Judas
Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' twelve apostles, betrayed his master to the authorities. This act led to the crucifixion and death of Jesus.

What the Bible tells us about Judas:

Judas was one of the 12 disciples closest to Jesus
Judas offered to betray Jesus to the religious authorities
They agreed to pay him 30 pieces of silver for doing so
Jesus knew that Judas was going to do this, but took no action to stop him
Judas led soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was praying
Judas kissed Jesus to identify him
Afterwards Jesus' death, according to Matthew's gospel, Judas regretted his actions, returned the money and hanged himself
Other versions say that he didn't return the money and died by accident
In fact the books of the Bible don't offer a consistent account of what Judas did, but the list above includes the events that most people associate with Judas.

What happened to Judas afterwards - According to the Gospel of Matthew
Matthew says that Judas committed suicide.

There are various interpretations of this story:

Judas killed himself in horror at his betrayal of Jesus
Judas killed himself because he had betrayed everyone who had stayed loyal to Jesus and so made himself an outcast from his peer group
Judas killed himself in order to redeem himself from his bad act (this was an accepted use of suicide in the first century)
Judas killed himself in order to focus the blame on those who had paid him to betray Jesus
When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.
He said, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.'
But they said, 'What is that to us? See to it yourself.' Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.
But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, 'It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.' After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter's field as a place to bury foreigners. For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
Matthew 27:3-8
According to St Luke in Acts
Luke suggests that the death of Judas may have been an accident, but some writers think that the passage below refers to Judas falling from the rope that he used to hang himself - perhaps as a result of bodily decay.

Now this man [Judas] acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong [or swelling up], he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.
This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.
Acts 1:18-19
According to Dante's Inferno
In Dante's Inferno Judas is found in the lowest circle of hell, which is reserved for traitors. Judas is labelled as the worst traitor of all, and doomed to suffer the greatest torment possible.

Judas is stuffed head first into the centre of Satan's three mouths, condemned to spend eternity being chewed by the Devil. (The other two mouths of Satan, if you're interested, are chomping on Brutus and Cassius, the killers of Julius Caesar.)

At every mouth he with his teeth was crunching
A sinner, in the manner of a brake,
So that he three of them tormented thus.
To him in front the biting was as naught
Unto the clawing, for sometimes the spine
Utterly stripped of all the skin remained.
"That soul up there which has the greatest pain,"
The Master said, "is Judas Iscariot;
With head inside, he plies his legs without.
Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy - Inferno, Canto 34
According to Papias
Papias, a 2nd century bishop, gave Judas a sad departure from this world, but passed no opinion as to what happened to him thereafter.

Judas, walked about in this world a sad example of impiety; for his body having swollen to such an extent that he could not pass where a chariot could pass easily, he was crushed by the chariot, so that his bowels gushed out.
Papias, From the Exposition of the Oracles of the Lord
Why Judas betrayed Jesus
There are several theories as to why Judas betrayed his master. The only motive shown in scripture is greed, but the gospels also say that Judas was possessed by Satan, and acted as he did to fulfil prophecies.

A range of other reasons, most of which make Judas seem less blameworthy, are also worth looking at.

Judas was motivated by greed
Judas was possessed by the Devil
Judas had to fulfil a prophecy
Judas' betrayal was a necessary part of God's salvation plan
Judas had a political motive
Judas was disillusioned and angry
Judas didn't intend a 'betrayal'
Let's examine these reasons further: drop your comments and share

both.

onlyinJESUS:
both.

Ditto here too

MuttleyLaff:
Ditto here too

what do you mean?

MuttleyLaff:
Ditto here too

what do you mean?

MuttleyLaff:
Ditto here too

what do you mean?

onlyinJESUS:
what do you mean?

Judas fulfilled Jesus' prophecy ...

onlyinJESUS:
what do you mean?

... and that he gave in to temptation so what happened is now history

Was it not ForeTold that Men shall become Haters of God? Do you not See how men Hate God, Even Here in Nairaland? Do you not See how they Hate God By themselves?

There is an open competition, and you are free to join? It is "Who can tell what shall be?" Isaiah 41:26.

Beaware, Ecclesiastics 10:14.