All four canonical gospels identify Judas Iscariot as “one of the Twelve” (Mark 14:10, 43; Matt 26:14, 47; Luke 22:3, 47; John 6:71; 12:4; cf. Acts 1:17), who had the important role as the group’s treasurer (John 12:6; 13:29).

Judas Iscariot’s reputation was tarnished in the early movement for betraying his leader, Jesus of Nazareth (c. 6-4 BCE–c. 30 CE), and assisting the Jewish authorities in arresting him. This is apparent in the lists of the twelve disciples, where he is always placed last (Mark 3:19; Matt 10:4; Luke 6:16).

Judas (a Greek form of the Hebrew name Judah, although its original meaning remains unknown) was a common name in first-century Palestine. The New Testament contains eight people called Judas. Twenty-two times the name refers to Judas Iscariot, with “Iscariot” (Mark 3:19; 14:10; Matt 10:4; 26:14; Luke 6:16; 22:3; John 6:71; 12:4; 13:2, 26; 14:22) distinguishing him from the others with the same name (e.g., Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3), especially from the other apostle named Judas (Luke 6:16; John 14:22; Acts 1:13). The Gospel of John identifies Judas Iscariot as the son of Simon, also called Iscariot (6:71; 13:2, 26). The meaning of Iscariot remains unknown (Brown 1413–16).

All three synoptic gospels describe Judas meeting with the chief priests, contracting them to deliver Jesus over into their possession (Mark 14:10; Matt 26:14–16; Luke 22:3–6). The chief priests agreed to pay Judas for his assistance, although only Matthew’s gospel includes Judas’s request for payment and specifies the amount of thirty pieces of silver, which alludes to Zechariah 11:12 and anticipates Judas’s suicide in Matthew 27:3–10.

During the Last Supper, Jesus predicts that one of his disciples would betray him. However, all three synoptics over differ in their descriptions of the way his betrayer is identified (Mark 14:18–21; Matt 26:22–24; Luke 22:21–23). In the Gospel of John’s version, Jesus identified Judas as this betrayer by giving him a piece of bread (13:21–27).

All four gospels narrate Judas leading a large group from the chief priests to arrest Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:43–46; Matt 26:47–50; Luke 22:47–48; John 18:2–5). Mark’s and Matthew’s accounts indicate that Judas identified Jesus to the group through the signal of a kiss, while Luke says that Jesus asked if Judas would kiss him. John omits any reference to a kiss from Judas, since this would conflict with the notion of power attributed to Jesus in John’s gospel (13:2–3). Rather, Judas merely stood with those coming to arrest Jesus, perhaps falling to the ground when Jesus revealed himself to them (18:5–6).

The death of Judas is inconsistently described in two New Testament accounts, either by suicide by hanging or falling and bursting open (Matt 27:3–10 v. Acts 1:16–20). Either way, the nature of his death seems sudden and violent and is somehow connected to a location named the “Field of Blood.” Who purchased this field cannot be known given the inconsistent description of the purchaser: the chief priests or Judas himself. The principal meaning of Judas’ manner of death rests in its fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures (Zech 11:12–13 and Jer 19:1–13, or Pss 69:26 and 109:8).

References

Brown, Raymond B. 1994. The Death of the Messiah (2 vols). New York: Doubleday.

Ham Clay, Allan. 2008. 2008. “Judas Iscariot.” In The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus, edited by Craig A. Evans, 1141-1146. Routledge (Apple Books).

Wright, N. T. 2006. Judas and the Gospel of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker.