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Glossary

Judas

Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles, betrayed Jesus to the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver. He was subsequently filled with remorse and hanged himself.

He is included among the other apostles when they are painted all together, particularly in the Last Supper. In the 15th century he is shown sitting alone on the nearside of the table, but in Leonardo's 'Last Supper' in Milan, he is seated with the others. He is usually dark-complexioned, sometimes with saturnine features.

He is occasionally portrayed trying to give back to Caiaphas, the high priest, the money for which he betrayed Christ. But his most common appearance in art is as the guide conducting the Roman Soldiers to Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.