Bible Dictionaries
Judas

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. ISCARIOT, that is, man of Carioth or Kerioth, a city of Judah, Joshua 15:25 . Being one of the twelve apostles of our Lord, Judas seems to have possessed the full confidence of his fellow apostles, and was entrusted by them with all the presents which were made them, and all their means of subsistence; and when the twelve were sent out to preach and to work miracles, Judas appears to have been among them, and to have received the same powers. He was accustomed, however, even at this time, to appropriate part of their common stock to his own use, John 12:6; and at length sealed his infamy by betraying his Lord to the Jews for money. For the paltry sum of about , he engaged with the Jewish Sanhedrin to guide them to a place where they could seize him by night without danger of a tumult. But when he learned the result, a terrible remorse took possession of him; not succeeding in undoing his fatal work with the priests, he cast down before them the price of blood, crossed the gloomy valley of Hinnom, and hung himself, Matthew 27:3-10 . Luke, in Acts 1:18 , adds that he fell headlong and burst asunder, probably by the breaking of the rope or branch. The steep hillside south of the valley of Hinnom might well be the scene of such a twofold death. See ACELDAMA .

The remorseful confession of Judas was a signal testimony to the spotless innocence of Christ, Matthew 27:4; and his awful end is a solemn warning against avarice, hypocrisy, and all unfaithfulness, Matthew 26:34 John 17:12 Acts 1:25 .

2. One of the apostles, called also Jude, Lebbeus, and Thaddeus, Matthew 10:3 Mark 3:18 Jude 1:1 , the son of Alpheus and Mary, and brother of James the LESS. See James 2,3 . He was the author of the epistle which bears his name, Mark 6:3 Luke 6:16 Acts 1:13 .

3. The brother of our Lord, Matthew 27:56 . Supposed by many to have been only a cousin, and the same as Judas 2. The apostle. But his "brethren" did not believe in him until near the close of his ministry. See James 3 4 . A Christian teacher, called also Barsabas, sent from Jerusalem to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, Acts 15:22,27,32 .

5. Surnamed "the Galilean," called also, by Josephus, the Gaulonite. He was born at Gamala, a city of Gaulonitis near the southeastern shore of the lake of Tiberias. In company with one Sadoc, he attempted to excite a sedition among the Jews, but was destroyed by Quirinus, or Cyrenius, at that time governor of Syria and Judea, Acts 5:37 .

6. A Jew at Damascus, with whom Paul lodged, Acts 9:11 .

Bibliography Information
Rand, W. W. Entry for 'Judas'. American Tract Society Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​ats/​j/judas.html. 1859.