To the most potent, august, dreadful, and divine Augustus, Pontius Pilate, administrator of the Eastern Province. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. When Pilate heard of this meeting, which, in his opinion, was directed against the Roman authority, he made use of this opportunity to revenge himself on those whom he previously hated because of their lawlessness. Here is what the chronicle of Nikophorus Kallista, in the 2nd volume, chap. At the ninth hour of the day it began to darken in the court, and the fog became thicker and thicker. Oh, believe me, that a single drop of this blood may be your damnation for all eternity. The High Priest Caiaphas subserviently carried out that humiliating act. On the other hand, Johns picture of Pilate delivering judgment from a tribunal in front of the prefects mansion fits typical Roman procedure. but I gave my secretary a hint to join the crowd and to listen to what He was saying. The details of this terribly unjust act increased the suffering and tortures which. So, by virtue of which Roman law did he order the innocent prisoner to be scourged and cruci. Here is the catalogue description of the MS: THE DOCTRINE Of St. Peter;-The life of St. Anthony, by St. Athan- Can Martian Regolith be Easily Melted with Microwaves, Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation, The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese. There are many modern texts and English translations of the letters, including the one on the website link you gave. To Licianus who holdeth the first place in the East Country. ce he offered for all of us that we might be saved! Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea (2636 CE) who presided at the trial of Jesus and gave the order for his crucifixion. Even my wife had a dream about this Jesus and she had warned me to have nothing to with him. The dream of "Claudia" is referred to in Matthew 27:19: While Pilate was sitting in the judgment hall, his wife sent him a message: "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night, I suffered much on account of him.". The Sadducees were prompted by two reasons: they hated Jesus and wanted to free themselves from the Roman pressure. 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. No signs oi bitterness or fear were noticeable on His face. But you will protect Him, isnt that so? And she began to weep, saying, Ah, me, my lord, it was my God and my Lord whom Pilate through envy delivered up, condemned, and commanded to be crucified. I lifted my child to my breast, and suddenly a heavy earthquake started, shaking the whole earth. 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. Then those unhappy men asked the rocks and the mountains of the earth to swallow and to cover them. Herod smiled ironically, greeted me with affected distinction, and went away. The great holiday of the Hebrews came nearer, and the religious leaders planned to use this opportunity and the peoples excitement which always occurs at the Passover holiday. John presented Him to the people as The Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. That he often wept is also told us in the Gospel; He wept over Jerusalem, He wept for Lazarus when the latter was dead, and on other occasions He wept, but we never read that he was known to laugh. It was the promised reinforcement, consisting of two thousand able troops, who, in order to speed up their arrival had marched the whole night. The Pharisees were openly Jesus adversaries, and paid but little attention to our government. Now, of all accusations brought against Jesus, not a single one could have been proved and documented, for Pilate himself, by using the words: He is innocent, and conrming this statement by the washing of his hands, substantiated Jesus innocence. Your eyes are not made to watch such a frightful spectacle. rst years of my family life went by calmly and peacefully, Heaven blessed me with a son, and he was dearer to me than the light of day. But, O Fulvia, on the third day He showed Himself in this town, victorious and surrounded with majesty and radiance. "This book was created from a letter, purportedly written in Latin by Pilate's wife . Are these historical records about Jesus' appearance accurate? Looking towards the Caesarian gate. I was just about to go to the law-court accompanied by my guard. He spoke to the storm and to the fish in the sea; and all listened to Him. And Csar said to him, Most impious one, when thou sawest so great signs done by that man, why didst thou dare to do thus? The welfare of the province, entrusted to me, requires it. 