The Apocryphal Judas Revisited

Authors

John W. Welch

Keywords

Mormon studies, Judas, Apocrypha

Abstract

This article discusses the Gospel of Judas, an Early Christian text found in Egypt about 1978 and published in 2006 with much media attention. What drove the writers of the Gospel of Judas to paint the betraying Apostle in a positive light will most likely remain a mystery. One motive may have been the Gnostic obsession with finding new truths and solving mysteries. Another could have been the Gnostics' rejection of mainstream Christianity and its foundation on Apostles like Peter and Paul. Whatever their motives, the writers of the most recently discovered gospel were not the first to fabricate stories about Judas. The author examines other apocryphal references to Judas and points out that the Gospel of Judas should not influence readers' perceptions of canonical narratives more than other apocryphal sources.

Recommended Citation

Welch, John W. (2006) "The Apocryphal Judas Revisited," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 45: Iss. 2, Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol45/iss2/7