42 Jesus, Prophet of Islam
your people have given you into my hand; wherefore
tell us the truth, that l may do what is just. For l have
power to set you free and to put you to death.'
Judas answered: 'Sir, believe me, if you put me to
death, you will do a great wrong, for you will slay an
innocent person; seeing that l am Judas Iscariot, and not
Jesus, who is a magician, and by his art has so trans
formed me.'
When he heard this the governor marvelled greatly,
so that he sought to set him at liberty. The governor
therefore went out, and smiling said: 'In the one case, at
least, this man is not worthy of death, but rather of com
passion.' 'This man says,' said the governor, 'that he is
not Jesus, but a certain Judas who guided the soldiery
to take Jesus, and he says that Jesus the Galilean has by
his art magic so transformed hirn. Wherefore, if this be
true, it were a great wrong to kill him, seeing that he
were innocent. But if he is Jesus and denies that he is,
assuredly he has lost his understanding, and it were
impious to slay a madman.'
Then the chief priests and elders of the people, with
the scribes and Pharisees, cried out with shouts, saying:
'He is Jesus of Nazareth, for we know him; for ifhe were
not the malefactor we would not have given him into
your hands. Nor is he mad; but rather malignant, for
with this deviee he seeks to escape from dur hands, and
the sedition that he would stir up if he should escape
would be worse than the former.'
Pilate (for such was the governor's name), in order
to rid himself of such a case, said: 'He is a Galilean, and
Herod is king of Galilee; wherefore it does not pertain
to me to judge such a case, so you take him to Herod.'
Accordingly they led Judas to Herod, who for a long
time had desired that Jesus should go to his house. But
Jesus had never been willing to go to his house, because
Herod was a Gentile, and adored the false and lying
gods, living after the manner of the unclean Centiles.
Now when Judas had been led there, Herod asked him
of many things, to which Judas gave answers not to the
purpose, denying that he was Jesus.http://www.islamicbulletin.com