Iscariot by Tosca Lee

Iscariot is a fictional account of events that led to Judas Iscariot’s notorious betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent suicide. I chose the book because I was curious to learn what the author had to say about a famous figure of history whose personal story is nevertheless scanty and wide open to speculation.

The story is told in first-person narrative, so it is easy to slip into the skin of Judas the child, the ambitious youth, the love-starved disciple, and ultimately the catalytic figure who made possible the arrest and trial of Jesus the Nazarene. Author Tosca Lee gifts the reader with rich details of the times and artfully emphasizes political and religious issues to support her fictional suppositions that explain Judas’s mindset and intentions. Overall, the narrative is sympathetic toward Judas, presenting him as a pious first-century Jew who suffered Roman persecution as a child and, like most Jews, was constantly on the lookout for God’s messiah. Ever suffering from life events that left him feeling ritually and spiritually unclean, Judas followed Jesus in confusion and double-minded devotion, never sure if his master was the promised messiah who would liberate his oppressed people or a madman who wielded divine power in unpredictable and dangerous ways. The story would have you believe that Judas betrayed Jesus because he loved him and believed he could help him as no one else could.

Author, Tosca Lee

I am grateful for this book, not only for its interesting descriptions of life in Jesus’ time but also because it forced me to take a closer look at the relationship between Jesus and his disciples and imagine for myself what could have driven Judas to act as he did. Unexpected was a penetrating view of Jesus as Judas might have seen him. Most disturbing to me was the story’s portrayal of Jesus as a depressive character, whose ministry progressively wasted him physically and spiritually, prompting Judas to “save” him through his bargaining with the Sanhedrin. Nevertheless, I value the story for its fresh perspective and invitation to reevaluate my opinions about Judas and his role in the ministry and passion of Jesus.