Can we harmonize the differing accounts of the events surrounding the demise of Judas? I'll underline the parts that seem to contradict.

Matthew 27 "When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 'I have sinned,' he said, 'for I have betrayed innocent blood.' 'What is that to us?' they replied. 'That's your responsibility.' So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. The chief priests picked up the coins and said, 'It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.' So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 'They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me.'"

Acts 1 "(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004

Answers

Matthew's account seems that Judas commited suicide. Luke's seems to seem like an accident.

Matthew records that the chief priests bought the land. Luke wrote that Judas bought the land.

Matthew wrote Judas hanging himself. Luke said Judas fell head-first and his body burst open.

Matthew believed that the name Field of Blood was given because the money that bought the field was Judas' pay to betray Jesus. Luke (seemingly) records the manner of Judas' death was the reason for the name Field of Blood.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004.

Also, Luke doesn't include any fulfillment of prophecy in this. Although his work is generally more thorough than the other writer's, his position as a Gentile may have limited his knowledge of Jewish prophets.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004.

Luke,

Are you from the US??

-- David Ortiz (cyberpunk1986@hotmail.com), May 14, 2004.

Matthew wrote "Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 'They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me.*'"

*See Zech 11:12,13, Jer 19:1-13; 32:6-9

Here is what Zech 11:12,13 " 'In this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, at the hands of those who seek their lives, and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. I will devastate this city and make it an object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another's flesh during the stress of the siege imposed on them by the enemies who seek their lives.' "Then break the jar while those who go with you are watching, and say to them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter's jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. This is what I will do to this place and to those who live here, declares the LORD . I will make this city like Topheth. The houses in Jerusalem and those of the kings of Judah will be defiled like this place, Topheth-all the houses where they burned incense on the roofs to all the starry hosts and poured out drink offerings to other gods.' "

and Jer 32:6-9 6 Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me: 7 Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, 'Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.' "Then, just as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, 'Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.' "I knew that this was the word of the LORD ; so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver."

Zechariah was the only one who mentioned 30 silver coins, and his prophecy comes a lot closer to what Matthew "quoted," but neither one was exactly right. In fact, neither of Jeremiah's words seem to say what Matthew quoted. Now, I am just looking at the surface of these things. The symbols are similar, granted, and I am not reading Hebrew nor Greek, but English. But who is Matthew referrencing? Did perhaps the translators make a mistake cross-referencing? A tootsie pop to the person who finds Jeremiah speaking the words Matthew quoted.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004.

Argh, I messed up. Here is what Zechariah 11:12,13 really says

I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"-the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004.

The first verses I posted mistakenly labled from Zechariah are actually from Jeremiah 19:1-13. I must have hit delete with an entire passage highlighted.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004.

David,

usually.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004.

I'm breaking curfew again. It's that part of me that wants to rebel even after I've moved out. If I get crazy enough, I might go stick-it-to-the-man. You're up late too. Is this exam week?

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004.

Whoa, Déjà vu. Now if my friend Donna comes online, I'll be convinced of time travel. Oy, I'm not looking forward to the next couple of months in that case.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004.

Luke..,

I don't see contradiction in Matthew and Acts... Perhaps Judas fell after he hung himself., and burst open--I don't know.

And technically--it is Judas who bought the land because it was his money that he threw down. The priests who picked it up--did not add it to their treasury or consider it theirs--it was blood money. It was Judas' reward money--

-- ("faith01@myway.com"), May 14, 2004.

Yes, technically Judas payed for the land. However, Luke wrote that Judas died on the land that Judas bought.

"Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong..."

If the chief priests bought the land using his money, yes Judas still payed for it, but nothing suggests he had ownership of that land. In fact, if the timing of events occurs in the order Matthew writes, Judas probably would have already been dead before the land could be purchased, which means he didn't die on his property.

As for the fall, I agree that Luke doesn't show Judas was alive when Judas fell, but nothing suggests he wasn't alive either. Could he have fallen after he hung himself? Maybe. Luke again wrote

"he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out."

Headlong means head first; leading with the head; like a dive. If he was hanging by his neck, the distance between he and the ground had to have been very far. A person's center of gravity will cause them to fall head first if there is enough time of decent. How far? I don't have an exact figure, but I know a person can jump off the roof of a 6 floor parking garage and still land feet or butt first. This puts the tree Judas hung himself on very, very tall.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004.

Luke, good question:

The writer Luke of Acts is right: Judas bought the land. Judas name is not Scarioth (as some say is Ish Kerioth, man from a village) but a sicarii, a Jewish natonalist who usually carried daggers to kill their opponents as mentioned by Josephus in War of The War of the Jews.

He either was killed by Jesus supporters or committed suicide. Cutting the belly was the common procedure by sicarii. So it is possible he committed suicide.

Matthew is so fixated intrying to make Jesus life fit scripture that he makes many blunders: Examples: -Jesus temptation by Satan (Not true, as attested by Mark and John) -The virgin Birth (something that happened in 738 BC)(As attestwed by Mark , John, and Paul) -The killing of the innocent -Jesus being called a Nazorean -The potter's field a combination of Jeremiah with Zechariah (The one you just mentioned) -.......

So when reading Matthew, be careful!!!!

Always read Mark and Paul first!!! They are older!!!

The Christian Yahwist

The Man of Yahweh

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonval@yahoo.com), May 14, 2004.

