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Judas Iscariot (died April AD 29–33, Hebrew
language|Hebrew
יהודה
איש־קרי&
#1493;ת Yəhûḏāh
ʾÃŽš-qəriyyôṯ) was,
according to the New Testament, one of the twelve
original apostles of Jesus, and the one who
ultimately betrayed him.
TOCleft
== Traditional Christian views ==
Judas is mentioned only in the gospels and at the
beginning of Acts of the Apostles|Acts. According
to the account given in the gospels, he carried
the disciples' money box and betrayed Jesus for a
bribe of "thirty pieces of silver" by identifying
him with a kiss—the "kiss of Judas"—
to arresting Roman Empire|Roman soldiers. The
"pieces of silver" were most likely intended to be
understood as silver Tyre|Tyrian
shekel|shekels.

Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, should not be
confused with Jude Thomas (or with Saint Jude|Jude
Thaddeus/Saint Jude), who was also one of the
twelve apostles and a brother of James the Less.


After Jesus' arrest by the Roman authorities (but
before his execution),  the guilt-ridden Judas
returned the bribe to the priests and committed
suicide. The Gospel of Matthew says he hanged
himself; the Acts of the Apostles (1:18), however,
says that he "purchased a field with the reward of
iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder
in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out". This
field is called Aceldama|Akel Dama or "Field Of
Blood." Acts of the Apostles|Acts 1 goes on to
describe how his place among the apostles was
filled by Saint Matthias.

The act of Judas has been much discussed in
context of free will; the mainstream position has
been that although Jesus, being divine, knew that
Judas would betray him, Judas was still acting in
free will and was culpable for his actions. Jesus
himself condemned his betrayer heavily in Matthew
26:

:When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the
table with the Twelve. And while they were eating,
he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will
betray me."
:They were very sad and began to say to him one
after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?"
:Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand
into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of
Man will go just as it is written about him. But
woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It
would be better for him if he had not been born."

== Theological questions ==
Judas has been a figure of great interest to
esoteric groups, such as many Gnostic sects,
because of the apparent contradiction in the idea
of "the betrayal of God". The possibilities seem
to be these:

*Jesus did not foresee the betrayal by Judas.
*He was unable to prevent it.
*He allowed Judas to betray him.
*Judas was an informed accomplice in Jesus's
planned destiny.

Irenaeus records the beliefs of one Gnostic sect,
the Cainites, who believed that Judas was an
instrument of the Sophia (gnosticism)|Sophia,
Divine Wisdom, thus earning the hatred of the
Demiurge. His betrayal of Jesus thus was a victory
over the carnal world. The Cainites later split
into two groups, both praising Judas over Jesus
Christ, but disagreeing over the significance of
Jesus in their cosmology.

The text of the Gospels suggests that Jesus both
foresaw and allowed Judas' betrayal.

== Philosophical questions ==
Judas is also the subject of many philosophical
writings, including The Problem of Natural Evil by
Bertrand Russell and Three Versions of Judas, a
short story by Jorge Luis Borges.  They both
allege various problematic ideological
contradictions with the discrepancy between Judas'
actions and his eternal punishment.

* If Jesus foresees Judas' betrayal then Judas has
no free will, and cannot avoid betraying Jesus. If
Judas can not control his betrayal of Jesus, then
his punishment and portrayal as a traitor in
western culture is undeserved.
* If Judas is sent to the Hell for his betrayal,
and his betrayal was a necessary step in the
humanity-saving death of Jesus Christ, then Judas
is being punished for saving humanity.
* If Jesus only suffered while dying on the cross,
and then ascended into the Heaven, while Judas
must suffer for eternity in the Hell, then Judas
has suffered much more for the sins of humanity
than Jesus, and his role in the Atonement is that
much more significant.

The Bible also states that on the cross Christ
forgave those that had contributed to his death,
saying that they "know not what they do."  However
Judas seems to have not been included in this
pardon.

