Personal motives of a sordid nature had also influence in causing him to remain. Instead, he lulled his fears of exposure by the fact that he was not mentioned by name, and continued ostensibly one of the faithful. But the situation, however disquieting it must have been to the ambitious designs which probably actuated Judas in his acceptance of the apostleship (compare below), was not sufficiently critical to call for immediate desertion on his part. Then follows John's commentary, "Now he spake of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve" ( John 6:71), implying that Judas was already known to Jesus as being in spirit one of those who "went back, arid walked no more with him" ( John 6:66). Thus, after the discourse on the Bread of Life in the synagogue of Capernaum ( John 6:26-59), when many of the disciples deserted Jesus ( John 6:66) and Peter protested the allegiance of the apostles ( John 6:69), Jesus answered, "Did not I choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil" ( John 6:70). These allusions are made with the manifest purpose of showing forth the nefarious character of Judas from the beginning and in their sequence there is a gradual development and growing clearness in the manner in which Jesus makes prophecy regarding his future betrayer. According to the Gospel of the Twelve Apostles (see SIMON THE CANAANITE), Judas was among those who received the call at the Sea of Tiberias (compare Matthew 4:18-22).įor any definite allusion to Judas during the interval lying between his call and the events immediately preceding the betrayal, we are indebted to John alone. He may have been present at the preaching of John the Baptist at Bethany beyond Jordan (compare John 1:28), but more probably he first met Jesus during the return of the latter through Judea with His followers (compare John 3:22). The first Scriptural reference to Judas is his election to the apostleship (compare Matthew 10:4 Mark 3:19 Luke 6:16). He was the son of Simon ( John 13:2) or Simon Iscariot ( John 6:71 13:26), the meaning of Iscariot explaining why it was applied to his father also. Plummer, article "Judas Iscariot" in HDB). The exact locality of Kerioth (compare Joshua 15:25) is doubtful, but it lay probably to the South of Judea, being identified with the ruins of el Karjetein (compare A. Judas was, as his second name indicates, a native of Kerioth or Karioth. One of the twelve apostles and the betrayer of Jesus for etymology, etc., see JUDAS.