS IN
J
ERUSALEM
:
In all four Christian Gospels, the sequence of events is exactly the same: entry, preaching, supper, Gethsemane, Jewish trial, Roman trial, crucifixion, burial, discovery of an empty tomb, resurrection appearances (not found in Mark). But the timing of these events varies from gospel to gospel, as it does in
The Gospel According to Judas
.

xxxi. T
HE
S
ANHEDRIN:
This was the highest tribunal permitted by Rome to prosecute and punish Jews according to Jewish laws. It is difficult to determine exactly who made up this body, or even if there was only one Sanhedrin. According to the Gospels, there is one Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, and it is made up of both Priests and Pharisees, along with their Scribes.

xxxii. M
ONEY DEALERS IN THE
T
EMPLE:
The money dealers who sat in the outer court of the Temple were performing a service essential to the purity of the Temple. It was unlawful to enter the sacred precincts of the Temple carrying any coins that bore the effigy of a human being or an animal. Thus, all who entered the Temple handed over their coins to the money dealers. They exchanged any Jewish money for Tyrian coins, which bore no image. On leaving the Temple, the worshipper would retrieve the money bearing these effigies. This detail must be kept in mind when reading
The Gospel According to Judas
19:16–19. Jesus is questioned by the Pharisees in the Temple, and asks to see a coin. They show him one bearing the effigy of Caesar. No Jew should have been in possession of such a coin in the Temple.

xxxiii. P
ASSOVER RITUAL:
It is difficult to establish exactly how the Passover was celebrated at the time of Jesus. However, a constant feature found in the various ancient traditions is the use of elements during a meal (bitter herbs, bread and wine) to recall the saving events that are recorded in the biblical account of Israel's exodus from Egypt (see Exodus 12:1–19:26). Jesus repeats these traditions during the last supper, and his action with the bread and wine – along with his words that interpret the meaning of the symbols of bread and wine – remain a constant reminder of the Lord's Supper in most Christian traditions.

xxxiv. T
HE INNOCENCE OF
J
ESUS:
The Christian Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) all point out that there was no genuine case against Jesus. The Jewish trial goes ahead on the basis of contradictory evidence, and the Roman trial that follows is punctuated with statements from Pilate emphasizing that he finds no crime in Jesus.

xxxv. I
NITIATION AT
Q
UMRAN:
The indication of a limitation of time that Benjamin can remain at Qumran, unless he wishes to be there for the rest of his life, reflects the evidence of first-century witnesses, Josephus and Philo, along with the texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Anyone wishing to join the community was
accepted for one year of probation. At the end of that year they were admitted to the ritual bathing that was a key element of Essene practice. Once admitted, the candidate had to remain a further two years, a stay culminating in a ceremony in which an oath of fidelity was taken. Benjamin has no desire to be part of this process, and thus agrees to return to Kerioth.

xxxvi. T
HE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR:
Many factors led to the eventual outbreak of the first Jewish-Roman war (also known as the Great Jewish Revolt) in
AD
66. The crucifixion of anyone who opposed Rome, and the flight and eventual suicide of the Essenes, are reported by the Jewish historian Josephus (
circa
AD
37–101). He was a Jew who originally joined the Jewish revolt and fought against the Romans in Galilee, and after he was captured switched allegiance. He is the best witness we have to the events of the Jewish War, although he generally defends the Romans and blames the Jewish zealots for the outcome. The war began under Vespasian (
AD
66) but Jerusalem was destroyed when Titus was supreme commander of the Roman army (
AD
70). Both eventually became Emperors of Rome.

xxxvii. T
ITUS
'
EDICT:
After being surrounded on every side, the leaders of Jerusalem still refused to accept that defeat and destruction were inevitable. Josephus softens Titus' edict, but it is fierce enough: ‘Titus was furious that people trapped in their city should demand conditions of him as if they were the conquerors. He ordered that an edict be issued. No longer was anyone to flee the city, nor should they seek any terms for peace. If they attempted to do so, he would not spare them.' (Josephus,
Jewish War
, VI. 352)

