For 2,000 years, Judas Iscariot has dominated Western imagination as ultimate betrayer—but pplpod strips away Sunday school mythology to examine the historical puzzle beneath. This episode dissects conflicting ancient texts, apocryphal sources, and modern scholarly analysis to reveal how Judas functions less as a one-dimensional villain and more as a mirror reflecting the anxieties of early Christian communities. By exploring how his name transformed from a respected Hebrew title meaning "praise" into a curse word across multiple languages, we uncover what this fractured historical record reveals about theology, power, and how societies reshape the past to justify the present. Prepare for a complete recalibration of what you think you know about betrayal itself.

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