Blood and Silver

One of my favorite places to study espionage is in the Bible. Greetings Everyday Spy, One of my favorite places to study espionage is in the Bible. The scriptures are an awesome source of information - about people, faith, hope, and fear. And there are few stories that show the power of spying like the story of Judas. In the Gospel, Judas betrayed Jesus’s location to the chief priests in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. These priests were part of the Sanhedrin - an civil authority that included religious and political leaders at the time. In exchange for 30 silver pieces, Judas agreed to take soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane and identify Jesus by kissing him. In a moment, the greatest traitor of all time sealed his place in history. But the espionage lesson is not why or how Judas betrayed Jesus. The lesson is in how the chief priests were able to compromise Judas. Most sermons and stories make it sound like the money alone turned Judas against Jesus, but spies know better. While money can make people do bad things, those actions are rarely tied to the value the money carries. Instead, people are motivated by the hope that the money brings. Sometimes that is hope for a better life. Hope for a healthy family. Hope for more money, more respect, more fame. But espionage is never just about money. Especially not 30 pieces of silver - which would be worth less than $2,000 today. Keep in mind, Judas spent nearly 3 years with Jesus and the other disciples. His entire identity was tied to the movement he was engaged in. And despite Jesus knowing Judas would betray him, none of the other disciples shared the suspicion. The High Priest and his chiefs were able to compromise Judas because they sold him hope. Scholars still debate why Judas agreed to help the chief priests. But we know that the hope they sold him was empty and false. And by the time Judas realized he had been compromised, it was too late. Money alone does not motivate people - it is the hope that money brings that can compromise us. And that [spy lesson was pulled from scripture]( long before I learned it at Langley… Godspeed, #EverydaySpy P.S. - [If you want to see how real-world spy skills can transform your life in a matter of days, check out the powerful]( Crash-Course and get ready for unbelievable results...]( Follow @EverydaySpy on Social Media! [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Andrew Bustamante, Founder of EverydaySpy.com, is a former covert CIA Intelligence officer, decorated US Air Force Combat Veteran, and respected Fortune 500 senior advisor. Learn more from Andrew on his Podcast (The Everyday Espionage Podcast) and by following @EverydaySpy on your favorite social media platform. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe]( EverydaySpy, 411 Walnut St. #20309, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043