The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot

A New Look at the Betrayer and Betrayed

By: Bart D. Ehrman

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Lost for nearly 1,700 years, newly restored and authenticated, the Gospel of Judas presents a very different view of the relationship between Jesus and Judas. Rather than paint Judas as a traitor, it portrays him as acting at Jesus' request.

A National Geographic special introduced tens of millions of viewers to one of the most important biblical discoveries of modern times. Now a leading historian of the early church (and a featured commentator in the special) offers the first comprehensive account of the gospel, revealing what it contains and why it is so important for believers around the world.

Ehrman recounts the fascinating story of where and how this ancient parchment document was discovered, how it moved around among antiquities dealers, and how it came to be restored and translated. He gives a complete and clear account of what the book teaches, and he shows how it relates to other gospel texts, including the Gnostic texts of early Christianity. Finally, he describes what we can now say about the historical Judas and his relationship with Jesus.

The Gospel of Judas raises many questions. Ehrman provides illuminating and authoritative answers.

©2006 Bart D. Ehrman; (P)2006 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"In typically brilliant fashion...Ehrman's fast-paced study introduces us engagingly to the Gospel of Judas." (Publishers Weekly)

A cogent and articulate story

This story a clearheaded account of a subject that is polluted with ingrained prejudices. It was read very well, and the content was great.

Not Ehrman's best

Great book but not a page turner like Forged or Jesus Interrupted. The music and double narrators got annoying.

2nd best Erhman book I've read

Not because of the content around the Gospel of Judas. I generally find gnostic mumbo jumbo boring and that chapter was just that. No fault to Erhman. But the ancient and modern history he brings out was fascinating. The last two chapters were the best. Books that shift the way you look at the world or blow your mind are the best. Best ive ever read from him was lost Christianities

Trying to understand

A splendid work! There's a lot to cover in this work. It includes a discussion on the Gospel of Judas Iscariot, what it was, how it was found, etc. It is also a good discussion of Gnostic Christianity, or Gnosticism in general. It also does a good job trying to understand Jesus, the early church, Judas, and the heresy in general. The use of splendid up front, should signal that I thought the author did a fine job covering all these diverse subjects. There are great questions about the church, Jesus, heresy, and faith some are answered in this volume, and some are left for the reader to sort out. For a person of a fundamentalist bent, this could be an excellent read and quite challenging to understand and appreciate. It will be too easy to question why we should even care about this heretical Gospel. It's interesting to note the Gnostics, have a built in out for non-believers, you won't understand the teaching if you lack the divine spark. That was just too easy, and I've seen too many times arguments around faith devolving in to something just like that. Nice to know that's nothing new.

Wonderful and thought provoking!

Everyone who has experienced Christianity in any capacity should have a listen. I enjoyed the historical aspects of this book. Have you ever considered the life or motives of Judas?! I know I didn’t. Because I was taught the flavor of the orthodox Christians. Little did I know about the diversity of early Christianity. I’ve heard it said that history is written by the victorious. The same can be said for religions. I enjoyed this book and hope others do as well.