'Comments on the Translation' (Gospel of Judas) - Segment 2

[Guest guest]

Segment 2

 

2./

 

[1] One day he found them sitting, assembled together (and) training

(themselves) in godliness. [2] When he [came upon] his disciples assembled

together, sitting and offering thanks over the bread, [3] [he] laughed.

 

[4] The discipl[e]s said to him, " Teacher, why do you laugh at [our] offering

thanks? Or what did we do? [5] [This] is what is right. "

 

(P.110) [6] He replied, telling them, " It is not you I am laughing at - [7] you

are not even doing this by [yo]ur own will - [8] but (I'm laughing because) in

this (offering of thanks), your 'God' will receive praise. "

 

[9] " Teacher, 'you' are [.....] the Son of our God, " they said.

 

[10] Jesus said to them, " Do you (really think you) know me - how? [11] Truly I

say to you, no race from the people among you will ever know me. "

 

[12] Now when his disciples heard this, [they] began to be displeased and

[become] angry, and to blaspheme against him in their heart.

 

[13] But when Jesus perceived their foolishness, [14] [he said] to them, " Why

are you letting anger disturb you? [15] Your God who is within you and [his

.....] are displeased [together with] your souls. [16] Let whoever is [strong]

among you humans bring forth the perfect human [17] and stand up to face me. "

 

[18] And they all said, " We are strong! " [19] But their spirits did not have the

courage to stand up to face him - except Judas [is]cariot. [20] He was able to

stand up to face him, [21] even though he was not able to look him in the eyes,

bu[t] turned his face aside.

 

[22] Judas said to him, " I know who you are and which place you came from - [23]

you came from the realm of the immortal Barbelo - [24] but I am not worthy to

proclaim the name of the one who sent you. "

 

(P.111) [25] Then Jesus, recognizing that he perceived even more of such exalted

matters, said to him, " Separate from them. [26] I will tell you the mysteries of

the kingdom. [27] It is possible for you to reach that place, [28] but you will

suffer much grief. [29] For another [will] take your place, so that the twelve

di[sciples] might again be complete in their 'God.' "

 

[30] And Judas said to him, " When will you tell these things to me, [31] and

when will the great [da]y of the light dawn for the [......] race? "

 

[32] But after he said these things, Jesus left him.

 

('English Translation of the Gospel of Judas' - Pg. 109-111)

 

 

 

'Comments on the Translations' to Segment 2

 

 

[1] of Segment 2

 

(P.109) " One day he found them sitting, assembled together (and) training

(themselves) in godliness. "

 

Comments:

 

(P.127) The term here is 'gymnaze', which means to " exercise " or " train " , and is

related to the English terms " gymnasium " and " gymnastic. " It refers to doing

something or acting a particular way in order to gain proficiency at something.

Here the disciples are gaining proficiency in [? script looking similar to

'MNTNOYTE'], literally " divinity " or " reverence toward God. " In other words,

they are performing certain actions - here offering thanks over the bread - in

order to cultivate a pious character and true devotion. This idea belongs to the

ancient belief that doing certain acts helps to cultivate corresponding inner

attitudes; so, for example, if one acts generously toward others, one actually

comes to feel generous, or if one wears a veil, one will develop a modest

attitude.

 

 

 

 

[2] of Segment 2

 

(P.109) " When he [came upon] his disciples assembled together, sitting and

offering thanks over the bread, "

 

Comments:

 

(P.127)The term here is 'eucharisti', which literally means " to give thanks " ,

but by the second century, when the 'Gospel of Judas' was written, it was

becoming a technical term for the Christian celebration of the eucharist, the

meal in which Christians communally eat bread as the body of Christ in memory of

his death.

 

 

 

 

[3]-[9] of Segment 2

 

(P.109) [he] laughed.

 

The discipl[e]s said to him, " Teacher, why do you laugh at [our] offering

thanks? Or what did we do? [This] is what is right. "

 

He replied, telling them, " It is not you I am laughing at - you are not even

doing this by [yo]ur own will - but (I'm laughing because) in this (offering of

thanks), your 'God' will receive praise. "

 

" Teacher, 'you' are [.....] the Son of our God, " they said.

 

Comments:

 

(P.128) Whenever Jesus laughs in the 'Gospel of Judas', he is about to correct

errors in someone's thinking. In this instance, Jesus's laughter is a kind of

ridicule or mockery intended to shock the disciples out of their complacency and

false pride. Their deepest problem is that they don't know they have a problem;

they wrongly think they are already righteous, with their prayers and practices

of piety. Jesus tries to teach them that they are not worshipping the true God.

At first they are astonished, not understanding, and they insist (wrongly) that

Jesus is the Son of " our " God. The very fact that they are celebrating the

eucharist shows that they are wrong in their understanding that God demands

Jesus's death as a sacrifice. The author of the 'Gospel of Judas' is reading the

situation of his own day back into the gospel story, since Christians did not

celebrate the eucharist as a sacrificial meal until after Jesus's death. But the

author's point here is that Jesus himself opposed this (later) practice, because

it misconstrued the true meaning of his death, as the author sees it.

 

 

 

 

[10] of Segment 2

 

(P.110) " Jesus said to them, " Do you (really think you) know me - how? "

 

Comments:

 

(P.128) Coptic has two words for " know " or " knowledge " . One of them refers to

cognitive understanding [Coptic script looking like 'EIME']; the other, to

intimate acquaintance or personal experience [Coptic script, looking like

'COOYN']. Jesus uses the second term here, which could also be translated as " Do

you recognize me? " The point is that the disciples think they understand who

Jesus is, but in fact they don't really know him at all - and as long as they

don't recognize their ignorance, they will never come to know him.

 

 

 

 

[11] of Segment 2

 

(P.110) " Truly I say to you, no race from the people among you will ever know

me. "

 

Comments:

 

(P.128) When Jesus declares that none of his disciples ( " no race from the people

among you " ) will ever know him, he is saying that people who consider themselves

to be " children " of the false " God " will never be able to perceive who Jesus is

- that he is the Son of the true God above.

 

(P.129) The term the author uses here is 'genos', which could be translated

" kind, " " people, " or " race. " Contrary to the notion that Christians broke down

barriers of race, class, and gender (as in 'Galatians' 3:28, " There is no longer

Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or

female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus " ), they continued to use the

language of ethnic and racial identity to understand Christians as a people,

often calling themselves " a third race. " [2] This language of " race " appears

frequently in the 'Gospel of Judas'. Although the author often uses the plural

" human races, " in essence only two races exist: the mortal race (those who

worship the false Gods of the lower world and are destined to be destroyed at

the end of the age) and the immortal race (those who recognize their own

spiritual nature and turn to the true God above).

