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I know we are all interested in National Geographic Magazines discovery of the Gospel Of Judas.

Here are what bits and pieces I have found so far.

Leading scholars who have studied the content and linguistic style of the codex, which is written in the Sahidic dialect of the ancient Egyptian Coptic language, say its theological concepts and linguistic traits mirror concepts and traits found in the Nag Hammadi library, a collection of texts discovered in Egypt in 1945, which also date to the early centuries of Christianity. Marvin Meyer, professor of Bible and Christian Studies at Chapman University, Orange, Calif., and Stephen Emmel, professor of Coptic studies at the University of Münster in Germany, agree the codex reflects a unique gnostic viewpoint prevalent in the second century. That is when the original Greek text known as the Gospel of Judas, and later copied down in Coptic, was first composed.

In February 2006 a missing half-page of the gospel resurfaced in New York City, and this has been photographed and transcribed and included in the English translation.

The original Greek text of the gospel, of which this is a Coptic translation, is thought to have been written sometime between the canonical (biblical) gospels and A.D. 180 by a group of early gnostic Christians. Gnostics believed that the way to salvation was through secret knowledge — delivered by Jesus to his inner circle — that revealed how people can escape the prisons of their material bodies and return to the spiritual realm from which they came. They also believed that the true God, the Father of Jesus, is a higher being than the vengeful Old Testament God who created the universe. The author of the Gospel of Judas believed that Judas Iscariot alone understood the true significance and meaning of Jesus' teachings and that he did Jesus' will in handing him over to the authorities
The first known reference to a Gospel of Judas is around A.D. 180 in a treatise, "Against Heresies," by Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon, in what was then Roman Gaul. It was a fierce attack against those whose views about Jesus and his message differed from those of the mainstream Christian Church. Among those Irenaeus denounced were a group who "declare that Judas the traitor...alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of the betrayal... They produce a fictitious story of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas." Irenaeus declared that of the many different gospels circulating at that time, just four should be recognized: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Scholars believe that after the other gospels were declared off-limits, followers hid copies of them.

What the Gospel of Judas Says
The Gospel of Judas text begins: "The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week, three days before he celebrated Passover." It reflects themes that scholars regard as being consistent with gnostic traditions. In the very first scene Jesus laughs at his disciples for praying to "your God," meaning the lesser Old Testament God who created the world. He challenges the disciples to look at him and understand what he really is, but they turn away.

The key passage comes when Jesus tells Judas, "... you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me." By helping Jesus get rid of his physical flesh, Judas will help liberate the true spiritual self or divine being within.

Judas is singled out several times for special status. "Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom. It is possible for you to reach it, but you will grieve a great deal," Jesus says. He also tells Judas, "Look, you have 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."

The gospel also suggests Judas will be despised by the other disciples but will be exalted over them. "...you will be cursed by the other generations — and you will come to rule over them," Jesus says. Judas also reports a vision where he is harshly opposed by the other disciples: "In the vision I saw myself as the 12 disciples were stoning me and persecuting [me severely]."

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