Rodolphe Kasser facts for kids
Rodolphe Kasser (born January 14, 1927 – died October 8, 2013) was a Swiss expert in languages, old writings, and ancient cultures. He was especially good at translating very old texts written in the Coptic language. He was known as a Coptic scholar, meaning someone who studies the Coptic language and its history.
A Life of Discovery
Rodolphe Kasser was born in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland. He went to college to study theology in Lausanne and Paris from 1946 to 1950. Later, in 1964, he earned a special diploma in Paris, which was like getting a Ph.D. He also worked as a pastor in Switzerland and France between 1953 and 1959.
From 1963 to 1998, Kasser taught at the University of Geneva. He was a professor who taught about Coptic languages and literature. After 1965, he also led important archaeological digs in a place called Kellia in Lower Egypt. These digs were part of the Swiss Mission of Coptic Archaeology, where they looked for ancient artifacts and buildings.
After 1962, Kasser focused on deep research into the Coptic language. He even helped create a new dictionary for Coptic. He also worked on better ways to understand the different types of Coptic dialects. He published many important old books, called codices, written in Greek and Coptic. Many of these were parts of the Bible.
After the year 2000, Kasser played a big role in saving and publishing a very old book called the Codex Tchacos. This book contained the Gospel of Judas and other ancient Coptic texts.
The Gospel of Judas Translation
One of Rodolphe Kasser's most famous works was translating a 1,700-year-old copy of the "Gospel of Judas" into English. This ancient papyrus manuscript was put on display at the National Geographic Society's museum in Washington D.C. in April 2006.
The translation of this gospel suggested a different idea about Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. It claimed that Judas understood Jesus better than the other disciples. It even suggested that Judas was actually following Jesus's own instructions when he betrayed him. However, many other experts have disagreed with this interpretation since the gospel was first published.
