|
Estimated Range of Dating: 130-170 A.D.
Information on Gospel of Judas: Charles W. Hedrick writes in the Bible Review ("The 34 Gospels: Diversity and Division Among the Earliest Christians"): In sum, in addition to the four canonical gospels, There are four complete noncanonicals, seven fragmentary, four known from quotations and two hypothetically recovered for a total of 21 gospels from the first two centuries, and we know that others existed in the early period. I am confident more of them will be found. For example, I have seen photos of several pages from a Coptic text entitled "The Gospel of Judas" that recently surfaced on the antiquities market. Besides these Gospels, we know that there once existed a Gospel of Bartholomew, a Gospel of Thaddeus, mentioned in the decree of Pope Gelasius, and a Gospel of Judas Iscariot in use among the Cainites and spoken of by St. Irenaeus (i, 31, 1)." Irenaeus says, "Others again declare that Cain derived his being from the Power above, and acknowledge that Esau, Korah, the Sodomites, and all such persons, are related to themselves. On this account, they add, they have been assailed by the Creator, yet no one of them has suffered injury. For Sophia was in the habit of carrying off that which belonged to her from them to herself. They declare that Judas the traitor was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that he alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of the betrayal; by him all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus thrown into confusion. They produce a fictitious history of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas." Gospel of Judas: INTRODUCTION: INCIPIT The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week three days before he celebrated Passover. THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JESUS When Jesus appeared on earth, he performed miracles and great wonders for the salvation of humanity. And since some [walked] in the way of righteousness while others walked in their transgressions, the twelve disciples were called. He began to speak with them about the mysteries beyond the world and what would take place at the end. Often he did not appear to his disciples as himself, but he was found among them as a child. SCENE 1: Jesus dialogues with his disciples: The prayer of
thanksgiving or the eucharist. One day he was with his disciples in
Judea, and he found them gathered together and seated in pious
observance. When he [approached] his disciples, [34] gathered
together and seated and offering a prayer of thanksgiving over the
bread, [he] laughed. The disciples said to [him], “Master, why are
you laughing at [our] prayer of thanksgiving? We have done what is
right.” He answered and said to them, “I am not laughing at you.
THE DISCIPLES BECOME ANGRY
When
his disciples heard this, they started getting angry and infuriated
and began blaspheming against him in their hearts.
When Jesus observed their lack of [understanding, he said] to
them, “Why has this agitation led you to anger? Your god who is
within you and […] [35] have provoked you to anger [within] your
souls. [Let] any one of you who is [strong enough] among humanbeings
bring out the perfect human and stand before my face.”They all
said, “We have the strength.”But their spirits did not dare to
stand before [him], except for Judas Iscariot. He was able to stand
before him, but he could not look him in the eyes, and he turned
his face away. Judas [said] to him, “I know who you are and where you
have come from. You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo. And I am
not worthy to utter the name of the one who has sent you.”
JESUS SPEAKS TO JUDAS PRIVATELY
Knowing that Judas was reflecting upon
something that was exalted, Jesus said to him,“Step away from the
others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom. It is
possible for you to reach it, but you will grieve a great deal.
[36] For someone else will replace you, in order that the twelve
[disciples] may again come to completion with their god.”Judas said
to him, “When will you tell me these things, and [when] will the
great day of light dawn for the generation?” But when he said this,
Jesus left him.
SCENE 2: Jesus appears to the disciples again. The
next morning, after this happened, Jesus [appeared] to his disciples
again. They said to him, “Master, where did you go and what did you
do when you left us?” Jesus said to them, “I went to another great
and holy generation.” His disciples said to him, “Lord, what is the
great generation that is superior to us and holier than us, that is
not now in these realms?” When Jesus heard this, he laughed and said
to them, “Why are you thinking in your hearts about the strong and
holy generation? [37] Truly [I] say to you, no one born [of] this
aeon will see that [generation], and no host of angels of the stars
will rule over that generation, and no person of mortal birth can
associate with it, because that generation does not come from […]
which has become […]. The generation of people among [you] is from
the generation of humanity […] power, which [… the] other powers
[…] by [which] you rule.” When [his] disciples heard this, they each
were troubled in spirit. They could not say a word. Another day Jesus
came up to [them]. They said to [him], “Master, we have seen you in
a [vision], for we have had great [dreams …] night […].” [He said],
“Why have [you … when] THE DISCIPLES SEE THE TEMPLE AND DISCUSS IT
They [said, “We have seen] a great [house with a large] altar [in
it, and] twelve men—they are the priests, we would say—and a name;
and a crowd of people is waiting at that altar, [until] the priests
[… and receive] the offerings. [But] we kept waiting.” [Jesus said],
“What are [the priests] like?” They [said, “Some …] two weeks;
[some] sacrifice their own children, others theirwives, in praise
[and] humility with each other; some sleep with men; some are
involved in [slaughter]; some commit a multitude of sins and deeds
of lawlessness. And the men who stand [before] the altar invoke your
[name], [39] and in all the deeds of their deficiency, the sacrifices
are brought to completion […].” After they said this, they were
quiet, for they were troubled.
JESUS OFFERS AN ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION
OF THE TEMPLE
Jesus said to them, “Why
are you troubled? Truly I say to you, all the priests who
stand before that altar invoke my name. Again I say to you, my name
has been written on this[…] of the generations of the stars through
the human generations. [And they] haveplanted trees without fruit,
in my name, in a shameful manner.” Jesus said to them, “Those you
have seen receiving the offerings at the altar—that is who you are.
That is the god you serve, and you are those twelve men you have
seen. The cattle you have seen brought for sacrifice are the many
people you lead astray [40] before that altar. […] will stand and
make use of my name in this way, and generations of the pious will
remain loyal to him. After hi another man will stand there from
[the fornicators], and another [will] stand there from the slayers
of children, and another from those who sleep with men, and those
who abstain, and the rest of the people of pollution and lawlessness
and error, and those who say, ‘We are like angels’; they are the
stars that bring everything to its conclusion. For to the human
generations it has been said, ‘Look, God has received your sacrifice
from the hands of a priest’—that is, a minister of error. But it is
the Lord, the Lord of the universe, who commands, ‘On the last day
they will be put to shame.’” [41] Jesus said [to them], “Stop
sac[rificing …] which you have […] over the altar, since they are
over your stars and your angels and have already come to their
conclusion there. So let them be [ensnared] before you, and let
them go [—about 15 lines missing—] generations […]. A baker cannot
feed all creation [42] under [heaven]. And […] to them[…] and […]
to us and […].Jesus said to them, “Stop struggling with me. Each
of you has his own star, and every[body —about 17 lines missing—]
[43] in […] who has come [… spring] for the tree[…] of this aeon
[…] for a time […] but he has come to water God’s paradise, and
the [generation] that will last, because [he] will not defile the
[walk of life of] that generation, but […] for all eternity.”
JUDAS ASKS JESUS ABOUT THAT GENERATION AND HUMAN GENERATIONS
Judas said
to [him, “Rabb]i, what kind of fruit does this generation produce?”
Jesus said, “The souls of every human generation will die. When
these people, however, have completed the time of the kingdom and
the spirit leaves them, their bodies will die but their souls will
be alive, and they will be taken up.”
Judas said, “And what will the rest of the human generations
do?” Jesus said, “It is impossible [44] to sow seed on [rock] and
harvest its fruit. [This] is also the way […] the [defiled]
generation […] and corruptible Sophia […] the hand that has created
mortal people, so that their souls go up to the eternal realms
above. [Truly] I say to you, […] angel […] power will be able to
see that […] these to whom […] holygenerations […].”After Jesus
said this, he departed.
SCENE 3:
Judas recounts a vision and Jesus
respondsJudas said, “Master, as you have listened to all of them,
now also listen to me. For I have seen a great vision.” When Jesus
heard this, he laughed and said to him, “You thirteenth spirit,
why do you try so hard? But speak up, and I shall bear with you.”
Judas said to him, “In the vision I saw myself as the twelve
disciples were stoning me and [45] persecuting [me severely]. And
I also came to the place where […] after you. I saw [a house …],
and my eyes could not [comprehend] its size. Great people were
surrounding it, and that house JUDAS ASKS ABOUT HIS OWN FATE
Judas said, “Master, could it
be that my seed is under the control of the rulers?” Jesus answered
and said to him, “Come, that I [—two lines missing—], but that you
will grieve much when you see the kingdom and all its generation.”
When he heard this, Judas said to him, “What good is it that I have
received it? For you have set me apart for that generation.”Jesus
answered and said, “You will become the thirteenth, and you will
be cursed by the other generations—and you will come to rule over
them. In the last days they willcurse your ascent [47] to the holy
[generation].”
JESUS TEACHES JUDAS ABOUT COSMOLOGY: THE SPIRIT AND
THE SELF-GENERATED
Jesus said, “[Come], that I may teach you about
[secrets] no person [has] ever seen. For there exists a great and
boundless realm, whose extent no generation of angels has seen,
[in which] there is [a] great invisible [Spirit], which no eye of
an angel has ever seen, no thought of the heart has ever
comprehended, and it was never called by any name.“ And a luminous
cloud appeared there. He said, ‘Let an angel come into being as my
attendant.’ “A great angel, the enlightened divine Self-Generated,
emerged from the cloud. Because of him, four other angels came into
being from another cloud, and they became attendants for the angelic
Self-Generated. The Self-Generated said, [48] ‘Let […] come into
being […],’ and it came into being […]. And he [created] the first
luminary to reignover him. He said, ‘Let angels come into being
to serve [him],’ and myriads without number came into being. He
said, ‘[Let] an enlightened aeon come into being,’ and hecame into
being. He created the second luminary [to] reign over him, together
with myriads of angels without number, to offer service. That is
how he created the rest of the enlightened aeons. He made them reign
over them, and he created for them myriads of angels without number,
to assist them.
