StoneScratcher
October 22nd, 2009, 6:42 am
Judas said to Jesus (per the Gospel of Judas), “I know who you are and where you have come from. You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo."
Perhaps Judas has been misunderstood all these years and knew more about Jesus than anyone?
From an NYTimes article (excerpt):
Unlike the accounts in the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the anonymous author of the Gospel of Judas believed that Judas Iscariot alone among the 12 disciples understood the meaning of Jesus' teachings and acceded to his will. In the diversity of early Christian thought, a group known as Gnostics believed in a secret knowledge of how people could escape the prisons of their material bodies and return to the spiritual realm from which they came.
Elaine Pagels, a professor of religion at Princeton (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/p/princeton_university/index.html?inline=nyt-org) who specializes in studies of the Gnostics, said in a statement, "These discoveries are exploding the myth of a monolithic religion, and demonstrating how diverse — and fascinating — the early Christian movement really was."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/06/science/06cnd-judas.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1144382400&en=d58e9f87384d906d&ei=5094&partner=homepage
THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS
Translated by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst, in collaboration with François Gaudard
INTRODUCTION: INCIPIT
The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week three days before he celebrated Passover.
THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JESUS
When Jesus appeared on earth, he performed miracles and great wonders for the salvation of humanity. And since some [walked] in the way of righteousness while others walked in their transgressions, the twelve disciples were called.
He began to speak with them about the mysteries beyond the world and what would take place at the end. Often he did not appear to his disciples as himself, but he was found among them as a child.
SCENE 1: Jesus dialogues with his disciples: The prayer of thanksgiving or the eucharist
One day he was with his disciples in Judea, and he found them gathered together and seated in pious observance. When he [approached] his disciples, [34] gathered together and seated and offering a prayer of thanksgiving over the bread, [he] laughed.
The disciples said to [him], “Master, why are you laughing at [our] prayer of thanksgiving? We have done what is right.”
He answered and said to them, “I am not laughing at you. <You> are not doing this because of your own will but because it is through this that your god [will be] praised.”
They said, “Master, you are […] the son of our god.”
Jesus said to them, “How do you know me? Truly [I] say to you, no generation of the people that are among you will know me.”
THE DISCIPLES BECOME ANGRY
When his disciples heard this, they started getting angry and infuriated and began blaspheming against him in their hearts.
When Jesus observed their lack of [understanding, he said] to them, “Why has this agitation led you to anger? Your god who is within you and […] [35] have provoked you to anger [within] your souls. [Let] any one of you who is [strong enough] among human beings bring out the perfect human and stand before my face.”
They all said, “We have the strength.”
But their spirits did not dare to stand before [him], except for Judas Iscariot. He was able to stand before him, but he could not look him in the eyes, and he turned his face away.
Judas [said] to him, “I know who you are and where you have come from. You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo. And I am not worthy to utter the name of the one who has sent you.”
JESUS SPEAKS TO JUDAS PRIVATELY
Knowing that Judas was reflecting upon something that was exalted, Jesus said to him, “Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom. It is possible for you to reach it, but you will grieve a great deal. [36] For someone else will replace you, in order that the twelve [disciples] may again come to completion with their god.”
Judas said to him, “When will you tell me these things, and [when] will the great day of light dawn for the generation?”
But when he said this, Jesus left him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some information:
Role of the Barbelo:
“I am androgynous. I am both Mother and Father since I copulate with myself. I copulate with myself and with those who love me, and it is through me alone that the All stands firm. I am the Womb that gives shape to the All by giving birth to the Light that shines in splendor…” [2]
[2].”The Trimorphic Protennoia.” The Nag Hammadi Library. Ed. James Robinson. HarperCollins, 1978. 519. [↩]
---
CONSORT OF THE ONE, MOTHER TO THE MANY
Like the Hindu Kali, Barbelo embodies a paradox; even as existence manifests itself through her, she never forgets that it is all nothing but maya, the shadowy illusion of an ephemeral dream:
“O first shadow of the holy parent, light from light,
We praise you.
O you who produce perfect beings and who are a cause of aeons,
You yourself have beheld those which are eternal,
for they derive from a shadow.
And you have been a cause of multiplicity:
And you have found and remained One, while yet being a
cause of multiplicity in order to become divided.
You are One belonging to the One:
and you derive from its shadow.
You are a concealed aeon:
you are a world of gnosis;
For, you understand that those which belong to the One
derive from a shadow,
And these are yours in your heart.” [3]
[3].”The Second Tablet of Seth: Hymn 3: Praise of the Barbelo.” The Gnostic Scriptures. Trans. Bentley Layton. Doubleday /Anchor, 1995. 155. [↩]
---
QUANTUM FLUCTUATION
Perhaps the closest modern parallel to these ideas may be found in the “inflationary model,” or the idea that our universe – and the big bang which preceded it – emerged as the result of a “quantum fluctuation” in the primeval cosmic vacuum.
