Judas
Subtitle: Images of the Lost Disciple
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Published: December 2001
Language: eng
Number of pages: 207
ISBN-13: 9780664224240
First sentence: Paul, the earliest of the New Testament writers (ca. 50-60 C.E.), never mentions Judas by name.
Description: Traces the development of the stories about the most famous traitor in the history of Western Civilization. Its purpose is not to find the Judas of history, but rather to provide readers with a map or family tree that shows the genetic similarities and connections between generations of Judas' story. Judas has been portrayed as an effete intellectual, a jealous lover, a greedy scoundrel, a misguided patriot, a doomed hero, a man destroyed by despair, or God's special, misunderstood messenger and agent. Judas means as many different things to us as does Jesus or God. The enigma of Judas' story in the Gospels left later literature and legend with a creative challenge they richly answered, and which is presented here: to write the real story of the worst villain of all time.