JUDAS ISKARIOT

THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS

Translated by

Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst,

in collaboration with Fran‡ois Gaudard

From The Gospel of Judas

INTRODUCTION: INCIPIT

The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas

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 sa

of humanity. And since some [walked] in the way of righteousness while others wa

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

among them as a child.

SCENE 1: Jesus dialogues with his disciples: The prayer of thanksgiving or the e

One day he was with his disciples in Judea, and he found them gathered together

seated in pious observance. When he [approached] his disciples, [34] gathered to

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. are not doing thi

because of your own will but because it is through this that your god [will be]

They said, "Master, you are [.] the son of our god."

Jesus said to them, "How do you know me? Truly [I] say to you, no generation of

people that are among you will know me."

THE DISCIPLES BECOME ANGRY

When his disciples heard this, they started getting angry and infuriated and beg

blaspheming against him in their hearts.

When Jesus observed their lack of [understanding, he said] to them, "Why has thi

agitation led you to anger? Your god who is within you and [.] [35] have provoke

to anger [within] your souls. [Let] any one of you who is [strong enough] among

beings 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.

able to stand before him, but he could not look him in the eyes, and he turned h

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

who has sent you."

JESUS SPEAKS TO JUDAS PRIVATELY

Knowing that Judas was reflecting upon something that was exalted, Jesus said to

Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom. It

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

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

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 you

hearts about the strong and holy generation? [37] Truly [I] say to you, no one b

this aeon will see that [generation], and no host of angels of the stars will ru

generation, and no person of mortal birth can associate with it, because that ge

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 n

word.

Another day Jesus came up to [them]. They said to [him], "Master, we have seen y

in a [vision], for we have had great [dreams .] night [.]."

[He said], "Why have [you . when] have gone into hiding?" [38]

THE DISCIPLES SEE THE TEMPLE AND DISCUSS IT

They [said, "We have seen] a great [house with a large] altar [in it, and] twelv

men-they are the priests, we would say-and a name; and a crowd of people is wait

at that altar, [until] the priests [. and receive] the offerings. [But] we kept

[Jesus said], "What are [the priests] like?"

They [said, "Some .] two weeks; [some] sacrifice their own children, others thei

wives, in praise [and] humility with each other; some sleep with men; some are i

in [slaughter]; some commit a multitude of sins and deeds of lawlessness. And th

who stand [before] the altar invoke your [name], [39] and in all the deeds of th

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 w

before that altar invoke my name. Again I say to you, my name has been written o

[.] of the generations of the stars through the human generations. [And they] ha

planted trees without fruit, in my name, in a shameful manner."

Jesus said to them, "Those you have seen receiving the offerings at the altar-th

who you are. That is the god you serve, and you are those twelve men you have se

cattle you have seen brought for sacrifice are the many people you lead astray [

that altar. [.] will stand and make use of my name in this way, and generations

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 a

those who sleep with men, and those who abstain, and the rest of the people of p

and lawlessness and error, and those who say, `We are like angels'; they are the

bring everything to its conclusion. For to the human generations it has been sai

God has received your sacrifice from the hands of a priest'-that is, a minister

But it is the Lord, the Lord of the universe, who commands, `On the last day the

put to shame.'" [41]

Jesus said [to them], "Stop sac[rificing .] which you have [.] over the altar, s

they are over your stars and your angels and have already come to their conclusi

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 [.] t

[.] 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

[.] of this aeon [.] for a time [.] but he has come to water God's paradise, and

[generation] that will last, because [he] will not defile the [walk of life of]

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, thei

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.

also the way [.] the [defiled] generation [.] and corruptible Sophia [.] the han

has created mortal people, so that their souls go up to the eternal realms above

say to you, [.] angel [.] power will be able to see that [.] these to whom [.] h

generations [.]."

After Jesus said this, he departed.

SCENE 3: Judas recounts a vision and Jesus responds

Judas said, "Master, as you have listened to all of them, now also listen to me.

seen a great vision."

When Jesus heard this, he laughed and said to him, "You thirteenth spirit, why d

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 ston

and [45] persecuting [me severely]. And I also came to the place where [.] after

saw [a house .], and my eyes could not [comprehend] its size. Great people were

surrounding it, and that house a roof of greenery, and in the middle of th

was [a crowd-two lines missing-], saying, `Master, take me in along with these

people.'"

[Jesus] answered and said, "Judas, your star has led you astray." He continued,

person of mortal birth is worthy to enter the house you have seen, for that plac

reserved for the holy. Neither the sun nor the moon will rule there, nor the day

holy will abide there always, in the eternal realm with the holy angels. Look, I

explained to you the mysteries of the kingdom [46] and I have taught you about t

of the stars; and [.] send it [.] on the twelve aeons."

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 yo

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?

you have set me apart for that generation."

Jesus answered and said, "You will become the thirteenth, and you will be cursed

the other generations-and you will come to rule over them. In the last days they

curse 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 s

there exists a great and boundless realm, whose extent no generation of angels h

[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 m

JUDAS ASKS ABOUT THE DESTINY OF ADAM AND HUMANITY

Judas said to Jesus, "[What] is the long duration of time that the human being w

Jesus said, "Why are you wondering about this, that Adam, with his generation, h

lived his span of life in the place where he has received his kingdom, with long

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 th

loan, so that they might offer service, but the Great One ordered Gabriel to gra

the great generation with no ruler over it-that is, the spirit and the soul. 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] withi

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 comp

When Saklas completes the span of time assigned for him, their first star will a

the generations, and they will finish what they said they would do. Then they wi

fornicate in my name and slay their children [55] and they will [.] and [-about

a half lines missing-] my name, and he will [.] your star over the [thir]teenth

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

because these six stars wander about with these five combatants, and they all wi

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

Jesus said, "Truly I say [to you], this baptism [56] [.] my name [-about nine li

missing-] to me. Truly [I] say to you, Judas, [those who] offer sacrifices to Sa

God [-three lines missing-] everything that is evil.

But you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.

Judas lifted up his eyes and saw the luminous cloud, and he entered it. Those st

on the ground heard a voice coming from the cloud, saying, [58] [.] great genera

[.] . image [.] [-about five lines missing-].

CONCLUSION: JUDAS BETRAYS JESUS

[.] Their high priests murmured because [he] had gone into the guest room for hi

prayer. But some scribes were there watching carefully in order to arrest him du

prayer, for they were afraid of the people, since he was regarded by all as a pr

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 ov

to them.

THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS

JUDAS ISKARIOT

A. Andreas, }|{ 2006