Judas Iscariot

Judas Iscariot was the son of Simon Iscariot and Cyborea (John 6:71 and 13:26). The Bible relates that Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples of Jesus Christ and betrayed him for 30 "pieces of silver" (most likely Tyrian shekels) to soldiers of the High Priest Caiaphas, who then turned Jesus over to Pontius Pilate's soldiers. "Iscariot", name not known today as having an Aramaic origin, is mentioned in all four Gospels.^[1]

The Gospel of Matthew says that after Jesus' arrest by the Roman authorities (but before his execution), Judas, overtaken by guilt returned the money to the priests that gave it to him and committed suicide by hanging himself.

According to John 13:29 , Judas was the money-keeper for Jesus and the Twelve Disciples.

The Acts of the Apostles states that Judas used the money given to him by the priests to betray Jesus to them (30 pieces of silver, the "wages of wickedness") to buy a field, and that after hanging himself, he burst apart, and therefore the field was called "Aceldama", the "Field of Blood"—but Matthew says the priests took the money (30 pieces of silver) that Judas had brought back to them and thrown into the treasury, and bought the field, to bury strangers in, and therefore that field was called the "Field of Blood."^[2] Acts 1 goes on to describe how his place among the apostles was filled by Matthias.

A translation of a Gnostic document known as The Gospel of Judas has recently been made public, giving rise to much religious and historical discussion, but appears to be dated much later than Judas' death.

References[edit]

See also[edit]

• The Twelve Apostles
• Garden of Gethsemane

External links[edit]

• The betrayer Judas Iscariot
• Judas Iscariot