THE

THE GOSPELS OF NICODEMUS

(INTRODUCTION)

HE Gospels of Nicodemus form the most important and interesting of the apocrypha dealing with the death and resurrection of Christ. There was no such early gathering of legends around the ending of Jesus' earthly life as gathered around the infancy. The later Middle Ages had several" Acts of Pilate," but none of these can be traced to any early date. The Gospel of Nicodemus, however, in its earliest form dates back probably to A.D. 440, and may be even older. Later versions then expanded and retouched the story of Nicodemus until it became a long and fantastic narrative including some impressive visions of Satan and Hell.

As for Nicodemus, in Scripture he is the learned man who came to Jesus to be taught. As the true Gospels tell us nothing of his later life, nor of his death, he was a natural subject to be thus represented as watching and writing down the closing events of Christ's dealings with mankind. A later version of the tale, however, names another and much later Nicodemus, an otherwise unknown Roman governor, as being the author. Indeed the tale so grew and changed with the passing centuries that, to let the modern reader see it all, we give here first the oldest, or Greek, version of Nicodemus, then a later Latin version, then the noted "second part," the vivid "Harrowing of Hell." This story of Christ in hell does not appear in the oldest manuscripts of Nicodemus.

At a still later period, apparently, Pilate's part in this gospel was further expanded until he became, to the Middle Ages, a great criminal, haunted always by a terrible remorse, which drives him ultimately to suicide. We give here the first form in which the Pilate legend was expanded in the Nicodemus gospel, and then some very early letters (from about A.D. 400) which name Pilate as their author.

THE GREEK GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS

Acts of our Lord Jesus Christ wrought in the time of Pontius Pilate

PROLOGUE

I, Ananias, a provincial warden, being a disciple of the law, from the divine Scriptures recognized our Lord Jesus Christ, and came to him by faith, and was also accounted worthy of holy baptism. Now when searching the records which were made in the time of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the Jews laid up under Pontius Pilate, I found that these records were written in Hebrew, and by the good pleasure of God I translated them into Greek for the information of all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the government of our lord Flavius Theodosius, the 17th year, and in the 6th consulate of Flavius Valentinianus, in the 9th indiction.1

All therefore who read and copy into other books remember me and pray for me, that God may be propitious to me, and be gracious to my sins which I have committed against him.2

Peace to those who read and those who hear, and to their servants. Amen.

In the 15th year of the government of Tiberius Cæsar, King of the Romans; and of Herod, King of Galilee, the 19th

1 The dates given in the consular tables do not agree in all editions, but I do not find any in which the 17th of Theodosius and the 6th of Valentinian come together. The 17th consulate of Theodosius is by some placed in A.D. 441, and the 5th of Valentinian in 442; while the 18th of Theodosius falls in 446, and the 6th of Valentinian in 447. The 9th indiction, according to Dufresnoy, falls in 441. We may therefore correct the text by reading the 17th consulate of Theodosius, and the 5th of Valentinian, which would be A.D. 441-2. The Coptic has the 5th of Valentinian, and the Latin the 18th of Theodosius.

2 Ancient scribes were very much in the habit of putting in requests for the prayers of their readers.

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year of his reign, on the 8th before the calends of April, which is the 25th of March; in the consulship of Rufus and Rubellio; in the 4th year of the 202d Olympiad, when Joseph Caiaphas was high priest of the Jews.3

Whatsoever, after the cross and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior God, Nicodemus recorded and wrote in Hebrew, and left to posterity, is after this fashion.

CHAPTER I

For the chief priests and scribes having taken counsel, Annas, and Caiaphas, and Semes, and Dathaes, and Gamaliel, Judas, Levi, and Nephthalim, Alexander, and Jaeirus, and the rest of the Jews, came to Pilate, accusing Jesus of many deeds, saying, We know this man that he is the son of Joseph the carpenter, born of Mary, and he saith that he is the Son of God and a king: moreover he profaneth the Sabbaths, and wisheth to abolish the law of our fathers. Pilate saith, And what is it that he doeth and wisheth to abolish? The Jews say, We have a law that no one shall heal on the Sabbath; but he by evil arts hath healed on the Sabbath the lame, and mutilated, and withered, and blind, and paralytic, deaf, and demoniacs. Pilate saith to them, By what evil arts? They say to him, He is a magician, and by Beelzebub, prince of the demons, he casteth out demons; and they are all subject to him. Pilate saith to them, It is not possible to cast out demons by an unclean spirit, but by the God Esculapius. The Jews said unto Pilate, We request thy majesty that he may be set before thy judgment-seat and be heard. And

