06.03.07
Tales From My Little Black Book - 3 Jun, 2007
This Tale From My Little Black Book has to do with Judas Iscariot, Gnostic Scriptures and the twisty windy web path one can get lost on while doing basic research.
The story begins with an interview by Terry Gross of Elaine Pagels and Karen King about their new book Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity. Pagels’ work with the Gnostic scriptures is well-known in the academic and Catholic clergy communities. It’s also a thorn in the side of many because Pagels makes the case that the Gnostic scriptures were left out of the New Testament because they offered a different view of the Christ and his teachings. There are those who date the Gnostic scriptures as centuries younger than the Gospels, making it impossible for the Gnostic scriptures to have any useful meaning or to be included in the New Testament.
I find all of this discussion utterly fascinating. The historical and theological implications are mind-twistingly delicious and play into the history student’s curiosity about how subjects are studied and written about.
What prompted Pagels’ and King’s book was the release of the contents of the Lost Gospel of Judas by National Geographic. It tells a very different story than the one we have come to known of Judas’ betrayal of the Christ which led ultimately to his death by crucifixion at the hands of the Roman guard. This gospel stirs the pot and makes people wonder if, instead of being the enemy of the Christ, Judas was a very dear friend whose part in this story was to set in motion the crucifixion - at the behest of Jesus himself.
The interview with Pagels and King was in March, 2007 on Fresh Air. Just this weekend I got around to watching the documentary, Judas: Traitor or Friend? (on the History Channel) which discussed the theme of Judas’ friendship with Jesus. So this is all fresh in my mind when I get out my little black book to look at the notes I have of various things.
In a search for Elaine Pagels, I came across the transcript of this interview originally aired in April, 2006 in which the Gospel of Judas is discussed. One of the people in the introductory part of the story is Bart D. Ehrman, a name I recognize from the documentary I just watched.
Not only has Dr. Ehrman written many books I am interested in reading - as if I really think I have time for them all - he also has a page that caught my eye. Ten Factual Errors in The Da Vinci Code. I admit to cackling with glee as I read on. My biggest complaint about Dan Brown, aside from the fact that he writes drivel, is that he purports the basic skeleton plot in his books are fact, when they aren’t facts. A friend thinks I should let this one go because, after all, Brown’s books are fiction. I know this, and treat them as such, but I have such a problem with liars and hypocrites that I can’t let Brown go for this.
Happily, in my wanderings across the web today, moving between Gnostic scriptures, the Gospel of Judas and the Da Vinci Code, I found an article by Bible scholar Darrell Bock whose book is already in my library just waiting to be read. It’s Breaking the Da Vinci Code and as soon as I’m done moving, I’m sure it will bubble up to the top.