Judas Iscariot

Cultural  

1. The Apostle who betrayed Jesus to the authorities for thirty pieces of silver. When soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Judas identified their victim by kissing him. The next day, driven by guilt, Judas hanged himself.

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A “Judas kiss” is an act of seeming friendship that conceals some treachery.

Figuratively, a “Judas” is a betrayer, especially one who betrays a friend.

Example Sentences

With his long locks, wide-neck T-shirt and gray jeans, Lucas Hamming’s Judas Iscariot, who narrates the story, has something of the beleaguered British comedian Russell Brand about him.

From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2024

Unsurprisingly, most white Southerners bitterly rejected Longstreet’s entreaties and condemned him as a traitor on par with Judas Iscariot and Benedict Arnold.

From Slate • Nov. 20, 2023

This is a biblical reference to Judas Iscariot receiving 30 pieces of silver to betray Christ.

From Washington Times • Jun. 1, 2021

In “Judas,” his most recent novel, Mr. Oz examined the story of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, through the life of a Jewish biblical scholar in the 1950s.

From Washington Post • Dec. 28, 2018

Ben said, “We’re worried about our father, sir. If he finds out we’re suspended I could tell him I had a fistfight with Judas Iscariot and it wouldn’t make any difference.”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy