Gospel of Nicodemus ⋆ ASH - Abrahamic Study Hall (2023)

The Gospel of Nicodemus is an apocryphal gospel believed to have come from an original Jewish work by Nicodemus, who is mentioned in the Gospel of John as a companion of Jesus.

Contents

The main part of the Gospel of Nicodemus is divided into two parts. The first (chapters i-xi) contains the trial of Jesus based on Luke 23. In addition to the Greek and Latin witnesses in the first part, there are three other notable ancient versions including Syriac or Aramaic, Armenian and Coptic. The second part (xii-xvi) deals with the resurrection. In it, Leucius and Charinus, the two souls who had risen from the dead after the crucifixion, tell the Sanhedrin the circumstances of Christ's descent into Limbo.

An accompanying text is a written account from Pontius Pilate to Claudius, containing a description of the crucifixion as well as an account of Jesus' resurrection. A number of Latin manuscripts contain, as an appendix or continuation, the episode Cura Sanitatis Tiberii (“The Healing of Tiberius”), the earliest form of the Veronica legend, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, in which Emperor Tiberius is cured of his illness.

Nicodemus meets Jesus

Chapter III of the Gospel of John tells of Nicodemus visiting Jesus at night and away from prying eyes, since the Messiah had already begun to be persecuted by the Jewish authorities of the time.
Nicodemus is "teacher (didàscalos) in Israel," that is, holder of the truths of religion and traditions preserved by a chosen few families. A man of power, that is, who has the right to sit in the Sanhedrin and has the right to speak and vote. He is a man of culture, an expert in Torah and law.

As a member of the Sanhedrin, he is conscious of his choices, so he knows there are spies behind Jesus, and that's why he goes to see him at night. Nicodemus knows exactly what Jesus is preaching and, above all, what he wants to achieve. Therefore, he does not seem to want to ask questions of the Messiah, as many did in the past, but simply to show his support, which looks very much like an act of faith in Jesus. “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher (didàscalos) who has come from GOD; for no one can do the signs that you do unless God is with him.” For his part, Jesus makes a statement that is very important for eschatological teaching: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever is not born again can not see the kingdom of God".

Gospel of Nicodemus (full text)

Prolog

I Ananias, the proprietor's bodyguard, who was instructed in the law, knew our Lord Jesus Christ from the Holy Scriptures, came to Him in faith and counted worthy of holy baptism, also searched the memorials written at the time as to what was done in the event of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the Jews had erected in the days of Pontius Pilate, found these monuments written in Hebrew, and by the favor of God translated them into Greek for the information of all who call on that name of our Master Jesus Christ, in the seventeenth year of the reign of our lord Flavius ​​Theodosius, and the sixth of Flavius ​​Valentinianus, in the ninth indictment.

So all of you who read books and transcribe them in other books, remember me and pray for me that God will have mercy on me and forgive my sins that I have committed against him.

Peace to those who read and to those who hear and to their families. Amen.

In the fifteenth year of the reigns of Tiberius Caesar, emperor of the Romans, and Herod as king of Galilee, in the nineteenth year of his reign, on the eighth day before the calends of April, that is the twenty-fifth of March, in the consulship of Rufus and Rubellio, in the fourth Year of the 202nd Olympiad, Joseph Caiaphas as High Priest of the Jews.

The account that Nicodemus wrote in Hebrew after the cross and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of God, and left to those who came after him is as follows:

Chapter 1

After they had called a council, the chief priests and scribes Annas and Caiaphas and Shemes and Dathaes and Gamaliel, Judas, Levi and Nephthalim, Alexander and Jairus and the rest of the Jews came to Pilate and accused Jesus of many things, saying, We know that this man is the son of Joseph the carpenter who was born of Mary. and he says that he is the son of God and a king; he also profanes the Sabbath and wants to abolish the law of our fathers. Pilate says: And what are the things he does to show that he wants to abolish it? The Jews say: We have a law not to heal anyone on the Sabbath; but this man healed the lame and the crooked, the withered and the blind and the lame, the dumb and the demonic on the Sabbath by evil practices. Pilate says to them: What evil practices? They say to him: He is a magician, and by Beelzebul, prince of demons, he casts out demons, and all are subject to him. Pilate says to them: This is not the casting out of demons by an unclean spirit, but by the god Aesculapius.

The Jews say to Pilate: We ask Your Highness that he stand before your tribunal and be heard. And Pilate, who called them, said: Tell me how, as procurator, can I condemn a king? They say to him: We do not say that he is a king, but he himself says that he is. And Pilate, having called the runner, says to him: Let Jesus be brought in with respect. And the runner went out and recognized him, worshiped him and took his cloak in his hand and spread it on the ground and said to him: My lord, go on it and come in, for the procurator is calling you. And the Jews, seeing what the runner had done, cried out against Pilate, saying, Why did you command him to come in by a runner, and not by a crier? For when the runner saw him, he worshiped him, spread his doublet on the ground, and made him walk like a king.

