I started this thread by mentioning a non-disclosure agreement I once had to sign, involving the Gospel of Judas. To explain the situation, I have been discussing how I first came to know about the existence of the text. After receiving an out-of-the-blue query about the Gospel of Judas I looked it up to refresh my memory: it was allegedly a book used by a group of Gnostics named the Cainites, a book that told the story of Jesus from the perspective of Judas Iscariot, his betrayer – not in order to malign Judas but, evidently, to celebrate his deed, since it was (somehow) to Jesus’ advantage.
Soon after reading up on the Gospel (there was very little to read about it, since we didn’t have it; all we had were some comments in the writings of church fathers who opposed it, principally Irenaeus), I received a second phone call, this one from a person at National Geographic, asking what I knew about the Gospel of Judas. I obviously realized that something was up.
So I told her what little we knew about the Gospel as probably a Gnostic text. In my mind, I wasn’t sure – before this – that the text actually *ever* existed. Some of the church fathers more or less made up some things, including books that their enemies allegedly used, in order to be able to attack them more persuasively (“You think the *Gnostics* are worth considering? Ha! They revere the Sodomites and their Gospel is about Judas Iscariot!!). So I was somewhat agnostic about whether any such thing really ever had seen the light of day. But now National Geographic was calling me about it.
Once I told her what we knew about the Gospel, I asked her what the deal was. And she responded by asking me a question: “Do you think it would be significant if we found it?”
Ai yai yai. Do I….
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I told you this story is like a Dan Brown novel and it is ….
To me (a non-scholarly type) this is very dry but you make it fascinating and even amusing in places. Can’t wait for the next post!
Hi Bart,
Off topic, but I see CNN will be airing a six part documentary starting in March titled: “Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery”. Was wondering if you have any involvement with it?
Don’t think so!
A religious “documentary” at Easter? Unheard of!!
I know — amazing how that seems to happen, huh?
Father, father he who has no name because there were non before him to name. Father he who sits in the throne. Help me father, help me father set the example for my generation. Help me keep my faith even when others loose it. Blessed are those who believe without seeing. ” Peace be with you earth ” it was I would say ” peace be with you ! Father zeus I am here father.
Bart look me up see what I look like 🙂 I look like a believer. Father zeus ( Jupiter ) I am her father. On a mountain in the night in front of fire with stars shinning with a rose, with music, with a gold leaf crown. With beyond Absolute certainty.
Just bloggin is all
Woe to the world
Woe the those seek and find
Woe to those who seek and find and reveal the truth
Woe the body that depends on the soul
Wow the soul that depends on the body
Woe this those who do not depend on both
Our god and father watch us as we pray
We pray as you watch our father and our god.
This is all very interesting. One concern on an issue tangential to the main thrust of this thread – as you describe palaeographers, it sounds as though their craft is similar to that employed by handwriting experts called to express opinions on the authorship of modern documents. To see competing handwriting experts battle in a legal dispute is to come away with a low opinion of the science involved. I can only hope that the science of paleography is more reliable than that of modern handwriting analysis. My point here is that that public at large seems to place a greater faith in the ability of “scientific” techniques to answer all forensic issues than is warranted (Too much CSI on T.V.). You have allowed that dating techniques are inexact. I wonder if they might be even less exact than the margins of error that are typically ascribed to them. I hope my concerns are unfounded, as the timing of these writings seems to be crucial to our understanding of them.
See the recent guest post by Brent Nongbri.
Thank you.
Sorry for being totally off topic, but there’s an article on HuffPost today about why the Bible is short on details on the early life of Moses and Jesus written from the perspective of a psychologist writing about human nature rather than from a religious prespective. He’s got an interesting view that I’ve never heard of before. I think it applies to a number of topics you’ve written on (early life of Jesus and the dearth of details). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernard-starr/why-we-know-so-little-abo_b_6608472.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
Thanks for the link to the HuffPo article. It reinforces what Dr. Erhman has been saying and writing about how children were considered in biblical times. How easy it is to inject current cultural interpretations onto ancient records. You always have something interesting to post.
This would make for a GREAT movie.
Out of curiosity, how many Coptic paleographers are there? That sounds like an extremely specialized subfield. I mean, do people ever apply to graduate school and say “I want to become a Coptic paleographer”?
Yes, not many. No one is *principally* a palaeographer; they almost all are experts in a wide range of issues and topics involving ancient Coptic.
Dr. Bart Ehrman, you could have been a great movie script writer. As I read your report, I could imagine ‘precisely’ the scene and the phone call exchange. You are a man of many talents.
Thanks!