== Modern interpretations ==

Most modern Christians, whether laity, clergy or
theologians, still consider Judas a traitor.
Indeed the term Judas has entered the language as
a synonym for betrayer. However, some scholars
have embraced the alternative notion that Judas
was merely the negotiator in a prearranged
prisoner exchange (following the money-lender riot
in the Temple) that gave Jesus to the Roman
authorities by mutual agreement, and that Judas'
later portrayal as "traitor" was a historical
distortion. In his book The Passover Plot, the
British theology|theologian Hugh J. Schonfield
argued that the crucifixion of Christ was a
conscious re-enactment of Biblical prophecy and
Judas acted with Jesus' full knowledge and consent
in "betraying" his master to the authorities.
Schonfield's hypothesis recognizes the fulfillment
of prophecy in Judas' recorded actions without
acknowledging that the prophecies were really
fulfilled in history.  This interpretation became
well known in the general population by the
controversial film The Last Temptation of Christ.

In the film Dracula 2000, it was interpreted that
Dracula was Judas Iscariot. It explains why
Dracula fears the cross, silver, and the Bible,
and why he is doomed to walk the world forever.

In the film Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas is shown
to be confused at first with Jesus companionship
of Mary (the washing, etc) and furthermore worried
at the commotion Jesus was creating in Jerusalem,
ultimately leading Judas to 'betray'. The movie
was said to give a new sympathetic light on Judas.

== Etymology of "Judas Iscariot" ==
In the Greek language|Greek of the New Testament,
Judas Iscariot is called
Ιουδας
Ισκαριω&thet
a; (Ioudas Iskariôth) and
Ισκαριωτ
ης (Iskariôtês). 

"Judas" is the Greek form of the common name Judah
(biblical figure)|Judah
(יהודה,
Yehûdâh, Hebrew for
"praised"). In English translations of the Bible
is also found the name Jude, however there is no
such distinction in the original Greek
language|Greek or in the Latin Vulgate
translation. King David united the Kingdom of
Israel and King Solomon built the First Temple,
however the kingdom split into two in 928bce,
namely the northern kingdom Israel and the
southern Kingdom of Judah. In 722bce, the Assyrian
King Shalmaneser V conquered Israel and renamed it
Samerina (Samaria). In 586bce, the Babylonian King
Nebuchadrezzar II conquered Judah, destroyed the
First Temple, and exiled the "Judeans" to Babylon.
Cyrus II of Persia conquered Babylon in 539bce and
granted the Judeans the right to return and to
rebuild their Temple (Second Temple). For this
reason Isaiah 44:25-45:4 proclaimed Cyrus to be
the Messiah. Hence, to make a long story short,
Judah, Judean, and Jew are almost synonymous.
Technically, for the context of the New Testament,
Judean is correct, as the Roman Emperor Augustus
created Iudaea Province (6-64,73-132ce) in Latin
which is generally translated into English as
Judea, hence its people were called Judeans.

What "Iscariot" signifies is unclear, other than
its Greek suffix -otes, like English "-ite" or
"-ian". No territory "Iscaria" has ever existed. A
birthplace is sometimes offered at the Karioth
that is mentioned only once, in a long list of
cities in the time of Joshua (Joshua 15:25),
concerning which The Classical Gazeteer tactfully
remarked "of uncertain position"
http://www.ancientlibrary.com/gazetteer/0194.html.
Karioth is not mentioned in any text of the
centuries before or after Judas Iscariot. (Compare
Cana and Arimathea.)

There are two major theories on the meaning of
this name, each of which must satisfy certain
expectations in order to be credible:


One etymology, accepted by the majority, and
credited to Jerome, derives "Iscariot" from Hebrew
language|Hebrew
איש־קרי&
#1493;ת,
Κ–Qrîyôth, that is
"man of Kerioth", the Judea|Judean town (or, more
probably, collection of small towns) of Kerioth,
not otherwise related to any person or event in
the New Testament, nor mentioned in any document
of the period. As Aramaic language|Aramaic was the
main language of the time, and all other biblical
characters have Aramaic surnames and nicknames,
this Hebrew Judaean name would have marked out
Judas as different from the Galilean disciples.

In the second etymology, "Iscariot" is considered
to be a transformation of the Latin sicarius, or
"dagger-man". The Sicarii were a cadre of
assassins among Jewish rebels intent on driving
the Romans out of Judea. It is possible then, that
this Latin name might have been transformed by
Aramaic into a form more closely resembling
"Iscariot". Whether Judas actually was a sicariote
or even a sympathizer may never be known. The term
may have simply been used pejoratively. Given
Judas is largely synonymous with Judean and if
Iscariot means Sicarius, then Judas Iscariot would
mean Judean Assassin.

"Iscariot" could also be derived from the Aramaic
sheqarya' or shiqrai, indicating a person who is a
fraud; "the false one" would usually be written as
ishqaraya. It could also have been derived from
the Hebrew sachar. It also has been theorised that
Iscariot could mean deliverer, derived from the
Hebrew sakar.

Because of Judas' role in betraying Jesus Christ,
the name Judas—which was common during the
time of Christ—has almost entirely fallen
out of use as a name among Christians, though its
Hebrew equivalent Yehuda remains common among
Jews, and the etymologically equivalent name Jude
is not unknown among Christians.

== Judas in hymnography ==

In the Eastern Orthodox hymns of Holy Wednesday
(the Wednesday before Pascha), Judas is contrasted
with the prostitute who anointed Jesus with
expensive perfume and washed his feet with her
tears. According to the Gospels, Judas protested
at this apparent extravagance, suggesting that the
money spent on it should have been given to the
poor, though his real concern was that he had not
been able to embezzle it. After this, Judas went
to the chief priests and offered to betray Jesus
for money. The hymns of Holy Wednesday contrast
these two figures, encouraging believers to avoid
the example of the fallen disciple and instead to
imitate the prostitute's example of repentance.
Also, Wednesday is observed as a day of fasting
from meat, dairy products, and olive oil
throughout the year in memory of the betrayal of
Judas. The prayers of preparation for receiving
the Eucharist also make mention of Judas'
betrayal: "I will not reveal your mysteries to
your enemies, neither like Judas will I betray
you with a kiss, but like the thief on the cross I
will confess you."

== Judas and Anti-Semitism ==

Some scholars of the New Testament suggest that
the name "Judas" was intended as an attack on the
Judaeans or on the Judaean religious establishment
held responsible for executing Christ. The English
word "Jew" is derived from the Latin Judaeus,
which, like the Greek language|Greek
Ιουδαι&omicr
on;ς (Ioudaios), could also mean "Judaean".
In the Gospel of John, the original writer or a
later editor may have tried to draw a parallel
between Judas, Judaea, and the Judaeans (or Jews)
in verses 6:70-7:1, which run like this in the
King James Bible:

:6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you
twelve, and one of you is a devil? 6:71 He spake
of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he
it was that should betray him, being one of the
twelve. 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in
Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry,
because the Jews sought to kill him.

In Greek, the earliest extant language of the
Gospels, the words Judas -- Jewry -- Jews run like
this:
Ιουδας
(Ioudas) --
Ιουδαι&alpha
; (Ioudaia) --
Ιουδαι&omicr
on;ι (Ioudaioi). In Latin, the language of
the Catholic Vulgate Bible, they run Judas --
Judaea -- Judaei. Whatever the original intentions
of the original writers or editors of the Gospel
of John, however, there is little doubt that the
similarity between the name "Judas" and the words
for "Jew" in various European languages has
contributed powerfully to anti-Semitism. In German
language|German the same words run Judas -- Judäa
-- Jud; in Spanish language|Spanish Judas -- Judea
-- judío; and in French language|French Judas --
Judée -- juif. 

Over time Judas came to be seen as the archetypal
Jew.  He was said to have red hair, which was
proverbially called "Judas-colored", and the
ancient stereotype of Jews was that they had red
hair too: in William Shakespeare|Shakespeare's The
Merchant of Venice the Jewish money-lender Shylock
is said to have been portrayed with red hair on
the Elizabethan stage. Judas's betrayal of Christ
for money was also seen as a typical piece of
Jewish venality and avarice.

A few modern critics of European culture assert
that in paintings and art of the Middle Ages and
Renaissance, while the other apostles are
portrayed as powerfully built Northern Europeans,
Judas was given stereotypically Jewish
characteristics. Specific examples of such
portrayals in the Middle Ages and Renaissance,
however, are hard to come by.

A more modern example, however, can be found in
John Fiester's monument clock, the Apostolic
Clock.  Judas is half the height of the other
eleven apostles, hunched over, and possesses an
exaggerated nose.  The notes provided at the
Hershey Museum, where it is on display, claims the
artist made Judas shorter because he considered
him to be less of a man than the other apostles,
not because of anti-Semitism.

== Judas in art and literature ==

Judas has become the archetype of the betrayer in
Western culture, with some role in vitually all
literature telling the Passion story.  In Dante
Alighieri|Dante's The Divine Comedy|Inferno, he is
condemned to the lowest circle of Hell, where he
is one of three sinners deemed evil enough that
they are doomed to be chewed for eternity in the
mouths of the triple-headed Satan. (The others are
Marcus Junius Brutus|Brutus and Gaius Cassius
Longinus|Cassius, who conspired against and
assassinated Julius Caesar.)

Jorge Luis Borges' short story Three Versions of
Judas gives several interpretations of Judas'
story, one of which concludes that Judas is the
true savior of humanity.

U2's song "Until the End of the World" from
Achtung Baby contains lyrics which are basically a
conversation between Judas Iscariot and Jesus
Christ. 

Bob Dylan|Bob Dylan's song "With God on Our Side",
contains the following lines that refer to Judas
Iscariot:
:In a many dark hour
:I've been thinkin' about this
:That Jesus Christ
:Was betrayed by a kiss
:But I can't think for you
:You'll have to decide
:Whether Judas Iscariot
:Had God on his side.

The Smashing Pumpkins B-side collection album
Pisces Iscariot derives its title from Judas
Iscariot.

Rick Wakeman's album Criminal Record includes a 10
minute epic cut called Judas Iscariot.

In the anime and manga Hellsing, Iscariot is the
assassin squad of the Vatican, also known as
Section XIII, the Zealot Judas, and the Assassin
Judas. This is apparent from their oath.

In the 1973 movie Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas is
portrayed by African-American actor Carl Anderson.
He is shown as a man who believes in and loves
Jesus, but wants a lasting charity organization
rather than a religious order. 
He fears that the emergence of a new religion
centred on Jesus would cause the Romans to
retaliate against all of the Jews. Torn between
his love of Christ and his fear of an imminent
destruction of his people, he regretfully betrays
Jesus.

In Mikhail Bulgakov's masterpiece The Master and
Margarita, the entire story of Christ is portrayed
differently. In the case of Judas, Bulgakov
presents a parody of the betrayal of Christ, as
though first-century Jerusalem were Moscow in the
1920s-1930s. Pilate is talking to his head of the
secret service, and mentions that he "heard a
rumor" stating that Judas of Kerioth was slated
for an early grave, so "I expect you to do your
best to help him". After Judas's death ("A shame,
I understand you did your best..."), Pilate
ponders rhetorically, asking whether "he might
have killed himself?", thereby starting the
biblical account of Judas's suicide.

==Trivia==
In Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper (Leonardo)|
The Last Supper an overturned salt cellar lies in
front of Judas.

