Opening the library…
Home Bible Corpus Discover You
Acts of Pilate
Anonymous / composite
Chapter 15 About this work A pseudonymous narrative associated with the Gospel of Nicodemus that expands Jesus’s trial, crucifixion, resurrection testimony, and in some forms the descent to the dead.
Author Anonymous / composite
Traditional attribution Pilate’s official records; later associated with Nicodemus
Date Main form c. mid-4th century; later accretions
Origin Unknown
Genre Apocryphon Several related textual forms circulate under this title, so the precise witness and date must be verified.
And Nicodemus stood up , and stood before the Sanhedrin
‹ Chapter 14 Chapter 16 ›,
saying
:
You
say
well
;
you
are
not
ignorant
,
you
people
of
the
Lord
,
of
these
men
that
come
down
from
Galilee
,
that
they
fear
God
,
and
are
men
of
substance
,
haters
of
covetousness
,
men
of
peace
;
and
they
have
declared
with
an
oath
,
We
saw
Jesus
upon
the
mountain
Mamilch
with
his
disciples
,
and
he
taught
what
we
heard
from
him
,
and
we
saw
him
taken
up
into
heaven
.
And
no
one
asked
them
in
what
form
he
went
up
.
For
assuredly
,
as
the
book
of
the
Holy
Scriptures
taught
us
,
Helias
also
was
taken
up
into
heaven
,
and
Elissæus
cried
out
with
a
loud
voice
,
and
Helias
threw
his
sheepskin
upon
Elissæus
,
and
Elissæus
threw
his
sheepskin
upon
the
Jordan
,
and
crossed
,
and
came
into
Jericho
.
And
the
children
of
the
prophets
met
him
,
and
said
,
O
Elissæus
,
where
is
thy
master
Helias
?
And
he
said
,
He
has
been
taken
up
into
heaven
.
And
they
said
to
Elissæus
,
Has
not
a
spirit
seized
him
,
and
thrown
him
upon
one
of
the
mountains
?
But
let
us
take
our
servants
with
us
,
and
seek
him
.
And
they
persuaded
Elissæus
,
and
he
went
away
with
them
.
And
they
sought
him
three
days
,
and
did
not
find
him
;
and
they
knew
he
had
been
taken
up
.
And
now
listen
to
me
,
and
let
us
send
into
every
district
of
Israel
,
and
see
lest
perchance
Christ
has
been
taken
up
by
a
spirit
,
and
thrown
upon
one
of
the
mountains
?
And
this
proposal
pleased
all
.
And
they
sent
into
every
district
of
Israel
,
and
sought
Jesus
,
and
did
not
find
Him
;
but
they
found
Joseph
in
Arimathæa
,
and
no
one
dared
to
lay
hands
on
him
.
And they reported to the elders , and the priests , and the Levites : We have gone round to every district of Israel , and have not found Jesus ; but Joseph we have found in Arimathæa . And hearing about Joseph , they were glad , and gave glory to the God of Israel . And the rulers of the synagogue , and the priests and the Levites , having held a council as to the manner in which they should meet with Joseph , took a piece of paper , and wrote to Joseph as follows : —
Peace to thee ! We know that we have sinned against God , and against thee ; and we have prayed to the God of Israel , that thou shouldst deign to come to thy fathers , and to thy children , because we have all been grieved . For having opened the door , we did not find thee . And we know that we have counselled evil counsel against thee ; but the Lord has defended thee , and the Lord Himself has scattered to the winds our counsel against thee , O honourable father Joseph .
