JUDAS: The Gospel of Betrayal

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Set in the first century Roman Empire, this riveting and fast paced account of the life and times of Judas Iscariot skillfully blends Christian orthodoxy and narrative power to create a page turner that is both intriguing and thought provoking. We are rocketed from Corinth to Qumran, from the Galilee to Jerusalem. On the way we are confronted with Jesus’ followers and his enemies. And somewhere in the journey, we are drawn into and may even find ourselves.

"A refreshing take on a story we all thought we knew." - John Maddox Roberts

EXCERPT >> Read Chapter 1 from Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal

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            Why, in the midst of all those hackle-raising books and television shows, which titillate us with the highly speculative relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene, has no one raised the far more important questions about Judas Iscariot, Jesus’ putative betrayer? The truth is, as intriguing as a Jesus-Mary affair may be, without the crucifixion and resurrection, none of it would hold any more interest for us than the affairs of the folks next door. Jesus interests us because of who he was or, to the non-believer, what he came to represent. And that required the actions of Judas. Or did it?

            What is overlooked in all the speculation about the Easter story is, that if the authorities wished to seize Jesus, they did not need Judas to do it. It was the Passover in Jerusalem. Jesus was a very public figure, busy in the temple teaching, overturning the moneychanger’s tables, and making a triumphal entry on a white donkey among other things. If they wanted him, why not simply take him? Who needs Judas anyway? And that is the crux of the story. Judas is not necessary. So what’s up with Judas?

            The difficulty we encounter when we read historical fiction in general and the religious variety in particular, is we usually know how the story ends. For the reader, the characters the author creates are what draw us in the narrative, not the story per se. For example, when we read the New Testament, we know we are being led to Easter. But how would the gospel be told— how would we read it—if its author had no idea how it ended, had no concept of the Easter events?

            Dr. Frederick Ramsay, a retired Episcopal priest and author, has written Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal which does just that and a bit more. His narrator, Judas, has no idea where the journey he shares with the rabbi from Nazareth will finally end. He can only live in the moment and try to extract some sense from it. What on earth does his friend and teacher, Jesus, mean when he says his kingdom is not of this world? For a culture imbued in messianic expectations of a new David, capable of slaying the Goliath the Roman Empire seemed to be, such a statement made no sense at all. So, what would you have done, had you been there in place of Judas? Caution your master to be discreet or insist he raise an army? Seek help from other, more powerful allies or return home, disillusioned?

            Not knowing the end of the story changes our perception of the whole of it. Ramsay weaves a tale of intrigue into the cruel fabric of the first century Roman Empire, and gives us a very different take on the events and times surrounding the gospels. He has written a novel that brings the story to life, which will make sense to believer and skeptic alike. We find we can sympathize with this eager, misguided man whose hubris carried him to a place where only bad things could happen. And knowing the end of the story is secondary to discovering why it ends as it does. John Maddox Roberts, the author of many historical novels, describes the book as, “A refreshing take on a story we all thought we knew.”

EXCERPT >> Read Chapter 1 from  Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal