Diane Trail Atlantic Correspondent atlantic@christianweek.org WOLFVILLE, NS—The recent announcement of the recovery of an early document entitled “The Gospel of Judas” has caused a flurry of e-mails and phone calls to Craig Evans, Payzant distinguished professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Evans was the only Canadian expert asked in September 2005 to be part of the National Geographic Society’s secret consultant team of biblical scholars examining the ancient document. The “Gospel of Judas” was previously known only by references to it by early church fathers who spoke out against its portrayal of Judas as the most important disciple. Evans was the only Canadian expert asked in September 2005 to be part of the National Geographic

Florence Darbre, right, conservator of the Gospel of Judas manuscript, works with Coptologist Gregor Wurst to reassemble multitudes of fragments into their proper pages and locations. (Courtesy Kenneth Garrett/National Geographic Society

Society’s secret consultant team of biblical scholars examining the ancient document. The “Gospel of Judas” was previously known only by references to it by early church fathers who spoke out against its portrayal of Judas as the most important disciple.

The so-called lost gospel of Judas depicts Judas as a hero. Although it is clear to scholars that Judas did not write this work, the newly translated document’s text begins: “The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot.”

In a key passage Jesus tells Judas, “You will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.” Some scholars say the passage indicates Jesus is asking Judas to betray Him.

Others say it is the work of the Gnostic Christians, a heretical group who believed they were spirits that had been imprisoned in their bodies. They would have believed that Jesus, like them, needed to escape the physical part of this existence and return to His heavenly home.

“There is a lot of useful information in the ‘Gospel of Judas,’” says Evans. “But it is information that pertains to the second century, long after the time of the New Testament Gospels and even longer after the time of Jesus and His apostles. There is no truth in the ‘Gospel of Judas’ in the sense that it tells us faithfully what Judas really did and why.”

The National Geographic Society announced the recovery, restoration and translation of the “Gospel of Judas” on April 6, a process begun in 2001 by the Maecenas Foundation in Switzerland. The society became involved in 2004 with the restoration work of the Coptic Codex (called the Tchacos Codex), which contained as one of its tractates the “Gospel of Judas.”

Restoration of the thousands of papyrus fragments has made 80 per cent of the gospel legible.

Little doubt

The society’s team of biblical scholars was asked to interpret the text and explain its historical and religious context. Evans affirms there is little doubt that it is, indeed, a late third- or early fourth-century Coptic translation of an earlier Greek work.

Around 180 A.D., Bishop Irenaeus of Lyon first mentioned a “Gospel of Judas.” The bishop denounced the manuscript as heresy.

“One helpful aspect of the ‘Gospel of Judas’ for conservative Christians,” says Evans, “is that it proves that Irenaeus is correct. He is vindicated as an important early witness. Sometimes Irenaeus has been accused as not being fair to heretical groups. Now we see he is accurate.

“It also helps us contextualize Irenaeus,” says Evans, “and make us aware that the early Church wasn’t just dealing with the Jewish synagogues and hostile Romans when Christians were dying for their faith, but with heresies as well.

“It is possible that Judas was a more important disciple than we have previously thought, though he is still a villain and traitor,” Evans continues. “‘The Gospel of Judas’ certainly takes for granted that Judas was an important disciple.

“In John 13,” he says, “Jesus says privately to Judas, ‘What you are about to do, do quickly.’ Perhaps Judas did have a private arrangement with Jesus, but Judas takes advantage of that arrangement to betray Jesus.”

Evans says he believes that so-called lost gospels, like Judas, are trendy because of biblical illiteracy. “It strikes people as plausible and they are not equipped to know otherwise. It’s brand new and extraordinary; ‘kinky’ even.”

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams observed in his Easter sermon about the “Gospel of Judas,” “…there’s always such an interest in stories about ‘lost’ books coming to light. Think of the massive international industry around the Da Vinci Code.

“It’s exciting to think of conspiracies and coverups when trust in traditional institutions is low. The same sort of thing seems to have happened in the [early] Church and its Bible.”