And they chose from all Israel seven men , friends of Joseph , whom also Joseph himself was acquainted with ; and the rulers of the synagogue , and the priests and the Levites , say to them : Take notice : if , after receiving our letter , he read it , know that he will come with you to us ; but if he do not read it , know that he is ill - disposed towards us . And having saluted him in peace , return to us . And having blessed the men , they dismissed them . And the men came to Joseph , and did reverence to him , and said to him : Peace to thee ! And he said : Peace to you , and to all the people of Israel ! And they gave him the roll of the letter . And Joseph having received it , read the letter and rolled it up , and blessed God , and said : Blessed be the Lord God , who has delivered Israel , that they should not shed innocent blood ; and blessed be the Lord , who sent out His angel , and covered me under his wings . And he set a table for them ; and they ate and drank , and slept there . And they rose up early , and prayed . And Joseph saddled his ass , and set out with the men ; and they came to the holy city Jerusalem . And all the people met Joseph , and cried out : Peace to thee in thy coming in ! And he said to all the people : Peace to you ! and he kissed them . And the people prayed with Joseph , and they were astonished at the sight of him . And Nicodemus received him into his house , and made a great feast , and called Annas and Caiaphas , and the elders , and the priests , and the Levites to his house . And they rejoiced , eating and drinking with Joseph ; and after singing hymns , each proceeded to his own house . But Joseph remained in the house of Nicodemus .
And on the following day , which was the preparation , the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites went early to the house of Nicodemus ; and Nicodemus met them , and said : Peace to you ! And they said : Peace to thee , and to Joseph , and to all thy house , and to all the house of Joseph ! And he brought them into his house . And all the Sanhedrin sat down , and Joseph sat down between Annas and Caiaphas : and no one dared to say a word to him . And Joseph said : Why have you called me ? And they signalled to Nicodemus to speak to Joseph . And Nicodemus , opening his mouth , said to Joseph : Father , thou knowest that the honourable teachers , and the priests and the Levites , see to learn a word from thee . And Joseph said : Ask . And Annas and Caiaphas having taken the law , made Joseph swear , saying : Give glory to the God of Israel , and give Him confession ; for Achar being made to swear by the prophet Jesus , did not forsware himself , but declared unto him all , and did not hide a word from him . Do thou also accordingly not hide from us to the extent of a word . And Joseph said : I shall not hide from you one word . And they said to him : With grief were we grieved because thou didst beg the body of Jesus , and wrap it in clean linen , and lay it in a tomb . And on account of this we secured thee in a room where there was no windows : and we put locks and seals upon the doors and guards kept watching where thou wast locked in . And on the first day of the week we opened , and found thee not , and were grieved exceedingly ; and astonishment fell upon all the people of the Lord until yesterday . And now relate to us what has happened to thee .
And Joseph said : On the preparation , about the tenth hour , you locked me up , and I remained all the Sabbath . And at midnight , as I was standing and praying , the room where you locked me in was hung up by the four corners , and I saw a light like lightning into my eyes . And I was afraid , and fell to the ground . And some one took me by the hand , and removed me from the place where I had fallen ; and moisture of water was poured from my head even to my feet , and a smell of perfumes came about my nostrils . And he wiped my face , and kissed me , and said to me , Fear not , Joseph ; open thine eyes , and see who it is that speaks to thee . And looking up , I saw Jesus . And I trembled and thought it was a phantom ; and I said the commandments , and he said them with me . Even so you are not ignorant that a phantom , if it meet anybody , and hear the commandments , takes to flight . And seeing that he said them with me , I said to him , Rabbi Helias . And he said to me , I am not Helias . And I said to him , Who art thou , my lord ? And he said to me , I am Jesus , whose body thou didst beg from Pilate ; and thou didst clothe me with clean linen , and didst put a napkin on my face , and didst lay me in thy new tomb , and didst roll a great stone to the door of the tomb . And I said to him that was speaking to me , Show me the place where I laid thee . And he carried me away , and showed me the place where I laid him ; and the linen cloth was lying in it , and the napkin for his face . And I knew that it was Jesus . And he took me by the hand , and placed me , though the doors were locked , in the middle of my house , and led me away to my bed , and said to me , Peace to thee ! And he kissed me , and said to me , For forty days go not forth out of thy house ; for , behold , I go to my brethren into Galilee .
Notes 1 Perhaps better as a question.
2 Lit., boys.
3 2 Kings ii. 12–18.
4 i.e., Joshua. Josh. vii. 19, 20.
5 Comp. Acts x. 11.
6 Or, and he spoke to me.