Maybe he hung himself on a tree that hung over a cliff--on the land that was eventually purchased by the priests and technically belonged to Judas--even if after the fact??

-- ("faith01@myway.com"), May 14, 2004.

Sounds reasonable to me Faith.

-- JimFurst (furst@flash.net), May 15, 2004.

provided we know where Akeldama was, Jim.

Also, people don't have their entrails gushing out if they hit first head.

The Christian Yahwist

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonval@yahoo.com), May 17, 2004.

Maybe he rolled down the cliff Elpidio. That could cause his flesh to be torn.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 19, 2004.

Luke,

My brother and sister have fallen. Lucky to be alive.

Still the intestines were in.

Yet, in March 1987, one of my students, Alberto Vazquez was attacked by gangsters. One of them with a knife cut him across the belly. He ran with his guts in his hands. That is how he saved his life.

I saw the big scar across his body. That is how I think Judas died.

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonval@yahoo.com), May 19, 2004.

Elpidio, I don't have the painting in front of me (obviously), but I remember something about a knife or dagger in the hand (or beside) one of the 12 disciples in the Last Supper painting. Was this Judas?

Glad to hear your bro and sis are living.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), May 19, 2004.

The ugly one behind Jesus in Da Vinci's picture, Luke.

Da Vinci chose a killer too portray Judas. He found him in prison. It took him a year to paint.

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonval@yahoo.com), May 19, 2004.

I believe that Judas tried to hang himself, and fell. The blood money was judas price for betrayal, so no matter who actually paid the money, it was the money for the betrayal of Jesus Christ which has been spoken of by the prophets. My question is one of Predestination versus free will choice. Since Judas was prophsied to do this before he was ever born and as Matthew says, repented did he go to heaven or hell? Or did Judas do this thing because satan overtook him at that moment as Matthew says and could he have chosen not to betrat since it was prophesied?

-- Elizabeth Ballard (WONDER224@EXCITE.COM), June 18, 2004.

Hmm, good question Elizabeth. Jesus told them (being his disciples) early in his ministry that one of them was a devil.

John 6:69-71 "We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)"

Judas' betrayal of Jesus was even spoken of by King David in Psalm 41. God obviously knew that the Son of Man was to be betrayed, but it was all part of his plan.

The issue of predestination does apply in this case, however it's interpretation will vary depending on who you ask. I believe in predestination as in, God already knows what choices we are going to make. We have free will to decide upon accepting or rejecting his son, but God, the alpha and omega, knows the end of things, and he knows who will decide what. So, those whom he knows will accept his son something during their lifetime he has predestined or preplanned them to be conformed in his Image. It is actually in this foreknowledge that we are created.

I don't believe predestination means that God chooses who he chooses and man cannot do anything by his own will. Judas choose to betray Jesus, God knew it would happen. God didn't make Judas do it.

Why all the anti-Judas remarks anyway or even anti-Jewish? We'd all be up a creek w/no paddle if he hadn't been betrayed and killed.

-- Luke Juarez (hubertdorm@yahoo.com), June 18, 2004.

I agree Luke, that was a good explanation. I hadn't thought about it that much, but thats how I understand it too.

-- Jim (furst@flash.net), June 19, 2004.

I've seen a lot of attempts to reconcile the two accounts. There are a few possible stories that might maybe satisfy both, but they seem moot to me.

If you look at any of these possibilities, you have to ask yourself: "If it happened this way, would Matthew and Luke each have really told it the way they did?" I have a hard time with that one. Their tellings can be made to FIT some common story that contradicts neither, but are either of them how you would TELL that common story?

-- Famelica Prima (qunfangirl14@yahoo.com), August 08, 2004.

Hello,

sorry if I sail against the wind: but judas was crucified instead of Jesus: please leave for a moment the territory of religion, and look what outsiders have to say. Mostly, people who dont belomng to that religion, have no prejudices.

Take care

-- Omar (onemidge@softhome.net), September 25, 2004.

Omar, Jesus had a brother named Judas.

Mar 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. Mar 6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

He also had a disciple nmaed Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Mark 14:43-45. But in the end, Jesus was crucified. Mark 15:12-39.

I quoted from Mark, the oldest gospel (inil) of the Christian New Testament.

I have read the Quran. My Muslim friends gave me cpies in English, Spanish, and Arabic.I see some discrepancies when it comes to reporting the life of Jesus.

Muhammad's wife was a Christian. It seems Muhammad did not know how to read. So who did the writing for him after receiving messages from Allah?

The Christian Yahwist

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonval@yahoo.com), September 25, 2004.

The trouble with Omar is, he thinks we have a bias and cant see it fairly, uet he see's the events from a bias. Islam is a religion. Islam teaches that Judas was Crucified. This is a Bias.

If he want's us to leave religion behind, we must also ignore Islam.

Incedentlaly, Islam is the only real source that teaches this, and not even all Muslims beleive this.why shouidl I follow Islams bias?

Indeed, in the Sura most often refered to, "women", the text could be interpreted differently than the common notion among Muslims.

"4.157": And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the apostle of God; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure.

"4.158": Nay! God took him up to Himself; and God is Mighty, Wise.

Soem interpret this to mean Jesus was taken up tpo God and never faced death, in the same way Mohammad was taken to Heaven, but his bodt still died.

Granted,the popular theory in islam is that this was Judas,but its not direclty int he qua'ran to my knwoledge.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), September 25, 2004.