OK, learning something I did not know. There is a theory that the reason Judas betrayed Jesus was political. In particular, that Judas was part of a political group that wanted Rome out of Israel and that he believed Jesus would eventually drive the Romans away. When he finally understood that this was not Jesus’ intent, be betrayed Him in hopes that it would force Jesus to drive Rome out. This is the reason that, once Judas realized Jesus' true intent, he (Judas) realized what he had done, which is why he threw the silver to the ground and took his own life.
“Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed
is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9). The word hosanna means "save, rescue, savior". In the Hebrew Bible it is used only in verses such as "help" or "save, I pray" (Psalms 118:25).
The name Judas Iscariot can be interpreted in more than one way. ‘Judas’ is the Greek form of Judah, a common Hebrew name. ‘Iscariot’ might be the Hellenised form of the Hebrew
’Ish Keriot, ‘man of Keriot’, a reference to Judas’s home town (see Jeremiah 48:24). Another explanation is that Judas Iscariot is the Greek form of
Judah Sicariot: Judah the Daggerman. The
Sicarii were a first-century group related to the Zealots, who also opposed Roman occupation. Unlike the Zealots, though, they did not aim to attack Romans directly. They would use curved
sicae, concealed under a cloak, to assassinate Jewish sympathisers. There’s a good chance that Judas was a
Sicarius. (see:
http://www.jubilee-centre.org/judas_racketeer_or_revolutionary/)
This might be “old news” to those you have been around for a while, but it is news to me.
Rtm3039