Leading historian of the early church, Bart Ehrman offers the first comprehensive account of the newly discovered Gospel of Judas, revealing what this legendary lost gospel contains and why it is so important for our understanding of Christianity. Ehrman describes how he first saw the Gospel of Judas--surprisingly, in a small room above a pizza parlor in a Swiss town near Lake Geneva--and he recounts the fascinating story of where and how this ancient papyrus document was discovered, how it moved around among antiquities dealers in Egypt, the United States, and Switzerland, and how it came to be restored and translated. More important, Ehrman gives the reader a complete and clear account of what the book teaches and he shows how it relates to other Gospel texts--both those inside the New Testament and those outside of it, most notably, the Gnostic texts of early Christianity. Finally, he describes what we now can say about the historical Judas himself as well as his relationship with Jesus, suggesting that one needs to read between the lines of the early Gospels to see exactly what Judas did and why he did it. The Gospel of Judas presents an entirely new view of Jesus, his disciples, and the man who allegedly betrayed him. It raises many questions and Bart Ehrman provides illuminating and authoritative answers, in a book that will interest anyone curious about the New Testament, the life of Jesus, and the history of Christianity after his death.

About the Author
Bart D. Ehrman chairs the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. One of the major public experts on early Christianity, Jesus, and the New Testament, he is very well known in his field and to a general audience through his books, including the New York Times bestseller Misquoting Jesus, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene, Lost Christianities, Lost Scriptures, and Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code. He has appeared on NBC's Dateline, A&E, the History Channel, CNN, and a number of nationally syndicated NPR programs, and has taped several highly popular lecture series for "The Teaching Company."

Reviews
Well judged and informative. * Church Times *
Bart Ehrman offers a sane and sensible introduction to a text that has been the subject of wild claims in the media...A clear account. * Rev David Blatherwick, Methodist Recorder *
Rigorous and informed. * Edward Norman, Literary Review *
Bart D Ehrman explains the status of this manuscript with cool-headed clarity. * Boyd Tonkin, The Independent *



Book Information
ISBN 9780195314601
Author Bart D Ehrman
Format Hardback
Page Count 208
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 459g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 165mm * 21mm