3 The 15th of Tiberius is the date of our Lord's baptism (Luke iii. 1), but some ancient writers also give it as the date of the crucifixion, which is an error. For the 19th of Herod we must substitute the 32d (Lewin's "Fasti," p. 173). Rufus and Rubellio may have been the consuls in the 15th of Tiberius, but were not when our Lord suffered. The 4th year of Olympiad 202 answers to the 19th of Tiberius. The phrase Joseph Caiaphas is justified in an earlier footnote. The placing of our Lord's arrest on March 25 is in harmony with several early authorities, but Clement of Alexandria mentions some who referred it to three or four months later in the year. The paragraph which contains these indications of time is found in many copies, but not in all.

4 The copies and versions differ exceedingly about these names.

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Pilate calling them saith, Tell me, how can I who am a governor try a king? They say to him, We do not say that he is a king, but he saith he is one. And Pilate having called the officer saith to him, Let Jesus be brought with gentleness. And the officer went out and, having recognized him, worshiped him, and taking a scarf in his hand spread it on the ground, and said to him, Lord, walk here, and come in, for the governor calleth thee. And the Jews seeing what the officer did cried out against Pilate, saying, Why didst thou not order him by a crier to come in, rather than by an officer? For when the officer saw him he worshiped him, and spread his scarf on the ground and made him walk on it like a king.

And Pilate called the officer and said to him, Why hast thou done this, and spread thy scarf on the ground and made Jesus walk upon it? The officer saith to him, My lord governor, When thou sentest me to Jerusalem to Alexander, I saw Him sitting on an ass, and the children of the Hebrews held boughs in their hands and cried out, and others spread out their garments, saying, Save now, thou who art in the highest: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

The Jews cried out, and said to the officer, The children of the Hebrews cried out in Hebrew; whence hast thou the Greek? The officer saith to them, I asked one of the Jews and said, What is that they cry out in Hebrew? And he explained to me. Pilate saith to them, How did they cry out in Hebrew? The Jews said to him, Hosanna membrome, barouchamma Adonai. Pilate saith to them, And how is Hosanna and the rest interpreted? The Jews say unto him, Save now, thou that art in the highest: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Pilate saith to them, If ye bear witness that these words were spoken by the children, how hath the officer done wrong? And they were silent. The governor saith to the officer, Go and bring him in what manner thou wilt. And the officer went out and did the same

5 The word is here the latin cursor, a messenger.

I do not know what Alexander is meant.

7 Matt. xxi. 8, 9.

as before, and said to Jesus, Lord, enter, the governor calleth thee.

And when Jesus entered, and the standard-bearers holding the standards, the tops of the standards bowed down and worshiped Jesus. And when the Jews saw the manner of the standards, how they bowed down and worshiped Jesus, they cried out exceedingly against the standard-bearers. And Pilate said to the Jews, Do ye not marvel how the banners bowed down and worshiped Jesus? The Jews said to Pilate, We saw how the standard-bearers bowed down and worshiped him. And the governor called the standard-bearers and said to them, Why did ye do so? They said to Pilate, We are Greeks and wait upon the gods, how could we worship him? but as we were holding the banners they bowed down of themselves and worshiped him.

Pilate said to the chiefs of the synagogues and the elders of the people, Choose ye strong and powerful men, and let them hold the standards, and let us see if they bow down of themselves. And the elders of the Jews took twelve strong and powerful men, and made six together hold the standards, and they stood before the judgment-seat of the governor. And Pilate saith to the officer, Take him out of the prætorium, and bring him in again in what manner thou wilt. And Jesus and the officer went out of the prætorium. And Pilate called those who before held the banners, and saith to them, I have sworn by the salvation of Cæsar that if the standards do not bow down when Jesus entereth I will cut off your heads. And the governor gave order the second time that Jesus should come in. And the officer did the same as before, and earnestly entreated Jesus to tread upon his scarf. And he trod on it, and came in. And as he entered the standards bowed down again and worshiped Jesus.

CHAPTER II

And when Pilate saw it he was afraid and sought to rise up from the judgment-seat. And while it was yet in his mind to rise his wife sent to him, saying, Have nothing to do with this just man, for I have suffered very much because