Death of Judas in Biblical accounts Judas Iscariot

judas iscariot tarzhishte monastery, strupets, bulgaria, 16th-century fresco

there several different accounts of death of judas, including 2 in modern biblical canon:

matthew 27:3–10 says judas returned money priests , committed suicide hanging himself. used buy potter s field. gospel account presents fulfillment of prophecy.
the acts 1:18-19 says judas himself used money buy field (lit: acquire), fell headfirst, , burst asunder in midst, , bowels gushed out. field called akeldama or field of blood.
the non-canonical gospel of judas says judas had vision of disciples stoning , persecuting him.
another account preserved christian leader, papias: judas walked in world sad example of impiety; body having swollen such extent not pass chariot pass easily, crushed chariot, bowels gushed out.

the existence of conflicting accounts of death of judas has caused problems scholars have seen them threatening reliability of scripture. problem 1 of points causing c. s. lewis, example, reject view every statement in scripture must historical truth.

various attempts @ harmonization have been suggested. have followed literal interpretations such of augustine, suggest these describe different aspects of same event – judas hanged himself in field, , rope snapped , fall burst body open, or accounts of acts , matthew refer 2 different transactions. have taken descriptions figurative: falling prostrate judas in anguish, , bursting out of bowels pouring out emotion.

modern scholars tend reject these approaches stating matthew account midrashic exposition allows author present event fulfillment of prophetic passages old testament. argue author adds imaginative details such thirty pieces of silver, , fact judas hangs himself, earlier tradition judas s death.

matthew s description of death fulfilment of prophecy spoken through jeremiah prophet has caused difficulties, since not correspond known version of book of jeremiah appear refer story book of zechariah describes return of payment of thirty pieces of silver. writers such jerome , john calvin concluded error.

more recently, scholars have suggested gospel writer may have had passage jeremiah in mind, such chapters 18:1–4 , 19:1–13 refers potter s jar , burial place, , chapter 32:6–15 refers burial place , earthenware jar. raymond brown suggested, plausible [explanation] matthew 27:9–10 presenting mixed citation words taken both zechariah , jeremiah, , ...he refers combination 1 name. jeremiah 18–9 concerns potter (18:2–; 19:1), purchase (19:1), valley of hinnom (where field of blood traditionally located, 19:2), ‘innocent blood’(19:4), , renaming of place burial (19:6, 11); , jer 32:6–5 tells of purchase of field silver. randel helms gives example of fictional , imaginative use christians of old testament: matthew s source has blended jeremiah s buying of field , placing deed in pot zechariah s casting of thirty pieces of silver down in temple , purchase of potter s field.