==See also==
*John the Baptist
*quisling

==External links==
* http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/judas.htm
What Did Judas Betray? Atheist Foundation of
Australia Inc
*
http://bereanbiblechurch.in/audiofiles/Judas%20Isc
ariot.htm Judas Iscariot - A vessel of Dishonor An
extensive study and research
* http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08539a.htm
Catholic Encyclopedia article
* http://www.hhes.net.nz/H0088822.htm Judas
Returns the Silver, a painting by Alessandro
Mantovani

	Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Judas Iscariot (died April AD 29–33, Hebrew
language|Hebrew
יהודה
איש־קרי&
#1493;ת Yəhûḏāh
ʾÃŽš-qəriyyôṯ) was,
according to the New Testament, one of the twelve
original apostles of Jesus, and the one who
ultimately betrayed him.
TOCleft
== Traditional Christian views ==
Judas is mentioned only in the gospels and at the
beginning of Acts of the Apostles|Acts. According
to the account given in the gospels, he carried
the disciples' money box and betrayed Jesus for a
bribe of "thirty pieces of silver" by identifying
him with a kiss—the "kiss of Judas"—
to arresting Roman Empire|Roman soldiers. The
"pieces of silver" were most likely intended to be
understood as silver Tyre|Tyrian
shekel|shekels.

Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, should not be
confused with Jude Thomas (or with Saint Jude|Jude
Thaddeus/Saint Jude), who was also one of the
twelve apostles and a brother of James the Less.


After Jesus' arrest by the Roman authorities (but
before his execution),  the guilt-ridden Judas
returned the bribe to the priests and committed
suicide. The Gospel of Matthew says he hanged
himself; the Acts of the Apostles (1:18), however,
says that he "purchased a field with the reward of
iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder
in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out". This
field is called Aceldama|Akel Dama or "Field Of
Blood." Acts of the Apostles|Acts 1 goes on to
describe how his place among the apostles was
filled by Saint Matthias.

The act of Judas has been much discussed in
context of free will; the mainstream position has
been that although Jesus, being divine, knew that
Judas would betray him, Judas was still acting in
free will and was culpable for his actions. Jesus
himself condemned his betrayer heavily in Matthew
26:

:When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the
table with the Twelve. And while they were eating,
he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will
betray me."
:They were very sad and began to say to him one
after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?"
:Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand
into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of
Man will go just as it is written about him. But
woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It
would be better for him if he had not been born."

== Theological questions ==
Judas has been a figure of great interest to
esoteric groups, such as many Gnostic sects,
because of the apparent contradiction in the idea
of "the betrayal of God". The possibilities seem
to be these:

*Jesus did not foresee the betrayal by Judas.
*He was unable to prevent it.
*He allowed Judas to betray him.
*Judas was an informed accomplice in Jesus's
planned destiny.

Irenaeus records the beliefs of one Gnostic sect,
the Cainites, who believed that Judas was an
instrument of the Sophia (gnosticism)|Sophia,
Divine Wisdom, thus earning the hatred of the
Demiurge. His betrayal of Jesus thus was a victory
over the carnal world. The Cainites later split
into two groups, both praising Judas over Jesus
Christ, but disagreeing over the significance of
Jesus in their cosmology.

The text of the Gospels suggests that Jesus both
foresaw and allowed Judas' betrayal.

== Philosophical questions ==
Judas is also the subject of many philosophical
writings, including The Problem of Natural Evil by
Bertrand Russell and Three Versions of Judas, a
short story by Jorge Luis Borges.  They both
allege various problematic ideological
contradictions with the discrepancy between Judas'
actions and his eternal punishment.

* If Jesus foresees Judas' betrayal then Judas has
no free will, and cannot avoid betraying Jesus. If
Judas can not control his betrayal of Jesus, then
his punishment and portrayal as a traitor in
western culture is undeserved.
* If Judas is sent to the Hell for his betrayal,
and his betrayal was a necessary step in the
humanity-saving death of Jesus Christ, then Judas
is being punished for saving humanity.
* If Jesus only suffered while dying on the cross,
and then ascended into the Heaven, while Judas
must suffer for eternity in the Hell, then Judas
has suffered much more for the sins of humanity
than Jesus, and his role in the Atonement is that
much more significant.

The Bible also states that on the cross Christ
forgave those that had contributed to his death,
saying that they "know not what they do."  However
Judas seems to have not been included in this
pardon.

