So, I'm re-reading Acts, and it seems to me that Judas bought some land with his betrayal of Christ earnings, then either fell or threw himself off a cliff, and BROKE IN HALF, and all his bowels (!) spilled out of him, resulting in the field being called "the field of blood" or some such thing.
Now I don't know why I thought Judas hung himself, so I'm curious if anybody else has any other take on the fate of Judas. Anybody except biblical retards like ABS, Loki, and Dragon, that is. Though I'm sure they'll have something supremely idiotic to say.
So did Judas commit suicide, or did he fall from a cliff, jump from a cliff, or hang himself? When? Years after the death of Christ? Shortly after? He had time to buy land, if I'm reading the passage correctly. It's maddeningly and miraculously ambiguous, as much of the bible is until you really start digging. And do we know his fate in the hereafter? Are there references to it? There is a vague reference to it in the Acts but I haven't really researched it yet.
There are many contradictions in the Bible regarding Judas. I will first address the conflicting accounts in Matthew and Acts. Here is what Matthew tells us about Judas in the purported complete, inerrant and inspired word of God (quotes are verbatim, but I have eliminated verse numbers for easier reading):
“And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
“And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me” (Matthew 27:2-10, KJV, emphasis my own).
And now, let's examine the second account of the story of Judas as presented in the book of Acts. You will immediately see several discrepancies.
“Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out” (Acts 1:16-18, KJV, emphasis my own).
Comparing the account given in Matthew with the account given in Acts, we discover several contradictions:
First, Matthew says Judas give the 30 pieces of silver back to the priests, and the priest used it to buy a field; however, Acts says Judas kept the money and he himself purchased the field. Second, Matthew says Judas died by hanging himself (there is no other interpretation of the words used by Matthew); however, Acts said he fell headlong [headfirst] and burst asunder so that his bowels gushed out. So there are several contradictions between Matthew and Acts.
Now let us examine other parts of Matthew's account to see if they jive with the rest of the Bible. Of course they do not.
First contradiction between Matthew and the Old Testament:
Matthew said, “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value.” However, there is no mention in the book of Jeremy (Jeremiah) of thirty pieces of silver, and Matthew is clearly wrong. Christians point to Jeremiah 32:6-9 to show that a prophecy was fulfilled by Judas; however these verses say nothing about 30 pieces of silver (although they do mention 17 pieces (shekels) of silver. Here are the relevant verses:
“And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver” (Jeremiah 32:6-9). The only place in the Old Testament that 30 pieces of silver are mentioned is in Zechariah 11:12-13; however, Matthew said the 30 pieces of silver was mentioned in Jeremiah, not Zechariah.
Second contradiction between Matthew and the Old Testament:
Matthew sees every word written in the Old Testament as a prophecy. However, a casual reading of EITHER Jeremy 32:6-9 or Zechariah 11:12-13 will show there is not a hint of prophecy within the verses. Both prophets are clearly describing events which have already occurred, and there is nothing which anyone of normal intelligence would view to be prophetic. I call this a contradiction because, unlike Matthew I know what a prophecy is. How any one could read the above quoted verses and see a prophecy involving Judas is beyond me. However, I do know that many Christians, even very intelligent ones, seem to disengage their brains when discussing the Bible.
OK, time for fun: Question: How many ways did Judas die? Answer: four!!
First, according to Matthew, he hanged himself.
Second, according to Acts, he fell and was disemboweled.
Third, according to Paul, he didn't die at all!!! What, you say?? Wait, wait, wait, let me prove what I say. Here is something Paul said in the complete, inerrant and inspired word of God:
“And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:4-9).
Paul unequivocally says that AFTER the crucifixion, but BEFORE the ascension Christ was seen by all twelve apostles. However other Biblical accounts make it clear that there were only eleven apostles at the time. Matthias was not appointed to replace Judas until after the ascension (Acts 1-26, read in context of entire chapter), so that Paul's reference to “the twelve” included Judas! Paul says Judas was alive after the resurrection, and therefore no one knows when or how he died!
Fourth, but I have to go outside the Bible for this one, Judas was run over by a wagon. Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, one of the chief Christian authorities of the second century, and who wrote before the books of Matthew and Acts were written, gives the following account of the fate of Judas:
"Judas walked about in the world a great example of impiety; for his body having swollen so that, on an occasion, when a wagon was moving on its way, he could not pass it, he was crushed by the chariot and his bowels gushed out" The Christ, by John E. Remsberg, Item 279).
I hope I have answered your question. I apologize for being so wordy, but there are indeed many problems regarding the Biblical account of Judas Iscariot. I have not mentioned all the contradictions, just enough to let you know that the Biblical stories of Judas are not reliable.
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