The Gospel of Judas is a text that was discovered in the 1970s in Egypt ([BBC NEWS](https://paperpile.com/app/p/416ad514-f75f-013f-a01e-a83a631f84a9 'BBC NEWS')), and is believed to have been written in the 2nd or 3rd century AD ([[noauthor_undated-yv]]) ([[noauthor_undated-yv|National Geographic]], which is several decades after the composition of the canonical Gospels. Additionally, the language and style of the gospel suggest that it was written in the 2nd century, which is consistent with the time period when other non-canonical Gospels were being composed. It would not make historical sense to date it to the time of Jesus, Darrell L. Bock and Daniel B. Wallace put it bluntly in their work: > [!quote] [[Bock2010-su|Dethroning Jesus]] >"Studying the Gospel Of Judas is like discovering a document about Napoleon discussing tactics with his officers, only to find him mentioning nuclear submarines and B52 bombers." The dating of the Gospel of Judas to the 2nd or 3rd century AD is supported in part by a reference to a "Gospel of Judas" by the early Christian writer Irenaeus of Lyons. In his writings against Gnosticism, Irenaeus described the text as *"fictitious history"* and *"blasphemous"* heresy ([[Schaff2017-jn]]). However, it is uncertain whether the text mentioned by Irenaeus is the same as the Coptic "Gospel of Judas" found in the Codex Tchacos, as there were likely many different texts with similar names circulating in the early Christian world. The only known copy is a damaged and incomplete Coptic manuscript, making it difficult to fully understand its content and assess its historical reliability. While some scholars have suggested that the Gospel of Judas may have been written by Judas or those who knew him, April D. DeConick argues that the text was likely written by a group of Sethians as a parody about a "demon" Judas, rather than as a serious historical account ([[DeConick2009-zu]]). The book was carbon-dated to the 3rd or 4th century CE. Given its late date and the lack of supporting evidence, the historical claims of the Gospel of Judas are viewed as highly questionable by many scholars. Scholars have shown that the Gospel of Judas contains no new historical information concerning Jesus or Judas ([[Witherington2006-hf]]') and some have attributed it's popularity to a desire for conspiracy theories [BBC News](https://paperpile.com/app/p/c424395e-50d9-0176-aa1e-1f5f74405c9e 'Archbishop of Canterbury�s sermon'). The National Geographic Society ([[noauthor_undated-yv]]) announced in 2006 that it had acquired the rights to publish a translation of the Gospel of Judas. The interpretation of the Gospel of Judas is a topic of debate among scholars. While the initial modern publication of the gospel by the NGS suggested a favorable portrayal of Judas, other scholars argue that Judas is depicted negatively. There is no agreement among scholars regarding the characterization of Judas in this gospel ([[DeConick2009-gc]]). April D. DeConick, a professor of Biblical studies at Rice University, criticized the NGS's translation of the Gospel of Judas as "critically faulty" and argued that Judas was not set apart "for" the holy generation, but separated "from" it, and that Judas was actually a demon who truly betrayed Jesus. Andr Gagn, a professor at Concordia University, also questioned the NGS's understanding of the role of Judas Iscariot in the Gospel of Judas, arguing that the gospel is about the denial of true salvation for Judas ([[Deconick2007-hm]]). The NGS responded by stating that all of the translation choices were addressed in footnotes in both the popular and critical editions ([[noauthor_undated-uh]]). The NGS's translation of the Gospel of Judas was criticized as misleading and flawed by several other scholars. Some scholars argued that the translation was based on incomplete and damaged manuscripts, while others claimed that it was biased towards a Gnostic interpretation of the text, and that it presented a distorted and inaccurate view of Christianity ([[Witherington2006-hf]], [[Bock2004-lu]]). Additionally, some critics suggested that the NGS's translation was motivated by commercial and sensationalistic interests rather than a genuine commitment to scholarship and historical accuracy ([[Morledge2007-wa]]). The Gospel of Judas is a non-canonical text believed to have been written in the 2nd or 3rd century AD, long after the composition of the canonical Gospels. The language and style of the gospel suggest that it was written in the 2nd century. It is uncertain whether the text mentioned by early Christian writer Irenaeus is the same as the Coptic "Gospel of Judas" found in the Codex Tchacos. The only known copy is a damaged and incomplete Coptic manuscript, and its historical claims are viewed as highly questionable by many scholars. Some scholars attribute its popularity to a desire for conspiracy theories. Given its late date and the lack of supporting evidence, the interpretation of the Gospel of Judas is a topic of debate among scholars, and there is no agreement regarding the characterization of Judas in this gospel.