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THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
9.8
зда
THE
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS
AND OTHER DOCUMENTS
RELATING TO THE HISTORY OF
CHRIST.
TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINALS IN GREEK, LATIN, SYRIAC, ETC.
WITH NOTES,
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES AND PROLEGOMENA.
Gospels. English
Bible, N.T.. Apocr/phol books. Gospels
BY
B. HARRIS COWPER,
EDITOR OF THE "JOURNAL OF SACRED LITERATURE," ETC.
1867.
SECOND
E
PUR S
EDITION.

MUOVE
M
WILLIAMS AND NORGATE,
14, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON;
AND 20, SOUTH FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH,
1867.
WHEATON COLLEGE LIBRARY
WHEATON, ILLINOIS
PREFACE.
No one
can wonder that men are curious to
know something of a class of compositions dig-
nified or branded with the name of Apocryphal
Gospels. They hope to find in them at least
some fragments of genuine history not contained
in the Canonical Gospels. This hope must be dis-
appointed; but a faithful version of the documents,
with notes, and other accompaniments, will be
found both useful and interesting. All who read
them, with any attention, will see that they are
fictions and not histories; not traditions even, so
much as legends.
It would have been easy to add a great deal
to what is here printed, by way of illustration
´ and criticism; but I have not pretended to say
everything. I have rather tried to say as little
vi
PREFACE.
J
as I could, consistently with the subject and in-
tention of the book.
For the first time the English reader will have
anything that can honestly pretend to be a com-
plete collection of the False Gospels.
The remainder of the Christian Apocrypha will
follow if circumstances permit.
I will only add that before I undertook this
work I never realised, so completely as I do now,
the impassable character of the gulf which sepa-
rates the genuine Gospels from these. Trusting
that others will obtain at least as much good from
them, I send them forth into the world.
B. H. C.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION
✔The Gospel of James (commonly called the Protevangelium)
The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, or of the Infancy of Mary and of
Jesus
The Gospel of the Nativity of Mary
The History of Joseph the Carpenter......
The Gospel of Thomas (I.)...........
(II.)…………………..
Page
ix
1
27
84
99
3
128
144
""
(III.)………………..
The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy
The Letter of Abgar to Jesus
152
170
...
219
The Letter of Jesus to Abgar
220
The Letter of Lentulus
Prayer of Jesus, Son of Mary ....
The Story of Veronica
...
The Gospel of Nicodemus, or Acts of Pilate (I.)...........
221
222
..... 223
227
""
""
(II.)......
267
Second Part,
91
""
or,
Descent of Christ to the Underworld
The Latin Gospel of Nicodemus, Part I., or, Acts of Pilate……………….... 312
299
1
viii
CONTENTS.
Page
The Latin Gospel of Nicodemus, Part II., or, Descent of Christ to
the Underworld
347
The Letter of Pilate to Tiberius.....
388
The Letters of Herod and Pilate
389
The Epistle of Pilate to Cæsar
398
The Report of Pilate the Governor (I.) ………….
400
...
""
""
(II.)…………………..
405
The Trial and Condemnation of Pilate
410
The Death of Pilate........
415
The Story of Joseph of Arimathea
420
432
The Revenging of the Saviour
APPENDIX.
The Syriac Gospel of the Boyhood of our Lord Jesus
448
INTRODUCTION.
I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION.-CHARACTER AND
CLAIMS OF THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.,
MANY books are included under the name of Christian
Apocrypha, or New Testament Apocrypha, as some
call them. Several of these books are still extant in
one language or another, but of the larger part we
only possess fragments, or the mere titles. I would
thus describe in a few words the character of the
books in question: They are all spurious; they all
relate to Christ and those who were associated with
him in his earthly career, or to the apostles and their
associates; they all pretend to supplement or deve-
lope the writings of the New Testament; and they
are all of more recent date than any of the canonical
books. The series commenced in the second century
at latest, and continued for many centuries. The
materials are drawn partly from the New Testament,
b
X
INTRODUCTION.
1
partly from traditions, and partly from the imagina-
tion of their authors. They are of no historical or
doctrinal authority, and were never officially recog-
nised in the Church. On many accounts they de-
serve nothing but contempt, and that has been li-
berally heaped upon them in all ages. It has been
very truly observed of the false Gospels in particular,
by Bishop Ellicott, in the "Cambridge Essays" for
1856, that,
"Their real demerits, their mendacities, their ab-
surdities, their coarseness, the barbarities of their
style, and the inconsequence of their narratives, have
never been excused or condoned. It would be hard
to find any competent writer, in any age of the
Church, who has been beguiled into saying anything
civil or commendatory.” (p. 153.)
And again :-
“The torrent of abuse, condemnation, and invec-
tive, that issued from the fountains of early ortho-
doxy, and has never lacked an affluent in any gene-
ration since the days of Irenæus, has raged against
these unhappy mythologies with an unabated vehe-
mence, which, as far as the honour of the orthodox
faith is concerned, must be pronounced both edifying
and exemplary. The whole vocabulary of theological
INTRODUCTION.
xi
abhorrence, a vocabulary by no means limited in its
extent, or culpably weak in its expressions, has been
expended upon these unfortunate compositions, indi-
vidually and collectively." (p. 154.)
Once more:-
"From all alike-from orthodox fathers, from
early historians, from popes, from councils, from
Romanist divines and Protestant commentators-
the same amount of contempt and reprobation has
been expended on the Apocryphal Gospels, and yet
they live and thrive, and are, perhaps, now as much
and as curiously read as ever." (p. 155.)
"
As I have in the present volume mainly to do
with the spurious Gospels, and documents closely
allied with them, I shall chiefly limit my remarks
to them. It has been said then, in opposition to
what Lardner, Jones, Ellicott, and others have af-
firmed, that the Churches once received these spu-
rious Gospels. Writers who have been hostile to
the four Canonical Gospels have been very anxious
to prove that either fewer or more than four were
originally accepted, and they have not been over
anxious which of these they proved. For popular
purposes much use has been made of this argument,
on the faith of an idle story quoted by Pappus
xii
INTRODUCTION.
!
(16th century) from an obscure Greek work, of per-
haps the 10th century, to the effect that certain books
were rejected at the council of Nice in A.D. 325, as
the result of a miracle. They pretend to believe the
occurrence, although they deny the miracle; but it
would be more becoming to find some passage in
some author of credit who lived near the date al-
leged, and to show that the tale has at least real
antiquity on its side. This they neither have done
nor can do. Not one ancient writer intimates that
the council of Nice entertained the question of the
Canon at all. The use that is frequently made of
Jerome's casual remark is simply disgraceful. It
amounts to this,—that some people said the book of
Judith was quoted as an authority at the council of
Nice. Such, and no more, is the meaning of Jerome's
few words. Yet out of them one party has concocted
the fiction that the council determined the Canon of
the Scriptures, and authorised the Old Testament
Apocrypha; and another party has foisted in the
idea of a miraculous rejection of the false Gospels,
and other Christian Apocrypha. Why, even the old
Greek does not say one word as to the books which
were, according to his fable, rejected, except that
they were 'spurious.' Now since an honest man
$
INTRODUCTION.
xiii
1
will acquaint himself with facts, I do not see how
any honest man, or any but the impudent and mali-
cious, can ascribe an atom of value to the fable which
Pappus raked out of obscurity. It is well known,
moreover, that most of the Christian Apocrypha were
still unwritten when the Nicene council was held.
I have elsewhere written as follows: Any state-
ment made now, that the spurious Gospels were ever
regarded in the Church as inspired and true, must
arise from ignorance or malicious misrepresentation,
and must be condemned as false and deceitful. It is
of course probable that individuals who knew no
better may have been imposed upon by the forged
fables we have in view, and it is certain that some
of the wilder sects of heresy appear to have accepted
one or two of the false Gospels, but neither of these
facts is opposed to our assertion. At the present day
the Mormons receive the absurd Book of Mormon as
an inspired document, but it would be an insult to
tell us that this volume is accepted by the Christian
Church. The case of the one or two false Gospels,
which some heretics received, is exactly parallel, be-
cause the heretics in question, and their Gospels, were
repudiated by the Church. We could mention here-
tics who rejected a part or the whole of some of our
1
xiv
INTRODUCTION.
Gospels, but this would not prevent us from repeat-
ing as true what we have already said, that our four
Gospels have always and alone been received as in-
spired and authentic by the Universal Church of
Christ.
It will be said, perhaps, that some of the forged
Gospels are quoted by recognised and orthodox wri-
ters. This is true, but fitted to mislead: the false
Gospels are often quoted and referred to by writers
who disbelieved and expressly rejected them; in a
few cases, alleged quotations from them are doubtful;
and here and there we find them quoted as con-
taining true statements. Only these last quotations
concern us, and we say in reference to them, that
there are some true statements in the forged Gospels;
that whether true or false, they contain statements
which some men believed to be true; and that no
mere quotation from a book proves it to have been
inspired in the opinion of him that quotes it. But,
even supposing that one, or two, or three of the
early Fathers quoted false Gospels as inspired, we
could only infer from the circumstance that they
were mistaken, and stood almost alone.
There have always been, as there are now, weak-
minded, credulous, and superstitious persons, who
-
གམས་.
INTRODUCTION.
XV
are easily imposed upon. In the Romish Church,
books professedly inspired have repeatedly been pub-
lished and accepted by many. For example, two
hundred years since, a Spanish nun, a dreamy
fanatic, professed to write, by divine revelation, a
history of Christ, of Mary, and of the Apostles.
This book was voluminous, and gathered from
various sources, including the disordered imagin-
ation of the writer. Many received it as from God,
and to this day, at least French and Italian abridge-
ments of it are widely circulated and devoutly
believed in. Yet would anybody affirm that the
Church of Rome has added this book to the canon
of Holy Scripture? Certainly not.
But," say those who wish to discredit the true
Gospels by giving prominence to the false, "How is
it that councils and bishops have forbidden and re-
jected the Apocryphal Gospels ?" The facts already
adduced supply a sufficient answer, but I will be a
little more precise. For the information and security
of weak and erring Christians, and for the instruction
of unbelievers, it was found needful to publish lists
of the inspired books of Scripture. Appended to
these lists we naturally find sometimes mention of
other books, which were very popular, or really
i
1
xvi
INTRODUCTION.
believed by certain persons to be divine; but they
are mentioned only by way of warning and caution.
The most remarkable example of the kind, perhaps,
is the list which commonly passes under the name
of Gelasius, who was bishop of Rome in A.D. 492
to 496. A synod is said to have been held at Rome,
in which seventy bishops agreed to certain catalogues
of books. The first catalogue comprises the books
of the Old and New Testament. The second cata-
logue is of books not to be regarded as canonical or
of Divine authority. Among these are some which
still exist. The genuineness of this remarkable
document has been denied, but, whether genuine or
a forgery, it may fairly claim to represent the
character and position of the writings enumerated
towards the year 500 after Christ.
Some modern writers have, like Archbishop Wake,
greatly overvalued some books which never even
pretended to form part of Holy Scripture. The
learned, but illogical, Whiston also would have ad-
mitted into the New Testament some of the most
notorious forgeries.
Towards the close of the seventeenth century some
unguarded expressions of Toland, in his life of
Milton, were laid hold of by Dr. Blackhall as the
1
INTRODUCTION.
xvii
ground of a charge of having used apocryphal books
to discredit those that were genuine. Toland replied
in his 'Amyntor,' denying the accusation, especially
as it applied to the New Testament. Notwithstanding
his denial, the charge was repeated, as will be seen
by the quotation below,¹ and it has continued to be
repeated down to our own day. Certainly he does
not state the case in such a manner as to favour the
common belief, but he says, "Several of these books
(apocryphal and spurious) whereof I now treat, are
quoted to prove important points of the Christian
religion, by the most celebrated Fathers, as of equal
authority with those we now receive; and the testi-
mony of those Fathers was the principal reason of
establishing these in our present canon, and is still
alleged to that purpose, by all that write in defence
of the Scriptures." 2 I regard this as a most in-
accurate statement, but I cannot here occupy space
with its refutation. Perhaps, however, it may be as
"2
1 Toland affirms in his "Amyntor" (p. 52) that several spurious
pieces have been quoted by the Fathers as of equal authority with those
which we receive; even by those Fathers upon whose testimony the
present canon is established. From thence it is evident, he would
infer that those spurious and our canonical books ought to go together,
and either be equally admitted or equally rejected, since they are
founded upon the same testimonies. Richardson on the Canon.
London, 1700. p. 2.
2 Amyntor, p. 52.
1
xviii
INTRODUCTION.
1
well to note that the books which Toland instances,
as quoted in the way he describes, are those which
bear the names of Barnabas, Hermas, Polycarp,
Clement (to the Corinthians), and Ignatius (seven
epistles). We now call these the Apostolical Fathers,
and, whether spurious or genuine, nobody classes
them with the Apocrypha.
It is very curious, that while the views of Wake
and Whiston, and the opinions ascribed to Toland,
were repudiated by the vast majority of sober-
minded people, they had their followers among
the prejudiced, the credulous, and the ignorant.
Toland's alleged opinions were eagerly reproduced
upon the continent.¹ But earnest men arose to in-
vestigate the whole matter. The English Dissenter,
Jeremiah Jones, was the first to publish in his own
language, and side by side with the originals, all
that he could find of the false Gospels. His book
on the Canon is still of real value, although, as a
whole, not fitted for the present age. A more con-
scientious and painstaking editor never took pen
in hand. As the result of his investigations he
maintains,—“ That, for the most part, the Apocry-
¹ See for example, Histoire Critique de Jesus-Christ, ou Analyse
Raisonnée des Evangiles. (circa 1770). 8vo. Amsterdam, M.M. Rey.
INTRODUCTION.
xix
phal books are expressly, and in so many words,
rejected by those who have mentioned them, as the
forgeries of heretics, and so, as spurious and apocry-
phal." Moreover, he says that "When any such book
is cited, and not expressly rejected, there are other
evidences to prove the author did not receive it as
canonical; for instance, Origen quotes once or twice
a false gospel, which he elsewhere rejects as heretical,
and, besides, declares that the Church receives four
Gospels only." I will add another of his remarks:-
"Sometimes the Fathers made use of the apocryphal
books to show their learning, or, that the heretics
might not charge them with partiality and ignorance,
as being acquainted only with their own books."
I must not overlook Dr. Lardner, whose materials
and conclusions are to be found in his great work on
the Credibility of the Gospel History. Both he
and Jones owed not a little to Fabricius, but their
opinions are their own. Lardner maintains that the
false Gospels are quoted by none of the apostolical
Fathers, nor by many other early Christian writers ;
that several of the Fathers expressly condemn them ;
that there is no evidence of their reception by the
Church; that those we know anything about were
written later than our four Gospels, which they often
XX
INTRODUCTION.
copy, and sometimes alter and contradict; that
they are inconsistent with themselves, and with one
another, with reason, and with sound doctrine; and
that they have no claim upon our belief, and, as
literary productions, are quite contemptible.
I think both Jones and Lardner have overlooked
some probable traces of the Apocryphal Gospels, but
I am quite ready to receive their judgment as to the
real character and claims of these productions.
In the compilation of the present volume, I have
necessarily come into contact with a great many
books, but I do not propose to fill pages with lists
of titles which the learned may find elsewhere, and
which the unlearned could not use if they found
them here. I only mention that the first great
collector of Christian Apocrypha was John Albert
Fabricius, early in the last century; that a second
was J. C. Thilo, whose book came out in 1832; and
that the third and chief is Dr. Tischendorf, of whom
more will be found in the following pages. It is, in
fact, his edition of the Apocryphal Gospels which I
have translated, though with additions from other
sources.
There are two or three other books that I should,
perhaps, not omit. The first is the "Codex Apocry-
INTRODUCTION.
xxi
phus N.T.," or, "Uncanonical Gospels and other
writings," brought out by Dr. Giles, in 1852, but the
editor had the misfortune to know nothing about the
books he published.
Considerably lower is the "Apocryphal New Tes-
tament: being all the Gospels, Epistles, and other
pieces now extant, attributed, in the first four cen-
turies, to Jesus Christ, His Apostles, and their
companions, and not included in the New Testament
by its compilers;" by William Hone, London, 1820.
This mean affair has had an immense run, and is
constantly reprinted with the original date and
swarms of blunders. Hone much regretted pub-
lishing this book when he came to a better mind,
but it was beyond his power to recall it, or it would
have been suppressed. What he did in preparing it,
was to select some of the translations of Jones, and
attach to them the version of the Apostolic Fathers
by Wake; all these he cut up into chapters and
verses, prefixing headings to his chapters, to make
them look like ordinary editions of the New Testa-
ment. His introductions and notes are borrowed
(without acknowledgment in great part) from the
same sources as his text, and hashed up to suit his
purpose. It is a standing reproach to our literature
xxii
INTRODUCTION.
that this heterogeneous jumble should have remained
alone, and no effort made to give the people the
means of correcting its misrepresentations. Only
think of the Apostolical Fathers figuring in an
Apocryphal New Testament!
I am not quite correct in saying Hone's book has
remained alone, for a mangled edition of it has ap-
peared in a still more repulsive form. The new book
is a reprint of Hone, with two or three fresh notes,
and some old ones omitted, some inversion of order,
misprints uncorrected, and new ones introduced. The
preface is partly new, and partly reduced from that
of Hone. A so-called "Poem," by the editor, has been
appended, and a new title has been prefixed. The
new title indicates the miserable character and spirit
of this outrageous affair: "The suppressed Gospels
and Epistles of the Original New Testament of Jesus
Christ, and other portions of the ancient Holy Scrip-
tures, now extant, attributed to His Apostles and
their Disciples, and venerated by the primitive
Christian Churches during the first four centuries;
but since, after violent disputations, forbidden by the
bishops of the Nicene Council, in the reign of the
Emperor Constantine; and omitted from the Catholic
and Protestant editions of the New Testament, by its
INTRODUCTION.
xxiii
compilers. Translated from the Original tongues,
with historical references to their authenticity, by
Archbishop Wake, and other learned divines.
London, 1863." This imposture, for it is nothing
less, has been reproduced with a new and still more
flagrant title, which is too ridiculous to deceive any
but the most ignorant.
I cannot conclude this part of the subject without
naming two respectable French publications. "Les
Evangiles Apocryphes" is a French version of se-
veral of the apocryphal books, with notes by Gustave
Brunet (Second edition, Paris, 1863). "Etudes sur
les Evangiles Apocryphes" is a portly volume by
Michel Nicolas (Paris, 1866). This last is an elabo-
rate discussion of the subject, conducted with learn-
ing and ability, but I can by no means accept all the
conclusions of the author. This I do accept: "In
reality they are all, without exception, infinitely beneath
the Canonical Gospels in all respects." Pref. p. xxiii.
II. THE ORIGIN AND INTENTION OF THE
FALSE GOSPELS.
The principal causes which originated the writings
commonly known as Apocryphal Gospels, may be
XXIV
INTRODUCTION.
soon stated. Men were curious to know more than
the Canonical Gospels contained. Fragmentary sto-
ries or traditions were abroad, relating to Joseph and
Mary and their families, to the birth and infancy,
the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, to Pilate, Joseph
of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and so on. How pleasant
if all these fragments could be rendered complete,
and especially if the silence of the four Gospels could
be supplemented! The wish was not a barren one,
and from time to time writings appeared professing
to supply the information which was wanted. Some
of these writings may be considered introductory to
the Evangelical narratives, others as appendices, but
all as supplementary in one way or another. Joseph
and Mary were no longer the obscure individuals the
Gospels had left them; the incarnation, birth, and
early life of Jesus no more remained imperfectly re-
corded; the last days of Christ's earthly life were
set forth with wondrous minuteness of detail; the
space between the death and resurrection of the
Saviour was filled up with particulars of what hap-
pened in the unseen world, as well as at Jerusalem
and elsewhere; Pilate was pursued into every nook
and corner, all he did and said was noted down, and
the steps of the Nemesis which haunted him beyond
INTRODUCTION.
XXV
the very grave, were diligently traced; the results
of the imprecation of the Jews, "His blood be upon
us, and upon our children," were in like manner
chronicled. Ancient invention and industry went
even further, and produced sundry scraps about
Herod, Veronica, Lentulus, and Abgar, wrote epistles
for Christ and his mother, and I know not how much
besides. No difficulty stood in the way; ancient
documents could easily be appealed to without neces-
sarily existing; spirits could be summoned from the
other world by a stroke of the pen, and be made to
say anything; sacred names could be written and
made a passport to fictions, and so on ad libitum.
We find among the most powerful impulses to
which men yield, that which prompts them to the
production of legends in connection with their re-
ligion. Illustrations are abundant, but I only men-
tion Mahomedanism and Judaism, particularly the
latter. The Jews have a form of literature called
Agada, or Hagadah, which has been defined as a
historical or theological essay on some Scripture
character or fact, in a pleasant and an attractive
form. The narration in the Hagadah may be ficti-
tious; hence Rabbi Azariah is quoted as saying in
Meor Ennaim, "The Hagadoth are historical pieces
C
xxvi
INTRODUCTION.
like those which poets sometimes reign and frame."
After reading some of the Jewish pieces I have ar-
rived at the conclusion that the Christian Apocrypha
are often simply Christian Hagadoth, and so I would
call them, as a far more appropriate name than the
one which usage has attached to them. The Haga-
dah is written for instruction and not amusement
merely, and so the Christian compositions generally
have a didactic element underlying the narrative, or
intercalated with it.
I will here exhibit in a summary form the details
which in my opinion account for the origin, and in-
dicate the intention of the apocryphal Gospels, and
most of the other Christian Apocrypha.
I. The Evangelical narratives were simple and
meagre in their mode of describing what (1) pre-
ceded, (2) attended, and (3) followed, the facts with
which they are mainly concerned. This applies to
(1) The family of Christ,
(2) His Infancy,
(3) His Inauguration,
(4) His Trial and Crucifixion,
(5) His Visit to the Underworld,
(6) His Resurrection and Ascension,
(7) His Mother and the Apostles afterwaras.
INTRODUCTION.
xxvii
II. The Evangelical narratives were almost or
wholly silent on various points, e.g.,
(1) Doctrines to be believed, but requiring expla-
nation,
(2) Certain matters connected with the unseen and
spiritual world,
(3) The organization and discipline of the
Church.
III. Sundry sects, heresies, and parties wanted
support from Apostolical and Divine Authorities.
IV. Men took pleasure in producing religious
novels, fictions, Hagadoth, or whatever we may call
them; and they knew such things were popular.
Of course the putting of the names of Christ,
Mary, the Apostles, etc., to these writings was a trick
intended to give weight to what would otherwise
perhaps have attracted no attention.
I hardly think any of the false Gospels can be
ascribed to the simple intention to weave into one
consecutive narrative the traditions which were ac-
tually known to the writers. Such traditions were
introduced freely enough, but subject to the re-
straints which the author or compiler imposed on
himself. We have in fact no such collection; be-
cause no false Gospel extends over the entire period
xxviii
INTRODUCTION.
of the Evangelical history.¹ The nearest approach to
such a compilation as I refer to, may have been that
of Papias, but it is almost wholly lost, and therefore
we cannot say positively that it had the character in
question. Of the lost Apocryphal Gospels which we
read of, some were mainly compilations from those
in the Canon.
The learned reader who desires to study more
closely this matter should have recourse to the Essay
of Dr. Tischendorf "De Evangeliorum Apocryphorum
Origine et Usu,” 1851. He may also study the work
of M. Nicolas, who mentions other authorities; but
I repeat my dissent from many of his opinions.
III. USES WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE OF THE
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
AFTER What has been said of the intention of
these documents, it may seem needless to speak of
their uses, but a moment's reflection will show that
the two things are different. It is quite true that
some of the uses to which they have been applied
This remark is only meant to refer to ancient documents. The
"Historia Christi" written in Persian by the Jesuit Jerome Xavier
appeared early in the 17th century. The edition and Latin version
of De Dieu was published at Leyden in 1639.
INTRODUCTION.
xxix
are involved in the preceding inquiry, but I now
proceed to notice various unconnected facts, which
illustrate historically the purposes for which they
have been employed, apart from the intention of
their writers. The facts I allude to are equally
apart from attempts to refute and throw discredit
upon them.
We already know that Justin, Irenæus, Clement
of Alexandria, and other early Christian authors,
mention circumstances which appear to have been
derived from the Apocryphal Gospels. Baronius
quotes Nicephorus as saying that Hippolytus is one
who mentions such circumstances, but I cannot dis-
cover any such passage in his extant remains. Origen
certainly has allusions, but they appear to be for
controversial purposes. Gregory of Nyssa and Epi-
phanius, and the writer of a discourse ascribed to
Eusebius, make use of statements contained in the
Apocryphal Gospels. But after all, very few genuine
passages from Christian writers of the first four cen-
turies can be confidently appealed to. At the same
time, I am of opinion that a careful examination of
the Fathers would very likely bring to light other
passages corresponding in a remarkable manner with
what we read in the false Gospels. Thus Athanasius,
XXX
INTRODUCTION.
in his treatise on the "Incarnation of the Word,"
refers to the downfall of idols in Egypt, when Christ
went thither: "Who, among righteous men or kings,
went down into Egypt, and at his coming the idols
of Egypt fell ?" etc. In his fourth oration against
the Arians, also, he mentions the fear of the keepers
of Hades when Christ descended to the underworld.
Elsewhere he mentions that Christ arose from the
dead at midnight. He may not really have read
any of our extant false Gospels, but he knew some
of the traditions contained in them. It is when we
come to later writers that we find the apocryphal
traditions set forth as verities. John of Damascus,
Nicephorus, and a host of others might be mentioned
in this connection. Hence it has come to pass that,
short of a place among the books of the New Testa-
ment, many apocryphal writings have been elevated
to the highest possible dignity. If some of the false
Gospels and revelations have not been formally
adopted, stories from them, as told by John of
Damascus and others, have been transferred to the
Roman Breviary. It is well known that the Le-
genda Aurea¹ drew largely from several of the spu-
1 "Jacobi a Voragine Legenda Aurea, vulgo Historia Lombardica
dicta. Ed. Dr. Th. Graesse. Lipsia, 1850." I venture to strongly
:
INTRODUCTION.
xxxi
▾
rious Gospels. The histories of Joachim, Anna, Jo-
seph, and Mary, as contained in the service books of
the Romish Church, and in other authoritative
works, are mainly founded on the Christian Apo-
crypha. Such facts show the importance of these
documents, and the desirableness of an acquaintance
with them. Books of this kind cannot become truly
obsolete so long as they lie at the basis of the faith
and practice of millions. The work of Maria d'Agreda
even, owes no little of its actual vitality in Italy,
France, etc., to the free use made in it of the more
ancient Apocrypha. The absence of this element
may explain the disappearance of such visions as
those of Hildegard, Elizabeth, and Matilda, if not
those of Huguetinus and Friar Robert, all of which
have been printed for the benefit of the faithful. It
must be owned with reference to the five last, that
we find in them some of the most terrible exposures
and denunciations of the crimes of popes, cardinals,
bishops, priests, friars, and nuns, and that they would
naturally be unpalatable on that account. Hildegard
in particular is often simply disgusting, and we
should find it hard to believe that a holy woman
recommend this edition to such as wish to know more of medieval
mythological trash,
xxxii
INTRODUCTION
مجھے
could know, much less write, what she did, if we were
unaware of the frightful iniquity of her times.¹
In the middle ages and onward the Apocryphal
books were very popular; were read with avidity,
were reproduced in poetry, and were literally trans-
lated into a variety of languages. In one form or
another we encounter them in Egypt, Syria, Persia,
and India, in Greece and Italy, in Germany, Spain,
and France, in Britain, and as far north as Iceland.
To begin with the last, I find in a recent collection
of Icelandic Legends, a version of the well known
story of Christ and the birds, adapted, of course, to
the latitude of Iceland. Here it is:-
THE SAVIOUR AND THE GOLDEN PLOVERS.
"Once on a Sabbath, Christ, in company with other
Jewish children, amused himself in fashioning birds
out of clay.
After that the children had amused themselves
awhile herewith, one of the Sadducees chanced to
come up to them. He was old and very zealous, and
he rebuked the children for spending their Sabbath
in so profane an employment. And he let it not
1 She was born in 1098 and died in 1180; and was admitted as a
Saint in the Roman Calendar at September 17th, the day of her
death. See "Nouvelle Biographie Generale," Tom. 24, pp. 673–675.
INTRODUCTION.
xxxiii
rest at chidings alone; but went to the clay birds
and broke them all, to the great grief of the
children.
Now, when Christ saw this, he waved his hands.
over all the birds he had fashioned, and they became
forthwith alive, and soared up into the heavens.
And these birds are the golden plovers, whose
note deerrin' sounds like to the Iceland word
'dýrdhin,' namely, 'glory;' for these birds sing
praise to their Lord, for in that he mercifully saved
them from the merciless hand of the Sadducee.”
I find the following curious stories in the "Ser-
mones Dominicales " of Hugo de Prato, who is said
to have died in 1322. The copy I quote from was
printed in 1476 or 1483, and its pages are not num-
bered. The passage is in the ninth sermon,-On the
Nativity of Christ :-
"All his creatures bore witness to his coming.
For 1. The angels bore witness unto Him, for they,
as soon as he was born, appeared to men, saying,
Unto you is born this day a Saviour; 2. The sun,
moon, and stars bore witness to Him; for on this day,
in the East, three suns appeared, and were imme-
diately joined into one to signify that the three, i.e.
divinity, soul, and flesh, are combined in Christ:
the new, i.e. the soul newly created, and the old, i.e.
the flesh, descending from Adam, and the eternal,
ན
xxxiv
INTRODUCTION.
i.e. the deity, are conjoined together, and are made
one sun, one man Jesus Christ. Also, on this day
there appeared at Rome, a golden circle round the
sun, in which circle was a most beautiful maiden,
in whose lap was a child. And it was told the em-
peror that that child was greater than he. Now
when the Romans wished to adore Octavianus Cæsar
as a god, because he presided over the whole world
in peace, the emperor refused, saying, I wish to know
first whether anybody greater than I shall ever be
born. And he called the Sibyl, who, while he was
occupied with prophecies on the natal day of Christ
in the chamber of the emperor, saw the aforesaid
circle and the maiden nursing the child in her lap ;
all which things the Sibyl showed to the emperor,
saying, This child is greater than thou. And straight-
way a voice was heard in the chamber of the emperor
in the capitol, Here is the altar of heaven.
Wherefore until this day the aforesaid chamber,
which is now a church, is called St. Mary altar of
heaven (Sancta Maria Ara Celi). Now the emperor
immediately put off his diadem and worshipped that
child, and thenceforth refused to be worshipped by
men.
On this night when the Lord was born there ap-
peared in the East a star in which was a child having
a cross on his forehead, and he spake to the Magi,
saying, that they were to go into Judea to worship
Him that was born King of the Jews.
3. All the elements bore witness unto Him; for
INTRODUCTION.
XXXV
on this night the darkness of the air was changed as
into the light of day; and at Rome a fountain of
oil gushed out and flowed into the Tiber, in token
that the Fountain of piety and mercy was born,
and would confer grace and mercy upon all. And
the Temple of Peace fell down. Now the Romans,
having enjoyed continual peace for twelve years,
built the Temple of Peace, wherein they set the
image of Romulus, and they inquired of Apollo how
long it would last. And they received as answer,
"Until a virgin should bring forth, and remain a
virgin." And thinking it impossible that a virgin
should bring forth, they put up this inscription,
"The Eternal Temple of Peace" (Templum Pacis
Eternum). But on this night the said temple fell.
On this night also the vineyards of Engaddi flowered
and produced balsam, in token that He was born who
should preserve all things, by the virtue of the stream
of his blood.
4. The animals bare witness to Him. For when
the virgin laid him in the manger, the animals which
were there, i.e. the ox and the ass, bowed their knees
to him. And many unhappy Christians to-day bend
not their knees to Christ. Isai. i.: The ox knoweth
his owner, and the ass his master's manger, but Israel
knoweth me not, and my people doth not under-
stand," etc.¹
From an old catalogue of the Bibliotheca Uffen-
1 Most or all of these stories are contained in the "Legenda Aurea,"
compiled by Jacobus à Voragine near the close of the 13th century.
xxxvi
INTRODUCTION.
bachiana, I copy this fragment of a German Gospel
of the Infancy in metre :-
Hie hebet sich an Marien leben.
Uns leret dis buch furhass me
Das in dem lande zu Galilee
In einer Stat die was genant
Nazareth und was wol bekant
Da was eyn riche Man gesessen
Zu Togenden was er wol vormessen.'
Er was geheissen Joachim,
Nach Gotes Dinste stunt sin Synne
Er was geborn von eyme geslechte,
Konig Davides mit allem rechte.¹
The table of contents shows that the poem extended
from the exclusion of Joachim out of the temple to
the reception of Mary in heaven after the assump-
tion; it therefore includes the Gospel narrative, as
well as several apocryphal stories.
M. Brunet extracts from the "Lexique Roman
of M. Raynouard, part of a Gospel of the Infancy in
the dialect current in the south of France in the
13th century.
The old traveller, Sir John Maundeville, a great
collector of legends, brought home a version of the
legend of Seth, which we find in the second part
of the Gospel of Nicodemus. Doubtless there are
1 Bibl. Uffenb. Part IV. p. 41.
INTRODUCTION.
xxxvii
some who will be amused by it, and therefore, as
well as because it has been reproduced in a book
ascribed to Dr. J. M. Neale,¹ I insert a copy of it
here:
"The Cristene Men, that dwellen bezond the See,
in Grece, seyn that the Tree of the Cros, that we
callen cypresse, was of that Tree, that Adam ete the
Appulle of: and that fynde thei writen. And thei
seyn also, that here Scripture seythe, that Adam was
seek, and seyde to his Sone Sethe, that he scholde go
to the Aungelle, that kepte Paradys, that he wolde
senden hym Oyle of Mercy, for to anoynte with his
Membres, that he myghte have hele. And Sethe
wente. But the Aungelle wolde not late him come
in, but seyd to him, that he myghte not have of the
Oyle of Mercy. But he toke him three Greynes
of the same Tree, that his Fadre eet the Appelle offe;
and bad him, als sone as his Fadre was ded, that he
scholde putte theise three Greynes undre his Tonge,
and grave him so: and he dide. And of theise three
Greynes sprong a Tree as the Aungelle seyde, that it
seholde, and bere a Fruyt, thorghe the whiche Fruyt
Adam scholde be saved. And whan Sethe cam azen
he fonde his Fadre nere ded. And whan he was
ded, he did with the Greynes, as the Aungelle bad
him; of the whiche sprongen three Trees, of the
whiche the Cros was made, that bare gode Fruyt and
1 Communications from the Unseen World. London. 1847. p. 26.
xxxviii
INTRODUCTION.
blessed, oure Lord Jesu Crist; thorghe whom, Adam
and alle that comen of him, scholde be saved and de-
lyvered from drede of Dethe withouten ende, but it
be here own defaute.”
Many pages might be filled from all sorts of
writers in illustration of the present topic, but pos-
sibly my readers will be better pleased with examples
from the popular literature of our own country and
time. Moralities, miracle plays, mysteries, and carols
drew largely from apocryphal materials, and were
all the more popular in consequence. Confining my-
self to Carols, I select three from a chap-book printed
in or about 1843 at Birmingham. The resemblance
between these and some of our Apocryphal Gospels
will not be called in question.
THE CHERRY TREE.
When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he,
And he married Mary the Queen of Galilee ;
When Joseph he had his cousin Mary got,
Mary proved with child, by whom Joseph knew not.
As Joseph and Mary walked the garden gay,
Where cherries were growing upon every spray ;
O then bespoke Mary with words so meek and mild,
"Gather me some cherries, for I am with child :
1 The Voiage and Travaile of Sir John Maundeville, Kt., which
treateth of the way to Hierusalem; and of Marvayles of Inde, with
other Ilands and Countryes. London, 1725. Reprinted 1839. (Cap. II.
Of the Crosse and the Croune of oure Lord Jesu Crist.
INTRODUCTION.
xxxix
Gather me some cherries, they run so in my mind."
Then bespoke Joseph with wordes so unkind,
"I will not gather cherries." Then said Mary, "You shall see,
By what will happen, these cherries were for me."
Then bespoke Jesus all in his mother's womb,
"Go to the tree, Mary, and it shall bow down,
And the highest branch shall bow to Mary's knee,
And she shall gather cherries by one, two, and three.”
As Joseph was a walking he heard an angel sing,
"This night shall be born our Heavenly King;
He neither shall be clothed in purple nor in pall,
But in fine linen, as were babies all.
"He never did require white wine and bread,¹
But cold spring-water with which we were christened;
He shall neither be rocked in silver and gold,
But in a wooden cradle that rocks on the mould.”
Then Mary took her young Son and sat him on her knee,
“Come tell me dear child, how this world shall be.”
"This world shall be like the stones in the street,
For the sun and the moon shall bow down at my feet.”
THE HOLY WELL.
As it fell out one May morning,
And on a bright holiday,
Sweet Jesus asked of his dear mother,:
If he might go and play.
"To play, to play sweet Jesus shall go,
And to play now get you gone ;
And let me hear of no complaint
At night when you come home."
I suppose this line ought to be written,
'He never shall require white wine and red.”
xl
INTRODUCTION.
Sweet Jesus went down to yonder town,
As far as the Holy Well,
And there did see as fine children
As any tongue can tell.
He said, "God bless you everyone;
May Christ your portion be!
Little children shall I play with you,
And you shall play with me?”
But they jointly answered, "No;"
They were lords' and ladies' sons,
And he the meanest of them all,
Was born in an ox's stall.
Sweet Jesus turned him around,
And he neither laughed nor smiled;
But tears came trickling from his eyes
Like water from the skies.
Sweet Jesus turned him about,
To his mother's dear home went he,
And said, "I have been in yonder town,
As far as you can see.
"I have been down to yonder town,
As far as the Holy Well;
There did I meet as fine children
As any tongue can tell.
"I bid God bless them every one,
And their bodies Christ save and see ;
Little children, shall I play with you,
And you shall play with me?
But they answered me, 'No,'
They were lords' and ladies' sons,
And I the meanest of them all,
Was born in an ox's stall."
INTRODUCTION.
xli
}
"Though you are but a maiden's child, ·
Born in an ox's stall,
Thou art the Christ, the King of Heaven,
And the Saviour of them all.
"Sweet Jesus, go down to yonder town,
As far as the Holy Well,
And take away those sinful souls,
And dip them deep in Hell."
"Nay, nay," sweet Jesus mildly said,
"Nay, nay, that must not be ;
For there are too many sinful souls,
Crying out for the help of me."
O then bespoke th' angel Gabriel,
Upon one good St. Stephen,¹
"Although you are but a maiden's child,
You are the King of Heaven."
An old ballad or carol called " Carnal and Crane,"
seems to embody some curious reminiscences of
passages in the Apocryphal Gospels, mixing up with
them other legends. The piece consists of thirty
verses of four lines each, and is therefore too long to
be quoted entire, but I cannot refrain from giving
some portions of it.
Ver. 8. There was a star in the west land,
Which shed a cheerful ray,
Into King Herod's chamber,
And where King Herod lay.
1 That is, St. Stephen's-day, Dec. 26.
xlii
INTRODUCTION.
1
The wise men soon espied it,
And told the king on high,—
A princely babe was born that night,
No king should e'er destroy.
"If this be true," King Herod said,
"As thou tellest unto me,
This roasted cock that lies in the dish,
Shall crow full fences three."
The cock soon freshly feathered was,
By the work of God's own hand;
And then three fences crowed he
In the dish where he did stand.
"Rise up, rise up, you merry men all,
See that you ready be ;
All children under two years old,
Now shall destroyed be."
Then Jesus, ah! and Joseph,
And Mary that was so pure,
They travelled into Egypt,
As you shall find it sure.
And when they came to Egypt's land,
Amongst those fierce wild beasts,
Mary, she being weary,
Must needs sit down to rest.
"Come, sit thee down," says Jesus,
"Come sit thee down by me;
And thou shalt see how these wild beasts
Do come and worship me."
First came the lovely lion,
Which Jesu's grace did spring;
And of the wild beasts of the field,
The lion shall be king.
}
INTRODUCTION.
xliii
[We'll choose our virtuous princes.
Of birth and high degree,
In every sundry nation,
Where'er we come and see.
Then Jesus, ah ! and Joseph,
And Mary that was unknown,
They travelled by a husbandman,
Just while his seed was sown.
"God speed thee, man," says Jesus,
"Go fetch thy ox and wain,
And carry home thy corn again
Which thou this day hast sown."
The husbandman fell on his knees,
Even before his face
"Long time hast thou been looked for,
But now thou'rt come at last.
*
*
*
Ver. 25. "If any one should come this way,
And enquire for me alone;
Tell them that Jesus passed by,
As thou thy seed didst sow."
After that came King Herod,
With his train so furiously,
Enquiring of the husbandman
Whether Jesus passed by.
"Why the truth it must be spoken,
And the truth it must be known,
For Jesus passed by this way,
When I my seed had sown.
“But now I have it reapen,
And some laid on my wain,
Ready to fetch and carry,
Into my barn again."
xliv
INTRODUCTION.
}
"Turn back,” says the captain,
"Your labour and mine's in vain :
"It's full three-quarters of a year,
Since he has his seed sown."
So Herod was deceived,
By the work of God's own hand,
And further he proceeded,
Into the Holy Land.
Dr. Tischendorf's Essay, "on the Origin and Use of
the Apocryphal Gospels," may now be mentioned.
The author, among other things, shows the use made
of them in supporting various doctrines and opinions
concerning Christ, Mary, Joseph, the parents of
Mary, the descent of Christ into the Underworld,
and so forth. But inasmuch as they were written
for such uses, I say no more of them here. He next
proceeds to indicate the many evidences of their
general and special influence in the Catholic Church,
which condemned and yet adopted them. He then
mentions the well known fact that Mohammed and
other Arabic writers drew largely from the Christian
Apocrypha. After this he resumes his illustrations
from Church writers, who have accepted as facts
what they have taken from the Apocryphal Gospels.
His examples demonstrate that the fabric of eccle-
siastical tradition is built up very much of fictions
INTRODUCTION.
xlv
and founded upon the same. The picture is very
humiliating, but the contrivance has been remark-
ably successful, and old falsehoods have been pre- .
ferred to older truths. I do not think any sane man
would raise any of these books to the dignity of real
history; and yet the unreasoning adoption, by men
of repute, of things borrowed from them, has been
turned to good account. John of Damascus hashes
up the stories which he finds in these books, and his
hash is dished up in the Breviary; while the books
he took his material from are condemned by popes
and councils. In like manner numerous localities
are accounted particularly sacred in consequence of
incidents, the sole record of which is in the Christian
Apocrypha. They pretend to show, at Rome and
other places, at least one relic, the preservation of
which is recorded in an apocryphal book (Arabic
Gospel, chap. v. pp. 174, 175). Events and persons
mentioned only in the false Gospels are solemnly
commemorated; among the latter I will only men-
tion Joachim and Anna, and among the former the
feast of the immaculate conception of Mary. Joachim
and Anna are purely apocryphal names, and yet the
latter is one of the principal saints, and the following
paragraph from a newspaper, published in September
XIVI
INTRODUCTION
dy
1866, will show that the former is not without his
honour :—
"CHEAP AND INFALLIBLE REMEDY FOR THE CHO-
LERA.—The Chiesa Cattolica, a clerical paper published
at Naples, gives the following as a cheap and infal-
lible remedy for the cholera: Apply to the abdomen
a picture of St. Joachim, the glorious father of the
Holy Virgin. This remedy is unfailing. The malady
rarely attacks a person so protected; if it does, it is
immediately cured. God sends us the cholera to
punish us for our sins; but St. Joachim drives it
away! One trial only solicited!'”
Dr. Tischendorf observes that certain recognised
religious rites are also derived from apocryphal
sources. Still more numerous are the uses to which
apocryphal books have been put by painters, sculp-
tors, etc. The well known ox and ass in represen-
tations of the nativity have no other origin. But it
would be weary work to enumerate all the examples
which could be adduced, and therefore I add no
more: I only mention these because the subject
requires it.
Looking more generally at the influence which
the Apocryphal Gospels have exercised and still
exercise, we are naturally led to ask how it is to be
explained. Why is it that what has been condemned
INTRODUCTION.
xlvii
for so many ages, and been abused to such low ends,
continues to occupy so prominent a place? Bishop
Ellicott, in his Essay, supplies an answer, which, so
far as it goes, is admirable, and after the disgust we
must have felt at some previous details, is positively
refreshing. It shows that after all there is a reason
for the phenomena. The Bishop says:-
“Our vital interest in Him of whom they pretend
to tell us more than the Canonical Scriptures have
recorded, is the real, though it may be, hidden reason
why these poor figments are read with interest even
while they are despised.” (p. 156.)
And again:-
"We know before we read them that they are
weak, silly, and profitless-that they are despicable
monuments even of religious fiction,-yet still the
secret conviction buoys us up, that perchance they
may contain a few traces of time-honoured traditions
-some faint, feeble glimpse of that blessed child-
hood, that pensive and secluded youth, over which,
in passive moments, we muse with such irrepressible
longing to know more-such deep, deep desidera-
tion." (p. 157.)
After showing that the interest in the Apocryphal
Gospels has revived since the mythical theory of the
xlviii
INTRODUCTION.
1
true Gospels was started, he makes the following
remarks:-
"If they do not deserve to be known for their own
sakes, they still involve several singular and interest-
ing questions; they illustrate some curious phases of
early Christian thought, and feeling; they throw
some light on ancient traditions, and certainly have
not been without influence on ancient and medieval
art." (p. 158.)
IV. SPECIAL NOTICES OF SEPARATE BOOKS.
1. The Gospel of James, or Protevangelium.
THIS document is neither genuine nor authentic,
but a compilation of such early traditions and facts
as the writer found it expedient to throw into a
narrative form. That it might look like a contem-
porary history by an eyewitness of great authority,
it was ascribed to James, who was traditionally one
of the sons of Joseph the carpenter. The reason for
giving it this name is found in the nature of the
story which deals with incidents such as James, of
all the apostles of Jesus, was most likely to know,
if not to record. The concluding chapter seems to
refer the composition to the period which imme-
INTRODUCTION.
xlix
diately followed the death of Herod, and conse-
quently about the date of the return of Jesus from
Egypt,―a circumstance which is not recorded in
the book. All this is fraudulent; the book was in
no case written before the second century; and in
its actual form it belongs to a later century.
The author made use of the Gospels of Matthew
and Luke, of certain portions of the Old Testament,
both Canonical and Apocryphal, and of popular
traditions, as well Jewish as Christian. This is
probably the oldest existing writing which professes
to give the names of the parents of the mother of
Jesus. Elsewhere, I cannot find them until Epipha-
nius, who died in a.d. 403. The names and story
of Joachim and Anna must not be regarded as an
original creation, but rather as a remodelling of
pre-existing materials. The character of Joachim is
a combination of Elkanah, the father of Samuel
(1 Sam. i.), with Joachim, the husband of Susanna
(Apocryphal Daniel xiii.), and Manoah, the father
of Samson (Judg. xiii.). Similarly, Anna is made
up
of Hannah the mother of Samuel, Susanna, and
the wife of Manoah; possibly also the Anna of Luke
(ii. 36-38) has not been overlooked. The angelic
visions, promises, etc., made to Joachim and Anna,
1
INTRODUCTION.
come especially from Judg. xiii. and 1 Sam. i. The
nourishment of Mary in the temple is rather based
upon a known custom in Egypt; but not without a
reference to the history of Samuel (i.-iii.). The
congealing of the blood of Zacharias (chap. xxiv.)
is a Jewish tradition.
The book abounds in mistakes and inconsistencies.
The twelve tribes of Israel are spoken of as though
still united. Reuben, the high priest, and his suc-
cessors, Zacharias and Samuel, are fictitious; Joa-
chim's fasting forty days and forty nights in the
wilderness is a parody of the fasting of Christ; the
oracular plate on the forehead of the high priest
had long been unknown; the allotment of Mary to
Joseph is a fiction, based on Num. xvii.; the ac-
count of the angelic annunciation to Mary is con-
tradicted by her subsequent swearing that she knew
not the cause of her pregnancy; Joseph and Mary
both prevaricate before the priest; the water of
jealousy was not administered to men; Joseph is
looking for a midwife, and sees one approaching at
the very time when he sees the catalepsy of all
things; the Magi were warned not to go into Judea
when they were already there; the escape of John
the Baptist is a mere fable, a counterpart to which
INTRODUCTION.
li
is now found in the Hindoo mythology; Zacharias
is wrongly identified with the one mentioned in
Matt. xxiii. 35; Simeon was not a high priest.
This long list will show the unhistorical character
of the book.
With regard to the birth of Christ in a cave,
Justin mentions the same thing (Trypho, 78), but
with significant differences, as that Joseph could not
find a lodging in the village, whereas the Pseudo-
James represents the nativity as occurring before they
went to the village at all. Justin refers to Isaiah
xxxiii. 16, as a prediction of the birth in a cave,
relying on the Septuagint version, whereas the
Pseudo-James says nothing of the alleged prophecy,
which may, for all that, have originated the tradi-
tion. This tradition is referred to by Origen (c.
Celsum, i. 51), and by later writers.
Justin says
the wise men came from Arabia, but the Prote-
vangelium says no such thing. On these accounts I
doubt whether Justin ever saw the book.
Clement of Alexandria mentions the notion that
Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Christ,
but refers to no document as recording the circum-
stance. The food of angels (chap. viii.) is said by
Athanasius to be fasting (de Virg.); the same writer
111
INTRODUCTION.
calls Gabriel an archangel, as here, chap. xii. (c.
Hæres.); and he has a phrase resembling that in
chap. xix., “A virgin hath brought forth," etc. (de
Divin. Christi). It is very likely that when Athana-
sius wrote, this false Gospel was well known. Much
earlier Origen mentions a Gospel of Peter or Book
of James as containing the assertion that Joseph
already had sons when he was espoused to Mary
(chap. ix.; Origen on Matthew). Tertullian men-
tions the congealing of the blood of Zacharias, but
as this was a Jewish tradition, I cannot attach much
importance to what he says.
After examining all the genuine passages in
ancient writers, which seem to bear upon the Prote-
vangelium, I cannot find one which unmistakeably
proves its existence before the fourth century. Part
of an ancient Syriac version of it has been published
by Dr. W. Wright, of the British Museum.¹
1
The Protevangel was used by the compilers of the
Pseudo-Matthew, the Nativity of Mary, the History
of Joseph the Carpenter, and the Arabic Gospel of
the Infancy.
1
The author aimed to produce a consecutive narra-
Contributions to the Apocryphal Literature of the New Testament.
8vo. London, 1865.
INTRODUCTION.
liii
3
tive of events not fully recorded in the Gospels, and
mainly introductory to them. When he wrote, men
in the church had begun to love the marvellous, and
were partial to traditions. It is curious, however, that
the author mentions only one or two of the infant
miracles of Jesus, which afterwards became so popular.
The manuscript copies abound in various readings
of an extraordinary character, showing that the
scribes took whatever liberties they chose with the
text. It was originally written in Greek, and pro-
bably by a Jewish convert to Christianity. Dr.
Tischendorf's edition, which is here followed, is from
a MS. of the tenth or eleventh century, collated with
many other MSS. and editions.
I am not at all sure that the author had any
doctrinal or ecclesiastical motive in writing the book.
The prodigies he relates in connection with Mary,
may indicate that in his time special attention and
honour had begun to be paid her; but there is
nothing to indicate that extravagant personal wor-
ship which gradually came to be rendered to her.
Whatever the writer says in honour of Mary and
her parents, is designed to add lustre to Jesus, by
showing how wonderfully God provided for His holy
incarnation and advent, and watched over His infancy.
liv
INTRODUCTION.
2. The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew: or of the Birth of
Mary and the Infancy of the Saviour.
THIS is not so ancient as the Pseudo-James, having
probably not been written before the 5th century.
It is not in any proper sense an original composition,
but a compilation, apparently from three other docu-
ments, with incidental additions, and rhetorical de-
velopments. It may be divided into three portions
according to its chief sources: (1) Chapters i.-xvii.,
from the Protevangelium; (2) chapters xviii.-xxv.,
from same unknown document; (3) chapters xxvi.-
xlii., principally from the Pseudo-Thomas.
author or compiler may have written in Greek, as he
sometimes follows the Septuagint version, but this is
not decisive, as he may have translated what he
found in his Greek authorities. No Greek copy has
been found, and the Latin of chapters i.-xxiv. was
first published by Thilo. The inscription which says
it was written in Hebrew by Matthew, and translated
into Latin by Jerome, is spurious.
The
Tischendorf prefixes a pretended correspondence
between Jerome and two bishops, Chromatius and
Heliodorus, but both the letters are a forgery. There
is a third epistle, professedly written by Jerome on
INTRODUCTION.
lv
the subject, but this also is fictitious. The name of
Jerome was already great when the correspondence
alluded to was concocted.
I thoroughly agree with Bishop Ellicott when he
says of the Pseudo-Matthew: "It is scarcely neces-
sary to say that nothing can be made out of such an
agglomeration of folly and fraud. The Gospel is
built up out of the Protevangel, certain oriental tra-
ditions which we afterwards find in the Arabic
Gospel of the Infancy, and the Gospel of Thomas.
The additions and embellishments are probably pure
fiction, and for the most part do not seem referable
to any ancient traditions."
In the first chapter of this book we find Achar as
the name of Anna's father, and I do not remember
to have seen it elsewhere. It represents Abiathar
as high priest when Mary was espoused to Joseph,
whereas the Protevangelium calls him Zacharias.
Sundry other details of the first portion differ from
those of the Protevangelium, and the whole docu-
ment may be fairly viewed as preparing the way for
the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy.
Thilo prints the following prologue, which appears
in some copies: "I James the Son of Joseph, having
1 "On the Apocryphal Gospels." In the Cambridge Essays for 1856.
lvi
INTRODUCTION.
my conversation in the fear of God, have written all
which with my own eyes I saw happen at the time
of the nativity of St. Mary or of the Saviour; giving
thanks to God, who gave me wisdom in the histories
of his advent, showing the fulfilment unto the twelve
tribes of Israel." The writer of this supposed he
might as well refer the book to James as to any one
else. Others have preferred to prefix to it the name
of Matthew.
A book which contains so few incidents not to be
found in other and more independent documents of
its class, supplies little matter for comment. It re-
sembles the Protevangelium in a feature which I
have not referred to in the introduction to that book:
I mean the sudden and total disappearance of the
parents of Mary on her presentation in the temple.
In the Protevangelium this occurs in chap. viii., and
in Pseudo-Matthew in chap. v. Herein they both
differ in a remarkable manner from the Gospel of
the Nativity of Mary, which says she went to the
house of her parents in Galilee after her espousal to
Joseph (Nativ. viii.). Mary's going up the fifteen
steps at the temple is omitted by Pseudo-James, but
is found in the Nativity (Pseudo-Matt. iv., Nativ. vi.).
The names of the high-priests differ from those in
INTRODUCTION.
lvii
the Protevangel, but are equally fictitious. Joseph is
said to have had not only children, but grand-children
older than Mary (chap. viii.). In general the author
was either very careless in copying the documents
from which he took his materials, or those docu-
ments were widely different from such as we now
have. Probably both occurred. He uses Scripture
rather more freely than several others who preceded
him. A good number of his incidents were repro-
duced in a modified form in the legends and litera-
ture of the Middle Ages in Europe; but the older
Christian writers appear to say very little that bears
on topics peculiar to him. This is precisely what we
should expect. In Pseudo-Matth. xiv. we read that
the infant Jesus was adored by the ox and ass, in
fulfilment of Is. i. 3. It is easy to see that the po-
pular notion of the ox and ass at the nativity comes.
from this passage, and quite as easy to see that the
legend is nothing but a misapplication of Isaiah's
words. Similar inventions are not infrequent, and
I mention another from this same book. In chap. iii.
the angel who appears to Joachim forbids him to call
himself his servant, almost in the words of Rev. xx. 9.
A reference of this sort is valuable as showing that
angel-worship had not become fully developed when
the book was written.
e
lviii.
INTRODUCTION.
The compiler resembles the author of the Pro-
tevangelium in his ignorance concerning Jewish rites,
ánd Jewish matters in general; he even represents
the high priest as going into the holy of holies and
burning sacrifice there (chap. viii.). This incident,
however, is not found in Pseudo-James, but is
probably one of those rhetorical embellishments
which the compiler himself devised in order to add
completeness to his story. His purpose is not to be
wondered at, for Pseudo-James overlooks much that
he might have recorded,-the circumcision for in-
stance, and the purification. The events just named
are duly introduced in the false Matthew, but with
unaccountable confusion of language (chap. xv.).
He properly places the circumcision on the eighth
day, and then mentions the purification and the
appointed offering; but he seems to regard the offer-
ing as made at the time of circumcision, and on
account of it. The reason of the blunder is obvious.
He read in Luke ii. 27, that the parents came to do
for Jesus "according to the custom of the law," and
supposed it meant either the circumcision or an
offering because of it, whereas, it was the offering
for the first-born (Exod. xiii. 2). The words which
I have rendered " and when the infant had received
INTRODUCTION.
lix
peritome, (peritome, that is, circumcision,") are in the
Latin, "Cumque accepisset parhithomum infans—
parhithomus id est circumcisio," and look like a lame
translation out of Greek, with an explanatory gloss.
The barbarous parhithomus for πеρiтóμη (peritomé)
may, however, not be chargeable upon the translator.
The age of 112 assigned to Simeon is a fiction, and
not much better is the assertion that Anna "had
been a widow now for 84 years; " and I may say the
same of the intimation that the wise men came to
Jerusalem after two years (chap. xvi.), and that
Joseph was warned to flee into Egypt, one day before
the murder of the infants.
The second portion of the book introduces us
into the true region of the marvellous, and we
encounter prodigies at every step. Where did
these fables come from? I suppose the Christian
Hagadists fancied they might make a pretty story
out of any Old Testament text they chose. The
Psalmist says
"Praise the Lord from the earth,
ye dragons," so dragons come out of a cave and
worship Jesus. The prophet speaks of wolves feed-
ing with lambs, and of lions eating chaff with oxen,
so lions and leopards and all sorts of wild beasts,
form a sort of body guard for the Holy Family in
lx
INTRODUCTION.
the desert. The bride in Solomon's Song says, "I
will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its
boughs," so the palm tree bows down to Mary for her
to have its fruit. The Israelites sang, "Spring up, O
well!" and the prophet said, "waters shall break out
in the wilderness," so a fountain gushes forth in the
desert. The prophet said, "the idols of Egypt shall
be moved at his presence," so the idols of Egypt fall,
and are shattered when Jesus comes thither. Such
are the prodigies of the second part, and such their
genesis, which, in most instances, the writer himself
really indicates. I remark in passing that an amusing
story is told by Philostratus, about a lion which was
brought to Apollonius of Tyana, when in Egypt,
and which Apollonius said inherited the soul of king
Amasis (Life, v. 42). I repeat, also, that Athanasius
speaks of the downfall of the idols in Egypt (de
Incarn. Verbi; and, de Divin. Christi).
The third part of the Pseudo-Matthew was not
published by Thilo. It is chiefly borrowed from
Pseudo-Thomas, and therefore very little need be
said of it here. The variations from the prototype
are in this part similar to those which were observed
in the first part. Some of the fables or legends
almost seem to have been written from memory.
INTRODUCTION.
Ixi
.
Among them we find examples which are not now
to be found in Pseudo-Thomas. This raises the
question, whether Pseudo-Thomas itself is in its
original form. I think not; but at present can
only say so much, and that the Pseudo-Matthew
account of the infant miracles of Jesus is not so
exclusively malevolent as the other. The fiction in
chap. xxxv-xxxvi. is really an excellent parable, or
might be easily converted into one; and of course is
not in the false Thomas.
The epilogue (chap. xlii.) is a pretty family picture,
and may be original.
3. The Gospel of the Nativity of Mary.
THE writer of the Protevangel has embodied in
his story the greater portion of the statements con-
tained in this Gospel of Mary's nativity; but the
position of Mary is there only secondary after all,
