The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed

by Bart D. Ehrman

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195314601
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	10/09/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	591,704
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Bart D. Ehrman chairs the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. One of the major public experts on early Christianity, Jesus, and the New Testament, he is very well known in his field and to a general audience through his books, including the New York Times bestseller Misquoting Jesus, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene, Lost Christianities, Lost Scriptures, and Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code. He has appeared on NBC's Dateline, A&E, the History Channel, CNN, and a number of nationally syndicated NPR programs, and has taped several highly popular lecture series for "The Teaching Company."

Editorial Reviews

"Readers of Ehrman's popular scholarly works such as Misquoting Jesus should be pleased with his latest offering...a compelling study of an important archaeological find..."—Dallas Morning News

"A must for those interested in the subject of early Christianity,this volume will also attract readers intrigued by all the hoopla arising from the discovery of the lost Gospel."—Booklist

"In typically brilliant fashion, Ehrman tells the lively tale of the modern discovery of the Gospel of Judas and its significance for us today." —Publishers Weekly

"The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot is a gem of a book. Smart, lively, and eminently readable, this book provides a brilliant glimpse into the world of research and scholarship on one of the most provocative gospels from the world of the early church. It is required reading for anyone who wishes to learn more about Judas and the Gospel of Judas." —Marvin Meyer, Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies, Chapman University, and co-author of The Gospel of Judas

"An insightful, penetrating and provocative study of Christian origins. Bart Ehrman brings a scholarly, encyclopedic mind and a talented pen to this study. The Judas who has inspired centuries of anti-Semitism, feeding the dark side of Christian history, will never be the same. Neither will be the reader who engages this book." —John Shelby Spong, author of The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love, and Bishop, The Episcopal Church

From the Publisher

An authentic ancient text from the point of view of the infamous disciple who betrayed Christ with a kiss is fascinating. I just wish there were more to it. Sadly, the work is fragmentary, but the surviving text is worth hearing. Dennis Boutsikaris does his usual expert job reading the text. That little trick he does—turning the words up at certain points, almost like a question—serves him well in a book full of questions. Author Bart Ehrman, a respected Bible scholar, pads the work with details of the manuscript’s discovery and authentication. Listeners must wait until Chapter 6 to actually start hearing what is in the Judas Gospel. M.S. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

FEB/MAR 07 - AudioFile