Our deadly silence was disturbed by a thunderstroke resounding through the corridors of the palace. Clearly, as an index to the character and personality of Pilate, the New Testament is devastating, but it is preoccupied with concerns of the nascent Christian communities, increasingly making their way among the Gentiles and eager to avoid giving offense to Roman authorities. Josephus tells us that in order to abolish Jewish laws, and with the intent of diminishing privileges Jews had hitherto enjoyed, Pilate ordered his troops to encamp in Jerusalem and sent them into the city with images of the emperor attached to their ensigns. You know that, in the sixteenth year of my maiden life, I was united in marriage with the Roman Pilate, a descendant of a renowned family, and who at that time held a position as a governor in Italy. The Jewish people, nowadays, re-examine Jesus trial and nd him guiltless, and their ancestors guilty of the crime of the murder of the of God. JESUS NAZARENUS REX JUDAEORUM in Latin. thundered again the voice of the furious crowd. Theodorus wrote to Pilate the Governor: Who was the man, against whom there was a complaint before thee, that he was crucified by the men of Palestine? Then I rose as from a dream, and went home, leaving a happy family in their joy ; in such a joy as it is impossible to describe. This Gospel spread over the whole empire. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? He said that he could prove that the sentence was an unjust and unlawful one, and that Jesus fell a victim to innumerable mistakes of the justice of that time. He started by proving that the court, at the time, when Jesus was judge, tried to proceed lawfully, for at the period mentioned nobody, except His disciples, could see in Christ the Son of God He was a conspirator, who gathered people round Him to inuence them against the authorities, and who preached a non-existing religion, and as such he was a danger to the community. I would say probable forgery. At the ninth hour of the day it began to darken in the court, and the fog became thicker and thicker. Jesus was buried in a cavern, hewn out of rock, at the entrance of which a guard was posted. 28th March. We may, therefore, certainty, infer that the twenty-four old men seen by St, John in his visions described in Revelation 4, 4-5, 8-9, are some of those who came to life when our Lord Jesus Christ arose. After these words Pontius rose and went into another room, deep in thoughts. It was written on red stone in Hebrew, and was carefully preserved in an iron box which was placed in another box of marble. Dear and beloved reader, have you ever thought that you might be one of those on the path leading to Christ-the path of Golgotha? The punishment of the Almighty came down like a, ame. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and ultimately ordered his crucifixion.Pilate's importance in modern Christianity is underscored by his . If you wish to save yourself and all who are dear to you, than meditate in your prayers upon Golgotha and look with rm faith to Him who suffered for you and all others that they might be saved. Further, I saw the creek of the Hedron Hill running by, filled with blood. t greatly by a study of the proceedings, trial and death-sentence of Jesus Christ, in which the Roman courts themselves committed the greatest wrong. Judgments of the man himself must be made inferentially, almost entirely on the basis of later Jewish and Christian writings, chiefly those of Josephus and the New Testament. Jesus, I said to Him at last, and for three successive years I gave you great freedom to speak, and I do not know whether you have read of Socrates or Plato, but I can tell you that in your preaching, so great a modesty comes to light that it will raise you above all these Philosophers. And I too am in affliction and great trial, because I have the dropsy; and am in great distress, because I persecuted the introducer of baptism by water, which was John. And to head there shall be fixed a table on which his to be written in three languages: IESOUS O NAZARENOS BASILEUS IOUDAION in Greek. He walked on the waters. These wretched people could not be satisfied, otherwise, and I had to allow them to deprive Him of His life., More than once during our civic riots I was witness of popular paroxysms; whatever I had seen, nothing was to be compared with what I saw here. He spoke to the storm and to the fish in the sea; and all listened to Him. I fell on the. Protected by Sejanus, Pilate incurred the enmity of Jews in Roman-occupied Palestine by insulting their religious sensibilities, as when he hung worship images of the emperor throughout Jerusalem and had coins bearing pagan religious symbols minted. It was indeed He whom I was very impatient to see. The Jews allegation that Jesus taught the people not to pay taxes to the Emperor has been proved unjustified by Pilates report. During my life I have never read in books or in the Philosophers anything which could be compared to the preaching of Jesus. They