Discover the true meaning of the infamous lost Gospel of Judas . Lost for 1,600 years, the Gospel of Judas has only now had its meaning unlocked for readers today, causing worldwide controversy with its startling claim that not only did Jesus ask Judas to betray him, but also that Judas was killed by the other disciples. Was Judas a betrayer or a loyal disciple? Did he write this shocking document? And what does it mean for us today? In Reading Judas Elaine Pagels and Karen L. King, world-renowned experts in religious texts, explore the meanings of this contentious gospel in detail, separating myth from fact. Here they reveal a gospel that, far from seeing Jesus' death as a sacrifice for humanity's sins, opposes the idea of martyrdom and instead points towards a faith that is free from authority. Containing the first translation of the Gospel of Judas from the original Coptic, Reading Judas radically overthrows our notions of the Christian faith.