Is there historical evidence that Judas actually existed? Where is his remains?
542514
Judas commited suicide.  His body was very probably burned in the fire that was kept burning outside the city wall, for garbage, & dead bodies of animals & criminals.  They never buried criminals.  But, there are many excellent reasons to believe  the historical account in the Bible:\n\nWhy You Can Trust the Bible\nhttp://www.watchtower.org/library/t13/why_trust.htm\n\nWhy You Can Trust Bible Prophecy\nhttp://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1999/7/15/article_02.htm\n\nWhy I Believe the Bible - A Nuclear Scientist Tells His Story  \nhttp://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2004/1/22a/article_01.htm\n \nCan the Bible Help Us Today? ; \nThe Bible Answers Vital Questions of Our Day  http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1999/11/15/article_01.htm
380572
The background of The Gospel of Judas is in itself an interesting tale no matter what you think of it's contents.\n\nThe manuscripts were touted round the "gray market" for years before being purchased. According to their owner, Dr. Mario Roberty, the manuscripts are papyrus and consist of:\n\n- a Gnostic codex in Sahidic dialect containing:\n\nthe 'Gospel of Judas'\nthe "First Apocalypse of James" \nthe "Epistle of Peter to Philip"\n\n- the 'Book of Exodus' in Greek\n- 'Letters of Paul' in Sahidic dialect and a\n- 'Mathematical Treatise' in Greek.\n\nPublication of a translation is planned by the National Geographic Magazine.\n\nAccording to wikipedia "The National Geographic Channel will be airing a special entitled "The Gospel of Judas" on April 9, 2006 at 8 pm" as well.
453947
It as in natgeo, a new gospel was found it looks like is genuine it says that Judas was only fallowing orders from Jesus and he didn't betrayed him
1175867
A necessary note from Pablo. \n\nWhere is the Ark of the Covenant? The Ark of the Covenant mysteriously disappeared 2,500 years ago. Amateur archeologist Ron Wyatt claimed he found it. It is important to realize that three of Ron’s many discoveries are widely accepted: \n\n\nThe Turkish government has officially proclaimed that Ron Wyatt found Noah’s Ark. \nIsraeli tour guides take visitors to the site Ron Wyatt identified as the sites of Sodom and Gomorrah where the cities, although turned into ashes, are still visible. \nAnd most investigators believe his discovery of Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia, as well as the site of the crossing of the Red Sea by the children of Israel. \n(Necessary is to say that lately some immoral "investigators," in order to make money through their books and videos, have attempted to appropriate for themselves these last two discoveries by not giving proper credit to Wyatt when they make their presentations of it). (For some evidences of Wyatt's discoveries see links at the end of this article) \nNotwithstanding all the above validated discoveries, many so-called "skeptics" — Christians and not — still doubt Ron’s claim that he found the Ark of the Covenant and go to all extremes to deny it. Why? Because its acceptance would entail too many serious consequences for many uninformed Christians unconsciously affected by the all-encompassing Replacement Theology, for rabbinic Judaism, for all pagan religions of the world and for Evolutionism. In other words, its acceptance would deeply revolutionize the fabric of human society due to its "disturbing" spiritual ramifications. Therefore, Satan will use any and all his minions in order to try and stop the information on this page to be publicly known, and most of all accepted. Read on, and let the Spirit of the Almighty tell to your heart and your mind what the truth is. I know that his truth can make you free — or freer. \n\nPablo \n\n\n\nThis article describes in detail the most amazing and important discovery ever made in Archeology. The finding of the Ark of the Covenant by a Christian amateur archeologist, Ron Wyatt — a real Indian Jones — in 1982. Here you will find out why you might have never heard of it before despite of its proven reality. In this description there are many things that are amazing enough as to leave the blockbusters of Steven Spielberg deep in the dust. The reality and significance of what Ron Wyatt discovered in so fabulously mind blowing that only God, the ultra-imaginative Creator of the Universe could ever had conceived the most portentous element in this discovery. If you have Christ in you, be advised, you will cry. I did. It is also necessary to say that Wyatt made his phenomenal discoveries (this was not the only one, here you will read about several in connection with the sacred Ark) by strictly following the indications given in the Bible and by tuning with God in prayer. He proved that God uses those less likely to do His work on this earth ... and the results are awesome that lead to you bow and worship Him who has no equal in Eternity. To Him all Glory. To Wyatt thanks in Heaven. And to you a huge surprise lies ahead. Read on. \n\n"For nothing is secret,that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad."   Lucius (Lukius, Luke) 8.17 \n\n\n\nIntroduction To The Discovery\nRon's Studies\n\n\nWhen Ron Wyatt returned to America after his unusual experience in Jerusalem, he studied the Bible closely, noting the last time the Ark's location was mentioned. He discovered it was when King Josiah of Judah wanted to reform the country, "Moreover Josiah kept a Passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem; and they killed the Passover on the 14th day of the first month. And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the Lord: 'Put the Holy Ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of