In quantum physical terms, a vacuum is neither empty nor unchanging, but “a miniature universe quietly bubbling with its own inherently unstable energy” [4] – an eternally replenished source of “virtual particles” which pop in and out of existence like the bubbly effervescence dancing on the surface of a carbonated beverage.
If inflationary cosmologists are correct, it may be that our own universe began when one of these “bubbles” took on a life of its own and became real, peeling off from the vacuum to expand into an entire universe of its own:
“…in the bizarre realm of quantum cosmology, no energy is stolen from the primordial vacuum; it is simply in a different form than it was before. All the matter in our universe consists of positive energy, which is apparently balanced by the negative energy of gravity. The total energy of the universe, therefore, could be exactly zero. As quantum cosmologist Alan Guth, one of the developers of this concept, once remarked: “Our universe seems to be the ultimate free lunch.” [5]
[4].Dickinson, Terence. From the Big Bang to Planet X. Camden House,1993. 25. [↩]
[5].Dickinson, Terence. From the Big Bang to Planet X. Camden House,1993. 26. [↩]
DID THE UNIVERSE CREATE ITSELF?
Recent versions of inflationary theory hold that a “mother universe” (rather than a vacuum) produced the bubble which became the big bang, and that this mother universe has continued to produce baby universes, which in turn produce even more baby universes, and so on. So where did this mother universe come from in the first place?
Richard Gott and Li-Xin Li of Princeton University suggest that the “mother universe” somehow gave birth to itself when one if the universes it created looped back in time to produce it:
“Linde has shown that inflating universes can give rise to baby universes with the baby universes budding off like branches from a tree. But one might ask: “Where does the trunk come from?” Li and I propose that one of the branches simply loops around to become the trunk… In this model – an alternative to the tunneling from nothing idea – the universe is its own mother….” [6]
In this scenario, the mother universe exists as a “closed timelike curve,” an “eternal cluster of galaxies” where time repeats itself in a great, cosmic case of deja-vu; “This first universe created itself and was its own mother, making the first matter in some way we will never be able to know,” Gott suggests. [7]
[6].Gott, Richard. “Can the Universe Create Itself?” Fermilab Seminar Abstract. 22 March 1999. http://www-astro-theory.fnal.gov/Seminars/spring99/Gott.html [↩]
[7].Easterbrook, Gregg. “Is Ours the Only Universe? Scientist’s Surprising Theories.” U.S. News & World Report. 20 July, 1998. http://web.archive.org/web/20010113193900/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/980720/20bang.htm [↩]
Perhaps Judas has been misunderstood all these years and knew more about Jesus than anyone?
From an NYTimes article (excerpt):
Unlike the accounts in the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the anonymous author of the Gospel of Judas believed that Judas Iscariot alone among the 12 disciples understood the meaning of Jesus' teachings and acceded to his will. In the diversity of early Christian thought, a group known as Gnostics believed in a secret knowledge of how people could escape the prisons of their material bodies and return to the spiritual realm from which they came.
Elaine Pagels, a professor of religion at Princeton (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/p/princeton_university/index.html?inline=nyt-org) who specializes in studies of the Gnostics, said in a statement, "These discoveries are exploding the myth of a monolithic religion, and demonstrating how diverse — and fascinating — the early Christian movement really was."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/06/science/06cnd-judas.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1144382400&en=d58e9f87384d906d&ei=5094&partner=homepage
THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS
Translated by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst, in collaboration with François Gaudard
INTRODUCTION: INCIPIT
The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week three days before he celebrated Passover.
THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JESUS
When Jesus appeared on earth, he performed miracles and great wonders for the salvation of humanity. And since some [walked] in the way of righteousness while others walked in their transgressions, the twelve disciples were called.
He began to speak with them about the mysteries beyond the world and what would take place at the end. Often he did not appear to his disciples as himself, but he was found among them as a child.
SCENE 1: Jesus dialogues with his disciples: The prayer of thanksgiving or the eucharist
One day he was with his disciples in Judea, and he found them gathered together and seated in pious observance. When he [approached] his disciples, [34] gathered together and seated and offering a prayer of thanksgiving over the bread, [he] laughed.
The disciples said to [him], “Master, why are you laughing at [our] prayer of thanksgiving? We have done what is right.”
He answered and said to them, “I am not laughing at you. <You> are not doing this because of your own will but because it is through this that your god [will be] praised.”
They said, “Master, you are […] the son of our god.”
Jesus said to them, “How do you know me? Truly [I] say to you, no generation of the people that are among you will know me.”
THE DISCIPLES BECOME ANGRY
When his disciples heard this, they started getting angry and infuriated and began blaspheming against him in their hearts.
When Jesus observed their lack of [understanding, he said] to them, “Why has this agitation led you to anger? Your god who is within you and […] [35] have provoked you to anger [within] your souls. [Let] any one of you who is [strong enough] among human beings bring out the perfect human and stand before my face.”