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. Jesus answered him: Render to Caesar that which is Caesars and unto God that which is Gods. Owing to this wisdom, I left the Nazarene free, for I could have arrested Him and sent Him to you, but this would have been against the law, the observance if which has distinguished the Roman. The truth is that the Romans could not have killed him, if He had not let them. The hall in -the courts was crowded, and looked like a foaming stream whose waters increased by an influx, beginning at the mount Zion, where the Temple stood, and owing down to the Praetorium; and every minute new voices joined in this hellish choir. News without bias or noise. When Pilate heard of this meeting, which, in his opinion, was directed against the Roman authority, he made use of this opportunity to revenge himself on those whom he previously hated because of their lawlessness. It was the highest agitation which I have ever experienced, for every feature in His face presented an unequalled beauty, but in this moment He inspired a certain secret fear by the glance of His eyes which, it seemed, might turn us into dust. He ew on cherub wings and a fiery ame executed His orders, and He stopped on a cloud. And on the first day of the week, about the third hour of the night, the sun appeared as it never shone before, and the whole heaven became bright. Say then, who is he that was crucified, for his name hath destroyed all the gods? Salome stood by her side, benumbed and almost without any feeling. 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. To this His disciples testified, and conrmed their testimony with their own blood, and carried the words of the Lord Jesus before the thrones of the great and the judges. To become better acquainted with this case we give the following short report on Revision of the Juridical Process of Christ., At 14.30 (1.0. I followed Him, without His knowing. Herod to Pontius Pilate the Governor of Jerusalem: Peace. For as my daughter Herodias, who is dear to me, was playing upon a pool of water which had ice upon it, it broke under her, and all her body went down, and her head was cut off and remained on the surface of the ice. Bottom line: Pontius Pilate vindicates Jesus in the letter to Tiberius Cesar as oppose to just relaying the facts about the events to Tiberius Cesar. There are no surviving original letters by Herod or Pontius Pilate, to each other or to anyone else. And as many were exciting an insurrection against me, I ordered him to be crucified. Pontius at once left the court hall and came to me. But I now learn from the executioners and from the soldiers who watched his sepulchre that he rose from the dead. A LETTER from PONTIUS PILATE'S WIFE Y ou ask me, dear and faithful friend, for an account of some of the rumors which have already reached you concerning Pontius and myself, and you appear frightened at the mystery by which we are enveloped. And amid the terror dead men were seen rising again, so that the Jews who saw it said, We beheld Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs, who died some two thousand five hundred years before, and we beheld Noah clearly in the body. 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. On which account the Romans dragged him out of the river Tiber, bore him away in derision to Vienne, and sunk him in the river Rhone. The Epistle of Pontius Pilage Which he Wrote to the Roman Emperor Concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. The danger grew every hour. O prince of the world, but to bring peace, and love and goodwill to all people. After a few months Pontius was dismissed from his authoritative post. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. After pleading for ve hours the defendant nished his speech. But wicked and unclean spirits, rejoicing in his wicked and unclean body, all moved about in the water, and caused in the air dreadful lightning and tempests, thunder and hail, so that all were seized with horrible fear. Leading film production company Cinedigm acquires Dove.org and Christian Cinema. 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. I followed Him, without His knowing. cant is the wisdom of our great teachers, compared with the doctrine which God Himself promised to send to us! and that by the spirit Nina these voices had been mixed with the howling of hunted animals. They are presented here for research purposes. At the appointed hour nobody appeared. LETTERS OF PONTIUS PILATE Written during his Governorship of Judaea to his friend Seneca in Rome PART I ON THE WAY TO JUDAEA Shipboard off Alexandria We are at last within sight of Alexandria, my dear Seneca, and to-morrow we land. Sign up for the Bible Blender newsletter and periodically receive the latest Christian news, Bible study articles, modern-day life lessons, new product announcements, and more. I send thee the earrings of my daughter and my own ring, that they may be unto thee a memorial of my decease. On the part of the Roman Rulers in the country : Lucius, Sicelius, and Maxiklius. The contents of the report of Pilates wife deserve greatest attention, because, as his wife, she was in constant contact with Pilate, the chief judge of Jesus. According to what history shows us, the ruling religion has not always had pure truth as a foundation, and in all times it was subject to errors. Required fields are marked *. Jerusalem was evacuated; its whole population went along the death-road leading to that dreadful Golgotha. I remember-you with tears in my eyes. Deliver Him to us, so that He may die on the cross! Deeply upset by this news, I took my child to hurry to them to bewail her together with the mourners and her mother Salome. Now if there is place for our request, O Pilate, because we were at one time in power, bury my household carefully; for it is right that we should be buried by thee, rather than by the priests, whom, after a little time, as the Scriptures say, at the coming of Jesus Christ, vengeance shall overtake. Really? For by such miracles Jesus was manifested to be the Christ, the King of the Jews. For the defence was the advocate Reicliswev, prosecutor Dr. Blandeisler. first published in English by Pictorial Review Magazine in April 1929. In John (19:711), Pilate is depicted as having accepted the Christian interpretation of the meaning of Jesus, and he rejects Jewish leaders reminder that Jesus has merely said that he is the king of the Jews (19:21). Paul L. Maier Pontius Pilate - A Novel (Paperback) (US IMPORT) 9780825443565 | eBay If the tradition is true, she dreamed of the countless recitations and liturgical chants of . Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Csar the emperor, greeting. Subscribe to the Bible Blender Newsletter. McIntosh and Twyman of the Antiquerian Lodge, Genoa, Italy. Some days later the High Priest came to me and excused himself. answered Pilate, speaking to the petitioner without even so much as raising his head. What is the point of Thrower's Bandolier? Clickhereto learn more about the deeds we are talking of and to learn how you can become a part of our social ministry and help those in need. In deep apprehension of what might unexpectedly happen, I took my son by the hand, put a thin coat on him, and ran to my husband. People call Him Prophet of the Truth, but His Disciples hold that He is the Son of God.that is to say, the Son of Him who created the heaven and earth and all that has ever existed, exists, and will still exist in all eternity. This article was most recently revised and updated by, Historical and traditional accounts of the life of Pontius Pilate, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pontius-Pilate, World History Encyclopedia - Pontius Pilate, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Pontius Pilate, Sagrada Famlia: sculpture of Pontius Pilate. And the Prefect cut off the head of Pilate, and behold an angel of the Lord received it. Oh, believe me, that a single drop of this blood may be your damnation for all eternity. In the introductory notice to the Apocryphal Gospels, the translator writes: "The text is formed from four authorities, none of them ancient." So Judas, Pilate, and with especially severity Jerusalem, have all received their punishment. ed? Handcarved The letter could only justify this position if it is authentic, which is circular reasoning. At last, it is proved that Roman justice is also guilty in no less a degree. Him then Herod and Archelaus and Philip, and Annas and Caiaphas, with all the people, delivered to me to try him. He was lucky: he had the good luck to escape the curse with followed us everywhere, and to have the terrible burden of his parents name released from his shoulders. Josephus states his inferential judgment that Pilate was deeply affected with their firm resolution, suggesting his own strength of character. 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. And behold, her mother is holding her head upon her knees in her lap, and my whole house is in great sorrow. Then those unhappy men asked the rocks and the mountains of the earth to swallow and to cover them. Did Paul/Saul teach Christianity with Jewish traditions to Gentiles like what we see in Messianic Judaism today? They had become followers of Him who had returned the daughter to the mother, and the mother to the daughter. available on their website: https://www.ivyandpearlboutique.com. The apocryphal writings describe only the reaction of the first priests to this message: See, have not we told you before that He is a seducer? The prosecutor continued grimly to accuse the martyr, basing his arguments on the documents he had brought with him. On vellum, of the vith or viith century. At first he did not think it a sufficiently important document to be copied, but some years later he mentioned this document to W. D. Machan, and the latter, inspired by an ardent desire to know the contents, wrote to the German student who, in the meantime, had become a professor in Westphalia (Germany), and requested that by mediation of the latters connections with the Vatican, he might have a copy of that valuable document prepared. Because He shows up their morals and hypocrisy. So that, I also was on the couch of my bed in affliction, and put on a garment of mourning, and took unto me fifty Romans with my wife and went into Galilee. I AM in great anxiety. oor. but he passed by, saying, He whom we killed was really the Son of God. One would have thought that the end of the world was near or that the universe returned to its original chaos. He flew on cherub wings and a fiery flame executed His orders, and He stopped on a cloud. 