According to the New Testament, I'am one of the twelve original apostles of Jesus. Among the twelve, I was apparently designated to keep account of the "money bag" but I was most traditionally known for in Jesus' betrayal into the hands of Roman authorities
My name is also associated with a Gnostic gospel, the Gospel of Judas, that exists in an early fourth century Coptic text. I've been figured of great interest to esoteric groups, such as many Gnostic sects, and has also been the subject of many philosophical writings.
Most modern Christians, whether laity, clergy, or theologians, still consider Judas a traitor. Indeed the term Judas has entered many languages as a synonym for betrayer, and I was become the archetype of the betrayer in Western art and literature. However, some scholars have embraced alternative notions that I was merely the negotiator in a prearranged prisoner exchange that gave Jesus to the Roman authorities by mutual agreement or acted with Jesus' knowledge and consent to ensure the re-enactment of Biblical prophecy, and that his later portrayal as "traitor" was a historical distortion.