 

A similar idea is stated clearly in another book from Nag Hammadi, the 'Sophia

of Jesus Christ', in which Jesus teaches that " (e)verything that came from the

perishable will perish, since it came from the perishable. But whatever came

from the imperishable does not perish but becomes imperishable. So, many people

went astray because they had not known this difference and they died "

(III.98:1-9). Death, it would seem, is not inevitable, but a result of not

learning how to distinguish between the mortal world where people live now and

the eternal world above. Since humanity is created in the image of the divine

Adamas above - in that sense, people come from the imperishable - they are

capable of becoming imperishable.

 

 

 

 

[12] of Segment 2

 

(P.110) " Now when his disciples heard this, [they] began to be displeased and

[become] angry, and to blaspheme against him in their heart. "

 

Comments:

 

(P.129) Instead of accepting Jesus's teaching and repenting, asking for further

instructions, or changing their ways, the disciples become angry and commit

blasphemy. Their reaction may be an indication of how some Christians responded

when the author of the 'Gospel of Judas' confronted his fellow Christians with

what he regarded as their erroneous understanding of Jesus's death.

 

 

 

 

[13]-[15] of Segment 2

 

(P.110) " But when Jesus perceived their foolishness, [14] [he said] to them,

" Why are you letting anger disturb you? [15] Your God who is within you and [his

.....] are displeased [together with] your souls. "

 

Comments:

 

(P.130) Jesus, being divine, of course knows what the disciples are thinking.

The author uses the term [looks like 'MNTdT2HT'], which means " the state of

being without heart/mind " ; in other words, the disciples are described as

witless and foolish, lacking in sound judgment and understanding. Jesus tells

them that the anger that disturbs them comes from " the God within " - not the

true God above, but the lower God whom they worship. This passage is extremely

important, as it indicates one of the core assumptions the author is making:

that people come to be like the God they worship. If people worship the true

God, they strengthen the divine Spirit within so that their souls are shaped for

eternal life, but if they worship the Gods of the lower material world, they

become like them - angry, self-righteous, ignorant, and violent.

 

[break Quote]

 

[Folks, it seems to me that what Jesus is saying, when he says: " Your God who is

within you and [his ....] are displeased [together with] your souls " ----- is

that Jesus is basically saying that the 'Divine Within' the disciples, as well

as the disciples' 'own souls' are displeased with the disciples' anger toward

Jesus. This subtle point seems to have been missed.]

 

[Resume Quote]

 

(P.130) The altercation between Jesus and his disciples over their eucharist

practice is strongly reminiscent of 'John' 6:35-64, where Jesus disputes with

his disciples over where Jesus comes from and what it means to say that Jesus's

flesh is the true bread of life. There, Jesus teaches that " unless you eat the

flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who

eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on

the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink: ('John'

6:53-55). His followers murmur against him, and he rebukes them, " Does this

offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending where he was

before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I

have spoken to you are spirit and life " ('John' 6:61-63). The author of the

'Gospel of John' writes that many followers of Jesus were offended and left him

because of this hard saying, but " the twelve " remained faithful - while Judas is

named for the first time as the betrayer.

 

(P.131) The 'Gospel of Judas' reverses this scene, at least in part, for those

disciples who truly understand, like Judas, are the ones who reject the idea

that Jesus's flesh brings salvation. For the author of the 'Gospel of Judas',

they are the ones who rightly understand Jesus's teaching in the 'Gospel of

John' that " the flesh is useless. " Jesus will be crucified, but it is his ascent

to heaven - and the ascent of those he draws with him - that is the true meaning

of salvation. Do we have here, then, a portrait of the later situation - that

some of Jesus's followers rejected the implied cannibalism of the sacrifice meal

and that Judas, the betrayer, was among them? Or might it only be that the

author of the 'Gospel of Judas', reading the 'Gospel of John', identified Judas

with Christians in his own day who rejected Jesus's death as a sacrifice? We can

only speculate, but in either case, this passage from the 'Gospel of John' may

help us understand better why some Christians thought that Judas was the one

disciple who understood Jesus's teaching.

 

 

 

 

[16]-[17] of Segment 2

 

(P.110) " {Let whoever is [strong] among you humans bring forth the perfect human

[17] and stand up to face me. "

 

Comments:

 

(P.131) Note here how Jesus calls the disciples " you humans " but then demands

they show forth " the perfect human. " The pun is that they don't know what it

means to be really human. They don't understand, as Judas will learn, that their

true nature is not mortal flesh; rather the lower gods created all humanity in

the divine image of " the perfect human " - the heavenly Adamas above - following

the author's interpretation of 'Genesis' 1:26-27.

 

 

 

 

[18]-[21] of Segment 2

 

(P.110) " And they all said, " We are strong! " But their spirits did not have the

courage to stand up to face him - except Judas [is]cariot. He was able to stand

up to face him, [21] even though he was not able to look him in the eyes, bu[t]

turned his face aside. "

 

Comments:

 

(P.131) Here again the disciples show their arrogance and their ignorance, for

when Jesus tells them to stand before him, they are at first bold, claiming, " We

are strong! " but then they are unable to face up to him. Only Judas manages to

find the courage.

 

The irony is that even though the disciples are trying to train themselves to be

pious, in fact they are easily angered, quickly led to blasphemy, and cowardly.

In portraying them like this, the Gospel of Judas's author purposefully invokes

a widespread belief that a person's spiritual character is demonstrated by

mental and emotional stability ( " standing firm " ) or their lack. (P.132) Michael

A. Williams [3] has studied this theme extensively and come to two conclusions

that are important here. First, Greek philosophers following Plato distinguished

a perfectly stable, immovable, and unchanging divine realm from the changeable

and unstable world of material things. So too Jesus is going to teach Judas that

there is an unshakable divine world beyond this one. Second, people's behaviour

is shaped by whether they follow the pattern of the higher divine stability or

the lower agitation of material things. Williams gives a good example from the

first-century Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria, who argues that " (t)he

foolish person's nature is to be moving constantly contrary to right reason, to

be hostile to stillness and rest, and never to stand firmly. The soul of the

worthless person is 'constantly shaken' since it has no firm footing.... By

contrast, the wise man has stilled the swell and tossing of the soul.... His

actions are not ... easily shaken. " The best example is Abraham, who stood

steadfastly before God. In the 'Gospel of Judas', when the disciples are unable

to stand up to Jesus, it is clear that they lack the spiritual calm that comes

from stability of character and closeness to God. Judas is depicted as superior

to them because he can stand before Jesus, but even he has to avert his eyes,

showing that he has not yet arrived at the highest spiritual state. He

eventually does achieve this in the end, when Jesus instructs Judas to " lift up

his eyes. " When Judas obeys, he ascends to the unchanging spiritual realm - the

luminous cloud above.