398012
yes\n\nthe gospel of Judas is false doctrine, written by gnostics in 300 AD... \n\ndont just accept what dan brown says people
928543
There is both Biblical and non Biblical evidence. Josephus was a Jewish historian of his day. Never a christian BTW. He gave an account of Jesus is his record. Biblically, David the King wrote a Psalm all about the crucifixion a method of execution not used until the Romans invented it some 500 years later. Proof there is not. If there were we would all be damned because proof makes faith of no effective and people as saved by the grace of God through faith. Without faith we die...   Jim
984437
There IS supporting evidence that proves that is was indeed written at the time it should have been. Christians refuse to believe in anything to do with it, simply because it would shred a major part of the Christ myth. It's amazing - even with the knowlegde they have of how the bible was constructed, and even knowing that many books were taken out of the bible as being heresy, they refuse to admit it might possibly be true. Why is it so hard to believe?  It was Judas' destiny to do it! And Jesus must have known that, too! If Judas was, as the text says, Jesus' favorite, and the one chosen, why is that bad? Jesus knew he had to die, he even knew where and how. All Judas did was help the prophecy be fulfilled. And to say his family wrote it to clear Judas' name is just stupid. Be open minded, people! You say you're enlightened by the Word - then you should be able to look at this with open minds.
333941
Jesus certainly existed - no serious historian doubts this (the handful of pop religion books on the topic notwithstanding.) There is plenty of evidence, written and otherwise - from the still extant ruins of Peter's house in Capernaum (Jesus' home base), to his mention (the second mention is not interpolation) in Josephus' "Antiquities", and Tacitus' reference to him.\n\nAs to the second coming of Jesus, none knows the hour, or the way. None of us should be confident we'll see it whether  we live five years or five hundred. It happens when it happens, in the way that it happens. "Stay awake", we are told, live an exemplary life. Every day is to be lived as though it were the dawn of the day of the Lord.\n\nAs Mother Theresa said, "Yesterday is past, and tomorrow is not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."
501042
It happened to long ago for blood samples.\n\nJesus was put in another mans tomb.  This was done so that he could be burried for the holiday.  The man that owned the tomd was one of the jews that had him killed.  With that understanding we would have reason to belive that he would have had the body moved to a criminal grave site as soon as they could.  Now we need to look at how long it took his followers to request to see the body.  It took 70 days before the made a request to see the body.  A body was produced for them but they denied it was jesus.  \n\n^That is history.  Not some superstition made up by Paul.
982221
There is no ( or at the very least, precious little) evidence of a person called Jesus outside of the bible.  Xians will say Josephus mentioned him, but in fact, the only translation we have of Josephus was done by a christian writer in the 4th century...we don't have it in the original Latin.  And what is mentioned is very weak and open to interpretation and very likely was subject to interpolation.\n\nThe Romans were meticulous record keepers.  If Jesus existed, and had fostered the kind of revolution that would get their attention by threatening Roman rule, performing miracles, there would be copious writings about him from the Romans, and other sources.\n\nPaul the Apostle is agreeably the earliest christian writer, and he wrote probably a couple decades after the putative events.  Yet Paul makes no reference to a recently living Christ...and if you read his works separate from the rest of the NT, he seems to be writing of a supernatural creature who fought a battle, died and rose again in a spiritual realm, eons ago.  Paul went to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and yet he makes no mention of a pilgramage to Golgotha, or the tomb or any sites that would be shrines to a real person recently living, crucified and risen again ascending into heaven. Paul is bizarrely disinterested in anything relating to a real physical Jesus.\n\nAll other accounts, were written much later.  The earliest Gospel of Mark (by the way, it wasn't written by anybody called Mark, it is anonymous) couldn't have been written any earlier than 40-50 years after the events.  The Gospels all contradict each other as to Jesus life, miracles and death.  I recommend any of Randall Helms books on the New Testament and Gospels for a detailed overview of the problems.\n\nIt really is quite interesting if you are prepared to have an open mind about it.  Jesus, if he existed, was at best a wandering prophet/holyman/philospher.  We have lots of legendary heroes with stories about them, like King Arthur, William Tell...but we know they never actually existed.  I think it more likely he never actually existed, and was created as a "founding father" in the heroic tradition by the early church.