And Pilate, who called the runner, said to him: Why did you do this and spread your cloak on the ground and let Jesus walk on it? The runner says to him: My lord procurator, when you sent me to Jerusalem to Alexander, I saw him sitting on a donkey, and the sons of the Hebrews were holding branches in their hands and shouting; and others spread their garments under him, saying, Save now, thou art on high! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Matthew 21:8-9

The Jews shout and say to the runner: The sons of the Hebrews cried out in Hebrew; Where did you get the Greek from? The runner says to them: I asked one of the Jews and said: What are they calling out in Hebrew? And he interpreted it for me. Pilate says to them: And what did they call out in Hebrew? The Jews say to him: Hosanna membrome Baruchamma Adonaï. Pilate says to them: And this Hosanna, etc., how is it to be interpreted? The Jews say to him: Save now on high; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Pilate says to them: If you bear witness to the words of the children, what did the runner do wrong? And they were silent. And the procurator says to the runner: Go out and bring him here as you wish. And the runner who goes out does it just as before and says to Jesus: My Lord, come in; the procurator calls you.

And Jesus went in, and the standard-bearers held up their standards, the points of the standards bowed down, and worshiping Jesus. And the Jews, seeing the carrying of the flags, bowing down and worshiping Jesus, cried out violently at the flag-bearers. And Pilate said to the Jews: Don't you marvel at how the points of the flags were bowed down and worshiped Jesus? The Jews say to Pilate: We saw the standard-bearers bowing them down, and we worshiped him. And the procurator who called the standard-bearers says to them: Why did you do that? They say to Pilate: We are Greeks and temple slaves, and how could we worship him? And surely, as we held them up, the tips of themselves bowed down and worshiped him.

Pilate says to the rulers of the synagogue and the elders of the people: Choose for yourselves strong and mighty men and let them hold up the standards, and let us see whether they will bow to them. And the elders of the Jews chose twelve mighty and strong men, and made them hold up the standards six by six; and they were brought before the prosecutor's court. And Pilate says to the runner, Bring him out of the praetorium, and bring him back in as you please. And Jesus and the runner left the praetorium. And Pilate, calling the former standard-bearers to him, said to them: I swore on Caesar's health that I will cut off your heads if the standards do not bow when Jesus comes in. And the procurator commanded Jesus to come a second time. And the runner did just as before, asking Jesus many times to walk on his mantle. And He walked on it and went in. And as He went in, the standards were bowed down again and worshiped Jesus.

Chapter 2

When Pilate saw this, he was afraid and sought to leave the court; but while he was still thinking of going away, his wife sent to him and said: Don't do anything to this just man, for I have suffered much for him that night. Matthew 27:19 And Pilate called the Jews together and said to them, You know that my wife is a worshiper of God, and prefers to follow the Jewish religion with you. They say to him: Yes; we know. Pilate says to them, Behold, my wife sent to me, saying, Have nothing to do with this righteous man, for I suffered much that night because of him. And the Jews answer and say to Pilate: Didn't we tell you that he is a magician? Behold, he sent your wife a dream.

And Pilate, who called Jesus, said to him, What do these testify against you? won't you say anything And Jesus said: Unless they had power, they would say nothing; for everyone has the power of his own mouth to speak good and evil. You will take care of it.

And the elders of the Jews answered and said unto Jesus, What shall we see? First, that you were born of fornication; second, that your birth in Bethlehem was the cause of the infants' murder; third, that your father Joseph and your mother Mary fled to Egypt because they did not trust the people.

Some of the bystanders, pious men of the Jews, say: We deny that he was born of fornication; for we know that Joseph married Mary and was not born of fornication. Pilate says to the Jews who said he was a fornicator: This story of yours is not true, because they were engaged, as these people of your country also say. Annas and Caiaphas say to Pilate: We all cry out that he was born of fornication and are not believed; these are proselytes and his disciples. And Pilate, calling Annas and Caiaphas, said unto them, What are proselytes? They say to him: You are the natural children of the Greeks and have now become Jews. And those who say that He was not born of fornication, namely Lazarus, Asterius, Antony, James, Amnes, Zeras, Samuel, Isaac, Phinees, Crispus, Agrippas and Judas, say: We are not proselytes, but children of the Jews and speak of the truth; because we were present at the engagement of Joseph and Mary.

