Codex Tchacos pp. 54–58 · severely fragmented early; the closing betrayal is preserved
The Fate of Souls
[— nearly 2 lines missing —]
… light … spirit within you all … which you have allowed to dwell in this flesh among the generations of angels. But God caused knowledge to be given to Adam and those with him, so that the kings of chaos and the underworld might not lord it over them.[21]
Judas said to Jesus, “So what will those generations do?”
Jesus said, “I’m telling you, for all of them the stars bring matters to completion. When Saklas completes the span of time assigned for him, their first star will appear with the generations, and they will finish what they said they would do. Then they will have forbidden sex in my name and kill their children and—”
[— about 6 lines missing —]
“… in my name, and your star will rule over the thirteenth aeon.”
After that Jesus laughed.
Judas said, “Teacher, why are you laughing at me?”
Jesus answered, “I’m not laughing at you but at the error of the stars, because these six stars wander with these five combatants, and they all will be destroyed along with their creatures.”[22]
Those Who Are Baptized
Judas said to Jesus, “Look, what will those do who have been baptized in your name?”
Jesus said, “I’m telling you, this baptism … in my name—”
[— about 9 lines missing —]
“… to me. Listen, Judas, those who offer sacrifices to Saklas … God—”
[— about 3 lines missing —]
“… everything that is evil.
But you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man who clothes me.[23]
Already your horn has been raised,
your wrath has been kindled,
your star has shown brightly,
and your heart has …
I promise you, your last—”
[— about 2 lines missing —]
“… become … grieve … the ruler, since he will be destroyed. And then the image of the great generation of Adam will be exalted, for prior to heaven, earth, and the angels, that generation, which is from the eternal realms, exists.[24]
Look, you’ve been told everything. Lift up your eyes and look at the cloud and the light within it and the stars surrounding it. The star that leads the way is your star.”
Judas lifted up his eyes and saw the luminous cloud, and he entered it. Those standing on the ground heard a voice coming from the cloud, saying, … great generation … image …
[— several lines missing —]
The Betrayal
Their high priests grumbled because he had gone into the guest room for his prayer. But some scribes were there watching carefully in order to arrest him during the prayer, for they were afraid of the people, since he was regarded by all as a prophet.
They approached Judas and said to him, “What are you doing here? You are Jesus’ disciple.”
Judas answered them as they wished. And he received some money and handed him over to them.
The Gospel of Judas
Notes
[21] ↩︎ back Knowledge (gnosis) was given to prevent the archons from having complete dominion. This reads as a reversal of the Eden story—knowledge becomes liberation, not fall.
[22] ↩︎ back Jesus says the six stars wander with the five combatants and will all be destroyed. The stars are usually read as the planets, taken in antiquity as the powers that govern fate.
[23] ↩︎ back The gospel’s central and most disputed line. Many read it as liberation — Judas hands over the mortal body so the divine Jesus can be freed from it; others read the same line as ironic or condemnatory. The text itself stays ambivalent: Judas is both set apart and cursed.
[24] ↩︎ back The “great generation of Adam” refers not to physical descendants but to the spiritual race that predates material creation—those who belong to the realm of light.