THE COSMOS, CHAOS, AND THE UNDERWORLD
“The multitude of those
immortals is called the cosmos— that is, perdition—by the Father
and the seventy-two luminaries who are with the Self-Generated
and his seventy-two aeons. In him the first human appeared with
his incorruptible powers. And the aeon that appeared with his
generation, the aeon in whom are the cloud of knowledge and the
angel, is called [51] El. […] aeon […] after that […] said, ‘Let
twelve angels come into being [to] rule over chaos and the
[underworld].’ And look, from the cloud there appeared an [angel]
whose face flashed with fire and whose appearance was defiled
with blood. His name was Nebro, which means ‘rebel’; others call
him Yaldabaoth. Another angel, Saklas, also came from the cloud.
So Nebro created six angels—as well as Saklas—to be assistants,
and these produced twelve angels in the heavens, with each one
receiving a portion in the heavens.
THE RULERS AND ANGELS
“The twelve rulers spoke with the twelve angels: ‘Let each of
you [52] […] and let them[…] generation [—one line lost—] angels’:
The first is [S]eth, who is called Christ.The [second] is
Harmathoth, who is […].The [third] is Galila. The fourth is Yobel.
The fifth [is] Adonaios. These are the five who ruled over the
underworld, and first of all over chaos.
THE CREATION OF HUMANITY
"Then Saklas said to his angels, ‘Let us create a human being after
the likeness and after the image.’ They fashioned Adam and his wife
Eve, who is called, in the cloud, Zoe. For by this name all the
generations seek the man, and each of them calls the woman by these
names. Now, Sakla did not [53] com[mand …] except […] the
gene[rations …] this […].And the [ruler] said to Adam, ‘You shall
live long, with your children.’”
JUDAS ASKS ABOUT THE DESTINY OF ADAM AND HUMANITY
Judas said to Jesus, “[What] is the long duration
of time that the human being will live?”Jesus said, “Why are you
wondering about this, that Adam, with his generation, has lived his
span of life in the place where he has received his kingdom, with
longevity with his ruler?”Judas said to Jesus, “Does the human spirit
die?” Jesus said, “This is why God ordered Michael to give the
spirits of people to them as a loan, so that they might offer
service, but the Great One ordered Gabriel to grant spirits to the
great generation with no ruler over it —that is, the spirit and the
soul. Therefore, the [rest] of the souls [54] [—one line missing—].
JESUS DISCUSSES THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WICKED WITH JUDAS
AND OTHERS
"[…] light [—nearly two lines missing—] around […] let […] spirit
[that is] within you dwell in this [flesh] among the generations of
angels. But God caused knowledge to be [given] to Adam and those
with him, so that the kings of chaos and the underworld mightnot
lord it over them.”Judas said to Jesus, “So what will those
generations do?” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, for all of them
the stars bring matters to completion.When Saklas completes the
span of time assigned for him, their first star will appear with
the generations, and they will finish what they said they would
do. Then they will fornicate in my name and slay their children
[55] and they will […] and [—about six and a half lines missing—]
my name, and he will […] your star over the [thir]teenth aeon.”
After that Jesus [laughed]. [Judas said], “Master, [why are you
laughing at us]?”
[Jesus] answered [and said], “I am not laughing [at you] but
at the error of the stars, because these six stars wander about
with these five combatants, and they all will be destroyed along
with their creatures.” JESUS SPEAKS OF THOSE WHO ARE BAPTIZED, AND
JUDAS’S BETRAYAL Judas said to Jesus, “Look, what will those who
have been baptized in your name do?”Jesus said, “Truly I say
[to you], this baptism [56] […] my name [—about nine lines
missing—] to me. Truly [I] say to you, Judas, [those who] offer
sacrifices to Saklas […]God [—three lines missing—] everything
that is evil.“ But you will exceed all of them. For you will
sacrifice the man that clothes me. Already your horn has been
raised, your wrath has been kindled, your star has shown brightly,
and your heart has […]. [57]“Truly […] your last […] become
[—about two and a half lines missing—], grieve [—about two lines
missing—] the ruler, since he will be destroyed. And then the
imageof the great generation of Adam will be exalted, for prior
to heaven, earth, and the angels, that generation, which is from
the eternal realms, exists. Look, you have been told everything.
Lift up your eyes and look at the cloud and the light within it
and the stars surrounding it. The star that leads the way is your
star.” Judas lifted up his eyes and saw the luminous cloud, and he
entered it. Those standing on the ground heard a voice coming from
the cloud, saying, [58] […] great generation[…] … image […]
[—about five lines missing—].
CONCLUSION: JUDAS BETRAYS JESUS[…]
Their high priests murmured because [he] had gone into the guest
room for his prayer. But some scribes were there watching carefully
in order to arrest him during the prayer, for they were afraid of
the people, since he was regarded by all as a prophet. They
approached Judas and said to him, “What are you doing here?
You are Jesus’disciple.”Judas answered them as they wished. And
he received some money and handed him over to them.
|
| HZ. ÝSA MUAMMASI VE MESÝH-MEHDÝ MESELESÝ |
| HIRÝSTÝYANLIÐIN SAHTE PEYGAMBERÝ |
| ÝÇÝNDEKÝLER |
| KADÝM HIRÝSTÝYAN EL YAZMALARI |