Event New Testament
Judas agrees to betray Jesus
Also known as The thirty pieces of silver
Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests and offered to hand Jesus over to them away from the crowds. They agreed to pay him, and Matthew records the sum as thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity.
Why it matters. The betrayal comes from inside the circle of the Twelve. The sum Matthew names echoes Zechariah, and the Gospels present Judas's choice as both his own act and part of what Scripture foresaw.
- Primary passages
- Dates
- AD 30 to 33 (approximate) (medium confidence, Passover week of the crucifixion under Pontius Pilate; AD 30 and AD 33 are the leading proposals)
The event belongs to the final week before the crucifixion, which is dated to AD 30 or AD 33 on calendrical grounds. FaithGraph records the range and does not choose.
- Witnesses
Chronology confidence: high
Recorded by all three Synoptics after the plot of the chief priests and, in Matthew and Mark, after the anointing at Bethany. Luke adds that Satan entered Judas.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
Connections
The Olivet discourse precedes Judas agrees to betray Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceMatthew and Mark record the plot and Judas's bargain after the discourse and the anointing.
Evidence:Judas agrees to betray Jesus precedes The Last Supper
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceJudas comes to the supper already committed to the betrayal.
Evidence:Caiaphas participates in Judas agrees to betray Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe chief priests with whom Judas bargains had gathered in the courtyard of Caiaphas to plan the arrest.
Evidence:Judas Iscariot participates in Judas agrees to betray Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceJudas goes to the chief priests and agrees to hand Jesus over.
Evidence:Judas agrees to betray Jesus explicitly fulfills Psalms 41:9
Explicit fulfillmentHigh confidenceJohn records Jesus saying the betrayal fulfills the Scripture, and Peter in Acts says the Scripture about Judas had to be fulfilled.
Evidence: