Gospel of Judas scholarship dubious

Thomas Bartlett, of the Chronicle of Higher Education, has an article out this week on the scholarship behind the Gospel of Judas. Marvin Meyer, a Coptic scholar from Chapman University (affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)), was the first translator of the document. Unfortunately, he does not come off in a very flattering way. It seems that there was an agenda to find a more sympathetic Judas as the National Geographic project got underway. They found what they were looking for. The translation has many significant flaws in it, skewing the understanding toward a more favorable impression of Judas. The story and analysis of the scholarly debate are very interesting. I recommend it.