 

 

 

 

[22]-[24] of Segment 2

 

(P.110) " Judas said to him, " I know who you are and which place you came from -

you came from the realm of the immortal Barbelo - [24] but I am not worthy to

proclaim the name of the one who sent you. "

 

Comments:

 

(P.132) Here we get the first indication of why Jesus promotes Judas over the

others. He alone recognizes who Jesus really is: " I know who you are and which

place you came from. " In the New Testament gospels as well, the disciples

struggle and often fail to understand Jesus's true identity. For example, in the

'Gospel of Mark',[4] only Peter understands that Jesus is the Christ; but even

he rejects Jesus's crucifixion, and Jesus turns on him, calling him Satan and

charging, " You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things "

('Mark' 8:27-33). [5] (P.133) Jesus's disciples in the 'Gospel of John' also

fail to recognize Jesus; even though they claim they have understood, at the

end, they all desert him - and Peter actually denies him three times ('John'

14:1-11; 16:28-32; 18:15-27). [6] Like the disciples in the 'Gospel of John',

who flee at Jesus's arrest, the disciples in the 'Gospel of Judas' are afraid:

proof that they do not really believe, because they do not really understand who

Jesus is and where he comes from.

 

The term translated " realm " here is 'aeon', which means " a period of time " , " an

age " , " a lifetime " . In adverbial form, 'aionios', it means " eternity " . The term

appears frequently in the 'Gospel of Judas' to refer both to the immortal,

eternal realm above and to the mortal, limited realm below. It thus has a very

strong spatial as well as temporal connotation. In other Christian texts, the

term is also sometimes personified, so that it refers to a kind of eternal being

- like angels or archangels - but here the main sense is a realm that exists

with regard to a period of time (whether limited or eternal).

 

The name Barbelo will be unfamiliar to most readers, and indeed she appears only

once in the 'Gospel of Judas', but this figure is familiar from other ancient

texts discovered in Egypt over the last century. Many of these belong to a type

of Christianity scholars call Sethianism (or Sethian Gnosticism), because these

works claim that the spiritual race of humanity is descended from Adam's third

son, Seth (or Eve's daughter, Norea). In these works, Barbelo appears as the

divine Mother, the second figure of the Divine triad: Father (the Invisible

Spirit), Mother (Barbelo), Son (Autogenes, the Self-generated One, Christ). In

many such works, the " realm of Barbelo " encompasses the whole divine sphere

above, so it is a kind of shorthand reference to the divine realm. [7]

 

 

 

 

[25]-[32] of Segment 2

 

(P.111) " Then Jesus, recognizing that he perceived even more of such exalted

matters, said to him, " Separate from them. I will tell you the mysteries of the

kingdom. It is possible for you to reach that place, but you will suffer much

grief. For another [will] take your place, so that the twelve di[sciples] might

again be complete in their 'God.' "

 

And Judas said to him, " When will you tell these things to me, and when will the

great [da]y of the light dawn for the [......] race? "

 

But after he said these things, Jesus left him. "

 

Comments:

 

(P.133) When Jesus hears Judas, he recognizes that he has spiritual insight and

is capable of learning more and so will be able to go up to the place where

Jesus comes from. (P.134) Jesus promises to teach him more about " the mysteries

of the kingdom " , which, we later learn, concern the origin and nature of the

universe.

 

He also tells Judas to separate himself from the others, perhaps a practice also

encouraged by the author of the 'Gospel of Judas' and a strong indication that

this group is on the defensive and has drawn away from other Christians, who

hold different views about sacrifice and martyrdom. Here Jesus tells Judas for

the first time that he will suffer a great deal at the hands of the other

disciples, again perhaps an indication of how strained the relations are among

Christians in the author's day. The author presupposes that Judas was the first

one of " the twelve " but was later replaced when Jesus separated him for special

teaching and a special assignment - to hand him over. The New Testament 'Acts of

the Apostles' 1:15-26 also tells a story in which the disciples replace Judas

with another disciple, Matthias.

 

But why does Judas need to be replaced at all? The author says it is in order

that " the twelve " may be " complete in their 'God' " . Here for the first time we

see an emphasis on the meaning of numbers, which is even more pronounced later

when Jesus teaches Judas about the origin of the world. As will later become

clear, the significance of the number twelve is that the true God set twelve

angels to rule over the lower world; the twelve disciples thus represent on

earth the number of " their 'God' " in heaven.

 

We see something similar in one of the other texts inscribed in the Tchacos

Codex, the 'First Apocalypse of James', also known from a copy found near Nag

Hammadi in 1945. In the Nag Hammadi version, again we see one disciple elevated

above the rest; here it is James. James sends him to " rebuke the Twelve " because

they are mired in false contentment, wrongly thinking that they have " the way of

knowledge " (1 'Apocalypse of James' NH 42:20-24), just as we see Jesus

condemning " the twelve " for their false piety in the 'Gospel of Judas'. (P.135)

But this text elevates a set of other disciples in their own stead: Jesus

praises seven of his women disciples and instructs James to be " persuaded by

[the testimony] of Salome and Mariam [and Martha and Ars]inoe. " [8] The version

in the Tchacos Codex offers a somewhat different reading (any specific rebuke

addressed to " the twelve " is probably contained in a lost portion of the text,

at 29:12-19), but the praise of the women is considerably sharper. This version

calls the seven women disciples " the seven spirits " and names them: wisdom,

insight, counsel, strength, understanding, knowledge, and fear (of God)

(26:4-10). Six human women are mentioned by name as models of salvation: Salome,

Mary, Arsinoe, Sapphira, Susanna, and Joanna.[9]

 

Reading Judas - The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity,

'Comments on the Translation' by Karen L. King, Pg. 127-135

Elaine Pagels and Karen L. King

Penguin Group - London, England

ISBN 978-0-713-99984-6

 

 

Notes

 

[2] See especially the work of Denise Kimber Buell, 'Why This New Race: Ethnic

Reasoning in Early Christianity' (New York: Columbia University Press, 2005).

 

[3] See Michael A. Williams, 'The Immovable Race: A Gnostic Designation and the

Theme of Stability in Late Antiquity' (Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 1985),

especially pp. 14-18, 26-27.

 

[4] In the 'Gospel of Mark', Jesus repeatedly tries to keep his true identity

secret, silencing not only the demons who know him but even his own disciples.

 

[5] So, too, Levi in the 'Gospel of Mary' accuses Peter of being on the side of

their adversaries when he challenges the truth of Mary Magdalene's teaching (see

'Mary' 10:8)

 

[6] The crowds also do not understand that Jesus comes from God ('John' 7:33-34;

40-52).

 

[7] For more discussion of this figure and Sethian views of the divine world,

see Karen L. King, 'The Secret Revelation of John' (Cambridge: Harvard

University Press, 2005), pp. 85-88.

 

[8] 1 'Apocalypse of James' 40:22-26; see the discussion in Antti Marjanen, 'The

Woman Jesus Loved: Mary Magdalene in the Nag Hammadi Library and Related

Documents' (Leiden: Brill, 1996), pp. 122-146.

 

[9] 1 'Apocalypse of James' (TC) 27:25-28:5; 29:1-6.