1021304
It hasn't been quite that long - he died 35 C.E or some year near and it is now 2006. But yes - that is an awfully long time considering many of the early believers are recorded to have thought his return was imminent. Matthew 24 also suggests that his generation would not pass away until the tribulation and his return. Certainly does seem like he missed his appointment, but maybe something about all this is misunderstood - i.e., his words or the expectation of this itself. To me that is good evidence supporting he actually did ressurect, because no one would resonably expect him to return again if they didn't see him return once already.\n\nMany Chrisitians want not only every word of the Bible (which has been translated and rewritten by people with different theologies many times) to be right, but it to fit their interpretation of it. So they come up with scenarios to make it all fit in their minds rather than ponder the difficult questions and admit there are some things few if any of us know.
974758
I've never heard the Judas story.  But Dracula was a real person.  His name was Vlad Dracul, a count and later prince in Romania.  His army was fighting off the Ottomans (Turks) trying to invade Eastern Europe.  Whenever an Ottoman warrior was caught, he would have them impaled on a stake and would watch them die painful, long deaths...sometimes while eating his dinner.  Eventually, Dracul was captured and beheaded...his head sent back to Turkey to show the Sultan that he was dead.\n\nElizabeth of Bathory is another true story...a mass murderer who killed something like 600 virgins to bathe in their blood and stay young.  She was eventually caught and locked up in her castle forever.\n\nBetween the two, as well as other stories, Bram Stoker developed his monster who he named Dracula.
318897
The gospel of Judas is not credible. Scientists believe it to be the work of gnostics, a mystical early Christian denomination. People in those times did not have the access to the scriptures as we do today. They rarely had more than one or two books of the Bible at one time, so they often did not know what the other parts said. Gnostics often wrote stories of the way they thought things might be. The gospel of Judas is a philosophical conjecture, not scripture. It was also written at least 100 years after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - the 4 gospels present in the Bible that tell of Judas's betrayal.\nAlso, because "gospel" means "good news", and the good news is that Jesus died for our sins, the text would have to include the crucifixion and resurrection to be classified as a gospel. The gospel of Judas tells of neither. \n\nThe gospel of Judas has indeed been authenticated - that means that it is indeed as old as it seems. It does not mean that it is a work of scripture. If you want to back up what I have said, go to the link for the National Geographic Channel and either watch for the next show date of their special, or order the video. You can also read the text at this site.
304021
The Gospel of Judas was written many many years after the apostles lived and their associates (Timothy and Luke). Where did you get your historical research? \nGive me a break. \n\nThe gnostic gospels are from beliefs that began in the 2nd and 3rd century, which meens that the writings come from a time period more than 100 years after Jesus ministry, far later than any New Testament book. Why in the world should we believe that these later documents tell us more about events than the earlier documents? They are simply not useful for trying to understand Jesus ministry and the shape of very early Christianity. (1)\n\nThe gnostic gospels were late arrivals, which is ONE reason why church leaders rejected them ... they lacked authority since their authors were neither (a) apostles of Jesus nor (b) persons associated with apostles of Jesus... and no one knows who wrote those gnostic gospels. (2)
468223
Some historians and scriptural experts suggest that Judas knew Jesus had to be betrayed and then put his own neck in the noose for the rest of the world.   He is such a hated person, and yet it is because of him that one of the largest religions in the world has taken power.  In my opinion, Christians should revere his name, not scorn it.  If you want more info, go to a library and check out a copy of the Gnostic Gospels (also called the Nag Hammadi), or more specifically the Gospel of Judas.
383534
I would have to go with, Judas was'nt only a devoted apprentice but Jesus's friend! And he only followed Jesus's instruccions to hand him over!As for the Gospel According to judas it has remained hidden for more than 1800 yrs for a reason, and as for the bible oh!Remember those times when the catholics persued the christians and took away their bibles?they burned them; now ask yourself why do we still have them?(they made their own similar to the original)They changed lots of stuff in there, and that is what we read now to guide us!As for Jusdas's gospel it has remained untouched and unchanged.Its authentic!!
401241
I found the presentation on NGC interesting. While the jury is out on the authenticity of the document, it does present a different perspective held by Christians of the time. Diversity in beliefs and expressions is nothing new to the Church, and we should be open to new ideas based upon new information coming to light.\n\nThe idea of Judas acting on behalf of Jesus is also nothing new, and has been present throughout Christian history.\n\nNew ideas do not threaten my beliefs or weaken my faith.