The Gospel According to Judas

Presented as an account preserved by Benjamin Iscariot, the imagined son of Judas, this short novel retells the ministry and death of Jesus from a perspective that questions the traditional image of Judas as a calculating traitor. Its episodes draw on the language and structure of the canonical Gospels while placing Judas among the disciples, religious authorities and political pressures of Roman Judaea.

The narrative revisits encounters involving John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, Peter and Herod Antipas before reaching the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Written by Jeffrey Archer in collaboration with biblical scholar Francis J. Moloney, it is a modern work of historical and theological fiction rather than an ancient source. Its central concern is how later testimony shapes reputation, culpability and the meaning assigned to betrayal.