xxxviii. W
ATER INTO WINE:
It is universally accepted, even by the most critical of scholars, that Jesus performed many miracles in the eyes of his contemporaries, for example, casting out evil spirits and curing the sick. Such events as the walking on the water and the changing of water into wine are generally referred to as ‘nature miracles'. As the early Christians began to accept and understand that the risen Jesus was the Christ and the Son of God, they also began to allow traditions to be written into their stories of Jesus that demonstrated that not only YHWH, the God of Israel, was Lord of the sea and master of nature, but so also was Jesus. There is strong Old Testament background to YHWH as master of the elements (Pss 29; 65:7–8; 89:9; 104:3–4; 107:24–32). The coming of the messianic era is also marked by a feast with an abundance of wine and good food (see Hos 2:19–20; Isa 25:6–8; Jer 2:2). However, if it had been true, Jesus would have changed about 120 gallons of water into wine!

xxxix. T
HE
T
WELVE:
There is widespread agreement that Jesus chose an inner circle of twelve men from among his many disciples and followers. They are known as ‘the Twelve' in Matthew, Mark and John. In Luke they become ‘the
Twelve Apostles'. Jesus' choice of the Twelve indicated his sense of creating a new people of God built upon the former people of God, founded upon the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The number ‘twelve' is theologically significant. The Twelve form the cornerstone for the establishment of God's people. For this reason, once Judas is removed from the group of the Twelve, a further witness to Jesus, from the beginnings to his resurrection, was chosen by lot. The ‘Twelve' had to be maintained (Acts 1:21–26).

xl. S
UICIDE:
There is no explicit commandment against suicide in the Hebrew Bible, but God's primacy over life and Israel's prohibitions on the shedding of human blood imply that it is forbidden. The rabbis eventually came to forbid suicide explicitly. See, for example, the rabbinic teaching in
Genesis Rabbah
34:21b. It may come as a surprise to some readers of
The Gospel according to Judas
that he did not hang himself. It is popularly accepted by Christians that this was the case. However, there is only one reference to Judas' suicide in the New Testament: Matthew 27:3–10. According to Luke (Acts 1:18), he swelled and burst open in the middle and his bowels gushed out. Nothing is said about the death of Judas in the Gospels of Mark, Luke or John. Thus, only Matthew paints Judas as a Jew whose unforgivable sin of betrayal results in the further sin of suicide. When one becomes aware of the influence of Old Testament texts on Matt 27:9–10 (see Zech 11:12–13; Jer 32:6–15; 18:2–3), it is most likely that Matthew's report of Judas' death is an attempt to further blacken his name, in the light of the Old Testament predictions, when it never actually happened.

xli. T
HIRTY PIECES OF SILVER:
Central to the popular understanding of Judas' betrayal of Jesus is the payment of thirty pieces of silver by the High Priests. No serious New Testament scholar accepts that this ever happened. In the Gospel of Mark, after Judas offers to betray Jesus, it is reported that: ‘And when they heard it they were glad, and promised to give him money' (Mark 14:11). The Gospel of Luke does not mention the exchange of any money, nor does the Gospel of John. It should also be noted that the text of the Gospel of Mark does not suggest that any money was ever handed over. The author of the Gospel of Matthew had the Gospel of Mark before him, and he follows most of it, with embellishments. Matthew could not accept that the Messiah would be so easily sold out by this unseemly deal between the priests and one of his disciples. He therefore turns to prophecies from Zechariah and Jeremiah and develops this theme in two major passages: Matthew 26:15 (‘And they paid him thirty pieces of silver') and Matthew 27:3–10 (the return of the thirty pieces of silver, Judas' suicide and the purchase of the potter's field with the money). None of this is found anywhere else in the Gospels, but they are the details that have been at the heart of the Christian Church's
preaching, and the popular understanding of Judas. Matthew wishes to show that Jesus was not duped. However tragic, the betrayal was the fulfilment of prophecy. The details of the thirty pieces of silver come from Zacheriah 11:12 (‘So they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver' [see Matt 26:15]), Zacheriah 11:13 (‘So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury, in the house of the Lord' [see Matt 27:5]), and a collection of texts from Jeremiah 18:2 (‘the potter's field' [see Matt 27:7]) and Jeremiah 32:7–9 (the purchase of a field for pieces of silver [see Matt 27:7–9]).