 

 

 

 

, " Violet " <violetubb

wrote:

>

> Dear All,

>

> Here is Segment 1 of the 16 segments of the 'Gospel of Judas'. The

comments are more extensive than the 'gospel', itself. They are to

assist in our greater understanding of this ancient scripture of the

'Gospel of Judas', for which we have to be grateful to the authors.

>

> The whole Segment is quoted first, with the 'Comments on the

Translation' following it. i have broken them up into their

individually numbered segments/comments, so that you can read these

more easily, together. i hope that helps.

>

> i can't stress more, how important it is to read the 'Comments' of

the authors, in order to gain a good grasp of this very important

'Gospel of Judas'.

>

> regards to all,

>

> violet

>

>

>

> Segment 1

>

> > 1./

> >

> > [1] This is the hidden word of the pronouncement, [2] containing the

> account about wh[en Je]sus spoke with Judas scari[ot] for eight

> days, three days before he observed Passover.

> >

> > [3] When he appeared on earth, he performed signs and great wonders

> for the salvation of humanity. [4] For although some people continued

> to [walk] along the path of righteousness, [5] others were walking

> along the path of their transgression. [6] So twelve disciples were

> called, [7] (and) he began to speak to them about the mysteries which

> are beyond the world and about the things which will occur at the end.

> >

> > [8] Frequently, however, he would not reveal himself to his

> disciples, but you would find him in their midst as a child.

> >

> > [9] And he dwelled in Judaea with his disciples.

>

> ('English Translation of the Gospel of Judas' - Pg. 109)

>

>

>

> 'Comments on the Translations' to Segment 1

>

>

> [1] of Segment 1

>

> " This is the hidden word of the pronouncement, "

>

> Comments:

>

> (P.123) The first word in the 'Gospel of Judas' is 'logos', which

means " word " , " speech, " or " account. " For readers of the 'Gospel of

John', the Word ('logos') is Jesus ( " In the beginning was the Word....

And the Word became flesh and lived among us.... No one has ever seen

God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who

has made him known " ; 'John' 1:1, 14,18). The author of the 'Gospel of

Judas' very likely was acquainted with the 'Gospel of John' and may be

referring to it in this way. As in the 'Gospel of John', in 'Judas' it

is Jesus who reveals the unknown (hidden) nature of God.

>

> This kind of double meaning also occurs with the term translated

here as " pronouncement " ('apophasis'), which has two connotations:

" something declared openly " and " a court judgment. " Jesus' teaching

has both of these meanings in the 'Gospel of Judas': He speaks plainly

to Judas, but his words also serve as a kind of judgment against the

other disciples. Again, this is very similar to the 'Gospel of John',

which presents Jesus as the revelation of God in the world; he saves

some with his teaching but shows that others are condemned: " God did

not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order

that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him

are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned

already... " ('John' 3:17-18). In both gospels, Jesus comes to bring

salvation, but the disciples are judged based on whether or not they

understand who Jesus is and where he comes from.

>

> (P.124) Interesting as well, " pronouncement " ('apophasis') is also

the title of an earlier writing that the third-century church father

Hippolytus ('Heresies' 6:11) attributes to the (in)famous heretic

Simon the Magician, who is mentioned in 'Acts' 8:9-24. The 'Gospel of

Judas' is clearly not this spurious work, but the similarity in title

might raise the question about whether the author of the 'Gospel of

Judas' wants to relates his gospel to other streams of second-century

Christianity.

>

>

>

>

> [2] of Segment 1

>

> " containing the account about wh[en Je]sus spoke with Judas

scari[ot] for eight days, three days before he observed Passover. "

>

> Comments:

>

> The odd calculation of the period during which the events described

in the 'Gospel of Judas' take place seems to indicate that the

conversations with Judas extended over a week (eight days) and ended

three days before the Passover when Jesus was put to death.

>

>

>

>

> [3] of Segment 1

>

> " When he appeared on earth, he performed signs and great wonders for

the salvation of humanity. "

>

> Comments:

>

> The 'Gospel of Judas' does not tell about Jesus' " birth " (like

infancy narratives in 'Matthew' and 'Luke') or about his " becoming

flesh " (like the prologue to the 'Gospel of John'), but instead it

talks about his " appearance " or " revelation. " This terminology

indicates that he is divine, but it leaves the question of incarnation

in the flesh unclear.

>

> Jesus's miracles demonstrate both his divinity and his purpose in

coming, and at the same time contrast God's true nature with that of

the world rulers. The 'Gospel of Judas' begins by saying that Jesus's

purpose was to save humanity, in part by performing miracles that

recall what Christians already knew - how he healed the sick and

ailing, and cared for those who were hungry, needy, and

demon-possessed. The New Testament gospels, and many others as well,

also speak of Jesus's miracles in order to show his divine nature. The

'Gospel of John', for example, ends by saying: " Jesus did many other

signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this

book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus

is the Messiah the Son of God, and that through believing you may have

life in his name " ('John' 20:30-31). All the New Testament gospels

tell how Jesus performed miracles; in the 'Gospel of Judas' as in the

'Testimony of Truth', these healings not only demonstrate God's

compassion but also show that illness and death are evils inflicted by

the lesser powers that rule the world - not by God. (P.125) Thus the

'Gospel of Judas' shows that when Jesus heals those who suffer, he

demonstrates that God wills human salvation - life and wholeness.

>

>

>

>

> [4]-[5] of Segment 1

>

> [4] " For although some people continued to [walk] along the path of

righteousness, [5] others were walking along the path of their

transgression. "

>

> Comments:

>

> Here we see what motivated God to send Jesus: Not everyone was

righteous. Jews and Christians commonly described salvation as turning

away from " transgression " to righteousness as the 'Gospel of Judas'

does here, but it also emphasizes that not all who think they are

already righteous really are righteous. Throughout the gospel, Jesus

will introduce themes that, like this one, are common to Jewish and

Christian stories of the end time: anger, judgment, and the collapse

of moral and cosmic order.

>

>

>

>

> [6] of Segment 1

>

> " So twelve disciples were called, "

>

> Comments:

>

> The New Testament gospels all say that Jesus called disciples at the

beginning of his ministry, and at the end of three of those ('Matthew,

Luke, and John'), they are sent out to preach the gospel. Here,

however, the disciples are not commissioned to go out and preach the

gospel; instead, it illustrates how " some walk along the path of

righteousness, others were walking along the path of their

transgression. " Originally, Judas belongs to " the twelve " ; only later

will he be " separated " from them by Jesus, and then killed by the

other disciples. Judas himself will be replaced by another disciple,

so that the number of " the twelve " is maintained. This number is

symbolic, linking the twelve disciples with the twelve rulers of the

lower world. What is shocking here is what the 'Gospel of Judas'

implies: that only those who misunderstood and rejected Jesus's

teaching were left to carry on after his death. The only hope of

rectifying this situation lies in the secret account of Jesus's

teaching from the 'Gospel of Judas' itself!

