The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot
Page 47
28. Judas poured scorn on the writer who claimed that he had seen Jesus walk on water, and another who suggested that while at a wedding feast in Cana he had watched the Master turn water into wine. These things never happened he declared.
see
Matt 14:22–27;
John 2:1–10
[xxxviii]
29. While he pondered these affairs I remained silent.
30. It was not until he pressed me again that I reluctantly admitted that another gospel was being spread abroad reporting that Peter had given a direction to say that Judas’ name should be struck from the list of those disciples who had originally been chosen by Jesus.
31. He was to be replaced by one Matthias, who had been selected by lot, and would in future be numbered as one of the twelve apostles.
see
Acts 1:21–26
[xxxix]
32. ‘Why, why?’ he demanded to know.
33. ‘Because one of the apostles recorded that Judas had hanged himself.’
see
Matt 27:5
34. Judas responded immediately: ‘If only he had remembered their traditional upbringing, he would have recalled that no pious Jew would ever consider taking his own life.’
[xl]
35. I warned my father that yet another had written that Judas had fallen and his body had burst asunder.
Acts 1:18
36. Abba pondered on these words before saying: ‘If either of these reports were accurate – and clearly they could not both be – surely such an act would have been confirmed by the other apostles, so that all Christians might know how Judas had ended his life.
37. ‘And what other blasphemies do these men spread abroad?’ he said quietly.
38. I did not reply, although I was unable to hide my distress.
39. ‘Tell me everything,’ Abba demanded, ‘so that I might know what my fellow disciples say of me.’
40. I bowed my head and whispered that one of them had written: ‘Judas had betrayed his Master in return for thirty pieces of silver.’
see
Matt 26:15
[xli]
41. When Abba heard these words, he could no longer control his temper.
42. It was then that Judas demanded his own account should be recorded so that all may know the truth of what had taken place during the time he had been a disciple of the Prophet Jesus.
43. I spent my final days at Khirbet Qumran, taking down his every word.