And Pilate called to him these twelve men, who said that he was not born of fornication, and said to them: By the health of Caesar, I adjure you to tell me whether it is true that you say that he was not born of fornication born. They say to Pilate: We have a law against taking an oath because it is a sin; but they will swear by the health of Caesar that it is not as we said, and we face death. Pilate says to Annas and Caiaphas, Have you nothing to answer? Annas and Caiaphas say to Pilate: These twelve will be believed if they say that he was not born of fornication; the whole crowd of us shouts that he was born of fornication and that he is a magician and he says that he is the son of God and a king and we are not believed.

And Pilate commands all the crowd to go out, except the twelve men, who said that he was not born of fornication, and he commanded Jesus to be separated from them. And Pilate says to them: For what reason do they want to kill him? They say to him, They are angry because he heals on the Sabbath. Pilate says: Will they kill him for a good work? You say to him: Yes.

Chapter 3

And Pilate went out of the praetorium in anger and said to them, I take the sun as a witness that I find no fault in this man. The Jews answered and said to the procurator: If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you. And Pilate said, Take him and judge him according to your law. The Jews said to Pilate: It is not lawful for us to kill anyone. Pilate said: Did God say that you should not be killed, but I?

And Pilate went back into the praetorium and spoke to Jesus alone and said to him, Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus answered Pilate: Are you saying this about yourself, or did others tell you about me? Pilate answered Jesus: Am I also a Jew? Your people and the chief priests have given you up to me. What have you done? Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world; for if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight lest I should be handed over to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from there. Pilate said to him, Art thou then a king? Jesus answered him: You say I am a king. For for this I was born and came, that everyone who is of the truth may hear my voice. Pilate says to him: What is truth? Jesus says to him: The truth is from heaven. Pilate says: Is there not truth on earth? Jesus says to Pilate: You see how those who speak the truth are judged by those in power on earth.

Chapter 4

And Pilate left Jesus in the praetorium and went out to the Jews and said to them, I find no fault in him. The Jews say to him: He said: I can destroy this temple and rebuild it in three days. Pilate says: Which temple? The Jews say: Those that Solomon John 2:20 took forty-six years to build, and this man speaks of tearing them down and building them up again in three days. Pilate says to them: I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man. See you. The Jews say: His blood be on us and on our children.

And Pilate called the elders, and the priests, and the Levites, and said unto them privately, Do not do so, for no charge which ye bring against him is worthy of death; for your charge is healing and Sabbath desecration. The elders and the priests and the Levites say: If anyone speaks evil against Caesar, is he worthy of death or not? Pilate says: He is worthy of death. The Jews say to Pilate: Whoever speaks evil against Caesar is worthy of death; but this man has spoken evil against God.

And the procurator commanded the Jews to leave the praetorium; and calling Jesus, he says to him: What shall I do to you? Jesus says to Pilate: As it has been given to you. Pilate says: How given? Jesus says: Moses and the prophets foretold my death and resurrection. And the Jews, noticing this and hearing it, say to Pilate, Why do you want to hear more of this blasphemy? Pilate says to the Jews: If these words are blasphemy, you take him away from the blasphemy and bring him into your synagogue and judge him according to your law. The Jews say to Pilate: Our law says that a man who wrongs his fellows is worthy to receive forty but one; but whoever blasphemes God shall be stoned with stones.

Pilate says to them: Take him and punish him as you please. The Jews say to Pilate: We want him to be crucified. Pilate says: He does not deserve the crucifixion.

And the procurator, looking around at the crowd of Jews standing by, sees many of the Jews weeping and says: The whole crowd doesn't want him to die. The elders of the Jews say: This is why we all came, that he die. Pilate says to the Jews: Why should he die? The Jews say: Because he called himself Son of God and King.

Chapter 5

And a Nicodemus, a Jew, stood in front of the procurator and said: I beg your honor, let me say a few words. Pilate says: Speak on. Nicodemus says: I said to the elders and the priests and Levites and to the whole crowd of Jews in the synagogue: What do you want with this man? This man does many miracles and strange things that no one has done or will do. Let him go and wish him no harm. If the miracles he does are of God, they will endure; but if a man, they will lead to nothing. Acts 5:38 For Moses, who was sent from God to Egypt, certainly did many signs which the Lord commanded him to do before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And there were Jannes and Jambres, servants of Pharaoh, and they also did not a few of the wonders that Moses did; and the Egyptians held them to be gods—that Jannes and that Jambres. 2 Timothy 3:8-9 But since the signs they did were not of God, they and those who believed in them were destroyed. And now set this man free because he doesn't deserve to die.

The Jews say to Nicodemus: You have become his disciple and therefore you defend him. Nicodemus says to them: Perhaps the procurator also became his pupil because he defended him. Didn't the emperor make him this dignitary? And the Jews became very angry and gnashed their teeth against Nicodemus. Pilate says to them: Why do you gnash your teeth at him when you hear the truth? The Jews say to Nicodemus: May you receive his truth and his share. Nicodemus says: Amen, amen; May I receive it as you said.