were only too glad to join the Herodians and Sadducees. The full text of Claudias letter can easily be found on the internet. rm the sentence issued so long ago, as this was their duty and in accordance with the sound principles of justice. And some that were cruelly vexed by demons, and had their dwellings in deserts, and ate the flesh of their own limbs, and lived along with reptiles and wild beasts, he made to be dwellers in cities in their own houses, and by a word he rendered them sound-minded; and he made those that were troubled by unclean spirits to be intelligent and reputable; and sending away the demons in them into a herd of swine, he suffocated them in the sea. The Pharisees were openly Jesus adversaries, and paid but little attention to our government. Pilate asked again. A wedding set o, Wedding Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (in Oklad /, A Handmade Bookcover For The Gospel. It only takes a minute to sign up. He offended these proud and pompous people, and the outlook for the Nazarenes future is very dark. You pay the tithe with mint and cinnamon, but you are not interested in abiding by the laws, in faithful righteousness and mercy. The meaning of these words is deep and true. But we, when we saw him, all of us fell upon our faces before his feet. Copyright 2021 Bible Blender. That bit about the dubious authorship clearly doesn't stick in the mind as well as the much-juicier title, perfectly suited for passing around on social media today. nite expression of hope, which I could not understand. With him walked three more men dressed in coarse clothes showing the trace of poverty and giving them the appearance of simple and uneducated people, but behind them walked a man, similarly clad, and in the prime of His youth. At this call Salome awoke. And Volusianus, having heard the order of the emperor, immediately departed, and came to Pilate, as it was commanded him. He said to the Pharisees and scribes: You are malicious by birth; you are like unto white sepulchres. gure of the innocent victim will always stay before my eyes. The manner in which he dressed and behaved were insolent. Beside these three parties, I had also to struggle against the troubled population, which was always ready to make common cause in these rebellions, and to exploit such implications as arise similar misunderstanding., Under these circumstances Jesus was brought before the High Priest and sentenced to death. And all the multitude walked about and sang hymns to God with a loud voice, saying, The Lord our God, who hath risen from the dead, hath made alive all the dead, and Hades he hath spoiled and slain. This hatred is increasing every day, and their only thought is how to bring Him to death. And I suffered many things, till that I was laid in the sepulchre. After some time Semida fell ill. One morning, when I awoke, I was told that she had died, without great suffering, in the arms of her mother. Note: As with any apocryphal writing, Christians must take care to recognize historical writings regarding Christianity may have ulterior motives and thus, can contradict our biblical texts. And at their voice all the mountains and hills were shaken, and the rocks were burst asunder; and great chasms were made in the earth, so that also what was in the abyss appeared. And immediately he had him recalled, swearing and protesting that he was a child of death, and unfitted to live upon earth. When Jewish representatives demonstrated in Caesarea, Pilates city of residence, he threatened them with death unless they desisted, but, when they showed their readiness to die, he ordered the images removed. Destroy me not, therefore, for this my sin, nor be mindful of the evil that is in me, O Lord, and in thy servant Procla who standeth with me in this the hour of my death, whom thou taughtest to prophecy that thou must be nailed to the cross. It was the promised reinforcement, consisting of two thousand able troops, who, in order to speed up their arrival had marched the whole night. Also, take the, Hello and welcome to the site! An anxiety I had never before felt forced my eyes in one direction. Although, being rather compelled by fidelity to thy dignity, than led by my own inclination, I did not strive with all my might to prevent the sale and suffering of righteous blood, guiltless of every accusation, unjustly, indeed, through the maliciousness of men, and yet, as the Scriptures interpret, to their own destruction. He also had some difficulties due to a complaint sent to him by Mary Magdalene with respect to his unjust measures. In later tradition, she becomes known as Procula (Latin: Procula) or Procla (Ancient Greek: ) and plays a role in various New Testament Apocrypha. I shall pay attention to your tender request and try to remember the links of the long chain of my 1ifes scattered memories. But we know itll be worth your while. How cruel and despotic appears the prejudice against the Son of God I Christ was ready to suffer death for the redemption of mankind, but the fact that the religious leaders of His own nation thirsted to spill His blood filled to over, It will not be long before He who suffered so much will appear and gather, among His people, those who have been persecuted and wrongly sentenced. The Delusion of "The Church Will Go Through". On vellum, of the vith or viith century. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. It clearly shows the causes which induced Pilate to pronounce that wrong decision, and the remorse which seized him after the sentence and its execution were inflicted on Jesus. Pontius sat on his ivory throne, in all the majesty with which Rome adorns her representatives ; and apparently showed no fear, as if it was his intention to appear thus, and to bear an intrepid expression on his face; but I could quickly understand and catch his concern. Pilate sent to him:Because he wrought signs I did not wish to crucify him: and since his accusers said, He calleth himself a king, I crucified him. Being it known that admitting this to Tiberius Caesar would have severe results and he was already planning his suicide. After a few months Pontius was dismissed from his authoritative post. I rose and m feet would hardly drag me along. And again Csar resolved to have Pilate questioned, and commanded a captain, Albius by name, to cut off Pilates head, saying, As he laid hands upon the just man, that is called Christ, he also shall fall in like manner, and find no deliverance. According to one legend, while in Jerusalem, Claudia met the family of the first priest of the synagogue Yair, and enjoyed the company of his wife Salome and their twelve-year-old daughter Semida. And when he washed his hands after the meal, it seemed to me as if he washed them not in clear water, but in warm blood, the traces of which could not effaced. Are these historical records about Jesus' appearance accurate? The original of this letter it to be found among old manuscripts in one of the vast libraries in Italy. He judged mankind, who trembled before Him, and among those unhappy ones who had been thrown into the re of hell I noticed the faces of these who exacted His death. The Catalog of Good Deeds is the official blog of the Catalogue of St. Elisabeth Convent. The Hebrews, for instance, maintained that they had every right of religious liberty. From this day on, all went ill for my husband. Life lessons, Bible study, Christian news, and more. At precisely 4 oclock in the morning the law courts were closely packed and the assistance of the police was required to prevent the public from breaking in the doors. The letter of Pilates wife throws further light upon the events in connection with the death and crucifixion of Jesus Christ and further conrms the authenticity of the Gospels. What a contrast between him and His audience, with their black beards and obdurate faces! This woode, Christ (Wedding Icon in Textile Oklad) 2.80 p.m.), the debate commenced, and the president gave the prosecutor permission to speak. Many paintings make references to it. With one gesture He separated the righteous from the wicked. He, nished his speech, which lasted for four hours, by admonishing the judges to con. And Csar said, For what cause then didst thou perpetrate against him such daring and doing, not being ignorant of him, or assuredly designing some mischief to my government? And when this decree came into the East Country, Licianus obeyed, through fear of the decree, and laid waste all the nation of the Jews, and caused those that were left in Judea, to go into slavery with them that were scattered among the Gentiles, that it might be known by Csar that these things had been done by Licianus against the Jews in the East Country, and to please him. Therefore, I will go with thee, and carry the likeness to Csar to look upon, and will return. Each of these words pierced my heart like a knife. He washed his hands in water from a basin and, per- forming this symbolic gesture, he said: I am not guilty of the blood of this righteous man. The surviving Apocrypha give us no further details about the lives of Pontius Pilate and his wife after Christs resurrection. The uproar increased every minute. Our inquisitive minds are eager to know about the fates of the biblical characters. Kissing the seam of His garment, he asked, What shall I do to receive eternal life? After so much uproar the town became suddenly calm, as if in thought, and a deadly silence pervaded it, as if death had covered it with its dark wings. And one synagogue was left in Jerusalem, since all those synagogues that had been against Jesus were engulfed. Pontius Pilate crucified Jesus because the people who told him that Jesus committed blasphemy, a capital sin. He was destined and foreordained to die for the sins of his people. So Volusianus came with Veronica to Rome, and said to Tiberius the emperor, Jesus, whom thou hast long desired, Pilate and the Jews have surrendered to an unjust death, and through envy fastened to the wood of the cross. Pontius Pilate, Latin in full Marcus Pontius Pilatus, (died