Judas Iscariot

TAKE the TOUR — THREE/SEVEN-MAP — FAQ — Gematria Reference — Video-Channel

Hanging Judas

One of the more famous contentions concerning the infallibility of the Bible concerns the most notorious traitor in history: Judas Iscariot. This has caused skeptics to claim that the Bible contains clear contradictions and in so doing they point to the varying accounts of the death of Judas.

In the Gospel of Matthew (Mat. 23:5) his death is described as a hanging. In the book of Acts it is said that he fell headlong and his bowels gushed out. To some this appears as a contradiction. However, the amount of information given to the readers concerning this death is in but a handful of words. It is impossible to make any certain forensic analysis of the demise of anyone from so few words.

There is however a clear correlation between the two accounts: they both involve height. In order to hang yourself you must hang from something taller than yourself. In order to fall such that your guts gush out similarly requires some amount of height. It is curious then, that this supposedly so damning of a contradiction has such an obvious connection.

We will likely never know, until God’s return, just how Judas died. It is in every way possible however, that he hung himself over a ravine, a natural place to do so and the branch that he hung from broke. In this way he would have both hung himself and dashed his guts out. The later observers of the scene would primarily recognize the gruesome details of the guts having been gushed out. The writer of the book of Acts is under no obligation to render a full forensic account of the death of Judas.

It can be shown, however, that whenever a supposed contradiction appears in the text, there are surrounded with mathematical puzzles at long odds. Here is no different. When we highlight the two phrases that describe the death of Judas they come together and form a puzzle, and a dark one at that.

In the Matthew account there are but three words that describe his death.

Matthew 25:3

And he hanged himself

Και απελθων απηγξατο

Acts 1:18

and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

και πρηνης γενομενος ελακησε μεσος και εξεχυθη παντα τα σπλαγχνα αυτου

The accounts in Acts, adds a few more words. Together they form a puzzle. All told there are 78 letters in both accounts of his death. Analyzing these letters we find them to have an ordinal value of 827, a number that is prime. In Biblical numerics when one encounters a prime number, the important element of that prime is its order in the index of all primes. Here 827 is the 144th prime. This is important because, there were twelve disciples and Judas can be called the twelfth since he had to be replaced. 144 is twelve squared and the 78 letters of the account form the 12th triangle.

The Disciples Triangle

Α Ι

Α Π Ε

Λ Θ Ω Ν

Α Π Η Γ Ξ

Α Τ Ο Κ Α Ι

Π Ρ Η Ν Η Σ Γ

Ε Ν Ο Μ Ε Ν Ο Σ

Ε Λ Α Κ Η Σ Ε Μ Ε

Σ Ο Σ Κ Α Ι Ε Ξ Ε Χ

Υ Θ Η Π Α Ν Τ Α Τ Α Σ

Π Λ Α Γ Χ Ν Α Α Υ Τ Ο Υ

Looking at this triangle we find a rebus puzzle along the standard line of geometric analysis. Figurative shapes such as this display solutions in the primary aspects of their geometry. The perimeter in any geometric shape is of primary importance. Here the perimeter comes to 347 while the interior comes to 480. The meaning of this rebus puzzle can summed up in a single concise phrase, ‘To kill for shekels’ or in modern English ‘To kill for money.’

The ‘Shekels’ comes from the verse in Exodus 21:32, which contains a reference to 30 Shekels of Silver. The word Shekel in the Biblical context can mean silver, the very same metal for which Judas betrayed the Son of God.

This puzzle displays in but two numbers the entire essence of the betrayal of Christ by Judas.

When we look at the puzzle in a different light, we see that there is indeed another clear reference to Judas and this one as dark as they get. The sum of the triangle hanging above the base has a notorious sum. It is the very sum of the name of Judas. The metaphor is quite clear: Judas is hanging. The sum of the base displays a similar reference in that it is the sum of Judas plus the Devil. The two culprits the Bible describes as responsible for the betrayal of Jesus Christ.

Should we decide to look at the standard version of the numbers we see something similar. Here now the ‘Hanging’ portion comes to 5334 which is the full name of Judas Iscariot plus 3,000, another reference to the 30 pieces of silver that Judas was paid to betray Jesus Christ.

The base of the triangle comes to 1936, which refers to the regret of God. We must remember that Christ told his disciples, that as for Judas, it would have been better that he had never been born.