>

>

>

>

> [7] of Segment 1

>

> " (and) he began to speak to them about the mysteries which are

beyond the world and about the things which will occur at the end. "

>

> Comments:

>

> Here the author introduces the two main themes of Jesus's secret

teaching to Judas: the nature of the divine world above and the end of

the world.

>

>

>

>

> [8] of Segment 1

>

> " Frequently, however, he would not reveal himself to his disciples,

but you would find him in their midst as a child. "

>

> Comments:

>

> This sentence seems to interrupt the flow of the story in the way

that it directly addresses the reader ( " you " ), and may have been added

later; for even though the 'Gospel of Judas' was originally written

(in Greek) in the second century, the only copy that exists comes from

the fourth century (in Coptic translation). (P.126) We can safely

assume that copyists felt free to alter (i.e., " improve " ) the text

during the centuries in which it was passed on - a very common

practice even with regard to the New Testament. [1] But why would they

have thought that adding this sentence was an improvement? It

indicates that the disciples were not able to perceive who Jesus was

when he appeared " as a child " - yet another indication of their lack

of spiritual insight.

>

> The idea that Jesus sometimes took the form of a child may seem

unusual to modern audiences as well, but it appears in many ancient

texts. Two of the New Testament gospels, the 'Matthew' and 'Luke',

tell of Jesus's birth, and 'Luke' also has a story of Jesus as a young

man impressing the elders in the Temple with his wisdom (Luke

2:41-52). This picture of Jesus as a wise child is elaborated in

greater detail in the legendary second-century 'Infancy Gospel of

Thomas', in which Jesus confounds his poor teacher, Zacchaeus, and

curses some children who wrong him by striking them dead. Although

Jesus raises the children back to life in the end, he laughs at how

the adults misunderstand his actions, admonishing them to greater

insight: " Now let that which is yours bear fruit, and let the blind in

heart see. I have come from above to curse them and call them to the

things above, as He commanded who sent me for your sakes " ('Infancy

Gospel of Thomas' 8:1). This portrait of Jesus laughing is very

reminiscent of Jesus in the 'Gospel of Judas', when he laughs at the

foolishness of his disciples and admonishes them to higher spiritual

vision. In the 'Gospel of Thomas', it is Jesus himself who teaches

about the wisdom to be learned from children. He tells his disciples

that " the person old in days won't hesitate to ask a little child

seven days old about the place of life, and that person will live "

('Gospel of Thomas' 4), but the point is not so much about Jesus as a

child but that creation (the pristine universe God created in seven

days, represented here by a seven-day-old child) holds the whole

meaning of life. (P.127) So, too, in the 'Gospel of Matthew', Jesus

tells his disciples that they must " change and become like children "

in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-6; 19:13-15). In

the 'Secret Revelation of John', Christ appears in many brilliant

forms to the apostle John, first as a young man and then as an elder,

in order to show John that he did not abandon him, but that for those

who are perceptive, he appears in many forms (SRJ 3:4-13). In the

'Gospel of the Savior', Jesus explicitly tells his disciples, " I am in

your midst as the little children " ('Gospel of the Savior' 107:57-60),

and later tradition will also picture the Spirit who guides Paul as a

child ('Apocalypse of Paul' 18:3-22). In all of these cases, including

the 'Gospel of Judas', the image of the child points to the hidden or

unexpected presence of the divine.

>

> Jesus's appearance as a child also shows that the physical body is

not a limitation for the spirit; rather, it demonstrates how malleable

the body is. Its birth, growth, and death are only appearances

compared with the eternal stability of the spirit.

>

> Reading Judas - The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity,

> 'Comments on the Translation'

> Pg. 123-127, The Gospel of Judas

> Elaine Pagels and Karen L. King

> Penguin Group - London, England

> ISBN 978-0-713-99984-6

>

> Notes:

>

> [1] See the very interesting examples given by Bart D. Ehrman, 'The

Orthodox Corruption of Scripture' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993).

, " Violet " <violetubb@>

> wrote:

> >

> > Dear All,

> >

> > Appended, is the 'English Translation of the Gospel of Judas' which

> is translated by Karen L. King. But firstly, the authors Elaine Pagels

> and Karen L. King give this explanation:

> >

> > (P.107) " In the more than fifteen hundred years since the 'Gospel of

> Judas' was inscribed in the Tchacos Codex, the text has suffered

> considerable damage. The worst came after its rediscovery in the

> 1970s, when improper handling and storage reduced much of it to tiny

> fragments. Despite the diligent work of an expert restoration team, it

> still contains many holes (called lacunae). Sometimes only a few

> letters are obscured, but some lacunae are quite extensive, leaving

> more than half a page empty. In the translation below, these are all

> marked with brackets: [...]; the number of ellipsis points within the

> brackets indicates approximately how many letters are missing. As much

> as possible, scholars have attempted to determine what was written in

> these lacunae, and these suggestions are also placed in brackets. In

> addition, I have supplied other material to render the translation

> into more fluid English prose or to suggest to readers the referents

> for some obscure pronouns; these materials are placed in

parentheses: ( ).

> >

> > (P.108) This new translation is based on the Coptic text established

> by Rodolphe Kasser and Gregor Wurst*; all modifications of that text

> by myself or others are noted in the Comments section. "

> >

> > *The Gospel of Judas. Coptic Text. The National Geographic Society,

> > April 2006, published online at

> http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/document.html with

> modifications based on an advance copy of the critical edition of the

> Tchacos Codex edited by Rodolphe Kasser and Gregor Wurst; English

> translation by Marvin Meyer and F. Gaudard; notes by Marvin Meyer and

> Gregor Wurst, to be published by the National Geographic Society,

> Washington, D.C., spring 2007. We would like to thank Marvin Meyer for

> generously allowing us to see an advance copy of this edition. Any

> restorations proposed here, however, remain tentative until they can

> be confirmed by examination of the original manuscript of the

> announced facsimile edition.

> >

> > So folks, here is the 'English Translation of the Gospel of Judas'

> which has been divided up into 16 Sections. The authors' 'Comments on

> the Translations' are very extensive. i will post these separately,

> with their Individual 16 Sections, so that the 'English Translation'

> comes first and its accompanying 'Comments on the Translation' comes

> right after it.

> >

> > Words just fail me in what Jesus told Judas, and in what

> circumstances He told them, i.e., they were told " for eight days,

> three days before he observed Passover " . And then Judas had to do what

> Jesus requested him to do, which was to give Him over to the priests.

> What a role Judas had to play! How obedient Judas was! But he could do

> it because what Jesus told him in those eight days must have made all

> that Jesus had taught previously, fall into place. i believe it must

> do the same for us who read these teachings of Jesus as given in the

> ancient 'Gospel of Judas'.