after 36 ce), Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea (2636 ce) under the emperor Tiberius who presided at the trial of Jesus and gave the order for his crucifixion. Together with his humiliation and sorrow he bore his spiritual desperation wherever he went in the Empire. According to legend, the bad omens accompanying the martyrdom of Christ continued to follow Pilate and his wife Claudia long after the death of the Saviour and caused them great grief until Pontius finally converted to Christianity under the influence of his spouse. She was still more beautiful in the heavenly restfulness which lay upon her but her forehead was of a pale pinkish colour like the rose which had been placed on her. As regards His teachings, by them He attracts all Jerusalem. Jesus of Nazareth spoke as any Roman would have spoken, and not as a Jew. I shall tell you, they accuse me of maintaining close ties with you in order to deprive the Hebrews even of those scanty powers they retain from the Romans. In fact, Barabbas was a robber and murderer, notorious in all the surrounding districts for the crimes he had committed. I AM in great anxiety. At the beginning, I feared that He might be an unlawful agitator who would rouse the people against the Romans, but soon my apprehensions were dispersed. What a dream, or better, what a revelation! This and other sources might be considered pseudipigrapha and Apocrypha. For as I administered this province, my lord, according to the command of thy serenity, which is one of the eastern cities called Jerusalem, wherein the temple of the nation of the Jews is erected, all the multitude of the Jews, being assembled, delivered up to me a certain man called Jesus, bringing many and endless accusations against him; but they could not convict him in anything. Go in peace. But as they had threatened to report Pilate to the Emperor, he delivered Jesus to them. And all the multitude walked about, and sang praises to God with aloud voice, saying: The Lord our God that has risen from the dead has brought to life all the dead, and has plundered Hades, and put him to death. From the Holy Scriptures report we nd the statement, uttered with utmost discretion, that Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. Luke, 23, 24. Then the audience went quietly away.. But wonderful were the efforts of the people themselves, and the unanimity of all the scribes and chief men and elders, to crucify this ambassador of truth, notwithstanding that their own prophets, and after our manner the sibyls, warned them against it: and supernatural signs appeared while he was hanging, and, in the opinion of philosophers, threatened destruction to the whole world. re was shining. So that this great injustice could be done, and yesterdays uproar pass unsubdued, the detachment of soldiers came only today. And on the morrow when Csar sat in the capitol with all the senate, he undertook to question Pilate again. My emissaries informed me danger was pressing. Herein the judges of our days might nd a warning not to do the same injustice, nor to be partial, but to judge according to divine right. 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No signs oi bitterness or fear were noticeable on His face. Should become true! And my wife, again, through all her grief for her daughter, is become blind in her left eye, because we desired to blind the Eye of righteousness. I went to the stairs, and here I met the centurion who was present at the cruci, xion of Jesus. Second-century Christian writer Tertullian suggested in one of his writings that soon after the crucifixion of Christ Pilate converted to Christianity and even tried to convince Emperor Tiberius to follow suit. Then those unhappy men asked the rocks and the mountains of the earth to swallow and to cover them. The rest can await its turn. But Isaiah meant that He would not possess rich adornments or worldly wealth. Semidas father threw himself at the feet of the unknown man I have just described, who went nearer to the bed of the dead and showed Him his daughter, exclaiming: O my Lord, my daughter is in the arms of death, but if it is your will, she will arise. In favor of the a letter from Pilate concerning Jesus is this book, Archaeological Writings of the Sanhedrin and Talmuds of the Jews by William Dennes Mahan, page 205. In ancient Rome, death sentences handed out to royals were often commuted to banishment. Pontius Pilate to Tiberius CsarGreeting: UPON Jesus Christ, whom I fully made known to thee in my last, a bitter punishment hath at length been inflicted by the will of the people, although I was unwilling and apprehensive. For some time I remained rooted to the spot, and with veneration and fear I glanced at the figure of this supernatural man, whose form was unknown to the majority of our artists who have worked out the form and figure of so many gods. Procla, know that in the covenant which God gave to the fathers, it is said that every body which had perished should live by means of my death, which ye have seen.