| Many interpreters of the Gospel of Judas have read it as a gnostic gospel composed as a criticism of orthodox Christian theology and ritual, namely the sacrificial interpretation of the death of Jesus, and the Eucharist rite which reenacts that theology. In this dissertation, I argue that the Gospel of Judas does not criticize the sacrificial interpretation of Jesus' death nor the Eucharist. In Chapter One I argue that Judas evaluates Jesus' sacrificial death in a positive light, as an event which precipitated the salvation of humanity by conquering over demonic powers. In Chapter Two I then argue that this gospel's concern has more to do with ecclesiastical politics than with sacrificial theology, the Eucharist, or the figure of Judas Iscariot. I analyze the author's preoccupation with the grossly immoral character of the Twelve Disciples and suggest that he developed such a portrayal in order to criticize contemporary clergy. In Chapter Three I discuss the mythological section of the Gospel of Judas and offer clarification on many of its obscure passages. I argue that Judas's myth need not be regarded as a secondary insertion into the text, but represents the editorial work of its original author. The author included the brief story of origins in order to support his polemical claims made elsewhere in the gospel. Finally in Chapter Four, I turn to a discussion of the fourth-century codex in which Judas was bound, and discuss why Egyptian Christians may have been interested in its content. In addition, I offer a new Coptic text of the Gospel of Judas with text-critical notation, and a new, annotated English translation. |