and she is not the subject of the book. In course of
time, however, Mary began to be regarded as worthy
of honour on her own account, and the comparatively
independent position she took suggested correspond-
ing literary modifications. Somebody, therefore, drew
up the document before us. To give it authority,
lxii
INTRODUCTION.
7
recourse was had to one of the most common of
"pious" frauds, and it was fathered upon Jerome.
The letters, mentioned as heading the Pseudo-
Matthew, were also emblazoned at the head of this.
Its association with the name of Jerome, and its
comparatively modest style secured it popularity and
authority, and during the Middle Ages it was ac-
cepted by the multitudes as so much Gospel. Copies
of it were multiplied everywhere in Europe, and the
incidents of it were reproduced in every possible
form. The greater part of it was quietly slipped
into the Legenda Aurea,' and its statements were
in some cases declared infallible truth, to be denied,
only on pain of heresy here, and perdition hereafter.
6
The compiler may have wished to exhibit the cur-
rent biography of Mary in the most modest form.
His work is based on older apocrypha, but it sometimes
differs in important details. For example, Issachar
and not Reuben, is here the high-priest who rebuked
Joachim. It summarises and paraphrases other nar-
ratives, and says as much at the end of chap. ix.
No sign of originality appears in it, and it was
probably drawn up by a Latin writer late in the fifth
century, or perhaps a hundred years after. We
should observe that the compiler says Jesus was born
INTRODUCTION.
Lxiii
at Bethlehem, when Joseph and Mary were there, in
which he follows the true Gospels rather than apoc-
ryphal stories. Again, Jesus is called the first-born
son of Mary, which is also a return to the simple
and unsuspecting style of the Evangelists. The use
made of the Latin Vulgate is satisfactory evidence
that the book appeared considerably later than the
time of Jerome.
1
4. The History of Joseph, the Carpenter.
THIS is altogether of oriental origin, and comes to
us through the Arabic. The introduction which I
have thrown into a note, may be the work of the
Arabic translator. It is supposed to have been first
written in Coptic, in which language it is in great
part, if not entirely, extant, both in the Sahidic and
in the Memphitic dialects. Portions of the Coptic
have been published by Zoega and Dulaurier. The
date is uncertain. It has been referred to the fourth
century, but may not be so ancient, as it is well
known that what are viewed as early opinions existed
longer in some places than in others. The author,
whoever he was, wrote in an age of superstition, and
when an exaggerated importance was attached to
lxiv
INTRODUCTION.
the observance of the days set apart for the com-
memoration of Saints.1
Some of the older traditions are incorporated by
the author, but he drew largely upon his imagination,
both for his plan and many of the details. The
writer pretends that the substance of the book was
verbally spoken by Christ to his disciples on the
mount of Olives, where they were all assembled when
He addressed them. But, forgetting this reference
to the disciples in the third person, towards the close
of the book he introduces them in the second person:
'Now we apostles, when we heard,' etc. (chap. xxx.
and similarly in chap. xxxii). The sojourn of the
Holy Family in Egypt is limited to one year, whereas
three years are assigned to it in the Arabic Gospel of
the Infancy, and at least as many are required by
Pseudo-Matthew. Such facts show that the tradi-
1 The legend has been turned to account by some modern writers;
as by the author of "Reflections on the prerogatives, power, and pro-
tection of St. Joseph, etc. London, 1825." At the same time the
doleful account it gives of Joseph's death does not appear to be a
popular one if we may judge from the following lines:-
"Thrice happy Saint of God, whose dying breath
Was poured forth in the fond encircling arms
Of Jesus and of Mary, glorious death,
That knew no fears, no terrors, or alarms!"
("Hymn to St. Joseph," translated by D. French, Esq.)
INTRODUCTION.
lxv
tions of the Infancy varied considerably in some of
their details, and that those who wrote them took no
pains to harmonise them.
The Arabic introduction says, "the holy Apostles
kept this discourse, and left it in writing in the
library at Jerusalem." The Coptic introduction,
which tells the same story, may be given entire; it
is to this effect: "The 26th day of Epep. This is
the departure from the body of our father Joseph the
Carpenter, the father of Christ according to the flesh,
who was 111 years of age. Our Saviour narrated all
his life to his Apostles on Mount Olivet, and the
Apostles wrote it and deposited it in the library
which is at Jerusalem. Also the day on which the
holy old man laid down his body was the 26th of the
month Epep. In the peace of God, Amen."
introductions make the Apostles the writers, accord-
ing to the plain intention of the later chapters of
the book. It would be a waste of time to refute so
palpable a fiction.
Both
Bishop Ellicott remarks very correctly that the
writing "seems to have been drawn up in its present
form to be read at the festival of Joseph, who was
held in peculiar reverence by the early Christians in
Africa, whether semi-heretical or Catholic. The ob-
lxvi
INTRODUCTION.
ject of the book is very clear: it was intended to
give to Joseph some small share of the glorification,
which had been already so liberally bestowed on
Mary." While I agree with this in general, I cannot
see any reason for suggesting some connection be-
tween Joseph's History and Nestorianism. The author
is unguarded in some of his statements, as in calling
Joseph a priest, but I doubt whether he was iden-
tified with any avowed heresy. His notions of death
and the unseen world, of merit, and of some other
matters, are strange enough, but such as we might
expect in the benighted age to which I should
assign this document. Whatever that age may be,
Mary was already in high honour, and Joseph had
an annual commemoration.
It must be noticed that the Arabic text sufficiently
differs from the Coptic, for Dulaurier to say the former
is an abridged translation: "En comparant les récits
de l'écrivain Arabe avec ceux de l'auteur Copte, on se
convaincra que l'ouvrage du premier n'est qu'une
traduction abrégée de l'original égyptien.”
Since the note at p. 113 was printed, I have found
the Hebrew confession quoted by Thilo, in the "Book
of Life, a manual for the sick and mourners, by
Rev. B. H. Ascher," (Second edition, London: 1861).
INTRODUCTION.
lxvii
As the volume is not much known among Christians,
I copy here the translation of Mr. Ascher: "My
God, and the God of my ancestors! O deign that
my prayers may come before Thee, and hide not
Thyself from my supplications; efface all my sins
which I have sinned against Thee all my life long
unto this day, for I have acted foolishly; I am
ashamed and confused; my evil inclinations enticed
me to rebellion. O may my trouble and affliction
be my atonement, and blot out the deeds of my
backsliding; for against Thee only have I sinned.
Alas! I have trespassed, I have been treacherous, I
have stolen, I have spoken slander, I have committed
iniquity, and acted wickedly, I have sinned design-
edly, and I have committed violence, I have framed
falsehood, I have given evil counsel, I have uttered
lies; I have blasphemed and revolted, I have been
rebellious, I have acted perversely; I have been
stiffnecked, I have acted wickedly and corrupted
myself; I have done abominably, I have gone astray,
and caused others to err; I have also turned aside
from Thy excellent precepts and institutions, and
which hath not profited me: but Thou art just con-
cerning all that is come upon us, for Thou hast dealt
most truly, and I have done most wickedly." (p. 119.)
lxviii
INTRODUCTION.
In the Hebrew of this confession the sins are
arranged in alphabetical order, from the first letter
to the last. There are other forms in use among the
Jews to which attention might also be directed. The
reference to the 'fiery sea' in chap. xxvi. may re-
mind us of Rev. xix. 20; xx. 14, or of purgatory in
a modified form, but it also recalls the Jewish opinion
thus stated by a certain Rabbi Leo, "The souls of
the wicked are tortured with fire and other punish-
ments, which some of the condemned suffer with no
hope of redemption, but others for a certain time.”
The author from whom I take this extract, says the
deliverance of those who are freed, is expected at the
end of twelve months.¹ After all, the passage p. 121,
may not mean an intermediate state, but the judg-
ment itself, as, St. Paul, in 1 Cor. iii. 15.
5, 6, 7. The Gospel of Thomas, or Gospel of the
Infancy of Jesus.
IN carrying out my purpose to translate the
volume of false Gospels published by Dr. Tischen-
dorf, I have translated all three of the recensions of
Thomas which he has printed. That nothing might
1 J. à Lent, Mod. Theol. Jud. p. 683. Herbornæ, 1694.
INTRODUCTION.
lxix
•
be wanting, I have added, by way of supplement to
this work, a version of the very ancient Syriac
History of the "Boyhood of our Lord Jesus," which
is but another form of the Thomas.
This book vies in antiquity with the Protevange-
lium, and claims to have originally appeared about
the middle of the second century, if not before. We
seem not to possess it in an unmutilated form, but
what we have is very curious. It was the offspring of
heresy for which heterodoxy is too mild a term, and
after all the expurgation it has undergone, the evi-
dence of its paternity remains upon its face. The
author, or compiler, as in similar cases, wished to
produce a sort of preliminary Gospel, and as he
imagined the infant Jesus was wayward and captious,
mischievous and arbitrary, he made him so in the
fables he wrote.
Justin Martyr speaks of Jesus doing carpenter's
work (Trypho 88), in almost the same words as
Pseudo-Thomas speaks of Joseph (1 Thomas xiii.).
Irenæus also, when speaking of Marcus, the founder
of the Marcosians, mentions the mysteries he found
in the alphabet (Bk. i. 10-17). Special reference is
made by Irenæus to "an unspeakable multitude of
to“
apocryphal and spurious writings," which these here-
1xx
INTRODUCTION.
tics forged, and from one of them he extracts the
story about Jesus and the man who went to teach
him letters, much as we have it in some copies of
Thomas. Origen mentions a Gospel of Thomas, but
does not help us to identify it with ours. Hippolytus
also, writing of the sect of the Naasenes, quotes from
their Gospel of Thomas, but the passage is not in
the book we have. Eusebius, too, mentions a Gospel
of Thomas, and he is followed by others in the
same century. Cyril of Jerusalem says, a Gospel of
Thomas was written by one of the three disciples of
Manes, but this cannot be true of the false Gospel
mentioned by Origen and Hippolytus, unless he
means to say simply that the Manichæans re-
modelled it.
Whoever the writer was, he believed Jesus to be
the Messiah, and the peculiar institutions of Judaism
to be abolished. He disliked the Jews, but he made
Jesus petulant and revengeful. Joseph is made more
prominent than Mary; but Jesus is not really viewed
as his natural son, so much as a mysterious Being
manifested in a human form, and yet Joseph is called
his "father." The author's favourite Evangelist was
St. John, and probably he was one of the Docetæ, in
whose interests he wrote.
!
INTRODUCTION.
lxxi
Tischendorf supposes the book was written by
some Gnostic, that it was adopted by the Naasenes,
that it became popular among the Manichæans, and
at last found favour with the orthodox (notwith-
standing its condemnation by high authority, includ-
ing the second Nicene Council in A.D. 787).
After all that has been said about the authorship
of this book, I am strongly tempted to ask whether
it may not be the so-called Gospel of Basilides, or a
part of it? As the discussion of this question would
extend to some considerable length, I must be con-
tent with recording it.
The Pseudo-Thomas was substantially incorporated
with other documents by the compiler of Pseudo-
Matthew, and the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy.
It covers a definite period, reaching from Christ's
fifth year to his twelfth, and its intention is pre-
cisely stated in the introduction-to record "the
infant acts" of Jesus. I am inclined to think that
the unknown document from which Pseudo-Matthew
drew the second part of his book, may represent one
of the lost portions of Pseudo-Thomas.1
1 In illustration of the ideas thrown out about the connection of
Thomas with Basilides, and of the second part of Pseudo-Matthew
with Thomas, I append a note. Pseudo-Matthew, xxii. records the
lxxii
INTRODUCTION.
Bishop Ellicott observes in his excellent essay, that
in this story "we can scarcely recognize more than
two elements, pious fraud and disguised heresy :
the third element in these productions, ancient tra-
ditions and a credulity that reproduces or embel-
lishes them, finds here but little place." And again,
"the miracle-mongering is so gross, and the dogma-
tical propensions of the writer are so obvious, that it
may be reasonably doubted, whether, even at the
time it appeared, it was regarded as a regular his-
torical compilation at all.” It is tolerably certain
that the orthodox would not believe it; but if it was
written in the interests of a sect it was meant to be
accepted as a true portrait of the character and mode
of life of the child Jesus.
Bishop Ellicott says again: "The language is un-
usually barbarous, the style hopelessly bad, and the
narrative itself unconnected and incoherent." All
this is true; but what the original language was I
am not prepared to say. The book itself was cir-
culated in the West and in the East; we have it in
fall of the 355 (one copy has 365) idols of Egypt. In the book "de
Hæresibus," ascribed to Augustine, we read that Basilides said there
were 365 heavens, according to the number of days in a year. Hence
his so-called holy name ABRASAX, the letters of which in Greek
amount to 365. The 365 of Basilides is mentioned also by Philastrius,
Epiphanius, and Damascenus.
INTRODUCTION.
lxxiii
Greek, Latin, and Syriac, and it may exist in Ar-
menian.
I must now say a few words upon each of the four
texts of Pseudo-Thomas contained in this volume.
I regard all the copies as more or less altered in
the interests of Catholic doctrine.
That which stands first is from the Greek, as it
commonly appears in printed books.
The second, also from the Greek, was extracted by
Dr. Tischendorf from a MS. found by him among
the monks of Mount Sinai. The writer or editor
seems to have modified a larger document by strik-
ing out some incidents, altering others, adding occa-
sionally, and changing the order of some of the
sections. In general the result has been to render
the narrative less heterodox. The expression “Jo-
seph his father," which is so often found in the
Syriac recension, occurs only once in the longer
Greek, and not at all in the shorter book. This last
also has at the close the orthodox formula, "glorify-
ing Him, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit."
The Latin Gospel of Thomas is remarkable on se-
veral accounts. It commences with the rehearsal of
an incident similar to one which we find at the close
of the Protevangel. But while Pseudo-James refers
=
f
lxxiv
INTRODUCTION.
to a tumult at the death of Herod, Pseudo-Thomas
mentions the commotion caused by Herod's search
after the infant Jesus. The whole of the first three
chapters of Pseudo-Thomas in the Latin are wanting
in the other texts, and look like an independent
composition: they may, however, embody another
fragment of the book in its original form. The
fourth chapter consists of an introduction like that
which appears in the two Greek texts, but is not in
the Syriac. The editor treated his original with a
good deal of freedom, paraphrasing and altering the
phraseology. As in the case of the two Greek texts,
the document appears to have received a certain
tinge of orthodoxy. I imagine that it is less ancient
than the first Greek copy, (probably less ancient
than the second,) and that it is not earlier than the
end of the seventh century (very likely not quite so
early).
This Latin Thomas has a special conclusion, which
pretends to be a declaration made by Thomas the
Israelite, and is meant to have a practical tendency.
It can hardly be accepted as representing anything
contained in the original writing, but is, most likely,
the afterthought of the Latin editor.
It would be useless to speculate who "Thomas the
INTRODUCTION.
lxxv
Israelite" was, or "Thomas the Ishmaelite," as some
copies call him.
Dr. Tischendorf has found some fragments of
another Latin text considerably more ancient than
the one here printed. These fragments are in a
Palimpsest MS. at Vienna and are thought to be of
the fifth or sixth century. As we should expect, they
approach nearer to the first Greek text, and nearer
still to the Syriac in some respects. Some of the
readings differ from all the other texts, but may be
partly traced in Pseudo-Matthew, which made free
use of Pseudo-Thomas.
The Syriac recension altogether omits the name of
Thomas, and is simply called "The Boyhood of our
Lord Jesus." Dr. Wright's copy is of the sixth cen-
tury, and exhibits a more ancient text than any
other now extant complete. It has been less subject
to expurgation on the one hand and to additions on
the other. Manipulation it has most likely under-
gone, but much of its primitive heretical aspect
remains. The great antiquity of this copy, and the
interest and importance which attach to it, justify
my giving it a place at the end of the volume.
lxxvi
INTRODUCTION.
8. The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy.
I HAVE intimated in the note prefixed to my trans-
lation of this false Gospel, that it has been drawn
from three principal sources, the first and third of
which generally correspond to the Protevangel and
the Pseudo-Thomas. As for the second source, it
has not been clearly determined. As a compilation it
has been ascribed to the fifth or sixth century, but I
regard this as too early, for which I shall mention
some reasons. The book is apparently an Egyptian
production, whatever the language in which it first.
appeared. We only possess the Arabic text, for I
feel justified in believing that the Syriac copies of a
Gospel of the Infancy said to exist at Rome and
Paris, will prove to be a Syriac recension of Pseudo-
Thomas. No trace of it has been found in Coptic or
any other ancient language.
The compiler put into a connected form the
legends and traditions which he had at his dis-
posal, but he executed his task without skill and
judgment. His object was to glorify the infant
Jesus and his mother. He pretends to have bor-
rowed from a book by Joseph or Caiaphas the high
priest, but it is uncertain whether this applies to
INTRODUCTION.
lxxvii
anything more than the first chapter. The Syrian
Jacobites believed that Caiaphas became a Christian,
and other traces of Syrian traditions may be pointed
out in this book. But if we remember the close con-
nection which subsisted between the Syrian Christians
and Egypt, we shall see that an Egyptian writer
would be very likely to know their traditions. It is
even possible that the book was originally written in
Arabic by a Syrian Christian, just as other books
were, and this would account for the traces of Syriac
words found in it.
Mohammed was acquainted with some of the in-
cidents here put down, as that Jesus talked in his
cradle (Koran, suras 3, 5, 19). This fact, however,
is no proof that our document was compiled at that
early period. The position taken by Mary is toler-
able evidence that the book is not of very high an-
tiquity, and renders it very difficult for me to be-
lieve that the compiler was a Nestorian, as some have
thought. Whoever he was, he softened down the
malevolent aspect of the portions which he derived
from the Pseudo-Thomas.
Repeated perusal of the book has convinced me
that it is by no means so ancient as has been
thought. The whole tone and texture of the com-
lxxviii
INTRODUCTION.
position betrays a degenerate age. The actual Ara-
bic text cannot well claim a great antiquity for
several reasons, and if the Arabic was the original
we must cease to refer it to the fifth or sixth century.
The rise of Arabic literature was very little earlier
than Mohammed, and this book was written when
the language was the familiar vehicle for literary
composition. In chapter xxiv. the name Matarea is
twice mentioned; but this name is Arabic and there-
fore the present text was not produced until the
place had received that appellation from the Moham-
medans. When this was I cannot say, but I have
failed to discover any certain occurrence of Matarea
before the time of Abulfeda (died 1331) in his de-
scription of Egypt, and even there the copies appear
to differ. The Nubian Geographer, who wrote about
A.D. 1150, mentions Ain Shems and the balsam which
grew near it, but has no allusion to the name of
Matarea.
The Arabic Gospel gives the name of Matarea to
the sycamore tree. Sozomen seems to place this
tree in the Thebaid (Eccles. Hist. v. 21), at a great
distance from Matarea. I suppose it was afterwards
found convenient to shift the locality of the legen-
dary tree, and if so, the Arabic Gospel was not
INTRODUCTION.
lxxix
written till much later than Sozomen (A.D. 440).
No ancient copy of the book has been discovered,
and the first allusion to it which seems to be identi-
fied is that of Solomon of Bassora (A.D. 1222).
Chapters 1.-lii. deserve special consideration in
connection with the date of this compilation. Other
traces of modern origin might be thought referrible
to transcribers, but these chapters indicate a deve-
lopment of Arabic science which is utterly incon-
sistent with an early date. Could the chapters in
question have been produced prior to the ninth or
tenth century? The ninth century is the era to
which the rise of scientific studies among the Arabs.
is assigned; and here we have a formidable array of
scientific terms and topics. In default of evidence
to the contrary I must conclude that what I may
call the science of the book forbids us to ascribe it to
a period earlier than that which I have mentioned
for the rise of scientific studies among the Arabs.
Even if the idea of a Syriac origin be still pleaded
for, we shall not be able to go back beyond the eighth
century, when the scientific writings of the Greeks
were studied and translated by Syrians.¹
¹ Sergius of Rhesaina belongs to the sixth century, but he failed to
popularise the Greek philosophy and science. A chief agent in this
1
lxxx
INTRODUCTION.
It is needless to carry this discussion further; but
I must say a word about the order of events in the
book. There is some confusion arising from the
misplacing of certain transactions. This defect of
arrangement may arise from the compiler having
copied different documents without observing that
the sequence of events was incomplete. Chapter i.
really does not stand first in order of time. Chapter
xxvi. seems to have been a transition to another
document, but is inconsistent with chapter xxvii.,
because Joseph is told to go to Nazareth, and the
story is resumed at Bethlehem. This parenthesis
continues to chapter xxxvi. where the thread of the
narrative is taken up again. Very likely what we
usually regard as the second part of the book comes
from two distinct sources at least. Of the puerilities
and absurdities of the book I shall say nothing. As
the Arabic Gospel is the largest of all the Gospels of
the Infancy, so it is the most marked by credulity,
superstition, and folly. The long array of miracles
effected by the water in which Christ was washed, or
the linen he had worn, will speak for themselves.
Ignorance, folly, and mendacity, are here at least as
conspicuous as piety.
work was Honain Ben Isaac who wrote in Syriac and Arabic what he
derived from the Greek. He died about A.D. 873 (Assemani B. O.
ii. 272).
INTRODUCTION.
lxxxi
9. Correspondence between Abgar and Jesus, etc.
UNDER this head I have inserted in the text a few
small items not included by Dr. Tischendorf in his
volume. Very little need be said about them after
the remarks prefixed to them (pp. 217, 218).
(1.) Letter of Abgar to Jesus.-This Abgar, was
Abgar Uchomo, or Uchama,¹ king of Edessa, who
began to reign in A.D. 2, and reigned nearly forty
years. There is a long account of him in Bayer's
"Historia Osrhoena et Edessena," and a number of
references in ancient writers, who record the tradition
with which this letter is connected. The tradition
appears with considerable variety of detail, but its
general purport is that Abgar was afflicted with a
disease which his physicians could not cure, and that
having heard of the miracles of Christ, he sent him
the letter to ask him to come and heal him. Ac-
cording to one version of the story our Lord not
only sent back the reply ascribed to him, but His
own portrait, imprinted upon a towel or cloth. Sub-
sequently, they say, Thaddeus or Addi, one of our
Saviour's disciples, went to Edessa, cured Abgar,
preached the Gospel to him, and baptized him.
2 i.e. Niger, or the Black.
lxxxii
INTRODUCTION.
}
¡
Eusebius, who first mentions the correspondence,
says nothing of the miraculous portrait. I have no
doubt the letters are spurious, but they are suf-
ficiently ancient to deserve a place in this collection.
They were incorporated in an account of the intro-
duction of the Gospel to Edessa, part of which is
preserved by Eusebius, and a further portion exists
in a Syriac MS. in the British Museum. This MS.
is probably of the sixth century, and among other
things contains a letter which Abgar is said to have
written to Tiberius, and the alleged reply of Tiberius.
The document was published by Canon Cureton,¹
and contains valuable historical matter, mixed up
with fables.
(2.) The Letter of Jesus to Abgar.-This is in-
separably connected with the preceding, and was
probably, like it, first written in Syriac by some
Edessene Christian in the third century. There is
some variation in the copies of these letters, which
exist in Syriac, Greek, Arabic, etc.?
1 "Ancient Syriac Documents relative to the Earliest Establishment
of Christianity in Edessa, and the neighbouring Countries, from the
Year after Our Lord's Ascension, to the beginning of the Fourth Century.
Discovered, Edited, Translated, and Annotated by W. Cureton, D.D.,
Canon of Westminster." 4to. London, 1864.
2 De Dieu supplies an Arabic copy of the Letter of Christ to Abgar,
differing exceedingly from those in ordinary circulation, but I have not
INTRODUCTION.
lxxxiii
(3.) The Epistle of Lentulus.-This epistle is avow-
edly addressed to the Roman people and Senate, but
is a late medieval forgery. No such person as
Lentulus, or Publius Lentulus, was "president of
the people of Jerusalem;" no ancient writer ever
mentions the epistle, which is only extant in Latin
copies exhibiting all sorts of differences. It may
have been intended to authenticate one of the many
alleged portraits of Christ, which were manufactured
in the Middle Ages.
(4.) The Prayer of Jesus, the Son of Mary.-I
derive this from Jones on the Canon; but I have
not exactly followed his translation. He took it
from the Commentary of Selden upon Eutychius's
Arabic Annals of Alexandria. Selden found it
among certain Arabic forms of prayer, and published
it in Arabic, with a Latin version. The document
speaks for itself, and I need only say, with Jones:
"I suppose no one at all acquainted with Christianity
can believe this prayer genuine, and composed by
our blessed Saviour." (Jones on the Canon, vol. ii.
p. 25. Oxford edition, 1827).
thought it worth while to print a translation of it. The curious may
see it, with a Latin version, in the notes to Xavier's "Historia Christi
Persice conscripta," pp. €11, 612. (Lugduni Batavorum, 1639).
1
lxxxiv
INTRODUCTION.
(5.) The Story of Veronica.-At p.
said all that is requisite about this.
218, I have
Malela says,
and truly, no doubt, that he took it from a book '
in the possession of a Christian Jew named Bassus,
but he gives no clue to the date of its production.
It does not profess to be a contemporary document,
and it probably grew out of the circumstances re-
ported by Eusebius. The name of Veronica, or
Berenice, figures in a number of legends, more or
less ancient, the most popular being that which
represents her as lending the Saviour a cloth to wipe
his face, on the way to crucifixion, and receiving the
cloth back from Him, with His likeness upon it.
The petition of Veronica, preserved by Malela, is
an undoubted forgery. It may be noted that Euse-
bius (Hist. Eccles. vii. 17, 18) does not mention the
name of Veronica; neither does Sozomen (Hist.
Eccles. v. 20). Malela simply speaks of a monument
or stele, without indicating its form. The original
records of the cure of the woman (Matt. ix. 20-22;
Mark v. 5, 25; Luke viii. 43) show that it did not
take place at Paneas. They still pretend to show
a house of Veronica at Jerusalem.¹
1 Cotovicus, Itiner. Hierosol. 1619, p. 254.
INTRODUCTION.
UCT
lxxxv
10. The Gospel of Nicodemus, or Acts of Pilate.
Under this general title I include no fewer than
six documents printed by Dr. Tischendorf, and re-
presenting two compositions which are often com-
bined.
(1.) The Gospel of Nicodemus, Part I., which I
put first, records the trial, crucifixion, burial, re-
surrection, and ascension of Jesus, and involves a
variety of incidents connected with those events.
The writer draws largely from the evangelical nar-
ratives, all of which were before him, including the
closing section of Mark. But while he uses the
Gospels, he introduces a great many fictitious
details of a purely mythical, or rather prodigious
character. Some of the foreign elements were per-
haps traditions, but the way in which they are
worked up, shows that the writer was a genuine
Hagadist, and consequently we must treat his story
as a romance rather than as a history. The title
adopted by Dr. Tischendorf, "Acts of our Lord
Jesus Christ, wrought in the time of Pontius Pilate,"
differs considerably from several other forms of it.
In one copy it is said the book was written in
Hebrew by Nicodemus; and in another, that Pilate
lxxxvi
INTRODUCTION,
sent it to Augustus Cæsar. These titles are not
worth much.
The prologue represents one Ananias as saying
that he found the Acts in Hebrew and translated
them into Greek, in the time of Theodosius and Va-
lentinian. This may be taken as pretty good evi-
dence that our Greek text did not appear before
A.D. 440.
A second introduction professes to give the date
of the events recorded, and refers the original com-
position to Nicodemus, who is said to have written
in Hebrew.
If the first prologue has any value, it teaches us
that the book was really unknown till the date men-
tioned, because Ananias claims to have been the dis-
coverer as well as the translator.
Dr. Tischendorf, however, believes the book ap-
peared as early as the second century. If so, the
prologue is a forgery, and all that the supposed
Ananias could have done was to modify a document
already widely circulated. Tertullian, some two cen-
turies and a quarter earlier, had appealed to certain
Acts of Pilate, and Justin Martyr long before that
had done the same. If they meant this book, it
existed in Africa (in Latin), and in Europe (pro-
INTRODUCTION.
lxxxvii
bably in Greek). I cannot see the force of the argu-
ments for the early origin of the book, but the style
in which it is written compels me to refer our pre-
sent Greek text to the fifth century. From begin-
ning to end, prologue included, we have the degraded
and corrupt Greek of the fifth and following cen-
turies. As for the chronological note at the begin-
ning, the writer could have found the materials for
that very easily. Meanwhile these introductions are
not contained in all the copies, and as I have said,
those which have them do not by any means agree.
The reader has only to turn to the examples con-
tained in this volume to see what I mean.
I even
venture to doubt whether we ought to call this book
in any of its forms "The Acts of Pilate," although
Dr. Tischendorf has thus entitled his first Latin text
on the authority of Gregory of Tours, and not from
any manuscript of the document itself. "Acts of
Pilate," and "Gospel of Nicodemus," are convenient
popular designations, and nothing more, for they do
not appear to have originally belonged to the book.
"Acts of Pilate " is no doubt adopted because it is
supposed that Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Epi-
phanius quoted substantially the same work as we
now have; but it is a misnomer, as there is nothing
lxxxviii
INTRODUCTION.
about it resembling the official report to which the
two first-named Fathers allude.
Having mentioned Gregory of Tours, I add that
he is the first writer who, in my opinion, unques-
tionably cites our present Acts of Pilate. He is
placed by Cave at A.D. 573. I have found no traces
of it in Syriac, but it partly exists in Latin in a MS.
of possibly the fifth century, and in a Coptic MS. of
about the same date. Later on it became immensely
popular in Europe and was translated into Anglo-
Saxon and other languages.
Not to prolong this discussion about the date of
the book, let us ask who wrote it? and in what
language it was written? I answer briefly, it was
written in Greek, by a converted Jew, who was
acquainted with Hebrew. The Greek is, as I have
said, very corrupt, and is tinged by Latin influences
on the one hand, and by Hebrew influences on the
other. Greek forms of Latin words are frequent,
and sundry Hebrew words and phrases also appear
in Greek characters. There are also a number of
places where the idiom is Hebrew rather than
Greek. The writer had at least the Old Testament
in Hebrew. That he was a Jew is tolerably clear
from the occurrence of details of a purely Jewish
INTRODUCTION.
lxxxix
character, except so far as they have been modified
to suit the convenience of the author. At the same
time the book was written by one who had never
been in Judæa, and who was ill informed in regard
to its topography especially; he was not even care-
ful to follow the hints supplied him by the New
Testament. I will now point out a few details which
seem to require a particular remark.
The accusation of the Jews that Jesus wrought
miracles by magical and diabolical agency is, it is
true, in accordance with what we read in the Gospels,
but then we do not find them recorded in connection
with His trial. Pilate's assertion that unclean spirits
could only be cast out by Esculapius is also open to
question, as I find no trace of such an opinion among
the Romans. Esculapius was simply the god of
healing: but how about demoniacal possession, and
his province in relation to it?
The prodigies connected with the summoning of
Jesus before Pilate are fictions which appear to be
peculiar to this story. The calumny that Jesus was
illegitimate finds no place in the account of the trial
as recorded in the four Gospels. The assertion of
the Jews that they had a law forbidding them to
take an oath is a fiction. The series of witnesses, who
хо
INTRODUCTION.
bare testimony of Jesus, is an invention founded on
incidents scattered over the Gospels. Pilate is re-
presented as well acquainted with Jewish history,
which is inconsistent with the general tone of the
narrative (chapter ix.). The two malefactors cruci-
fied with Christ are called Dysmas and Gestas,
which names are mere inventions. The Jews are
represented as taking the law into their own hands
in arresting and imprisoning Joseph of Arimathea.
The guards of the tomb are represented as having
been still there when the angel announced the re-
surrection to the women-a misunderstanding of
Matth. xxviii. 11, which shows that the soldiers had
left before the women arrived.
It is apparent that some time must be allowed to
have elapsed between the events of chapters xiii. and
xiv., because in the fourteenth chapter the ascension
is recorded by men who had come out of Galilee. But
the ascension took place near Bethany and not in
Galilee. Mount Mamilk or Melek was thought to
be in Galilee, and was confounded with Olivet, the
traditional scene of the ascension. The writer who
here quotes from Mark xvi. thus proves his ignor-
ance of Jewish topography. Mount Melek was not in
Galilee and was not Olivet, but was the hilly range
INTRODUCTION.
xci
south of Jerusalem, as is shown by Jewish autho-
rities. Still, the reference to Mount Melek is one of
the evidences that the book was written by a con-
verted Jew. The sending out of men to search for
Jesus, in chapter xv., is a mere imitation of the ac-
count of Elijah. The story which Joseph tells of
his miraculous deliverance from prison is a fiction
which seems to be peculiar to this book. The name
of Longinus, given to the soldier who pierced the
Saviour's side, may be regarded as traditional, though
it is clearly made out of the Greek word λóyxn, a
"lance" or "spear," and means "a spearman." The
wonderful change which comes over the Jewish
leaders is a fable, and quite inconsistent with the
statements in the early chapters of the Acts of the
Apostles.
(2.) The second version of Nicodemus is mainly a
loose copy of the former. The inscription and title
have been materially altered. Before, Ananias was
the translator and Nicodemus the author, but here
Nicodemus is the translator and Æneas the compiler.
I cannot account for the entire change, but I think
it probable that Eneas was substituted for Ananias
when the account of the journey to the Underworld
was added. The name of Æneas was very likely a
j
xcii
INTRODUCTION.
conscious or unconscious imitation due to the story
of Virgil of the descent of Æneas to the Underworld,
as found in the Æneid. Again, in the first trans-
lation the reader will see that Ananias renders the
Hebrew into Greek in the time of Theodosius and
Valentinian, but here it is said that the book was
translated into Greek as soon as it was written in
Hebrew. The copy now under notice is a later re-
vision of the first, and frequently omits expressions to
be found in the older document, among which may
be mentioned the Hebrew quotations. The Greek is
less barbarous, but is still corrupt. A few of the
defects of the former book are remedied, but most of
them remain, and therefore, for example, they both
omit our Lord's appearance before the high priest,
the denial of Peter, and other incidents. In the
later copy the woman healed by Christ is duly
called Berenice or Veronica, which the older book
omits. The earlier book says he was to be crucified
in the garden where he was taken, but the later
drops the statement in stricter harmony with tra-
dition, places the crucifixion at Calvary and intro-
duces a number of additional details.
I suppose this recension of the book to be not
older than the sixth century, and to be the work of
INTRODUCTION.
xciii
one who regarded the former as not giving sufficient
prominence to Mary. I recommend such as would
see how such books were subject to condensation,
alteration, and development, carefully to compare the
two translations from the Greek of Nicodemus.
(3.) The Gospel of Nicodemus, Part II., or Descent
of Christ to the Underworld. The most ancient
copies of Nicodemus known are in Latin and Coptic,
and neither of them seems to have contained Part II.,
which is nevertheless frequently found in Greek and
Latin MSS. as a continuation of Part I. Dr. Tischen-
dorf's first text of the Descent to the Underworld is
in Greek, and is closely connected with the second
text of Nicodemus, Part I.; indeed the copies do not
mark any division. The first part closes with the
demonstration of the resurrection and ascension, and
the second opens with a statement that Jesus not
only raised himself but others, some of whom soon
come upon the stage and record what happened
when He went to the Underworld. This pretended
revelation is ascribed to two sons of Simeon, who
were brought before the chief Jews, and wrote what
is here written. Before writing, the two visitants
make the sign of the cross on their faces! When
they have written they suddenly vanish, leaving
xciv
INTRODUCTION.
their narratives behind them. It is very apparent
that this second part was appended as a sort of
Odyssey to follow the Iliad. I omit to say more of
this fable at present, except that the names of the
sons of Simeon are not given in the Greek text
which Dr. Tischendorf has followed.
(4.) The Latin Gospel of Nicodemus, or Acts of
Pilate, Part I., has a prologue similar to that of the
first Greek text, but with some differences, as that
Eneas is put for Ananias as translator. The second
introduction is also given, and with certain varia-
tions. Nicodemus is said to have been the author.
These prefaces vary considerably in the copies, some
of which in fact either omit them altogether, or
place the second at the end of the book. The edi-
tion printed in the "Orthodoxographa," in 1555, has
no introduction, but at the end is a subscription
which says that Theodosius the emperor found the
book at Jerusalem in the prætorium of Pilate, and
that it had been written in Hebrew by Nicodemus.
The Latin text differs in sundry particulars from
those in Greek, with which it will be interesting to
compare it.
(5.) The second part of the Latin Nicodemus ex-
hibits still further variations from the Greek, and in
INTRODUCTION.
XCV
particular calls the sons of Simeon, Karinus and Leu-
cius. New materials are introduced into it, and
especially at the end, where Pilate is said to have
written an account of the transactions and placed it
among the archives of his prætorium; various cal-
culations are added; and the whole concludes with
a pretended letter from Pilate to Claudius. The
letter is not found in all copies,¹ nor are the whole
of the foregoing calculations. To point out all the
discrepancies between the copies would be endless
(6.) The second text of the Latin Gospel of Nico-
demus, Part II., materially deviates from the pre-
ceding, and is a more modern recension. The editor
in the commencement speaks of the Abbats (i.e.
Fathers) raised from the dead at the resurrection of
Christ, he was therefore probably a monk. The
last chapter was almost wholly re-written by the
editor, who seems to have thought the older books
represented Pilate and the Jews in too favourable
a light.
Treating both parts of the book before us as one,
why is it called by the name of Nicodemus?
Nicodemus was a man of eminence, and had come
1 This letter appears in Greek in the Acts of Peter and Paul, sec. 40.
See Tischendorf's "Acta Apostolorum Apocrypha,” p. 16.
xcvi
INTRODUCTION.
to Christ by night to consult him, had ventured to
speak for him in a moment of peril, and had taken
part in his burial.¹ Hence he is made a prominent
character in the book. The Jewish author may
have had another motive also, for the name of Nico-
demus was borne by a personage famous in Jewish
legends.
Why is it called the Acts of Pilate?
Pilate was believed to have written an account
of the trial and sufferings of Jesus, which he sent
to Rome. Justin and Tertullian confidently appeal
to such a document, whether they had seen it or not.
The immense value of a composition of the sort
would also be evident. Hence the Nicodemus came
to be called the Acts of Pilate, as representing simi-
lar transactions. That the composition we now have
is the original of Pilate, none but a madman could
believe. To me it is matter of simple amazement
that any one should think our Acts of Pilate are
in any sense derived from the materials of Pilate's
report; and the more I study them the more I am
convinced they are nothing but a forgery of the fifth
and sixth centuries. Some of the materials are older,
but some are not so ancient, although they sub-
1 John iii., 1; vii. 50; xix, 39.
INTRODUCTION.
xcvii
stantially belong to the period I mention. The ori-
ginal official Acts perished; the first forged Acts,
which continued to exist in the fourth century
perished; the Acts forged by order of Maximin also
perished; and those now in existence were practically
a new composition, so new that they had to be
launched as a discovery made in the reign of Theo-
dosius, if not by Theodosius himself.
Dr. Tischendorf thinks that "the Acts of Pilate
which have come down to us are not different in the
main from those which Justin shows already existed
in the second century, save that they are to be re-
garded as having been gradually and in many ways
changed and interpolated." He supposes the great
alteration to have taken place about A.D. 424. (De
Evangeliorum Apocryphorum Origine et Usu, 1851.
pp. 67 et seqq.)
M. Alfred Maury has written an erudite disser-
tation on this book (Revue de Philologie, etc. tom. ii.
no. 5), and concludes that, as we have it, it was
written early in the fifth century, perhaps by a con-
verted Jew who made use of an older apocryph or
older legends; and that it was indirectly aimed
against Apollinarius, who denied the descent into
hell.
xcviii
INTRODUCTION.
M. Nicolas discusses the question, but cannot ac-
cept the conclusion of Dr. Tischendorf. He says,
"What seems to me most decisive against Tischen-
dorf is, that Justin Martyr and Tertullian appeal, or
believe they appeal, to an official document; without
this their arguments have no meaning. Now of the
two writings, the Report of Pilate to Tiberius alone
affects this form." M. Nicolas is right. The Acts
of Pilate, or Gospel of Nicodemus, cannot be what
Justin and Tertullian appeal to, because it is not an
official document in any sense.
M. Maury considers the first and second parts of
Nicodemus to be the work of one author; but Bishop
Ellicott believes they are the work of two, and I
agree with him. As to the former part of Nicodemus,
the bishop follows the opinion of Dr. Tischendorf.
It is not needful for me to carry this enquiry
further. I repeat then, that in my opinion the first
part of the book, was not written earlier than Maury
says, and the second part somewhat later. Although
the composition of two persons, they were early
combined, and probably in the West. Their popu-
larity is shown by the number of versions and MSS.,
and by the numerous quotations from them found in
ancient authors.
INTRODUCTION.
xcix
One of the stories told in the second part of Nico-
demus has been so amazingly popular that it really
deserves a separate note. I refer to the legend of
Seth, in which we read of the tree of life and the oil
of mercy. I have already illustrated this to some
extent, but I wish now to add the following obser-
vations. The story to which allusion is made may
be safely said to be of Jewish origin, or to rest upon
a Jewish foundation, and, if the documents were ex-
tant, would be traced to the legends and traditions
of the Jews in the first ages after Christ. There is
tolerably clear indication that the writer of the
second part of Nicodemus copied it bodily from some
book with which he was acquainted. We read in
the first Latin text of the story that Michael told Seth
that the Son of God should come after 5500 years
(chapter iii. (xix.)). In chapter xii. Pilate speaks
to the Jews of a certain great book (Bibliotheca)
which they have; and soon after the high priests
tell Pilate that they have found in the first book
of the Septuagint the place where Michael told Seth
of the coming of Christ in 5500 years. They add,
among other things, that having taken the sum of
the successive generations they find the 5500 years
which the book says Michael spoke of to Seth. It is
C
INTRODUCTION.
easy to believe that the writer had overlooked his
first statement, which represents the story as told by
Seth in the Underworld. Whether he forgot it or
not, he eventually mentions that the same thing was
already written in a book which the Jews had. I am
inclined to believe that the last assertion is perfectly
correct.
If I am asked what the writer means by "tne first
book of the Septuagint," I must own my ignorance.
The expression naturally signifies the book of Gene-
sis, but it never contained what is quoted about
Michael and Seth; and therefore I conclude the title
is either intentionally or accidentally misstated. One
thing is certain, however, and it is that Seth cut a
great figure in the legends and literary forgeries of
the first few centuries of our era. One of the early
Christian sects was named after him. All sorts of
visions, inventions, etc., were ascribed to him. He
was taught by angels, and carried away to heaven
for forty days: was the father of the prophets and
the inventor of letters, gave names to the stars and
observed the motion of the heavens, divided time by
months, weeks, etc., wrote a book about the star
which should appear at the nativity of Christ, and
was the author of many other books. He was also
INTRODUCTION.
ci
""
famous amongst the Mohammedans, Sabeans, Sama-
ritans, Ethiopians, Syrians (see Fabricius, "Codex
Pseudepigr. Vet. Test." i. 139–157). The journey
of Seth to Paradise is then, I suppose, a Jewish Ha-
gadah or pleasant fiction. A curious recension of it
is contained in the Greek "Apocalypse of Moses,'
published by Dr. Tischendorf (“ Apocalypses Apo-
crypha"). The story is also found in the book called
"The Repentance of Adam" (A. Maury,
(A. Maury, "Croy-
ances et Legendes," p. 294). This last I have not
seen, but the "Apocalypse of Moses" is a Christian
production, and possibly the author of the Appendix
to Nicodemus drew this part of his materials from it;
whether or no, its existence in these different works
makes one doubt the right of any of them to its
origination.
An interesting account of the history of the legend
of the Oil of Mercy will be found in an article en-
titled "The Tree of Life," translated from the Ger-
man of Dr. Piper, in the Journal of Sacred Litera-
ture (Oct. 1864). I do not agree with Dr. Piper in
referring our document to the second century, but I
have pleasure in referring to his curious narration,
which first appeared in the "Evangelischer Ka-
lender," for 1863.
cii
INTRODUCTION.
1
The reader who wishes to see more on the subject
may consult the notes to Dr. Piper's essay; Dr.
Barlow's " Essays on Symbolism" ("The Tree of
Life," and "Sacred Trees," first printed in the
Journal of Sacred Literature, 1862); Didron's "Ico-
nography,” (Bohn's edition, p. 367, et seq.), and the
authorities referred to by the different writers.
!
11. Letters ascribed to Pilate, etc.
It was very natural, perhaps, that men should be
curious to know what sort of a report of the trial
and condemnation of Jesus was sent by Pilate to
head quarters. That Pilate did write to Rome on
the subject I am quite ready to believe, for not only
have we the reiterated assertions of Justin and Ter-
tullian and others to that effect, but we have ex-
amples to show what sort of a letter he may have
written. The letters of the second Pliny are still
extant, and among them are some arising out of his
official position and addressed to his masters. Now
his famous letter to Trajan about the Christians in
Bithynia, affecting the life or death of multitudes,
would only occupy about three pages of this volume,
while Trajan's reply only takes up a few lines.
INTRODUCTION.
ciii
Have we Pilate's official letter? Certainly not.
The so-called Acts of Pilate cannot be distorted into
any resemblance to such a thing, and the conscious-
ness of this has led to sundry fictions as to their
origin, and even to the supplementing of them with
letters said to have been written by Pilate. One
such letter will be found translated in this volume
at the end of the first Latin version of the Descent
to the Underworld. Other similar documents are
contained in this collection, as well as one avowedly
addressed to Herod, whose so-called letter is also
given. Of these I shall now proceed very briefly
to speak.
(1.) The letter which Pilate is said to have sent
to Cæsar is from a copy found in a Persian "History
of Christ," written by a Jesuit named Jerome Xavier
in 1602. This book is full of lying legends and
fables, and was translated into Latin by De Dieu in
1639. The letter occurs at p. 388 of the translation.
De Dieu thinks its author was more likely Xavier
than Pilate, and, as I have found it nowhere else, I
am inclined to think so too; but since it is fathered
upon Pilate I have included it in this collection. The
hint for it was probably taken from Josephus, Antiq.
xviii. 3, 3. My version is from the Latin, but as
civ
INTRODUCTION.
the copy I use has been carefully read by the cele-
brated Oriental scholar Schultens, I think it may be
depended upon.
(2.) The Letter of Herod to Pilate.-This is from
the Syriac, and may have been forged in the fourth
century. Dr. Tischendorf says he has the same in
Greek with considerable variations, but it is un-
published.
(3.) The Letter of Pilate to Herod, in reply to the
preceding, is from the same source, and equally fic-
titious. Three extracts are appended to it, but form
no portion of it, although joined with it in the
manuscript.
(a.) The writer called Justinus is not identified,
unless, as I think, he is Justus of Tiberias whose
history is lost. But if he be meant, the quotation
may be false, as Photius says he wrote nothing about
Christ.
(b.) By Theodorus, no doubt Tiberius is intended.
The emperor is represented as asking Pilate a reason
for his conduct in reference to Christ. The answer
of Pilate to this request is also given. The passage
seems to come from an apocryphal book, similar to
the so-called "Paradosis " of Pilate, which contains
much the same matter.
INTRODUCTION.
CV
(c.) The extract referred to Josephus is not liter-
ally quoted either from him or from the correspond-
ing passage in Eusebius, but it is certain that the
version of Eusebius was used. (Josephus, Antiq.
xix. 8; Euseb. Hist. Eccles. ii. 10).
(4.) Pilate's Letter to the Roman Emperor.-This
is addressed to Tiberius, and is as much intended to
excuse Pilate for condemning Jesus, as to speak to
the injustice of the Jews in demanding His condem-
nation. The writer was a Latin, and probably had
before him the account which Tacitus gives of the
persecution of the Christians by Nero (Annals, xv.
44). He mentions the Sibyls in the same breath
with the prophets, speaks of Christ's disciples as still
flourishing, and appeals to the Scriptures as proving
that the Jews caused the suffering of Christ to their
own destruction. The idea of Pilate's quoting the
prophets and the Scriptures!
12. The Report of Pilate.
Under this head we have a document which pre-
tends to be official, and addressed by Pilate to " Au-
gustus Cæsar in Rome." Some copies represent it as
addressed to "Tiberius Augustus." It was first
h
¡
cvi
INTRODUCTION.
printed by Fabricius. The text as usual varies con-
siderably, and on this account Tischendorf has pub-
lished it in two forms, both of which I have trans-
lated. The first copy is from a MS. of about the
twelfth century. The second is also from a MS. of
about the same date. No great antiquity has been
assigned to the fiction, which seems to have had a
Greek origin. Whatever its source, it is based upon
the ancient opinion that Pilate sent to Rome a re-
port concerning Christ. I am not able to suggest a
date for the production, but the variations in the
ancient copies show that it must have been often
transcribed. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Job,
are all spoken of as being dead 3500 years. If this
may be construed as indicating the date of this com-
position, it will not allow us to go back beyond the
ninth century, which is probably not far wrong.
13. The Paradosis or Trial and Condemnation
of Pilate.
The Greek Paradosis denotes the handing over of
something, and may therefore mean Pilate's being
delivered into the hands of justice. It contains an
account of Pilate's trial before Cæsar at Rome, of his
INTRODUCTION.
cvii
conversion, and of his death by beheading. The
writer adds that Procla, Pilate's wife, died of very
joy at the time of her husband's death, and that she
was buried along with him. The glorification of
Pilate was never carried further than here, where a
voice from heaven tells him, "All generations and
families of nations shall call thee blessed, etc."
14. The Death of Pilate.
This treats of the coming of Volusian and Vero-
nica to Rome, and of Tiberius's recovery from disease
by means of an image of Christ—the well-known
Veronica. Pilate is brought to Rome, where he is
perfectly safe for a time, because he has on him the
seamless coat of Jesus! After he lays aside this
coat he is condemned to death, but kills himself with
his own dagger. The body is thrown into the Tiber,
but the devils raise such a commotion about it that
it is taken up and cast into the Rhone, where similar
results follow. Thence it was removed to Losania,
(i.e. Lucerne) and finally to a pit among the moun-
tains, where it remained, but did not rest at peace.
The bitter animosity to Pilate here exhibited sug-
gests a late date for the composition. I suppose it
cviii
INTRODUCTION.
to be a mediæval Latin production, and as such it
was largely used by the editor of the "Legenda
Aurea." It was very likely written in France.
15. The Story of Joseph.
This is probably not so modern as the "Death of
Pilate." The writer seems to have had his eye upon
the Nicodemus, but he borrowed from his own fancy
and other sources. No particular interest attaches
to the details, which are palpably fictitious. Thus
Pilate is said to have had a daughter, but she is
also said to have had the Hebrew name of Sarah.
The author's dispositions and tendencies have given
an apocalyptic turn to certain parts of the compo-
sition. The principal favorite of the author was
Saint Good-thief (Sanctus Bonus Latro), as he is
called in the proper office for his day (April 24th),
and who is here called Demas-a modification of the
earlier Dysmas. Tischendorf very properly added
this to the pieces which he regards as supplementary
to the Acts of Pilate. Some of the notions are de-
cidedly original, such as Christ's writing letter to
the Cherubim and giving it to the dec
INTRODUCTION.
cix
}
16. The Saviour's Revenge.
An old anti-Jewish fiction of Latin origin, and the
work of some one who was as ignorant as he was
prejudiced. The details are absurd in the extreme,
and have some connection with the piece called The
Death of Pilate. Like that, it probably is of Gallic
origin. A recension of it exists in an Anglo-Saxon
book of about the eleventh century (see Anglo-Saxon
Legends of Andrew and Veronica. C. W. Goodwin.
Cambridge, 1851). Other forms of the story are met
with, and most of them indicated by Tischendorf in
his prolegomena to the Apocryphal Gospels, pp.
81-83. It shows what rubbish contented the po-
pular taste a thousand years ago. The notion of
baptizing Tiberius, and instructing him "in all the
articles of the faith," is almost as amusing as con-
necting the circumstance with the capture of Jeru-
salem by Titus and Vespasian. The historic ac-
complishments of the author further appear in his
making King Archelaus abdicate and commit suicide
on the approach of the Romans (who went simply to
avenge the death of Christ! a real holy war! the
first crusade !). As a fact, Archelaus was deposed
about A.D. 6, and Jerusalem taken sixty-four years
1
CX
INTRODUCTION.
|
later. That Pilate still continued in office at Jeru-
salem is only what we should expect to be told, but
that the author should merely shut him in prison at
Damascus, and be content to leave him there, is a
favour, or an oversight, which no one would have
looked for.
17. Syriac Gospel of the Boyhood of Jesus.
By way of supplement to the present volume I
have introduced a translation of this which I regard
as the oldest form in which the Gospel of Thomas is
now known. The reader will observe that it is not
called the Gospel of Thomas at all, and will, not
without reason, infer that, like other books of its
class, it changed its title to suit the convenience of
its copyists or editors.
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
3
I.
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
(COMMONLY CALLED THE PROTEVANGELIUM.J
THE Apocryphal Gospel to which we have given the
first place, is extant in several Greek manuscripts,
the oldest of which may belong to the eleventh
century. It is also found in Arabic, and part of it
in Coptic. Its date and authorship are unknown.
Dr. Tischendorf thinks it may belong to the middle
of the second century. Some have thought it was
known to Justin Martyr (Trypho, Ch. 78), to Clement
of Alexandria (Stromata, Bk. vii.), and Origen (on
Matth.), and perhaps Tertullian (de Scorpiaco, sec. 8),
but we cannot be certain. Gregory of Nyssa and
Epiphanius, however, either had it, or a closely simi-
lar book. Later authors often allude to it.
The title varies in the copies. It is often ascribed
to James, though what James is not always stated.
12
1
૭
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
The name Protevangelium was given to it by Postel,
who brought it to Europe, soon after which it was
printed in Latin (1552, 1555, etc.), and in Greek
(1564). Jeremiah Jones translated it into English
(1722)
The book contains an account of Joachim and
Anna the parents of Mary, and of the wonderful cir-
cumstances attending her birth (chaps. i.-v.). Mary
is said to have been presented to the Lord at three
years old, and brought up in the temple. Here, as in
imagining the mother's name, and the birth of the
child in answer to prayer, the ideas were probably
taken from the history of Samuel. When twelve years
old, Mary is placed under the protection of Joseph
(chaps. vi.-x.). The annunciation and conception,
the jealousy of Joseph and his troubles in conse-
quence of her condition, and the nativity, are nar-
rated at length (chaps. xi.-xxi.). The visit of the
Magi, the flight into Egypt, the slaughter of the
children by Herod, the escape of John, and the
murder of his father, occupy the rest of the book,
which closes with a subscription professing to tell the
author and occasion of the work (chaps. xxii.-xxv.)
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
3
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES; COMMONLY CALLED
THE PROTEVANGELIUM OF JAMES.
The Birth of Mary, the Holy Mother of God and Very
Glorious Mother of Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER I.
2
IN the histories¹ of the twelve tribes of Israel
there was one Joachim, who was very rich, and
he offered his gifts two-fold, saying, There shall
be of my substance for all the people, and for my
forgiveness with the Lord as a propitiation for me.
And the great day of the Lord drew nigh, and the
children of Israel offered their gifts. And Reuben
the high priest resisted him, saying, It is not
lawful for thee to offer thy gifts first, because
thou hast not produced seed in Israel. And
¹ The author might have more properly said 'genealogies' or 'records,'
as his object is simply to intimate the purely Israelitish descent of
Mary's parents.
2 Some think that Mary's father was called Heli, understanding
Luke iii. 23, to mean as much. Jerome supposed he was called
Cleophas; but we have no evidence that the name Joachim was given
him before the appearance of this document. In like manner the
name Anna is quite without authority, although both it and Joseph
have been adopted by the Greek and Roman churches. Reuben also,
as the name of the high priest, is supported by no authority.
4
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Joachim was very grieved, and went to the gene-
alogy of the twelve tribes of the people, saying,
I will see the genealogy of the twelve tribes
of Israel, whether I alone have not produced seed
in Israel. And he sought and found that all the
righteous had raised up seed in Israel; and he
remembered the patriarch Abraham, that at the
last day God gave him his son Isaac. And Joachim
was very grieved, and did not show himself to his
wife, but betook himself into the wilderness, and
there pitched his tent, and fasted forty days and
forty nights,¹ saying in himself, I will not go down
either for meat or for drink, until the Lord my God
shall visit me; and prayer shall be my meat and
drink.
CHAPTER II.
Now his wife Anna grieved with double grief,
and lamented with a double lamentation, saying,
I will bewail my widowhood, and I will bewail my
childless condition. And the great day of the Lord
drew nigh, and Judith her maiden said, How long
dost thou humble thy soul? Behold the great day
of the Lord is at hand, and it is not lawful for
thee to mourn; but take this headband, which the
lady who made it gave to me, and it is not proper
¹ Comp. Matt. iii. 1.
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
5
for me to put it on, because I am a servant, and it
hath a royal character. And Anna said, Leave me,
and, I would not do thus, and, The Lord hath greatly
humbled me. Perhaps some crafty person gave thee
this, and thou hast come to make me partaker in
thy sin. And Judith said, Why shall I curse thee,
because the Lord hath closed thy womb, so as not
to give thee fruit in Israel? And Anna was very
grieved, and folded up her mourning garments, and
anointed her head, and put on her wedding gar-
ments, and about the ninth hour went down into
her garden to walk, and she saw a laurel tree, and
sat under it, and supplicated the Lord, saying, O
God of our fathers, bless me, and hearken to my
prayer, as thou didst bless the womb of Sarah, and
gavest her a son, Isaac.¹
CHAPTER III.
AND as she looked towards heaven she saw a nest
of sparrows in the laurel tree, and she made a la-
mentation in herself, saying, Woe is me; who begat
me? and what womb bare me? For I have become
a curse before the children of Israel, and I am re-
proached, and they revile me from the temple of the
Lord. Woe is me; what am I like unto? I am
not like the fowls of heaven, for even the fowls of
' Comp. 1 Sam. i. 9-18.
1
6
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
1
heaven are fruitful before thee, O Lord. Woe is
me; what am I like unto? I am not like these
waters, for even these waters are fruitful before thee,
O Lord. Woe is me; what am I like unto? I
am not like this earth, for even the earth produceth
its fruits in its season, and blesseth thee, O Lord.
CHAPTER IV.
$
AND, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by, say-
ing unto her, Anna, Anna, the Lord hath heard thy
prayer, and thou shalt conceive and bring forth, and
thy seed shall be spoken of in all the world. And
Anna said, As the Lord my God liveth, if I bring
forth either male or female, I will bring it as a gift
to the Lord my God, and it shall minister to him all
the days of its life. And behold, there came two
angels saying unto her, Behold, Joachim thy hus-
band is coming with his flocks. For an angel of the
Lord went down to him, saying, Joachim, Joachim,
the Lord God hath heard thy prayer; go down
hence; for, behold, thy wife Anna shall conceive.
And Joachim went down, and called his shepherds,
saying, Bring me hither ten she-lambs without spot
and blemish, and they shall be for the Lord my God.
And bring me twelve tender calves, and they shall
be for the priests and the elders; also a hundred
goats for all the people. And behold, Joachim came
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
with his flocks, and Anna stood at the gate, and saw
Joachim coming, and she ran and hung upon his
neck, saying, Now I know that the Lord God hath
blessed me greatly; for behold, the widow is no
more a widow, and I that am childless shall con-
ceive. And Joachim rested the first day in his
house.
CHAPTER V.
Now on the morrow he offered his gifts, saying in
himself, If the Lord God be propitious to me, he will
make the plate on the priest's forehead manifest to
me. And Joachim offered his gifts, and observed the
plate on the priest's forehead, as he went up to the
altar of the Lord, and he saw no sin in himself, and
Joachim said, Now I know that the Lord is propitious
to me, and hath pardoned all my sins. And he went
down from the temple of the Lord justified, and de-
parted to his own house.
And her months were accomplished, and in the