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. Thus ended this fateful day. He was led to us, and throwing himself at the feet of my husband, he said with tears in his eyes: I am Joseph of Arimathea, and I come to ask your permission to take Jesus body from the cross and to bury Him in my burial ground. Oh, if we only knew how much God loves us, and what a supremo sacrice he offered for all of us that we might be saved! It has been said that He never laughs, but that His eyes are always tearful. The bible gives us no details about the dream or the nature of the suffering. What video game is Charlie playing in Poker Face S01E07? 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. How could Christ be accused of a crime which He never committed? But we see from the existing document that this justice did not decide the case on its merits. Owing to this regulation they were full of anger. And Pilate said, King and Autocrat, I am not guilty of these things, but it is the multitude of the Jews who are precipitate and guilty. And Csar commanded Pilate to be safely kept, that he might know the truth about Jesus. The statement of the Roman pagan destroys the unfounded allegation of all unbelievers of to-day. It seemed to me that even the heavens shared my sorrow, and that they suite-red as my own heart did. At this time one of my maid-servants, a Jewess by birth, came to my room; pale, desperate and with frightened eyes she cried: These dead foretold the wrath of God. Where did they go, and what happened to them after? We were forced to return to Europe wandering from town to town. The secular tribunals should not be competent to resolve purely religious matters, nor to sentence whosoever does not believe what the majority believes, or what the official religion prescribes. For the faithful testimony to His teaching some shermen from Tiberias were arrested. Edition Notes. This icon, Wedding Icon of The Mother Of God But I replied that I, in my view of the facts that Jesus was born in Galilee, He fell under the jurisdiction of Herod, and I ordered Jesus to be brought before him. Accordingly I order that Jesus Christ, together with two other brigands from the region of Imborel, now called Andronymos, shall be taken to be crucified before the people on the place chosen for criminals, and called Calvary (place of blood). By such roads as are not easily described, we journeyed with our personnel, engaged as servants. Pontius Pilate vindicates Jesus in the letter as oppose to just relaying the facts about the events to Tiberius Cesar allowing him to draw his own conclusions about the events. I was born on the self-same day that the Emperor gave peace to the Roman world. : Pontius again ordered them to be silent, and said to them : I nd no guilt in this man and I acquit Him. Due to the course of these events, Pilate later committed suicide. And I also ascertained that the miracles done by him were greater than any which the gods whom we worship could do. Therefore the judgments of God are righteous; for every man receives according to his thought. As to His face, it has been said that this feature is contradictory to prophecy in Isaiah 53, where it was foretold 700 years B.C. Without happiness, but also without apprehension I went away with my husband who on the score of age could have been my father. 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. Heavy dark and threatening clouds in various shapes scudded over the sky, and lightning came from the colliding clouds, followed by the unreal echo of deep thunder. Which He Wrote to the Roman Emperor, Concerning Our Lord Jesus Christ. Kissing the seam of His garment, he asked, What shall I do to receive eternal life? Translated by The Catalogue of Good Deeds The day grew dusky, similar to that on which the Emperor Julius the Great died, an event which also took place in the middle of the month of march. 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. Please provide sources and justification for your answer. But now, hear me, and believe in my FatherGod who is in me. This cunning tetrarch, with pretended submissiveness, declared that, out of respect towards me, he placed the fate of this man in my hands, and this he let me know through the Caesarian soldiers. Is a likeness of this kind to be procured with gold or silver? And the Jews gave information that Jesus did these things on the Sabbath. I trembled when I heard these words, and I asked my husband : You will protect Him, wont you? 