The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Jeffrey Archer (Author), Prof. Francis J. Moloney (Author), Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 2007

The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot sheds new light on the mystery of Judas--including his motives for the betrayal and what happened to him after the crucifixion--by retelling the story of Jesus through the eyes of Judas, using the canonical texts as its basic point of reference. Ostensibly written by Judas's son, Benjamin, and following the narrative style of the Gospels, this re-creation is provocative, compelling, and controversial. The result of an intense collaboration between a storyteller and a scholar--Jeffrey Archer and Francis J. Moloney--this brilliant work is a compelling story for twenty-first-century readers, while maintaining an authenticity that would be credible to a first-century Christian or Jew.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Not to be confused with the historic Gospel of Judas (2006, National Geographic), this is a novella by Benjamin Iscariot—a fictionalized son of Judas who is eager to rehabilitate his father's reputation. This collaboration between novelist Archer and Roman Catholic theologian Moloney changes a few things from the traditional story, e.g., refuting the notion that Judas committed suicide and attributing his betrayal of Jesus to the altruistic motive of trying to save his master's life. But surprisingly, this fictionalized gospel doesn't have enough fiction; it hews so closely to the chronology and cadence of the New Testament that character development suffers. And although the gospel adds some meticulously researched historical background, helping readers understand the context of first-century Judaism, other features that are prominent in the New Testament record—particularly miracles, healings, and the resurrection—are almost nonexistent. Desmond Tutu's voice is marvelous in the narration, his lilting South African cadence breathing life into a disappointingly staid text. The final disc includes a brief video interview with Tutu and several minutes of footage of him in the recording studio.
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Review

"The very name of 'Judas' raises among Christians an instinctive reaction of criticism and condemnation…The betrayal of Judas remains…a mystery."--Pope Benedict XVI, October 2006

 

Praise for The Gospel According to Judas:

"Riveting and plausible."--Archbishop Desmond Tutu

 

Praise for Jeffrey Archer
"One of the top ten storytellers in the world."--Los Angeles Times

"There isn't a better storyteller alive."--Larry King

"Archer is a master entertainer."--Time

"Cunning plots, silken style . . . Archer plays a cat-and-mouse game with the reader."--The New York Times

"A storyteller in the class of Alexander Dumas. . . Unsurpassed skill…making the reader wonder intensely what will happen next."--The Washington Post

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition (March 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1427201730
• ISBN-13: 978-1427201737
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #918,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #99 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Literature & Fiction > Biblical Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A devotional but unorthodox fiction., December 15, 2010

By 

Aaron Wooldridge (Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot (Paperback)

I picked up a copy of this book at Dollar Tree. I had no idea what it was supposed to be, but since I have read the real Gospel of Judas I thought it was worth a buck to pick up a copy of this. I had finished reading it the next day.

I keep a computerized inventory of all of my books, and when I entered this one I had difficulty deciding which genre to place it under. Ultimately I put it under Religious Fiction, but you could also label it Religious Devotional or Religious Scholarship. This is a novel that is written in the form of a gospel, and although its history and theology are highly unorthodox, it also has aspects of a devotional work. It is obvious that the authors love the God and Jesus of their understanding and have a great reverence for the New Testament, but they choose to experiment in looking at things from a different angle. I think it is worthwhile even if it does leave the final result confused.

Considering this book as a novel, it is a first person narrative by a Benjamin Iscariot, son of Judas Iscariot. He tells the truth (as he sees it) about his father in order to save his reputation from those who called him a traitor. He tells the life of his father including how he met Jesus, what he did with Jesus, and what really happened at the execution. Finally he says that his father Judas did not commit suicide but died of natural causes at old age.

If you are looking for literal truth in this book, there is very little. This imaginary telling contradicts both the Biblical version of the story and the version told in the Gospel of Judas. There is no credible scholarship to back up any of the claims in this book, but the authors do a good job at making the historical settings and people seem realistic and credible. If you are a literalist Christian you believe that Judas was a traitor. To read the Gospel of Judas is to learn the view that some contemporaries thought he was really an enlightened hero. To an atheist of the mythicist perspective such as myself, there is no solid reason to believe that either Jesus or Judas ever actually lived or did anything the New Testament says they did. This "Gospel According to Judas" is a creative novel that conflicts with all of those opinions.

This book has an interesting effect from a devotional perspective. If a myth is considered to be any story that affects us deeply and helps us to better live our lives, then I think this book offers much to anyone who wants some new ideas about the Christian myth. I think that most Westerners, religious and non, could find something inspiring and thought-provoking in this book.

Unfortuantely this book tries to do too much without being very clear about any of its goals. Is it a novel, a religious work, or a conspiracy theory? Trying to be all things it basically fails at all of them. This could have been a great book, but it turns out pretty mediocre. However because it is so different from anything else on the bookshelves I found it to be a worthwhile read and would recommend it for any spiritual seeker (Christian, atheist, or other) who has an open mind and a heart able to be touched by badly-written fiction.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Lame Writing, little insight, Avoid this book, July 5, 2011

By 

Saturday (Thompson, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gospel According to Judas (Paperback)

This book is written as an account of Judas' life story written by Benjamin Iscariot, his son. It mostly is a poorly written novelization of some gospel scenes. The prose never rises to any heights. You never care the least about Judas, his son, Jesus, or any of the characters. There is no drama, no narrative sweep, and no artful setting forth of truth in a fictional setting. In other words, all the elements of good fiction are missing. It's view of the bible is curiously antiquated, a mix of discredited historical viewpoints, and an also discredited idea that a mix of oral traditions competed after the Jesus event. The book disappoints as a theological or philosophical work; there are no powerful insights here. It even fails as a Gospel presentation. Whereas in the gospels, Jesus is the main character, and the events are driven through and around him, this is the gospel of Judas, an apologia for the man. Since it is so poorly done, it fails even to do that. Avoid this book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the time, November 14, 2009

By 

Elaine Morris "Elaine" (Wylie, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Gospel According to Judas (Paperback)

This book is very much worth the time and effort to study this sad characterization of Judas.