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Judas Iscariot is a rather infamous biblical character. After all, he's the disciple who betrayed Jesus—an action that had devastating consequences. It did, however, also shape the history of Christianity. Without Judas Iscariot's betrayal, there would be no Christianity as we know it.

But who was Judas, really, and why did he do what he did? Was he just a greedy, slimy man who wanted to make a quick buck without any concern for Jesus? Or were his actions actually influenced by Satan?

In this gallery, you'll get to know more about Judas Iscariot's life. Click on and find out who he really was.

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Back in the days of Jesus, people would not have had last names. Instead, epithets (descriptions) would be used instead. These were often references to where people came from, the group they belonged to, or their father’s name, etc. Iscariot is an epithet.

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It’s believed that Iscariot is a reference to the place Judas came from. Scholars believe he came from the town of Kerioth, making him the only disciple from Judea. Another theory is that the name associated him with the Sicarii—a group of Jewish rebels.

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The Bible actually mentions the name of Judas’ father. Judas Iscariot was the son of a man called Simon Iscariot.

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Judas was a fairly common name at the time. After all, it is derived from the Greek word Ἰούδας (Ioúdas), for the Hebrew “Judah” (King David’s tribe).

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There are several people named Judas and Jude in the Bible. One of them was Jesus’ own half brother.

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The Bible mentions that Jesus had a brother named Jude, which is a variation of the name Judas. “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?” (Mark 6:3). He is believed to be the author of the epistle Jude.

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Both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts make reference to Judas, sometimes referred to as Judas or Jude Thaddeus, or the son of James. This is Jude the Apostle.

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The name bears some weight in Christianity, and this is reflected in attempts to make a distinction between Judas Iscariot and others with the same first name. An example can be found in John 14:22, which reads: “Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, ‘But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?’.”

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According to the Gospel of John, Judas Iscariot was in charge of the disciples’ money.

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Also according to the Gospel of John, Judas was a thief. This is described in an episode where Mary anointed Jesus feet with perfume. “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it,” (John 12:4–6).

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Just before Jesus was arrested, he prayed for God to protect his disciples, except for one. “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled,” (John 17:12).

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Scholars point to two verses in the Bible. One reads: “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me,” (Psalm 41:9).

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The other possible scripture is Psalm 109:8: “May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.” This verse has been interpreted as being about Judas Iscariot, who would later be replaced.

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Judas Iscariot is best known for betraying Jesus. He went to the chief priests and let his greed take over. The episode is recalled in Matthew 26:14–16: “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”

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Judas leaves early during the Last Supper and returns with a group of men. “While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, 'Greetings, Rabbi!' and kissed him. Jesus replied, ‘Do what you came for, friend.’ Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him,” (Matthew 26:47–50).

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Judas waited for the right opportunity to betray Jesus—when he was away from people. “So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd,” (Luke 22:6).

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Judas’ motive is not fully known, but there are two major theories about the reasons for his betrayal. One is his greediness. Money is indeed mentioned in the Bible. “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” (Matthew 26:14–15). There's also Luke 22:5: “They were glad and agreed to give him money.”

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Another theory is that it was Satan’s work. Both Luke and John write about Satan influencing Judas Iscariot. It is possible that Satan even mentioned the future betrayal when he was tempting Jesus in the desert. "When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time," (Luke 4:13).

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Luke 22:3 says that Satan actually entered Judas. It reads: “And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve.”

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According to John 13:2, Satan had already prompted Judas to betray Jesus even before the Last Supper: “During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him.”

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But Satan didn’t enter Judas Iscariot until he touched a piece of bread given by Jesus. “Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him,” (John 13:26–27).

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Matthew 27:3-5 tells us that Judas Iscariot expressed regret when Jesus was handed over to Pilate. The passage reads: “Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.”

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The passage continues: “‘I have sinned,’ he said, ‘for I have betrayed innocent blood.’ ‘What is that to us?’ they replied. ‘That’s your responsibility.’ So Judas threw the money into the temple and left.”

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The money’s fate is described in Matthew 27:6–8: "The chief priests picked up the coins and said, ‘It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.’ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day."

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Both the Book of Acts and the Gospel of Matthew describe Judas’ death. Matthew 27:5 reads: “So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.”

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The Book of Acts, however, has a slightly different version of Judas’ death: “With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.”

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The twelve apostles became eleven. Then after much deliberation and prayer, Matthias was chosen by God to fulfill the role. There is not a lot of information about Matthias in the Bible though. There are, however, some theories of who he may be, including Zacchaeus, Barnabas, or Nathaniel.

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The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic text from the 3rd century that puts Judas Iscariot in a good light. The text tells us that Judas was in fact instructed by Jesus to betray him. Was he a good guy after all?

Sources: (OverviewBible) (Biblia) (Bible Gateway)