They all said, “We have the strength.”
But their spirits did not dare to stand before [him], except for Judas Iscariot. He was able to stand before him, but he could not look him in the eyes, and he turned his face away.
Judas [said] to him, “I know who you are and where you have come from. You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo. And I am not worthy to utter the name of the one who has sent you.”
JESUS SPEAKS TO JUDAS PRIVATELY
Knowing that Judas was reflecting upon something that was exalted, Jesus said to him, “Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom. It is possible for you to reach it, but you will grieve a great deal. [36] For someone else will replace you, in order that the twelve [disciples] may again come to completion with their god.”
Judas said to him, “When will you tell me these things, and [when] will the great day of light dawn for the generation?”
But when he said this, Jesus left him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some information:
Role of the Barbelo:
“I am androgynous. I am both Mother and Father since I copulate with myself. I copulate with myself and with those who love me, and it is through me alone that the All stands firm. I am the Womb that gives shape to the All by giving birth to the Light that shines in splendor…” [2]
[2].”The Trimorphic Protennoia.” The Nag Hammadi Library. Ed. James Robinson. HarperCollins, 1978. 519. [↩]
---
CONSORT OF THE ONE, MOTHER TO THE MANY
Like the Hindu Kali, Barbelo embodies a paradox; even as existence manifests itself through her, she never forgets that it is all nothing but maya, the shadowy illusion of an ephemeral dream:
“O first shadow of the holy parent, light from light,
We praise you.
O you who produce perfect beings and who are a cause of aeons,
You yourself have beheld those which are eternal,
for they derive from a shadow.
And you have been a cause of multiplicity:
And you have found and remained One, while yet being a
cause of multiplicity in order to become divided.
You are One belonging to the One:
and you derive from its shadow.
You are a concealed aeon:
you are a world of gnosis;
For, you understand that those which belong to the One
derive from a shadow,
And these are yours in your heart.” [3]
[3].”The Second Tablet of Seth: Hymn 3: Praise of the Barbelo.” The Gnostic Scriptures. Trans. Bentley Layton. Doubleday /Anchor, 1995. 155. [↩]
---
QUANTUM FLUCTUATION
Perhaps the closest modern parallel to these ideas may be found in the “inflationary model,” or the idea that our universe – and the big bang which preceded it – emerged as the result of a “quantum fluctuation” in the primeval cosmic vacuum.
In quantum physical terms, a vacuum is neither empty nor unchanging, but “a miniature universe quietly bubbling with its own inherently unstable energy” [4] – an eternally replenished source of “virtual particles” which pop in and out of existence like the bubbly effervescence dancing on the surface of a carbonated beverage.
If inflationary cosmologists are correct, it may be that our own universe began when one of these “bubbles” took on a life of its own and became real, peeling off from the vacuum to expand into an entire universe of its own:
“…in the bizarre realm of quantum cosmology, no energy is stolen from the primordial vacuum; it is simply in a different form than it was before. All the matter in our universe consists of positive energy, which is apparently balanced by the negative energy of gravity. The total energy of the universe, therefore, could be exactly zero. As quantum cosmologist Alan Guth, one of the developers of this concept, once remarked: “Our universe seems to be the ultimate free lunch.” [5]
[4].Dickinson, Terence. From the Big Bang to Planet X. Camden House,1993. 25. [↩]
[5].Dickinson, Terence. From the Big Bang to Planet X. Camden House,1993. 26. [↩]
DID THE UNIVERSE CREATE ITSELF?
Recent versions of inflationary theory hold that a “mother universe” (rather than a vacuum) produced the bubble which became the big bang, and that this mother universe has continued to produce baby universes, which in turn produce even more baby universes, and so on. So where did this mother universe come from in the first place?
Richard Gott and Li-Xin Li of Princeton University suggest that the “mother universe” somehow gave birth to itself when one if the universes it created looped back in time to produce it:
“Linde has shown that inflating universes can give rise to baby universes with the baby universes budding off like branches from a tree. But one might ask: “Where does the trunk come from?” Li and I propose that one of the branches simply loops around to become the trunk… In this model – an alternative to the tunneling from nothing idea – the universe is its own mother….” [6]
In this scenario, the mother universe exists as a “closed timelike curve,” an “eternal cluster of galaxies” where time repeats itself in a great, cosmic case of deja-vu; “This first universe created itself and was its own mother, making the first matter in some way we will never be able to know,” Gott suggests. [7]
[6].Gott, Richard. “Can the Universe Create Itself?” Fermilab Seminar Abstract. 22 March 1999. http://www-astro-theory.fnal.gov/Seminars/spring99/Gott.html [↩]
[7].Easterbrook, Gregg. “Is Ours the Only Universe? Scientist’s Surprising Theories.” U.S. News & World Report. 20 July, 1998. http://web.archive.org/web/20010113193900/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/980720/20bang.htm [↩]