THE greatest story ever told is about to get the Jeffrey Archer treatment. Archer, who has told a few incredible tales in his time, is to publish a book called The Gospel According to Judas, which will attempt to rehabilitate the life of Christ’s betrayer.
The book, which is to be published worldwide in March, will present Judas as a misunderstood man who did not betray Jesus for money.
In an unusual step for the novelist, who is more used to knocking out page-turners such as Kane and Abel and First Among Equals, he has co-written the book with an eminent Australian biblical scholar. The result is described as a “story for 21st-century readers” that would be “credible to a 1st- century Christian or Jew”.
Archer has also enlisted the support of leading churchmen including Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and Desmond Tutu, the former Archbishop of Cape Town, to vouch for the book. While the archbishops enjoyed reading it, they do not accept all its theories.
“I’ve always been mystified why Judas has been called the evil traitor,” said Archer, who came out of prison in 2003 having served half of a four-year term after being found guilty of perjury.
“I’m a life-long Church of England Christian, but in more recent years I’ve been puzzled about Judas and wanted to find out more about whether the traditional version is the correct one.
“Of course, the right wing of the church and evangelicals will say you must never tinker with the gospels. But I think you have got to reassess.”
For the majority of Christians, Judas is the most reviled traitor in Christendom — the trusted disciple who betrayed the son of God for 30 pieces of silver and then hanged himself in shame.
In the version by Archer, himself a seasoned politician, Judas’s decision to hand over his master does not result from greed but from a sincere political belief that Jesus is an ineffectual leader who is not up to the task of throwing the Romans out of the Jewish homeland.
Judas does not kill himself but survives to tell his story to his son — the book is subtitled “By Benjamin Iscariot” — who then sets down his father’s story in a gospel to counter the “libels . . . repeated by followers of Jesus”.
Archer’s view is likely to rile Christians who maintain the 2,000-year tradition of condemning Judas unreservedly. George Curry, an Anglican priest and chairman of the Church Society, said the central thesis of the book seemed “balderdash”.
The Tory peer has not received an advance from Macmillan, the publishers, but will be paid royalties for the book, which will have an initial print run of 500,000 copies. Professor Frank Moloney, Archer’s co- author, is donating his share of the proceeds towards the building of a new school on the Pacific island of Samoa.
“Eighty per cent of the scholarship is Frank’s and just 20% is mine,” said Archer.
Moloney has long believed that traditional interpretations of Judas are too simplistic. He said he had had no qualms about working with Archer, although he admitted that sometimes he had had to “rein Jeffrey in”.
The book is written in numbered verses in the style of a biblical gospel. “Benjamin Iscariot” goes on to lay out the calumnies against his father. “Others do not begin to understand, or fairly record, Judas’s passionate belief and commitment to Jesus of Nazareth,” the authors write.
“Indeed they have blackened my father’s name to the point where he is now thought of as the most infamous of all Jesus’s followers.
“He has been branded a traitor, a thief and a man willing to accept bribes, and one gospel even falsely reports that he took his own life. None of these judgments, mostly reported since the tragic death of Jesus, was made during his lifetime.”
Moloney argues that there is good reason to believe that Judas did not betray Jesus for money. “Judas was disenchanted with Jesus,” he said. “Disenchanted with him as the Messiah. He is a hardline Jew who believed he should restore the throne of David by military means.”
The book says Judas believed that Jesus was too concerned about helping the sick, the poor and the destitute rather than getting rid of the Romans. The authors also believe it unlikely that Judas killed himself after betraying Jesus.
“There is no motivation for suicide,” said Moloney. “A Jew, in particular, would not take his own life. So in our gospel we do not have him taking his life.”
Archer’s book is not the only attempt to revise Judas’s reputation. Views have begun to soften in recent years, particularly with the discovery of a number of ancient texts which give more favourable portrayals of Judas.
Last October the Pope admitted that “the betrayal of Judas remains a mystery”. Benedict XVI is bringing out a new book on Jesus in April and it is expected that he might address the question of Judas.
Carey said he agreed that “history has not treated Judas fairly”. He added that the book was “a valid exercise and one which will hopefully help people to reconnect with the Bible”.
Tutu is to make an audio recording of Archer’s gospel — after reading it to check that the author had not made any of what he calls “oops”.
He said he had found it “plausible and riveting” and “just like the type of thing someone’s son would do to try to rehabilitate his father’s name”.
Moloney is prepared for criticism of his decision to work with “a man who went to jail and all that prostitute business. But as I got to know him there was more to the man than meets the eye.
“In any case, how would Jesus have behaved towards Jeffrey? He constantly consorted with sinners.”
Biblical lines: four accounts of Christ and his disloyal disciple
Matthew
Judas goes to the “chief priests” and agrees to deliver Christ for “30 pieces of silver”
At the last supper, Jesus tells the disciples that one of them will betray him, Judas asks if it is him and Christ replies: “Thou hast said”
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas kisses Christ to indicate to the soldiers who to arrest
Judas returns the money to the priests in remorse when he realises Jesus will be crucified. The priests use it to buy a potter’s field
Judas hangs himself. Matthew is the only gospel to describe his death
Mark
Judas betrays Jesus to the priests, who are looking for a way to capture him “by craft”
Jesus says at the last supper that he will be betrayed, but does not name Judas
Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss, but tells the soldiers to “lead him away safely”
Luke
Judas betrays Jesus after being possessed by Satan. Judas is not named as a traitor at the last supper
Jesus realises what is happening as Judas kisses him and asks: “Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?”
John
Jesus singles out Judas as “a devil” at the last supper
Judas directs soldiers to the garden at Cedron brook
Jesus, knowing he is the man the soldiers are looking for, gives himself up without the need for a Judas kiss
