Here is the secret and sudden revelation
that 'Isá Eucharistos
gave to Iudas Iscariotos
3 days before the Passover festival.
When I came to live upon the Earth
I performed dynamic miracles, many wonders
for the salvation of the peopled world.
While some walked in the way of justice,
others ambled about in their transgressions,
and so I called upon my chosen 12 for their assistance.
I spoke unto them about the mysteries
beyond the world and what would happen when
the end Dawned upon them. And often
I would not appear as a peer before them,
but mingled as a child amongst my friends.
One day in Iudea I went unto my students.
I found them all sat together
locked in worship.
When I came near, I saw their prayer
of thanks over their bread. I laughed at them.
My students said, "Teacher, why do you laugh
at us for giving thanks? Are we in error?"
I answered them, saying, "No, I don't laugh
at you. You are acting not of your own will
but so that through these things your god will know
your offerings of praise." They said, "But teacher,
you are the son of our own god, are you not?"
And I told them, "Not so!
How is that you have come to know Me
in this way? Amen, I say unto you.
No generation of those who
walk among you
will know who I am in truth."
When the students had listened to all of this,
they broke into anger and fury. They
began to execrate Me
in their hearts.
When I noticed their ignorance,
which they had mistaken for piety,
I asked them, "Why has your agitation led you to anger?"
The god you have imagined in your souls
spurs you to vanity's rituals. Let any one of you
endowed with strength among their fellow mortals
produce the perfect human, and stand near me
so that I may gaze lovingly upon him, face to face."
They all replied unto Me, "We have this strength."
Yet they dared not to stand before Me
when I began to disrobe.
save for Iudas Iscariotos.
He was able to bear My Shame
but could not meet My eyes and turned
his face down and away. Iudas said,
"I know where you are and where you come from.
I know this for certain.
You are from the deathless realm of Barbelo's aeon,
the holy source of All,
and my mouth is unworthy to utter
the ineffable name of Him who sent You."
When I saw my friend brooding on the rest
of what is exalted, endless, I motioned unto him,
"Come here. I will tell you the mysteries
of the Kingdom, not that you'll go there,
but you'll go through deep grief,
for someone will replace you to complete
the circle of 12 before their god."
Iudas said unto me, "When will you give
me these secrets? And when will the great
and final Dawn illumine our generation?"
But by the time he spoke, I was gone.
Early in the morning, before Dawn, I came again
to see my students, and they said unto me,
"Master, after you left us, you dissappeared.
Where did you journey to, and what did you do?"
I told them, graciously, "I went to see a holy and great
dominion of another generation."
My friends asked me about it, "What is this great generation
that lies above us, holier than we are
and that does not glitter in our world?"
When I heard this, I laughed uproariously.
"Why are you mumbling in your hearts
about the strong and holy generation?
Amen, I tell you, no one born in this aeon
will be able to glimpse that One,
and no army of angels from the stars
will have dominion over them,
and no person of mortal birth can join it,
because that generation is not from
this realm of contingents.
The aeons that make up the people among you
are from this one, from the human generation,
through whose powers you compete over betterment."
When my students heard this, each of them sank,
spirit in turmoil, and couldn't say a word.
Save Iudas, who had meditated well on these things
in his heart.
They said, "We've seen a giant house. It has
a great altar inside. There were 12 men.
We think that they are enlightened. There is a name,
and crowds of people are waiting at its altar
to see the offerings presented by the elders.
We were also there." I said,
"And what were these elders like?"
They answered, "Some fast for weeks.
Some sacrifice their children, others wives,
all under ruses of humility
or praise. Some impinge upon others,
and others murder.
And some perform a multitude of sins
and lawless acts. And yet these men before
the altar constantly invoke your name,
and in their own sacrificial deeds,
they fill the altar with imagined offerings."
After they spoke, they were silent, troubled.
They wondered how their god could
allow such things.
I said unto them, "Why are you troubled?
Amen, I say unto you, all of the priests standing
before the altar proclaim my name.
It hovers before them. Again,
I say unto you, my name has been writ
as letters in generations
of stars, by way of the Noble Form.
It yet operates, in this way —
planting trees that bear no fruit,
shamefully, and in my name." I went on,
"You have observed only yourselves
presenting offerings before the altar.
They are the ones that you are.
Each person, a reflection, seen darkly,
as in a mirror. Your piety has become the god
that you serve. The cattle that you saw offered
mirror the many people you will lead astray
before that same altar. The altar of my name.
They will sacrifice themselves, but they
will fail. Because they do not know who they
are sacrificing. The mortal rulers will stand
using my name in such a way, and generations
of those with faith and piety stand loyal
by him. All in my name, which will grow tainted.
Sorcerer, Roman, King of the Jews, Magician.
