A great deal of buzz has surfaced over the past several weeks regarding the revealation of the lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot. Most Christians recognize Judas as the man who betrayed Jesus and associate him with deceit and heresy, but the text contained in this new gospel finding paints a different picture. The text of this gospel serves to change the story completely about the relationship between Jesus and Judas and actions taken by Judas to betray Jesus. The translation of the gospel by religious scholars shows that Judas acting on the request of Jesus, rather than betraying him.

The delicate fragments of the papyrus codex on which the new Gospel of Judas was found dates back from the third or fourth century A.D. The Coptic script written on this ancient paper holds the key to the ancient story about the role that Judas had in giving up Jesus to his condemnors. The gospel is written in Coptic, as this was the language of the Christian Egyptians at this time in history. This document has been in and out of many hands over the course of history, dating back to when it was dismissed by early Christians as heretical.

More information about the history of the Gospel of Judas can be found from National Geographic. The text of the gospel in PDF format is available in English and in the original Coptic from their site, although it has also been translated into French and German. The links below are to the versions offered at National Geographic. Please visit their site for more information.

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