Note 4 at Mr 3:19: The name Iscariot means "inhabitant of Kerioth" (Strong's Concordance), a place in Judea. Judas Iscariot is mentioned twenty-two times in Scripture: five times in Matthew, three times in Mark, four in Luke, eight in John, and two in Acts, nearly all of which mention him in his role as the betrayer of Jesus. Several Old Testament scriptures deal prophetically with Judas, most notably Zec 11:12-13, which prophesies Jesus being sold for thirty pieces of silver. Other Old Testament scriptures that could be applied to Judas are Ps 41:9, 69:25, and 109:8 (see Ac 1:16-20).

Judas was the son of a man named Simon (Joh 6:71) and, like the other disciples, just an ordinary man. Not only was he chosen by Jesus as one of the twelve apostles, but he was also given the power to work miracles (Mt 10:5-20; Mr 3:14-15, 6:7-13; Lu 9:1-10; and Ac 1:17) and apparently was very successful at it (Mr 6:12-13 and Lu 9:10). He was the treasurer of the disciples (Joh 13:29) but was also a thief (Joh 12:6).

All four Gospels contain the account of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. Mt 27:3-4 says that when Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, he "repented himself" and went to the chief priests, saying, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." Full of remorse when the chief priests would not listen to him (Mt 27:4), he left the temple and hanged himself (Mt 27:5).

Jesus referred to Judas as being "lost" and as the "son of perdition" (destruction) in Joh 17:12. Jesus said, "It had been good for that man if he had not been born" (Mt 26:24, see also Mr 14:21).