> >

> > yours 'In Christ',

> >

> > violet

> >

> >

> >

> > Part Two - English Translation of the Gospel of Judas

> >

> > - Translated by Karen L. King

> >

> >

> > 1./

> >

> > [1] This is the hidden word of the pronouncement, [2] containing the

> account about wh[en Je]sus spoke with Judas scari[ot] for eight

> days, three days before he observed Passover.

> >

> > [3] When he appeared on earth, he performed signs and great wonders

> for the salvation of humanity. [4] For although some people continued

> to [walk] along the path of righteousness, [5] others were walking

> along the path of their transgression. [6] So twelve disciples were

> called, [7] (and) he began to speak to them about the mysteries which

> are beyond the world and about the things which will occur at the end.

> >

> > [8] Frequently, however, he would not reveal himself to his

> disciples, but you would find him in their midst as a child.

> >

> > [9] And he dwelled in Judaea with his disciples.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 2./

> >

> > [1] One day he found them sitting, assembled together (and) training

> (themselves) in godliness. [2] When he [came upon] his disciples

> assembled together, sitting and offering thanks over the bread, [3]

> [he] laughed.

> >

> > [4] The discipl[e]s said to him, " Teacher, why do you laugh at [our]

> offering thanks? Or what did we do? [5] [This] is what is right. "

> >

> > (P.110) [6] He replied, telling them, " It is not you I am laughing

> at - [7] you are not even doing this by [yo]ur own will - [8] but (I'm

> laughing because) in this (offering of thanks), your 'God' will

> receive praise. "

> >

> > [9] " Teacher, 'you' are [.....] the Son of our God, " they said.

> >

> > [10] Jesus said to them, " Do you (really think you) know me - how?

> [11] Truly I say to you, no race from the people among you will ever

> know me. "

> >

> > [12] Now when his disciples heard this, [they] began to be

> displeased and [become] angry, and to blaspheme against him in their

> heart.

> >

> > [13] But when Jesus perceived their foolishness, [14] [he said] to

> them, " Why are you letting anger disturb you? [15] Your God who is

> within you and [his ....] are displeased [together with] your souls.

> [16] Let whoever is [strong] among you humans bring forth the perfect

> human [17] and stand up to face me. "

> >

> > [18] And they all said, " We are strong! " [19] But their spirits did

> not have the courage to stand up to face him - except Judas

> [is]cariot. [20] He was able to stand up to face him, [21] even though

> he was not able to look him in the eyes, bu[t] turned his face aside.

> >

> > [22] Judas said to him, " I know who you are and which place you came

> from - [23] you came from the realm of the immortal Barbelo - [24] but

> I am not worthy to proclaim the name of the one who sent you. "

> >

> > (P.111) [25] Then Jesus, recognizing that he perceived even more of

> such exalted matters, said to him, " Separate from them. [26] I will

> tell you the mysteries of the kingdom. [27] It is possible for you to

> reach that place, [28] but you will suffer much grief. [29] For

> another [will] take your place, so that the twelve di[sciples] might

> again be complete in their 'God.' "

> >

> > [30] And Judas said to him, " When will you tell these things to me,

> [31] and when will the great [da]y of the light dawn for the [......]

> race? "

> >

> > [32] But after he said these things, Jesus left him.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 3./

> >

> > [1] When morning came, he [appear]ed to his disciples, [2] [and]

> they said to him, " Teacher, where did you go? [3] What did you do

> after you left us? "

> >

> > [4] Jesus said to them, " I went to another great and holy race. "

> >

> > [5] His disciples said to him, " Lord, what great race is there that

> is more exalted and holier than we are, yet is not in these realms? "

> >

> > [6] Now when Jesus heard these things, he laughed. [7] He said to

> them, " What are you contemplating in your heart about the strong and

> holy race? [8] [T]ruly say to you that no offspring [of t]his

> realm will see that [race], [9] nor will any angelic army of the stars

> rule over that race, [10] nor will any mortal human offspring be able

> to belong to it. [11] For [t]that rac[e] does not come from [this

> realm] which came into being [but ..... [12] The r]ace of humans [who

> are] among [you (pl.)] is from the [r]ace of human[ity]. [13]

> [...............] power which [....... some ot]her for[ces .......]

> since you rule i[n their midst]. "

> >

> > [14] When [his] disciples heard these things, each one of them was

> troubled i[n their] spirit, [15] and they could not find a word to say.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 4./

> >

> > [1] On another day, Jesus came up to [them]. [2] They said to [him],

> " Teacher, we saw you in a [vision]. [3] For we saw some great dr[eam]s

> [at] night [...]

> >

> > [4] [He said], " Why have [you ......] hid yourselv[es]? "

> >

> > [5] For their part, they s[aid, " We] sa[w] a great hou[se in which

> there was a g]reat alta[r and] twelve men, whom we say are priests,

> and a name. [6] But there was a crowd persevering tenaciously at that

> altar u[ntil] the priests [finish]ed [receiving] the offerings. [7] As

> for us, we too [were] tenacious[ly per]severing.

> >

> > [8] Je[sus said], " What ki[nd] of [priests are they]?

> >

> > [9] They [said,] " [so]me [abstain for t]wo [w]eeks. [10] Yet

> [others] sacrifice their own children, others their wives, [11] all

> the while praising and acting humbly toward each other. [12] Some are

> lying with ma[l]es. [13] Others work at slaughtering. [14] Yet others

> were committing a [mul]titude of sins and injustices. [15] [An]d the

> men who stand [ove]r the altar are invoking your na[me]! [16] And so

> in all the labors of cutting up their sacrifices, that altar stays

> full. " [17] And when they had said these things, they were silent for

> they felt deeply disturbed.

> >

> > [18] Jesus said to them, " Why are you disturbed? (P.113) [19] Truly

> I say to you, all the priests who stand ove[r that] altar are invoking

> my name. [20] And ag[ain] I say to you that they wrote my name upon

> the [...] of the races of the stars through the races of human beings.

> [21] [An]d in my name, they shamefully planted fruitless trees. "

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 5./

> >

> > [1] Jesus said to them, " 'You' are the ones you saw receiving

> offerings at the altar. [2] That is the 'God' you serve. [3] And you

> are the twelve men whom you saw. [4] And the domestic animals you saw

> being brought for sacrifice are the multitude you are leading astray

> upon that al[t]ar. [5] [The ruler of chaos will es]tablish himself,

> [6] and this is how he will make use of my name. [7] And the race of

> the pious will adhere tenaciously to him. [8] After this, another man

> will take the side of the for[n]ic[ators], [9] and another one will

> stand with those who murder children, [10] and yet another with those

> who lie with men, [11] and those who fast, [12] and all the rest of

> impurity and lawlessness and error, [13] and those who say, 'We are

> equal to angels' - [14] and they are the stars which bring everything

> to completion. [15] For it has been said to the races of humans,

> 'Behold God received your sacrifice from the hands of a priest' - that

> is to say, from the minister of error. [16] But it is the Lord - the

> one who is the Lord over the entire universe - who commands that they

> will be put to shame at the end of days. "

> >

> > [17] Jesus said [to them], " Cease sac[rificing .............]. [18]

> It is upon the alt[a]r that yo[u ..........] [for they are] over your

> stars and your angels, having already been completed there. [19] Let

> them become [....] again right in front of you, and let them ...

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 6./

> >

> > ['about fifteen and a half lines are missing from the manuscript']

> >

> > to the races [...]. It is not possible for a bak[er] to feed the

> whole creation under [heaven]. And

> >

> > ['about three and a half lines are untranslatable']

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 7./

> >

> > [1] Jesus said to them, " Stop struggling against me. [2] Each one of

> you has his own star a[nd every] o[ne...

> >

> > ['about eighteen lines are missing from the manuscript or

> untranslatable']

> >

> > He came to those who [........sp]ring of the tree of ['about one

> line is untranslatable'] [sea]son of this realm [..... af]ter a time

> [..........]. Rather he came to water God's paradise and the [ra]ce

> that will endure, because [he wi]ll not pollute the way of [life of]

> that race. Bu[t ......] for all eternity. "

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 8./

> >

> > [1] Judas said to [him, " Rabb]i, What fruit does this race possess? "

> >

> > [2] Jesus said, " The souls of every human race will die. [3] But

> when those (who belong to the holy race) have completed the time of

> the kingdom and the spirit separates from them, [4] their bodies will

> die but their souls will be alive and they will be lifted up. "

> >

> > [5] Judas said, " What, then, will the rest of the race of humans do? "

> >

> > (P.115) [6] Jesus said, " It is not possible to sow (seeds) upon a

> ton[e] and have their [fr]uit be harvested. [7] Again [thi]s is the

> way [...........] the race [which is pollut]ed and perishable wisdom.

> [8] [..] the hand which created mortal humanity so that their souls

> [g]o up to the realms which are on high. [9] T[rul]y I say to you

> (pl.) th[at no ruler nor a]ngel [nor p]ower will be able to see [the

> places t]here, [10] which [this great] (and) holy race [will see]. "

> [11] After Jesus said these things, he departed.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 9./

> >

> > [1] Judas said, " Teacher, just as you listened to all of them, now

> listen to me also. [2] For I have seen a great vision. "

> >

> > [3] But when Jesus heard, he laughed. [4] He said to him, " Why are

> you getting all worked up, thirteenth god? [5] But you too speak, and

> I will hold you up. "

> >

> > [6] Judas said to him, " I saw myself in a vision. [7] The twelve

> disciples were stoning me; [8] they were persecuting [me severe]ly.

> [9] And I [ca]me also to the place [.........] after you. [10] I saw

> [a house .....] but my eyes were not able [to measure] its extent.

> [11] But some elders of great stature were surrounding it, [12] and

> that house was roofed with greenery. [13] In the midst of the house

> wa[s a] cr[owd ..............]. [14] Teacher, let me be taken [in

> wi]th these people. "

> >

> > [15] [Jesus] replied. He said, " Your star is leading you astray,

> Judas, [16] since no mortal human offspring is worthy to enter the

> house that you saw. [17] For that is the place which is preserved for

> the holy ones, [18] the place where neither the sun nor the moon will

> rule them nor the day, [19] but they will stand firm for all time in

> the realm with the holy angels. (P.116) [20] Behold, I have told you

> the mysteries of the kingdom [21] and I have taught you [about the

> er]ror of the s[tar]s and ['about one and a half lines are

> untranslatable'] upon the t[w]elve realms. "

> >

> > [22] Judas said, " Teacher, surely the rulers are not subject to my

> seed? "

> >

> > [23] Jesus answered. He said to him, " Come... [[24] 'about two lines

> are untranslatable'] [25] ut because you will groan deeply when you

> see the kingdom and its entire race. "

> >

> > [26] When Judas heard these things, he said to him, " What benefit

> have I received because you separated me for that race? "

> >

> > [27] Jesus answered. He said, " You will become the thirteenth [28]

> and you will be cursed by the rest of the races - [29] but you will

> rule over them. [30] In the last days, they will and you will go

> up to the holy ra[ce]. "

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 10./

> >

> > [1] Jesus said, [ " Com]e and I will [te]ach you about the

> [things..... that] no human will see. [2] For there exists a great

> realm and a boundlessness whose measure no angelic race has

> comprehended. [3] [in] it is the great invis[ib]le Sp[irit] - [4] the

> one whom no a[ngeli]c eye has seen nor any inner thought of heart

> contained nor has anyone called it by any name. [5] And a luminous

> cloud appeared in that place.

> >

> > [6] " And he said, 'Let an angel come into being to attend me.' [7]

> And a great angel - the luminous divine Autogenes - came forth from

> the cloud. [8] And another four angels came forth because of him from

> another cloud, [9] and they came into being to attend the angelic

> Autogenes.

> >

> > (P.117) [10] " And [A]uto[genes] said, 'Let [Adamas] come into

> be[ing],' and [..........] came into being. [11] And he c[reated] the

> first luminary so that [it] might rule over it. [12] Next he said,

> 'Let angels come into being to worship it,' [13] and immeasurable

> myriads came into being. [14] And he said, '[Le]t [a] luminous [re]alm

> come into being,' [15] and it came into being. [16] He established the

> second luminary to rule over it, [17] along with innumerable angelic

> myriads to worship (it). [18] And in this way, he created the rest of

> the realms of light, [19] he established (luminaries) to rule over

> them, [20] and he created for them innumerable angelic myriads for

> their service.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 11./

> >

> > [1] " Adamas dwelled in the first cloud of the light, [2] (yet) none

> among the angels - who are all called 'divine' - has seen that

> (cloud). [3] And he ['about two lines are untranslatable'] [4] the

> image [...........] and according to the likeness of t[hat an]gel. [5]

> He made the imperishable [race] of Seth appear [......] the twelve

> [.......] the twenty [fo]ur [.......]. [6] By the will of the Spirit,

> he made seventy-two luminaries appear in the imperishable ra[ce]. [7]

> Then by the will of the Spirit, the seventy-two luminaries themselves

> made three hundred sixty luminaries appear in the imperishable race in

> order that their number might become five for each.