== Modern interpretations ==

Most modern Christians, whether laity, clergy or
theologians, still consider Judas a traitor.
Indeed the term Judas has entered the language as
a synonym for betrayer. However, some scholars
have embraced the alternative notion that Judas
was merely the negotiator in a prearranged
prisoner exchange (following the money-lender riot
in the Temple) that gave Jesus to the Roman
authorities by mutual agreement, and that Judas'
later portrayal as "traitor" was a historical
distortion. In his book The Passover Plot, the
British theology|theologian Hugh J. Schonfield
argued that the crucifixion of Christ was a
conscious re-enactment of Biblical prophecy and
Judas acted with Jesus' full knowledge and consent
in "betraying" his master to the authorities.
Schonfield's hypothesis recognizes the fulfillment
of prophecy in Judas' recorded actions without
acknowledging that the prophecies were really
fulfilled in history.  This interpretation became
well known in the general population by the
controversial film The Last Temptation of Christ.

In the film Dracula 2000, it was interpreted that
Dracula was Judas Iscariot. It explains why
Dracula fears the cross, silver, and the Bible,
and why he is doomed to walk the world forever.

In the film Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas is shown
to be confused at first with Jesus companionship
of Mary (the washing, etc) and furthermore worried
at the commotion Jesus was creating in Jerusalem,
ultimately leading Judas to 'betray'. The movie
was said to give a new sympathetic light on Judas.

== Etymology of "Judas Iscariot" ==
In the Greek language|Greek of the New Testament,
Judas Iscariot is called
Ιουδας
Ισκαριω&thet
a; (Ioudas Iskariôth) and
Ισκαριωτ
ης (Iskariôtês). 

"Judas" is the Greek form of the common name Judah
(biblical figure)|Judah
(יהודה,
Yehûdâh, Hebrew for
"praised"). In English translations of the Bible
is also found the name Jude, however there is no
such distinction in the original Greek
language|Greek or in the Latin Vulgate
translation. King David united the Kingdom of
Israel and King Solomon built the First Temple,
however the kingdom split into two in 928bce,
namely the northern kingdom Israel and the
southern Kingdom of Judah. In 722bce, the Assyrian
King Shalmaneser V conquered Israel and renamed it
Samerina (Samaria). In 586bce, the Babylonian King
Nebuchadrezzar II conquered Judah, destroyed the
First Temple, and exiled the "Judeans" to Babylon.
Cyrus II of Persia conquered Babylon in 539bce and
granted the Judeans the right to return and to
rebuild their Temple (Second Temple). For this
reason Isaiah 44:25-45:4 proclaimed Cyrus to be
the Messiah. Hence, to make a long story short,
Judah, Judean, and Jew are almost synonymous.
Technically, for the context of the New Testament,
Judean is correct, as the Roman Emperor Augustus
created Iudaea Province (6-64,73-132ce) in Latin
which is generally translated into English as
Judea, hence its people were called Judeans.

What "Iscariot" signifies is unclear, other than
its Greek suffix -otes, like English "-ite" or
"-ian". No territory "Iscaria" has ever existed. A
birthplace is sometimes offered at the Karioth
that is mentioned only once, in a long list of
cities in the time of Joshua (Joshua 15:25),
concerning which The Classical Gazeteer tactfully
remarked "of uncertain position"
http://www.ancientlibrary.com/gazetteer/0194.html.
Karioth is not mentioned in any text of the
centuries before or after Judas Iscariot. (Compare
Cana and Arimathea.)

There are two major theories on the meaning of
this name, each of which must satisfy certain
expectations in order to be credible:


One etymology, accepted by the majority, and
credited to Jerome, derives "Iscariot" from Hebrew
language|Hebrew
איש־קרי&
#1493;ת,
Κ–Qrîyôth, that is
"man of Kerioth", the Judea|Judean town (or, more
probably, collection of small towns) of Kerioth,
not otherwise related to any person or event in
the New Testament, nor mentioned in any document
of the period. As Aramaic language|Aramaic was the
main language of the time, and all other biblical
characters have Aramaic surnames and nicknames,
this Hebrew Judaean name would have marked out
Judas as different from the Galilean disciples.

