The Cainites supposedly regarded Judas as an enlighted man. Of course, there is really no proof they even existed. The material seems to have started with Irenaeus and all other mentions of the Cainites were apparently based on the account given by him.
In his short story "Three versions of Judas" J.L.Borges seems to suggest that Judas was no less a Saviour than Jesus and his act was instrumental in bringing about enlightenment to people. He betrayed Jesus not out of greed but out of love for him, as he alone recognized his divinity.
These two accounts of Judas are, of course, very controversial. I'm not suggesting that they reflect the truth about the man, after all the first one was probably made up by Irenaeus while the latter belongs to the literary fiction. But they sparked my curiosity. I'm interested to learn more about Judas.
For one, why was his kiss necessary? Wasn't Jesus widely known and therefore could have been easily recognized by the priests? If so, why the prearranged signal?
In his short story "Three versions of Judas" J.L.Borges seems to suggest that Judas was no less a Saviour than Jesus and his act was instrumental in bringing about enlightenment to people. He betrayed Jesus not out of greed but out of love for him, as he alone recognized his divinity.
These two accounts of Judas are, of course, very controversial. I'm not suggesting that they reflect the truth about the man, after all the first one was probably made up by Irenaeus while the latter belongs to the literary fiction. But they sparked my curiosity. I'm interested to learn more about Judas.
For one, why was his kiss necessary? Wasn't Jesus widely known and therefore could have been easily recognized by the priests? If so, why the prearranged signal?
