Language:
English
Year of publication:
1991
Titel der Quelle:
Jewish Quarterly
Angaben zur Quelle:
38,2 (1991) 8-13
Keywords:
Judas Iscariot
;
Church history Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600
;
Christianity and other religions Judaism
;
History
Abstract:
Discusses the Judas myth, which has exercised a powerful influence on the growth of Christian antisemitism. States that Judas, and the Jews, have an essential mythical role to play in the Christian story: that of the Betrayer, the dark figure found in all salvation religions. Traces the development of the Judas story in the Gospels and in Luke-Acts. Contends that although Judas' betrayal of Jesus is not mentioned in Paul's Epistles, the incipient antisemitism in those writings developed into a full-blown indictment of the Jews as the rejecters, betrayers, and murderers of Jesus in later Christian literature (e.g. Chrysostom, Jerome). In the Middle Ages, passion plays contributed most to the development of the Judas-image and to its potency as an instrument of antisemitic indoctrination. In modern secular antisemitism, the figure of Judas functions as a symbol of Jewish "treacherousness." Concludes that it is most likely that Judas Iscariot was a loyal follower of Jesus (perhaps even his brother) and never betrayed him at all.
URL:
Locate this publication in Israeli libraries
Permalink