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Acts of Pilate
Anonymous / composite
Chapter 11 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.
Then Jesus , crying out with a loud voice ,
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Father
,
into
Thy
hands
I
shall
commit
my
spirit
,
breathed
His
last
.
And
immediately
one
could
see
the
rocks
rent
:
for
there
was
an
earthquake
over
all
the
earth
;
and
from
the
earthquake
being
violent
and
great
,
the
rocks
also
were
rent
.
And
the
tombs
of
the
dead
were
opened
,
and
the
curtain
of
the
temple
was
rent
,
and
there
was
darkness
from
the
sixth
hour
till
the
ninth
.
And
from
all
these
things
that
had
happened
the
Jews
were
afraid
,
and
said
:
Certainly
this
was
a
just
man
.
And
Longinus
,
the
centurion
who
stood
by
,
said
:
Truly
this
was
a
son
of
God
.
Others
coming
and
seeing
Him
,
beat
their
breasts
from
fear
,
and
again
turned
back
.
And the centurion having perceived all these so great miracles , went away and reported them to Pilate . And when he heard , he wondered and was astonished , and from his fear and grief would neither eat nor drink that day . And he sent notice , and all the Sanhedrin came to him as soon as the darkness was past ; and he said to the people : You know how the sun has been darkened ; you know how the curtain has been rent . Certainly I did well in being by no means willing to put to death the good man . And the malefactors said to Pilate : This darkness is an eclipse of the sun , such as has happened also at other times . Then they say to him : We hold the feast of unleavened bread to - morrow ; and we entreat thee , since the crucified are still breathing , that their bones be broken , and that they be brought down . Pilate said : It shall be so . He therefore sent soldiers , and they found the two robbers yet breathing , and they broke their legs ; but finding Jesus dead , they did not touch Him at all , except that a soldier speared Him in the right side , and immediately there came forth blood and water .
And as the day of the preparation was drawing towards evening , Joseph , a man well - born and rich , a God - fearing Jew , finding Nicodemus , whose sentiments his foregoing speech had shown , says to him : I know that thou didst love Jesus when living , and didst gladly hear his words , and I saw thee fighting with the Jews on his account . If , then , it seem good to thee , let us go to Pilate , and beg the body of Jesus for burial , because it is a great sin for him to lie unburied . I am afraid , said Nicodemus , lest Pilate should be enraged , and some evil should befall me . But if thou wilt go alone , and beg the dead , and take him , then will I also go with thee , and help thee to do everything necessary for the burial . Nicodemus having thus spoken , Joseph directed his eyes to heaven , and prayed that he might not fail in his request ; and he went away to Pilate , and having saluted him , sat down . Then he says to him : I entreat thee , my lord , not to be angry with me , if I shall ask anything contrary to what seems good to your highness . And he said : And what is it that thou askest ? Joseph says : Jesus , the good man whom through hatred the Jews have taken away to crucify , him I entreat that thou give me for burial . Pilate says : And what has happened , that we should deliver to be honoured again the dead body of him against whom evidence of sorcery was brought by his nation , and who was in suspicion of taking the kingdom of Cæsar , and so was given up by us to death ? And Joseph , weeping and in great grief , fell at the feet of Pilate , saying : My lord , let no hatred fall upon a dead man ; for all the evil that a man has done should perish with him in his death . And I know your highness , how eager thou wast that Jesus should not be crucified , and how much thou saidst to the Jews on his behalf , now in entreaty and again in anger , and at last how thou didst wash thy hands , and declare that thou wouldst by no means take part with those who wished him to be put to death ; for all which reasons I entreat thee not to refuse my request . Pilate , therefore , seeing Joseph thus lying , and supplicating , and weeping , raised him up , and said : Go , I grant thee this dead man ; take him , and do whatever thou wilt .
And then Joseph , having thanked Pilate , and kissed his hands and his garments , went forth , rejoicing indeed in heart as having obtained his desire , but carrying tears in his eyes . Thus also , though grieved , he was glad . Accordingly he goes away to Nicodemus , and discloses to him all that had happened . Then , having bought myrrh and aloes a hundred pounds , and a new tomb , they , along with the mother of God and Mary Magdalene and Salome , along with John , and the rest of the women , did what was customary for the body with white linen , and placed it in the tomb .
And the mother of God said , weeping : How am I not to lament thee , my son ? How should I not tear my face with my nails ? This is that , my son , which Symeon the elder foretold to me when I brought thee , an infant of forty days old , into the temple . This is the sword which now goes through my soul . Who shall put a stop to my tears , my sweetest son ? No one at all except thyself alone , if , as thou saidst , thou shalt rise again in three days .
Mary Magdalene said , weeping : Hear , O peoples , tribes , and tongues , and learn to what death the lawless Jews have delivered him who did them ten thousand good deeds . Hear , and be astonished . Who will let these things be heard by all the world ? I shall go alone to Rome , to the Cæsar . I shall show him what evil Pilate hath done in obeying the lawless Jews . Likewise also , Joseph lamented , saying : Ah , me ! sweetest Jesus , most excellent of men , if indeed it be proper to call thee man , who hast wrought such miracles as no man has ever done . How shall I enshroud thee ? How shall I entomb thee ? There should now have been here those whom thou fedst with a few loaves ; for thus should I not have seemed to fail in what is due .
Then Joseph , along with Nicodemus , went home ; and likewise also the mother of God , with the women , John also being present with them .
Notes 1 Luke xxiii. 46.
2 Comp. Luke xxiii. 44–49.
3 John xix. 31–34.
4 [Or simply, “the Preparation;” comp. Matt. xxvii. 62, and elsewhere, in the Rev. Vers.—R.]
5 Comp. Matt. xxvii. 60.
6 John xix. 38–42.
7 Luke ii. 35.
8 It is to be observed that John’s Gospel is much more frequently quoted in this book than any of the others.