In the second etymology, "Iscariot" is considered
to be a transformation of the Latin sicarius, or
"dagger-man". The Sicarii were a cadre of
assassins among Jewish rebels intent on driving
the Romans out of Judea. It is possible then, that
this Latin name might have been transformed by
Aramaic into a form more closely resembling
"Iscariot". Whether Judas actually was a sicariote
or even a sympathizer may never be known. The term
may have simply been used pejoratively. Given
Judas is largely synonymous with Judean and if
Iscariot means Sicarius, then Judas Iscariot would
mean Judean Assassin.

"Iscariot" could also be derived from the Aramaic
sheqarya' or shiqrai, indicating a person who is a
fraud; "the false one" would usually be written as
ishqaraya. It could also have been derived from
the Hebrew sachar. It also has been theorised that
Iscariot could mean deliverer, derived from the
Hebrew sakar.

Because of Judas' role in betraying Jesus Christ,
the name Judas—which was common during the
time of Christ—has almost entirely fallen
out of use as a name among Christians, though its
Hebrew equivalent Yehuda remains common among
Jews, and the etymologically equivalent name Jude
is not unknown among Christians.

== Judas in hymnography ==

In the Eastern Orthodox hymns of Holy Wednesday
(the Wednesday before Pascha), Judas is contrasted
with the prostitute who anointed Jesus with
expensive perfume and washed his feet with her
tears. According to the Gospels, Judas protested
at this apparent extravagance, suggesting that the
money spent on it should have been given to the
poor, though his real concern was that he had not
been able to embezzle it. After this, Judas went
to the chief priests and offered to betray Jesus
for money. The hymns of Holy Wednesday contrast
these two figures, encouraging believers to avoid
the example of the fallen disciple and instead to
imitate the prostitute's example of repentance.
Also, Wednesday is observed as a day of fasting
from meat, dairy products, and olive oil
throughout the year in memory of the betrayal of
Judas. The prayers of preparation for receiving
the Eucharist also make mention of Judas'
betrayal: "I will not reveal your mysteries to
your enemies, neither like Judas will I betray
you with a kiss, but like the thief on the cross I
will confess you."

== Judas and Anti-Semitism ==

Some scholars of the New Testament suggest that
the name "Judas" was intended as an attack on the
Judaeans or on the Judaean religious establishment
held responsible for executing Christ. The English
word "Jew" is derived from the Latin Judaeus,
which, like the Greek language|Greek
Ιουδαι&omicr
on;ς (Ioudaios), could also mean "Judaean".
In the Gospel of John, the original writer or a
later editor may have tried to draw a parallel
between Judas, Judaea, and the Judaeans (or Jews)
in verses 6:70-7:1, which run like this in the
King James Bible:

:6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you
twelve, and one of you is a devil? 6:71 He spake
of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he
it was that should betray him, being one of the
twelve. 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in
Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry,
because the Jews sought to kill him.

In Greek, the earliest extant language of the
Gospels, the words Judas -- Jewry -- Jews run like
this:
Ιουδας
(Ioudas) --
Ιουδαι&alpha
; (Ioudaia) --
Ιουδαι&omicr
on;ι (Ioudaioi). In Latin, the language of
the Catholic Vulgate Bible, they run Judas --
Judaea -- Judaei. Whatever the original intentions
of the original writers or editors of the Gospel
of John, however, there is little doubt that the
similarity between the name "Judas" and the words
for "Jew" in various European languages has
contributed powerfully to anti-Semitism. In German
language|German the same words run Judas -- Judäa
-- Jud; in Spanish language|Spanish Judas -- Judea
-- judío; and in French language|French Judas --
Judée -- juif. 

Over time Judas came to be seen as the archetypal
Jew.  He was said to have red hair, which was
proverbially called "Judas-colored", and the
ancient stereotype of Jews was that they had red
hair too: in William Shakespeare|Shakespeare's The
Merchant of Venice the Jewish money-lender Shylock
is said to have been portrayed with red hair on
the Elizabethan stage. Judas's betrayal of Christ
for money was also seen as a typical piece of
Jewish venality and avarice.

