description Codex Tchacos Overview
The Codex Tchacos is an ancient papyrus codex written in Coptic and associated with texts from early Christian Gnostic traditions. Probably copied in Egypt during the third or fourth century CE, it contains several works, including the only known surviving manuscript of the Gospel of Judas. The damaged codex became widely known after its restoration and the publication of a translation in 2006, providing scholars with evidence about religious diversity in early Christianity.
help Codex Tchacos FAQ
What texts are contained in the Codex Tchacos?
The codex contains the Letter of Peter to Philip, a version of the First Apocalypse of James, the Gospel of Judas, and a fragmentary work associated with Allogenes. Its Gospel of Judas is the only known surviving manuscript of that text.
Is the Codex Tchacos the original Gospel of Judas?
No, the surviving codex is a Coptic copy made centuries after the period in which Judas Iscariot lived. The underlying Greek work was already known indirectly because Irenaeus criticized a Gospel of Judas in the second century.
Why was restoring the Codex Tchacos so difficult?
The papyrus suffered from age, fragmentation, and damaging handling after its modern discovery. Conservators had to identify and position numerous pieces before scholars could translate substantial portions of the Coptic text.
Does the Gospel of Judas portray Judas as a hero?
It presents Judas as the disciple who receives private revelations from Jesus and plays a distinctive role in the narrative. Calling him simply a hero is misleading, because the damaged text and its Gnostic cosmology allow more than one interpretation of his actions.
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