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. We have challenges here in Africa to find such information for, So glorious+++ Most Holy Theotokos save us, Pectoral Cross Take care and do not raise your profane hand against Him. I fell on the oor. A conspiracy was brewing over His head, and it might be that on this evening He would be delivered into the hands of the High Priest. My emissaries informed me danger was pressing. Upon my knees I called Him many times; against my will I pleaded with this God in the humility and tranquillity of my soul and heart, and Him to Whom I committed my destiny and my welfare as a slave submits to his master, and oh, wonder! The defence continued the strong plea and asked the judges of the present court not to be sel, sh, and not to victimise real righteousness for political reasons. There probably was correspondences, reports, and/or letters between them. When we reached the inner door leading to the court hall, I heard a noise of louder voices; I had no courage to step in, but peeped through the purple curtains. Pontius Pilate's wife (Latin: uxor Pilati; Greek: , gun Piltou; fl. Pilate declared I nd no fault in this man; with what justication then did he order Jesus to be beaten? I ran across mention of this letter and did some sleuthing. In Connection with Him, O Emperor, there have been rumours every day of miracles performed by the said Jesus Christ. The gods protect us, if that which so far is only an assumption. He could at least help me to . With one gesture He separated the righteous from the wicked. Jesus was still the object of all the banter and beating in the courts on the part of the crowd and of rough soldiers; their passions were even more inamed in view of His unlimited patience. 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. 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. The assembly retired to the adjoining room to deliberate. Join our newsletter to get the most interesting articles on spiritual issues and learn about the recent news from St. Elisabeth Convent. The letter of Claudia Procula to Fulvia is an example of early Christian apocryphal writings. Of what do you accuse Him? Now while I stood in the way, our Lord saw me as he stood and talked with his disciples. and I noticed that some women, clothed in long garments, rose when he came to the gate, and joined him. When the people saw that his raiment flashed, they said to him, Hitherto we feared thee as a man: henceforth thou art exalted above the nature of mortals. What Roman laws had provided that an innocent man should be scourged? A letter from Pontius Pilate's wife by Catherine Van Dyke. At length, by Divine suggestion, or perhaps by the persuasion of some Christian, he had him stripped of the coat, and soon resumed against him his original fury of mind. He was then ordered back to Rome to stand trial for cruelty and oppression, particularly on the charge that he had executed men without proper trial. I replied: The Roman law does not punish such offences with death. And I said with a loud voice, I have sinned, O Lord, in that I sat and judged thee, who avengest all in truth. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? S0 great was their blindness that it has obscured their minds to the present day. One day I walked round a place called Siloah and there I noticed a rather large crowd and, amidst, against a tree, stood a young man who, with clearness and serenity, preached to the people. In horror Pontius returned to his throne. Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. In the seventeenth year of the government of the invincible monarch, the Caesar and Roman Emperor Tiberius, 201 years after the Olympiads; in the beginning of the five thousandth year after the creation, in the 4147. nd the statement, uttered with utmost discretion, that Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. Luke, 23, 24. Her letter mentioned also the resurrection of the saints on the occasion of Christs death on the cross. Free shipping for many products! The emissaries who preach Jesus doctrines have inserted in the comments on their faith also the words: He was cruci. I fell on the. Thus amidst this town about to revolt, I found myself in a position where I had only a handful of soldiers at my disposal, same of them of the old guard, and had no power to suppress the rebellion, but was forced to bring Him forth. In Jerusalem he had no defence force other than his bodyguard and in addition a small number of local troops who had taken the oath of allegiance to the Roman eagle. This unique document we shall quote in the following pages. 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. He flew on wings of the wind. And Csar said, When they delivered him to thee thou oughtest to have made him secure and sent him to me, and not consented to them to crucify such a man, who was just and wrought such great and good miracles, as thou saidst in thy report. Jewish Babylonian Talmud History of the Talmud, footnotes, and additional explanations. The letter of Pilates wife throws further light upon the events in connection with the death and crucifixion of Jesus Christ and further con, rms the authenticity of the Gospels.