> >

> > (P.118) [8] " And their father is the twelve realms of the twelve

> luminaries, [9] with six heavens for every realm so that the

> seventy-two heavens might come into being for the seventy-two

> luminaries, [10] with [five fi]rmaments for each one [of them so that]

> three hundred sixty [firmaments might come into being .....]. [11]

> They were given [an] authority with a [great, innumerab]le angelic

> army for glory and wor[ship], [12] [and] then [in addition] virginal

> [sp]irits for gl[o]ry and [wor]ship of all the realms and the heavens

> and their [fi]rmaments.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 12./

> >

> > [1] " Now it is that crowd of deathless ones who are called 'cosmos',

> that is, 'what perishes.' [2] It was by the Father and the seventy-two

> luminaries who are with Autogenes and his seventy-two realms that the

> first Human appeared in the place (the perishable cosmos) with his

> imperishable powers. [3] For this realm, along with its race which

> appeared, is the one that has within it the cloud of knowledge and the

> angel who is called 'El.' [4]['about 3 lines missing']

> >

> > [5] " [Af]ter these things, he [....] said, 'Let the [tw]elve angels

> come into being [so they might r]ule over the chaos and the

> ob[livion].' [6] And behold an a[ngel] ap[pear]ed from the cloud whose

> face was pouring forth fire, [7] while his likeness was defiled with

> blood. [8] And he had [one n]ame, 'Nebro,' which is interpreted as

> 'apostate,' [9] but some others call him 'I[al]dabaoth.' [10] And

> again another angel came forth from the cloud (called) 'Saklas.' [11]

> Nebro then created six angels along with Saklas to attend (him). [12]

> And these produced twelve angels in the heavens, [13] and each of them

> received an allotted portion in the heavens. (P.119) [14] And the

> twelve rulers, along with the twelve angels said, 'Let each one of

> you...'[[15] 'about three lines untranslatable'] [five] angels.

> >

> > [16] " The first is [se]th, who is called 'Christ'. [17] The [secon]d

> is Harmathoth, whom [...........]. [18] The [thir]d is Falida. [19]

> The forth is Iobel. [20] The fifth is Adonaios. [21] These are the

> five who ruled over oblivion and are first over chaos.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 13./

> >

> > [1] " Then Saklas said to his angels, 'Let us create a human being

> [ac]cording to the likeness and according to the image.' [2] Then they

> formed Adam and his wife, Eve. [3] But in the cloud, she was called

> 'Zoe' ('Life'). [4] For in this name all the races shall seek after it

> (life), [5] and each one of them calls her by their names.

> >

> > [6] " But [sa]klas did not com[mand .......] exce[pt ...........] the

> ra[ce]s [.........] this one [..............]. [7] And the [ruler]

> said to him, 'Your life and that of your children will last (only) for

> a season.' "

> >

> > [8] Judas said to Jesus, " [What] is the longest that a human being

> might live? "

> >

> > [9] Jesus said, " Why are you surprised that the lifespan of Adam and

> his race is numbered in this place? [10] It is in this place that he

> received his kingdom, with its ruler, for a (limited) number. "

> >

> > [11] Judas said to Jesus, " Does the human spirit die? "

> >

> > [12] Jesus said, " This is the way it is: God commanded Michael to

> loan the spirits of human beings to them so they might worship (him).

> [13] Then the Great One commanded Gabriel to give the spirit with the

> soul to the spirits of the great undominated race. (P.120) [14]

> Because of this, the re[mai]ning souls will... ['about one and a half

> lines are untranslatable'] ... light ... ['about one and a half lines

> are untranslatable'] ... [15] to seek [after the] spirit within you

> (pl.) [which y]ou make to dwell in this [fle]sh among the races of the

> an[gel]s. [16] Then God required knowledge [to be given] to Adam and

> those with him [17] in order that the rulers of chaos and oblivion

> should not lord it over them. "

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 14./

> >

> > [1] [Then] Judas said to Jesus, " What, then, will those races do? "

> >

> > [2] Jesus said, " Truly I say to you (pl.), it is the stars that

> bring completion upon all things. [3] For when Saklas has completed

> his times which are fixed for him, [4] their first star will be about

> to come along with the races, [5] and those things which were spoken

> will be completed. [6] Then they will fornicate in my name, [7] and

> they will kill their children, [8] and...

> >

> > [[9-10] 'about eight and a half lines are untranslatable']

> >

> > ...i]n my name, [11] and your star will r[ule] over the [thi]rteenth

> realm. "

> >

> > [12] But afterward, Jesus [lau]ghed.

> >

> > [13] [Judas sai]d, " Teacher, [why are you laughing at us?] "

> >

> > [14] [Jesus] re[pli]ed. [He said,] " It is not [yo]u (pl.) I am

> lau[gh]ing [at, bu]t at the error of the stars, [15] because these six

> stars go astray with these five warriors, [16] and all of them will be

> destroyed along with their creations. "

> >

> > (P.121) [17] Then Judas said to Jesus, " What will those who are

> baptized in your name do? "

> >

> > [18] Jesus said, " Truly I say [to you], This baptism [..........] my

> name ...

> >

> >

> > ['about eight lines are untranslatable']

> >

> > ...die [........] to me. "

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 15./

> >

> > [1] " Truly [i sa]y to you, Judas, those [who of]fer up sacrifice to

> Sakla[s .....g]od... [[2]'about three lines are untranslatable'] ...

> everything [for they are w]icked. [3] As for you, you will surpass

> them all. [4] For you will sacrifice the human being who bears me. [5]

> Already your horn is raised up, [6] your anger is full, [7] your star

> has passed by, [8] and your heart has [preva]iled.

> >

> > [9] " Tr[uly I say to you,] 'Your end ...'

> >

> > [[10-11] 'about five and a half lines are untranslatable']

> >

> > ...the ru[ler] who is destroyed. [12] [An]d then the pl[a]ce of the

> great race of Adam will be exalted, [13] because prior to heaven and

> earth and the angels, through the realms that race exists.

> >

> > [14] " Behold, everything has been told you. [15] Lift up your eyes

> and see the cloud and the light which is in it and the stars which

> surround it. [16] And the star that leads the way, that is your star. "

> >

> > [17] Then Judas lifted up his eyes. [18] He saw the luminous cloud

> [19] and he entered into it. [20] Those standing upon the ground heard

> a voice coming from the cloud, saying, " [............] great ra[ce

> .....im]age... "

> >

> > ['about six and a half lines are untranslatable']

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 16./

> >

> > [1] [Then] their chief priests murmured because [he (Jesus)] entered

> [in]to the guest room for his prayer. [2] And some scribes were there

> watching closely in order to catch him at prayer, [3] for they were

> afraid of the people because he was held to be a prophet by them all.

> >

> > [4] And they approached Judas. [5] They said to him, " What are you

> doing in this place? [6] You are the disciple of Jesus. "

> >

> > [7] But as for him, he answered them according to their will. [8]

> Then Judas received some copper coins. [9] He handed him over to them.

> >

> > [10] The Gospel of Judas

> >

> >

> > Comments:

> >

> > ['Comments on the Translations' to come separately as explained

above.]

> >

> >

> > Reading Judas - The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity,

> > Part Two, The Gospel of Judas

> > Pg.107-122

> > Elaine Pagels and Karen L. King

> > Penguin Group - London, England

> > ISBN 978-0-713-99984-6

> >

>