Judas Iscariot, (died c. 30ce), Disciple who betrayed Jesus. Judas was one of the original Twelve Apostles. He made a deal with the Jewish authorities to betray Jesus into their custody: in return for 30 pieces of silver, Judas brought an armed guard to the Garden of Gethsemane and identified Jesus with a kiss. Judas later regretted his deed and committed suicide; according to Matthew 27, he returned the money to the priests before hanging himself. His surname may mean “man of Kerioth,” or it may link him to the Sicarii, a band of radical Jewish terrorists.
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