story link: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/04/06/gospel.judas.ap/index.html

"Unlike the four gospels in the Bible, this text indicates that Judas betrayed Jesus at Jesus' request.

The text begins "the secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot."

The key passage comes when Jesus tells Judas "you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothed me.""

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I often felt that when Jesus was speaking at the Last Supper and mentioned that one among them would betray him he was not speaking of Judas but more likely the one that went on to create the eventual Church of Rome.

How's PEI? I applied to Holland College.

Thanks for the link...

you're welcome. PEI is good, mildest winter I've seen ever I think in Canada, though last year's was bad here. looking forward to the beaches this summer!

I'm from Nova Scotia and what a wonderful "winter" we had here, I was wearing my sandals until mid-December when the first snow came. It used to snow late October/early November, but I'm loving it this way!

I spent last winter in Moncton, went to university there September-April and everyone warned me about their winters, but November was quite bad at home, I think my parents didn't have power for like a week almost.

Went to PEI in August, used to go every summer but hadn't been there in awhile. I think my parents are coming again this summer but I'm hoping to use my vacation days to go to Denver in September.

Wow, that thread got hijacked in a hurry....

Heard some detail about this on the radio while working today. I will certainly be interested to read the text. I'm very happy that National Geographic got their hands on it, since the much more important and authentic Dead Sea Scrolls have been so secretively held for so long. Nice to see an organisation that is interested in spreading knowledge.

I agree, RevMatt. It's a sin that any historical documents get hidden. I like hearing at least sides of a story. How would reading the Dead Sea Scrolls impact you? You must have some idea what is contained in them.

Many portions of them have at last been published, and so yes, I have seen a fair chunk of them. Sadly, they weren't out while I was still in school, so I haven't yet had time to truly study them :)

The main impact for me would be in the realm of coming to a better understanding of the world in which the new testament scriptures were written. We need to be able to understand how those for whom they were written heard them, if we are to begin to understand what they might mean for us. And so any piece that contributes to that puzzle is of immense importance. When those pieces are ones that were explicitly excluded by the official version, they are that much more important, as they represent completely new perspectives.

As far as this gospel goes, I doubt they have much to contribute that is revolutionary from a religious point of view. But from a sociological one, they are quite valuable. The idea that Jesus asked Judas to betray him is hardly new, after all. But the world view of the people who were/called themselves followers of Judas would be fascinating.

The idea that Jesus asked Judas to betray him is hardly new, after all.

But was it backed up with anything substantial or just an idea before? Have you ever read The Hiram Key? A book about the beginnings of Freemasonry.

Heh. The Hiram Key. Entertaining, to say the least.

"It is possible that x is true."
"Since we now know that x is true, we can reach the following 700 conclusions..."

But yes, there certainly are some similarities, particularly in the talk about "special knowledge".