Analyzes the myth of Judas Iscariot in the Gospels, its development in Christian tradition and folklore, and its antisemitic significance from the ancient period up to modern times. The image of Judas Iscariot as the evil betrayer of Jesus has been an important source of antisemitism among Christians, even those who do not accept the fundamental beliefs of the Christian religion. Argues that the myth of Judas as the betrayer is not supported by the New Testament. Suggests that Judas was identical with Jude the Apostle; he has been saddled with a degrading myth that is an insult to his loyalty and integrity.

Seeks the origins of later Christian anti-Judaism in Gnosticism and Pauline theology. Describes Gnostic anti-Judaism as directed primarily against the Jewish God and his law, rather than against the Jewish people who are their blind servants. Judaism for the Gnostics is more contemptible than dangerous, since its power is only in this world, to which the Gnostics attached no importance. Suggests that their hostility was aroused by Judaism's claim to equate its God with the higher God of Hellenistic thought. Paul took over much of the Gnostic two-power scheme, including the view of the Jews as blind servants of the Law. Argues that his own anti-Judaism did not go beyond that of the Gnostics. But in seeing the Crucifixion as central to salvation, and in singling out the Jews for a special role in salvation history, he added to the Gnostic two-power theology elements that later took shape as the Christian view of the Jews as Christ-killers and instruments of Satan.