The Gospel of Judas, Critical Edition: Together with the Letter of Peter to Phillip, James, and a Book of Allogenes from Codex Tchacos [Hardcover]

Rodolphe Kasser (Author), Gregor Wurst (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 19, 2007

For the first time in a single volume, discover the complete text of Codex Tchacos—the remarkable ancient papyrus book that contains the Gospel of Judas. Hidden for 1,600 years in an Egyptian cave, only to be found, traded, and all but destroyed before its restoration began in 2001, Codex Tchacos contains four texts that shed important light on the ancient world and the emergence of Christianity.

Featuring beautifully rendered, full-color photographs of the original papyrus pages alongside the Coptic text and its English translation, this critical edition provides everything needed for a full examination of the Codex. The Letter of Peter to Philip provides a mystical, Gnostic picture of Jesus; the text entitled James presents Jesus discussing the meaning of life and death with his brother James; the Gospel of Judas casts a new light on Judas' betrayal; and the previously unknown book of Allogenes, though fragmentary, portrays Jesus as a stranger who brings light to a world of darkness. Ideal for the scholar and layperson alike, these texts are published here by an international team of scholars and supplemented by insightful introductions, indices, and other revealing, explanatory essays.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Introductions, Translations and Commentary by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, Gregor Wurst and Francois Gaudard.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic; Critical edition (June 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426201915
• ISBN-13: 978-1426201912
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 1.2 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #347,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Much remains to be said on this "gospel", February 22, 2008

By 

Paul Stevenson "Linguist" (Duhok, Iraq) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Gospel of Judas, Critical Edition: Together with the Letter of Peter to Phillip, James, and a Book of Allogenes from Codex Tchacos (Hardcover)

We have just gone through this gospel in a graduate Coptic class, in which we have also consulted some of the scholarly literature that has been generated since National Geographic published its rather rushed initial translation in 2006. To say the least, the translation and interpretation of this work are very far from settled. The trend in the scholarly world is to look with considerable skepticism on the notion popularized by National Geographic, namely, that Judas is portrayed as good.

In order to arrive at an informed judgment about this work, one must understand both the Coptic language and a lot about Sethian Gnosticism. One must study the usage of many words, both Coptic and Greek, in other related Coptic texts. (Coptic liberally borrows Greek words, and often uses them in ways somewhat tangential to their usual Classical and even Koine uses.)

This so-called critical edition includes translations in both English and French. There are quite a few differences between the two, some of them quite significant. Rodolphe Kasser, the author of the French translation, has a number of translations that are closer to interpretations suggested by scholars in the two years since the initial publication of the English translation. He also includes many informative notes that are lacking in English. The English translation is but little changed from the original, and it thus retains some decidedly infelicitious renderings. However, any reader who wishes to be more fully informed must consult the scholarly literature. General readers, as well as scholars, can benefit from books such as April DeConick's The Thirteenth Apostle: What the Gospel of Judas Really Says. It offers a very different perspective on the interpretation of the text, and also makes some important points about mistranslations in the original published version.

In spite of the cautions I am voicing here, if you are seriously interested in the Gospel of Judas, this "critical edition" is essential. It has photographs of the manuscript pages as will as transcriptions and translations. It is not the last word on the subject, but it is an indispensable part of the ongoing debate.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dry read but very authentic, September 21, 2010

By 

Crystal D. Kaulbars "Jupiter Jane" (Iowa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Gospel of Judas, Critical Edition: Together with the Letter of Peter to Phillip, James, and a Book of Allogenes from Codex Tchacos (Hardcover)

As would be expected with a literal translation it is dry reading and I think padded by having entire sections only in French, which unfortunately I don't understand, and I really don't understand if it's being sold in America why Nat Geo would make it that way, but no matter, the part that counts, the literal translation is interesting so thumbs up to that.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, May 12, 2009

By 

Dorothy A. Mims (Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Gospel of Judas, Critical Edition: Together with the Letter of Peter to Phillip, James, and a Book of Allogenes from Codex Tchacos (Hardcover)

The Gospel of Judas confirmed my beliefs. The author explains everything in detail. I could not put the book down until I finished. It was inspiring and I enjoyed it tremendously.

Dorothy