Yet after him, another man
will stand before you from the misogynists,
another from the child-slayers,
another from those who impinge upon others,
from those who fast for piety, and from all
the others, from among the people of pollution,
heedlessness, and Error. Some say 'We are all like
angels.' They are stars bringing an end to all.
They forget their own deaths, their need for rest.
And unto this generation's human beings
it is announced, 'Look, now god has received
your sacrifice from a priest's hands, meaning
a minister of Error. But it is the Lord
of the Universe who commands and speaks!
On the Last Day they will be shamed and punished!
They will be bound atop Mount Mara."
I said unto them, "Stop sacrificing
what you have upon the altar,
since the fates has command over your stars, over
your angels, and already have reached
their conclusion there. Let them be
in front of you. And let them go
to wander the hills, and eat of the fields
and be left unto their own generations.
A baker cannot feed all of Creation
under Heaven." When the students heard this,
they said unto me, "Master! Help us. Save us."
But I told them, "Stop struggling with me. Each of you
has a star assigned unto you, and everyone
who has not seen their star's fixed setting
shall come upon a spring of water
for their tree, which shall blossom,
for their aeon's sake. And after a time,
the full orchard shall be flooded, and
nourished. It shall be called the highest paradise and
the enduring generation, for it shall not defile the
walk through life, and they shall not know Error,
and it shall be as such forever and ever.
This is the fixed setting of the final star."
Iudas asked me, "Teacher, what kind of fruit
does this generation yield?"
I replied, "The souls of each generation
will die. However, when these people end
the time within this kingdom
and the spirit leaves them,
their bodies appear to die, yet their souls
will stay alive, and they will be
risen above."
Iudas asked,
"And what will all the other human generations do?"
I said, "It is impossible
to sow seed upon rock and harvest good fruit.
That is the work of the shortsighted, shallow peoples
and of their wisdom, which is defiled,
the hand that gives rise to mortals,
so their souls must rise up unto what is eternal.
Amen, I say unto you, no authority, angel, or
power can see
the realms that this great and holy
generation can see."
And after I said this, I left.
Iudas said, "Teacher, as you have heard
all the others, hear me. I have had a vision."
When I heard this, I laughed quite a lot!
and I said "You, the blessed, 13th daimon,
need to come unto me with your visions?
Iudas spoke solemnly, and I calmed myself.
"In my vision I saw myself
and the other 12 students stoning me.
and persecuting me most grievously.
Yet I also saw the place where you rest!
I saw a great House, of such cosmic dimension
that my eyes could not perceive its scope.
Exalted souls surrounded it,
singing hymns, and in the middle of the House,
was a crowd, reciting passages, preparing beds,
preparing feasts for mortal hosts. I was saying,
'Teacher, take me in along with all of these
beings most happy."
I answered, saying,
"Iudas, your star is that which scatters. It
has led even you astray, but it is of
no major concern. Look. No spirit of mortal birth
would find proper comfort in the House
that you have seen. If you have come from above,
your time has not yet come. If you were born of Earth,
it is a miracle that this vision was delivered.
This House is for the arbiters,
solely for them. Neither sun nor moon
have dominion there, nor day nor night,
and yet the arbiters live there forever
in the eternal realm with holy angels,
at dusk, at Dawn, and in twilight.
Look. I have revealed unto you the mysteries
of the kingdom and I have taught you
about the error of the stars, and what you
shall send forth unto the 12 aeons
who are beneath yours."
Iudas asked me, "Teacher, could my works,
my heritage, fall under the control of
the archons, who are the governors of this world?
I answered, telling him, "Come here, that I may
reveal unto you what is secret, and disclose unto you what is
hard to interpret. Some of Us are born under stars that are
more difficult than others.
This is no sin. You will be okay.
It is not unfair, for you will not be taxed,
beyond your capacity. Your works, and mine,
will fall under the control of the archons,
who are the governors of this world.
The 12 shall not be degraded,
and neither shall I be,
nor you. But all that have spoken,
and understood, even an inkling,
shall be redeemed. But you,
dearest 13th, you shall know
the deepest sorrow, when you see
the kingdom, and all of its generations
prior to the great
kingless realm."
When he heard this, Iudas said unto me,
"What good to me is this?
For your wisdom has seperated me from
that realm, yea, even for its own sake.
Am I to be a sacrifice? A trade?"
I answered him, saying,
"You will become the 13th,
and you will be cursed
by other generations. But in the end
you will rule over them. In the last days
they will oppose you, in hopes that you
will not rise up to the holy realms above.
Because your indignation will be so great,
so too, will the depth of your insight.
Verily, you will be redeemed for your loyalty
unto my schemes. You will rule over them."
I said, "Now come here, and listen again.
So I can tell you more of what
no person has ever glimpsed.
For there exists a great and boundless realm
whose horizons not a single generation
of angels has looked upon. And therein
is the great invisible spirit,
which no angels' eyes have ever seen,
nor thought of the heart once comprehended,
and I was never called by any name.
"Then a luminous cloud of Light appeared.
The spirit said, 'Let an angel come into
being and he will become My attendant.'
And all at once, there was great rejoicing.
A great angel, the enlightened divine,
self-conceived, emerged from the cloud.
Because of him, 4 other angels come
into existence
from another cloud, and they became attendants
for the angel, the self-conceived One, who said,
'Let Adamas come into being,' and Adamas
emerged into being. And he created
the 1st luminary for him to reign over.
He told them, 'Let angels come into being
to serve him,' and myriads suddenly came
into being. He said, 'Let an enlightened
aeon come into being,' and he came into
being. Then he created the 2nd luminary
to reign over him, together with myriads
beyond number to serve and offer worship!"
I was smiling as I said all of this,
motioning excitedly with my hands.
"This is how he created other enlightened
aeons. He made them to reign over them,
and he created for them myriads of angels
beyond number to serve and offer worship!"
I repeated myself.
"Adamas was in the 1st luminous cloud
that no angel has ever seen among all
those names who are called, 'El,' 'god.' He was
after the image of the Mirror,
and after the likeness of the Angel.
He made the incorruptible generation
of Seth appear to the 12 luminaries,
who are aeons, and the 12 daimons,
so that there were 24 of them.
He made 72 luminaries appear
in the incorruptible generation
in accordance with the Spirit's will.
Then the 72 luminaries
made 360 luminaries
appear in the incorruptible generation,
in accordance with the Spirit's will
that their number might be 5 for each.
The 12 aeons of the 12 luminaries
constitute their father, with 6 heavens
for each aeon, so there are 72
heavens for the 72 luminaries,
and for each of them the 5 firmaments.
This comes to 360
firmaments. They were given dominion
and a great army of angels beyond number,
for glory and adoration, and also
virgin spirits for glory and adoration
of all aeons, heavens, and their firmaments.
"The worldly multitude of those immortals
is called the cosmos—corruption, entropy, inviting
the decay—made by the Pleroma and the 72
luminaries, who are with Autogenes
and his 72 aeons. In the cosmos
appeared the 1st human, Progenes,
with his incorruptible powers. And the
aeon who appeared with his generation,
the aeon in whom are the cloud of knowledge
and Adamas, was called Eleleth, the uthra.
Now, after the 24 aeons and luminaries
had been set in their ways
and after the 144 aeons and luminaries
had been set in their ways
Eleleth decreed, 'Let 12
angels come into being to govern Hyle
in the mortal realm.' And look, from the cloud came
an angel. His face flashed with fire, his countenance
defiled by blood, and his name was Nebrod,
the hunter, who used the spear. Some thought
that he was Iaodabaoth, the pretender.
Another angel, Sakla, also came from the cloud.
So Nebrod made 6 angels,
and Sakla made 6 angels,
to be their assistants. And so they
produced 12 angels in the heavens,
each one of us possessing a section of them.
But yours is set apart.
Yours is a long occultation."
"The 12 rulers spoke with the 12 angels,
'Let each of you send forth generations
of people and let each of them receive the blessings of,
Barbelo's 5 chosen angels:
The 1st is Seth, who is called the Christ.
The 2nd is Harmathoth, the beloved Scribe.
The 3rd is Galilia, our Advocate.
The 4th is Yobel, the Summons, the Herald.
The 5th is Adonaios, the Lord on High.
These are those ruling the lowest realm,
and they are the 1st of all over Hyle's
place in reality. Dear, maligned Hades.
"Then Sakla said unto his angels, 'Let us make
a human being after the Likeness and after
the Image.' They fashioned Adam and his wife
Eve, who in the cloud is called Zoë,
which means 'life.' And by this name all generations
seek the man, and each of them calls the woman
by their own names. Now Sakla didn't command
any one generation to give birth to another
except the generations of Adam.
So said the ruler, 'Your life will end in this world,
your life with your children."
He said unto me, "What is the worth
of human life in this world?"
I said,
"Why do you ponder these things? Adam
and his generation have lived their span
of life in accordance with his own kingdom,
and with longevity in keeping with those who
keep him."
Iudas said unto me, "Does the human spirit
die, then?"
I said,
"This is why Michael was told
to give the people spirits only on loan
so that they might offer service, but the great one
ordered Gabriel to grant spirits unto the great
generation, with no king commanding it,
that their spirit and soul may be their own.
Then, the rest of the souls will be left
to their own devices. When their spirits are
consummated, they may yet taste death."
