First published 2010
The Gospel of Judas emerged as one of the most significant biblical discoveries in recent history when National Geographic introduced it to millions of viewers. Bart Ehrman, a prominent early church historian who appeared in that documentary, provides the first thorough examination of this ancient text. He tells how he encountered the gospel in an unexpected location: a small room situated above a pizza restaurant in a Swiss town near Lake Geneva. Ehrman traces the papyrus document's remarkable journey from its initial discovery through its passage among antiquities dealers across Egypt, America, and Switzerland before reaching restoration and translation. He explains what this lost gospel actually teaches and positions it within the broader context of gospel literature, including canonical New Testament texts and Gnostic Christian writings. The book presents a radically different perspective on Jesus, his followers, and Judas Iscariot. Ehrman analyzes what can be determined about the historical Judas and his connection to Jesus, arguing that careful reading of early gospels reveals the true nature of Judas's actions and motivations. This account addresses fundamental questions about early Christianity's development.
Genres: biography, history, religion, non-fiction, christianity, church-history, ancient-history, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-investigation, lost-text
Setting: Egypt, Switzerland
Period: Early Christianity
198 pages · ebook · Oxford University Press, USA