Reading James and Judas in Codex Tchachos: the relationship of texts and their characters in a common codex

Abstract

In a review of Bart Ehrman's 'The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot. A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed', Pheme Perkins criticises Ehrmann for not having considered the placement of the 'Gospel of Judas' with other writings in the codex and what this means for its interpretation. Perkins briefly summarises the motif of privileged revelatory experience in three of the texts in the codex, suggesting that, when considered together, the collection undermines the uniquely privileged position of Judas: The first text, The Letter of Peter to Philip,invokes a picture of the Twelve led by Peter... They come to learn true Gnostic wisdom about the crucifixion of Jesus and go forth to preach it to the world. The second, First Apocalypse of James, has James, the brother of the Lord, receive similar enlightenment from Jesus. Consequently, the wisdom exhibited by Judas was not his alone - at least not for those who compiled and read the book that contains the Gospel of Judas.