Chapter 6

One of the Jews stepped forward and asked the procurator's permission to say a word. The procurator says: if you want to say something, keep saying it. And the Jew said: Thirty-eight years I lay in my bed in great torment. And when Jesus came, many demoniacs and many suffering from various diseases were healed by him. And some young men, having pity on me, carried me bed and all, and brought me to him. And when Jesus saw me, he had pity on me and said to me, Take your bed and go. And I took my bed and went. The Jews say to Pilate: Ask him on what day he was healed. The healed says: On a Sabbath. John 5:5-9 The Jews say: Isn't that just what we said, that he heals and casts out demons on a Sabbath?

And another Jew stood up and said: I was born blind; I heard noises but saw no face. And as Jesus passed by, I cried out with a loud voice, Have mercy, son of David. And he took pity on me and put his hands on my eyes, and I immediately regained my sight. And another Jew came forward and said: I was crooked, and he straightened me up with a word. And another said, I was a leper, and he healed me with a word.

Chapter 7

And a woman cried out from afar and said: I had a bruise, and I touched the hem of his robe, and the bruise that I had had for twelve years was stopped. Matthew 9:20-26 The Jews say: We have a law that a woman's testimony is not to be accepted.

Chapter 8

And others, a multitude of men and women, cried out and said: This man is a prophet, and the demons are subject to him. Pilate says to those who said that the demons were subject to him: Then why weren't your teachers also subject to him? They say to Pilate: We do not know. And others said: He raised Lazarus from the grave after he had been dead four days. John 11:1-16 And the procurator trembled and said to the whole multitude of Jews, Why do you want to shed innocent blood?

Chapter 9

And after calling Nicodemus and the twelve men, who said that he was not born of fornication, he says to them: What shall I do, because there is a rebellion among the people? They say to him: We do not know; let her take care of it. Again Pilate, having called the whole crowd of Jews together, says: "You know that it is customary at the Festival of Unleavened Bread to set a prisoner free for you. I have a condemned prisoner in prison, a murderer named Barabbas, and this man standing in Your presence, Jesus, whom I find innocent. Which of them should I share with you? And they cry: Barabbas. Pilate says: What then shall we do with Jesus, who is called Christ? The Jews say: He shall be crucified. And others said: You are no friend of Caesar if you set this man free, because he called himself the son of God and king. So you want this man to be king and not Caesar?

And Pilate said angrily to the Jews: Your people have always been rebellious, and you always speak against your benefactors. The Jews say: What benefactors? He says to them: Your God brought you out of the land of Egypt out of bitter bondage, and made you safe through the sea as through dry land, and in the desert he fed you with manna, and gave you quails, and quenched your thirst from a water rocks and gave you a law; and with all these things you have angered your god and desired a molten calf. And you angered your god, and he wanted to kill you. And Moses prayed for you, and you were not killed. And now you accuse me of hating the Emperor.

And he got up from the judgment and sought to go out. And the Jews cry out and say: We know that Caesar is king and not Jesus. For surely the magicians brought him gifts like a king. And when Herod heard from the wise men that a king had been born, he sought to kill him; and his father Joseph, knowing this, took him and his mother, and they fled to Egypt. When Herod heard of this, he destroyed the children of the Hebrews who had been born in Bethlehem.

And when Pilate heard these words, he was afraid; And he commanded the crowd to be silent because they were crying, and said to them, Is it then that Herod was looking for? The Jews say: Yes, it is he. And Pilate took water, and washed his hands in the sight of the sun, and said, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; See you. Again the Jews cry: His blood be on us and our children.

Then Pilate ordered the curtain of the tribunal where he was sitting to be drawn and said to Jesus: Your people have accused you of being a king. Therefore I condemn you, first to be scourged by the decree of venerable kings, and then to be crucified in the garden where you were taken. And let Dysmas and Gestas, the two evildoers, be crucified with you.

Chapter 10

And Jesus went out from the praetorium, and the two criminals with him. And when they came to the place, they stripped off his clothes and girded him with an apron and put a crown of thorns on his head. And they crucified him; and at the same time they hanged the two criminals with him. And Jesus said: Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing. And the soldiers divided his clothes among themselves; and people stood and looked at him. And the chief priests and the rulers with them mocked him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself If he is God's son, let him come down from the cross. And the soldiers mocked him, and came near and offered him vinegar mixed with gall, saying, You are the king of the Jews; save yourself

And Pilate, after the judgment, commanded that the charge against him be written as a headline in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, according to what the Jews had said: He is the King of the Jews.

