The Gospel According to Judas

Name: The Gospel According to Judas
Rating: 4.1 (106 reviews)

by Jeffrey Archer

First published 2007

Amazon

4.0(106)

Presented as an account preserved by Benjamin Iscariot, the imagined son of Judas, this short novel retells the ministry and death of Jesus from a perspective that questions the traditional image of Judas as a calculating traitor. Its episodes draw on the language and structure of the canonical Gospels while placing Judas among the disciples, religious authorities and political pressures of Roman Judaea.

The narrative revisits encounters involving John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, Peter and Herod Antipas before reaching the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Written by Jeffrey Archer in collaboration with biblical scholar Francis J. Moloney, it is a modern work of historical and theological fiction rather than an ancient source. Its central concern is how later testimony shapes reputation, culpability and the meaning assigned to betrayal.

Historical Periods

Ministry and Crucifixion of Jesus27–33 CE

Genres

Biographical Fiction Classical Literature

Historical people

Jesus Christc. 6–4 BCE–c. 30/33 CE John the Baptist7 BCE–30 Mary Magdalenedied c. 1st century Saint Peter2 BCE–65 Judas Iscariotdied c. 30s Herod Antipasborn 21 BCE