Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 12-19-2005, 11:50 AM

Latest story thanks to Google.

Quote:

Another scholar, Charles Hedrick, who recently retired from Missouri State University, saw photographs of six damaged pages from the gospel in 2001. Hedrick agreed with Robinson that the original Gospel of Judas was probably written in Greek in the second century AD. Scholars also agree that the scribal hand used in the Coptic translation would date that text to the fourth or fifth century.

"I don't think it will unsettle the church," Hedrick said in an interview. "I mean we are not talking history here. We know very little about Judas from the New Testament, and some people have even challenged whether Judas was a historical person."

The Coptic texts, owned by the Maecenas Foundation, consist of 62 pages and also contain "The First Apocalypse of James" and "The Letter of Peter to Philip"—two texts also found at Nag Hammadi. How many of the 62 pages contain the Gospel of Judas has not been disclosed.

. . .

For Robinson, the significance of the Gospel of Judas has to do not with first-century history but with second-century mythology. Still, he offered these half-serious reflections in his closing remarks last month: "Where would Christianity be, if there had been no Judas, and Jesus—instead of dying for our sins on the cross—had died of old age?" he asked. "So: Thank God for Judas? Even the most broadminded among us would call that heresy!"

Peter Kirby · 12-28-2005, 11:24 AM

When will it be published? I'm curious, thanks.

kind thoughts,
Peter Kirby

Chris Weimer · 12-28-2005, 11:28 AM

I don't think anyone knows. The TC list had a conversation about this about a week ago. We've been waiting for both this and the Luxor documents to be released, yet no word.

Toto · 12-28-2005, 02:03 PM

The latest news from Google: Long Lost Gospel of Judas to be published

Quote:

The "Judas" saga was confirmed in detail last month at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in Philadelphia. Retired Claremont Graduate University professor James Robinson, general editor of the English edition of the Nag Hammadi Library, said he was first contacted in 1983 about negotiations to buy certain texts, including the Gospel of Judas. Many years later, he saw blurry photographs of part of the text.

Robinson said that early in November he learned that Kasser and several European, Canadian and U.S. scholars had signed agreements with the National Geographic Society to assist with a documentary film and a National Geographic article for an Easter 2006 release and a succession of three books.

Robinson was critical of the secrecy and inaccessibility surrounding the document—a recurring academic problem that delayed for decades the publishing of translations of some Dead Sea Scrolls and many Nag Hammadi codices. In his talk, Robinson called the practice "skullduggery"—with a glance at fellow panelist Marvin Meyer of Chapman University, a longtime colleague in the field and one of the contracted authors.

Roger Pearse · 12-28-2005, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

The latest news from Google: Long Lost Gospel of Judas to be published

Thank you for this, which is helpful. Robinson's description of the selfish hiding of material is spot-on, and endemic in the world of manuscripts.

We have lost texts through this sort of greediness. The major work of Theodore of Mopsuestia, "De incarnatione", was rediscovered in 1905 in a Syriac translation. It was never photographed -- one can sense that money came into it at this point -- and the sole manuscript was destroyed in the First World War.

Do I sense that rock-solid copyrights lasting into the next century are being created, to force us all to pay money to someone? <disgust>

I've placed a copy of that article at my own collection of notes on this text.

All the best,

Roger Pearse

Roger Pearse · 12-28-2005, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Weimer

I don't think anyone knows. The TC list had a conversation about this about a week ago. We've been waiting for both this and the Luxor documents to be released, yet no word.

Which list is this?

I did contact the Polish Mission, who discovered the Qurna mss, earlier in the year. At that time they were 'conserving' them. I wrote later and was ignored, so I fear that 'hiding them' is now the right description. Is there any news on what the contents of the find are?

All the best,

Roger Pearse

River · 12-28-2005, 06:10 PM

Do you think that the following website will carry Gospel of Judas?

http://www.thenazareneway.com/

-River

Chris Weimer · 12-28-2005, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Pearse

Which list is this?

I did contact the Polish Mission, who discovered the Qurna mss, earlier in the year. At that time they were 'conserving' them. I wrote later and was ignored, so I fear that 'hiding them' is now the right description. Is there any news on what the contents of the find are?

All the best,

Roger Pearse

Sorry Roger, I meant textualcriticism at Yahoo had a discussion on the Gospel of Judas, not the al-Qurna mss. I've been unable to reach the Polish Mission also.

Vorkosigan · 12-28-2005, 06:20 PM

What is in the Qurna mss?

Vorkosigan

Chris Weimer · 12-28-2005, 06:32 PM

Here's a link to my site about it.

12-28-2005, 11:24 AM	#12
Peter Kirby Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: the reliquary of Ockham's razor Posts: 4,035	The Gospel of Judas When will it be published? I'm curious, thanks. kind thoughts, Peter Kirby

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12-28-2005, 11:28 AM	#13
Chris Weimer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: none Posts: 9,879	I don't think anyone knows. The TC list had a conversation about this about a week ago. We've been waiting for both this and the Luxor documents to be released, yet no word.

12-28-2005, 06:10 PM	#17
River Banned Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: NY Posts: 3,680	Do you think that the following website will carry Gospel of Judas? http://www.thenazareneway.com/ -River

12-28-2005, 06:20 PM	#19
Vorkosigan Contributor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Barrayar Posts: 11,866	What is in the Qurna mss? Vorkosigan

12-28-2005, 06:32 PM	#20
Chris Weimer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: none Posts: 9,879	Here's a link to my site about it.

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