And one of the malefactors who hung up spoke to Him and said: If you are the Christ, save yourself and us. And Dysmas answered, rebuking him, saying: 'Don't you fear God because you are in the same condemnation? And rightly so, for we receive due punishment for our deeds; but this man has done no evil. And he said to Jesus: Remember me, Lord, in your kingdom. And Jesus said to him: Amen, amen; I tell you: today you will be with me in paradise.

Chapter 11

And it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness on the earth until the ninth hour, when the sun was darkened; and the veil of the temple was rent in two. And with a loud voice Jesus cried out: Father, Baddach ephkid ruel, which means: Into your hands I commend my spirit. And having said this, He gave up the ghost. And the centurion saw what had happened, glorified God, and said, That was a righteous man. And all the crowds that were present at this spectacle, when they saw what had happened, beat their breasts and went away.

And the centurion reported to the procurator what had happened. And when the procurator and his wife heard this, they were very sad and neither ate nor drank that day. And Pilate sent for the Jews and said to them, Have you seen what has happened? And they say: There has been an eclipse in the usual way.

And his acquaintances stood afar off, and the women who came with him from Galilee saw this. And a man named Joseph, a councilor from the city of Arimathea, who was also waiting for the kingdom of God, went to Pilate and begged for the body of Jesus. And he took it off and wrapped it in clean linen and laid it in a tomb cut out of the rock, where no one had ever lain.

Chapter 12

And the Jews, hearing that Joseph had asked for the body of Jesus, sought him, and the twelve, who said that Jesus was not born of fornication, and Nicodemus, and many others who had come before Pilate and proclaimed his good works . And of all these hidden ones, only Nicodemus was seen by them, because he was a ruler of the Jews. And Nicodemus said to them, How did you get into the synagogue? The Jews say to him: How did you get into the synagogue? For you are his ally, and his portion is with you in the world to come. Nicodemus says: Amen, amen. And in the same way Joseph also came out and said to them, Why are you angry with me because I asked for the body of Jesus? Behold, I laid him in my new tomb, and wrapped him in clean linen; and I rolled a stone to the door of the tomb. And you did not deal well with the righteous, because you did not regret crucifying him, but also pierced him with a spear. And the Jews seized Joseph, and commanded him to be secured until the first day of the week, and said unto him, Know that the times let us do nothing against you, because the sabbath day is coming; and know that you will not be found worthy of burial, but we will give your flesh to the birds of the air. Joseph says to them: These are the words of the arrogant Goliath, who reviled the living God and holy David. 1 Samuel 17:44 For God said through the prophet: Vengeance is mine, and I will repay, says the Lord. And now he who is uncircumcised in flesh but circumcised in heart took water and washed his hands in the face of the sun, and said, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; behold. And you answered and said to Pilate, His blood be on us and on our children. And now I fear that the wrath of God will come upon you and upon your children as you said. And when the Jews heard these words, they became embittered within, and seized Joseph and locked him in a room where there was no window; and guards stood at the door and sealed the door in which Joseph was locked.

And on the Sabbath the rulers of the synagogue, the priests, and the Levites decided that all should be found in the synagogue on the first day of the week. And early in the morning the whole crowd in the synagogue stood up and took counsel by what death they should put him to death. And when the Sanhedrin sat, they commanded him to be brought with great indignation. And after they opened the door, they didn't find him. And all the people were surprised and dismayed, because they found the seals intact, and because Caiaphas had the key. And they no longer dared to lay hands on those who had spoken for Jesus before Pilate.

Chapter 13

And while they were still sitting in the synagogue marveling at Joseph, some of the watchmen who had asked the Jews of Pilate to guard Jesus' tomb came, lest his disciples come and steal him. And they told the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites what had happened: how there had been a great earthquake; and we saw an angel descending from heaven, and he rolled away the stone from the mouth of the tomb, and sat on it; and he shone like snow and like lightning. And we were very afraid, and lay as dead; and we heard the voice of the angel saying to the women who remained by the side of the tomb, Fear not, for I know that you are seeking Jesus who was crucified. He's not here: He's risen, as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly and tell his disciples that he rose from the dead and is in Galilee. Matthew 28:5-7

The Jews say: To which women did he speak? The men of the guard say: We don't know who they were. The Jews say: What time was that? The men of the guard say: At midnight. The Jews say: And why did you not seize them? The men of the watch say: We were like dead ones with fear, not expecting to see the light of day, and how could we seize them? The Jews say: As the Lord lives, we do not believe you. The men of the guard say to the Jews: You saw such great miracles in this man and did not believe; and how can you believe us And surely you did well to swear that the Lord lives, for He does live. Again the men of the guard say: We heard that you locked up the man who asked for the body of Jesus and put a seal on the door; and that you opened it and didn't find him. Then you give us the man you were guarding and we will give you Jesus. The Jews say: Joseph went to his own city. The men of the guard say to the Jews: And Jesus is risen, as we heard from the angel, and is in Galilee.

And when the Jews heard these words, they feared greatly, and said, We must beware that this story is heard, and all incline to Jesus. And the Jews called a council and paid a considerable sum of money and gave it to the soldiers, saying: Speak, while we were sleeping his disciples came at night and stole him; and when the Procurator hears of this, we shall persuade him and save you from trouble. And they took it and said as they were commanded.

Chapter 14

And a priest Pines and a teacher Adas and a Levite Haggai came from Galilee to Jerusalem and said to the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites: We saw Jesus and his disciples sitting on the mountain called Mamilch; and he said to his disciples: Go into all the world and preach to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe will be damned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons, speak new tongues, take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means harm them; They will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed. And while Jesus was speaking to his disciples, we saw how he was taken up into heaven. Mark 16:15-18

The elders and the priests and the Levites say: Glory to the God of Israel and confess to him whether you have heard and seen what you gave us an account of. And the reporters said: As the Lord lives, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we have heard these things and seen him taken up into heaven. The elders and the priests and the Levites say to them: Have you come to make this announcement to us or to pray to God? And they say: Pray to God. The elders and the chief priests and the Levites say to them: If you came to pray to God, why did you tell these idle stories in the presence of all the people? Said Phinees the priest, and Adas the teacher, and Haggai the Levite, to the rulers of the synagogues, and to the priests, and to the Levites: If what we have said and seen is sin, behold, we are before you; do with us what seems good in your eyes. And they took the law and made themselves sworn never to account to anyone for these things. And they gave them food and drink, and sent them out of the city, and also gave them money, and three men with them; and they sent them to Galilee. And these men who had gone to Galilee, the chief priests and the rulers of the synagogue and the elders, came together into the synagogue and locked the door and wailed with great lamentation, saying, Is this a miracle that has happened? in Israel? And Annas and Caiaphas said: Why are you so touched? Why are you crying? Don't you know that his disciples gave a sum of gold to the keepers of the tomb and instructed them to say that an angel came down and rolled the stone away from the door of the tomb? And the priests and the elders said: Whether his disciples stole his body; How is it that life came into his body and that he is walking in Galilee? And since they could not answer this, after much hesitation they said: "It is not lawful for us to believe the uncircumcised.

Chapter 15

And Nicodemus stood up and stood before the Sanhedrin and said: You say it well; Your people of the Lord do not know these men who came down from Galilee, that they fear God and are men of wealth, hate covetousness, men of peace. and they declared with an oath: We saw Jesus on Mount Mamilch with his disciples, and he was teaching what we heard of him, and we saw him taken up into heaven. And no one asked her in what form he ascended. For verily, as the book of Holy Scripture has taught us, Helias also was taken up into heaven, and Elisha cried out with a loud voice, and Helias threw his skin on Elisha, and Elisha threw his skin on the Jordan, and crossed over, and came to Jericho. And the children of the prophets met him and said: O Elissaeus, where is your master Helias? And he said: He has been taken up into heaven. And they said to Elisha, Did not a spirit take hold of him and throw him up on one of the mountains? But let us take our servants with us and seek him. And they persuaded Elisaeus, and he went away with them. And they searched for him three days and did not find him; and they knew he had been admitted. 2 Kings 2:12-18 And now hear me, and let us send to all the districts of Israel, and see whether Christ was not taken up by a spirit, and cast upon one of the mountains? And this proposal pleased everyone. And they sent to all districts of Israel, seeking Jesus, and found him not; but they found Joseph in Arimathea, and no one dared lay hands on him.

And they reported to the elders and the priests and the Levites: We went into all the districts of Israel and did not find Jesus; but we found Joseph in Arimathea. And when they heard about Joseph, they rejoiced and gave glory to the God of Israel. And the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests, and the Levites, after holding a council as to how they should meet with Joseph, took a piece of paper and wrote to Joseph the following:-

Peace be with you! We know that we have sinned against God and against you; and we have prayed to the God of Israel that you would deign to come to your fathers and to your children, because we are all sorrowful. Because we opened the door, we didn't find you. And we know that we have devised evil counsels against you; but the Lord has defended you, and the Lord himself has scattered our counsel against you to the four winds, O honorable Father Joseph.

And they chose out of all Israel seven men, friends of Joseph, with whom Joseph himself was acquainted; and the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites say to them: Mark this: if he has read our letter, after he has received it, know that he will come to us with you; but if he does not read it, know that he is ill-disposed toward us. And having greeted him in peace, return to us. And after blessing the men, they dismissed them. And the men came to Joseph and worshiped him and said to him, Peace be upon you! And he said: Peace be to you and to all the people of Israel! And they gave him the roll of the letter. And Joseph, after receiving it, read the letter, and rolled it up, and glorified God, saying, Blessed be the Lord God, who saved Israel, that they should not shed innocent blood; and blessed be the Lord who sent forth his angel and covered me with his wings. And he set a table for them; and they ate and drank and slept there. And they got up early and prayed. And Joseph saddled his donkey and went on his way with the men; and they came into the holy city of Jerusalem. And all the people met Joseph and cried: Peace be upon your entry! And he said to all people: Peace be with you! And he kissed her. And the people prayed with Joseph and marveled 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, and ate and drank with Joseph; and after they had sung hymns each went on to his own house. But Joseph stayed in the house of Nicodemus.

And 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 be with you! And they said: Peace be upon you and Joseph and all your house and all the house of Joseph! And he brought her to his house. And all the Sanhedrin sat down, and Joseph sat down between Annas and Caiaphas, and no one dared say a word to him. And Joseph said: Why did you call me? And they signaled Nicodemus to speak to Joseph. And Nicodemus opened his mouth and said to Joseph: Father, you know that the honorable teachers and the priests and the Levites are careful to learn a word from you. And Joseph said: Ask. And Annas and Caiaphas took the law, and made Joseph swear an oath, saying, Glory be to the God of Israel, and confess him; for Achar, who was sworn by the prophet Jesus, did not deny himself, but declared everything to him and concealed no word from him. Accordingly, do not hide a word from us. And Joseph said: I will not hide a word from you. And they said to him, We were grieved because you asked for the body of Jesus, and wrap it in clean linen and put it in a tomb. And so we locked you in a room with no windows, and we put locks and seals on the doors, and guards guarded where you were locked. And on the first day of the week we opened and didn't find you, and were very sad; and astonishment fell upon all the Lord's people until yesterday. And now tell us what happened to you.

And Joseph said: At the preparation time at the tenth hour you shut me up, and I stayed the whole Sabbath. And at midnight, as I stood and prayed, the room in which you had locked me was hung from the four corners, and I saw a light like lightning in my eyes. Acts 10:11 And I was afraid and fell to the ground. And someone took my hand and removed me from the place where I fell; and wet water flowed from my head to my feet, and a fragrance of sweet smells rose into my nostrils. And he wiped my face and kissed me and said to me, Fear not, Joseph; Open your eyes and see who it is that is speaking to you. And when I looked up, I saw Jesus. And I trembled and thought it was a phantom; and I spoke the commandments, and he spoke them with me. However, you are not unaware that when a ghost meets someone and hears the commandments, it flees. And when I saw 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 are you, my lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus, whose body you begged of Pilate; and you clothed me in clean linen and put a handkerchief on my face and laid me in your new tomb and rolled a large stone at the door of the tomb. And I said to the one who spoke to me: Show me the place where I laid you. And he carried me away and showed me the place where I laid him; and the linen cloth was in it, and the cloth for his face. And I knew it was Jesus. And he took me by the hand and put me in the middle of my house, although the doors were locked, and led me to my bed, and said to me, Peace be upon you! And he kissed me and said to me, For forty days do not leave your house; for behold, I am going to my brethren in Galilee.

Chapter 16

And the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests, and the Levites, hearing these words from Joseph, became as if dead, and fell to the ground, and fasted until the ninth hour. And Nicodemus, together with Joseph, exhorted Annas and Caiaphas, the priests, and the Levites, saying, Arise, stand on your feet, and taste bread, and strengthen your soul, for tomorrow is the Lord's Sabbath. And they arose and prayed to God and ate and drank and went each one to his own house.

And on the Sabbath our teachers and the priests and Levites sat and questioned one another, saying, What is this wrath that has come upon us? Because we know his father and his mother. Levi, a teacher, says: I know that his parents fear God and do not withdraw from prayer and tithe three times a year. And when Jesus was born, his parents brought him to this place, and offered sacrifices and burnt offerings to God. And when the great teacher Symeon took him in his arms, he said: Now, sir, release thy servant according to thy word in peace; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations, a light for the light of the Gentiles and for the glory of your people Israel. And Symeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, I bring you good news of this child. And Mary said: It is well, my lord. And Symeon said unto her, It is good; behold, he lies for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against; and from yourself a sword will pass through the soul to reveal the arguments of many hearts. Luke 2:25-35

They say to the teacher Levi: How do you know that? Levi said to them, Don't you know that I learned the law from him? The Sanhedrin says to him: We want to see your father. And they sent for his father. And they asked him; and he said to them, Why did you not believe my son? The blessed and righteous Symeon himself taught him the law. The Sanhedrin says to Rabbi Levi: Is the word you said true? And he said: It's true. And the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites said to themselves, Come, let us send to Galilee to the three men who came and told of his teaching and his reception, and let them tell us how they did him have seen recorded. And everyone liked that saying. And they sent away the three men who had already gone with them to Galilee; and they say to them: Say to Rabbi Adas and Rabbi Phinees and Rabbi Haggai: Peace be to you and to all who are with you! After a great inquiry took place in the Sanhedrin, we were sent to call you to this holy place, Jerusalem.

And the men went on their way to Galilee, and found them sitting and pondering the law; and they saluted her in peace. And the men who were in Galilee said to those who came to them, Peace be to all Israel! And they said: Peace be with you! And they said to them again, Why have you come? And the messengers said: The Sanhedrin is calling you to the holy city of Jerusalem. And when the men heard that the Sanhedrin were looking for them, they prayed to God, and sat down with the men, and ate and drank, and got up, and set out in peace for Jerusalem.

And the following day the Sanhedrin sat in the synagogue and asked them, saying, Did you really see Jesus sitting on Mount Mamilch teaching his eleven disciples, and did you see how he was taken away? And the men answered them and said, As we saw him taken up, so we also said.

Annas says: Take them apart and let's see if their calculations are right. And they took them away from each other. And first they call Adas and say to him: How did you see how Jesus was received? Adas says: When he was still sitting on Mount Mamilch and teaching his students, we saw a cloud overshadowing him and his students. And the cloud took him up to heaven, and his disciples lay face down on the earth. And they call Pinees the priest, and also ask him, saying: How did you see that Jesus was received? And he spoke in like manner. And they asked Haggai again, and he spoke in like manner. And the Sanhedrin said: The law of Moses is: Out of the mouth of two or three shall every word come. Deuteronomy 17:6 Buthem, a teacher, says: In the law it is written: And Enoch walked with God, and is not because God took him. Jairus, a teacher, said: And of the death of holy Moses we heard, and saw him not; for it is written in the law of the Lord: And Moses died by the mouth of the Lord, and to this day no one knows of his grave. Deuteronomy 34:5-6 And Rabbi Levi said: Why did Rabbi Symeon, when he saw Jesus, say, "Behold, he lies for the fall and resurrection of many in Israel, and for a contradicted sign?" Luke 2:34 And Rabbi Isaac said : It is written in the law: Behold, I am sending my messenger before you, who will go before you to keep you in every good thing, because my name has been called upon him.

Then Annas and Caiaphas said, Rightly did you say what is written in the law of Moses, that no one saw the death of Enoch, and no one mentioned the death of Moses; but Jesus was tried before Pilate, and we saw him receiving blows and spit in the face, and the soldiers putting a crown of thorns on his head, and he was scourged and condemned by Pilate, and crucified on the skull, and two robbers with him ; and they gave him vinegar with gall to drink, and Longinus the soldier pierced his side with a spear; and Joseph our honorable father asked for his body, and as he says he is risen; and as the three teachers say: We saw him taken up into heaven; and Rabbi Levi bore witness to what Rabbi Symeon said, and that he said: Behold, he lies for the fall and resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against. And all the teachers said unto all the Lord's people: If this was from the Lord, and is marvelous in thy sight, then ye shall know, O house of Jacob, that it is written: Cursed be every man that hangs on a tree. And another Scripture teaches: The gods, who did not make heaven and earth, shall be destroyed. Jeremiah 10:11 And the priests and the Levites said to one another, If his memory is unto the year that is called Jobel, know that it endures forever, and he hath raised up a new people. And the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites proclaimed to all Israel, saying, Cursed is the man that worships the work of man, and cursed is the man that worships the creatures more than the Creator. And all the people said: Amen, amen.

And all the people praised the Lord, and said, Blessed is the Lord, who hath given rest to his people Israel after all that he hath spoken; not a single word fell out of every good word he spoke to Moses his servant. The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers: he will not destroy us. And he shall not destroy us, that we may incline our hearts to him, that we may walk in all his ways, that we keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded our fathers. 1 Kings 8:56-58 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth in that day; and there will be one Lord and his name only one. Zechariah 14:9 The Lord is our king, he will save us. Isaiah 33:22 Lord, there is no one like you. Great are you, O Lord, and great is your name. Heal us by Your power, O Lord, and we shall be healed; save us, O Lord, and we shall be saved; Jeremiah 17:14 because we are your lot and inheritance. And the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake; for the Lord has begun to make us his people. 1 Samuel 12:22

And all, after singing hymns, went away, each to his own house, to praise God; for his is the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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