A few modern critics of European culture assert
that in paintings and art of the Middle Ages and
Renaissance, while the other apostles are
portrayed as powerfully built Northern Europeans,
Judas was given stereotypically Jewish
characteristics. Specific examples of such
portrayals in the Middle Ages and Renaissance,
however, are hard to come by.

A more modern example, however, can be found in
John Fiester's monument clock, the Apostolic
Clock.  Judas is half the height of the other
eleven apostles, hunched over, and possesses an
exaggerated nose.  The notes provided at the
Hershey Museum, where it is on display, claims the
artist made Judas shorter because he considered
him to be less of a man than the other apostles,
not because of anti-Semitism.

== Judas in art and literature ==

Judas has become the archetype of the betrayer in
Western culture, with some role in vitually all
literature telling the Passion story.  In Dante
Alighieri|Dante's The Divine Comedy|Inferno, he is
condemned to the lowest circle of Hell, where he
is one of three sinners deemed evil enough that
they are doomed to be chewed for eternity in the
mouths of the triple-headed Satan. (The others are
Marcus Junius Brutus|Brutus and Gaius Cassius
Longinus|Cassius, who conspired against and
assassinated Julius Caesar.)

Jorge Luis Borges' short story Three Versions of
Judas gives several interpretations of Judas'
story, one of which concludes that Judas is the
true savior of humanity.

U2's song "Until the End of the World" from
Achtung Baby contains lyrics which are basically a
conversation between Judas Iscariot and Jesus
Christ. 

Bob Dylan|Bob Dylan's song "With God on Our Side",
contains the following lines that refer to Judas
Iscariot:
:In a many dark hour
:I've been thinkin' about this
:That Jesus Christ
:Was betrayed by a kiss
:But I can't think for you
:You'll have to decide
:Whether Judas Iscariot
:Had God on his side.

The Smashing Pumpkins B-side collection album
Pisces Iscariot derives its title from Judas
Iscariot.

Rick Wakeman's album Criminal Record includes a 10
minute epic cut called Judas Iscariot.

In the anime and manga Hellsing, Iscariot is the
assassin squad of the Vatican, also known as
Section XIII, the Zealot Judas, and the Assassin
Judas. This is apparent from their oath.

In the 1973 movie Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas is
portrayed by African-American actor Carl Anderson.
He is shown as a man who believes in and loves
Jesus, but wants a lasting charity organization
rather than a religious order. 
He fears that the emergence of a new religion
centred on Jesus would cause the Romans to
retaliate against all of the Jews. Torn between
his love of Christ and his fear of an imminent
destruction of his people, he regretfully betrays
Jesus.

In Mikhail Bulgakov's masterpiece The Master and
Margarita, the entire story of Christ is portrayed
differently. In the case of Judas, Bulgakov
presents a parody of the betrayal of Christ, as
though first-century Jerusalem were Moscow in the
1920s-1930s. Pilate is talking to his head of the
secret service, and mentions that he "heard a
rumor" stating that Judas of Kerioth was slated
for an early grave, so "I expect you to do your
best to help him". After Judas's death ("A shame,
I understand you did your best..."), Pilate
ponders rhetorically, asking whether "he might
have killed himself?", thereby starting the
biblical account of Judas's suicide.

==Trivia==
In Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper (Leonardo)|
The Last Supper an overturned salt cellar lies in
front of Judas.

==See also==
*John the Baptist
*quisling

==External links==
* http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/judas.htm
What Did Judas Betray? Atheist Foundation of
Australia Inc
*
http://bereanbiblechurch.in/audiofiles/Judas%20Isc
ariot.htm Judas Iscariot - A vessel of Dishonor An
extensive study and research
* http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08539a.htm
Catholic Encyclopedia article
* http://www.hhes.net.nz/H0088822.htm Judas
Returns the Silver, a painting by Alessandro
Mantovani