Iudas said unto me "How does our salvation
also incur the destruction of the wicked?"
I said "Look. These things are abstruse, but
I will tell you. In truth, some things are not
the same. They fall apart. When the good returns
and reclaims its portion, and when evil is left
unto its own devices, it is undone. We cast off
this world like a garment. Although it feels
that we have abandoned it, nay, it has
chased us out. Do you understand?"
He nodded. "Then the method is simple
withdrawal, self-selection?"
I said "Not so. So that Light may be freed from
the clutches of Hades, and so that Hyle may
be freed from that boundless Ignorance, which
has been cast as shadows over it, and
so that form may no longer be made manifest
but dissolved in unity, seek the living spirit, which
you have made to live in your flesh, among
the generations of angels. For Alláh had knowledge
given to Adam and those with him so that the rulers
of Hyle and so that the kings of Hades might not
impose dominion over them.
Iudas said unto me,
"So then how shall those generations live?"
"How shall they deal with others?"
I said, "Amen, I say to you,
for all of them are stars that shall bring events
to their consummation. When Sakla completes
the span of life assigned unto him, their first star
will sparkle with generations, and they
will finish what they said that they would do.
They will fornicate in my name, will slay
their children, and they will
pervert the causes of Heaven,
all in my name. Yet your star will rule over
this, the, your thirteenth aeon."
And then, I laughed.
Iudas said, "Master, why are you laughing
at this?"
I answered, saying, "I don't laugh
at you but at the error of the stars,
because these 6 stars are wandering about
with these 5 combatants, and they
will all be destroyed with their creatures."
Iudas asked me, "Those
who have been baptized in your name,
what will they do?"
I said, "Amen I say
unto you, this baptizing in my name
has grown vain and empty, offensive
unto me. Amen, I say unto you, my friend,
those who sacrifice their spirits unto the
waters of darkness have fallen under Sakla's
service. They have blinded their eyes unto
injustice. But you will surpass them all, for you
will sacrifice the man who bears me.
"Already your horn is raised,
your anger is on fire,
your star has passed by,
and your heart has grown strong.
"Amen, I say unto you, your last days shall
become grievous unto you. The ruler shall
first resist you, then shall plead before you,
since he will be destroyed by you. And then
the image of Adam's Lighted generation
will be exalted. Before there was Heaven,
Earth, and angels, that generation of mortals
existed in the eternal realms. And now look!
You have been told everything that is.
Raise your eyes and look at the cloud
and at the Light within it and the stars
surrounding it. The star that leads them all,
the auspice of the Way,
is your star."
Iudas raised his eyes and
saw the luminous cloud. And he
entered into it in Love.
Those standing on the ground heard a voice
coming from the cloud, saying,
"O Great Generation!
Have patience! Begin at once entering
into your own images.
Become yourselves."
The high priests murmured because we
had both gone into the guest room to pray. Yet
some of the scribes were there, watching sharply
and carefully in order to arrest me
while at prayer. They were afraid of those Jews
who esteemed me as a prophet. They came
near Iudas and said unto him, "What are
you doing here? You are just his student."
He answered them, better than they had hoped.
Iudas received some money, nobly, tearfully,
and then he handed me over to Rome.
This is adapted from Barnstone and Meyer's literary arrangement. I have restored the lacunae and ellipses using other Sethian texts and neighboring translations. The biggest change I made was adapting the gospel into the first person, which I feel adds a sense of presence and gravitas that contributes much to a text that is both obscure and personal. Some lines have adapted antecedents, and some partial sentences are reordered/swapped from passive to active voice. 'Chaos' was translated as the proper noun 'Hyle' here in most occurences, to draw a parallel between base matter and katabases/Hades. I added section numbers, and adapted some numbers into integer notations, as texts like these often served as vessels for layers of lessons (like mathematics, the days of the week, month, and year, planets and stars, etc. This will become obvious). Changing numbers to integer numerals, rather than spelling them out, could be considered an egregoric choice. I have otherwise largely retained Barnstone and Meyer's wording and line breaks, for their work was inspired. They said that they arranged the lines and breaks in such a way as to bring out the imagery, so I have preserved them, rather than condensed them into more traditional paragraphs.
I spent some time debating how to translate the title of the gospel. "The Gospel of Iudas" works as well as anything, but I wanted to capture the tragedy and the sardonic bite of this text better than "gospel" conveys to modern readers. I originally went with "The Passion of Iudas," to draw a parallel to 'Isá, but, on finish, "Good News, Iudas!" hit me like a freight train and I knew that it captured everything I loved about the text. I had tried to adapt this so that it is in a state that I would be proud to write and elated to read, a state without ellipses or lacunae, in which for the first time in so many years it is 'complete'. Enjoy.