4.7.06: Judas
Sorry Judas, we didn’t mean it, really.
The Gospel According To Judas makes the news. Some 1700-year-old papyrus scrolls — 66 pages — have been made public. Discovered in the 70s in Egypt. And they’re only seeing the light of day now? Egyptian antiquities dealers “circulated” them for a while — asking price around 3 million. Then the manuscripts went to Europe and finally rested in a safety deposit box in Hicksville, NY. Hicksville? They stayed there for 16 years. A Swiss dealer bought them and he tried to resell them. Note that none of these guys seemed to have any interest in releasing them to the academic world or to the public.
No buyers appeared, so the Swiss dealer finally “gave” it to a foundation, which, in collaboration with the National Geographic Society, has translated it — and has the TV rights.
Seems Judas says Jesus ASKED him to betray him, or so the writer of this Gospel claims. A bit like Milosevic having his day in court. The supposed bad guy, the betrayer, claims it was the others who betrayed him by twisting the story. Now, I’m not comparing Judas to a war criminal — but he is similarly despised by most Christians.
Do churches now include any of these new Gospels in The Book? — The Gospel of Thomas, Mary Magdalene, Philip — are they planned to be in future editions of the Bible? Absolutely not. The Thomas Gospel was published in 1959 — it’s authentic but has never been included — its Buddhist-like Gnosticism contradicts too much of the existing church dogma. And this new one — whew — it really gives a new twist to the narrative.
Hicksville?
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Saw Neko Case at Webster Hall last night.
Didn’t realize my lens cap had dropped off while I was there. Apparently after I left Neko found it and someone said it was mine.
Saw Beth Orton in the same room a few days later. Better sound down among the plebs.
Also saw an Iranian singer named Haale that sometime drummer Dougie Bowne is working with. A mixture of experimental downtown stuff with the vocal intensity of U2, but more intimate…and mostly in Persian.