ninth month Anna bare a child. And she said to
the midwife, What have I borne? And she said, A
girl. And Anna said, This day my soul is magnified;
and she laid it down. And when the days were ac-
complished, Anna was purified, and she gave the
child the breast, and called its name Mary.
¹ Comp. Ex. xxviii. 36-38.
8
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER VI.
AND the child increased in strength from day to
day, and when she was six months old her mother
set her on the ground, to try if she could stand; and
having walked seven steps she came to her lap. And
she caught her up, saying, As the Lord my God.
liveth, thou shalt not walk upon this earth, until I
bring thee to the temple of the Lord. And she
made a sanctuary in her chamber, and suffered no-
thing common and unclean to pass by her, and called
the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and they led
her about. And the child's first birthday came, and
Joachim made a great feast, and called the priests
and scribes, and elders, and all the people of Israel.
And Joachim brought the child to the priests, and
they blessed her, saying, O God of our fathers, bless
this child, and give her a name eternally to be
named in all generations! And all the people said,
So be it, so be it, Amen. And he brought her to the
high priests, and they blessed her, saying, O God
most High, look upon this child, and bless her with
a last blessing which hath none to follow it. And
her mother took her up to the sanctuary of her
chamber and gave her the breast. And Anna made
a song to the Lord God, saying, I will sing a song
to the Lord my God, for he hath visited me, and hath
removed from me the reproach of my enemies; and
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
9
the Lord hath given me the fruit of his righteous-
ness, [fruit which is] peculiar and very rich before
him. Who shall tell to the children of Reuben that
Anna giveth suck? Hearken, hearken, ye twelve
tribes of Israel, for Anna giveth suck. And she laid
it to rest in the chamber of her sanctuary, and went
out and served them. And when the supper was
rejoicing, and glorifying the
ended they went down
God of Israel.
CHAPTER VII.
AND months were added to the child; and the
child became two years old, and Joachim said, Let
us conduct her to the temple of the Lord, that we may
render the vow which we vowed, lest perchance the
Lord refuse us, and our gift become unacceptable.
And Anna said, Let us wait till the third year, that
the child may not require its father or mother.
And Joachim said, Let us wait. And the child
became three years old, and Joachim said, Call the
undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and let them
take a lamp apiece, and let these be burning, that
the child may not turn back, and its heart be taken
captive from the temple of the Lord. And they did
thus until they came up into the temple of the Lord.
And the priest received her, and kissed and blessed
her, and said, The Lord hath magnified his name in
10
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
all generations: with thee at the end of days, the
Lord will manifest his redemption to the children of
Israel. And he set her upon the third step of the
altar, and the Lord God bestowed grace upon her,
and she danced about on her feet, and all the house
of Israel loved her.
CHAPTER VIII.
AND her parents went down wondering, and
praising the Lord God, because the child did not
turn back. And Mary was like a dove brought up
in the temple, and received food from the hand of
an angel. And when she became twelve years old,
there was held a council of the priests, who said,
Behold, Mary is become twelve years old in the
temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with
her, lest perchance the sanctuary of the Lord be
defiled ? And they said to the high priest, Thou
hast stood at the altar of the Lord; go in, and pray
for her, and whatever the Lord shall manifest to
thee, that also will we do. And the high priest
entered, taking the breastplate into the holy of
holies, and prayed for her. And behold the angel
of the Lord stood by, saying unto him, Zacharias,
Zacharias,¹ go forth and summon the widowers of the
1 According to this, Zacharias was the high priest; but the copies
differ, and some do not represent him as such.
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
11
people, and let them take a rod apiece, and she
shall be the wife of him to whom the Lord shall
show a sign. And the criers went out through all
the region of Judea round about, and the trumpet
of the Lord sounded, and all ran together
CHAPTER IX.
!
Now Joseph cast down his axe and went out to
meet them. And having assembled, they went away
to the high priest, taking the rods; and he received
the rods of all, and entered the holy place and
prayed; and when he had finished praying, he took
the rods, and went out and delivered them to them;
and there was no sign among them. But Joseph
received the last rod, and, behold, a dove went out
of the rod, and flew upon the head of Joseph. And
the priest said to Joseph, Thou hast been allotted to
receive the virgin of the Lord to keep with thyself.
And Joseph refused, saying, I have sons, and I am
old, and she is a girl. Let me not become ridiculous
to the children of Israel. And the priest said to
Joseph, Fear the Lord thy God; and remember
what God did to Dathan, and Abiram, and Korah,
how the earth opened, and they were swallowed up
because of their gainsaying. And now, fear, Joseph,
lest this should come to pass in thy house. And
Joseph feared, and took her to keep with himself.
12
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
And Joseph said unto Mary, Behold, I have received
thee from the temple of the Lord, and now I leave
thee in my house, and go to build my buildings,
and will come to thee. The Lord will protect thee.
CHAPTER X.
AND there was a council of the priests, who said,
Let us make a curtain for the temple of the Lord.
And the priest said, Call me undefiled virgins of the
house of David. And the servants went and sought
and found seven virgins. And the priest recollected
the girl Mary, that she was of the tribe of David,
and was uncorrupt before God. And the servants
went and brought her. And they led them into the
temple of the Lord; and the priest said, Cast me
lots, who shall spin the gold, and green, and fine
linen, and silk, and blue, and scarlet, and true
purple. And the true purple and the scarlet fell to
the lot of Mary, and she took it and went away to
her home. And at that time Zacharias became
speechless, and Samuel was in his stead, until
Zacharias spake. And Mary took the scarlet and
spun it.
CHAPTER XI.
AND she took the waterpot and went out to draw
water; and behold a voice, saying, Hail, thou fa-
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
13
voured one,¹ the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou
among women. And she looked about right and
left, to see whence this voice came. And becoming
afraid, she went away to her home, and set down
the waterpot; and taking the purple she sat on her
seat and spun it. And, behold, an angel of the Lord
stood before her, saying, Fear not, Mary, for thou
hast found favour before the Lord, and thou shalt
conceive from his word. And when she heard she
disputed in herself, saying, Shall I conceive from
the Lord, the living God, and bear as every woman
beareth? And the angel of the Lord said, Not so,
Mary; for the power of the Lord will overshadow
thee; wherefore that holy thing which is born of
thee, shall be called the son of the Most High; and
thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. And Mary said, Behold,
the servant of the Lord is before him; be it unto me
according to thy word.
CHAPTER XII.
AND she wrought the purple and the scarlet, and
took it to the priest. And the priest blessed her,
and said, Mary, the Lord God hath magnified thy
name, and thou shalt be blessed in all the genera-
tions of the earth. And Mary was glad, and went
¹ The Greek has кexaρiтwμévη.-Luke i. 28-38.
14
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
away to Elizabeth, her kinswoman;¹ and she knocked
at the door; and when Elizabeth heard, she threw
down the scarlet, and ran to the door and opened it;
and seeing Mary, she blessed her, and said, Whence
is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me? for, behold, that which is within me,
leaped and blessed thee. And Mary was unaware of
the mysteries which Gabriel the Archangel' told her,
and she looked up to heaven, and said, Who am I,
Lord, that all the generations of the earth shall bless
me? And she spent three months with Elizabeth.
And day by day her condition became more mani-
fest; and being afraid, Mary went to her house, and
hid herself from the children of Israel. Now she
was sixteen years old when these strange things
happened.
CHAPTER XIII.
AND her sixth month came, and, behold, Joseph
came from his housebuilding; and entering his
house he found her pregnant. And he smote his
face, and threw himself upon the ground on sack-
cloth, and wept bitterly, saying, With what face
shall I look at the Lord my God? and what shall I
1 Luke i. 39-56.
2 In Luke i. 26, Gabriel is simply called an 'angel,' and so some
read here.
3 The copies vary, reading 14. 15, 17, and even 18, as well as 16.
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
15
entreat concerning this damsel? for I received her a
virgin from the temple of the Lord, and have not
kept her. Who hath circumvented me? Who
hath done this evil in my house, and defiled the
virgin? Is not the history of Adam repeated in
me? for just as Adam was at the hour of his thanks-
giving, and the Serpent came and found Eve alone,
and deceived her, so also hath it befallen me. And
Joseph arose from his sackcloth, and called Mary,
and said to her, Thou that hast been cared for of
God, why hast thou humbled thy soul, thou that
wast brought up in the holy of holies, and received
food at the hand of an angel? And she wept bitterly,
saying, I am pure and know no man. And Joseph
said to her, Whence then is it that thou art preg-
nant? and she said, As the Lord my God liveth, I
know not whence it is come to me.
CHAPTER XIV.
AND Joseph was greatly afraid, and separated
from her, and reasoned what he should do with her.
And Joseph said, If I hide her fault, I find myself
fighting with the law of the Lord; and if I expose
her to the children of Israel, I fear lest that which
is in her is angelic, and I shall be found betraying
innocent blood to the sentence of death.
1
1 For 'angelic' another reading is 'holy.'
What,
16
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
then, shall I do with her? I will secretly divorce
her from me. And night overtook him; and, be-
hold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream, saying, Be not afraid about this damsel; for
that which she hath conceived is of the Holy Spirit;
and she shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his
name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their
sins. And Joseph arose from sleep, and glorified
the God of Israel, who had granted him this favour,
and he kept her.¹
CHAPTER XV.
AND Annas, the scribe, came to him, and said,
Why hast thou not appeared in our council? And
Joseph said, Because I was wearied with the journey,
and rested the first day. And he turned and saw
Mary pregnant. And he went running to the priest,
and said to him, Joseph, whom thou hast attested,
hath greatly transgressed. And the priest said,
What is this? And he said, The virgin which he
received from the temple of the Lord, her he hath
defiled, and hath hidden his marriage, and not made
it known to the children of Israel. And the priest
answered and said, Hath Joseph done this? And
Annas the scribe said, Send servants, and thou shalt
find the virgin pregnant. And the servants de-
1 Matt. i. 18-21.
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
17
parted, and found as he said; and they brought her
away along with Joseph to the place of judgment.
And the priest said, Mary, why hast thou done this?
and wherefore hast thou humbled thy soul, and
hidden thyself from the Lord thy God; thou that
wast brought up in the holy of holies, and didst
receive food at the hand of an angel, and didst hear
hymns, and didst dance before him; why hast thou
done this? And she wept bitterly, saying, As the
Lord my God liveth, I am pure before him, and I
know not a man. And the priest said to Joseph,
What is this that thou hast done? And Joseph
said, As the Lord liveth, I am pure in regard to her.
And the priest said, Bear not false witness, but say
the truth. Thou hast hidden her marriage, and not.
made it known to the children of Israel, and hast
not bowed thine head under the strong hand, that
thy seed might be blessed. And Joseph was silent.
CHAPTER XVI.
AND the priest said, Restore the virgin which
thou receivedst from the temple of the Lord. And
Joseph wept very much. And the priest said, I
will cause thee to drink the water of the Lord's
reproof, and it shall manifest thy sins before thine
eyes. And the priest took and gave it to Joseph to
1 Num. v. 17.
2
18
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
drink, and sent him into the hill country; and he
returned quite sound. And he also gave it to Mary
to drink, and sent her into the hill country; and she
returned quite sound. And all the people wondered
that sin was not seen in them. And the priest said,
If the Lord God hath not manifested your sins,
neither do I judge you; and he released them. And
Joseph took Mary, and went to his house rejoicing,
and glorifying the God of Israel.
CHAPTER XVII.
AND there was a command from Augustus the
king, that all who were in Bethlehem of Judea
should be enrolled. And Joseph said, I will enrol
my children, but what shall I do with this damsel?
How shall I enrol her? As my wife? I am
ashamed to do it. As my daughter? But all the
children of Israel know that she is not my daughter.
The day of the Lord will make plain how the Lord
willeth it. And he saddled the ass, and set her upon
it, and his son led it, and Joseph followed. And
they came within three miles. And Joseph turned
and saw her sad, and he said in himself, Perhaps
her burden troubleth her. And Joseph turned
again, and saw her laughing; and he said to her,
Mary, what aileth thee, because I see thy face at
1 Luke ii. 1.
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
19
one time laughing, and at another time sad? And
Mary said to Joseph, I see two peoples with my
eyes, one weeping and lamenting, and one rejoicing
and exulting. And they came in the midst of the
road, and Mary said to him, Take me down from
the ass, for my burden urgeth me to be delivered.
And he took her down from the ass, and said to her,
Whither shall I take thee, and hide thy shame ? for
the place is desolate.
CHAPTER XVIII.
2
AND he found a cave there,¹ and took her in, and
set his sons by her, and he went out and sought a
midwife in the country of Bethlehem. And I Joseph
walked, and I walked not; and I looked up into the
air, and saw the air violently agitated; and I looked
up
at the pole of heaven, and saw it stationary, and
the fowls of heaven still; and I looked at the earth
and saw a vessel lying, and workmen reclining by
it, and their hands in the vessel, and those who
handled did not handle it, and those who took did
not lift, and those who presented it to their mouth
did not present it, but the faces of all were looking
up; and I saw the sheep scattered, and the sheep
stood, and the shepherd lifted up his hand to strike
¹ This cave is mentioned by Justin Martyr.-(Trypho,
2 Here Joseph himself is introduced as the narrator.
i
20
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
them, and his hand remained up; and I looked
at the stream of the river, and I saw that the mouths
of the kids were down, and not drinking; and every-
thing which was being impelled forward was inter-
cepted in its course.
CHAPTER XIX.
AND I saw a woman coming down from the hill
country, and she said to me, O man, whither art
thou going? and I said, I am seeking a Hebrew mid-
wife. And she answered and said to me, Art thou
of Israel? And I said to her, Yea. And she said,
And who is it that bringeth forth in the cave? And
I said, She is espoused to me. And she said to me,
Is she not thy wife? And I said to her, It is Mary
who was brought up in the temple of the Lord,
and she was allotted to me to wife, and she is not
my wife, but hath conceived by the Holy Spirit.
And the midwife said to him, Is this true? And
Joseph said to her, Come and see. And the midwife
went with him. And they stood in the place where the
cave was, and behold a bright cloud overshadowed the
And the midwife said, My soul is magnified
to-day, because my eyes have seen strange things;
for salvation is born to Israel. And suddenly the
cloud withdrew from the cave, and there appeared a
great light in the cave, so that the eves could not
cave.
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
21
bear it. And gradually that light withdrew until
the babe was seen, and
from its mother Mary.
and said, To day is a
seen this novel sight. And the midwife went out of
the cave, and Salome met her; and she said to her,
Salome, Salome, I have a novel sight to tell thee: A
virgin hath brought forth, which is not in accordance
with the course of nature.¹ And Salome said, As
the Lord my God liveth, except I put out my hand
and examine her, I will not believe that a virgin
hath brought forth.
it came and took the breast
And the midwife cried out.
great day to me, for I have
CHAPTER XX.
AND the midwife went in, and said to Mary,
Arrange thyself; for there is no small contest
about thee. And Salome stretched out her hand to
her, and she shrieked, and said, Woe to my wicked-
ness and unbelief, for I have tempted the living
God; and lo, my hand is on fire, and falls away from
me. And she bowed her knees to the Lord, saying,
O God of my fathers, remember me that I am of the
seed of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. Make me
not an example to the children of Israel, but restore
me to the poor; for thou knowest, O Lord, that in
1 Latin, "quem non capit natura ipsius, et virgo manet virgo."
The Greek is "What her nature doth not contain." I give the pro-
bable sense.
22
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
:
thy name I performed my cures, and received my
reward from thee. And, behold, an angel of the
Lord stood by, saying to her, Salome, Salome, the
Lord hath heard thee, present thy hand to the child,
and lift it, and it shall be to thee salvation and joy.
And Salome came near, and lifted him up, saying,
I will worship him, for he is born a great king to
Israel; and lo, Salome was straightway healed, and
went out of the cave justified. And, behold, a voice,
saying, Tell not the strange things thou hast seen
until the child shall enter into Jerusalem.
CHAPTER XXI.
AND behold Joseph made ready to go into Judea.
And there was a great tumult in Bethlehem of Judea ;
for Magi came, saying, Where is he that is born
king of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the
East, and are come to worship him.¹ And when
Herod heard, he was troubled; and sent his servants
to the Magi, and sent for the high priests, and exa-
mined them, saying, How is it written concerning
the Christ? Where is he born? They say to him,
In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written.
he dismissed them. And he examined the Magi
saying unto them, What sign did ye see of the king
that is born? And the Magi said, We saw a very
¹ Matt. ii. 1–12; Mic. v. 2.
And
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
23
great star shining among these stars and dazzling
them, so that the stars were not seen.
And thus we
knew that a king was born unto Israel, and came to
worship him. And Herod said, Go and search; and
if
ye find him, tell it me, that I too may come and
worship him. And the Magi departed. And behold,
the star which they saw in the East, led them until
they came to the cave, and stood at the entrance of
the cave.
And the Magi saw the child with his
mother Mary, and they took out of their scrip, gold,
and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned
by the angel not to go into Judea, they went to
their country by another way.
CHAPTER XXII.
AND when Herod knew that he was deceived by
the Magi, he was angry and sent assassins, saying
unto them, Slay the infants from two years old and
under.¹ And when Mary heard that they slew the
infants, she was afraid and took the child and
swathed it and put it in a crib for oxen. And
Elizabeth, who heard that John was sought for,
took him and went up into the hill country, and
looked for somewhere to hide him; and there was
no place of concealment.2 And Elizabeth groaned
1 Matt. ii. 16-18.
2 No snch story is traceable in the New Testament.
24
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and said with a loud voice, Mount of God, receive
a mother with her child. And suddenly th mountain
was divided and received her. And light shone
through to them; for the angel of the Lord was
with them, preserving them.
CHAPTER XXIII.
AND Herod sought after John, and sent his ser-
vants to Zacharias, saying, Where hast thou hidden
thy son? And he answered and said to them, I am
the minister of God, and I am busied with the temple
of the Lord, I know not where my son is. And the
servants went away and reported to Herod all these
things, and Herod was angry and said, His son is
going to be king of Israel. And he sent to him
again, saying, Tell the truth; where is thy son?
for thou knowest that thy blood is under my hand.
And Zacharias said, I am a witness for God, if thou
dost shed my blood; for the Lord will receive my
spirit, for thou sheddest innocent blood in the porch
of the Lord's temple. And about daybreak Zacharias
was slain; and the children of Israel knew not that
he was slain.
CHAPTER XXIV.
BUT at the hour of greeting the priests went, and
the blessing of Zacharias did not meet them accord-
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES.
25
1
ing to custom. And the priests stood waiting for
Zacharias to greet him with prayer, and to glorify
the Most High. And when he tarried they were all
afraid; but one of them ventured and went in and
perceived near the altar, blood congealed, and a voice
saying, Zacharias is murdered, and his blood shall
not be wiped out until his avenger cometh. And
when he heard the word he was afraid, and went out
and told the priests; and they ventured and went in
and saw what had occurred. And the wainscotings.
of the temple shrieked out, and were cleft from
top to bottom. And they found not his body, but
found his blood turned into stone. And they
were afraid and went out, and told the people that
Zacharias was murdered.
people heard, and mourned for him, and lamented
three days and three nights. And after the three
days the priests took counsel to appoint some one
instead of him. And the lot fell upon Simeon;2 for
he it was who was admonished by the Holy Spirit,
that he should not see death, until he saw the Christ
in the flesh.
And all the tribes of the
CHAPTER XXV.
Now I, James, who wrote this history in Jeru-
1 The idea that the blood of a murdered man cannot be washed out
is very ancient; it frequently appears in the writings of early Christian
travellers, and still prevails to some extent even in England.
2 The New Testament leads to the conclusion that Simeon was not a
priest.-Luke ii. 25–32.
26
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
་་
salem, because a tumult arose when Herod died,
withdrew myself into the wilderness, until the tu-
mult ceased in Jerusalem, glorifying the Lord God
who gave me the gift and the wisdom to write this
history. And grace shall be with those who fear our
Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and
ever, Amen.
27
II.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW,
OR OF THE INFANCY OF MARY AND OF JESUS.
THIS composition is extant in Latin in different
forms. Thilo published a recension of it containing
chaps. i.-xxv., and ending with the return of Joseph,
Mary, and Jesus from Egypt; but the text followed by
Tischendorf, and here translated, includes a narration
of subsequent occurrences. Two letters relating to
some such document are by Tischendorf prefixed to
this, and probably he is right, but it has not been
deemed necessary to give them here. The first letter
pretends to be addressed to Jerome by two bishops,
Chromatius and Heliodorus, requesting him to trans-
late it out of Hebrew. The second letter, in the
name of Jerome, refers to the fulfilment of the re-
quest, and ascribes the book to a certain Leucius, a
Manichæan. Both letters must be rejected as spu-
rious, but the work itself may belong to the fifth
century. The Scripture texts quoted do not always
accord with the version of Jerome, but some of them
28
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
1
are directly rendered from the Greek of the LXX.
The original may have been in Greek; certainly
there is good reason for believing it not to have
been in Hebrew. No one translating from Hebrew
into Latin would be likely to go to the LXX. for his
rendering of texts of Scripture
The writer repeats with many variations from the
Protevangelium, the story of Mary's parents, birth,
and infancy (chaps. i.-viii.). He then narrates the
Annunciation and the events which followed till the
birth of Jesus (chaps. ix.-xiii.). After these he gives
us accounts of the Circumcision, the visit of the Magi,
the slaughter of the infants, and the flight into Egypt
(chaps. xiv.-xvii.). The journey to Egypt and so-
journ there (chaps. xviii.-xxv.) are followed by a
series of miraculous deeds which Jesus is said to have
performed in his childhood (chaps. xxvi.-xlii.). The
miraculous element is puerile and ridiculous, and
shows clearly that the author or authors ill under-
stood the true spirit of Christ.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
29
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
The Book of the Birth of the Blessed Mary and of the
Infancy of the Saviour. Written in Hebrew by the
Blessed Evangelist Matthew, and translated into Latin
by the Blessed Presbyter Jerome.
CHAPTER I.
In those days there was a man in Jerusalem by
name Joachim, of the tribe of Judah. He was the
shepherd of his sheep, and feared the Lord in sim-
plicity and goodness. He had no care but that of
his flocks, with the produce whereof he nourished all
who feared God, and offered double offerings in the
fear of God to the labourers in doctrine¹ who minis-
tered to him. Therefore, whether of lambs, or sheep,
or wool, or any of his goods, of whatever he saw that
he possessed, he made three portions: one part he be-
stowed upon the orphans, widows, and strangers, and
poor; a second part he gave to them that worshipped
God; the third part he reserved for himself and all
his house. Now while he did these things, the Lord
1 Comp. 1 Tim. v. 17. Here and elsewhere the readings of the
copies vary to an almost incredible degree.
1
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
30
so multiplied his flocks that there was no man like
him in the people of Israel. This then he began to
do when he was fifteen years of age. When he was
twenty years old, he took Anna, the daughter of
Achar,¹ to wife, of his own tribe, that is, of the tribe
of Judah of the stock of David. And when they had
remained together twenty years, he had no sons nor
daughters by her.
CHAPTER II.
Now it came to pass that on the feast days Joachim
stood among those who offered incense to the Lord,
preparing his gifts in the presence of the Lord. And
the priest, Reuben by name, came to him and said,
It is not lawful for thee to stand among those who
perform the sacrifices of God, because God hath not
blessed thee to give thee a branch in Israel. There-
fore being put to shame in the sight of the people,
he retired weeping from the temple of the Lord, and
did not return home, but went away to his sheep,
taking with him the shepherds to the mountains in
a far off land, so that Anna his wife could hear no
message from him for five months. She meanwhile
wept in her prayer, and said, O Lord God of Israel,
most mighty, seeing that thou hast not yet given me
sons, why hast thou also taken my husband from
1 There is no historical foundation for this name. The author
imitates, alters, and adds to the Protevangelium according to his fancy.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
31
me? Behold, for five months already, I have not
seen my husband. And I know not where he tar-
rieth: if I only knew that he was dead, I would
perform his funeral ceremonies. And as she wept
exceedingly, she went into the garden of her house,
prostrating herself in prayer, and poured out her
petitions before the Lord. After this she rose from
prayer, and as she lifted up her eyes to God, she saw
a nest of sparrows in a laurel tree, and uttered her
voice to the Lord with groaning and said, O Lord
God Almighty, who hast given offspring to every
creature, to beasts and cattle, to serpents and fowls
and fish, and all rejoice in their offspring,-me alone`
dost thou exclude from the gift of thy bounty. For
thou, God, knowest my heart, that from the begin-
ning of my marriage, I confess to have made this
vow, that if thou, O God, shouldst give me son or
daughter I would offer them to thee in thy holy
temple. And, while she said these things, suddenly
the angel of the Lord appeared before her face, say-
ing, Fear not, Anna, for thy offspring is in the
purpose of God; for that which shall be born of thee
shall be in admiration to all ages unto the end. And
when he had said this, he vanished from her sight.
But she, fearing and trembling because she had seen
such a vision and heard such a saying, at length
entered her chamber, and threw herself on her bed,
as if she were dead. And all day and night she
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
31
me? Behold, for five months already, I have not
seen my husband. And I know not where he tar-
rieth: if I only knew that he was dead, I would
perform his funeral ceremonies. And as she wept
exceedingly, she went into the garden of her house,
prostrating herself in prayer, and poured out her
petitions before the Lord. After this she rose from
prayer, and as she lifted up her eyes to God, she saw
a nest of sparrows in a laurel tree, and uttered her
voice to the Lord with groaning and said, O Lord
God Almighty, who hast given offspring to every
creature, to beasts and cattle, to serpents and fowls
and fish, and all rejoice in their offspring,-me alone
dost thou exclude from the gift of thy bounty. For
thou, God, knowest my heart, that from the begin-
ning of my marriage, I confess to have made this
vow, that if thou, O God, shouldst give me son or
daughter I would offer them to thee in thy holy
templ And, while she said these things, suddenly
the ael of the Lord appeared before her face, say-
ing,ar not, Anna, for thy offspring is in the
purpose of God; for that which shall be born of thee
shall be in admiration to all ages unto the end. And
when he had said this, he vanished from her sight.
But she, fearing and trembling because she had seen
such a vision and heard such a saying, at length
entered her chamber, and threw herself on her bed,
as if she were dead. And all day and night she
32
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
continued in excessive trembling and in prayer. But
after this she called her maidservant to her, and said
to her, Thou seest me deceived in widowhood, and
brought into tribulation, and wast thou unwilling to
come in to me? Then she, with a little complaining,
answered thus, saying, If God hath closed thy womb,
and taken thy husband from thee, what am I to do
for thee? When Anna heard this, she cried with a
loud voice and wept.
CHAPTER III.
Ar the same time there appeared a certain young
man unto Joachim in the mountains where he fed
his flocks, and said to him, Wherefore dost thou not
return to thy wife? And Joachim said, For twenty
years, I have had her, and God would not give me
children. I therefore, when reproached, went forth
with shame from the temple of the Lord. Why
should I return to her, when I have been oe de-
graded and greatly despised? Here then w I be
with my sheep. And so long as the God of this
world will grant me light, I will willingly, by the
hands of my servants, bestow their portions upon the
poor and orphans and them that worship God. And
when he had said this the young man answered him,
I am the angel of God, and have appeared to-day to
thy wife, who was weeping and praying, and I have
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
33
comforted her. Thou shouldst know she hath con-
ceived a daughter by thee, and thou not knowing hast
left her. She shall be in the temple of God, and the
Holy Spirit shall rest on her; and her blessedness
shall be beyond that of all holy women, so that none
can say
that any hath been like her before her, or shall
be after her in this world. Therefore go down from
the mountains and return to thy wife, whom thou
shalt find pregnant; for God hath raised seed by her,
for which give thanks to God, and her seed shall
be blessed, and she shall be blessed, and shall be
constituted mother of eternal benediction. Then
Joachim, adoring the angel, said to him, If I have
found favour before thee, sit a little in my tent
and bless thy servant. And the angel said to
him, Do not call thyself servant, but fellow-servant,
for we are servants of one Lord.
Besides, my
!
food is invisible, and my drink can be seen by no
mortal. Therefore thou oughtest not to ask me to
enter thy tent; but if thou wast about to give me
anything, offer it for a burnt offering to the Lord.
Then Joachim took an unspotted lamb, and said to
the angel, I should not have dared to offer a burnt
offering to the Lord, unless thy command had given
me priestly authority to offer it. And the angel said
to him, I should not ask thee to offer unless I
knew the Lord's will. Now when Joachim offered
the sacrifice to God, the angel and the perfume of
8
34
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
the sacrifice went up to heaven together with the
smoke.
Then Joachim cast himself down upon his face,
and lay in prayer from the sixth hour of the day
until the evening. Now when his servants and hire-
lings saw, and knew not for what cause he lay there,
they thought him to be dead, and, coming to him,
almost raised him from the ground. But when he
had told them the vision of the angel, smitten with
exceeding fear and wonder, they urged him that
without delay, he should carry out the vision of the
angel, and speedily. return to his wife. And when
Joachim turned the matter over in his mind, and
thought whether he should return or not, it came to
pass that he was overcome with sleep, and behold,
the angel which had already appeared to him while
awake, appeared to him in sleep, saying, I am an
angel and am given thee by God as a guardian; go
down in confidence, and return to Anna, because the
kind acts which thou and thy wife Anna have done
are rehearsed in the presence of the Most High;
and God will give you such fruit as neither the
prophets nor any saint ever had from the beginning,
nor shall have. Now when Joachim had awaked
from sleep, he called all his herdsmen to him, and
told them the dream. And they adored the Lord,
and said to him, Take heed not to contemn the
sayings of the angel any further. But arise, let us
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
35
go hence, and let us return at a slow pace, feeding
our flocks.
2
When they had tarried the space of thirty days
on their return, and were now nigh,¹ behold, the
angel of the Lord appeared to Anna as she stood
and prayed, saying to her, Go to the gate which is
called the Golden Gate, and meet thy husband in
the way, for to-day he will return to thee. She
therefore went out in haste to meet him, with her
maidens, and, praying to the Lord, she stood in the
gate a long time waiting for him. When she was
growing faint with very long expectation, she raised
her eyes and saw Joachim afar off coming with his
flocks; and she met him, and hung upon his neck,
giving thanks to God, and saying, I was a widow,
and lo, I am not one now; I was barren, and,
behold, I have already conceived. So then, having
worshipped the Lord, they entered the house.
When this was heard, great joy was caused to all
his neighbours and acquaintances, so that the whole
land of Israel was gladdened by this report.
CHAPTER IV.
Now when nine months were completed after
The thirty days of slow travelling here can hardly be reconciled
with the five months mentioned in chap. ii.
2 The Golden Gate is not regarded by modern writers as a gate of
the city of Jerusalem, but of the temple. In the Protevangelium,
chap. iv., the gate of Joachim's residence alone is intended, and in
some copies distinctly affirmed.
36
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
this, Anna brought forth a daughter, and called her
Mary. When she had weaned her in her third
year, Joachim and Anna his wife, went together to
the temple of the Lord, to offer sacrifices to God, and
placed the babe that was named Mary in the apartment
of virgins, wherein virgins continued day and night in
the praises of God.¹ When she had been set before the
gates of the temple, she went up the fifteen steps? at
such a rapid pace, that she did not at all look back,
nor ask for her parents as is usual with infancy. Her
parents, therefore, being anxious, and each of them
asking for the infant, were both alike astonished, till
they found her in the temple, so that even the
very priests marvelled.
2
CHAPTER V.
THEN Anna was filled with the Holy Spirit in the
sight of all, and said, The Lord Almighty God of
1 This tradition of young virgins being kept in the temple rests on
no historical foundation, though it has been strongly defended by
later writers.
2 The 'fifteen steps (quindecim gradus) correspond with the fifteen
Psalms of degrees (Psalms 120-134). Some believe that there were
fifteen steps leading from the court of women up to that of the priests.
Other explanations have been offered, but no reliance can be placed
upon the author, whom one reading makes to say, after mentioning the
steps: "For there were about the temple-according to the fifteen
Psalms of degrees-fifteen steps to ascend: the temple was on a mount,
and there was constructed there the altar of burnt offering, which
could not be reached from without except by steps." Comp. the Gosp.
of the Nativity of Mary, chap. vi. This last statement about the
steps around the altar is perhaps correct.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
37
hosts, being mindful of his word, hath visited his
people with a good and holy visitation, to humble
the hearts of the nations who rose up against us,
and to convert them to himself. He hath opened
his ears to our prayers, he hath banished from us
the exultations of all our enemies. She that was
barren is made a mother, and hath borne exultation
and joy to Israel. Behold, I was set to offer gifts to
my Lord, and my enemies could not prevent me.
But God hath turned their heart towards me, and he
hath given me eternal joy.
CHAPTER VI.
Now Mary was in admiration with all the people
of Israel. When she was three years old, she walked
with so firm a step, spoke so perfectly, and was so
assiduous in the praises of God, that all were aston-
ished at her, and marvelled; and she was not re-
garded as a little child, but as an adult of about
thirty years, she was so earnest in prayer. And her
face was beautiful and splendid, to such a degree
that scarcely any one could look upon her counten-
ance. Now she applied herself to wool-work, so
that whatever the elder women could not do, she
accomplished when set to it in her tender age. And
she adopted this rule for herself, that she would
continue in prayer from morning until the third
38
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
hour; from the third to the ninth she would occupy
herself at her weaving and from the ninth again
she would apply herself to prayer.
Nor did she
retire from prayer until an angel of God appeared
to her, from whose hand she received food; and so
she advanced more and better in the work of God.
Further, when the elder virgins left off the praises of
God, she did not leave off, so that in God's praises
and vigils no one was found before her, nor any
more skilled in the wisdom of God's law, more
humble in humility, more beautiful in singing, or
more perfect in all virtue. Indeed, she was con-
stant, immoveable, unalterable, and daily advanced
to better things. None saw her angry, or heard her
reviling. For all her speech was so full of grace,
that God might be known to be in her tongue.
She was ever diligent in prayer and in searching of
the law, and was anxious not to sin by any word
against her companions. Moreover, she feared to
make any mistake in laughter or by the sound of
her lovely voice, or lest any insult or pride should
show itself against her equals. She blessed the Lord
without intermission; and lest perchance even in
her salutations she should cease from God's praise,
if any one saluted her, she answered by way of salu-
tation, Thank God! From her it first originated
that men, when they would salute each other, re-
plied, Thank God ! With the food which she daily
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
39
received from the hand of the angel she refreshed
herself alone; but she distributed to the poor the
food which she received from the priests. The
angels of God were frequently seen to talk with her,
and they most diligently obeyed her. If any one
that was sick touched her, that same hour he re-
turned home whole.
CHAPTER VII.
THEN Abiathar the priest¹ offered infinite gifts to
the high priests, that he might receive her for a
wife for his son. But Mary forbad them, saying,
It cannot be that I should know man, or man
know me. Now the high priests and all her kin-
dred said to her, God is honoured in children, and is
adored in posterity, as it ever was among the children
of Israel. But Mary answered and said to them, God
is honoured in chastity, so that it is approved before
all things; for before Abel there was none just among ·
men, and he pleased God by offerings, and he was
mercilessly slain by him who displeased God.
Therefore he received the two crowns of offering and
of virginity, because he admitted no pollution in his
flesh. Elijah, too, when he was in the flesh, was
taken up in the flesh because he preserved his flesh
/
1 Abiathar is called the high priest in the next chapter; but nothing
is known of him.
40
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
in its virginity. Now, from my infancy I have
learned in the temple of God that virginity could
be sufficiently dear to God; and therefore, because
I can offer what is dear to God, I have decreed to
him in my heart that I would not at all know man.
CHAPTER VIII.
Now it came to pass, that when she was fourteen
years of age, and this gave occasion to the Phari-
sees to say that according to custom a woman of
that age could not remain in the temple of God,
a decision of this kind was come to, that a crier
should be sent among all the tribes of Israel, (saying)
that all should meet on the third day, at the temple
of the Lord. Now when all the people had met,
Abiathar, the high priest, arose, and ascended to the
upper step, so that he could be seen and heard by
all the people; and when great silence was made,
he said, Hear me, O children of Israel, and receive
my words in your ears. Since your temple was
built by Solomon, there have been therein virgins,
the daughters of kings, and the daughters of pro-
phets, and of high priests, and of priests, and they
have been great and admirable. But when they
have come to a lawful age, they have been given in
marriage to husbands, and have followed the course
of their precursors, and have pleased God. But by
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
41
Mary alone a new order of life has been invented,
and she promiseth God that she will remain a virgin.
Wherefore it seems to me, that by our inquiry and
the answer of God, we should seek to know to whom
she ought to be committed to be kept. Then his
saying pleased all the synagogue. And the lot was
cast by the priests for the twelve tribes, and the lot
fell upon the tribe of Judah. And the priest said,
On the next day, let whoever is without a wife come
and bring a rod in his hand. Wherefore it came
to pass, that Joseph brought a rod along with the
younger men. And when they had delivered their
rods to the high priest, he offered sacrifice to the
Lord God, and asked of the Lord; and the Lord said
to him, Put the rods of all in God's holy of holies,
and there let the rods remain, and bid them come to
thee in the morning to receive their rods, and to
him from the top of whose rod a dove shall come
forth and fly to heaven, and in whose hand the rod,
when returned, shall give this sign, Mary shall be
delivered to be kept.
Now on the next day, when they all came early,
and an offering of incense had been made, the high
priest went into the holy of holies and brought out
the rods. And when he had given a rod to each, and
a dove had not gone forth from any, the chief priest
arrayed himself with twelve bells and a priestly robe
and went into the holy of holies and burned sacrifice
42
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and poured out prayer there. And an angel of God
appeared, saying, There is here a very short rod
which thou hast counted for nothing, and hast
placed it with the rest, but hast not taken it out
with the rest: when thou hast taken that out and
given to him to whom it belongs, there shall appear
in it the sign which I have spoken to thee of. It
was the rod of Joseph, and because he was old he was
as it were discarded, as though he could not receive
it; but neither would he himself ask for his rod.
And when he stood, humble and the last, the chief-
priest with a loud voice cried to him, saying, Come
Joseph, and receive thy rod, because thou art waited
for. And Joseph came fearing, because the high
priest called him with so very loud a voice. But
straightway as he stretched out his hand to receive
his rod, immediately a dove went forth from its top,
whiter than snow and most beautiful, and fluttering
a long time among the pinnacles of the temple, at
last it flew towards the heavens. Then all the people
congratulated the old man, saying, Thou art become
blessed in thy old age, father Joseph, in that God
hath shown thee fit to receive Mary. And when the
priests had said to him, Take her, for out of all
the tribe of Judah thou alone art elected by God,
Joseph began to worship them with modesty, saying,
I am old and have sons, and why do ye deliver to me
this little child, whose age is less even than that of
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
43
my grandchildren? Then Abiathar the chief priest
said to him, Remember, Joseph, how Dathan and
Abiram and Korah perished, because they contemned
the will of God. So will it happen to thee if thou
contemnest what is commanded by God. Joseph
answered him, I do not contemn the will of God,
indeed, but I will be her keeper until I know this by
the will of God,-which of my sons can have her to
wife. Let there be given her certain virgins of her
companions for a solace, with whom she may mean-
while abide. Abiathar the chief priest answered,
saying, Five¹ virgins shall be given, indeed, for her
solace, until the day appointed cometh in which thou
shalt take her, for she cannot be joined to another in
matrimony.
Then Joseph took Mary with five other virgins,
who were to be with her in the house of Joseph.
Now these virgins were Rebecca, Zipporah, Susanna,
Abigea, and Cael, to whom there was given by the
chief priest, silk and blue, and fine linen, and scarlet,
and purple, and flax. And they cast lots among
themselves what each virgin should do; and it fell
out that Mary received the purple for the veil of the
temple of the Lord. When she had received it, the
virgins said, Since thou art the last, and humble, and
less than all, thou hast deserved to receive and obtain
the purple. And saying this, as though in a vexa-
1 Seven virgins are assigned in the Protevangelium, chap. x.
44
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
tious speech, they began to call her the queen of vir-
gins. Therefore, while they did thus among them-
selves, an angel of the Lord appeared among them
saying unto them, That saying shall not be uttered for
vexing, but prophesied for a most true prophecy.
Therefore, being terrified at the presence of the
angel and at his words, they asked her to pardon
them and pray for them.
CHAPTER IX.
Now on the second day, while Mary stood near the
fountain to fill her pitcher, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto her, saying, Blessed art thou Mary, for
in thy womb thou hast prepared a habitation for the
Lord. Behold, light from heaven shall come and
dwell in thee, and through thee shall shine in all the
world.
Again or the third day, while she wrought the
purple with her fingers, there came in to her a
young man whose beauty could not be told. When
Mary saw him she feared and trembled. And he said
to her, Hail Mary! full of grace, the Lord is with
thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb. When she heard this she
trembled and feared. Then the angel of the Lord
1 The author of the Protevangelium represents this salutation as
uttered at the fountain. The words are, however, here introduced
more in harmony with Luke i. 28.
1
น
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
45
added, Fear not Mary, thou hast found favour with
God; behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and
bear the king who filleth not only earth but heaven,
and reigns for ever and ever.
CHAPTER X.
WHILE these things were doing, Joseph was busy
at work in making tabernacles in the maritime
regions; for he was a carpenter. But after nine
months he returned to his house and found Mary
with child. Wherefore being in a great strait, he
trembled, and cried, saying, Lord God, receive my
spirit; for it is better for me to die than longer to live.
The virgins who were with Mary said to him, What
sayest thou, master Joseph? We know that man
hath not touched her: we are witnesses that vir-
ginity and integrity remain in her. We have
kept ward over her: she hath ever continued in
prayer with us; the angels of God daily talk with
her; daily hath she received food from the hand of
the Lord.¹ We know not how it can be that any sin
should be in her. For if thou wishest us to reveal to
thee our surmise, no one hath made her pregnant but
the angel of the Lord. Joseph said, Why do you
mislead me to believe you, that an angel of the Lord
¹ Cf. 1 Kings, xix. 5. In the Protevangelium, chap. viii., it is said
that Mary received her food from the hand of an angel. See also
chap. xii., below.
46
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
hath made her pregnant? For it may be that some.
one hath feigned himself an angel of the Lord and
deceived her. And saying these things he wept and
said, With what face shall I look to the temple of
the Lord, or with what face shall I see the priests.
of God? What am I to do? And saying this, he
thought he would flee and send her away.
CHAPTER XI.
AND while he thought to rise and hide himself,
and to dwell in secret, behold the same night an
angel of the Lord appeared to him in sleep, saying,
Joseph, son of David, fear not; take Mary thy wife,
for that which is in her womb, is of the Holy Spirit.
Now she shall bear a son, and his name shall be
called Jesus, for he shall save his people from their
sins.¹ And Joseph, rising from sleep, gave thanks to
God, and spoke to Mary and the virgins who were
with her, and told his vision. And he was comforted
concerning Mary, saying, I have sinned, in that I
had some suspicion of thee.
CHAPTER XII.
AFTER this there arose a great rumour that Mary
was with child. And Joseph was laid hold of and
led by the ministers of the temple, with Mary, to the
¹ Cf. Matt. i. 20-24, in the Latin Vulgate.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
47
chief priest, who together with the priests began to
reproach him and to say, Why hast thou wronged
her who is such and so eminent a virgin, whom as a
dove the angels of God nourished in the temple, who
would never see nor have a husband, and who had
the best learning in the law of God? If thou hadst
not done violence to her, she had still remained in
her virginity. And Joseph took a solemn oath that
he had never touched her at all. The chief priest
Abiathar answered him, As God liveth, I will now
cause thee to drink the water of the Lord's drinking,¹
and forthwith thy sin will appear.
Then there gathered together a multitude of people
which could not be numbered, and Mary was brought
to the temple. Now the priests, and her relatives and
her parents, weeping said to Mary, Confess to the
priests thy sin, thou who wast as a dove in the
temple of God, and used to receive food from the
hand of an angel.
Joseph again was called to the altar and there was
given to him the water of the Lord's drinking,
which when anybody who told a lie had tasted he
went round the altar seven times, and God gave a
certain sign in his face. When therefore Joseph had
drunk it without fear, and had gone round the altar
seven times, no sign of sin appeared in him. Then
¹ A Hebraism; for the water which the Lord commanded to be
drunk.
48
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
all the priests and attendants and people justified
him, saying, Thou art become blessed, because no
guilt is found in thee.
And they called Mary and said to her, And what
excuse canst thou have? or what greater sign will
appear in thee than this, that thy pregnancy be-
trayeth thee?
This only we ask of thee, since
Joseph is pure concerning thee, that thou shouldst
confess who it is that deceived thee. For it is better
that thy confession should expose thee, than that the
anger of God should make thee manifest among the
people by giving a sign in thy face. Then Mary
confidently and intrepidly said, O Lord God, the
King of all, who art conscious of secret things, if
there is any pollution in me, or any sin, or any lust
or immodesty, reveal me in the sight of all peoples,
that I may be an example for the correction of all.
Having said this she approached the altar of the
Lord with confidence, and drank the water for
drinking, and went round the altar seven times,
and there was found no spot in her.¹
And when all the people were beside themselves
with amazement, seeing her pregnancy and that no
sign appeared in her face, the people began, with
varied talk together, to be troubled. Some said she
was holy and spotless, but others that she was bad
and defiled. Then Mary, seeing she was held in
1 Lev. v. 14, etc.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
49
1
suspicion of the people, and did not seem to them to
be entirely cleared, said with a loud voice in the
hearing of all, As the Lord Adonai liveth, the Lord
of hosts in whose presence I stand, I have never
known man; but I am known by Him to whom from
my infancy I have devoted my mind. And I made
this vow to my God in my infancy, that with him
who created me I would abide in integrity, wherein
I trust to live to him alone, and serve him alone:
and as long as I live in him I shall abide without de-
filement. Then they all began to kiss her feet, and to
embrace her knees, praying her to pardon their evil
suspicions. And the people and priests and all the
virgins led her with exultation and great joy to her
house, crying out and saying, The name of the Lord
be blessed for ever, for he hath manifested thy holi-
ness to all his people Israel.
CHAPTER XIII.
Now it came to pass after some little time, that a
registration took place, according to the edict of
Augustus Cæsar, that all the world was to be re-
gistered every man in his own native place. This
registration was made by Cyrinus, the president of
Syria.¹ It was needful, therefore, that Joseph should
be registered with the blessed Mary in Bethlehem,
1 Luke ii. 1, etc.
4
50
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
because thence came Joseph and Mary, of the tribe
of Judah, and of the house and family of David.
When, therefore, Joseph and the blessed Mary were
going by the way which leads to Bethlehem, Mary
said to Joseph, I see two peoples before me, the one
weeping, and the other rejoicing. And Joseph
answered her, Sit on thy beast, and do not speak
superfluous words. Then there appeared before them
a certain beautiful youth, clothed in white array,
and he said to Joseph, Why didst thou call super-
fluous the words concerning the two peoples of whom
Mary hath spoken? For she saw the people of the
Jews weeping, who have departed from their God,
-and the people of the Gentiles rejoicing, who
have now approached and are made nigh to the
Lord, as he promised our fathers Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob; for the time is come that in the seed
of Abraham a blessing should be bestowed on all
nations, 1
And when he had said thus, the angel commanded
the beast to stop, for her time to bear had come;
and he directed the blessed Mary to come down from
the animal, and to enter a cave below a cavern, in
which there was never any light, but always dark-
ness, because it could not receive the light of day.
And when the blessed Mary had entered it, it began
to become light with all brightness, as if it had been
▲ Gen. xii. 3.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
51
the sixth hour of the day; divine light so illumined
the cave, that light did not fail there by day or
night, as long as the blessed Mary was there. And
there she brought forth a male child, whom angels
instantly surrounded at his birth, and whom, when
born and standing at once upon his feet, they adored,
saying, Glory to God on high, and on earth peace
to men of good will. For the nativity of the Lord
had already come, and Joseph was gone to seek mid-
wives. When he had found them, he returned to
the cave, and found Mary with the infant she had
borne. And Joseph said to the blessed Mary, I
have brought thee Zelomi and Salome the mid-
wives, who stand without before the door of the cave,
not daring to enter here for the too great splendour.
And the blessed Mary smiled at hearing this. And
Joseph said to her, Do not smile, but be cautious, that
they may visit thee, lest perchance thou shouldest
require medicine. Then she bade them enter unto
her. And when Zelomi had come in, Salome not
having come in, Zelomi said to Mary, Allow me
to touch thee. And when she had suffered herself
to be examined, the midwife cried with a loud voice,
and said, O Lord, great Lord, have mercy! Never
hath it been heard, or suspected, that the breasts of
any woman should be full of milk, and the child
born show its mother to be a virgin. But as there
1 Luke ii. 14; Justin, Trypho, sect. 78.
•
52
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
is no defilement of blood on the child, there is not
pain in the mother. A virgin hath conceived, a
virgin hath borne, and a virgin she hath continued.¹
And when Salome heard this word, she said, Suffer
me to touch thee, and to prove whether Zelomi hath
said the truth. And when the blessed Mary had
consented to be touched by her, Salome put out
her hand. But when she withdrew her hand from
touching her, her hand dried up, and through exces-
sive pain she began to weep violently and to be dis-
tressed, crying and saying, Lord God, Thou knowest
that I have always feared thee, and have healed
all the poor without reward, of the widow and orphan
I have taken nothing, and I have not permitted the
needy to go from me empty. And lo, I am made
wretched because of my unbelief, for without cause
I wished to test thy virgin.
When she said this, there appeared near her a
certain youth, who was very splendid, saying to her,
Approach the infant and adore him, and touch him
with thy hand, and he shall deliver thee; for he is
the Saviour of the world and of all who hope in
him. And she straightway approached the infant,
and adoring him, touched the border of the cloths in
which the infant was wrapped, and immediately her
hand was healed. And going forth she began to
1 The perpetual virginity of Mary is referred to by Clemens Alex.
andrinus as a prevalent opinion in his day. Stromata, lib. vii.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
53
cry out, saying what great things she had seen and
suffered, and how she had been healed, so that
through her preaching many believed.
For the shepherds of sheep also declared that they
had seen angels at midnight, singing a hymn, prais-
ing and blessing the God of heaven, and saying that
the Saviour of all was born, which is Christ the
Lord, by whom the salvation of Israel will be re-
stored. 1
Moreover, from evening until morning, a great
star shone above the cave, and one so great had
never been seen from the beginning of the world.
And prophets who were in Jerusalem said that this
star indicated the nativity of Christ, who should
restore the promise, not only to Israel, but to all
nations.
CHAPTER XIV.
Now on the third day after the nativity of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the most blessed Mary went out of
the cave, and, entering a stable, put her child in a
manger,² and the ox and ass adored him. Then was
fulfilled that which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet,
who said, The ox hath known his owner, and the ass
his master's crib.3 The very animals, therefore, ox
and ass, having him between them, incessantly adored
¹ Luke ii. 8, etc.
2 Luke ii. 7.
3 Isaiah i. 3.
54
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
him. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by
Habakkuk the prophet, who said, Between two ani-
mals thou art known.¹ In the same place Joseph
tarried with Mary three days.
CHAPTER XV.
Now on the sixth day they entered Bethlehem,
where they spent the seventh day. But on the
eighth day they circumcised the child, and his name
was called Jesus, as he was called by the angel before
he was conceived in the womb.2 Now after the days
of the purification of Mary were fulfilled according
to the law of Moses, then Joseph took the infant to
the temple of the Lord; and, when the infant had
received peritome (peritome, that is circumcision),
they offered for him a pair of turtles, or two young
pigeons.
Now there was in the temple a certain man of God,
perfect and just, whose name was Simeon, a hundred
and twelve years old.3 This man had received an
answer from the Lord that he should not taste death
unless he saw Christ the Son of God living in the
flesh. When he saw the infant he cried out with a
¹ Hab. iii. 2, in the Greek. The Latin Vulgate is, "In medio
annorum notum facies,"-In the midst of the years thou shalt make
it known.
2 Luke ii. 21-24.
3 This age for Simeon seems quite imaginary. Luke ii. 25-38.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
55
loud voice, saying, God hath visited his people, and
the Lord hath fulfilled his promise. And he made
haste and adored him. And after this he took him
into his cloak, and kissing his feet, said, Now Lord,
thou sendest away thy servant in peace, according to
thy word, because mine eyes have seen thy salva-
tion, which thou hast prepared before the face of all
peoples; a light for the revelation of the Gentiles
and the glory of thy people Israel.
There was also in the temple of the Lord, Anna
a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of
Asher, who had lived with her husband seven years
from her virginity; and she had been a widow now for
eighty-four years, and had never departed from the
temple of the Lord, spending her time in fastings and
prayers. She also likewise adored the infant, say-
ing, In him is the redemption of the world.
CHAPTER XVI.
Now when the second year was past, Magi came
from the East to Jerusalem, bringing large gifts.
And they earnestly asked the Jews, saying, Where is
the King who is born to you? for we have seen his
star in the East, and have come to adore him.¹ And
this report came to King Herod, and so terrified him
1 Matt. . 1, etc.
t
56
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
that he assembled the Scribes and Pharisees and
Doctors of the people, inquiring of them where the
prophets had foretold that Christ should be born. And
they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judah. For it is
written, And thou Bethlehem, the land of Judah, art
not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of
thee shall come forth the ruler who shall rule my
people Israel.¹ Then Herod the king called the
Magi to himself, and diligently inquired of them
when the star appeared to them. Then sending them
to Bethlehem, he said, Go and ask diligently about
the child, and when you have found him, report it to
me, that I too may come and adore him.
Now as the Magi went on their way, the star ap-
peared to them, and was, as it were, their guide,
going before them until they came where the child
was. And when they saw the star the Magi rejoiced
with great joy, and entered into the house and found
the infant Jesus sitting in the lap of his mother.
Then they opened their treasures and bestowed large
presents upon the blessed Mary and Joseph; but to
the infant himself each offered a single piece of gold;
in like manner one (offered) gold, another frankin-
cense, and a third myrrh. But when they would
have returned to King Herod, they were warned in
a dream not to return to Herod; and they returned to
their own country by another road.
2 Mic. v. 2.
६
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
57
CHAPTER XVII.
Now when Herod saw that he was mocked by the
Magi, his heart was puffed up, and he sent all ways,
wishing to catch and kill them. But when he found
them not at all, he sent anew to Bethlehem and all
its borders, and slew all the male children whom he
found, from two years old and under, according to
the time which he had enquired of the Magi.¹
But one day before this happened, Joseph was
warned in a dream by an angel of the Lord, which
said to him, Take up Mary and the infant, and go
into Egypt by way of the desert. And Joseph went
according to the saying of the angel.²
2
CHAPTER XVIII.
AND when they had come to a certain cave and
wished to rest in it, the blessed Mary came down from
the beast, and sat and held the child Jesus in her
lap. Now there were with Joseph three youths,
and with Mary a certain damsel, who went on their
way at the same time; and behold there suddenly
came out of the cave many dragons, seeing which
the youths cried out through excessive fear. Then
Jesus, descending from his mother's lap, stood on
his feet before the dragons, and they adored Jesus
1 Matt. ii. 16.
2 Matt ii. 14.
58
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
1
and then departed from them. Then was fulfilled
that which was spoken by David the prophet, saying,
Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, ye
dragons and all deeps. And the little infant Jesus,
walking before them, commanded them to hurt no
man. But Mary and Joseph feared greatly lest per-
chance the little infant should be injured by the
dragons. And Jesus said to them, Fear not, nor con-
sider me because I am a little infant, for I was,
was, and
am ever perfect; it must needs be that all the wild
beasts of the woods should grow tame before me.
CHAPTER XIX.
In like manner lions and leopards adored him, and
kept company with them in the desert; whitherso-
ever Joseph and blessed Mary went, they went before
them, showing the way and bowing their heads; and
showing subjection by wagging their tails, they
adored him with great reverence. Now when Mary
saw lions and leopards and various kinds of wild
beasts coming round them, she was at first exceedingly
afraid; and Jesus with a glad countenance, looking
into her face, said, Fear not, mother; because they
come not for thy hurt, but they hasten to come
for thy service and mine. By these sayings he re-
moved fear from her heart. Now the lions walked
1 Ps. cxlviii. 7.

THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
along with them, and with the oxen and asses,
and the beasts of burden which carried necessaries
for them, and hurt no one although they remained
with them; but they were tame among the sheep
and rams which they had brought with them from
Judea, and had with them. They walked among
wolves and feared nothing, and no one was hurt by
another. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken
by the prophet: Wolves shall feed with lambs; lion
and ox shall eat chaff together.¹ There were two
oxen also with them, and a cart, wherein they carried
necessaries; and the lions directed them in their way.
CHAPTER XX.
Now it came to pass on the third day from their
departure, as they went along, the blessed Mary was
wearied by the too great heat of the sun in the
desert; and seeing a palm tree she said to Joseph,
Let me rest a little under the shadow of this tree.
Joseph hastened therefore, and led her to the palm,
and caused her to descend from the beast. And
when the blessed Mary had sat down there, she
looked at the foliage of the palm and saw it full of
fruit, and she said to Joseph, I desire that I may be
able to partake of the fruit of this palm. And Joseph
saith to her, I wonder thou sayest this, when thou
1 Is. xi. 6-9; lxv. 25.

APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
seest what a height the palm is, and that thou
thinkest to eat of the fruit of the palm. I think
more of scarcity of water, which is already failing
us in the bottles, and we have not wherewith we
may refresh ourselves and the beasts. Then the little
child Jesus, sitting with a glad countenance in his
mother's lap, saith to the palm, O tree, bend down
thy branches, and with thy fruit refresh my mother.
And straightway at this word, the palm bowed down
its top to the feet of the blessed Mary, and they
gathered from it fruit wherewith all were refreshed.
Now after they had gathered all its fruit, it remained
bowed down, waiting to rise at his command at
whose command it had bowed down. Then Jesus
said to it, Raise thee, O palm, and be strong, and be
a partner with my trees which are in the paradise
of my Father. And open from thy roots a spring
of water which is hidden in the earth; and let
waters flow forth from it to our satisfying. And
immediately it arose, and there began to flow forth
at its root a most pure fount of waters, very cool,
and exceedingly clear. Now when they saw the fount
of water they rejoiced with great joy; and they, and
all the beasts and cattle were satisfied; wherefore
they gave thanks to God.
CHAPTER XXI.
On the next day when they were departing thence,
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
61
1
and at the hour wherein they began to pursue their
journey, Jesus, turning to the palm tree, said, This
privilege I grant thee, O palm, that one of thy
branches should be taken by my angels, and planted
in the paradise of my Father. And this blessing
I will confer upon thee, that unto all who have
conquered in any contest, it may be said, Ye have
attained the palm of victory. As he said these
things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, stand-
ing above the palm-tree; and taking away one of its
branches, he flew to heaven having the branch in his
hand. When they saw this they fell on their faces
and became as dead. And Jesus spake unto them,
saying, Why doth fear possess your hearts? Know
ye not that this palm, which I have caused to be
removed to paradise, will be prepared for all the
saints in the place of delight, as it was prepared for
us in this place of solitude? And they were filled
with joy, and being strengthened, all arose.
CHAPTER XXII.
AFTER these things, as they pursued their journey,
Joseph said to Jesus, Lord, this heat broils us: if it
please thee, let us hold our course near the sea, that we
may rest in the towns on the coast. Jesus said to
1 This account of the palm as a symbol of victory is of course an
anachronism. Readers of Cicero, for example, will remember that he
frequently employs the figure.
}
62
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
him, Fear not, Joseph, I will shorten the way for
you, so that what you were to go in the space
of thirty days, you shall accomplish in this one day.
While they said these things, behold, they looked for-
ward, and began to see the Egyptian mountains and
cities.
And they came, rejoicing and exulting, into the
borders of Hermopolis, and entered into a certain
city of Egypt, which is called Sotinen ; and because
there was no one known in it from whom they could
have requested hospitality, they went into a temple,
which was called the capitol of Egypt, in which
temple three hundred and fifty-five idols were
placed, to which, on separate days, the honour of
deity was rendered in sacrilegious rites. Now the
Egyptians of that city entered the capitol, in which
the priests admonished them how many sacrifices
they should offer on each day according to the
honour of their deity.
The
1 There were in Egypt two or three cities with this name.
Church historian, Sozomen, who tells some of the stories current in
his time, mentions the tree above referred to as having miraculous
virtues; and he also mentions the story of the text. He says the tree
was at Hermopolis in the Thebaid, near to which city its miraculous
bowing down took place. He knows nothing of the marvellous journey
See Sozomen's
reported in the first paragraph of this chapter.
Sotinen is in the text of Thilo
Ecclesiastical History, book v. 20.
the only name given, whence we may infer that it was regarded as the
Egyptian name for Hermopolis. It is rather unfortunate for the story
that the Thebaid was the upper province of Egypt.
2 Evidently a mistake for three hundred and sixty-five; one for every
day in the year.

THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
65
CHAPTER XXIII.
Now it came to pass that when the most blessed
Mary, with her little Infant, had entered the temple,
all the idols were prostrate on the earth, so that they
all lay upon their faces wholly shattered and broken,
and so they showed evidently that they were nothing.
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet
Isaiah: Behold the Lord shall come upon a light
cloud, and shall enter Egypt, and all the handiworks
of the Egyptians shall be moved at his presence.¹
CHAPTER XXIV.
THEN when it had been told to Aphrodosius the
ruler of that city, he came with all his army to the
temple. But when the priests of the temple saw
that Aphrodosius, with all his army, came to the
temple, they thought that he hastened only to see
his revenge on those because of whom the gods had
fallen. But he, having entered the temple, when he
saw all the idols lie prostrate on their faces, drew
nigh to the blessed Mary, who bore the Lord in her
lap, and adoring him, said to all his army, and to
all his friends, If this were not the God of our gods,
our gods would by no means have fallen on their
faces before him, neither would they lie prostrate in
his sight; wherefore, they silently avow him to be
1 Is. xix. 1.

54
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
their Lord. We then who see what our gods do, if
we do not act with caution, may incur the peril of his
indignation, and may all come to destruction, as befel
Pharoah, King of the Egyptians; who, not believing
such great miracles, was drowned with all his army
in the sea. Then all the people of that city believed
in the Lord God through Jesus Christ.
1
CHAPTER XXV.
Nor much time after, an angel said to Joseph,
Return to the land of Judah, for they are dead who
sought the child's life.2
CHAPTER XXVI.
AND it came to pass, that after the return of Jesus
from Egypt, when he was in Galilee, and now entered
on the fourth year of his age, one Sabbath day he
played with the children by the bed of the Jordan.
When, therefore, he had sat down, he made himself
seven pools with mud, to each of which he made little
channels, through which he brought water from the
stream into a pool, and sent it back again. Then
one of those children, a son of the devil, with en-
vious mind shut up the channels which supplied
water to the pools, and overthrew what Jesus had
1 Ps. cxxxvi. 15. Ex. xv. 4.
2 Matt. ii. 26. The book ends here in the text followed by Thilo.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
65
made. Then said Jesus unto him, Woe unto thee,
son of death, son of Satan. Dost thou destroy the
works which I have wrought? And straightway he
who had done this, died. Then, with a quarrelsome
voice, the parents of the dead cried against Mary
and Joseph, saying to them, Your son hath cursed
our son, and he is dead. When Joseph and Mary
heard, they came at once to Jesus, on account of
the complaint of the parents of the boy, and the
crowd of Jews. But Joseph secretly said to Mary,
I dare not speak to him; but do thou admonish
him, and say, Why hast thou raised against us the
enmity of the people, and why do we bear the pain-
ful enmity of men? And when his mother had-
come to him, she asked him, saying, My Lord, what
hath he done that he should die? But he said, He
was worthy of death, because he destroyed the works
which I had wrought. Therefore his mother be-
sought him, saying, Do not, my Lord, because they
all rise against us. And he, not willing that his
mother should be grieved, spurned the body of the dead
with his right foot, and said to him, Arise, O son of
iniquity; for thou art not worthy to enter into the
rest of my Father, because thou hast destroyed the
works which I have wrought. Then he who was
dead arose and departed. But Jesus, at his own com-
mand, brought the water into the pools through the
water-channels.
5
66
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
1
1
CHAPTER XXVII.
AND it came to pass after these things, in the
sight of all, that Jesus took mud from the pools
which he had made, and made twelve sparrows out
of it. Now it was the Sabbath when Jesus did this,
and there were many children with him. When,
therefore, one of the Jews saw him doing this, he
said to Joseph, Joseph, seest thou not that the
child Jesus doeth on the Sabbath that which it is not
lawful for him to do? for he hath made twelve spar-
rows of mud. When he heard this, Joseph reproved
him, saying, Why doest thou, on the Sabbath, such
things as it is not lawful for us to do? And Jesus,
hearing Joseph, and clapping his hands together, said
to the sparows, Fly! and at the voice of his command
they began to fly. And as all who stood there saw
and heard, he said to the birds, Go and fly through
the globe and all the world, and live! Now when
they who were there saw such signs, they were filled
with great amazement. Some praised him and admired
him;
but others blamed him. And some went away to
the chief priests, and to the chiefs of the Pharisees,
and told them that Jesus the son of Joseph had
done great signs and miracles in sight of all the
people of Israel. And this was published among the
twelve tribes of Israel.¹
1 The constant assumption of the continued integrity of the twelve
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
67
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Now again, the son of Annas the priest of the
temple, who had come with Joseph, holding a stick
in his hand, while all beheld, with excessive rage
broke up the pools which Jesus had made with his
hands, and spilled out of them the water which he
had gathered in them from the stream. For he
stopped the water-channel by which the water
entered, and then destroyed it. When Jesus saw
this, he said to the boy who broke up his pools, O,
most base seed of iniquity! O, son of death! work-
man of Satan! truly the fruit of thy seed shall be
without vigour, and thy roots without moisture, and
thy branches dry and not bearing fruit. And, at
once, as all beheld, the boy withered and died.
ì
CHAPTER XXIX.
Then Joseph trembled, and took hold of Jesus, and
went with him to his house, and his mother with
him. And behold, suddenly from the opposite side,
a certain boy, himself also a worker of iniquity, ran
and thrust himself against the shoulder of Jesus,
tribes of Israel in these Apocrypha is worth noting, as an additional
proof that their writers were ill informed on some very important
points. The malevolent character of the early miracles ascribed to
Jesus, is good evidence that the early Christian fabulists were as
ignorant of the true spirit of Christ as of some other matters.
68
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
meaning to insult him or to hurt him if he could.
But Jesus said to him, Thou shalt not return whole
from the way in which thou goest. And immediately
he fell down and died. And the parents of the dead,
who had seen what was done, cried out, saying,
Whence is this child born? It is manifest that
every word which he saith is true; and it is often
accomplished before he speaketh. And the parents
of the dead boy came to Joseph, and said to him,
Take away that Jesus of thine from this place, for he
cannot dwell with us in this town. Or, indeed, teach
him to bless, and not to curse. And Joseph came to
Jesus and admonished him, saying, Wherefore doest
thou such things? Already many are grieved
against thee, and because of thee, hold us in dislike,
and we bear the reproaches of men on thy account.
Jesus answered and said to Joseph, No son is wise
save he whom his father hath taught according to
the knowledge of this time; and the curse of his
father hurteth none but evil doers. Then they as-
sembled against Jesus, and accused him to Joseph.
When Joseph saw this he was exceedingly terrified,
fearing the violence and tumult of the people of
Israel. The same hour Jesus took the dead child by
the ear, and held him up from the ground in the
sight of all; and they saw Jesus talking with him
as a father with his son.
into him, and he lived again.
And his spirit returned
And they all marvelled.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
69
CHAPTER XXX.
£
Now a certain teacher, a Jew, by name Zaccheus, 1
heard Jesus saying such words, and seeing that there
was insuperable knowledge of virtue in him, became
angry, and began without restraint, and foolishly,
and without fear, to speak against Joseph. And he
said, Dost thou not wish to give thy son to be in-
structed in human wisdom and respect? But I see
that thou and Mary will rather love your son than
what the elders of the people say in opposition. For
he ought more to honour us, the elders of the whole
church of Israel, and to have mutual love with chil-
dren, and to be instructed among us in Jewish doc-
trine. On the other hand, Joseph said to him, And ist
there anyone who can restrain and teach this child?
But if thou art able to restrain and teach him, we by
no means forbid him to be taught by thee what is
learned by all. When Jesus heard what Zaccheus
said, he answered him and said, The precepts of the
law which thou didst mention a little while ago, and
all that thou hast named, ought to be kept by those
who are taught by the rules of men: but I am an
alien to your courts, because I have no carnal parent.
Thou who readest the law, and art instructed so,
remainest in the law but I was before the law.
1 In Tischendorf's text this name is always written Zachyas. Here,
however, as in many other like cases, I have adopted a more usual
form of spelling.
70
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
But while thou thinkest thou hast no equal in learn-
ing, thou wilt be instructed by me, for no other can
teach aught but the things which thou hast named.
For he is able who is worthy. But I, when I have
been exalted in the earth, will cause all mention of
your genealogy to cease. Thou knowest not when
thou wast born; but I alone know when ye were born,
and how long your life is in the earth. Then all
who heard these words uttered were astonished, and
cried out, saying, O! O! O! this marvellously great,
and admirable mystery! Never did we hear in this
wise! Never was it heard by any other; neither
by prophets, nor by Pharisees, nor by Scribes, was it
ever said or heard. We know him whence he was
born, and he is scarcely five years old; and whence
doth he say these words? The Pharisees answered,
We never heard such words spoken by another
child at such a childish age. And Jesus answering,
said to them, Wonder ye at this that such things
are spoken by a child? Why then do ye not
believe me in the things which I have spoken to you?
And because I said to you that I know when ye
were born, ye all marvel. I will say more to you,
that ye may marvel more. I have seen Abraham,
whom ye call your father, and talked with him, and
he saw me.¹ And when they heard this, they were
silent, nor did any of them dare to speak. And Jesus
1 Cf. John viii. 56–58.
•
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
71
said to them, I was among you with children, and ye
knew me not. I have talked with you as with wise
men, and ye have not understood my voice, because
ye are inferior to me, and of little faith.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE teacher Zaccheus, a doctor of the law, again
said to Joseph and Mary, Give me the boy, and I
will hand him over to the teacher Levi, to teach him
letters, and to instruct him. Then Joseph and Mary
coaxing Jesus, led him to the school, that he might
be taught his letters by the old man Levi. When
he entered he was silent; and the master, Levi, told
one letter to Jesus, and beginning at the first letter,
Aleph, said to him, Answer. But Jesus was silent
and answered nothing. Wherefore, the preceptor,
Levi, being angry, took a rod of a storax-tree,¹ and
smote him on the head. And Jesus said to the
teacher Levi, Why dost thou smite me? Know in
truth, that he who is smitten rather teacheth him
who smiteth him, than is taught by him. For
1 Or, "a storax-tree stick," for such is no doubt the meaning of
'virgam storatinam." The storax is never mentioned in the canonical
works, but its odoriferous product is named in Ecclesiasticus xxiv. 15
(Anglican version), or xxiv. 21 (Latin Vulgate). Jerome's version
also introduces it in Gen. xliii. 11, but with no apparent authority. It
should be observed that the storax-tree is still found in Palestine.
Mr. Tristram, for instance, speaks of it as abundant in Carmel (" Land
of Israel," p. 492). The adjective storatina is of course put for
storacina, from storax or styrax.
72
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
I am able to teach thee what is said by thyself.
But these are all blind, who say and hear, like
sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal in which there
is no consciousness of things which are understood by
their sound.¹ And Jesus added, and said to Zaccheus,
Every letter from Aleph to Tau is known by its
order; thou, therefore, first say what is Tau, and I
will tell thee what Aleph is. And Jesus said again
to them, They who know not Aleph, how can they
say Tau, ye hypocrites? First say what Aleph is,
and I shall then believe you when you say Beth.
And Jesus began to ask the names of the separate
letters, and said, Let the teacher of the law say what
the first letter is, or why it hath many triangles,
scalene,³ acute-angled, equiangular, unequal-sided,
with unequal angles, rectangular, rectilinear, and
curvilinear.
Now when Levi heard this, he was amazed at such
an arrangement of the names of the letters.
1 Cf. 1 Cor. xiii. 1; xiv. 7.
Then
2 Instead of Tau, the Latin text reads Thet in each case: it is pos-
sible that the writer meant to give the name of Teth, but since the last
letter of the Hebrew alphabet is required by the context, Tau has been
employed in the translation,
3 The words in the original are gradatos, subacutos, mediatos, ob-
ductos, productos, erectos, stratos, curvistratos. We are by no means
confident that the terms we have given are the equivalents of these,
or all correct; indeed it seems impossible to make sense of the passage
as it stands. It is very well known that Christians as well as Jews
have speculated, or rather, let their fancies run wild on the subject of
the mystic properties of letters, as indicated by their names, forms,
powers, positions in certain words, etc. The author of Pseudo-Matthew
evidently wished to supply high authority for such laborious trifling.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
73
began he, in the hearing of all, to cry out, and say,
Ought he to live upon earth? Verily he deserves to
be hung on a great cross. For he can extinguish
fire, and mock at other torments. I think he was
before the flood,-born before the deluge. What
womb bore him? or what mother conceived him? or
what breasts gave him suck? I flee before him; for
I cannot endure the word of his mouth, but my heart
is astounded at hearing such words. For I think no
man can attain to his word, except God hath been
with him. Now wretched I, have yielded myself to
him for derision. For when I thought I had a
scholar, I found my master, not knowing him.
What shall I say? I cannot endure the words of this
boy: I will now flee from this town, for I cannot
understand these things. An old man, I am con-
quered by a child; for I can find neither beginning
nor end to what he affirmeth; for it is difficult to
find a beginning from one's self. I tell you truly, I
lie not, that to my eyes, the conduct of this boy, the
beginning of his speech, and the end of his meaning,
seem to have nothing in common with men. There-
fore, I know not whether he is a magician or a God;
certainly an angel of God speaketh in him. I
know not whence he is, or where he cometh from, or
who he will become.
Then Jesus, with a pleasant countenance, smiling
at him, said with command, as all the children of
74
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Israel stood by and heard: Let the unfruitful be
fruitful, and the blind see, and the lame walk well,
and the poor enjoy good things, and the dead live
again, that in a restored condition, every one may
return and abide in Him who is the root of life, and
of perpetual sweetness. And when the child Jesus
had said this, forthwith all were restored who had
fallen under painful infirmities. And they dared
not say anything to him, or hear anything from him
further.
CHAPTER XXXII.
AFTER these things Joseph and Mary departed
thence with Jesus to the city of Nazareth, and he was
there with his parents. And when he was there, on
the first day of the week,¹ while Jesus was playing
with the children on the top of a certain house, it hap-
pened that one of the children pushed another off the
roof on to the ground, and he died. And although
the parents of the deceased had not seen it, they cried
out against Joseph and Mary, saying, Your son hath
thrust our son to the ground and he is dead. But
Jesus was silent and answered them nothing.
Joseph and Mary came in haste to Jesus, and his
mother asked him saying, My Lord, tell me if thou
didst thrust him to the ground. And immediately
1 The Latin is una sabbati.
Now
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
75
Jesus came down from the roof to the ground, and
called the boy by his name Zeno, and he answered
him, Lord. And Jesus said to him, Did I throw
thee down from the roof to the ground? And he
said, No, Lord. And the parents of the child who
had been dead, marvelled, and honoured Jesus for
the miracle that was done. And Joseph and Mary
departed thence with Jesus to Jericho.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Now Jesus was six years old, and his mother sent
him with a pitcher to the fountain to draw water
with the children. And it came to pass after he
drew the water, that one of the children thrust against
him and shattered the pitcher and broke it. But Jesus
spread out the cloak which he wore, and took in his
cloak as much water as there was in the pitcher, and
carried it to his mother. And she marvelled when
she saw it, and thought within herself, and laid up
all these things in her heart.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
AGAIN on a certain day, he went out into the field,
and took a little wheat from his mother's barn and
sowed it. And it sprang up and grew and multi-
plied exceedingly. And it came to pass at length
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
i.
that he reaped it, and gathered from it three quarters
of corn, and gave it to many.¹
CHAPTER XXXV.
THERE is a road which leads out of Jericho and
goes to the river Jordan where the children of
There the ark of the covenant is
Israel went over.
said to have rested.
And Jesus was eight years old,
and he went out from Jericho and went to the
Jordan. And there was by the way side near the
bank of the Jordan, a cavern where a lioness brought
up her whelps; and no one could go along the road
in safety. Now as Jesus came from Jericho, know-
ing that in that cavern the lioness had brought forth
her young, he entered it in the sight of all. But
when the lions saw Jesus they ran to meet him and
adored him. And Jesus sat in the cavern, and the
lions' whelps ran about his feet, fawning and playing
with him. But the older lions stood at a distance
with lowered head, and adored him; and fawning,
wagged their tails before him. Then the people,
who stood at a distance, not seeing Jesus, said, Un-
less he or his parents had done very grievous sins,
1 The Latin is et collegit fructus ex eo tres choros, et donavit multi-
plicibus suis.
2 There are no lions in Palestine now; but Reland quotes a passage
from John Phocas, in the twelfth century, affirming that they were
then to be found among the reeds on the banks of the Jordan
(Palæstina, p. 274).
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
Hy
he would not have willingly exposed himself to the
lions. And while the people thought thus within
themselves, and were overcome by excessive sorrow,
behold, suddenly, in the sight of the people, Jesus
came out of the cavern, and the lions went before
him, and the lions' whelps played together before his
feet. But the parents of Jesus stood afar off with
their heads hanging down, and watched; the people
too, in like manner, stood afar off because of the
lions; for they dared not come up to them. Then
Jesus began to say to the people, How much better
than you are the beasts, which recognise and glorify
their Lord; and ye men, who are made in the image
and likeness of God, know him not. Beasts acknow-
ledge me, and grow gentle; men see me, and know
me not.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
AFTER this Jesus crossed the Jordan with the lions,
in the sight of all; and the water of the Jordan was
divided to the right hand and the left. Then he
said to the lions, so that all heard, Go in peace, and
hurt nobody; neither let any man hurt you, until ye
return whence ye set out. And they, bidding him
farewell, not only with their voice but with bodily
gesture, went away to their places. But Jesus re-
turned to his mother.
78
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER
XXXVII.
AND Joseph was a carpenter, and made of wood
nothing except yokes for oxen, and ploughs, and im-
plements for turning up the soil and suited for agri-
culture, and made wooden bedsteads. And it happened
that a certain youth desired him to make a couch six
cubits long. And Joseph ordered his boy to cut the
wood with an iron saw, according to the measure
which he had sent. But he did not keep to the
dimensions given him, and made one board shorter
than another. And Joseph in anger, began to think
what he must do in the case. And when Jesus saw
him thus angrily thinking, and not able to remedy
what had been done, he addressed him with a con-
soling voice, saying, Come, let us take hold of the
ends of each piece of wood, and lay them together end
to end, and let us put them level and pull them to
us, for we shall be able to make them equal. Then
Joseph obeyed his command, for he knew that he
could do what he would, and Joseph took the ends
of the boards and put them against the wall and even
together, and Jesus held the other ends of the wood,
and pulled the shorter piece towards himself, and
made it equal to the longer piece. And he said to
Joseph, Go on with thy work, and do what thou
hast promised to do. And Joseph did what he had
promised.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
79
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
AND it came to pass a second time that Joseph and
Mary were asked by the people, that Jesus might be
taught his letters in the school; which, also, they
did not refuse to do; and, according to the precepts
of the elders, took him to a master to be taught
human science by him. And then the master began
imperiously to teach him, saying, Say Alpha.¹ But
Jesus said to him, Do thou first tell me what Beta is,
and I will tell thee what Alpha is. And for this, the
master, being angry, smote Jesus; and soon after he
smote him he died.
And Jesus returned home to his mother. But
Joseph being afraid, called Mary to him, and said to
her, Know truly that my soul is sad unto death, on
account of that boy. For it might happen some-
time, that somebody should smite the boy in malice,
and he should die. But Mary answered and said,
Man of God, do not believe that this can be. Nay,
surely believe that He who sent him to be born
among men, will keep him from all malice; and
in His own name, preserve him from evil.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
AGAIN, a third time, the Jews asked Mary and
¹ In chapter xxxi. the names of the letters are Hebrew, whereas here
they are Greek. We may suppose that this is a later addition to the
book.
80
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Joseph that, by their blandishments, they would take
him to another master to learn. And Joseph and
Mary, fearing the people, and the insolence of the
princes, and the threats of the priests, took him again
to school, knowing that from man he could learn
nothing, who from God alone had perfect knowledge.
Now when Jesus had entered the school, being led
by the Holy Spirit, he took the book from the hand
of the tutor teaching the law, and in the sight and
hearing of all the people, began to read; not indeed
what was written in their book, but he spoke by the
Spirit of the living God, as if a stream of water went
forth from a living spring, and the spring ever re-
mained full. And in such power did he teach the
people the great things of the living God, that the
very master even fell upon the ground and adored
him. But the heart of the people who sat and heard
him saying such things, was filled with astonish-
ment. When Joseph had heard this, he came run-
ing to Jesus, fearing lest the master should die.
Seeing him, the master said to him, Thou hast not
given me a pupil, but a master; and who can endure
his words? Then was fulfilled that which was spoken
by the Psalmist, The river of God is full of water.
Thou has prepared their food, for such is his pre-
paration.¹
1 Ps. lxv. 9.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
81
CHAPTER XL.
AFTER these things Joseph removed thence with
Mary and Jesus, in order to come to Capernaum on
the coast, because of the malice of the men who
were hostile to them. And when Jesus dwelt in
Capernaum, there was in the city a certain man by
name Joseph, very rich. But sinking under his
illness, he died, and was lying dead upon a bed.
But when Jesus had heard them in the city lament-
ing and weeping and wailing over the dead, he said
to Joseph, Wherefore, when thy name is called upon,
dost thou not vouchsafe the benefit of thy favour to
him? Joseph answered him, What power or faculty
have I of vouchsafing benefit to him? Jesus replied,
Take the kerchief that is upon thy head, and go and
put it on the face of the dead, and say to him, Christ,
save thee! and forthwith he will be saved, and the
dead shall rise from his bed. When he heard this,
Joseph departed, running at once at the command of
Jesus, and entered the house of the dead man; and
the kerchief which he had upon his head, he put
on the face of him that lay on the bed, and said,
Jesus save thee! And the dead forthwith arose
from his bed, and asked who Jesus was.
CHAPTER XLI.
AND they departed from Capernaum into a city
J
6
82
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
:
which is called Bethlehem; and Joseph was with
Mary in his house and Jesus along with them. And
on a certain day Joseph called his first-born son
James to him and sent him into the kitchen-garden
to gather herbs to make pottage. And Jesus fol-
lowed his brother James into the garden, and Joseph
and Mary knew it not. And while James gathered
herbs there suddenly came a viper out of a hole and
wounded the hand of James, and he began to cry
out through excessive pain. And when already
fainting he said with a bitter cry, Oh! Oh! a very
bad viper has wounded my hand. And Jesus, who
stood opposite, at that bitter cry ran to James and
took hold of his hand, and did no more than merely
breathe upon the hand of James, and revived him.
And immediately James was healed and the serpent
dead. And Joseph and Mary knew not what had
happened, but at the cry of James, and at the bidding
of Jesus they ran into the garden, and found the
serpent already dead and James quite healed.
CHAPTER XLII.
Now when Joseph came to a feast with his sons,
James, Joseph, and Judah, and Simeon, and his two
daughters, Jesus and Mary his mother met them,
together with her sister Mary the daughter of Cleo-
phas, whom the Lord God gave to Cleophas her father
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
83
and Anna her mother because they had offered to
the Lord Mary the mother of Jesus. And this
Mary was called by the like name of Mary for the
comfort of her parents. And when they assembled
Jesus sanctified and blessed them, and began himself
first to eat and drink; for none of them dared eat or
drink, nor sit at table or break bread, till he had
sanctified them and first done this. And if he by
chance was absent they waited till he did this. And
when he would not come to the repast, neither did
Joseph and Mary and his brethren the sons of
Joseph come. These brethren, indeed, having his
life before their eyes as a light, regarded and feared
him. And when Jesus slept, whether by day or by
night, the brightness of God shone on him. To him
be all praise for ever and ever. Amen. Amen.2
1 According to the MS. which Tischendorf calls B,
the reading is:
"And when Joseph, being worn out with old age, was dead and buried
with his parents, the blessed Mary was with her nephews or with the
children of her sisters. For Anna and Emerina were sisters. Of
Emerina was born Elisabeth the mother of John the Baptist. Now
because Anna the mother of the Blessed Mary was very lovely, when
Joachim died, she married Cleophas, by whom she had a second
daughter, whom she called Mary, and gave her to Alphæus to wife,
and of her came James the son of Alphæus, and Philip his brother.
When her second husband was dead, Anna was married to a third
husband, named Salome, by whom she had a third daughter, whom
she likewise called Mary, and gave her to Zebedee to wife; of her was
born James the son of Zebedee, and John the Evangelist." Another
account is prefixed to this false Gospel in a copy used by Tischendorf,
who quotes the passage (Evang. Apocr., p. 104).
2 The MS. called B concludes in a rather different manner, and has
the following appended: "The holy apostle and evangelist John with
his own hand wrote this book set forth in Hebrew letters which the
learned doctor Jerome translated out of Hebrew into Latin." The
title and one of the letters prefixed to the book just as plainly ascribe
the writing to the evangelist Matthew, and just as truly.
i
84
III.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY
OF MARY.
As Bishop Ellicott has said, "This Gospel is
usually found among the works of Jerome, and has
been edited separately by Fabricius, Thilo, and after
them by Tischendorf. It has gained no little cele-
brity from having been admitted nearly entire into
the Aurea Legenda." Judging from the style, it
would seem to be less a translation than a Latin
recension of the popular story respecting the birth
and childhood of Mary. The writer uses the Latin
Vulgate, and therefore wrote after that was pub-
lished. It is far less extravagant, and in a better
style, than some other compilations of its class, both
earlier and later. Mary is represented as being
fourteen years of age before she was espoused to
Joseph, who afterwards went into Galilee to take her
as his wife. The birth of Jesus is simply said to
have occurred at Bethlehem, as the holy evangelists
have taught,' and the book concludes with a doxo-
logy to the Holy Trinity.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 85
१
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY.
CHAPTER I.
THE blessed and glorious Mary ever virgin,
sprung of the royal stock and family of David,
and born in the city of Nazareth, was brought up
at Jerusalem in the temple of the Lord. Her father
was called Joachim and her mother Anna. Her
father's house was of Galilee and the city of Na-
zareth, and her mother's race was of Bethlehem.
Their life was simple and upright before the Lord,
and pious and blameless before men. For they di-
vided all their substance into three parts; one part
they gave to the temple and the servants of the
temple, another they devoted to strangers and the
poor, the third they reserved for the use of their
family and for themselves.
Thus these persons,
dear to God, and good to men, passed about twenty
years in chaste matrimony at home without pro-
ducing children. But they vowed, that if God per-
chance should give them offspring they would yield
it to the service of the Lord; for which cause they
were wont to frequent the temple of the Lord at
every festival in the year.
86
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER II.
Now it came to pass that the feast of the dedi-
cation drew on; wherefore Joachim also with some
of his kindred went up to Jerusalem. Now at that
time Issachar was chief priest there. And when
among his other fellow townsmen he also saw
Joachim with his offering, he despised him and
spurned his gifts, asking why he who was child-
less should presume to stand among those who had
children; saying that his gifts could not at all seem
worthy to God, seeing that He had judged him un-
worthy of offspring, when the scripture saith, that
every one is accursed who hath not begotten male or
female in Israel.¹ He said therefore that he must
first be released from this curse by having offspring,
and then at length he was to come before the Lord
with his offerings. Joachim being covered with
much shame by this reproach cast upon him, with-
drew to the shepherds who were with the flocks in
their pastures; for he would not return home, lest
he should be stigmatised with the same reproach by
his kinsmen, who were also present and heard this
from the priest.
CHAPTER III.
BUT when he had been there some time, on a cer-
¹ I find no text in which any such statement is made.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 87
tain day when he was alone, the angel of the Lord
stood by him with a very great light. He being
troubled at the sight of him, the angel who appeared
to him allayed his fear, saying, Fear not, Joachim,
nor be troubled at the sight of me; for I am an
angel of the Lord, sent by Him to thee to tell thee
that thy prayers are heard, and that thy alms have
come up in His sight. For He hath truly seen thy
shame and heard the reproach of barrenness not
rightly cast upon thee. For God is the avenger of
sin, not of nature, and therefore when He maketh
any childless, He doth it for this cause, that He may
the more wonderfully afford relief, and that that
which is born may be known not to be of concupis-
cense but of the divine gift. For was not Sarah the
first mother of your race unfruitful till her eightieth
year? and yet in the last period of old age she bore
Isaac, to whom was promised the blessing of all
nations.¹ Rachel also, so pleasant to the Lord and
so loved by holy Jacob, was long barren, and yet
bore Joseph, not only lord of Egypt, but the de-
liverer of many nations who were about to perish of
hunger. Who among the princes was stronger than
Samson, or holier than Samuel? and yet both of
them had barren mothers. If then reason per-
suadeth thee not by my words, believe in fact, that
conceptions long delayed and barren births are wont
1 Gen. xvii. 17. Sarah was ninety years old at the time referred to.
88
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
#
to be more wonderful. Therefore Anna thy wife
shall bear thee a daughter, and thou shalt call her
name Mary; she shall be, as you have vowed, con-
secrated to the Lord from her infancy, and shall be
filled with the Holy Spirit even from her mother's
womb.¹ She shall neither eat nor drink anything
impure, nor shall her conversation be among public
crowds out of doors, but in the temple of the Lord,
that nothing evil may be said or so much as sus-
pected of her. Therefore with advancing age, as she
shall be marvellously born of one barren, so she who is
incomparably a virgin shall conceive the son of the
Most High who shall be called Jesus, and according
to the etymology of his name shall be the Saviour of
all nations. And this shall be to thee a sign of what
I announce: when thou comest to the Golden Gate at
Jerusalem,2 thou shalt have there to meet thee Anna
thy wife, who now being anxious through the delay
of thy return, will then rejoice in seeing thee. This
said, the angel departed from him.
CHAPTER IV.
THEN he appeared to Anna his wife, saying, Fear
not, Anna, nor think it is a fantasm which thou
1 This promise is a mere paraphrase of Luke i. 11-15, which relates
to the birth of John the Baptist.
2 As already observed, the Golden-Gate was not a gate of the city,
but of the Temple.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 89
1
1
seest. For I am that angel which hath offered your
prayers and alms in the sight of God, and am now
sent to you to announce that a daughter shall be born
to you, who shall be called Mary and be blessed above
all women. She, being full of the grace of the Lord
from her very birth, shall remain in the house of her
parents the three years of her suckling: afterwards
being given up to the service of the Lord, she shall
not leave the temple till her years of understanding;
there in fine, serving God night and day in fastings
and prayers, she shall abstain from everything un-
clean, she shall never know man, but alone, without
example, without spot, without corruption, without
intercourse with man, as a virgin shall conceive a son,
and as a handmaid (shall conceive) the Lord who by
grace
and name and work shall be the Saviour of the
world. Therefore arise, go up to Jerusalem, and when
thou comest to the gate, which is called Golden, be-
cause it is gilded, there for a sign shalt thou meet thy
husband for whose safety and welfare thou art anxious.
Therefore when these things fall out thus, know that
at I tell thee will be without doubt accomplished.?

CHAPTER V.
THEREFORE according to the precept of the angel,
1 Literally, weaning.
2 This annunciation to Anna seems invented as a counterpart to the
one recorded of Mary in the Gospels.
90
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
both of them leaving the places in which they were,
went up to Jerusalem; and when they had come to
the place indicated by the angelic prediction, there
they met together. Then rejoicing at the sight of
one another, and certainly sure of the promised off-
spring, they gave due thanks to the Lord the exalter
of the humble. Therefore, having adored the Lord,
they returned home sure of the divine promise; and
they cheerfully waited. Therefore Anna conceived
and bore a daughter, and according to the angel's
bidding, her parents called her name Mary.
CHAPTER VI.
AND when the course of three years had rolled
round, and the time for weaning was 'accomplished,
they brought the virgin to the temple of the Lord
with their offerings. Now there were around the
temple, according to the fifteen psalms of degrees,
fifteen steps to go up: for since the temple was set
upon a mount, the altar of burnt offering, which was
outside, could not be approached except by ste
Upon one of these, therefore, her parents set t
blessed little Virgin Mary. And while they took
the garments which they had worn on the journey
and arrayed themselves, according to custom, in
vesture more gay and clean, the virgin of the Lord
went up all the steps in order, without the hand of

!
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 91
*
anyone to lead and lift her; so that, in this case, you
might suppose she came nothing short of perfect age.
Already then, the Lord wrought something great in
the infancy of his virgin, and showed beforehand,
by the indication of this miracle, how great she
should be. Therefore, when the sacrifice was accom-
plished, according to the custom of the law, and
their vow performed, they left the virgin with other
virgins within the precincts of the temple to be
brought up there; but they themselves returned
home.¹
2
CHAPTER VII.
Now the virgin of the Lord, with advancing age,
also made progress in virtue; and, according to the
psalmist, Her father and mother left her, but the
Lord took her up. For she was daily attended by
angels, and daily she enjoyed the divine vision, which
kept her from all evil, and caused her to abound in
all good. She came, therefore, to her fourteenth year,
and not only could they devise against her no evil, nor
anything worthy of blame, but all good men who
knew her judged her life and conversation worthy
of admiration. Then the chief priest publicly an-
anounced that the virgins who were publicly placed
in the temple, and had arrived at this time of life,
1 Comp. Pseudo-Matthew, iv., notes.
2 Ps. xxvii. 10.
92
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
should return home and seek to be married, accord-
ing to the custom of the nation, and the maturity
of their age. But when the others had promptly
obeyed this.command, Mary alone, the virgin of the
Lord, answered that she could not do this, saying
that her parents had given her up to the service of
the Lord; and that moreover she had herself vowed
her virginity to the Lord, and would never violate
it by any carnal association with man. Now the
chief priest, being perplexed in mind, because he did
not think the vow should be broken against the
Scripture, which saith, Vow and pay;¹ neither dared
he introduce a custom unusual with the nation: so
he gave order that, at the impending festival all the
chief men of Jerusalem and the neighbouring places
should attend, with whose counsel he might know
what was to be done in so doubtful a matter. When
this took place, it pleased them all alike, that the
Lord should be consulted in this affair. And while
they all bowed down in prayer, the chief priest
went to consult God, according to custom: nor was
there any delay, for in the hearing of all, there came a
voice from the oracle and the place of the mercy-seat,
that, according to the prophecy of Isaiah, inquiry
must be made, to whom that virgin ought to be
commended and espoused. For it is clear that Isaiah
saith, A rod shall go forth from the root of Jesse,
1 Deut. xxiii. 21; Ps. xxvi. 4; Eccles. v. 4.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 93
1
and a flower shall arise from his root, and the Spirit
of the Lord shall rest upon him, a Spirit of wisdom
and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and might,
a Spirit of knowledge and piety, and the Spirit of
the fear the Lord shall fill him. According to
of
C
this prophecy therefore, he foretold that all of the
house and family of David who were fit to be
married but not married, should bring their rods to,
the altar; and he whose rod, after it was brought
should produce a flower, while on its top the Spirit
of the Lord sat in the form of a dove, he it was
to whom the virgin ought to be commended and
espoused.2
CHAPTER VIII.
Now among others was Joseph, an aged man of
the house and family of David; but when all of
them brought their rods in order, he alone withdrew
his. Therefore, when nothing appeared agreeable
to the divine voice, the chief priest thought that
God should be consulted again; and He answered
that of those who were designated, he alone to
whom He must espouse the virgin had not brought
his rod. Joseph therefore was betrayed; for when
he brought his rod, and a dove came from heaven.
and sat on the top of it, it was plainly apparent to
1 Is. xi. 1-2.
2 Comp. Pseudo-Matthew, vi.-viii.
94
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
all that the virgin was to be espoused to him. When,
therefore, the betrothal had been celebrated in the
wonted manner, he retired to the city of Bethlehem
to set his house in order, and to procure what was
required by his marriage. But Mary, the virgin of
the Lord, with seven other virgins of like age, and
brought up with her, which she had received from
the priest, returned to the house of her parents in
Galilee.¹
CHAPTER IX.
Now in those days, namely, at the time when she
first came into Galilee, the angel Gabriel was sent to
her from God, and made known to her the Lord's con-
ception, and explained to her the method or order of
the conception. At last, having entered unto her,
he filled the chamber where she abode with an im-
mense light, and saluting her most courteously, he
said Hail, Mary! most agreeable virgin of the Lord!
Virgin, full of grace, the Lord be with thee; blessed
art thou before all women; blessed art thou before
all men hitherto born.2 But the virgin, who already
well knew the countenances of angels, and was not
unused to heavenly light, was neither terrified by
the angelic vision, nor stupefied by the greatness of
the light, but was troubled at his word alone; and
1 Cf. Pseudo-Matthew, viii.
2 Luke i. 26-38.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 95
began to think what that salutation, so unwonted,
could be, or what it portended, or what end it would
have. But the angel, divinely inspired, counteract-
ing this thought, said, Fear not, Mary, as though I
meant something contrary to thy chastity by this
salutation; for thou hast found grace with the Lord,
because thou hast chosen chastity; therefore, thou
shalt conceive without sin, as a virgin, and shalt
bear a son. He shall be great, for he shall rule from
sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the world;
and he shall be called the Son of the Most High, for
he who is born humble on earth, reigneth exalted in
heaven and the Lord God shall give to him the
seat of his father David, and he shall reign in the
house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom shall be
no end; since he is himself King of kings, and Lord
of Lords, and his throne for ever and ever.¹
:
The virgin, not incredulous at these words of the
angel, but only wishing to know, answered, How can
this be? For since according to my vow I never
knew man, how can I bring forth without human
seed? To this the angel replied, Think not, Mary,
that thou wilt conceive in human manner, for with-
out intercourse with man, as a virgin, thou shalt con-
ceive, as a virgin thou shalt bring forth, as a virgin
thou shalt nourish: for the Holy Spirit shall come
upon thee, and the virtue of the Most High shall
Ps. lxxii, 8; Luke i. 33.
96
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
overshadow thee contrary to all fire of concupiscence;
therefore, what is born of thee will be alone holy,
because alone conceived and born without sin, and
shall be called the Son of God., Then Mary, with
outspread hands and eyes lifted up to heaven, said,
Behold the handmaid of the Lord, for I am un-
worthy of the name of lady; let it be unto me ac-
cording to thy word.
It would perhaps be long and tedious to some, if
we wished to insert, in this little work, all that
we read preceded or followed the Lord's nativity;
wherefore, omitting those things which are more
fully written in the Gospel, we come to the narra-
tion of those things which are less detailed.¹
CHAPTER X.
JOSEPH, therefore, having come from Judea into
Galilee, intended to take as wife the virgin who was
espoused to him; for three months had now elapsed,
and the fourth approached from the time when she
had been espoused to him. Meanwhile her preg-
nancy began gradually to show itself, and it could
not be hidden from Joseph; for entering freely to
the virgin in the manner of a spouse, and talking
¹ This last paragraph reads like an addition, but is not such of
necessity. Comp. Pseudo-Matthew ix.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 97
!
familiarly with her, he perceived her to be with
child. Therefore, he began to be disturbed and
troubled in mind, because he knew not what it was
best for him to do; for he neither wished to expose
her, because he was a just man, nor to defame her
by a suspicion of unchastity, because he was a pious
man. Therefore, he thought to dissolve his marriage
privately, and to put her away secretly. But while he
thought thus, behold the angel of the Lord appeared
to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David,
fear not: that is, cherish no suspicion of unchastity
against the virgin, nor think anything bad, nor fear
to take her to wife; for that which she hath con-
ceived and now vexeth thy mind, is not the work of
man, but of the Holy Spirit. For she alone, of all, as
a virgin, shall bear the Son of God; and thou shalt
call his name Jesus, that is, a Saviour; for he shall
save his people from their sins. Therefore, Joseph,
according to the command of the angel, took the
virgin to wife, yet knew her not, but kept her care-
fully under his protection in chastity. And now the
ninth month from her conception drew near, when
Joseph, having taking his wife, with what else was
necessary, went to the city of Bethlehem, whence he
was. And it came to pass while they were there,
her days were accomplished that she should bring
forth, and she brought forth her first born Son, as
1 Matt. i. 18–24.
1
7
98
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
f
the holy Evangelists have taught, our Lord Jesus
Christ, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
liveth and reigneth God for ever and ever.¹
1 Matt. i. 25; ii. 1; Luke ii. 4-7. The concluding doxology looks
as if taken from some liturgical formula. Compare Pseudo-Matthew x.
99
་
IV.
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE
CARPENTER.
THIS very singular production comes to us through
the Arabic; but part of it, at least, is extant in
Coptic, in which language it is supposed to have
been originally written. It was first published by
Wallin, with a Latin version in 1722. Thilo also
gives the Arabic with a revised translation, but
Tischendorf only prints the Latin. It has been
thought to have originated in the fourth century,
but it is very doubtful whether it is so ancient in its
actual form, which manifests a development of super-
stitious notions hardly consistent with so early a
date.
The intention of the writer was no doubt to
exalt Joseph in the eyes of a people who had
wandered far from the simplicity of the Gospel. The
references to the feast of a thousand years have a
millenarian tinge, but are not conclusive as to the
high antiquity of the book, which may, however,
belong to the fifth or to the sixth century.
100
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
\
The writer represents our Saviour as seated with
his disciples on the Mount of Olives, and repeating
to them the story which is here told. Christ, then,
is almost throughout, the only speaker. After a
sort of introduction, we have a brief account of
Joseph, who is represented as a priest, married, and
having six children. After the death of his wife, he.
is espoused to Mary. The history then proceeds to
narrate the incarnation and birth of Christ, and other
details. A long account of Joseph's last days, his
terrors at the approach of death, his eventual decease
and burial, follows. This book is characterised by
features by no means devoid of interest, although
most improbable, unreasonable, and in the worst
possible taste. The marvellous and the supernatural
abound, and the writer is not always careful to be
consistent even with himself; his audacity in ascrib-
ing the narration to our Lord, and in claiming the
same authority for the observance of the annual com-
memoration of Joseph, will be apparent to every
reader. Although it embodies some older traditions,
it does not always accurately reproduce them, and
contains independent fictions, for which its author
alone must be held responsible.
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 101
HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER.'
CHAPTER I.
Ir happened, one day, when our Saviour, Master,
God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, sat with his disciples,
and they were all assembled on the Mount of Olives,
that he said to them, O, my brethren and friends,
sons of my Father, who hath chosen you out of all
men! you know that I have often told you I must
be crucified, and die for the salvation of Adam and
his descendants, and that I shall rise from the dead.
Now I shall commit to you the doctrine of the Holy
Gospel (before) announced (to you), that you may
proclaim it through all the world; and I will clothe
you with power from above, and will fill you with
1 The Arabic text has an introduction to the following effect :—
In the name of God, one in His essence and threefold in His
Persons.
The history of the death of our father, the holy old man, Joseph
the carpenter.
His blessings and prayers preserve us all, O brethren! Amen.
His whole life was a hundred and eleven years, and his departure
from this world fell on the 26th of the month Abib, which answers
to the month Ab. His prayer preserve us, Amen. And, indeed, it
was our Lord Jesus Christ himself who rehearsed this to his holy
disciples on Mount Olivet, and all his (Joseph's) labour, and the com-
pletion of his days. Now the holy Apostles kept this discourse and
left it in writing in the library at Jerusalem. Their prayer preserve
us, Amen.
102
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
the Holy Spirit.¹ And ye shall announce to all
nations repentance and remission of sins. For a
single cup of water, if a man shall obtain it in the
world to come, is better and greater than all the
riches of the whole of this world. And a place no
greater than one foot can fill, in the house of my
Father, is greater and more excellent than all the
wealth of earth. Nay, a single hour in the glad
abode of the pious, is more happy and precious than
a thousand years among sinners; for their weeping
and wailing will not end, and their tears will not
cease, nor will they find solace or rest to themselves
at any time whatever. And now, O, my honoured
members! go and preach to all nations; declare and
say to them, Surely the Saviour seeketh diligently
for his heritage, and is the administrator of justice.
And the angels shall put to flight the enemies, and
fight for them in the day of conflict. And God shall
try every idle and foolish word which men speak,
and they shall give account for it.³ For as no one is
exempt from death, so, also, the works of every man
will be manifest in the day of judgment, whether
they be good or bad. Declare also this word which
I have said to you to-day: let not the strong man
glory in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches,
let him that will glory, glory in the Lord.5
1 Luke xxiv. 49; Acts i. 8.
3 Matt. xii. 36.
2 Luke xxiv. 47.
4 2 Cor. v. 10; 1 Cor. iii. 15.
5 Jer. ix. 23-24.
₹
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 103
CHAPTER 11.
THERE was a man whose name was Joseph, sprung
of a family of Bethlehem, a city of Judah, and
the city of David the King. The same being well
instructed in knowledge and doctrine, was made a
priest in the temple of the Lord. Moreover, he
understood the carpenter's trade, and like all men,
married a wife. He also begat sons and daughters,
that is to say, four sons and two daughters; and
these are their names,-Judas, Justus, James, and
Simon; the names of the two daughters were Assia
and Lydia. At length the wife of Joseph the Just
deceased, intent upon divine glory in all her works.
Now Joseph, that just man, my father according to
the flesh, and the spouse of Mary my mother, went
with his sons to his calling, following the trade of
a carpenter.
CHAPTER III.
Now when Joseph the Just became a widower,
Mary my mother, blessed, holy, and pure, had already
accomplished twelve years. Her parents offered her
in the temple at three years old, and she remained
nine years in the temple of the Lord. Then, when
the priests saw that the holy virgin, who feared the
Lord, was grown up, they talked together, saying:
Let us seek for a just and pious man to whom Mary
1
104
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
may be committed till the time of marriage, lest, by
remaining in the temple, there should happen to her
what often happens to women, and we sin on that
account, and God be angry with us.
CHAPTER IV.
THEREFORE, having forthwith sent out messengers,
they called together twelve aged men of the tribe of
Judah, and they wrote the names of the twelve tribes
of Israel. Now the lot fell upon the pious old man,
Joseph the Just. Then the priests answered and
said to my blessed mother,-Go with Joseph and be
with him until the time of marriage. Therefore
Joseph the Just received my mother and took her to
his home. And Mary found James the Less in the
house of his father, broken in mind and sad because
of his bereavement of his mother, and she brought
him up. Hence she is called Mary the Mother of
James. After this Joseph left her in his house and
went to his workshop, where his calling of carpenter
was carried on. But after the holy virgin had spent
two years in his house, her age became exactly four-
teen years, including the time from which Joseph re-
ceived her.
CHAPTER V.
I LOVED her with a peculiar affection, with the
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 105
good pleasure of my Father, and the counsel of
the Holy Spirit; and I was incarnate of her, by a
mystery surpassing the capacity of the reason of
creatures. But when three months had passed since
the conception, the just man Joseph returned from
the place where he followed his trade, and when
he found the virgin my mother pregnant, he was
troubled in mind, and thought of dismissing her
secretly. For fear also, and the sorrow and anguish
of his heart, he could not bear either to eat or drink
that day.
1
CHAPTER VI.
Now about the middle on the day, holy Gabriel,
the prince of the angels, appeared to him in a dream,
being supplied with a command from my Father;
and he said to him, Joseph, son of David, fear not to
take Mary thy spouse; for she hath conceived by
the Holy Spirit, and shall bear a son, whose name
shall be called Jesus. He it is who shall govern all
nations with an iron
2
sceptre. When he had said
this the angel departed from him. But Joseph arose
out of his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord
said to him; and Mary continued with him.³
1 Matt. i. 19.
2 Ps. ii. 9; Rev. ii. 27; xii. 5.
3 Matt. i. 20-24.
%
106
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER VII.
AFTER the lapse of some time, a command went
forth from Augustus Cæsar, the king, that all the
habitable globe should be enrolled, every one in his
own city. Therefore the just old man Joseph arose,
and took with him Mary the virgin, and they came
to Bethlehem, because her time to be delivered drew
nigh Now Joseph inscribed his name on the regis-
ter: for Joseph the son of David, whose spouse was
Mary, was of the tribe of Judah. And Mary, my
mother, brought me forth at Bethlehem in a cave,
very nigh to the sepulchre of Rachel, the wife of
Jacob the patriarch, and mother of Joseph and
Benjamin.
CHAPTER VIII.
1
BUT Satan went and reported this to Herod the
Great, the father of Archelaus. It was this same
Herod who commanded John my friend and kins-
man to be beheaded. Therefore he diligently sought
after me, supposing my kingdom would be of this
world. But Joseph, the pious old man, was ad-
monished of this matter by a dream. He therefore
arose and took Mary my mother: and I lay in her
bosom. Salome also added herself to them as the
John the Baptist was put to death by order of Herod Antipas;
there is therefore an error in the text, whether the writer means Herod
the Great, or Archelaus.
2 John xviii. 36.
1
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 107
companion of their journey. Therefore, leaving home,
he retired into Egypt, and remained there the space
of one whole year, until Herod's jealousy passed
away.
CHAPTER IX.
Now Herod died the worst kind of death, suffering
punishment for the shed blood of the children, whom
he iniquitously destroyed when there was no sin in
them.¹ And when that impious tyrant Herod was
dead, the parents of Jesus returned with him to the
land of Israel, and dwelt in a city of Galilee which
is called Nazareth. Now Joseph, resuming his car-
penter's trade, supported life by the work of his
hands; for he did not seek his food for nought by
the labour of another; as the law of Moses had
commanded.2
CHAPTER X.
Ar length, his years increasing, the old man ar-
rived at an advanced age. Yet he laboured under no
infirmity of body, his sight failed not, and no tooth in
his mouth decayed, nor was he ever insane in mind
in all his life; but, like a youth, he always displayed
juvenile vigour in his affairs, and his members re-
mained whole and free from all pain. His whole
1 Josephus, Antiquities, xvii. 6, 8. 2 Gen. iii. 19; 2 Thess. iii. 10.
•
108
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
life consisted of a hundred and eleven years; his age
having been prolonged to the utmost limit.
CHAPTER XI.
JUSTUS and Simeon the elder sons of Joseph,
having married wives, went away to their families.
Both the daughters likewise married, and went to
their houses. But Judas and James the Less, and the
virgin my mother, remained in the house of Joseph.
I also continued along with them, not otherwise than
if I had been one of his sons. I passed all my time.
without fault. I called Mary my mother, and
Joseph father, and in all they said I was obedient
to them; nor did I resist them, but I submitted to
them, just as other men whom earth produceth are
wont to do; nor did I provoke their anger any day,
nor return any harsh word or answer to them; on
the contrary, I cherished them with immense love,
as the apple of my eye.
:
CHAPTER XII.
Ir happened after this that the death of the pious
old man Joseph and his departure from this world ap-
proached, just as with other men who owe their
origin to this earth. And when his body was in-
clining towards its decease, an angel of the Lord
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 109
{
made known to him that the hour of death now drew
nigh. Therefore fear and great trouble of mind
came over him. But he arose and went to Jerusa-
lem, and having entered the temple of the Lord and
poured out his prayers there before the sanctuary,
he said:-
CHAPTER XIII.
O GOD, who art the author of all comfort, the
God of all mercy, and Lord of the whole human
race, the God (I say) of my spirit and body: I sup- -
pliantly venerate thee, O my Lord and God, if now
my days are finished, and the time is at hand in
which I must go out of this world, send me, I pray,
the great Michael, prince of thy holy angels, and
let him abide with me, that my wretched soul may
depart from this miserable body without distress,
without terror and impatience. For immense fear
and vehement sorrow seizeth all bodies on the day of
their death, whether male or female, whether cattle
or wild beast, whatever either creepeth upon the
ground or flieth in the air; in sum, all creatures
which are under heaven, and in which vital spirit
is, are stricken with horror, with great fear, and
immense faintness, when their souls depart from
their bodies. Now, therefore, O my Lord and God,
let thy holy angel, with his aid, attend upon my soul
110
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and body, until they are separated from each other.
Nor let the face of the angel appointed for my keep-
ing from the day when I was made, be turned away
from me; but let him offer himself to me as the
companion of my journey, until he hath brought me
to thee; let his countenance be sweet and cheerful to
me, and let him accompany me in peace. But suffer
not that demons terrible in aspect should come to
me in the way wherein I am to go, until I come
happily to thee. Nor let the door-keepers prevent
my soul at the entrance of Paradise. Nor by un-
folding my sins expose me to rebuke before thy
terrible tribunal. Nor let the lions rush upon me.
Nor let the waves of the fiery sea submerge my soul
-for every soul must pass through this-before I
behold the glory of thy divinity. O, God! judge
most just, who wilt judge mortals in justice and
equity, and repay to every one according to his works,
O my Lord and God! I pray let thy mercy be with
me, and enlighten my way that I may attain to
thee: for thou art a fount abounding in all good and
glory for ever. Amen!1
1 The reader will observe the remarkable development of the author's
eschatology in the prayer assigned to Joseph; and he will see that the
whole spirit and attitude of Joseph ill accords with that of the earlier
ages of the Church. As we proceed we shall find abundant confirma-
tion of the points hinted at in this note. It is needless to say that we
have, neither in the New Testament nor in any other authentic record,
a single hint concerning the last days and death of Joseph.
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 111
CHAPTER XIV.
AFTER this it came to pass, when he returned
home to the city of Nazareth, that he fell sick and
kept his bed. And this was the time in which he
died, as it is appointed unto all men. Now he was
grievously afflicted by this sickness, nor had he ever
been so ill as at present, from the time he was born.
And thus truly it pleased Christ to arrange the affairs
of Joseph the Just. Forty years he lived before he
entered the married state; his wife remained under
his protection forty-nine years, and died when they
were gone. One year after her death, my mother,
the blessed Mary, was committed to Joseph by the
priests, that he might keep her until the time for
marriage. Two years she spent in his house, with
nothing remarkable occurring, but in the third year
of her sojourn with Joseph, and the fifteenth of her
age, she bore me by a mystery in the earth, and one
which no creature can penetrate or apprehend, save
myself and my Father, and the Holy Spirit, con-
stituting one essence with me.”
CHAPTER XV.
THEREFORE, the whole age of my father, the just
1 The mention of Christ here in the third person, seems to be due to
momentary forgetfulness on the part of the author.
2 This theological definition savours of no very early date. A similar
expression is pointed out by Thilo in a Syriac liturgy.
112
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
1
old man, made up one hundred and eleven years, for
so my heavenly Father decreed. And the day on
which his soul departed from the body, was the
twenty-sixth of the month Abib. For now the fine
gold began to lose its brightness, and the silver to
be worn with use, I mean his intellect and under-
standing. Moreover, he loathed his food and drink,
and his skill in the carpenter's trade failed him, nor
did he any longer have regard to it. It came to
pass, therefore, at daybreak on the twenty-sixth day
of the month of Abib, that the soul of Joseph the
Just was rendered unquiet as he lay in his bed.
Wherefore, he opened his mouth and sighed, and
smote his hands together, and cried out, with a loud
voice, saying after this manner :-
CHAPTER XVI.
WOE to the day on which I was born into the
world! woe to the womb which bore me! woe to the
body which received me! woe to the breasts which
gave me suck! woe to the knees on which I sat and
rested! woe to the hands which carried and led me
till I grew up! For I was conceived in iniquity,
and in sin my mother longed for me!¹ Woe to my
1 Ps. li. 5. For 'concepit,' which the Latin versions correctly have,
the Arabic has what is equivalent to 'concupivit.' It is well to note
this, because 'longed for might be suspected to be an oversight for
'conceived.'
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 113
tongue and lips, which have uttered and spoken
vanity, reproach, falsehood, folly, ridicule, fiction,
craft, and hypocrisy ! Woe to my eyes, which have
looked upon offence! Woe to my ears, which have
taken pleasure in the talk of calumniators! Woe to
my hands, which have seized what did not lawfully
pertain to them! Woe to my stomach, which has
longed for food which it was forbidden it to eat!
Woe to my throat, which, like a fire, consumed all
things, whatever it took hold of? Woe to my feet,
which have too often walked in ways displeasing to
God! Woe to my body, and woe to my unhappy
soul, which is now averse from God its maker!
What shall I do when I come to the place where I
must stand before the most just Judge, and he shall
rebuke me for the works which I have multiplied in
my youth? Woe to every man who dieth in his
sins! Certainly that same terrible hour which over-
took my father Jacob when his soul took flight from
his body, behold to me is now imminent. O, how
miserable I am to-day, and worthy of lamentation!
But God alone is the director of my soul and body;
he also will do with them according to his pleasure.¹
CHAPTER XVII.
THIS is what Joseph, that just old man, said. Now
1 The lamentation and confession of Joseph finds its counterpart in
a Jewish confession quoted by Thilo from Buxtorf's Synodus Judaica.
8
114
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS
when I went in to him, I perceived his soul to be
greatly troubled; for he was in great anguish. And
I said to him, Hail, my father Joseph, thou just
man; how art thou? And he answered me, The
best of greetings, O, my beloved little son! Verily,
the pain and fear of death already surrounded me;
but as soon as I heard thy voice, my soul found rest.
O, Jesus the Nazarene! Jesus my Saviour! Jesus the
Deliverer of my soul! Jesus my protector! Jesus,
O, sweetest name in the mouth of me, and of all who
love it! Eye which seest, and ear which hearest,
hearken to me!¹ I, thy servant, to-day most humbly
venerate thee, and pour out my tears before thee.
Thou art altogether my God, thou art my Lord, as
the angel very often told me; but chiefly on that
day when my soul was tossed about by perverse
thoughts on account of the pure and blessed Mary,
who was with child, and whom I thought to put
away secretly. But while I meditated these things,
behold there appeared unto me in my sleep, angels
of the Lord, in a wondrous mystery, saying unto me,
O, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary thy
spouse, neither be sad, nor say unseemly words of
her conception, for she is with child of the Holy
Spirit, and shall bear a son, whose name shall be
called Jesus; for he shall save his people from their
sins. Bear me no ill will on this account, O, Lord;
¹ Thilo compares a similar phrase in the Hebrew Pirke Aboth, ii. 2.
;
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 115
for I knew not thy nativity. I remember, also, my
Lord, that day when the boy was killed by the bite
of a serpent. Now his relations wished to deliver
thee to Herod, saying thou hadst killed him: but
thou didst restore him to them raised from the dead.
Then I came and took thee by the hand, and said,
My son, take care for thyself. But thou answeredst
me, Art thou not my father according to the flesh?
I will teach thee who I am. Now, therefore, O, my
Lord and God, be not angry with me, nor condemn
me because of that hour. I am thy servant, and the
son of thy handmaid; but thou art my Lord, my
God and Saviour; most certainly the Son of God.
1
CHAPTER XVIII.
WHEN my father Joseph had said this, he could
weep no more, and I saw death already prevailing
over him. But my mother, the unsullied virgin,
rising and coming to me, said, O, my beloved son,
this pious old man Joseph is already dying. And I
replied, O, my mother, most loving, surely upon all
creatures, which are born in this world, lieth the
same necessity of dying: for death hath dominion
over all the human race. Thou, also, O, my virgin
mother, must expect the same end of life with all
1 Ps. cxvi. 16. This chapter contains allusions to the Evangelists,
and also to other Apocryphal Gospels.
116
APOCRYFHAL GOSPELS.
3
1
other mortals. Nevertheless, thy death, as also the
death of this pious man, is not death, but perennial
life for ever.
But it behoveth me too to die, as
respects the body which I received from thee. But
arise, 0, my venerable mother, go and enter to
Joseph, the blessed old man, that thou mayest see
what happeneth when his soul goeth up from his
body.
CHAPTER XIX
THEREFORE, Mary, my pure mother, went and
entered the place where Joseph was, and I sat at his
feet looking at him; but the signs of death now ap-
peared in his face. And that blessed old man, with
head raised, and fixed eyes, looked into my face: yet
he possessed no power to address me, because of the
pain of death, which held him enclosed round; but
he drew many sighs. And I held his hand for the
space of one whole hour: and he, with his face
turned towards me, signified that I should not leave
him. Afterwards, placing my hand upon his breast,
I perceived his soul near his throat, preparing to
depart from its receptacle.
CHAPTER XX.
Now when my virgin mother saw me touching his
body, she also touched his feet; and finding them
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 117
already half-dead, and without heat, she said to me,
O, my beloved son, clearly his feet now begin to grow
cold, and are like the coldness of snow. Then when
his sons and daughters had been called, she said to
them, Come, all of you, and approach your father:
for certainly he is now come to his end. Assia, the
daughter of Joseph, answered, saying, Woe, unto
me, O, my brethren, surely this is the same disease
as was that of my beloved mother. And she wailed
and wept, and all the other children of Joseph
lamented with her. I also, and Mary my mother,
wept with them.
CHAPTER XXI.
AND turning my eyes to the south side, I saw
Death now coming, and all Gehenna with it, crowded
with its host and attendants; and their garments,
faces, and mouths cast out fire. When my father
Joseph saw these come straight to him, his eyes were
bathed in tears; and the same moment he groaned in
a wonderful manner. Therefore, seeing the violence
of his sighs, I repulsed Death, and all the host of
followers which attended him. And I called upon
my good Father, saying:
CHAPTER XXII.
O FATHER of all mercy, Eye which seest, and
118
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Ear which hearest, hearken to my supplication and
prayers for the old man Joseph; and send Michael,
the prince of thy angels, and Gabriel, the herald of
light, and all the light of thy angels; and let their
whole order journey with the soul of my father
Joseph, until they have brought it to thee. This is
the hour wherein my father hath need of mercy.
Now I say to you, that all saints, nay, all men that
are born in the world, whether they be just or wicked,
must needs taste death.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THEREFORE, Michael and Gabriel came to the soul
of my father Joseph; and, having received it, wrap-
ped it in a bright wrapper. So he committed his
spirit into the hands of my good Father, who be-
stowed upon him peace. And none of his children
yet knew that he had fallen asleep. But the angels
preserved his soul from the demons of darkness,
which were in the way; and they praised God, until
they brought it to the habitation of the pious.
CHAPTER XXIV.
BUT his body lay prostrate and lifeless; where-
1 The wrapping up of Joseph's soul is an anomaly. It might seem
as if the body were meant. The Hebrew Nephesh sometimes means
a dead body. What follows, however, compels us to retain the word
'soul.'
!
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 119
fore, putting my hands to his eyes, I arranged them,
and I closed his mouth. And I said to Mary the
virgin, O, my mother, where is his trade, which he
professed all the time he lived in this world? Behold
it is now perished, and is as if it had never existed.
When his children heard me speaking thus with my
pure virgin mother, they knew that he had now
expired; and, mingling their tears, they wailed.
But I said to them, Surely the death of your father
is not death, but life eternal; for he is delivered
from the sorrows of this world, and hath passed
away to rest, which is perpetual, and will endure for
ever. When they heard this, they rent their gar-
ments, weeping.
CHAPTER XXV.
AND the inhabitants of the city of Nazareth and
all Galilee, when they knew of their mourning,
flocked unto them, and wept from the third hour till
the ninth. And at the ninth hour, they all went
together to the bed of Joseph. And they took up
his body after they had anointed it with excellent
ointments. But I prayed to my Father with the
prayer of the heavenly ones: it was the same which
I wrote with my hand before I was borne in the
womb of Mary, my virgin mother. Now as soon as
I had finished it, and uttered Amen, an immense
120
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
multitude of angels came; and I commanded two of
them to spread out a bright vestment, and wrap in
it the body of the blessed old man Joseph.¹
CHAPTER XXVI.
thee, nor shall worm
Not a single limb of
2
AND addressing Joseph, I said, The odour or stink
of death shall not prevail in
ever proceed from thy body.
it shall be broken, nor shall any hair in thy head be
changed, nor shall any of thy body perish, O, my
father Joseph; but it shall remain entire and un-
corrupted, until the banquet of a thousand years.²
And whatever mortal is mindful of the oblation on
the day of thy memorial, him will I bless and reward
in the congregation of virgins. And whoever giveth
food to the wretched poor, widows, and orphans, of
the work of his hands on the day when thy memory
is celebrated, and in thy name, he shall not be with-
out good all the days of his life. Whoever, also,
shall offer to drink a cup of water or of wine to the
widow or orphan in thy name, I will give him to
thee, that thou mayest go with him to the banquet
of a thousand years. And every man that shall
¹ See the preceding note.
2 This millenarian idea does not of necessity imply a very early date
for the book, but may be due to certain texts in the Apocalypse, as
Rev. xx. 4. What follows about the annual commemoration of Joseph,.
can certainly lay no claim to high antiquity.
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 121
attend to the oblation on the day of thy commemora-
tion, I will bless him, and give him a recompense in
the church of virgins: I will return him (I say)
thirty, sixty, and one hundred for one. And who-
ever writeth the history of thy life, thy labour, and
thy departure from this world, and this discourse
delivered by my mouth, I will commit him to thy
guardianship while he shall remain in this life. And
when his soul departeth from the body, and when he
must leave this world, I will burn the book of his
sins, nor will I torment him with any punishment in
the day of judgment; but he shall cross the fiery
sea, and shall traverse it without difficulty and pain.
This is incumbent upon every needy man who can-
not do any of the things which I have mentioned,-
that if a son is born to him, he shall call his name
Joseph. So neither poverty nor sudden death shall
have place in that house for ever.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THEN came the chief men of the city to the place
where the body of the blessed old man Joseph was
laid; and they brought with them mourning gar-
ments, and wished to wrap it in them, according to
the manner in which the Jews are wont to arrange
dead bodies. But they perceived that he held his
shroud as if it were fastened; for so did it adhere to
122
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
his body that, when they desired to take it off, it
was found like iron-immoveable and inseparable.
Nor could they find any edges in the shroud, which
thing filled them with the greatest astonishment.
At length they bore it away to a place where there
was a cave, and they opened the door to deposit his
body among the bodies of his fathers. Then came
into my mind the day on which he journeyed with
me into Egypt, and that great trouble which he
endured on my account. Then I wept for his death
a long time, and bowing over his body, I said :-
CHAPTER XXVIII.
O DEATH! who renderest all human knowledge
vain, and callest forth so many tears and lamenta-
tions, certainly it is God my Father who hath allowed
thee this power. For through the transgression of
Adam and his wife, Eve, men perish, and death
spareth not even one.¹ Yet it befalleth no one and
inflicteth nothing without the commandment of my
Father. Men have existed, indeed, who have pro-
longed their life to as much as nine hundred years;
but they have died.2 Nay, though some of them
may have lived longer, they nevertheless succumbed
to the same fate, nor did any of them ever say, I
have not tasted death. But the Lord never inflicteth
2 Gen. v. 5.
¹ Gen. iii. 6; Rom. v. 12; 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22.
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER.
123
the same penalty more than once, when it hath
pleased my Father to send it upon a man. In the
same moment when it cometh forth it seeth the com-
mand descending to it out of heaven, and it saith,
I will go forth against that man to cause him great
trouble. Then without delay an assault is made
upon the soul, and death ruleth over it, doing with
it as it will. For because Adam did not the will of
my Father, but transgressed his commandment, my
Father, being provoked to anger against him, de-
voted him to death, and for this cause death entered
the world. But if Adam had kept the precept of
my Father, death would never have befallen him.
Think ye that I can seek from my good Father that
he would send me a fiery chariot,³ to receive the body
of my father Joseph, and remove it to a place of
rest, to dwell with spiritual beings? But for the
prevarication of Adam, this affliction and violence of
death descendeth upon the whole human race; and
this is the reason why it behoveth me to die accord-
ing to the flesh, namely, for my work, or men whom
I created that they might obtain favour.
1
CHAPTER XXIX.
HAVING said thus I embraced the body of my
father Joseph, and wept over it; but the others
1 Heb. ix. 27.
2 Gen. iii. xix.
3 2 Kings, ü. 11.
124
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
opened the door of the sepulchre and laid his body
in it beside the body of his father Jacob. Now when
he fell asleep he had completed one hundred and
eleven years.
Never did any tooth ache in his
mouth, nor did the sight of his eyes grow dim, nor
did his form bend, nor his strength fail; but he ap-
plied himself to his carpenter's trade, even to the
last day of his life, and that day was the 26th of the
month Abib.
CHAPTER XXX.
Now we apostles, when we heard this from our
Saviour, joyfully arose, and with prostrate body ren-
dered honour to him, saying, O our Saviour, display
to us thy grace; for now we have heard the word
of life. Yet we wonder, O our Saviour, at the fate
of Enoch and Elijah, that they were not exposed to
any death. For they dwell in the place of the just
unto the present day, and their bodies have not seen
corruption. But that old man Joseph, the carpenter,
was still thy father after the flesh. Now thou hast
commanded that we should go through all the world
and preach the holy Gospel, and thou hast said,
Tell them also the death of my father Joseph, and
celebrate a festal and sacred day to him in an annual
solemnity. But whoever shall diminish aught from
1
1 The importance attached to the commemoration of Joseph savours
of no early date. The day mentioned, Abib 26th, is said in the
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 125
this word, or add anything to it, he sinneth. Now
we are surprised that Joseph, from the day when
thou wast born at Bethlehem, called thee his son
according to the flesh. Why, then, hast thou not
made him immortal as Enoch and Elijah are? and
thou sayest he was just and elect.
?
CHAPTER XXXI.
AND our Saviour answered and said, Now indeed
is the prophecy of my Father fulfilled concerning
Adam for his disobedience. And all things are dis-
posed according to the nod and will of my Father.
If a man setteth aside the command of God, and fol-
loweth the works of the devil by committing sin, his
age is prolonged: thus, indeed, is he preserved alive
that, perchance, he may repent, and consider that he
must be delivered into the hand of death. And if
anyone hath been zealous of good works, and his
time of life is prolonged, it is that as the fame of
his old age increaseth good men may imitate him.
But when ye see a man whose soul is prone to wrath,
let his days surely be shortened; for it is these who
are taken away in the flower of their age. There-
fore every prophecy, which my Father hath uttered
Arabic preface to answer to Ab, which was the Syriac name of the
month falling in July and August. The Ethiopic and Coptic churches
still observe the death of Joseph about the same time. The Church
of Rome places Joseph at March 19th.
126
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
concerning the sons of men, must in all respects be
fulfilled. But as to Enoch and Elijah, that they
continue alive to this day, retaining the same bodies
with which they were born, and as to my father
Joseph to whom continuance in his body is not al-
lotted as to them; verily, even if a man lived many
myriads of years in the world, he is nevertheless com-
pelled at some time to exchange life for death. And
I tell you, O my brethren, that these same men Enoch
and Elijah, must return into the world at the end
of time, and depart this life, namely in the day of
commotion, terror, anguish, and affliction.¹ For Anti-
christ will slay four bodies, and will shed their blood
like water, for the reproach to which they will ex-
pose him, and the ignominy wherewith, when they
have detected his impiety, while living, they will
brand him.
CHAPTER XXXII.
AND we said, O our Lord, our God and Saviour,
who are those four that thou saidst Antichrist would
put out of the way because of their rebuke? The
Saviour answered, They are Enoch, Elijah, Shila,
and Tabitha. When we heard this word from our
Saviour, we rejoiced and were glad, and offered all
2
1 It was an old notion that the two witnesses to be slain by Antichrist
were Enoch and Elijah (Rev. xi. 3–12).
2 For Tabitha see Acts ix. 36.
Shila I am unable to identify.
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 127
1
1
glory and thanksgiving to the Lord God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ. He it is to whom is due glory,
honour, dignity, dominion, power, and praise, as well
as to the good Father with him, and to the Holy
life-giving Spirit henceforth and at all time for ever
and ever. Amen.¹
1 Thilo observes that some of the epithets of this doxology occur
in some of the Syrian, Coptic, and Greek liturgies.
128
V.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. (I.)
TISCHENDORF gives us two Greek texts of this apo-
cryphal book, and a Latin translation. It is of un-
questionably early origin; indeed it is thought to
have been known to Irenæus before the end of the
second century. Judging from its character, it has
been regarded as written originally with the inten-
tion of favouring Docetism, though M. Nicolas finds
in it traces of Judaising Christianity as well as of
Docetism. Whatever its origin, it is a document in
many ways remarkable. The style of the Greek
is often obscure and always rude and inferior, and
its tone and temper betray a singular misappre-
hension of the true spirit and character of Christ.
Possibly it was drawn up in Syria, and a Syriac
text has been found in the British Museum and
published by Dr. W. Wright. The Syriac text
differs in various details from those of Tischendorf,
of which it is to be regarded as another recension.
The true authorship is of course unknown. It may
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
129
!
be viewed as a collection of foolish traditions, or
fables invented to supply an account of that period
in our Lord's history, respecting which the genuine
Gospels are almost silent. These fables were probably
varied and multiplied by the writer. The most no-
ticeable features of the book are its grossly fictitious
character, and its anti-evangelical representations;
or, as Bishop Ellicott says, "pious fraud and dis-
guised heresy." It is of course utterly worthless,
except as illustrating the recklessness of many pro-
fessed followers of Christ at an early period. The
miracles which it narrates are mostly either puerile,
or malevolent and cruel. Some of its details are to
be found in other Apocryphal Gospels, but next to
the Protevangelium its plan is most specific; indeed,
so far as Christ's infancy is concerned it is the most
specific document of its class. The time over which
it extends is supposed to be seven years. The stories.
of which it is made up are arranged chronologically,
but it appears needless to exhibit a summary of them.
There is good reason for believing that the Gospel of
Thomas as here exhibited contains less than some
ancient copies of it.
130
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
1
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
Sayings of Thomas, the Israelite Philosopher, on the
Infant Acts of the Lord.
CHAPTER I.
I THOMAS the Israelite declare to all of you, who
are brethren of the Gentiles, that I make known the
infant acts and great deeds of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which he did when he had been born in our country:
whose beginning was in this wise :
CHAPTER II.
THIS child Jesus, being five years old, was playing
at the crossing of a stream, and he collected the
running waters into pools, and immediately made
them pure; and by his word alone he commanded
them. And having made some soft clay he fashioned
out of it twelve sparrows; and it was the Sabbath
when he did these things. And there were also
many other children playing with him.
And a

THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
certain Jew seeing what Jesus did, playing on the
Sabbath, went immediately and said to Joseph his
father: Behold thy child is at the watercourse, and
hath taken clay and formed twelve birds, and hath
profaned the Sabbath. And Joseph came to the
place, and when he saw him he cried unto him say-
ing, Why art thou doing these things on the Sabbath,
which it is not lawful to do? And Jesus clapped his
hands and cried unto the sparrows, and said to them,
Go away and the sparrows flew up, and departed,
making a noise. And the Jews who saw it were
astonished, and went and told their leaders what they
had seen Jesus do.¹
CHAPTER III.
Now the son of Annas the Scribe was standing
there with Joseph, and took a branch of a willow
and spilled the water which Jesus had collected.
And when Jesus saw what was done he was angry
and said to him, Wicked, impious, and foolish one,
wherein have the pools and the water wronged thee?
Behold, now thou also shalt wither as a tree, and
shalt not produce either leaves, or root, or fruit.
And suddenly the boy withered altogether. And
Jesus departed and went away to the house of
Joseph. And the parents of him that was withered
1 Comp. Pseudo-Matth. xxvi., etc.
1

APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
carried him, bemoaning his youth, and brought him
to Joseph, and accused him (saying), Such a son
hast thou as doeth such things.
CHAPTER IV.
THEN again he went through the village, and a
boy ran and thrust against his shoulder; and Jesus.
being vexed, said to him, Thou shalt not finish thy
journey. And immediately he fell down and died.
And some who saw what was done, said, Whence was
this boy born? for every word of his becometh at
once a deed. And the parents of him that was dead
came to Joseph and made complaint, saying, Thou
who hast such a child, canst not dwell with us in
the village; teach him to bless and not to curse;
for he killeth our children.
CHAPTER V.
AND Joseph called the boy to him privately and
admonished him, saying, Why hast thou perpetrated
such things, and (why do) these suffer, and hate and
persecute us? And Jesus said, I know that these
thy words are not thine; nevertheless I will be silent
because of thee; but they shall bear their punish-
ment. And immediately they who accused him be-
came blind.
And they who saw it were greatly
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
133
afraid and perplexed, and said concerning him, that
every word he spake, whether good or bad, was a
deed, and became a wonder. And when they saw
that Jesus did thus, Joseph arose and took him by
the ear and pulled it violently. And the child was
angry and said to him, It is enough for thee to seek
and not to find, and thou hast done very unwisely.
Knowest thou not that I am thine? grieve me not. 1
CHAPTER VI.
AND a certain teacher named Zacchæus stood in a
certain place and heard Jesus saying these things to
his father; and he wondered greatly that being a
child he said such things. And after a few days he
came to Joseph and said to him, Thou hast an intel-
ligent child, and he hath understanding; come, give
him to me, that he may learn letters, and I will
teach him with his letters all science, and how to
address the elders, and to honour them as ancestors
and fathers, and to love those of his own age. And
he told him all the letters from Alpha to Omega
with much distinctness and clearly. And looking at
the teacher Zaccheus he saith to him, Thou that
knowest not Alpha naturally, how dost thou teach
Beta to others? Hypocrite; if thou knowest, first
teach Alpha, and then we shall believe thee con-
1 Pseudo-Matth. xxix.
1.34
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
cerning Beta. Then he began to puzzle the teacher
about the first letter, and he could not answer him.
And in the hearing of many, the child said to Zac-
chæus, Hear, teacher, the arrangement of the first
letter, and notice here how it hath lines and a middle
stroke which thou seest crossing those that are com-
mon, connected, with top projecting and again con-
tracting, (thou seest) they are triform of the same
kind, chief and subordinate, equal in length. Thou
hast the lines of the Alpha.¹
CHAPTER VII.
AND when the teacher Zacchæus heard the boy
speak such and so great allegories of the first letter,
he was perplexed by his great vindication and teach-
ing, and said to those who were present, Alas, un-
happy me! I am at a loss, I have brought shame
upon myself by taking charge of this child. Take
him away then, I entreat thee, brother Joseph, I
cannot bear the severity of his gaze; I cannot ex-
plain the matter at all. This child is not of earthly
parents, he is able to subdue even fire. Perhaps he
was begotten before the world was made. What
womb bore him, and what lap nursed him I know
not. Alas, my friend, he surpasseth me, I shall not
attain to his understanding. I have deceived my
1 Pseudo-Matth. xxx., xxxi.
A
}
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
135
self, O most wretched me! I desired to obtain a
pupil, and I find I have a tutor. My friends, I am
filled with shame, for I who am an old man am de-
feated by a child. I suffer affliction and death
through this child; for this very hour I cannot look
into his face. And when all say I was overcome by
a little child, what can I say? or what can I tell of
the lines of the first letter, which he told me of? I
know not. O friends; for I know not its beginning
and end. Wherefore I beseech thee, brother Joseph,
take him away to thy house. Whatever great thing
He is, whether God or Angel, or what to say, I
know not.
CHAPTER VIII.
AND when the Jews encouraged Zacchæus, the
child laughed greatly, and said: Now let thy works
be fruitful, and let the blind in heart see.
I come
from above that I may curse them, and call to things
on high, as He who sent me ordained for your sakes.
And as the child paused in his speech, straightway
all who had fallen under his curse were delivered.
And thenceforward no one dared provoke him, lest
he should curse him and he become blind.
CHAPTER IX.
AND after some days Jesus was playing in a cer-
136
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
tain house in an upper room, and one of the children
who were playing with him fell down from the house
and died. And when the other children saw it, they
fled, and Jesus remained alone. And the parents of
him that was dead came and accused him.
[saying, verily thou causedst him to fall. But Jesus
said, I did not cause him to fall.]
and
they threatened him.¹ Jesus leaped down from the
roof and stood by the dead body of the child and
cried with a loud voice, and said,-Zeno! (for so
was he called by name), rise and tell me; did I cast
thee down? And immediately he rose and said,-
Nay, Lord, thou hast not cast me down, but raised
me up. And seeing this they were amazed. And
the parents of the boy glorified God for the miracle
which had been done, and worshipped Jesus.
1
CHAPTER X.
AFTER a few days, a certain young man was cleav-
ing wood in the corner, and the axe fell and cut
asunder the sole of his foot; and losing all his blood,
he died. And there was a clamour and a crowd, and
the child Jesus ran thither, and by force he passed
through the throng, and took hold of the wounded
foot of the young man, and straightway he was
healed. And he said to the young man,-Rise now,
The text is here corrupt or defective.
2 Pseudo-Matt. xxxii.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
137
cleave wood, and remember me. And the crowd
who saw what was done, worshipped the Child,
saying,-Truly the Spirit of God dwelleth in this
Child.
CHAPTER XI.
AND when he was six years old, his mother sent
him to draw water and bring it home, giving him a
water-pot. And being thronged by the crowd, the
water-pot was broken. But Jesus spreading out the
garment with which he was clothed, filled it with.
water, and carried it to his mother, And when his
mother saw the miracle which was done, she kissed
him, and kept to herself the wonders which she saw
him do.¹
CHAPTER XII.
AND again, at the time for sowing, the Child went
out with his father to sow corn in their field, and
when his father sowed, the child Jesus also sowed
one grain of corn. And having reaped and threshed
it, he made a hundred quarters of it. And having
called all the poor of the village to the threshing
floor, he bestowed the corn on them; and Joseph
took away what was left of the corn. Now Jesus
was eight years old when he wrought this miracle. 2
1 Pseudo-Matt. xxxiii.
2 Pseudo-Matt. xxxiv.
138
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
1
CHAPTER XIII.
Now his father was a carpenter, and made at that
time ploughs and yokes; and a couch was ordered
of him by a certain rich man, to make it for him;
and one of the pieces known as a side piece, being
too short, they knew not what to do, wherefore the
child Jesus said to his father Joseph,-Lay down the
two pieces of wood, and let the centre of one be upon
the centre of the other. And Joseph did as the
child said to him; and Jesus stood at the other end,
and took hold of the wood which was too short, and
stretched it and made it equal to the other. His
father Joseph saw and marvelled, and embracing the
child he kissed him, saying: Happy am I, because
God hath given this child to me.¹
CHAPTER XIV.
AND Joseph seeing the understanding of the child
and his growth, that he was becoming a youth, con-
sidered that he should not remain unacquainted with
letters, and he took him and handed him over to
another teacher: and the teacher said to Joseph, I
will first instruct him in Greek, and then in Hebrew,
for the teacher knew the cleverness of the child, and
was afraid of him. Nevertheless he wrote the alpha-
1 Pseudo-Matth. xxxvii.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
139
r
bet and repeated it to him for a long time; and he
did not answer him; and Jesus said to him, If thou
art indeed a teacher, and if thou knowest the letters
well, tell me the power of Alpha, and I will tell thee
that of Beta; and the teacher, being annoyed, struck
him on the head, and the child was vexed and cursed
him, and immediately he became senseless, and fell
upon his face on the ground, and the child returned
to the house of Joseph. And Joseph was grieved,
and charged his mother, saying, thou shalt not send
him outside the door, for they die who provoke him
to anger.¹
CHAPTER XV.
AND after some time, another instructor, who was
a near friend of Joseph, said to him, Bring me the
child to school, perhaps I may be able with coaxing
to teach him letters. And Joseph said, If thou art
bold enough, brother, take him with thee; and he
took him with him with fear and much inward con-
flict; but the child went cheerfully, and boldly
entering the school, he found a book lying upon the
desk, and he took it up but did not read the letters
in it, but opened his mouth and spake by the Holy
Spirit, and taught the law to those who stood around.
And a great crowd assembled and stood by listening
to him, and they wondered at the beauty of his
1 Pseudo-Matth. xxxviii.
140
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
teaching, and the fluency of his words, because, al-
though a child, he spake such things. Now when
Joseph heard it, he was afraid, and ran into the
school, thinking whether this teacher was unskilful.
But the teacher said to Joseph, Thou must know,
brother, that I received the child as a pupil, but he
is full of much grace and wisdom; and now I be-
seech thee, take him to thy house. And when the
child heard this, he straightway laughed at him and
said, Because thou hast rightly spoken and rightly
testified, for thy sake he that was smitten shall be
healed. And forthwith the other teacher was healed.
And Joseph took the child and went to his home.¹
CHAPTER XVI.
AND Joseph sent his son James to tie up wood and
carry it into his house; and the child Jesus also fol-
lowed him; and as James was gathering sticks, a
viper bit the hand of James; and when he was tor-
tured and near dying, Jesus approached and blew on
the bite, and the pain at once ceased; and the beast
was rent, and immediately James remained well.2
CHAPTER XVII.
AND after these things, a certain child among the
1 Pseudo-Matth. xxxix.
2 Pseudo-Matth. xli.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
141
neighbours of Joseph, fell sick and died, and his
mother wept for him exceedingly; and Jesus heard
that great grief and trouble prevailed, and ran in
haste, and found the child dead; and he touched
him on the breast and said to him, I say unto thee,
babe, thou shalt not die, but live, and be with thy
mother. And immediately he looked up and smiled.
And he said to the woman, Take him and give him
milk, and remember me. And the crowd that stood
by wondered and said, Verily this Child was either
God or an angel of God, for every word of his is at
once a deed. And Jesus went out thence to play
with other children.¹
CHAPTER XVIII.
AND after some time, there was a house built, and
a great clamour, and Jesus stood and went thither,
and seeing a man lying dead, he took him by his
hand and said, I say unto thee, man, arise, and do
thy work; and he straightway arose and worshipped
him. And the crowd which saw, wondered and
said, This is a heavenly child; for he hath saved
many souls from death, and hath to save them all
his life.
1 Comp. Pseudo-Matth. xl.
142
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER XIX.
AND when he was twelve years old, his parents
went, according to custom, to Jerusalem to the feast
of the passover with their companions, and after the
passover, they were returning to their homes, and
when they returned, the child Jesus went up to
Jerusalem; but his parents thought he was in the
company. And when they had journeyed one day,
they sought him among their kinsfolk, and not find-
ing him they were sorrowful, and went back to the
city seeking him; and after the third day they found
him in the temple sitting among the doctors, and
hearing the law and questioning them. And all
gave heed and marvelled how he, being a child,
puzzled the elders and doctors of the people, resolv-
ing the chapters of the law and the parables of the
prophets. And his mother, Mary, came to him and
said, Child, why hast thou done this to us? Behold,
we have sought thee sorrowing. And Jesus said to
them, Why seek ye me? Know ye not that I must
be about my Father's business? And the scribes.
and Pharisees said, Art thou the mother of this
child? And she said, I am. And they said to
her, Blessed art thou among women, for God hath
blessed the fruit of thy womb; for such glory and
such virtue and wisdom, we never either saw or
'heard. And Jesus arose and followed his mother,
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
143
and was subject to his parents. And his mother
stored up all that happened. And Jesus advanced
in wisdom, stature, and grace.¹ To him be glory for
ever and ever. Amen.
1 Luke ü. 41–52.
144
VI.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. (II.)
AFTER the remarks prefixed to the former recension
of the Gospel of Thomas, little remains to be said.
This is a briefer collection of the same stories, com-
mencing when Jesus was five years old and ending
when he was eight. The details, however, are not
always the same in the two books. If the longer
text of this false Gospel contains less than some
ancient copies, it is to be supposed that, for one
reason or another, transcribers and editors only ap-
propriated so much of it as suited their purpose.
This shorter copy is inserted here to show how little
importance was really attached to documents of this
kind. That it was so is manifest from the extra-
ordinary freedom which was taken with them, alter-
ing, abridging, omitting, or adding to them at
pleasure. To such an extent was this carried that
probably the restoration of a single original text of
this class is beyond all hope of attainment. The
shorter Thomas was first published by Tischendorf.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
145
BOOK OF THE HOLY APOSTLE THOMAS,
CONCERNING THE CONDUCT OF THE LORD WHEN A CHILD.
CHAPTER I.
I THOMAS the Israelite have thought it necessary
to make known to all the brethren of my nation
the infantine marvels which our Lord Jesus Christ
wrought while he dwelt in the body in the city of
Nazareth, entering on the fifth year of his age.
CHAPTER II.
ON a certain day there was a shower, and he went
out of the house where his mother was, and played
on the ground where the water ran down. And
having made pools, he stopped the water, and the
pools were filled with water. Then said he, I will
that ye waters be clear and bright. And imme-
diately they became so. And a certain child of
Annas the Scribe coming by and carrying a willow
stick, broke down the pools with the stick, and the
water ran out. And Jesus turned and said to him,
Impious and lawless one, why have the pools offended
10
1
I
116
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
thee, and why hast thou emptied them? Thou shalt
not return on thy way, and shalt be withered like
the stick which thou holdest. And as he went, a
little after he fell down and expired. And when the
children who played with him saw it they marvelled,
and went and told it to the father of him that was
dead. And he ran and found his child dead, and he
went away, accusing Joseph.
CHAPTER III.
AND Jesus made out of the clay twelve sparrows:
and it was the Sabbath. And a certain child ran and
told Joseph saying, Behold thy child is playing by
the watercourse, and hath made sparrows out of the
clay, which is not lawful. And when he heard it he
went and said to the Child, Why dost thou do thus,
profaning the Sabbath? And Jesus did not answer
him, but, looking at the sparrows, he said, Go, fly
away, and while ye live remember me. And at the
word they flew and went off into the air. And Joseph
saw and marvelled.
CHAPTER IV.
AND after some days, as Jesus was passing through
the city, a boy threw a stone at him and hit him on
the shoulder. And Jesus said to him, Thou shalt not
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
147
finish thy journey; and immediately he also fell down
and died. And they that happened to be there were
astonished, saying, Whence cometh this child, that
every word he speaketh forthwith becometh a deed?
But they also went away and accused Joseph, saying,
Thou canst not dwell with us in this city. But if
thou wilt, teach thy child to bless and not to curse,
for he slayeth our children, and whatever he saith
straightway cometh to pass.
CHAPTER V.
AND Joseph sat upon his seat and the child stood
before him and taking hold of him by the ear, he
pulled it violently. And Jesus looking at him said,
It is sufficient for thee.
CHAPTER VI.
AND on the morrow, taking him by the hand, he
led him to a certain instructor, named Zacchæus, and
said to him, Take this boy and teach him letters.
And he said, Hand him over to me, brother, and I
will teach him the Scripture, and will persuade him
to bless all, and not to curse. And when Jesus heard,
he laughed and said to them, Ye say what ye know;
but I understand more than you; for before the
worlds I am, and I know when your fathers' fathers
148
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
་
were born, and I understand how many are the years
of your lives.¹ And every one that heard was as-
tonished. And Jesus said to them again, Ye marvel
that I said to you, I know how many are the years
of your lives. Verily I know when the world was
created. Behold, ye believe me not at present: when
ye see my cross, then ye will believe that I
say true.
And they were amazed when they heard these things.
2
CHAPTER VII.
AND Zacchæus wrote the alphabet in Hebrew, and
said to him, Alpha. And the child said Alpha. And
the teacher said again, Alpha. And the child said
the same. Then again a third time the teacher said,
Alpha. Then Jesus, looking at the instructor, said,
Thou that knowest not Alpha, how wilt thou teach
another the Beta? And the child, beginning at
Alpha, said of himself the twenty-two letters. Then
again he said, Hearken, teacher, to the arrangement
of the first letter, and know how many accessories
and lines it hath, and marks which are common,
transverse, and connected. And when Zacchæus
heard such accounts of one letter, he was amazed and
could not answer him; and he turned to Joseph and
said, Verily this child is not earth-born; therefore
take him away from me.
¹ Comp. John viii. 56.
2 Comp. John i. 3.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
149
CHAPTER VIII.
AND after these things, Jesus was one day playing
with other boys upon the top of a house. And one
child was thrust down by another headlong to the
ground and died. And when the boys who played
with him saw it, they fled; and Jesus was left alone
standing upon the housetop from which the boy had
been pushed down. And when the parents of the
dead boy learned it, they ran with weeping, and
finding the boy lying dead upon the ground, but
Jesus standing above, suspecting that the boy had
been pushed down by him, they looked at and reviled
him. And when Jesus saw this, he immediately
leaped down from the house-top, and stood by the
head of him that was dead, and said to him, Zeno,
did I cast thee down? Arise and speak (for the boy
was so called). And at the word the boy arose, and
worshipping Jesus said, Lord, thou didst not cast me
down, but when I was dead thou gavest me life.
CHAPTER IX.
AND a few days after, one of the neighbours,
cleaving wood, cut off the sole of his foot with his
hatchet, and becoming senseless was about to die.
And much people running together, Jesus also came
there with them. And he took hold of the wounded
150
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
foot of the young man and healed him instantly, and
said to him, Arise, cleave thy wood. And he arose
and worshipped him, giving thanks and cleaving the
wood. In like manner also, all who were there
wondered and gave thanks to him.
CHAPTER X.
AND when he was seven years old, his mother
Mary sent him to fetch water from the well, and as
he went his pitcher was broken, and, going on to the
well, he spread out his garment, and drew water
from the well and filled it, and he took the water
and carried it to his mother. And she saw and was
amazed, and embraced and kissed him.
CHAPTER XI.
AND when he came to the eighth year of his age,
Joseph was ordered by a certain rich man to make
a couch for him; for he was a carpenter. And he
went out into the field to gather wood, and Jesus
went with him. And having cut down two trees,
and shaped the one, he put it beside the other, and
when he measured he found it too short, and on
seeing this he was grieved, and sought to find an-
other. But Jesus seeing it, saith to him, Lay these
two together in order to make them equal. And
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
151
ļ
Joseph, being at a loss as to what the child meant,
did what was bidden. And he saith to him again,
Take firm hold of the short piece of wood; and
Joseph, wondering, took hold of it. Then Jesus
also took hold of the other end and pulled it, and
he made it equal to the other piece, and said to
Joseph: Grieve no longer, but do thy work without
impediment. And when he saw, he marvelled ex-
ceedingly, and said within himself, Blessed am I,
that God hath given to me such a child. And when
they went away into the city, Joseph related it to
Mary; and when she saw and heard the wondrous
miracles of her Son, she rejoiced, glorifying him,
with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and
always, and for ever and ever. Amen.
152
VII
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. (III.)
THE Latin text of this contains at the commence-
ment certain details which are not in either of the
Greek texts. It commences with the flight into
Egypt, the account of which occupies chaps. i.-iii.
The fourth chapter begins with an introduction
answering to that at the head of the Greek copies.
The Latin writer has taken no small liberty with
his original, if we may judge from the longer
Thomas, and has made it an object to paraphrase
and expand his materials in some of the stories,
while he has condensed and abbreviated others,
omitting altogether two or three of them. The
conclusion is not in the Greek at all. It was first
published by Tischendorf from a manuscript in the
Vatican library. The editor has found some frag-
ments of another Latin text, of probably the fifth
century, and more nearly agreeing with the Greek.
We translate the Latin Thomas, to illustrate more
fully the nature and extent of the variations to be
found in the Christian Apocrypha.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
153
THE LATIN GOSPEL OF THOMAS;
OR, THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS, ACCORDING TO THOMAS.
CHAPTER I.
How Mary and Joseph fled with him into Egypt.
WHEN a commotion had been raised, because a
search had been made by Herod after our Lord
Jesus Christ that he might slay him, then an angel
said to Joseph, Take Mary and her child, and flee
into Egypt from the face of those who seek to slay
him. Now Jesus was two years old when he entered
Egypt.
And as he walked through a corn-field, he put out
his hand, and took of the ears, and put them on the
fire, and crushed them, and began to eat.
Now when they had come into Egypt, they found
a lodging in the house of a certain widow, and they
passed one year in the same place.
And Jesus was three years old, and when he saw
boys playing, he began to play with them. And he
took a dry fish and put it in a bason, and ordered it
to breathe, and it began to breathe. And he said
again to the fish: Reject the salt which thou hast,
154
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and go into the water; and so it came to pass.
But
the neighbours, seeing what was done, told the
widow woman in whose house Mary his mother was
staying, and when she heard it, she cast them out
of her house in great haste.
CHAPTER II.
How a Teacher cast Him out of the city.
AND as Jesus was walking with Mary his mother
through the city market-place, he looked up and
saw a teacher teaching his pupils; and behold twelve
sparrows which were quarrelling together fell from
the wall into the lap of the teacher who was teaching
the boys. But when Jesus saw it he laughed and
stopped. When the teacher saw him laughing, in
a great rage he said to his pupils, Go, fetch him to
me. Now when they had taken him, the master
took hold of his ear, and said, what hast thou seen
that thou hast made merry? But he said, Behold
master, a handful of corn. I showed it to them and
scattered the corn, which, at their peril, they carry
away; for it was this that they were fighting for—
that they might divide the corn. And Jesus de-
parted not thence till it was accomplished; and
when this was done, the teacher began to cast him
out of the city along with his mother.
! The fish appears to have been both salted and dried.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
155
CHAPTER III.
How Jesus departed out of Egypt.
AND behold an angel of the Lord met Mary and
said to her, Take the Child and return into the land
of the Jews, for they are dead who sought his life.
And Mary arose with Jesus, and they went to the
city of Nazareth, which is in the proper possessions
of her father. Now when Joseph went out of Egypt
after the death of Herod, he took him into the
desert until there should be peace in Jersusalem
from those who sought the Child's life; and he
thanked God that he gave him understanding, and
that he found favour before the Lord God.¹ Amen.
CHAPTER IV.
What the Lord Jesus did in the city of Nazareth.
Ir is glorious that Thomas the Israelite and
apostle of the Lord should also tell of the works of
Jesus after he came out of Egypt into Nazareth.
Understand, all of you, dearest brethren, what the !
Lord Jesus did when he was in the city of Nazareth,
which is in the first chapter.2
1 The three preceding chapters clearly form no part of the Gospel
of Thomas, although prefixed to it. Where they come from 1 know
not.
2 This paragraph is clearly a very slight modification of what the
ancient editor found as the introduction to the book. See the copies
from the Greek.
156
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Now when Jesus was five years old, there came a
great rain upon the earth, and the child Jesus
walked through it: and there was a dreadful rain,
which he gathered into a pool, and commanded by
his word that it should become pure, and imme-
diately it became so. Again he took of the clay
which was in that pool and made of it the number
of twelve sparrows.
Now it was the Sabbath when
Jesus did this among the Jewish children, and the
Jewish children went away saying to Joseph his
father, Behold thy son was playing with us, and
he took clay and made sparrows, which it was not
right to do on the Sabbath, and violated it. And
Joseph went to the child Jesus, and said to him,
Why hast thou done that which it was not right to
do on the Sabbath? And Jesus, spreading out his
hands, commanded the sparrows, saying, Retire aloft
and fly; ye shall find death from no one: and they
flew up and began with a cry to praise Almighty
God. And the Jews who saw what was done were
astonished, and departed, declaring the signs which
Jesus did. But a Pharisee, who was there with
Jesus, took an olive branch and began to disperse the
pool of water which Jesus had made, and when Jesus
saw this, he was troubled and said, Impious and
ignorant man of Sodom, what wrong have the pools
of water, my works, done to thee? Behold thou
shalt become as a dry tree, not having roots, or
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
157
[eaves, or fruit; and straightway he was withered
and fell to the earth and died. Now his parents
carried away his dead body, and they blamed Joseph,
saying, Behold what thy son hath done: teach him
to pray and not blaspheme.
CHAPTER V.
How the citizens were offended against Joseph
because of the deeds of Jesus.
AND a few days after, as Jesus walked with Joseph
through the town, one of the children ran against him
and smote him on the elbow. And Jesus said to him,
Thou shalt not finish thy journey. And immediately
he fell to the ground and died. Now when they
saw the miracles, they cried saying, Whence is this
child? And they said to Joseph, Such a child ought
not to be among us. And he took him and went
away. And they said to him, Depart from this place,
but if thou must be with us, teach him to pray and
not to blaspheme: but our sons are foolish. And
Joseph called Jesus and scolded him, saying, Why
dost thou blaspheme? The inhabitants cherish hatred
against us. But Jesus said, I know those words are
not mine, but are thine; yet I will be silent for thy
sake: but let them see in their own wisdom. And
immediately they who spake against Jesus were
made blind. And they walked about and said, All
158
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
the words which proceed from his mouth have effect.
And when Joseph saw what Jesus did, he took him
by the ear in a rage. But Jesus being troubled said
to Joseph, It is enough for thee to see me, not to
touch me.
For thou knowest not who I am: but if
thou knewest thou wouldst not grieve me. And al-
though I am now with thee I was made before thee.
CHAPTER VI.
How Jesus was treated by the teacher.
THEN a certain man named Zaccheus heard all
that Jesus said to Joseph, and wondering in himself
he said, I never saw such a child speaking thus.
And he came to Joseph and said, Thou hast a wise
child; send him to learn his letters; and when he
hath been taught in the knowledge of letters, I
will teach him honourably that he may not become
foolish. But Joseph answered and said to him, No
one can teach him save God alone. Dost thou believe
that Little One will be small? Now when Jesus
heard Joseph say such things, he said to Zacchæus,
Verily, master, for however great things proceed
from my mouth, they are true. And I was Lord
before all men; but ye are aliens.
For the glory of
given to you; for
And I know how many will
ages is given to me; nothing is
before the ages I am.
be the years of thy life; and that thou wilt be taken
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
159
into exile; as my Father hath said, that thou
mayest understand that all things which proceed
from my mouth are true. But the Jews who stood
by and heard the words which Jesus spake, were
astonished and said, We have seen such marvels, and
heard such words from this Child as we never heard
nor shall hear from any other man, neither from
chief priests, nor doctors, nor Pharisees.¹ And Jesus
answered and said to them, Why do ye wonder?
Do ye account it incredible because I have spoken
the truth? I know when ye and your fathers were
born, and, if I tell you more, when the world was
made; I know also who hath sent me to you. When
the Jews heard the words which the Child spoke,
they wondered at that which they could not answer.
And, returning to himself, the Child exulted and said,
I have spoken a proverb to you: but I know that ye
are weak and ignorant.
But the teacher said to Joseph, Bring him to me;
I will teach him letters. And Joseph took hold of
the child Jesus, and brought him into the house of
a certain teacher, where other boys were taught.2
And the master with pleasant speech began to teach
1 John vii. 46; Matt. vii. 29.
2 About A.D. 570, Antoninus of Placentia says he went to Nazareth,
"wherein are many marvels. Also there lies in the synagogue the
book in which the Lord had put A, B, C. In the synagogue also there
is the beam where the Lord sat with other children; this beam is
moved and raised by Christians, but Jews can in no wise move it, nor
does it allow itself to be carried out." Chapter v., as translated by
myself in the Journal of Sacred Literature for January, 1866.
160
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
him letters, and wrote for him the first lesson which
is from A to T, and began to caress him and to teach
him. But the instructor smote the Child on the head;
and the boy, when he had received the blow, said to
him, I ought to teach thee, and not thou to teach me.
I know the letters which thou wouldst teach me, and
I know that ye are unto me as vessels out of which
proceed sounds only and not wisdom.¹ And beginning
the lesson, he said through the letters from A to T
very rapidly. And he looked at the master and said
to him, Thou who knowest not how to interpret what
A is and T; how wilt thou teach others? O hypocrite,
if thou knowest and wilt tell me about A, then I will
tell thee about B. But when the doctor began to
teach him about the first letter, he was not able to
give him an answer. And Jesus said to Zacchæus,
Hear me, doctor; understand the first letter. Ob-
serve how it hath two lines; in the middle, ad-
vancing, remaining, giving, scattering, varying, me-
nacing: threefold and doubly mingling: in like
manner at the same time having all things common.2
When Zacchæus saw that he so divided the first
letter, he was astonished at the first letter, and at
such a man and teaching, and he cried out and said,
Alas for me, I am confounded; I have hired shame
1 Cor. xiii. 1; xiv. 7.
2 Like the corresponding passage in others of the false Gospels, this
passage is of course intentionally obscure.
!
161
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
to myself by means of this child. And he said to
Joseph, I pray thee earnestly, brother, take him
from me, for I cannot look at his face, nor hear his
weighty sayings. For this child can subdue fire,
and restrain the sea; for he was born before the
ages.
What womb bare him, or what mother nou-
rished him, I know not. O my friends, I am humbled
in my mind; unhappy I am mocked. I said I had
a pupil; but he is found to be my teacher. And I
cannot overcome my shame, for I am old; and I
cannot tell what to say to him. Wherefore I must
fall into great weakness, and leave this world, or de-
part from this city: for all see my shame: a child
hath deceived me. What answer can I make to
others, or what words can I repeat, since he hath
defeated me at the first letter? I am astounded, O
my friends and acquaintances, neither can I find
beginning or end in response to him. And now I
pray thee, brother Joseph, take him from me and
lead him to thy house, for he is a master, or a Lord,
or an angel. What to say, I know not.
And Jesus turning to the Jews who were with
Zacchæus, said to them, Now let all who see not, see,
and those who understand not, understand, and the
deaf hear, and let those who are dead because of me
rise again, and let me call to higher things those
who are lofty, as He who sent me to you commanded
me. Now when the child Jesus had left off speaking,
11
162
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
all the infirm were restored who had been made in-
firm through his words. And they dared not to
speak to him.
CHAPTER VII.
How Jesus raised a boy.
ONE day when he went up on a certain house-top
with some children, Jesus began to play with them,
But one of the boys fell through the back-door, and
immediately died. And when the children saw it, they
all fled; but Jesus remained on the house-top. And
when the parents of the boy that was dead, had come,
they said to Jesus, Truly thou didst make him fall.
And they laid wait for him. But Jesus going down
from the house, stood over the dead child, and called
with a loud voice the name of the child, Sinoo, Sinoo,
arise and say if I made thee fall. And suddenly he
arose and said, No, Lord. Now when his parents
saw so great a miracle which Jesus did, they glorified
God and adored Jesus.
CHAPTER VIII.
How Jesus healed the foot of a boy.
Now after a few days a certain boy was splitting
wood in the same village, and wounded his foot.
And a great crowd came to him, and Jesus came
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
163
with them. And he touched the foot which was
hurt, and it was immediately made well. And Jesus
said to him, Arise, chop wood, and remember me.
Now when the crowd saw the signs which were done
with him, they adored Jesus and said, Truly we be-
lieve most certainly that thou art God.¹
CHAPTER IX.
How Jesus brought water in his garment.
AND when Jesus was six years old, his mother
directed him to draw some water. And when Jesus
came to the fountain or well, there were great mul-
titudes there and they broke his waterpot. But he
took his garment with which he was clothed, and
filled it with the water, and brought it to Mary his
mother. And when his mother saw the miracle
which Jesus did, she kissed him and said, Lord, hear
me, and save my son.2
*
CHAPTER X.
How Jesus sowed wheat.
Now when it was seed-time, Joseph went out to
sow wheat and Jesus followed him. But when Joseph
1 This shows plainly enough the writer's belief in the Deity of Jesus.
2 This shows with equal plainness that the writer distinguished
between the Deity and the humanity in Christ. The prayer is remark-
able,-salva filium meum !
1
164
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
began to sow, Jesus put out his hand, and took of
the wheat as much as he could hold in his fist, and
scattered it. Then Joseph came in the time of reap-
ing, that he might reap his crop. Jesus also came,
and gathered the ears which he had scattered, and
they made a hundred bushels of the best corn. And
he called the poor, and widows, and orphans, and
bestowed on them the wheat which he had made. Of
the same corn Joseph took a little for a blessing from
Jesus to his house.¹
4T4
CHAPTER XI.
How Jesus made a short piece of wood equal to a
longer.
AND Jesus was eight years old. Joseph was a
carpenter, and made ploughs and yokes for oxen.
On a certain day a rich man said to Joseph, Master,
1 The phrase "took a little for a blessing," points to the belief in
what the whole system of relics rests upon. Pilgrims to the Holy Land
in the sixth century "took a little for a blessing," of many things
which the priests invited or allowed them to take. See for example
the pilgrimage of Antoninus of Placentia, chap. xviii., etc. (translated
by myself for the Journal of Sacred Literature, January, 1866). Anto-
ninus was shown, cir. A.D. 570, the field in which Jesus produced the
miraculous crop of corn. In chap. xiii., speaking of Jericho, he says,
"Before the Church is the sacred field of the Lord, in which our Lord
sowed corn with his own hand-sowing as much as three bushels of
corn, which also is gathered twice a year; first in the month of Feb-
ruary that it may be used at the communion at Easter; where it has
been gathered it is ploughed, and gathered again with the rest of the
harvest. Then it is ploughed again." The reader will compare this
for himself with the version in the text. Certainly it puts a new face
on the transaction, and especially the miraculous part of it. It would
almost seem as if the miracle had not yet been invented; and if so,
}
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
165
make me a couch both useful and handsome. Now
Joseph was in trouble because the wood which he
had cut out for this work was too short. Jesus said
to him, Be not sad. Take this wood at one end, and
I at the other, and we will stretch it. Which also
was done. And immediately he found it fit for what
he wanted it. And he said to Joseph, Behold, make
what thou wilt. Now when Joseph saw what he had
done, he embraced him and said, Blessed am I, in
that God hath given me such a son.
CHAPTER XII.
How Jesus was sent to learn Letters.
AND when Joseph saw that he had such grace,
and increased in stature, he thought he would send
him to learn letters; and he sent him to another
teacher to teach him. And the teacher said to
Joseph, What letters dost thou wish the boy to be
taught? Joseph answered and said, First teach him
Gentile letters, and afterwards the Hebrew. Now
the teacher knew him to be of excellent understand-
ing, and received him willingly. And when he had
written for him the first lesson, which is A and B, he
this false Gospel was compiled, or at least translated, at a still later date.
The phrase "to take or receive for a blessing" is a Hebraism for a gift
(John xv. 19; 2 Kings v. 15); but the ecclesiastical application of it
must be understood in a wider sense, as something with which blessing
is connected,—a kind of spiritual charm, etc.
:
166
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
taught him for some hours. But Jesus was silent
and answered nothing. Jesus said to the teacher,
If thou art truly a teacher and truly knowest letters,
tell me the power of A, and I will tell thee the power
of B. Then, being filled with wrath, his master
smote him on the head, and Jesus being angry,
cursed him, and he fell suddenly and died.
And Jesus returned to his home. But Joseph
directed Mary his mother not to suffer him to go out
of the court of his house.
CHAPTER XIII.
How he was sent to another master.
AFTER many other days, there came another
teacher, the friend of Joseph, and said to him, Send
him to me, and I will teach him his letters with
much kindness. And Joseph said to him, If thou
art very competent take and teach him. May
it be with joy! When the teacher had received
him, he went with fear and great decision, and held
him with great exultation. And when he had come
to the teacher's house, he found a book lying in the
place, and he took hold of it and opened it, and did
not read what was written in the book, but opened
his mouth and spake by the Holy Spirit and taught
the law. And all who stood there heard him at-
tentively, and the master sat near him and heard
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
167
him gladly, and entreated him to teach more. When
a crowd had gathered they heard all the holy
doctrine which he taught, and the precious word,
which proceeded from His mouth, who, although so
young, said such things.
When Joseph heard this he was afraid, and run-
ning
.1 the master where Jesus was said to
Joseph, Know, brother, that I took thy child to teach
or to instruct; but he is filled with much gravity
and wisdom. Behold, now take him with joy to thy
house, brother; for the gravity which he hath is
given him of the Lord. When Jesus heard the
master saying thus, he was pleased, and said, Lo,
now master, thou hast spoken truly. For thy sake
he must rise who was dead. And Joseph took him
to his home.
CHAPTER XIV.
How Jesus delivered James from the bite of a Serpent.
Now Joseph sent James to gather stubble, and
Jesus followed him. But while James was gather-
ing stubble, a viper bit him, and he fell to the
ground as if dead through the venom. And when
Jesus saw it, he breathed on his wound, and imme-
diately James was made whole, and the viper died.
1 There is a gap in the construction which Dr. Tischendorf thus
supplies :-"Came to the school (or door) fearing the master might
die. But
168
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER XV.
How Jesus raised a Child.
AFTER a few days, a child, his neighbour, died,
and his mother greatly lamented him. Jesus hearing
this went and stood over the child, and smote on his
breast, and said, I say unto thee, infant, do not die,
´. but live; and instantly the child arose. And Jesus
said to the child's mother, Take thy son and give
him the breast, and remember me. And the crowd
who saw this miracle said, In truth this is a heavenly
child, for he hath already freed many souls from
death, and saved all that hoped in him.¹
The Scribes and Pharisees said to Mary, Art thou
the mother of this child? And Mary said, Truly I
am. And they said to her, Blessed art thou among
women,2 for God hath blessed the fruit of thy womb,
in that he hath given thee such a glorious child and
such a gift of wisdom, as we never saw nor heard.
Jesus rose and followed his mother. But Mary kept
in her heart all the great signs which Jesus did
among the people, in that he healed many sick.
But Jesus increased in stature and wisdom, and all
who saw him glorified God the Father Almighty,
who is blessed for ever and ever. Amen.
¹ Salvos fecit may here mean 'cured' or 'healed,' as the like phrase
in the Gospels (Luke vii. 50;, xviii. 42; and James v. 15, where sal-
vabit has the same sense).
2 Luke i. 28.
1
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
169
After all these things, I, Thomas the Israelite,
have written what I saw and remembered for the
Gentiles and our brethren; and many other things
which Jesus did, who was born in the land of Judah.
Behold the house of Israel hath seen all things from
the first even to the last: what great signs and
marvels Jesus did among them, very good and in-
visible to his father, as the Holy Scripture¹ telleth ;
and the prophets testified to his works among all the
people of Israel.
And it is he who shall judge the
world according to the will of immortality, for he is
the Son of God in all the world. All glory and
honour for ever becometh him who liveth and
reigneth God through all ages for ever. Amen.
¹ The writer seems careful to distinguish between his work and
Holy Scripture.
2 Acts xvii. 31. The phrase "the will of immortality" is perhaps
equivalent to "immortal will.”
170
VIII.
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY.
It has often been observed that this consists of three
parts, or has been drawn from three sources. Chapters
i.-ix. comprise events commencing with the journey
of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem to be enrolled,
and ending with the massacre of the infants by
Herod. This period corresponds with the record in
the Protevangelium, chapters xvii.-xxv., and the
source of the narrative must be similar. It will be
observed, however, that the correspondence we have
noticed is anything but literal.
The second part (chapters x.-xxxv.) relates at
length what is feigned to have happened during the
flight into Egypt, the sojourn there, and the return.
This division is the product of an extravagant imagi-
nation, and is most likely a heap of Egyptian fancies,
invented and compiled very much with the intention
of glorifying the Lord's mother, as the chief minister
of His divine power and favour. The superstitious
notions are so fully developed that the materials for
this section cannot be so ancient as the rest.
The third part of the Arabic Gospel of the
S
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 171
Infancy (chapters xxxvi.-lv.) is somewhat con-
formed to the Gospel of Thomas. It records what
is said to have occurred from the time when Jesus.
was seven years old until he was twelve, adding a
general intimation respecting his life thenceforward
to his thirtieth year and his baptism.
The Arabic Gospel is a compilation which must
be ascribed either to a Coptic or a Syriac origin, and
to the fifth or sixth century. One can hardly see
how it savours of Nestorianism however, as some
have thought, since this extravagantly exalts that
Mary whom the Nestorians were accused of not
exalting sufficiently.
Tischendorf's Latin text was revised after the
Arabic by Fleischer, and may, therefore, be relied on.
The book itself was first published in Arabic and
Latin by Dr. Sike in 1697.
The reader cannot fail to observe that the miracles
in the second part are of a benevolent character, un-
like those which breathe the malevolent spirit of the
Gospel of Thomas and its congeners.
172
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY.¹
CHAPTER I.
We have found this in the book of Joseph the
high priest, who lived in the time of Christ, and
some have said that he is Caiaphas.2 He saith that
Jesus talked even when he was in the cradle, and
said to his mother Mary, I am Jesus the Son of God,
the Word, whom thou hast borne as the angel
Gabriel announced to thee; and my Father hath
sent me for the salvation of the world.
CHAPTER II.
Now in the 309th year of the era of Alexander,
Augustus decreed that every one should be enrolled
in his native place. Therefore Joseph arose and
having taken Mary his spouse departed from Jeru-
1 The Arabic text is preceded by the following
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
One God.
With the help and favour of the supreme God we begin to write the
book of the miracles of our Master and Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
which is called "The Gospel of the Infancy," in the peace of the Lord.
Amen.
2 This is confirmed by Josephus (Antiq. xviii. 2, 2), who writes the
name Joseph Caiphas.
\
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 173
salem and came to Bethlehem that he might be en-
rolled with his family in his native city. And when
they had come to a cave, Mary said to Joseph that
her time to bear was coming on her, and that she
could not go into the city: but, said she, Let us
enter this cave. This was done when the sun was
setting. Then Joseph departed hastily to fetch a
woman to attend on her. While, therefore, he was
thus occupied, he saw an old woman, a Hebrew,`
who came from Jerusalem, and he said, Ho! blessed
one, come hither and enter this cave wherein is a
woman nigh to childbirth.
CHAPTER III.
THEREFORE, after sunset, the old woman and Joseph
with her came to the cave, and both entered it. And
lo, it was filled with lights more beautiful than the
glittering of lamps and candles and brighter than the
light of the sun. An infant wrapped in swaddling
bands was suckling at the breast of lady Mary
its mother, and laid in a manger. While they both
wondered at this light, the old woman asked lady
Mary, Art thou the mother of this child? And when
lady Mary had assented, she said, Thou art not like
the daughters of Eve. Lady Mary said, As none
among children is equal to my Son, so his mother
hath no equal among women. The old woman re-
174
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
plied, My lady, I am come to gain a reward; I have
been a long while afflicted with paralysis. Our lady,
lady Mary, said to her, Place thy hands on the infant,
which the old woman did, and was straightway
restored. Then she went out saying, Henceforth
will I be the handmaid and servant of this infant
all the days of my life.
:
CHAPTER IV.
THEN came shepherds, and when they had kindled
a fire and enjoyed themselves a little, heavenly hosts
appeared to them, praising and celebrating God most
high and as the shepherds did the same, the cave at
that time was made like the temple of the world
above, for celestial and terrestrial mouths glorified
and magnified God, for the nativity of the Lord
Christ. Now when the old Hebrew woman saw
those miracles displayed, she gave thanks to
God, saying, I give thanks unto thee, O God, the
God of Israel, because mine eyes have seen the
nativity of the Saviour of the world.
CHAPTER V.
AND when the time for circumcision came, that
is the eighth day, the child was to be circumcised
according to the law. Therefore they circumcised
him in the cave; and the old Hebrew woman took
}
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 175
the foreskin (but others say she took the umbilical
cord) and laid it up in a vase of old oil of spikenard.
Now she had a son who was a perfumer, to whom she
committed it, saying, Take care not to sell this vase
of ointment of spikenard, even if 300 pence (dinars)
should be offered thee for it. And this is the vase
which Mary, the sinner, bought, and poured upon
the head and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, and thèn
wiped them with the hair of her head.¹ Ten days
after they took him to Jerusalem, and on the for-
tieth day from his birth, they brought him to the
temple, and set him before the Lord and offered.
sacrifices for him, as is commanded in the law of
Moses: Every male that openeth the womb shall be
called holy to God.2
CHAPTER VI.
THEN the old man Simeon saw him shining as a
pillar of light, when lady Mary his virgin mother
rejoicing in him carried him in her arms; but angels
surrounded him as a circle, praising him, as body
guards standing about a king. Then Simeon came
in haste to lady Mary, and spreading out his hands
before her, said to the Lord Christ, Now O my Lord,
¹ Luke vii. 37; John ii. 2.
Mary Magdalen, but wrongly.
borrowed from John xii. 3-5.
2 Ex. xiii. 2; Luke ii. 23.
This Mary is often confounded with
The price put upon the ointment is
176
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
dismiss thy servant in peace, according to what thou
hast said, for mine eyes have seen thy mercy which
thou hast prepared for the salvation of all peoples, a
light to all nations, and a glory to thy people Israel.
Hannah also, a prophetess, was present there, and
came, giving thanks to God, and declaring lady
Mary happy.¹
CHAPTER VII.
AND it came to pass when the Lord Jesus was
born at Bethlehem of Judah, in the time of Herod
the King, behold Magi came from the east to Jeru-
salem, as Zerdusht had predicted: and they had with
them gifts, gold, incense, and myrrh; and they wor-
shipped him and offered unto him their gifts. Then
lady Mary took one of his swaddling bands and gave
it them for a little reward and they received it from
her with great honour. And the same hour there
appeared unto them an angel in the form of the star
which had been the guide of their way before; and
following the leading of its light they departed,
until they reached their own country.2
1 Luke ii. 25-38.
2 Matt. ii. 1-12. The mention of Zerdusht or Zoroaster in this
chapter accords with an old Christian notion in the East, that he was
the same as Balaam, and predicted the rising of the star. Some måde
him a disciple of Elijah, but an old priest from Oroomiah mentioned
the other opinion to me as the true one. See the article Zerdascht in
D'Herbelot's Bibliotheque Orientale. Brunet refers to the Biographie
Universelle, vol. lii., and Norberg's De Zoroastre Bactriano. See, too,
Hottinger's Historia Orientalis, ii. 6, 16; and also the note of Thilo,
Codex Apoc., p. 139.
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 177
CHAPTER VIII.
AND there came to them the kings and their
princes asking what they had seen or done, how
they had gone and returned, what they had brought
with them. And they showed them a swaddling
band which lady Mary had given them; wherefore
they celebrated a festival, and kindled fire according
to their custom and worshipped it, and cast the
swaddling band into it, and the fire seized it and
absorbed it into itself. But when the fire went out,
they drew forth the swaddling band just as it was at
first, as if the fire had not touched it. Therefore
they began to kiss it, and to place it on their heads
and eyes, saying, Verily this is undoubted truth; it
is indeed a great thing that the fire could not burn
or destroy it. They took it thence and with the
greatest honour deposited it among their treasures.
CHAPTER IX.
Now when Herod saw that the Magi had departed
and not returned to him, he sent for the priests and
wise men, and said to them, Tell me where Christ is
to be born. And when they had replied, At Beth-
lehem of Judah, he began to think of slaying the
Lord Jesus Christ. Then an angel of the Lord ap-
peared to Joseph in a dream and said, Arise, take
12
178
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
the child and his mother, and go into Egypt. There-
fore he arose at cock-crowing and departed.
CHAPTER X.、
WHILE he considered with himself how his journey
should be performed, morning overtook him after he
had made but very little way. And now he was ap-
proaching a great city wherein was an idol to which
the remaining idols and divinities of the Egyptians
offered gifts and vows; and a priest attended on this
idol ministering to it, and as often as Satan spoke by
it, he reported it to the inhabitants of Egypt and its
borders. This priest had a son of three years old,
possessed by certain demons, who said and told
much, and when the demons seized him, he rent his
garments and remained naked and threw stones at
men. And there was an hospital in that city, dedi-
cated to the idol; and when Joseph and lady Mary
came thither, and tarried at the hospital, the citizens
were greatly afraid, and all the princes and priests
of idols came to the idol and said, What is this agi-
tation and commotion which hath arisen in our land?
The idol answered them: There cometh hither a God
in secret, who truly is a God, neither is any God
beside him worthy of worship, because he is truly
the Son of God. When this land became aware of
1 Matt. ii. 13, 14.
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 179
him it trembled, and was moved and shaken at his
coming, and we are much afraid of the greatness of
his power. And the same hour that idol fell, and at
its fall all the inhabitants of Egypt, and others, ran
together.
CHAPER XI.
BUT the son of the priest, when his customary
affliction overtook him, entered the hospital and
there met Joseph and lady Mary, from whom all the
rest had fled away. And our lady, lady Mary, had
washed the swaddling clothes of the Lord Christ,
and spread them upon some wood. Then the boy
that was a demoniac came and took one of these
wrappers, and put it on his head; and the demons
began to come forth out of his mouth and depart in
the form of crows and serpents. Suddenly, by com-
mand of the Lord Christ the boy was healed and
began to praise God, and then to give thanks to the
Lord who had healed him. When his father saw
him restored to health, he said, My son, what hath
befallen thee? and by what means wast thou healed?
The son answered, When the demons had cast me to
the ground, I went to the hospital, and there I found
a noble woman with a child, whose recently washed
wrappers she had laid on some wood; having taken
one of them I placed it on my head, and the demons
1
180
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
left me and fled away. And his father, greatly re-
joicing because of him, said, My son, it may be that
this child is the Son of the living God who created
heaven and earth; for when he came to us, the idol
was broken and all the gods fell, and perished
through the might of his magnificence.
CHAPTER XII.
HERE was fulfilled the prophecy which saith, Out
of Egypt have I called my son. But Joseph and
Mary, when they heard that the idol had fallen and
perished, feared and trembled. Then they said,
When we were in the land of Israel, Herod thought
to slay Jesus, and therefore he slew all the children
of Bethlehem and its borders; and there is no doubt
but the Egyptians, as soon as they hear that this idol
is broken, will burn us with fire.
CHAPTER XIII.
THEY departed thence and came to a place where
there were robbers, who had plundered many men of
their baggage and clothing, and bound them. Then
the robbers heard a great noise, like the wonted
noise of a magnificent king going forth from his
city with an army and horsemen and drums. Being
terrified thereby, the robbers abandoned all that they
1 Hos. xi. 1; Matt. ii. 15.
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 181
had stolen. They that were captives arose, loosed the
bonds of one another, and took their baggage and
departed. When Joseph and Mary came thither and
saw it, they said to them, Where is the king, at
hearing the pompous noise of whose coming the
robbers left us, so that we were safe? Joseph
answered them, After us will he come.
CHAPTER XIV.
THEN they came to another city where there was a
demoniac woman, whom, whenever she went out at
night to fetch water, the cursed and rebel Satan op-
pressed. She could neither endure clothing nor stay
in a house, and as often as she was bound with chains
and straps, she broke them and fled naked into de-
solate places; and, standing in cross-roads and ceme-
teries, she threw stones at men, and did the worst of
mischiefs to her own friends. When, therefore, the
lady Mary saw her she pitied her; whereupon Satan
forthwith left her, and fled in the form of a young
man and departed, saying, Woe unto me from thee
Mary, and from thy Son. So this woman was healed
of her torment, and becoming self-conscious, she was
ashamed of her nakedness, and, avoiding the sight of
men, went away to her friends. And after she had
put on clothing, she told her father and friends how
it was; and being the chief people of the city they
entertained lady Mary and Joseph most honourably.
182
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER XV.
THE following day, being supplied with provision
for the journey, they departed thence, and in the
evening they reached another town where a marriage
was being celebrated; but, through the arts of cursed
Satan and the work of enchanters, the bride was
dumb, and could no longer speak. But when lady
Mary entered the town, carrying her son the Lord
Christ, the dumb bride saw her, and stretched out
her hands towards the Lord Christ, and drew him to
her and took him in her arms, and embraced him
closely and kissed him, and bending over him she
rocked him to and fro. Forthwith the bond of her
tongue was loosed, and her ears were opened, and
she gave praise and thanks to God for that he had
restored her to health. And the inhabitants of that
town exulted with joy that night, and thought that
God and his angels had come down to them.
CHAPTER XVI.
THERE they stayed three days, held in honour, and
living in plenty. Afterwards, being supplied with
provisions, they departed from them and came to
another city, wherein, because it abounded in inha-
bitants, they thought to pass the night. Now there
was in that city an excellent woman, who, when she
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 183
went to the river to wash, lo, cursed Satan in the
form of a serpent leaped upon her, and twined him-
self about her body; and as often as night drew on,
he greatly vexed her. When this woman saw my
lady, lady Mary, and the Lord Christ the child in
her lap, being moved with desire for him, she said to
the lady Mary, O lady, give me this child that I
may carry him and kiss him. So she gave him to
the woman, but when he was moved towards her,
Satan left her and fled away and departed from her,
nor did the woman ever see him after that day.
Wherefore all who were there praised the supreme
God, and the woman showed them kindness liberally.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE next day the same woman took perfumed
water to wash the Lord Jesus. When he was washed
she took the water she had used, and poured a part
of it on a girl who dwelt there (whose body was
white with leprosy), and washed her. Whereupon
the girl was instantly cleansed from her leprosy.
The townspeople said, There is no doubt but Joseph
and Mary and this child are gods and not men. But
when they made ready to depart from them, the girl
who had been a leper came to them and begged them
to take her in their company.
184
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
WHEN they had granted this to the girl she went
with them. Afterwards they came into a city in
which was the castle of a very famous prince, who
had a house for the reception of guests. Hither they
went to tarry; but the girl went and gained entrance
to the wife of the prince, and finding her weeping
and sad, she asked the cause of her weeping. Wonder
not at my weeping, said she, for I am oppressed with
a great sorrow, which I have not yet ventured to tell
to anyone. Perhaps, said the girl, if you make it
known and reveal it to me, I shall have a remedy
for it. The wife of the prince answered, Hide it then,
and tell this secret to no one. I am married to this
prince, who is a king, and in whose dominion are
many cities; I lived with him a long time, but
he never had a son by me. But when at last I bore
a son he was a leper, so he turned away from the
sight of him, and said to me, Either kill him, or give
him to a nurse to bring him up in some place whence
no tidings of him shall ever come.
Now I am a
stranger to thee, and I shall never see thee again.
Hence am I perplexed and oppressed with sorrow.
Alas, my son! Alas, my husband! Have I not told
thee, said the girl, I have found a remedy for thy
affliction? which I will show thee. For I was also
leprous, but God, which is Jesus, son of lady Mary,
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 185
hath cured me. Now when the woman asked where
the God was whom she meant, the girl said, He is
with thee, he abides in the same house. But how
can this be, said she, where is he? The girl replied,
Behold Joseph and Mary, but the child who is with
them is called Jesus, and he it is who healed me of
my disease and suffering. But by what means, said
she, wast thou healed of thy leprosy? Wilt thou not
tell it me? Why not? said the girl. I received
from his mother the water in which his body had
been washed, and poured it on me, and so I am
cleansed from my leprosy. Then the wife of the
prince arose, and invited them to use her hospitality,
and prepared a splendid feast for Joseph with a
great company of men. And on the next morning
she took the perfumed water in which she washed
the Lord Jesus, and then with the same water
washed her son whom she had brought with her,
and her son was immediately cleansed from his
leprosy. Therefore, giving thanks and praise to God,
she said, Blessed is the mother who bore thee, O
Jesus: dost thou thus purify, with the water where-
with thy body has been washed, men who are par-
takers of the same nature with thyself? Moreover
she offered rich gifts to our lady, the lady Mary,
and sent her away with much honour.
186
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER XIX.
AFTERWARDS they came to another city and wished
to spend the night there. They went to abide there-
fore with a man who had been lately married, but
who through magic art could find no pleasure in his
wife; and when they had passed that night with
him, his bond was loosed. When daylight came and
they were preparing for their journey, the husband
prevented them, and made a great feast for them.
CHAPTER XX.
On the following day they departed, and as they drew
nigh to another city they saw three women coming,
with weeping, out of a cemetery. On seeing them
lady Mary said to the girl that accompanied them,
Ask them what is their condition and what calamity
has befallen them. And when they were asked by
the girl they did not answer, but asked in turn,
Whence are ye, and whither are ye going? for the
day is now past, and night' is coming on.
travellers, said the girl, and seek a lodging wherein
to pass the night. They said, Go with us, and lodge
with us. They followed them therefore, and were
led into a house which was new, and adorned and
garnished with much furniture. Now it was winter-
time, and the girl having entered the chamber of
We are
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 187
these women found them again weeping and lament-
ing. There stood by them a mule covered with a
sumptuous cloth, sesame was placed before it, and
they kissed it and gave it food. And the girl said
O my ladies, What is the matter with this mule?
They answered weeping and said, This mule which
thou seest, was our brother, born of the same mother
with us.
For when our father died leaving us
great wealth, we who had this only brother endea-
voured to secure his marriage, and arranged a wed-
ding for him after the manner of men. But the
women, being moved with envy of one another,
placed a charm upon him unknown to us, and one
night, a little before daylight, when the doors of our
house were shut, we saw that this our brother had
been changed into a mule, such as thou now seest
him. But we, in sorrow, as thou seest, having no
father by whom we may be comforted, have left un-
tried no learned magician or enchanter in the world,
without sending for him; but it has profited us
nothing. Now whenever our hearts are oppressed
with grief, we rise and go with our mother, and after
we have wept at the tomb of our father, we return.
CHAPTER XXI.
WHEN the girl had heard this, she said, Be of
good cheer, and weep not: for a remedy for your
188
APOCRYFHAL GOSPELS.
trouble is at hand; yea, it is with you and within
your house: for I also was a leper, but when I saw
that woman and with her this little child whose
name is Jesus, my mother poured upon me the water
in which she had washed him, and I was healed.
Now I know that he can heal your affliction also.
But arise, go to my lady Mary, and when she is
brought into your house reveal your secret to her,
suppliantly entreating her to have pity on you. And
when the women heard what the girl said, they went
in haste to my lady Mary, and brought her to them,
and sat down before her weeping and saying, O our
lady, lady Mary, have pity on thy servants, for
there is no one older than ourselves, or head of the
family surviving, nor is there father or brother to
take care of us: but this mule which thou seest was
our brother, whom the women by a charm have
made what thou seest. We pray thee, therefore, have
pity on us. Then lamenting their lot, lady Mary
lifted up the Lord Jesus and put him on the back of
the mule, and herself wept along with the women;
and to Jesus Christ she said, Alas, my son, heal this
mule by thy great power, and make him a man
endued with reason as he was formerly. When these
words proceeded from the mouth of my lady, lady
Mary, the mule changed its form, and became a
man; and the young man was whole without any
blemish. Then he and his mother and sisters adored
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 189
my lady, lady Mary, and began to kiss the Child,
holding him above their heads, saying, Blessed is
thy mother, O Jesus, O Saviour of the world; blessed
are the eyes which enjoy the happiness of beholding
thee.
CHAPTER XXII.
THEN both the sisters said to their mother, Our
brother indeed, by the help of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the salutary intervention of this girl, who made
known to us Mary and her son, is restored to human
form. But now since our brother is unmarried, it is
meet that we should give him to marry this damsel
their servant. When they asked this of lady Mary,
and she had given them her consent, they prepared a
splendid wedding for the girl, and their sorrow being
turned into joy, and their mourning into dancing,
they began to be glad, to rejoice, to exult, and to
sing, for great joy adorning themselves in raiment
most splendid and pure. Then they began to repeat
hymns and praises, and to say, O Jesus, son of David,
who changest sorrow into joy, and lamentations into
gladness! And Joseph and Mary remained there ten
days. Then they departed, receiving great honours
from these people, who bade them farewell, and re-
turned weeping from bidding farewell, especially the
damsel.
t
190
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER XXIII.
HAVING departed thence, when they had come into
a desert country, and heard that it was haunted by
robbers, Joseph and lady Mary thought to pass
through this region by night. But as they went,
behold they saw two robbers lying in the way, and
with them a multitude of robbers who were their
companions, asleep. Now the two robbers upon
whom they came were Titus and Dumachus. So
Titus said to Dumachus, I pray thee suffer these
persons to depart freely, and so that our companions
observe them not. But when Dumachus refused,
Titus said again, Take to thee from me forty drach-
mas, and hold this pledge. At the same time he held
out to him his girdle with which he was girded, that
he should not open his mouth nor speak. And when
my lady, lady Mary, saw that the robber showed
kindness to them, she said to him, The Lord God
shall sustain thee with his right hand, and give thee
remission of sins. And the Lord Jesus answered and
said to his mother, After thirty years, O mother, the
Jews will crucify me at Jerusalem, and these two
robbers will be lifted on the cross with me, Titus at
my right hand and Dumachus at my left, and after
that day Titus shall go before me into Paradise.¹ And
when she had said, God avert this from thee my son,
1 Luke xxiii. 39-43.
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 191
they went thence to a city of idols which, when they
approached, was changed into heaps of sand.
CHAPTER XXIV.
HENCE they proceeded to the sycamore tree which
is now called Matarea, and the Lord Jesus produced
a fountain in Matarea, wherein lady Mary washed
her garment. Now from the sweat of the Lord Jesus
which he there let drop the balsam came forth in
that region.¹
CHAPTER XXV.
THENCE they went down to Memphis, and having
seen Pharaoh,2 they staid three years in Egypt; and
the Lord Jesus wrought very many miracles in
Egypt, which are not found written either in the
Gospel of the Infancy or in the Perfect Gospel.
CHAPTER XXVI.
BUT after three years he returned from Egypt,
1 Matarea, or Mataréëh, lies a few miles N.E. of Cairo, and is sup-
posed to be the ancient Heliopolis. Sir J. G. Wilkinson says the water
of the Fountain of the Sun is reported to have been salt until Joseph
and Mary made it fresh. A sycamore tree is shown there under which
they say
the holy family rested. As for the balsam trees, Cleopatra is
reported to have had them transplanted here from Judea. The tra-
dition of the text only partially coincides with the many versions of it
reported by pilgrims and travellers.
2 Memphis may have been visited; but who was Pharaoh? Egypt
was then under Roman rule.
¿
192
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and came back: and when they drew nigh to Judea,
Joseph was afraid to enter it, but hearing that Herod
was dead, and Archelaus his son had succeeded in his
stead, he was still afraid, but he went into Judea.
And an angel of God appeared to him and said, O
Joseph, go into the city of Nazareth, and there abide.
It is truly wonderful that the Lord of regions was
thus borne and carried about through the regions.
CHAPTER XXVII.
AFTER this, having entered the city of Bethlehem,
they saw there many and sore afflictions distressing
the eyes of infants, who died in consequence. There
was there a woman who had a sick son whom, being
already nigh unto death, she brought to my lady,
lady Mary, who saw her while she was washing
Jesus Christ. Then said the woman, O my lady Mary,
regard this my son who suffereth grievous pain.
And when lady Mary heard her she said, Take a
little of this water with which I have washed my
son, and sprinkle him with it. So she took a little
of the water, as lady Mary had said, and poured it
on her son; and having done this his pain ceased,
and when he had slept a little, he afterwards awoke
from sleep safe and sound. His mother rejoicing at
this brought him to lady Mary. And she said to her,
Give thanks to God, that he hath healed thy son.
!
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 193
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THERE was there another woman, the neighbour of
her whose son had just been healed. Her son being
afflicted with the same disease, and his eyes being
now almost blinded, she lamented night and day.
The mother of the child that was healed said to her,
Why dost thou not carry thy son to lady Mary, as I
carried my son to her, when he was nigh unto death?
When the woman had heard this from her, she too
went, and having received some of the same water
washed her son with it, and his body and eyes im-
mediately became well. Her also, lady Mary, when
she had taken her son to her, and told her all that
had happened, commanded to give thanks to God for
the restoration of her son to health, and not to tell
the matter to anyone.
CHAPTER XXIX.
THERE were in the same city two women, the
wives of one man, and each of them had a son ill of
fever. One of these was called Mary and the name
of her son was Cleopas. This woman arose, and tak-
ing her son went to my lady, lady Mary, the mother
of Jesus, and offering her a beautiful cloak, said, O
my lady Mary, receive from me this cloak, and give
me for it one swaddling band. This Mary did, and
13
194
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
{
the mother of Cleopas went away and dressed her
son in a shirt made out of it. Thus was his disease
healed; but the son of her rival died. Hence enmity
arose between them, and since on alternate weeks
they managed the affairs of the household, and on
one occasion the turn of Mary the mother of Cleopas
came on, she heated the oven to bake bread, and
going away to fetch the dough she had kneaded, her
son Cleopas was left at the oven. Her rival seeing
him alone the oven being hot with the fire that was
burning-she took him and threw him into the oven,
and withdrew from the place. When Mary came
back and saw her son Cleopas lying in the middle of
the oven laughing, and the oven cold, as if no fire
had been put into it, she knew that her rival had
thrust him into the fire. She took him out therefore
and carried him to the lady, my lady Mary, and told
her what had happened. And she said, Keep silence,
and tell this to no one; for I fear for thee if thou
divulge it. Afterwards her rival went to the well to
draw water, and seeing Cleopas near the well playing,
and no one nigh, she took him and thrust him into
the well, and went home. When men came to fetch
water from the well, they saw the boy sitting on the
surface of the water, so they went down and brought
him out. But great admiration of the child seized
them and they praised God. Then came his mother,
weeping, and brought him that had been taken out
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 195
to my lady, lady Mary, and said, O my lady, see
what my rival hath done to my son, and how she
hath thrust him into the well; it is impossible that
she should not sometime destroy him. Lady Mary
said to her, God will avenge thee upon her. After-
wards when her rival went to draw water at the well,
her feet became entangled in the rope and she fell
into the well. Men came to draw her out indeed, but
they found her head bruised and her bones broken,
so she died a bad death, and that saying was fulfilled
in her,―They dug a well deep, but they fell into the
pit which they had prepared.¹
I
CHAPTER XXX.
ANOTHER Woman there had two sons who fell sick,
and one died but the other lived: so his mother took
him up and brought him weeping to my lady, lady
Mary, and said, O my lady, help and succour me.
For I had two sons, one of whom I have now buried,
but the other is nigh unto death. See how I am to
beg and pray to God. And she began to say, O Lord,
thou art kind and merciful and good; thou gavest
me two sons, but since thou hast taken one of them
away, leave me at least this one. Therefore lady
Mary, seeing the violence of her weeping pitied her,
and said, Put thy son in my son's bed and cover him
1 Ps. vii. 15; Ivii. 6.
ľ
196
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
with his clothes. And when she had put him in the
bed in which Christ was lying, and he was already
dead and had closed his eyes, as soon as the smell of
the garments of the Lord Jesus Christ reached the
boy, he opened his eyes and, calling with a loud
voice, asked for bread, which he swallowed when he
received it. Then said his mother, O lady Mary,
now I know that the power of God dwelleth in thee,
so that thy Son healeth men who are partakers of
the same nature with himself, after they have touched
his garments. This boy that was healed is he who
in the Gospel is called Bartholomew.¹
CHAPTER XXXI.
MOREOVER there was there a leprous woman who
came to my lady, lady Mary, the mother of Jesus,
and said, My lady, help me. But the lady Mary
answered, What kind of help dost thou seek? is it
gold or silver? or that thy body may be cleansed
from leprosy? But the woman answered, Who can
give me this? Lady Mary said, Wait a little, until
I wash my son Jesus and lay him in bed. The
woman waited as Mary told her; and when she had
put Jesus to bed, she held out the water with which
she had washed his body, saying, Take a little of this
water and pour it on thy body. When she had done
1 Matt. x. 3.
!
{
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 197
this, she was straightway cleansed, and praised God,
and gave thanks to him.
CHAPTER XXXII.
THEN after she had staid three days with her she
departed, and going into the city saw there a chief
man who had married the daughter of another chief
man; but when he saw the woman he perceived
between her eyes the mark of leprosy like a star; so
the marriage had been dissolved and annulled. And
seeing them in that state, oppressed with sorrow and
weeping, she asked of them the cause of their weep-
ing. And they said, Inquire not after our condition,
for we cannot tell our trouble to any mortal, or reveal
it to any. But she was urgent, and begged them to
commit it to her, for perhaps she could show them
its remedy. When therefore they showed her the
girl and the sign of leprosy which appeared between
her eyes, as she saw it the woman said, I also, whom
you see here, suffered from the same disease, when
on some business, which I had, I went to Bethlehem.
There entering a cave I saw a woman named Mary,
whose son was one called Jesus; and when she saw
that I was leprous she had pity on me, and gave me
the water with which she had washed the body of
her Son. I poured it on my body, and I became
clean. Therefore, the woman said to her, wilt thou,
198
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
O lady, arise and go with us and show us my lady,
lady Mary? She assented, and they arose and went
to my lady, lady Mary, bearing splendid gifts with
them. And when they had entered and offered her
the gifts, they showed her the leprous girl whom
they had brought with them. Therefore, the lady
Mary said, The mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ des-
cend upon you. And giving to them also a little of
the water with which she had washed the body of
Jesus Christ, she commanded this unfortunate one to
be washed with it. And when they had done this,
she was forthwith healed, and all they who stood by,
praised God. Therefore they returned to their own
city, rejoicing and praising the Lord for it. Now
when the chief man heard that his wife was healed,
he took her to his house and made a second wedding,
and gave thanks to God for the recovered health of
his wife.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
THERE was also there a damsel who was afflicted
by Satan; for that cursed one, in the form of a huge
dragon, from time to time appeared to her, and pre-
pared to swallow her up; he also sucked out all her
blood, so that she remained like a corpse. As often
as he approached her, she, with her hands clasped
above her head, would scream and say, Alas, Alas, for
me, that no one is here to deliver me from this most
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 199
wicked dragon! Now her father and mother, and
all who were about her, or saw her, pitied her lot;
and men stood in confusion around her, and all wept
and lamented, especially when she herself wept and
said, O my brethren and friends, is there no one to
deliver me from this murderer? But the daughter
of the prince, who had been healed of her leprosy,
hearing the voice of the damsel, went up to the roof
of her castle and saw her with her hands clasped
above her head weeping, and all the groups of those
who stood around likewise weeping. Therefore she
asked the husband of this demoniac whether the
mother of his wife was living. When he had said
that both her parents were alive, she said, Call her
mother to me. When she saw her come, after being
called by him, she said, Is this distracted young
woman thy daughter? Yea, O lady, said the sad
and weeping woman, she is my daughter. The
prince's daughter answered, Hide my secret: for I
confess to thee that I was a leper, but now lady
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, hath healed me.
But if thou wouldst have thy daughter healed, take
her to Bethlehem and seek out Mary, the mother of
Jesus, and be sure thy daughter will be healed; and
I am sure thou wilt return hither rejoicing with thy
daughter in good health. The woman as soon as she
heard the saying of the prince's daughter, imme-
diately took her daughter with her, and, proceeding
J
200
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
to the place indicated, went to my lady, lady Mary,
and revealed to her her daughter's condition. Hav-
ing heard her statement lady Mary gave her a little
of the water in which she had washed the body of
her son Jesus, and commanded her to pour it on the
body of her daughter. She gave her also a strip of
the clothes of the Lord Jesus, and said, Take this
strip of cloth and show it to thy enemy as often as
thou seest him. And she dismissed them with a
salutation.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
WHEN therefore they had departed thence and
returned to their own country, and the time came in
which Satan was wont to assail her, this very time
the accursed one appeared to her in the form of a
huge dragon, at the sight whereof the girl was
afraid. But her mother said, Fear not, O daughter,
suffer him to approach thee, and then show to him
the strip of cloth which my lady Mary gave us, and
we shall see what will happen. When therefore
Satan like a terrible dragon came nigh, the body of
the girl shuddered for fear of him; but as soon as
she took out the strip of cloth, and put it on her
head, and covered her eyes with it, flames and flashes
began to blaze out of the strip of cloth, and to dart
at the dragon. O the great miracle which was
wrought as soon as the dragon saw the strip of cloth
ין
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY.
201
of the Lord Jesus, from which fire snone out, and
darted at his head and eyes! With a loud voice he
cried out, What have I to do with thee, O Jesus, son
of Mary? Whither shall I flee from thee? With
great dread, turning his back, he departed from the
girl, and never after appeared to her. And the girl
had rest from that time, and gave praise and thanks
to God, and with her all who were present at the
miracle.
CHAPTER XXXV.
In the same place there dwelt another woman
whose son was vexed by Satan. He, Judas by name,
whenever Satan seized him, bit all who approached
him; and if he found no one near him he bit his
own hands and other members. Therefore, the
mother of this unfortunate youth, hearing the fame
of lady Mary and her son Jesus, arose and took with
her her son Judas to my lady Mary. Meanwhile
James and Joses had taken away the child Lord
Jesus to play with other children; and after leaving
home they had sat down and the Lord Jesus with
them. Judas the demoniac came nigh and sat down
at the right of Jesus; and then being assaulted by
Satan as he was wont to be, he sought to bite the
Lord Jesus, but he could not, yet he struck the right
side of Jesus, who for this cause began to weep.
Forthwith Satan went forth out of the boy in form
202
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
like a mad dog. Now this boy, who struck Jesus,
and from whom Satan went out in the form of a dog,
was Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him to the Jews,
and that side of him on which Judas had smote him,
the Jews pierced with a spear.¹
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Now when the Lord Jesus had accomplished seven
years from his nativity, on a certain day he was with
other boys of the same age. Now they were playing
with clay, out of which they made figures of asses,
oxen, birds, and other animals, and each one, glory-
ing in his skill, praised his own work. Then the
Lord Jesus said, the figures which I have made I
will command to walk. Being asked by the boys
whether then he was the son of the Creator, the Lord
Jesus commanded them to walk, and they straight-
way began to jump about: then, when he gave them
leave, they stood still again. Now he had made
figures of birds and sparrows, which flew when he
bade them fly, and stood still when he bade them
stand, and ate and drank when he offered them food
and drink. After the boys went and told these things
to their parents, their fathers said to them, Beware,
O sons, of keeping company with him again; for he
is a sorcerer; therefore flee him and avoid him, and
play no more with him again.
1 Matt. x. 4; John xix. 34.
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 203
=
CHAPTER XXXVII.
ON a certain day, as the Lord Jesus was running
about and playing with the boys, he went by the
shop of a dyer, whose name was Salem; and he had
in his shop many cloths which he was going to dye.
The Lord Jesus therefore entering the shop of the
dyer took all these cloths and cast them into a
vessel full of Indian blue. When Salem came and
saw the cloths spoiled, he began to cry out with a
loud voice and to scold the Lord Jesus, saying, O son
of Mary, what hast thou done to me? Thou hast
rendered me dishonourable among all my townsmen ;
for every one wished for the colour that suited him,
but thou hast come and ruined all. The Lord Jesus
answered, Of whatever cloth thou wishest the colour
changed, I will change it for thee, and he began at
once to take the cloths out of the vessel, each of
them dyed the colour which the dyer desired, until
he had drawn them all out. The Jews who saw this
miracle and prodigy praised God.¹
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Now Joseph went about through all the city and
took with him the Lord Jesus, since men sent for
him on account of his craft, to make for them doors,
This tradition is still current in Persia and other Eastern countries;
204
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and milk-pails, and couches, and boxes. And the
Lord Jesus was with him wherever he went. There-
fore as often as Joseph had to make any of his work
a cubit or a span longer or shorter, wider or nar-
rower, the Lord Jesus used to stretch out his hand
towards it, and when this was done it became such
as Joseph wished; and there was no need for him to
do anything with his own hand; for Joseph was not
very skilful at his work
CHAPTER XXXIX.
On a certain day the king of Jerusalem sent for
him and said, Joseph, I wish thee to make me a
throne of the measure of the place where I have
been used to sit. Joseph obeyed, and immediately
after he put his hand to the work; he remained two
years in the palace, until he had finished making
the throne. But when he had it removed into
its place, he perceived that on each side it was two
spans shorter than the proper measure.
On seeing
this the king was angry with Joseph; and Joseph,
being greatly afraid of the king, passed the night
supperless and tasting nothing whatever. Then he
was asked by the Lord Jesus why he was afraid?
Because, said Joseph, I have lost all that I have
done for two years. The Lord Jesus said to him,
Fear not, nor lose heart, but take thou one side of the
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 205
throne, and I will take the other, to set it right.
And when Joseph had done as the Lord Jesus` had
said, and each had pulled on his own side, the throne
was made right, and brought to the exact measure
of the place. When this prodigy was seen, they who
were present were amazed, and praised God. Now
the wood of the throne was of that kind which was
celebrated in the time of Solomon, the son of David;
that is, variegated and diversified.
CHAPTER XL.
ANOTHER day the Lord Jesus went out into the
street, and seeing some boys who had met to play,
he followed them; but the boys hid themselves from
him. Therefore when the Lord Jesus had come to
the door of a certain house, and saw the women who
stood there, he asked them whither the boys had
gone. And when they told him that there was no-
body there, the Lord Jesus said again, What are these
whom ye see in the vault? They answered that they
were kids of three years old. And the Lord Jesus
cried aloud and said, Come out, O kids, to your shep-
herd. Then the boys came out, having the form of
kids, and began to skip about him. When they saw
it the women wondered greatly, and, being seized
with fear, they suppliantly and in haste besought the
Lord Jesus, saying, O our Lord Jesus, son of Mary,
206
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
}
thou art indeed the Good Shepherd of Israel; have
pity on thy handmaids who stand before thee and
never doubted; for, O our Lord, thou hast come to
heal, and not to destroy. But when the Lord Jesus
had answered, that the children of Israel were like
Ethiopians among the nations, the women said, Thou
Lord, knowest all things and nothing is hidden from
thee; but now we pray thee, and from thy kindness
we ask, that thou wouldst restore these boys, thy
servants, to their former condition. The Lord Jesus
therefore said, Come, boys, let us go and play; and
immediately, while the women stood there, the kids
were changed into boys.
CHAPTER XLI.
Now in the month of Adar, Jesus assembled the
boys as if he were their king; they strewed their
garments on the ground and he sat upon them.
Then they put on his head a crown wreathed of
flowers, and, like attendants waiting on a king, they
stood in order on his right hand and on his left.
And whoever passed that way, the boys took him by
force, saying, Come hither and adore the king, and
then proceed on thy way.
CHAPTER XLII.
MEANWHILE, as these things were going on, there
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 207
1
came up men who were carrying a boy. For this
boy had gone to the mountain, with others of his age,
to seek for wood; and when he had found there a
partridge's nest, and put out his hand to take the
eggs from it, a poisonous serpent from the middle of
the nest wounded him, so that he cried out for help.
When his companions came near in haste, they found
him lying on the ground like one dead, and then his
relatives came and lifted him up to carry him into
the town. But when they had come to the place in
which the Lord Jesus was sitting as the king, and
the other boys standing round as his attendants, the
boys went in haste to meet him who was bitten by
the serpent, and said to his friends, Come and salute
the king. But when they would not come, because
of the sorrow in which they were, the boys took
them by force against their will. And when they
had come to the Lord Jesus, he asked them why
they were carying this boy. And when they replied
that a serpent had bitten him, the Lord Jesus said,
Let us go and kill the serpent. And when the parents
of the boy asked that they would let them depart, for
their son was at the point of death, the boys answered
and said, Have ye not heard what the king hath said:
Let us go and kill the serpent? And do ye not obey
him? and so against their will they took the litter
back. And when they had come to the nest, the
Lord Jesus said, Is this the serpent's place? And
208
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
when they said it was, the serpent, being called by
the Lord, came forth without delay, submitting him-
self to him. And he said, Go and suck out all the
venom which thou hast infused into this boy. The
serpent therefore crawled to the boy and sucked out
all the venom.
Then the Lord Jesus cursed him:
whereupon he was instantly rent asunder, but the boy,
being stroked by the hand of the Lord Jesus, became
well again. And when he began to weep, the Lord
Jesus said to him, Weep not, for hereafter thou shalt
be my disciple. And this was Simon the Cananite,
of whom mention is made in the Gospel.2
CHAPTER XLIII.
ON another day, Joseph had sent his son James
to gather wood, and the Lord Jesus had joined him
as a companion, and when they came to the place in
which the wood was, and James began to gather it,
behold a noxious viper bit his hand, so that he began
to cry out and weep. The Lord Jesus, therefore,
seeing him in this condition, came to him and
breathed on the place where the viper had bitten
him; whereupon he was instantly healed.
CHAPTER XLIV.
ONE day when the Lord Jesus was again among
1 Cananite, a Syriac word synonymous with Zelotes.
2 Matt. x. 4.

THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 20
if
the boys who were playing on a housetop, one of the
boys fell down from above and immediately died.
Now the other boys fled, and the Lord Jesus alone
remained on the housetop. And when the kindred
of the boy had come, they said to the Lord Jesus,
Thou hast pushed our son headlong from the house-
top; and as he denied it, they called out, saying,
Our son is dead, and this is he who killed him.
The Lord Jesus said to them, Do not blame me : but
ye believe not me, come and let us ask the boy
himself, and let him bring the truth to light. Then
the Lord Jesus came down, and, standing over him
that was dead, he said in a loud voice, Zeno, Zeno,
who cast thee down from the housetop? Then he
that was dead answered, saying, Lord, thou didst
not cast me down; but such a one pushed me off.
And when the Lord Jesus had bidden those who
stood there to observe his words, all who were present
praised God for this miracle
CHAPTER XLV.
My lady, Lady Mary, once commanded the Lord
Jesus to go and fetch her some water from the well.
But when he went to bring the water, his waterpot,
which was already filled, was shattered and broken.
But the Lord Jesus, spreading out his garment, took
the water he had drawn to his mother, who marvelled
14

APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
at the act. But she laid up and stored in her heart
all that she saw.
CHAPTER XLVI.
AGAIN, another day, the Lord Jesus was at the
water-side with some boys, and they made little
pools again. Now the Lord Jesus had made twelve
sparrows and ranged them three on each side
about his pool; and it was the Sabbath day. So
the son of Ananias, a Jew, coming up and seeing
them doing such things, was angry and indignant.
Do you, then, said he, make figures of clay on the
Sabbath day? and, running up in haste, he de-
stroyed their pools. Now when the Lord Jesus had
clapped his hands over the sparrows he had made,
they flew away chirping. Then the son of Ananias
came also to the pool of Jesus, and kicking it down
with his shoes, spilled the water from it. And the
Lord Jesus said to him, As that water hath dis-
appeared, so also thy life shall disappear; and im-
mediately the boy withered away.
CHAPTER XLVII.
Ar another time when the Lord Jesus was return-
ing home with Joseph in the evening, he met a boy,
who ran and thrust him so violently that he fell
down. The Lord Jesus said to him, As thou hast
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 211
thrown me down, so shalt thou fall and not rise;
and the same hour the boy fell down and breathed
his last
CHAPTER XLVIII.
AND there was at Jerusalem a certain man named
Zacchaeus, who was a teacher of boys. He said to
Joseph, Joseph, why dost thou not bring me Jesus to
learn letters? Joseph gave him his consent, and
reported this to lady Mary. So they brought him to
the master, and as soon as he saw him he wrote the
alphabet for him and bade him say Aleph; and when
he had said Aleph, the master ordered him to say
Beth; and the Lord Jesus said to him, Tell me first
the meaning of the letter Aleph and then I will say
Beth. And when the master went to flog him, the
Lord Jesus explained to him the meanings of the
letters Aleph and Beth; also which forms of the
letters were straight, which crooked, which drawn
spirally, which marked with points, which were with-
out them, and why one letter came before another;
and he began to tell and explain many other things
which the master himself had never heard, nor had
read in any book. Moreover, the Lord Jesus said to
the master, Attend, that I may tell thee. And he
began clearly and distinctly to repeat Aleph, Beth,
Gimel, and Daleth, as far as Tau. The master, wonder-
ing at this, said, I think this boy was born before
212
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Noah; and, turning to Joseph, he said, Thou hast
brought to me to be taught a boy that is wiser than
all teachers. To lady Mary also he said, There is no
need of instruction for this thy son.
CHAPTER XLIX.
THEN they brought him to another and more
learned master; and when he saw him he said, Say
Aleph, and when he had said Aleph, the master
ordered him to say Beth. The Lord Jesus answered
and said to him, Tell me first the meaning of the letter
Aleph, and then I will say Beth. When the master
had lifted up his hand and struck him, his hand im-
mediately withered, and he died. Then Joseph said
to lady Mary, Henceforth we will not let him go out
of the house, for whoever opposeth him is punished
with death.
CHAPTER L.
AND when he was twelve years old they took him
to Jerusalem to the feast. But when the feast was
over they, indeed, returned, but the Lord Jesus re-
mained in the Temple among the doctors and elders
and learned men of the sons of Israel; and he asked
them sundry questions about the sciences, and they
answered him in turn. Now he said to them, Whose
1 Luke ii. 42-47.
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 213
son is Messiah? They answered him, The Son of
David. Wherefore then, said he, doth he in spirit
call him his Lord, when he saith, The Lord said unto
my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, that I may
bring down thy enemies to the footprints of thy
feet?¹ Again the chief of the doctors said to him,
Hast thou read the scriptures? The Lord Jesus
said, Both the scriptures and the things which are
contained in them. And he explained the scriptures
and the law and the precepts, and the statutes and
the mysteries which are contained in the books of
the prophets-things which the understanding of no
creature attains unto. The doctor said, therefore,
Heretofore I have not acquired nor heard such wis-
dom; what, thinkest thou, will that boy be?
CHAPTER LI.
AND since there was there a philosopher skilled in
astronomy, and he asked the Lord Jesus whether he
had studied astronomy, the Lord Jesus answered him
and expounded the number of the spheres and
celestial bodies, and their natures and operations,
their opposition, trine, quartile, and sextile aspect,
their direct course and retrogression, degrees and the
sixtieths of degrees, and other things which reason
does not attain unto.
1 Matt. xxii. 42-45. Ps. cx. 1.
214
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER LII.
THERE was also among those philosophers one
who was excellently skilled in the handling of
natural things; and when he asked the Lord Jesus
whether he had studied medicine, he answered and
explained to him physics and metaphysics, hyper-
physics and hypophysics; the virtues of the body;
also the humours and their effects; also the number
of the members and bones, veins, arteries, and nerves;
also the effect of heat and dryness, of cold and
moisture, and what might arise out of them; what
the operation of the soul upon the body, and its
senses and virtues; and the operation of the faculty
of speaking, of anger, and of desire; finally, con-
junction and disjunction, and other things which the
intellect of no creature attains unto. Then the
philosopher arose and adored the Lord Jesus, and
said, O Lord, from this time I will be thy disciple
and servant.
CHAPTER LIII.
WHILE they were conversing together of these
and other things, my lady, lady Mary, came in after
she had gone about with Joseph seeking him for three
days. Therefore seeing him sitting among the
doctors, and asking and answering them by turns,
she said to him, My son, why hast thou dealt so with
THE ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY. 215
us? Lo, I and thy father have sought thee with
much trouble. And he said, Why do ye seek me?
Know ye not that I must be occupied in the house of
my Father! But they understood not the words
which he said to them. Then the doctors asked
Mary whether this was her son, and on her assenting,
they said, How happy thou art, who hast given birth
to one like him! But he returned with them to
Nazareth, and obeyed them in all things; and his
mother laid up all these things in her heart. But
the Lord Jesus advanced in stature and wisdom, and
in favour with God and men.¹
CHAPTER LIV.
AND from that day he began to hide his concealed
and secret miracles? and to study the law, until he ac-
complished his thirtieth year, when the Father
publicly declared him at the Jordan by this voice
sent down from heaven: "This is my beloved Son
in whom I am well pleased;" the Holy Spirit being
present in the form of a white dove.³
3
CHAPTER LV.
THIS is He whom we suppliantly adore, who gave
to us being and life, and took us from our mothers'
1 Luke ii. 46–52.
2 Cf. John ii. 11.
3 Matt. iii. 13-17; Luke ii. 21-23.
216
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
wombs; who, for our sake, took upon him a human
body and redeemed us, that eternal mercy might em-
brace us, and that he might show us his clemency in
liberality and beneficence, and generosity and bene-
volence. To him be the glory and goodness and
power and dominion from henceforth unto eternal
ages. Amen.
Here ends the whole of the Gospel of the Infancy,
with the help of God most high, according to what
we found in the original.
!
217
THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN ABGAR
AND JESUS, ETC.
It seems proper to insert in this place a few minor
compositions, which belong, chronologically, to the
period of our Saviour's ministry.
1. The Correspondence between Abgar, King of
Edessa, and Jesus.-This is inserted by Eusebius at
the end of Book I. of his Ecclesiastical History, as
derived from the original Syriac in the archives of
Edessa. Recent discoveries of what seems to be a
further portion of the same document, have led me to
believe that the correspondence was forged about the
middle of the third century.
2. The Epistle of Lentulus.—I consider this not
very ancient. It first appears attached to a printed
edition of the works of Anselm and may be regarded
as a modification of preceding attempts to determine
the personal appearance of Jesus. The composition
of it almost certainly falls between the age of Nice-
phorus (14th cent.), and the year 1500. No such
person as Lentulus occupied the position indicated
218
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
by this letter at the time to which it refers. Yet the
name is common in the consular lists of the ages
preceding and following the birth of Christ, and
probably this is the reason of its adoption by the
writer, who composed it in Latin.
3. The Prayer of Jesus, the Son of Mary.-Selden
first published this in Arabic and Latin; and it was
reprinted with an English version by Jeremiah Jones.
It is a purely Mohammedan fiction, and but for its
brevity I would scarcely have admitted it.
4. The Story of Veronica.-Under this head I give
an extract from the chronicle of John Malela, who
wrote about 600 A.D. The passage is chiefly remark-
able for a pretended petition addressed to Herod by
Veronica. The monument which she is said to have
erected is described by Eusebius (Hist. Eccles. 7, 18).
Its later history is narrated by Sozomen (Hist.
Eccles. 5, 20). Upon the character of the story told
by Malela, no observation is required, as it is so
palpably apocryphal. I may add that while Euse-
bius describes the monument as consisting of two
figures, said to represent Christ and the woman, he
regards it as a heathenish affair, and is careful not
to identify such things with Christianity.
219
THE LETTER OF ABGAR TO JESUS.
Copy of a letter that was written by Abgar the King to
Jesus, and was sent to him by the hand of Ananias
the tabellarius to Jerusalem.
ABGAR UCHOMO, chief of the land, to Jesus, the
good Redeemer, that hath appeared in the land of
Jerusalem: Greeting.
I have heard of thee and of the healing which is
performed by thy hands without medicines and herbs.
For, as it is said, thou makest the blind to see, and
the lame to walk, and thou cleansest the lepers, and
thou castest out unclean spirits and demons, and
those that are tormented with lingering diseases thou
healest, and the dead thou raisest up.¹ And when I
heard all these things of thee, I settled in my mind one
of two things: either that thou art God who camest
down from heaven and dost these things, or that thou
art the Son of God and dost these things. For this
cause, therefore, I have written to ask of thee that
thou wouldest trouble thyself to come to me, and
heal this sickness which I have.2 For I have also
heard that the Jews murmur against thee, and wish
to injure thee. Now I have a small and beautiful
city which is sufficient for both.
1 Matt. xi. 5.
2 Cf. Luke vii. 6.
220
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
THE LETTER OF JESUS TO ABGAR.
Copy of the things which were written by Jesus, by
the hand of Ananias the tabellarius to Abgar,
chief of the land.
BLESSED is he that believeth in me when he hath
not seen me.¹ For it is written concerning me that
they who see me would not believe in me, and
they who see me not would believe and be saved.”
Now as for this that thou hast written to me, that I
would come to thee, it behoveth that I should ac-
complish here everything because whereof I have
been sent.3 And after I have accomplished it, then
I shall be taken up to Him that sent me. And when
I am taken up I will send thee one of my disciples
to heal thy sickness; he shall also give salvation
unto thee and to them that are with thee.*
1 John xx. 29.
2 Is. vi. 10; lii, 15; John ix. 39.
3 Matt. iii. 15; John v. 36; ix. 4.
4 Luke i. 77; xix. 9; Acts xi. 14; xvi. 31.
221
*
THE LETTER OF LENTULUS.
LENTULUS, president of the people of Jerusalem,
to the Roman Senate and People: Greeting.
THERE has appeared in our times, and still is, a
man of great virtue named Christ Jesus, who is
called by the Gentiles a prophet of truth, whom his
disciples call the Son of God, raising the dead and
healing diseases. He is a man of lofty stature,
handsome, having a venerable countenance which the
beholders can both love and fear.
He has wavy
hair, rather crisp, of a bluish tinge, and glossy,
flowing down from his shoulders, with a parting in
the middle of the head after the manner of the
Nazarenes.¹ His forehead is even and very serene,
and his face without any wrinkle or spot, and beauti-
ful with a slight blush. His nose and mouth are
without fault; he has a beard abundant and reddish,
of the colour of his hair, not long but forked.
eyes are sparkling and bright. He is terrible in re-
buke, calm and loving in admonition, cheerful but
preserving gravity, has never been seen to laugh
His
¹ The writer has here evidently confounded Nazarenes with Naza-
riles.
་
222
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
but often to weep. Thus, in stature of body, he is
tall; and his hands and limbs are beautiful to look
upon. In speech he is grave, reserved, and modest;
and he is fair among the children of men.¹ Farewell.
PRAYER OF JESUS, SON OF MARY:
PEACE BE UPON THEM!
He said, O God, I am not able to extirpate (or
overcome) that which I abhor, nor have I attained
the good which I desired; but others, and not I,
have their reward in their hands. But my glory
abideth in my work; nor is any poor man poorer
than I am. O God most high, grant me pardon.
O God, suffer not mine enemy to reproach me; nor
let
my friend contemn me; nor add affliction to my
religion; nor let the world be my chief aim; nor
set him over me who shall not pity me, for thy
mercy's sake, O most merciful of the merciful.
1 Ps. xlv. 2.
223
THE STORY OF VERONICA.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, in
the consulate of Albanus and Nerva, St. John the
Forerunner began to preach the baptism of repent-
ance, and to baptize, according to the prophetic
utterance, and there went forth to him all the Jewish
region. And, moreover, our Lord Jesus Christ
wrought the beginning of salvation; being baptized
by the same John the Forerunner when he came to
be about thirty years old, and doing miracles. He
was baptized in the Jordan, a river of Palestine, on
the 6th of the month Audynæus or January, at the
tenth hour of the night, in the consulship of Rufus and
Rubellio. From that time also John the Baptist
was manifest to men. And Herod the king, the
brother of Philip, who was tetrarch or king of the
region of Trachonitis, beheaded him in the city of
Sebaste, on the 8th before the calends of June, in
the consulship of Flacco and Rufinus, because of
Herodias his wife; for John said to him, "It is not
lawful for thee to have the wife of thy brother,"
as in the divine Scriptures these things are recorded.
This same king Herod, the second brother of Philip,
being grieved because of John, went away from the
224
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
city of Sebaste to Paneas, a city of Judea. And there
came to him a certain very wealthy woman, Veronica
by name, who dwelt in the same city of Paneas, who
wished, as having been healed by Jesus, to erect a
monument to him, and not daring to do this without
royal order, she offered a petition to the said king
Herod, asking to erect a monument to the Saviour
Christ in the same city,-which petition runs thus:
To the august Herod, tetrarch and legislator both
of Jews and Greeks, king of the region of Tracho-
nitis, humble petitions from Veronica, an honourable
woman of the city of Paneas.
Justice and kindness, and all other virtues sur-
round thy divine forehead. Wherefore, I also,
knowing this, come with good hope to obtain alto-
gether my requests. But what is the aim of the
present preface, the following account will inform
thee.
1
Having from my childhood been afflicted with an
issue of blood, I went to the physicians and expended
my living and wealth, and found no cure; but hear-
ing of the cures of the wonderful Christ, who raises
the dead, restores sight to the blind, casts out
demons from mortals, and heals with a word all who
pine away in sickness, therefore I too ran to him as
to a God. Observing the multitude which sur-
rounded him, and fearing to tell him my incurable
1 Cf. Acts xxiv. 2-4, 10.

THE STORY OF VERONICA.
225

ase, lest turning away from the loathsomeness of
affliction, he should be angry with me, and
stroke of my disease come worse upon me, I
ught with myself that if I could take hold of the
of his garment I should be altogether healed;
secretly entering the multitude around him, I
e a cure by touching his hem, the fountain of
blood stayed, and suddenly I became well. But
the more, as foreknowing the purpose of my
art, cried out, "Who hath touched me? for power
is gone out of me;" and I, turning pale, and groan-
ing, supposing the disease would return upon me
more violently, falling before him flooded the ground
with tears, confessing my daring. But he, being
good, had compassion on me, and confirmed my cure,
saying, “Daughter, take heart, thy faith hath de-
livered thee; go in peace." So also do thou, O
august one, grant her earnest petition to the peti-
tioner.
And king Herod, hearing these things from the
petition, was astonished at the miracle; and being
afraid at the mystery of the healing, said, "This
cure which hath befallen thee, O woman, is worthy
of a very great monument. Therefore, go and erect
unto him such a monument as thou wilt, honouring
by thy zeal him that healed thee."
And immediately after this, Veronica, who before
¹ Matt. ix., 20-22. Mark v., 25-34. Luke viii., 43 48.
15

226
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.

had the issue of blood, erected in the midst of her
city, Paneas, unto our Lord and God, Jesus Ch
a monument of molten brass, mingling therewi
certain portion of gold and silver,—which monur
remains in the city of Paneas until now, having
removed a long time ago from the place wher
stood in the middle of the city into the holy h
of prayer.
This document I found in the same city of Par
in the possession of a certain Bassus, who had
come a Christian from among the Jews. There was
also together with it, a life of all the kings who
formerly reigned in the Jewish region.¹
1 Chronographia, lib. x. pp. 304-308. Ed. Hod. Ox. 1691. Addi-
tional notices of Veronica will be found in the Latin Gospel of
Nicodemus, and also towards the end of this volume in "The Death
of Pilate " and "The Saviour's Revenge."

227
IX.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS, OR ACTS
OF PILATE.
THIS may be designated a supplementary gospel.
Those which precede are mainly preliminary to the
Ivangelical narratives, of which the last scenes are
ere the starting point. The book professes to re-
ord the trial, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and
ascension of Christ; the miraculous and wonderful
incidents which attended those events, and the con-
duct pursued by the friends and enemies of the
Saviour. Inasmuch as the Gospels lie at the basis,
and the writer was a person generally well informed,
the truthful element in this composition is more
narked than in any of the preceding. Whether the
writer had any authentic documents of an official
character to assist him is more than can be affirmed;
It seems more likely that he used current traditions
and with the help of the Gospels, reduced them as
far as possible to an appearance of truth. We know
that as early as the time of Justin Martyr there were



228
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
extant Acts of Pilate, which that father regarded
as genuine, and which may have been so for any-
thing we can tell. But the Greek text here trans-
lated is avowedly not earlier than the time of
Valentinian, as appears in the Prologue. The
phraseology is barbarous. It is unknown in what
language it was primarily written. The author may
have been a converted Jew who wrote in Greek.
The book has been often printed both in Latin and
in Greek, and Tischendorf gives three recensions of
it. The one which immediately follows is often cor-
nected with a supplement of later date, which I have
called Part II.
It is perhaps the most famous of the New Test
ment Apocrypha, and its merits, such as they ar
have attracted to it much attention. Although
largely uses the genuine Gospels, it omits importan
details which they exhibit, and in many other ways.
it departs widely from them. The marvellous in
cidents in it are partly pure fictions, and apparentl
imitations from the Apocalypse and other portion
of Scripture. Tischendorf would ascribe its origin
to the second century.
¹ The Prologue varies in the copies; some want it altogether, and
some have it at the end of the book.


229
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS, OR ACTS OF
PILATE (I.
Acts of our Lord Jesus Christ wrought in the time
of Pontius Pilate.
PROLOGUE.
I ANANIAS, a provincial warden, being a disciple
of the law, from the divine Scriptures recognised our
Lord Jesus Christ, and came to him by faith, and
was also accounted worthy of holy baptism. Now
when searching the records of what was wrought in
the time of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the Jews laid
up under Pontius Pilate, I found that these acts were
written in Hebrew, and by the good pleasure of God I
translated them into Greek for the information of all
who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, under
the government of our lord Flavius Theodosius, the
17th year, and in the 6th consulate of Flavius Va-
lentinianus, in the 9th indiction.¹
1 Most likely the writer should have said the seventeenth consulate of
Fl. Theodosius, and the sixth of Fl. Valentinianus, indiction the ninth.
Theodosius was consul the seventeenth time in A.D. 439; and Valenti-
nianus consul the fifth time in A.D. 440. The eighteenth consulate of
Theodosius was in 444, and the sixth of Valentinianus in 445. As the
ninth indiction was in 441, the date intended may be between 439 and
441; though in any case there is an error.
230
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
:
All therefore who read and copy into other books
remember me and pray for me, that God may be
propitious to me, and be gracious to my sins which
I have committed against him.¹
Peace to those who read and those who hear, and
to their servants. Amen.
In the 15th year of the government of Tiberius
Cæsar, king of the Romans; and of Herod, king of
Galilee, the 19th year of his reign, on the 8th before
the calends of April, which is the 25th of March;
in the consulship of Rufus and Rubellio; in the
4th year of the 202nd Olympiad, when Joseph
Caiaphas was high priest of the Jews.²
Whatsoever, after the cross and passion of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour God, Nicodemus re-
corded and wrote in Hebrew, and left to posterity,
is after this fashion.³
¹ Ancient scribes were very much in the habit of putting in requests
for the prayers of their readers.
2 The fifteenth of Tiberius is the date of our Lord's baptism
(Luke iii, 1), but some ancient writers also give it as the date of the
crucifixion, which is an error. For the nineteenth of Herod we must
Rufus and
substitute the thirty-second, [Lewin's Fasti, p. 173].
Rubellio may have been the consuls in the fifteenth of Tiberius, but
were not when our Lord suffered. The fourth year of Olympiad 202
answers to the nineteenth of Tiberius. The phrase Joseph Caiaphas
is justified in the note at p. 172. The placing of our Lord's arrest on
March 25, is in harmony with several early authorities, but Clement of
Alexandria mentions some who referred it to three or four months later
in the year.
The paragraph which contains these indications of time
is found in many copies, but not in all.
3 The ascription of this book to Nicodemus and a Hebrew original is
evidence that it was not called the Acts of Pilate because he was sup-
posed to have written it.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
231
き
​CHAPTER I.
FOR the chief priests and scribes having taken
counsel, Annas, and Caiaphas, and Semes, and Dathaes,
and Gamaliel, Judas, Levi, and Nephthalim, Alexander
and Jaeirus,¹ and the rest of the Jews, came to Pilate,
accusing Jesus of many deeds, saying, We know this
man that he is the son of Joseph the carpenter, born
of Mary, and he saith that he is the Son of God and
a king: moreover he profaneth the Sabbaths, and
wisheth to abolish the law of our fathers. Pilate
saith, And what is it that he doeth and wisheth to
abolish? The Jews say, We have a law that no one
shall heal on the Sabbath; but he by evil arts hath
healed on the Sabbath the lame, and mutilated, and
withered, and blind, and paralytic, deaf and demoniacs.
Pilate saith to them, By what evil arts? They say to
him, He is a magician, and by Beelzebub, prince of
the demons, he casteth out demons; and they are all
subject to him. Pilate saith to them, It is not pos-
sible to cast out demons by an unclean spirit, but by
the God Esculapius.
The Jews say unto Pilate, We request thy majesty
that he may be set before thy judgment seat and be
heard. And Pilate calling them saith, Tell me, how
can I who am a governor try a king? They say to
¹ The copies and versions differ exceedingly about these names.
232
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
him, We do not say that he is a king, but he saith
it himself. And Pilate having called the officer¹
saith to him, Let Jesus be brought with gentleness.
And the officer went out and having recognised him
worshipped him, and taking a scarf in his hand
spread it on the ground, and said to him, Lord, walk
here, and come in, for the governor calleth thee.
And the Jews seeing what the officer did cried out
against Pilate, saying, Why didst thou not order him
by a crier to come in, rather than by an officer 23 For
when the officer saw him he worshipped him, and
spread his scarf on the ground and made him walk
on it like a king.
4
And Pilate called the officer and said to him, Why
hast thou done this, and spread thy scarf on the
ground and made Jesus walk upon it? The officer
saith to him, My lord governor, When thou sentest
me to Jerusalem to Alexander, I saw Him sitting on
an ass, and the children of the Hebrews held boughs
in their hands and cried out, and others spread out
their garments, saying, Save now, thou who art in
the highest blessed is he that cometh in the name
of the Lord.5
The Jews cried out, and said to the officer, The
1 The word is here the latin cursor, a messenger.
2 The copies differ about the words I render scarf', but it seems to
have been a loose wrapper.
ЗА
3 A præco rather than a cursor.
• I do not know what Alexander is meant.
5 Matt., xxi, 8, 9.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
233
children of the Hebrews cried out in Hebrew; whence
hast thou the Greek? The officer saith to them, I
asked one of the Jews and said, What is it that they
cry out in Hebrew? And he explained to me. Pilate
saith to them, How do they cry out in Hebrew? The
Jews said to him, Hosanna membrome, barouchamma
Adonai.¹ Pilate saith to them, And how is Hosanna
and the rest interpreted? The Jews say unto him,
Save now, thou that art in the highest : Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the Lord. Pilate saith
to them, If ye bear witness that these words were
spoken by the children, how hath the officer done
wrong? And they were silent. The governor saith
to the officer, Go and bring him in what manner thou
wilt. And the officer went out and did the same as
before, and said to Jesus, Lord, enter, the governor
calleth thee.
And when Jesus entered, and the standard-bearers
holding the standards, the tops of the standards
bowed down and worshipped Jesus. And when the
Jews saw the manner of the standards, how they
bowed down and worshipped Jesus, they cried out
exceedingly against the standard-bearers. And Pilate
said to the Jews, Do ye not marvel how the banners
bowed down and worshipped Jesus. The Jews said
to Pilate, We saw how the standard-bearers bowed
1 Hoshia na bamromim: baruch habba (b'shem) Adonai. Ps. cxviii. 26.
2 The preceding story does not savour much of a Hebrew original!
ļ
234
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
down and worshipped him. And the governor called
the standard-bearers and said to them, Why did ye
do so? They said to Pilate, We are Greeks and
wait upon the gods, how could we worship him?
but as we were holding the banners they bowed down
of themselves and worshipped him.
Pilate saith to the chiefs of the synagogues and
the elders, Choose ye strong and powerful men, and
let them hold the standards, and let us see if they
bow down of themselves. And the elders of the
Jews took twelve strong and powerful men, and
made six at a time hold the standards, and they
stood before the judgment-seat of the governor.
And Pilate saith to the officer, Take him out of the
prætorium, and bring him in again in what manner
thou wilt. And Jesus and the officer went out of the
prætorium. And Pilate called those who before held
the banners, and saith to them, I have sworn by the
salvation of Cæsar that if the standards do not bow
down when Jesus entereth I will cut off your heads.
And the governor gave order the second time that
Jesus should come in. And the officer did the same
as before, and earnestly entreated Jesus to tread upon
his wrapper. And he trod on it, and came in. And
as he entered the standards bowed down again and
worshipped Jesus.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
235
CHAPTER II.
And when Pilate saw it he was afraid and sought
to rise up from the judgment seat. And while it was
yet in his mind to rise, his wife sent to him, saying,
Have nothing to do with this just man, for I have
suffered very much because of him in the night.¹
And Pilate, having called the Jews, said to them,
Ye know that my wife is religious, and inclined to
practise Judaism with you. They said unto him,
Yea, we know it. Pilate saith to them, Behold, my
wife hath sent to me, saying, Have nothing to do
with this just man, for I have suffered very much
because of him in the night. But the Jews answered
and said to Pilate, Did we not tell thee that he is a
magician? Behold he hath sent a dream to thy
wife.
And Pilate called Jesus and said to him, What do
these testify against thee? Dost thou say nothing?
And Jesus said, Except they had power they would
say nothing. For every one of them hath power
over his own mouth to speak both good and evil.
They will see.
And the elders of the Jews answered and said to
Jesus, What shall we see? first, that thou wast born
¹ Matt. xxvii. 19. This message is hinted at in the letter of Pilate
to Herod, which will be found lower down.
236
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
of fornication; secondly, that thy birth in Bethlehem
became the slaughter of babes; thirdly, that thy
father Joseph and thy mother Mary fled into Egypt
because they had no confidence with the people.
Some of the pious among the Jews who stood by
said, We do not say that he was born of fornication,
but we know that Joseph was espoused to Mary, and
he was not born of fornication. Pilate said to the
Jews who said he was born of fornication, This
saying of yours is not true; because the betrothal
had taken place, as also your fellow countrymen say.
Annas and Caiaphas say to Pilate, All the multitude
of us cry out and do not believe that he was born of
fornication:¹ these are proselytes and his disciples.
And Pilate called Annas and Caiaphas and said to
them, What are proselytes? They said to him, They
were born the children of Greeks, and have now be-
come Jews. Those who said he was not born of for-
nication, Lazarus, Asterius, Antonius, James, Amnes,
Zera, Samuel, Isaac, Phinehas, Crispus, Agrippa, and
Judas, said, We have not become proselytes, but are
children of Jews, and speak truth. And at the
espousals of Joseph and Mary we were present.
2
And Pilate called these twelve men who said he
was not born of fornication, and said to them, I ad-
1 The context seems to require either, 'And we do believe', or 'Do
we not believe?"
2 The copies vary in this list of names.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
237
jure you, by the salvation of Cæsar, is that true which
ye say, that he was not born of fornication? They
say to Pilate, We have a law not to swear, because
it is sin; but they will swear that it is not as we say,
and we are liable to death. Pilate saith to Annas and
Caiaphas, Answer ye nothing to these things? Annas
and Caiaphas say to Pilate, These twelve believe that
he was not born of fornication; all the multitude of
us proclaim that he was born of fornication, and is a
magician, and calleth himself the Son of God and a
king, and we believe him not.
And Pilate commanded all the multitude to go
out, except the twelve men who said that he was not
born of fornication, and commanded Jesus to be
taken out. And Pilate saith to them, On what ac-
count wish they to slay him? They say unto him,
They are jealous because he healeth on the sabbath.
Pilate saith, For a good work do they wish to slay
him? They say unto him, Yea.
CHAPTER III.
AND Pilate was filled with anger, and went out of
the prætorium and saith to them, I call the sun to
witness that I find no fault in this man. The Jews
answered and said to the governor, If this man was
not an evil doer, we should not have delivered him
to thee. And Pilate said, Take ye him and judge
238
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
The Jews said to Pilate,
put any one to death.
him according to your law.
It is not lawful for us to
Pilate said, Did God command you not to kill, but
me to kill?
And Pilate went in again to the prætorium, and
called Jesus aside, and said to him, Art thou the
king of the Jews? Jesus answered Pilate, Dost
thou speak this of thyself, or have others said it to
thee of me? Pilate answered Jesus, Am I also a
Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have
delivered thee to me. What hast thou done? Jesus
answered, My kingdom is not of this world: for if
my kingdom was of this world, my servants would
strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews;
but now my kingdom is not from hence.
said to him, Art thou then a king? Jesus answered
him, Thou sayest; for I am a king: for this was I
born, and I am come that every one who is of the truth
should hear my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What
is truth? Jesus saith to him, Truth is from heaven.
Pilate saith, Is truth not upon earth? Jesus saith to
Pilate, Thou seest how they who say the truth are
judged by those who have power upon earth.
Pilate
CHAPTER IV.
AND leaving Jesus within the prætorium, Pilate
went out to the Jews, and saith unto them, I find no
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
239
fault in him. The Jews say unto him, this man said,
I can destroy this temple, and build it in three days.
Pilate saith, What temple? The Jews say, That
which Solomon¹ built in forty and six years, but he
speaketh of destroying and building it in three days.
Pilate saith to them, I am guiltless of the blood of
this just man: ye will see. The Jews say, His
blood be upon us, and upon our children.
And Pilate having called the elders and priests
and Levites, said to them privately, Do not thus, for
ye have accused him of nothing worthy of death; for
your accusation is for healing, and the profanation of
the sabbath. The elders and priests and Levites say,
If any one speaks evil against Cæsar, is he worthy of
death or no? Pilate saith, He is worthy of death.
The Jews say to Pilate, If any one speaketh evil
against Cæsar, he is worthy of death; but this man
hath spoken blasphemy against God.
And the governor commanded the Jews to go out
from the prætorium, and calling Jesus, he saith to him,
What shall I do to thee? Jesus saith to Pilate, As it
hath been given thee. Pilate saith, How has it been
given? Jesus saith, Moses and the Prophets spake
beforehand of my death and resurrection. And the
Jews who observed and heard said to Pilate, What
more wouldst thou hear than this blasphemy? Pilate
saith to the Jews, If this saying is blasphemous,
¹ This is of course a blundering paraphrase of John ii. 20.
240
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
1
take ye him for blasphemy, and lead him away to
your synagogue, and judge him according to your
law. The Jews say to Pilate, Our law maintains that
if a man sin against a man, he is worthy to receive
forty stripes save one; but he that blasphemeth
against God, is to be stoned with stones.¹
Pilate saith to them, Take ye him and be avenged
upon him in what manner ye will. The Jews say to
Pilate, We wish that he should be crucified.
saith, He doth not deserve to be crucified.
Pilate
And as the governor looked round at the multi-
tudes of Jews who stood about, he saw many of the
Jews weeping, and he said, All the multitude doth
not wish him to die. The elders of the Jews said, For
this cause all the multitude of us have come, that he
may die. Pilate saith to the Jews, Wherefore should
he die? The Jews say, Because he said that he was
the Son of God and a King.
CHAPTER V.
.
2
AND a certain man named Nicodemus, a Jew, stood
before the governor and said, I entreat thee, worship-
ful one, bid me say a few words. And Pilate said,
Speak. Nicodemus saith, I said to the elders and the
1 Deut. xxv. 3; 2 Cor. xi. 24; Lev. xxiv. 10-16.
2 It is hardly to be imagined that Nicodemus would have introduced
himself in this way, had he been the author of the book. John iii. 1
vii. 50; xix. 39. ·
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
241
A
·
priests and Levites and all the multitude of the Jews.
in the synagogue, What seek ye with this man? This
man doth many signs and wonders, such as no other
did or will do. Release him, and wish no evil against
him. If the miracles which he doth are of God, they
will stand; but if of men, they will come to nought.¹
For Moses also, when sent from God into Egypt,
wrought many signs which God commanded him to
do before Pharoah, King of Egypt. And there were
men there, Jannes and Jambres, physicians of Pha-
raoh, and they also did not a few signs such as Moses
did, and the Egyptians esteemed them as gods, that
is Jannes and Jambres. And since the signs which
they did were not of God, they perished, both they
and those who believed in them. Now, therefore,
release this man, for he is not deserving of death.
2
The Jews said to Nicodemus, Thou art his disciple,
and makest a defence for him. Nicodemus saith to
them, Is the governor also his disciple, and is he
making a defence for him? Hath not Cæsar ap-
pointed him to this dignity? And the Jews were
very angry, and gnashed their teeth against Nicode-
Pilate saith to them, Why do ye gnash your
teeth against him, when ye hear the truth? The
Jews say to Nicodemus, Mayest thou receive his truth
mus.
1 Cf. Acts v. 35.
2 2 Tim. iii. 8.
The names of Jannes and Jambres are introduced
into the Targum of Palestine at Exod. vii. 11.
16
242
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and his portion! Nicodemus saith, Verily, verily,
may I receive as ye have said!
CHAPTER VI.
AND one of the Jews starting up, asked the governor
that he might say a word. The governor saith, If
thou wilt speak, speak. And the Jew said, I lay
thirty-eight years on my bed in pain and affliction.
And when Jesus came, many demoniacs and persons
suffering various diseases were healed by him, and
some young men had pity on me, and carried me with
my bed, and took me to him, and when Jesus saw me,
he had compassion, and said the word to me, Take up
thy bed and walk: and I took up my bed and walked.
The Jews said to Pilate, Ask him what day it was
when he was healed. He that was healed said, On
the sabbath.¹ The Jews said, Did we not tell thee
so, that on the sabbath he healeth and casteth out
demons?
And another Jew starting up, said, I was born
blind; I heard a voice, but saw no person; and as
Jesus passed by, I cried with a loud voice, Have pity
on me, Son of David, and he had pity on me, and
placed his hands upon my eyes, and immediately I
And another Jew leaping up, said, I was a
cripple, and he made me straight with a word. And
saw.
John v. 5-9.
2 John ix. 1-12; Mark viii. 22-26.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
243
another said, I was a leper, and he healed me with a
word.¹
CHAPTER VII.
AND a certain woman cried out from a distance
and said, I had an issue of blood, and I touched the
hem of his garment, and my issue of blood, which
had been for twelve years, was stayed. The Jews
said, We have a law not to admit a woman to
witness.3
2
CHAPTER VIII.
And others, a multitude both of men and of women,
cried and said, This man is a prophet, and demons
are subject unto him. Pilate said to those who said
that demons were subject to him, Why were your
teachers not also subject to him? They say unto
Pilate, We know not. And others said, That he
raised up Lazarus from the sepulchre when he had
been dead four days. And the governor, becoming
afraid, said to all the multitude of the Jews, Why
will ye shed innocent blood?
4
1 Matt. viii. 1-4; Mark i. 40-45.
2 Matt. ix. 20-26; Luke viii. 43-48.
3 The Jews did not allow a woman as a witness. Otho's Lex. Rab.
s.v. Testimonium.
4 John xi. 1-16.
244
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER IX.
AND calling Nicodemus and the twelve men who
said that he was not born of fornication, he said to
them, What shall I do? for there is a sedition among
the people. They said to him, We know not; they
will see.
Pilate called again all the multitude of the
Jews, and said, Ye know that it is a custom with you
at the feast of unleavened bread, to deliver up to you
a prisoner; I have a condemned prisoner in the gaol,
a murderer called Barabbas, and this Jesus who
stands before you, in regard to whom I find no fault
in him.¹ Which will ye that I deliver to you? And
they cry out, Barabbas. Pilate saith, what then
shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? The
Jews say, Let him be crucified. Others said, Thou
art not Cæsar's friend, if thou discharge him; for he
said, He was the Son of God and a king: thou
wishest him to be king therefore, and not Cæsar.
And Pilate was angry, and said to the Jews, Your
nation is always seditious, and ye speak against your
. benefactors. The Jews say, What benefactors? He
saith o them, Your God led you out of Egypt from
hard bondage, and delivered you through the sea as
through dry land, and fed you in the wilderness with
1 Mark xv. 6-15.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
245
manna, and gave you quails, and made you drink
water from a rock, and gave you a law; and amid all
these things, ye provoked your God to anger, and
sought after a molten calf: and Moses made suppli-
cation for you, and ye died not.¹ And now ye exclaim
against me, that I hate the king.
go out.
And he rose from the judgment seat and sought to
And the Jews cried out, saying, We know
that Cæsar is king and not Jesus. For the Magi
also offered gifts to him as to a king. And when
Herod heard from the Magi that a king was born, he
sought to put him to death. And when his father
Joseph knew it he took him and his mother, and they
fled into Egypt. And when Herod heard it, he
destroyed the Hebrew children that were born in
Bethlehem.
And when Pilate heard these words he was afraid.
And Pilate caused the multitudes to keep silence, for
they cried out, and he said, So this is he whom Herod
sought? The Jews said, Yea, this is he. And
Pilate took water, and washed his hands before the
sun, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just
man: see ye to it. The Jews cried out again, His
blood be upon us, and upon our children.
Then Pilate commanded the curtain of the judg-
ment seat where he sat to be drawn, and said to
¹ Pilate's knowledge of the Old Testament has much increased since
he asked about' Hosanna' etc., earlier in the book!
246
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Jesus, Thine own nation hath convicted thee as a
king; therefore I have declared that thou shalt first
be scourged after the custom of the pious kings, and
then be fastened upon the cross in the garden where
thou wast taken: and let Dysmas and Gestas the
two malefactors be crucified with thee.
CHAPTER X.
AND Jesus went out of the prætorium, and the two
malefactors with him; and when they came to the
place they stripped him of his garments, and put
about him a linen cloth, and they put a crown of
thorns on him about his head. And they crucified
him and at the same time they hanged the two
malefactors with him. And Jesus said, Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do.
And the soldiers parted his garments. And the
people stood beholding him. And the chief priests
and the rulers with them derided him, saying, He
saved others, let him save himself: if he is the Son
of God, let him come down from the cross. And the
soldiers mocked him, coming and offering him vine-
gar and gall, and said, Thou art the King of the
Jews; save thyself.
And after the sentence, Pilate commanded that for
a title his accusation should be written up, in Greek,
Roman, and Hebrew letters, as the Jews said, He is
King of the Jews.
}
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
247
7
And one of the malefactors that were hanged,
spake to him, saying, If thou art the Christ, save
thyself and us. And Dysmas answered and rebuked
him, saying, Dost thou not fear God, because thou
art in the same condemnation? and we, indeed, just-
ly, for we receive our deserts for what we have done;
but he hath done no evil. And he said to Jesus,
Lord, remember me in thy kingdom. And Jesus said
to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, That to day
thou art with me in Paradise.
CHAPTER XI.
AND it was about the sixth hour, and darkness was
upon the earth until the ninth hour, for the sun was
darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the
midst. And calling with a loud voice, Jesus said,
Father, Baddakh ephkid rouel, which is interpreted,
Into thy hands I commend my spirit. And having
said this he gave up the ghost. And when the
centurion saw what had happened; he glorified God,
saying, This man was just. And all the multitudes
who were present at that sight, seeing what had
happened, returned, smiting their breasts.
And the centurion reported to the governor what
was done. And when the governor heard, and his
wife, they were very sorrowful, and neither ate nor
1 More correctly Beyadka aphkid ruchi. Luke xxiii. 46; Ps. xxxi. 5.
248
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
drank that day.
And Pilate sent for the Jews and
said to them, Have ye seen what has been done?
And they said, An eclipse of the sun has happened in
the usual manner.
And his acquaintance stood afar off, and the women
who came with him out of Galilee were beholding
these things. And a certain man, Joseph by name,
La
a councillor, who was of Arimathea, and himself also
expected the Kingdom of God; the same came to
Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took
it down and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and
placed it in a sepulchre hewn in stone, wherein no
one was yet lying.
CHAPTER XII.
AND when the Jews heard that Joseph had asked
the body of Jesus, they sought for him, and for the
twelve who said that Jesus was not born of fornication,
and Nicodemus, and many others besides, who had
risen up before Pilate, and made known his good
works. And whereas they were all hidden, Nicode-
mus alone was seen by them, because he was a ruler
of the Jews. And Nicodemus said to them, How
came ye into the synagogue? The Jews say unto
him, How camest thou into the synagogue? for thou
art a witness for him; and be his lot with thee in the
world to come. Nicodemus saith, Amen, amen.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
249
And in like manner also Joseph came forth, and said
to them, Why were ye offended at me, because I
asked for the body of Jesus? behold I have placed
him in my new sepulchre, have wrapped him in clean
linen, and have rolled a stone to the door of the
sepulchre. And ye have not done right against that
just one, because ye repented not of crucifying him,
but even pierced him with a spear. And the Jews
took hold of Joseph, and commanded him to be kept
safely until the first day of the week, and said to him,
Know that the time doth not permit us to do any-
thing against thee, because the Sabbath is dawning:
and know that thou shalt not be counted worthy of
burial, but we will give thy flesh to the birds of
heaven. Joseph saith to them, This is the saying of
the boasting Goliath, who reproached the living God
and the holy David. For God said by the prophet,
Vengeance is mine, and I will repay saith the Lord.2
And now he that is uncircumcised in the flesh, but
circumcised in his heart, hath taken water and washed
his hands before the sun, saying, I am innocent of
the blood of this just man; ye will see.
And ye
answering Pilate said, His blood be upon us and upon
our children; and now I fear lest the anger of the
Lord should come upon you and your children, as ye
said. And when the Jews heard these words they
were vexed in soul, and taking hold of Joseph they
1 1 Sam. xvii. 4-43.
2 Deut. xxxii. 35; Rom. xii. 19.
4
$
250
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
arrested him and shut him in a house where there
was no window, and guards were stationed at the
door, and they sealed the door where Joseph was shut
up.
And on the Sabbath the rulers of the synagogue
and the priests and the Levites made a decree, that
all should be present in the synagogue on the first
day of the week. And rising early in the morning,
all the multitude took counsel in the synagogue by
what death they should kill him. And when the
council was seated, they commanded him to be
brought with much dishonour. And they opened the
door and found him not. And all the people was
astonished; and they were amazed because they found
the seals sealed, and because Caiaphas had the key.
And they no more dared to lay hands on them who
spake for Jesus before Pilate.
CHAPTER XIII.
AND while they were still sitting in the synagogue,
and wondering about Joseph, certain of the guard
came, whom the Jews had asked of Pilate to keep the
tomb of Jesus, that his disciples might not come and
steal him. And they reported and told to the rulers
of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites,
what had happened: how there was a great earth-
quake, and we saw an angel coming down from
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
251
we, being greatly
And we heard the
heaven, and he rolled away the stone from the mouth
of the sepulchre, and sat upon it; and he shone like
snow and like lightning; and
afraid, lay as if we were dead.
voice of the angel talking with the women who
waited by the tomb,-Fear ye not; for I know that
ye seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here: he
is risen, as he said. Come, see the place were the
Lord lay; and go forth quickly, and tell his disciples
that he is risen from the dead, and is in Galilee.
The Jews said, With what women did he talk?
The men of the guard said, We know not who they
were. The Jews said, At what hour was it? The
men of the guard said, At midnight. The Jews said,
And why did ye not lay hold upon them? The men
of the guard said, We were like dead men for fear,
not expecting to see the light of day, and how could
we lay hold upon them? The Jews said, As the
Lord liveth, we do not believe you. The men of the
guard said to the Jews, Ye have seen so great signs
in that man, and have not believed, and how can ye
believe in us? For ye have well sworn, that the Lord
liveth, for also he liveth. They of the guard said
again, We have heard that ye shut up him that asked
for the body of Jesus, and sealed the door, and when
ye opened it found him not, therefore produce him
that ye kept, and we will give up Jesus. The Jews
said, Joseph went away to his own city.
They of the
252
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
guard said to the Jews, And Jesus arose as we heard
from the angel, and is in Galilee.
And the Jews hearing these words were greatly
afraid, saying, Lest this report should be heard, nd
all men should incline to Jesus. And the Jews, c. 1-
ing a council, put down much money and gave to the
soldiers, saying, Say, While we slept his disciples
came by night and stole him. And if this should be
heard by the governor, we will persuade him and
keep you from trouble. And they took it and said as
they were taught.
CHAPTER XIV.
AND Phinehas a priest, and Ada a teacher, and
Aggæus a Levite, coming from Galilee to Jerusalem,
declared to the rulers of the synagogue, and the
priests and the Levites, We saw Jesus with his dis-
ciples, sitting on the mount which is called Mamilk,¹
and he said to his disciples, Go into all the world and
preach to every creature; he that believeth and is
baptised shall be saved, and he that believeth not
shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow
them that believe in my name they shall cast out
1 The explanation of Mamilk is to be sought for from Jewish
writers. The word seems to be a corruption of Malek or Melek, a
king. The name Mount Melek was applied by the Rabbins to the hill
country of Judah; but our author has not only identified the Mount of
Olives with Mount Melek, but located it in Galilee.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
253
demons, they shall speak with new tongues, they
shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly
thing it shall not hurt them; upon the sick they
shall lay hands and they shall be well.¹ While Jesus
was yet speaking to his disciples, we saw him taken
up into heaven.
The elders and priests and Levites said, Give glory
to the God of Israel; and make acknowledgment to
him if ye have heard and seen these things which ye
relate. Those who reported them said, As the Lord
God of our Fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob liveth,
we heard these things, and saw him taken up into
heaven. The elders and priests and Levites said
unto them, Have ye come to proclaim this to us, or
have ye come to pay a vow to God? And they said,
To pay a vow to God. The elders and chief priests
and Levites said to them, If ye have come to pay a
vow to God, why these trifles with which ye trifle
before all the people?
And Phineas the priest, and Ada the teacher, and
Aggæus the Levite, said to the rulers of the syna-
gogue and priests and Levites, If these things which
we have told and seen are sin, behold we are before
you; do to us according to what is good in your eyes.
And taking the law they made them swear that they
would tell no one these words any more.
And they
gave them to eat and drink, and sent them out of the
1 Mark xvi. 15.
254
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
city, after bestowing money upon them, and three
men with them, and they removed them back to
Galilee.
And when those men were gone into Galilee, the
chief priests and rulers of the synagogue, and elders,
assembled in the synagogue, shutting the gate, and
they lamented with a great lamentation, saying,
Hath this sign come to pass in Israel? And Annas
and Caiaphas said, Why are ye troubled? Why do
ye weep? Know ye not that his disciples gave much
gold to the guards of the tomb, and taught them to
say that an angel came down and rolled away the
stone from the door of the sepulchre? And the
priests and elders said, Be it that his disciples stole
the body; but how did the soul enter the body, and
how abideth he in Galilee? And they, being scarcely
able to give an answer to these things, said, It is not
lawful for us to believe the uncircumcised.
CHAPTER XV.
t:
AND Nicodemus arose and stood before the council,
saying, Ye speak aright. Ye know not, people of the
Lord, that the men who came down from Galilee fear
God, are men of substance, hating covetousness, men
of peace. And they spake with an oath, saying, We
saw Jesus at Mount Mamilk,¹ with his disciples, and he
1 See note to chapter xiv.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
255
taught what we heard from him, and we saw him
taken up into heaven. And no one asked them in
what manner he was taken up. For as the Book of
the Holy Scriptures hath taught us Elijah also
was taken up into heaven; and Elisha called with a
loud voice, and Elijah cast his sheepskin upon Elisha;
and Elisha cast his sheepskin upon the Jordan, and
passed over, and came to Jericho. And the children
of the prophets met him, and said, Elisha, where is thy
master Elijah? and he said, He was taken up into
heaven. And they said to Elisha, Hath a spirit
seized him and cast him upon one of the mountains?
Let us take our young men with us and seek him.
And they persuaded Elisha, and he went with them.
And they sought him three days, and found him not,
and knew that he was taken up.¹ And now hear me,
And let us send through all the border of Israel, and
see whether the Christ hath been taken up by a spirit,
and cast upon one of the mountains. And this saying
pleased them all. And they sent through all the
border of Israel, and sought for Jesus, and found him
not. But they found Joseph at Arimathea: and no
one dared lay hold upon him.
And they brought word to the elders and the
priests and the Levites, saying, We went through all
the border of Israel, and found not Jesus: but we
found Joseph at Arimathea. And when they heard
1 2 Kings ii. 1-18
256
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
of Joseph they rejoiced, and gave glory to the God of
Israel. And the rulers of the synagogue, and the
priests and the Levites took counsel in what man-
ner they might meet with Joseph, and took a sheet
of paper, and wrote to Joseph, thus:-
"Peace be unto thee. We know that we have
sinned against God, and against thee, and we have
prayed to the God of Israel that thou wouldest deign
to come to thy fathers, and to thy children, because
we are all troubled; for when we opened the door, we
found thee not. And we know that we devised an
evil counsel against thee, but the Lord undertook for
thee, and the Lord himself scattered our counsel
which was against thee, honoured father Joseph."
And they chose out of all Israel, seven men, friends
to Joseph, with whom Joseph also was acquainted.
And the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests and
the Levites, said to them, See ye; if he receiveth and
readeth our epistle, know that he will come to us
along with you: but if he doth not read it, know
that he is offended with us, and ye shall salute him,
and return in peace to us. And they blessed the men
and sent them away. And the men came to Joseph,
and bowed down to him, and said to him, Peace be
unto thee. And he said, Peace to you, and to all the
people of Israel. And they gave to him the roll of
the epistle. And Joseph received, and read, and
folded the epistle, and blessed God, and said, Blessed
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
257
1
be the Lord God, who delivered Israel from shedding
innocent blood; and blessed be the Lord, who sent
his angel, and protected me under his wings. And
he set a table before them, and they ate, and drank,
and slept there.
And they rose early and prayed. And Joseph
saddled his ass, and went with the men, and they
came to the holy city, Jerusalem. And all the people
met Joseph, and cried, Peace be unto thee at thy
coming in. And he said to all the people, Peace be
unto you. And he kissed them. And the people
prayed with Joseph, and were astonished at the sight
of him. And Nicodemus received him into his house,
and made a great supper, and invited Annas, and
Caiaphas, and the elders, and the priests, and the
Levites, to his house. And they rejoiced while eating
and drinking with Joseph. And when they had
sung hymns, every one went to his own home. But
Joseph abode at the house of Nicodemus.
And on the morrow, which was the preparation,
the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests and the
Levites, came early to the house of Nicodemus, and
Nicodemus met them, and said, Peace be unto you.
And they said, Peace be unto thee, and unto Joseph,
and to all thy house, and to all the house of Joseph.
And he took them into his house. And all the
assembly sat, and Joseph sat between Annas and
Caiaphas. And no one dared to speak to him a
17
258
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
word. And Joseph said, Wherefore have ye called for
me? And they signified to Nicodemus to tell Joseph.
And Nicodemus opened his mouth, and said to
Joseph, Father, thou knowest that the honourable
teachers, and priests and Levites seek to learn some-
thing from thee. And Joseph said, Ask. And
Annas and Caiaphas took the law, and made Joseph
swear, saying, Give glory to the God of Israel, and
give confession to him. Because when Achan¹ was
sworn by the prophet Joshua,2 he did not forswear him-
self, but told him all, and hid nothing from him. Thou,
therefore, hide not anything from us.
And Joseph
said, I will not hide from you one word.
And they
said to him, We were exceedingly grieved that thou
didst ask for the body of Jesus, and didst wrap it in
clean linen, and didst lay it in a sepulchre. And for
this cause we secured thee in a house wherein there
was no window, and we put locks and seals upon the
doors, and guards watched where thou wast confined.
And when we opened it on the first day of the week,
we found thee not, and were greatly troubled. And
astonishment fell upon all the people of the Lord until
yesterday. And now tell us what became of thee.
And Joseph said, On the preparation, about the
tenth hour, ye put me in prison, and I remained so
all the sabbath. And about midnight, as I stood
and prayed, the house wherein ye shut me was sus-
1 Gr. Achar.
2 Gr. Jesus; Josh. vii. 19-20.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
259
pended¹ by the four corners, and I saw, as it were, a
flash of light in my eyes. And being afraid, I fell
to the ground. And some one took me by the hand,
and removed me from the place where I had fallen,
and a quantity of water was poured out (upon me)
from my head to my feet; and a smell of myrrh
came to my nostrils. And he wiped my face, and
kissed me, and said to me, Fear not Joseph; open thy
eyes, and see who it is that talketh with thee. And
looking up, I saw Jesus.
thought it was an apparition, and said the command-
And being afraid, I
And now know ye not
ments.2 And he spake to me.
that if an apparition meeteth a man, and heareth
the commandments, it taketh to flight? And seeing
that he spake to me, I said, Rabbi Elias. And he
said to me, I am not Elias. And I said to him, Who
art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus,
whose body thou didst beg from Pilate; and thou
didst wrap me in clean linen, and didst put a napkin.
about my head, and didst put me in thy new tomb,
and didst roll a great stone to the door of the sepul-
chre. And I said to him that talked with me, Show
me the place where I laid thee. And he took me,
and showed me the place where I laid him, and the
1 Comp. Acts x. 11; This idea reached its fullest development in the
legend of the Virgin's house removed by angels from Nazareth to Lo-
retto a fiction of which we first read in the fifteenth century.
2 Some formula was probably enjoined to be repeated on such occa-
sions, as a kind of charm, another trace of Jewish authorship perhaps.
1
260
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
linen cloth laid therein, and the napkin which was
about his head; and I knew that it was Jesus. And
he took me by the hand, and set me, the doors being
shut, inside my house, and he led me to my bed, and
said to me, Peace be to thee. And he kissed me, and
said to me, Go not out of thine house for forty days;
for behold, I go into Galilee, unto my brethren.
CHAPTER XVI.
AND when the rulers of the synagogue, and the
priests and the Levites heard these words from
Joseph, they became as dead men, and fell to the
ground, and fasted until the ninth hour. And
Nicodemus and Joseph comforted Annas and Caia-
phas, the priests and the Levites, saying, Arise and
stand upon your feet, and taste bread, and strengthen
your souls, for to-morrow is the sabbath of the Lord.
And they arose and prayed to God, and ate and
drank, and went every man to his house.
And on the sabbath, our teachers, and the priests
and Levites, sat and questioned one another, and
said, What is this wrath which has come upon us?
for we know his father and his mother. Levi a
teacher, saith, I know his parents fear God, and neg-
lect not prayer, and give tithes thrice a year. And
when Jesus was born, his parents brought him to
this place, and offered sacrifices and whole burnt
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
261
offerings to God. And the great teacher Simeon
took him into his arms, and said, Now Lord, lettest
thou thy servant depart, according to thy word, in
peace; because mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy
people Israel. And Simeon blessed them, and said
to Mary, his mother, I tell thee good tidings con-
cerning this child. And Mary said, Good, my lord.
And Simeon said to her, Good: behold he is set for
the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a
sign which shall be spoken against; and a sword
shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the
thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.¹
The assembly
And they sent
and he said to
They say unto Levi the teacher, How knowest
thou these things? Levi saith to them, Know ye
not that from him I learned the law?
say to him, We would see thy father.
for his father. And they asked him;
them, Why did ye not believe my son? The blessed
and righteous Simeon himself taught him the law.
The assembly saith to Rabbi Levi, Is the word true
which thou hast spoken? And he said, It is true.
And the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests, and
the Levites, said among themselves, Come, let us send
into Galilee, to the three men who came and told us
about his teaching, and his ascension, and let them
1 Luke ii. 25-35.
1
262
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
tell us how they saw him taken up.
And this word
pleased them all. And they sent the three men
who had already gone into Galilee with them, and
said to them, Say to Rabbi Adas, and Rabbi Phine-
has, and Rabbi Aggæus, Peace be to you, and all that
are with you. Because there is much enquiry in the
Sanhedrim, we have sent to you, to call you to this
holy place, Jerusalem.
And the men went into Galilee, and found them
sitting, and meditating upon the law, and they
greeted them in peace.
And the men who were in
Galilee, said to them that had come to them, Peace
be upon all Israel. And they said, Peace to you.
And again they said to them, Wherefore are ye
come? And they who were sent said, The Sanhed-
rim call you to the holy city Jerusalem. And when
the men heard that they were asked by the Sanhedrim,
they prayed to God, and sat down with the men, and
ate, and drank, and arose and went in peace to
Jerusalem.
And on the morrow the Sanhedrim sat in the
synagogue, and asked them, saying, Did ye truly see
Jesus sitting on the mount Mamilk, as he taught his
eleven disciples, and did ye see him taken up? And
the men answered them, and said, As we saw him
taken up, so also we said.
Annas saith, Take them apart, and let us see if
their report agreeth. And they took them apart.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
263
And they called Adas first, and said to him, How
sawest thou Jesus taken up? Adas saith, While he
was sitting on the mount Mamilk, and teaching his
disciples, we saw a cloud overshadowing him, and his
disciples; and the cloud bore him up into heaven,
and his disciples lay on their faces upon the ground.
And they called Phinehas the priest, and asked him
also, saying, How sawest thou Jesus taken up?
And he said the same. And again they asked
Aggæus, and he said the same. And the Sanhedrim
said, The law of Moses, declareth, By the mouth of
two or three, every word shall be established.
Buthem, a teacher, said, It is written in the law, and
Enoch walked with God, and was not, because God
took him. Jairus, a teacher, said, And we have
heard of the death of holy Moses, and we saw it not.
For it is written in the law of the Lord, and Moses
died, by the word of the Lord, and no man knoweth
his sepulchre, unto this day. And Rabbi Levi said,
What did Rabbi Simeon say, when he saw Jesus?
Behold he is set for the fall and rising again of many
in İsrael, and for a sign which shall be spoken against.³
And Rabbi Isaac said, It is written in the law, Be-
hold, I send my angel before thy face, who shall go
before thee, to preserve thee in every good way,
because my name is called
upon it.4
1 Gen. v. 24; Heb. xi. 5.
3 Luke ii. 34.
2
2 Deut. xxxiv. 5, 6.
4 Ex. xxiii. 20, 21; Mal. iii, 1.
264
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Then Annas and Caiaphas said, Ye have rightly
said, What is written in the law of Moses, that no
man saw the death of Enoch, and no man mentioned
the death of Moses. But Jesus gave account to
Pilate, and we saw him receiving blows, and spit-
tings in his face; and the soldiers put a crown of
thorns upon him, and he was scourged, and received
sentence from Pilate, and was crucified on Calvary,
and two robbers with him, and they gave him to
drink vinegar and gall; and Longinus, the soldier,
pierced his side with a spear, and Joseph our honour-
able father, begged his body; and as he saith, he
arose; and as the three teachers say, We saw him
taken up to heaven. And Rabbi Levi spake, attesting
what was spoken by Rabbi Simeon, and that he said,
Behold he is set for the fall and rising again of many
in Israel, and for a sign to be spoken against.¹ And
all the teachers said to all the people of the Lord, If
this is from the Lord, and it is marvellous in your eyes,2
ye shall know assuredly, O house of Jacob, that it is
written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.³
And another Scripture teacheth, The gods which
made not heaven and earth, shall perish. If his
memorial is unto the year, which is called Jobel,
1 Luke ii. 34.
5
4
2 Ps. cxviii. 23.
4 Jer. x. 11.
3 Deut. xxi. 23; Gal. iii. 13.
5 The Greek text is ews Toû owuμov which Dr. Tischendorf confesses
he does not understand. It is a barbarous representation of the phrase
“until the year of jubilee,” which frequently occurs in Lev. xxv. By
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
265
know ye that he will prevail for ever, and hath
raised up for himself a new people. Then the rulers
of the synagogue, and the priests, and the Levites,
made declaration to all Israel, saying, Cursed is that
man, who shall worship the work of man's hands, and
cursed is the man, who shall worship the creatures,
more than the Creator. And all the people said,
Amen, amen.¹
And all the people sang hymns to the Lord, and
said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath given rest to his
people Israel, according to all that he spake. Not
one word hath failed of all his good words, which he
spake to Moses his servant. May the Lord our God
be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not
suffer us to perish. And may he not suffer us to fall
away from inclining our hearts towards him, from
walking in all his ways, from keeping his command-
ments, and his ordinances, which he commanded to
our fathers. And the Lord shall be king over all the
earth in that day. And there shall be one Lord, and
his name one. The Lord is our king: He shall
save us. There is none like unto thee, O Lord;
great art thou, O Lord, and great is thy name.
In
σúμμov the writer meant (shanah), a year. Jobel is merely the
Hebrew word for jubilee in Greek letters. The copies vary considerably
about the reading, but I ascribe this to the inability of the scribes to
solve the difficulty, and do not hesitate to prefer the reading of Dr
Tischendorf
1 Deut. xxvii. 15; Rom. i. 25.
266
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
thy power heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed.
Save us, O Lord, and we shall be saved. For we are
thy portion, and thine heritage. And the Lord shall
not cast off his people, for his great name's sake, for
the Lord hath begun to make us his people.¹
And having sung hymns, they went every man to
his house, glorifying God, for his is the glory, for
ever and ever.2 Amen.
1 1 Chr. xxiii. 25; Josh. xxi. 45; 1 Kings viii. 56, 57, 58; Ex. xii.
23; Zech. xiv. 9; Is. xxxiii. 22; Ps. lxxxvi. 8; Jer. xvii. 14; Deut.
xxxii. 9; Ps. xciv. 14; 1 Sam. xii. 22.
2 2 Peter iii. 18,
267
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS, OR ACTS OF
PILATE (II.)
Relation of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and of his holy resurrection.
COMPILED BY A JEW, NAMED ÆNEAS; TRANSLATED FROM THE
HEBREW TONGUE INTO THE GREEK, BY NICODEMUS, A
ROMAN TOPARCH.
1
AFTER the kingdom of the Hebrews was abolished,
four hundred years having passed away, and when
the Hebrews lived under the Government of the
Romans, the king of the Romans appointed for them
a king. When at length Tiberius Cæsar wielded the
Roman sceptre, in the eighteenth year of his reign,
he appointed as king in Judea, Herod, the son of
that Herod who slew the infants in Bethlehem, and
he made Pilate governor in Jerusalem. When
1 It will be observed that here Nicodemus is a Roman, and only the
translator of a book written by Eneas. Part of the preface seems to
indicate that it was the work of a contemporary, but part of it sug-
gests more truly that it was done in after times. The Greek text, from
which this second version of Nicodemus is made, seems to be less ancient
than the first, and to have been revised and polished by its editor. I
suppose the name of Æneas not to be older than the account of the
Journey to the Underworld, which has been added to the original com-
position, and follows the present recension of Nicodemus as Part II.
268
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Annas and Caiaphas held the chief-priesthood of
Jerusalem, Nicodemus, a Roman toparch, called to
him a Jew, named Eneas, and asked him to write
what was done in Jerusalem, concerning Christ, in
the times of Annas and Caiaphas: which also the
Jew did, and delivered it to Nicodemus, who straight-
way translated it, from the Hebrew copy, into the
Greek tongue. Now the matter of the history is
this:-
CHAPTER 1.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ wrought many, and great,
and extraordinary miracles in Judea, and was there-
fore viewed with jealousy by the Hebrews, when
Pilate was governor at Jerusalem, and Annas and
Caiaphas were chief priests. So Judas, Levi, Neph-
thalim, Alexander, Syrus, and many other of the
Jews came to the chief priests, speaking against
Christ. And the chief priests sent them to tell
these things to Pilate. And they went away, and
said to him, A man who hath a father called Joseph,
and a mother Mary, goeth about in this city, and
calleth himself a king, and the son of God, and
although a Jew, overthroweth the scriptures, and
breaketh the sabbaths. Pilate therefore enquired of
them, in what manner he broke the sabbaths. And
they answered, saying, He healeth the sick on the
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
269
sabbath. Pilate saith, If he maketh the sick whole,
he doeth no evil. They say to him, If he wrought
his cures aright, the evil would be small; but he
performeth them by using magic, and having demons
with him. Pilate saith, To heal the sick is not a
diabolical work, but a gift from God.
The Hebrews said, We pray thy majesty to sum-
mon him, that thou mayest examine thoroughly what
we say. Pilate therefore, throwing off his robe, gave
it to one of his servants, saying, Go and show this to
Jesus, and say to him, Pilate the governor calleth
thee to come to him. So the servant departed, and
finding Jesus, he called to him, spreading upon the
ground the robe of Pilate, and inviting him to walk
upon it. The Hebrews seeing this, and being greatly
offended, came to Pilate, murmuring against him
how that he had counted Jesus worthy of so great
honour.
And he enquired of the servant that was sent, why
he had done so. And the servant answered, When,
thou sentest me to Alexander the Jew, I met with
Jesus, as he entered the gate of the city, sitting upon
an ass; and I saw the Hebrews that they strewed
their garments in the way, and the ass walked upon
the garments; and others cut down branches; and
they came to meet him, and cried, Hosanna in the
highest! Thus, therefore, it became me also to do.
On hearing these words, the Jews said to him,
270
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Thou who art a Roman, how knewest thou what was
said by the Hebrews? The servant answered, I
asked one of the Hebrews, and he told it to me.
Pilate said, What meaneth Hosanna? The Jews
said, Save us, Lord. Pilate answered, Seeing ye con-
fess that your children spake thus, how do ye now
accuse, and say against Jesus that which ye say?
And the Jews were silent, and could answer nothing.
Now when Jesus came to Pilate, the soldiers of
Pilate worshipped him. And there stood also others
before Pilate, holding the standards. And when
Jesus came, the standards also bowed down and
worshipped him. As Pilate therefore wondered at
what had happened, the Jews said to him, Lord, the
standards did not worship Jesus, but the soldiers who
hold them carelessly.
Pilate saith to the ruler of the synagogue, Choose
ye twelve strong men, and give them the standards
to hold them firmly. And when this was done,
Pilate commanded the servant to take Jesus out, and
bring him in again. And as he came in, the
standards again bowed down, and worshipped him.
Therefore, Pilate wondered greatly. And the Jews
said, He is a magician, and therefore he doeth these
things.
CHAPTER II.
PILATE saith to Jesus, Hearest thou what these*
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS
271
testify against thee, and answerest not? Jesus
answered and said, Every man hath power to speak
what he will, whether good or evil; therefore these
having the power, say what they will.
The Jews said to him, What have we to say con-
cerning thee? first, that thou wast born of sin;
secondly, that on account of thee, when thou wast
born, they slew the infants; thirdly, that thy father
and thy mother fled into Egypt, wherefore they had
no boldness before the people.
To these things, the Jews who were there present,
and were pious men, answered and said, We say that
his birth was not of sin, for we know that Joseph
received his mother Mary, according to the rule of
espousals, to keep her. Pilate said, Therefore ye lie
who say that his birth was of sin. They say again to
Pilate, All the people testify that he is a magician.
The pious Jews answered, and said, We were present
at the espousal of his mother, and we are Jews, and we
know his whole conduct; but that he is a magician,
this we do not know. Now the Jews who said this,
were these: Lazarus, Astharius, Antonius, James,
Zarah, Samuel, Isaiah, Phinehas, Crispus, Dagriphus,
Amesa, and Judas.
Therefore, Pilate saith to them, I will that ye
swear by the life of Cæsar, whether the birth of this
man was without sin. They answered, Our law or-
daineth that we should swear nothing, because an oath
272
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
is a great sin. Yet by the life of Cæsar, we swear that
his birth was without sin; and if we lie, command
that we all be cut in pieces. And when they said
these things, the Jews who accused him, answered
Pilate, and said, And dost thou believe these twelve
Jews alone, more than the whole multitude, and us,
who know well that he is a magician, and a blas-
phemer, and calleth himself the Son of God.
Then Pilate commanded all to go out of the præ-
torium, except only the twelve spoken of, and when
this was done, Pilate saith to them privately, As for
this man, it appeareth that, for envy and madness,
the Jews wish to slay him. For they accuse him of
one thing, that he breaketh the sabbath. But he
then doeth a good work, because he healeth the sick.
This is no cause for condemning the man to death.
And the twelve said to him, Yea, lord, thus it is.
CHAPTER III.
THEREFORE, Pilate went out in anger and wrath,
and he said to Annas and Caiaphas, and the multi-
tude who brought Jesus, I hold the sun to witness
that I find no fault in this man. The multitude
answered, If he were not a sorcerer, and a magician,
and a blasphemer, we should not have brought him
to thy majesty. Pilate said, Try him yourselves; and
since ye have a law, as your law saith, so do. The
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
273
Jews said, Our law doth not permit us to put any
man to death. Pilate saith, If ye are unwilling to
put him to death, how much more am I!
Then Pilate returned into the palace, and said to
Jesus, Tell me, art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus
answered, Dost thou say this, or did the other Jews
say this to thee, that thou shouldst ask me,? Pilate
said, And am I a Hebrew? I am not a Hebrew;
thine own people, and the chief priests, delivered thee
into my hands; tell me then, if thou art king of the
Jews. Jesus answered, My kingdom is not in this
world; for if my kingdom was in this world, my sol-
diers would not be unconcerned, that I am arrested;
therefore, my kingdom is not in this world.
Pilate saith, Art thou then a king? Jesus said,
Thou sayest: for this was I born, namely, to bear
witness to the truth, and if any one is a man of truth,
he believeth my word, and doeth it. Pilate saith,
What is truth? Jesus answered, Truth is from
heaven. Pilate saith, Is not truth on earth? Christ
saith, I am the truth; and how is truth judged on
earth, by those who have earthly power!
CHAPTER IV.
THEREFORE, Pilate leaving Jesus alone, went out,
and said to the Jews, I find no fault in this man.
The Jews answered, May we tell thy majesty what he
3
18
274
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
himself said? He said, I am able to destroy the
temple of God, and to build it in three days. Pilate
saith, And what sort of temple did he say he would
destroy? The Hebrews said, The temple of Solomon,
which Solomon was forty-six years building.
Pilate saith privately to the chief priests and
scribes and Pharisees, I entreat you, do nothing evil
to this man; for if ye do evil to him, ye will deal
unjustly. For it is not just that such a man should
die, who hath done great good to many men. They
said to Pilate, If he who hath dishonoured Cæsar is
worthy of death, my lord, how much rather is this
man who dishonoureth God?
is ordained.
Then Pilate gave order, and they all went out.
Then saith he to Jesus, What wilt thou that I should
do to thee? Jesus saith to Pilate, Do unto me as it
Pilate saith, How is it ordained?
Jesus answered, Moses and the prophets wrote that I
should be crucified and should rise again. The
Hebrews who heard him, said to Pilate, Why seek
ye to hear from him greater insult against God?
Pilate saith, This is no word of insult against God,
since it is written in the books of the prophets. The
Jews said, Our Scripture saith, If a man offend
against a man, as if he revile him, he is worthy to
1
1 Pilate's appeal to the Scriptures implies, either that he was ac-
quainted with them, or, that he believed Christ's affirmation. The
Jews do not refute, but evade the point.
1
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
275
receive forty strokes with a stick; but if he revile
God, to be stoned.1
Then came a messenger from Procla the wife of
Pilate unto him, and the message said, Take heed
that thou suffer not any evil to happen to the good
man Jesus; for this night I have seen terrible
dreams on account of him. And Pilate gave an
answer to the Hebrews, saying, If ye regard as an
insult to God, the words which ye say Jesus said,
take him, and judge ye according to your law. The
Jews said to Pilate, We will that thou shouldst
crucify him. Pilate saith, This is not good.
And Pilate, turning towards the people, saw many
weeping, and he said, It seemeth to me that it is not
the will of all the people that this man should die.
The priests and scribes said, For this cause have we
brought all the people, that thou mightest receive
full assurance that they all wish for his death. Pilate
saith, What evil hath he done? The Hebrews said,
He saith that he is a king and the Son of God.
CHAPTER V.
THEN a pious Jew, named Nicodemus, standing in
the midst, said, I pray thy majesty to suffer me to
say some few words unto thee. Speak, said Pilate.
Nicodemus said, I said to the priests and Levites
1 Deut. xxv. 3; Lev. xxiv. 16.
276
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and scribes, and the people when I was in the
synagogue, What matter have ye against this man?
This man doeth many miracles, such as man never
did, nor will do. Therefore, let him go, and if what
he doeth is from God, they will stand; but if it is of
men, they will be destroyed.¹ As it came to pass, also,
when God sent Moses into Egypt, and Pharaoh king
of Egypt, said to him, that he should do a miracle,
and he did it. Then Pharaoh also had two magicians,
Jannes and Jambres, and they too did miracles, using
magic art, but not such as Moses did, And the
Egyptians esteemed these two magicians as gods;
but, because they were not of God, what they did
came to nought. This Jesus, therefore, hath raised
Lazarus, and he is alive. For this cause I pray thee,
my lord, not to suffer this man to be put to death.
The Hebrews were angry against Nicodemus, and
said to him, Receive the truth of Jesus and have thy
part with him. Nicodemus saith, Amen, Amen, be
it unto me as ye say.
CHAPTER VI.
WHEN Nicodemus had said these things, another
Hebrew arose, and saith to Pilate, I pray thee my
lord Pilate, hear me also. Pilate answered, Say
what thou wilt. The Hebrew saith, I lay sick upon
6 Acts v. 38. These words were Gamaliel's, about the apostles.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
277
1
my bed thirty-eight years, and seeing me he was
grieved, and said, Arise, take up thy bed and depart
to thine house, and as he said to me the word I
arose and walked. The Hebrews said, Ask him on
what day of the week this was done. He saith to
them, On the sabbath. The Jews said, And therefore
we say truly that he keepeth not the sabbath.
Again, another standing in the midst said, I was
born blind, and as Jesus went along the way I called
to him, saying, Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of
David, and he took clay and anointed mine eyes, and
immediately I saw. Another said, I was a cripple,
and seeing him I cried, Have mercy on me, Lord,
and he took me by the hand, and immediately I
arose.3 Another said, I was a leper, and he healed me
by a word alone.¹
CHAPTER VII.
THERE was found there also, a woman named
Veronica.5 And she said, I was twelve years with an
1 John v. 5-9.
3 Matt. ix. 1-7; cf. Acts iii. 7.
2 John ix. 6.
4 Luke xvii. 13.
5 The Greek is Beronice, but the Latin Veronica seems to be the
original. The name has reference to a supposed likeness of Christ, and
was often applied to the likeness itself. 'The likeness of the Lord,
which is called Veronica-Veronica is the true picture of the Lord,'
says Gervase of Tilbury. The word is said not to be a corruption of
Beronice, but of Vera Icon, 'a true likeness.' According to one
story, Veronica is the name of a woman who received from Jesus his
portrait, upon a handkerchief or napkin. They still pretend to exhibit
this at Rome and elsewhere, for like many relics, it has increased and
278
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
issue of blood, and I only took hold of the edge of
his garment, and was immediately healed.¹ The Jews
said, The law doth not admit the testimony of a
woman.
CHAPTER VIII.
OTHER men cried, This man is a prophet, and the
demons fear him. Pilate saith, And how is it that
the demons did not thus fear your parents also?
They say, We know not. Others again said, By a
word only he raised up Lazarus, who had been four
days in his sepulchre. Pilate, therefore, hearing of
the resurrection of Lazarus was afraid, and saith to
the people, Wherefore will ye shed the blood of a
just man ?
CHAPTER IX.
THEN he called Nicodemus and the twelve pious
Jews, and said to them, What say ye that I should
do, for the people are in a commotion? They say,
We know not: do what thou wilt. But whatever
the people do, they do unrighteously, in order to
destroy him. Pilate went out again, and saith to the
multiplied.' According to another legend, the woman mentioned in
our text made an image or representation of Jesus at Paneas. See the
Story of Veronica, pp, 218, 223. Also, the Death of Pilate; and the
Saviour's Revenge, near the end of this volume.
Matt. ix, 20-22.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
279
people, Ye know that at the feast of unleavened
bread it is customary for me to liberate for your sake
one of the criminals confined in prison. Now I have
a malefactor in gaol, a robber, called Barabbas, and
I have Jesus, who hath never done evil. Which
therefore of these two will ye that I should release
to you? The people answered, Release unto us
Barabbas. Pilate saith, What then shall I do with
Jesus? They say, Let him be crucified. Again,
others of them cried out, If thou dost release Jesus,
thou art not the friend of Cæsar, because he calleth
himself the Son of God and a king; and if thou
settest him at liberty, he becometh a king, and will
take Cæsar's kingdom
Therefore, Pilate was angry, and said, Your race
was always slanderous and unbelieving, and ye have
been always the adversaries of your benefactors.
The Hebrews said, And who were our benefactors?
Pilate saith, God, who delivered you from the hands
of Pharaoh, and led you over the Red Sea, as on dry
ground, and fed you with quails, gave you water to
drink from the dry rock, and gave you a law, which
ye broke by denying God, and if Moses had not stood
to plead with God ye would have perished with a bitter
death. Therefore, ye have forgotten all these things.
And so, also, now ye say that I love not Cæsar at all,
but have hatred towards him, and wish to plot against
his government.
280
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS
And having said these things Pilate arose from
his seat with anger, wishing to escape from them.
Therefore the Jews cried out saying, We wish Cæsar
to govern us, not Jesus, because Jesus received gifts
from the magi.¹ And Herod also heard this, that
he would be a king, and wished to put him to death,
and on this account, sent and slew all the infants
in Bethlehem. And for this cause also, Joseph
his father, and his mother, through fear of him
fled into Egypt.
And
Pilate therefore, having heard this, commanded all
the people to keep silence, and said, So then this is the
Jesus whom Herod sought to slay? They say unto
him, Yea. Pilate, therefore, having learned that he
was of the jurisdiction of Herod, as though descended
from the race of the Jews, sent Jesus to him.
when Herod saw him, he rejoiced greatly, for of a
long time he had desired to see him, having heard of
the miracles which he did. Therefore, he arrayed
him with white garments; then he began to question
him. But Jesus gave him no
him no answer. And Herod,
who wished to see a miracle of some kind wrought
by Jesus, and not seeing one, but that he gave him
no answer to what was said, sent him back at once to
1 An ingenious distortion, or application of Matt. i. 11, where, how-
ever, the Greek has d@pa, and not xapíopara as here,-an important
difference. What follows about Christ's being sent to Herod is mainly
an addition to the older form of the book.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
281
Pilate.¹ Seeing this, Pilate commanded his servants
to bring water. Therefore, washing his hands with
the water, he said to the people, I am innocent of the
blood of this good man. Ye will see that he is
unjustly put to death, for neither have I found fault
in him, nor yet Herod; for which cause he sent him
back immediately to me. The Jews said, His blood
be upon us and upon our children !2
Then Pilate sat on his seat to pronounce sentence.
He gave order therefore, and Jesus came before him.
And they brought a crown of thorns and put it on
his head, and a reed in his right hand. Then he
pronounced sentence, and said to him, Thy nation
saith and witnesseth of thee, that thou desirest to be
a king. Therefore I ordain that they first smite thee
with a rod forty stripes, as the laws of the kings
ordain: and that they mock thee; and lastly, that
they crucify thee.
CHAPTER X.
WHEN, therefore, sentence was declared by Pilate
to this effect, the Jews began to smite Jesus, some
with sticks, some with their hands, and some with
their feet; and some also spat in his face. Then,
straightway, having prepared the cross and given it
to him, they made haste to set out. And going thus,
1 Luke xxiii. 6-11.
2 Matt. xxvii. 25.
282
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and bearing the cross, he came unto the gate of
the city of Jerusalem. When, therefore, because of
the many blows and the weight of the cross, he could
not walk, the Jews through the desire which they
had to crucify him as soon as possible, took the cross
from him and gave it to one who met them, named
Simon, who also had two sons, Alexander and Rufus:
and he was of the city of Cyrene. Therefore they
gave the cross to him, not as pitying Jesus and
lightening his burden, but as desiring to put him to
death more speedily.
And John, one of his disciples, followed him there.
Then he fled, and went to the mother of God,¹ and
said to her, Where wast thou, that thou didst not
come and see what was done? She answered, What
is it that was done? John said, Know that the Jews
have taken my master by force and now lead him away
to crucify him. When his mother heard this she cried
with a loud voice, saying, My son, my son, what evil
hast thou done, that they lead thee away to crucify
thee? She arose, as one benighted, and went weep-
ing along the road. The women also followed her,
Martha, and Mary Magdalene, and Salome, and other
virgins. And John also was with her. When
therefore they overtook the multitude, the mother of
1 Gk. Thν OEOTÓKOV. The use of this expression is a strong indication
of the late date of this part of the composition. The whole paragraph
is wanting in other copies, and is an interpolation.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
283
God said to John, Where is my son? John saith,
Dost thou see him bearing the crown of thorns, and
with his hands bound? When the mother of God
heard this, and saw him, she fainted, and fell back-
ward to the earth, and lay a considerable time. And
the women who followed her stood around her and
wept. And when she revived and arose, she cried
with a loud voice, saying, My Lord, my son, whither
is the beauty of thy form departed? How shall I
bear to see thee suffering such things? And saying
this, she tore her face with her nails and smote her
breast. Whither have passed, said she, the good
deeds which thou didst in the land of Judea? What
evil hast thou done to the Jews. Thus then the
Jews who saw her weeping and crying out came and
drove her out of the way. But she was not per-
suaded to flee, but continued saying, Slay me first,
O lawless Jews.
Then they retired to the place called Cranium,
which was paved with stones, and there the Jews set
up the cross. Then the soldiers stripped Jesus,
and took his garments and divided them among
themselves, and they put upon him a scarlet cloth ;
and raised him up and fastened him on the cross at
the sixth hour of the day. After this they also
lifted up two robbers, one on his right hand and one
on his left.
Then the mother of God, standing and beholding,
284
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
cried with a loud voice, saying, My son, my son. And
Jesus turning to her and seeing John near her, and
weeping with the rest of the women, said, Behold,
thy son. Then saith he also to John, Behold, thy
mother. And she wept exceedingly, saying, There-
fore do I weep for thee, my son, because thou art
suffering unjustly; for the lawless Jews have delivered
thee to a bitter death. Without thee, my son, what
will become of me? How shall I live without thee?
What life sha¹ I lead? Where are thy disciples
who boasted they would die with thee? Where are
those who were healed by thee? How is it that no
one is found to help thee? And looking at the cross
she said, Bow down O cross, that I may embrace my
son, and kiss my son, whom at this breast strangely
I nourished as one who knew not man. Bow down
O cross, I wish to embrace my son. Bow down O
cross, that as a mother I may converse with my son.
When the Jews heard these things they came and
drove both her and the women and John to a
away
distance.¹
Then Jesus cried with a loud voice, Father, reckon
not this sin unto them; for they know not what they
do. Then saith he, I thirst. And straightway one
of the soldiers ran and took a sponge and filled it
with gall and vinegar mingled, and putting it upon
1 The preceding paragraph is another interpolation. It is much
longer in some copies.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
285
And when he
a reed, he gave it to Jesus to drink.
had tasted it he would not drink. And the Jews who
stood and saw, ridiculed him and said, If thou saidst
truly that thou art the Son of God, come down from
the cross, and immediately, that we may believe in
thee. Others said in ridicule, He saved others, he
helped others, and he healed the sick, the paralytic,
lepers, demoniacs, blind, lame, dead, and he cannot
help himself.
So also the robber who was crucified at his left side
said to him, If thou art the Son of God, come down
and save both thyself and us. His name was Gistas.
But he that was crucified at his right side, Dysmas by
name, reproached the other robber, saying, Wretched
and miserable one, dost thou not fear God? We
suffer what we deserve for what we have done; but
he hath done no evil at all. And turning to Jesus,
he saith to him, Lord, when thou shalt reign, forget
me not. And he said unto him, To day, I tell thee in
truth, I have thee with me in paradise.
CHAPTER XI.
THEN Jesus, having cried with a loud voice, Father,
into thine hands will I commit my spirit, expired.
And immediately the rocks were to be seen rent, for
there was an earthquake in all the land, and the
earthquake which occurred was violent and great, and
286
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
the rocks were rent: and the tombs of the dead were
opened; and the veil of the temple was rent; and
darkness was from the sixth hour until the ninth.
And when all these things came to pass the Jews
were afraid, and said, Truly this man was righteous,
and Longinus, the centurion, stood and said, Truly,
he was the Son of God.¹ Others who came and saw
him, smote upon their breasts for fear, and returned
immediately.
Now the centurion, observing all these marvels
went away to Pilate and related them. And when he
heard he wondered and was amazed, and through his
fear and sorrow he would neither eat nor drink that
day. And he gave notice, and there came to him all
the council, after the darkness was passed away, and
he said to the people, Ye saw how the sun was
darkened, ye saw how the veil was rent. Truly, I did
well in that I was not at all eager to put this good
man to death. But the evil doers said to Pilate,
Such a darkness is an eclipse of the sun, as it hath
happened also at other times. Then say they to him,
We hold the feast of unleavened bread to-morrow,
and we intreat thee, since they who have been cruci-
fied still breathe, that their bones may be broken,
1 The name Longinus, given to the centurion, is an addition to the
earlier text, which has been altered throughout, both by additions and
by omissions. This chapter especially has received all sorts of
developments.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
287
and that they may be taken down. Pilate said, This
shall be done. Therefore he sent soldiers, and they
found the two robbers still breathing, and they brake
their legs; but finding Jesus dead, they did not touch
him, save that a soldier speared him in the right side,
and immediately there came out blood and water.
Now towards evening, when the preparation was
come, Joseph, a high-born and wealthy man, a pious
Jew, finding Nicodemus, whose speech had already
betrayed him, saith to him, I know that thou lovedst
Jesus when he was living, and didst gladly hear his
words, and I saw thee contending with the Jews for
him. Therefore, if it seemeth good to thee, let us
go to Pilate and beg the body of Jesus for burial, for
it is a great sin that he should lie unburied. I am
afraid, saith Nicodemus, lest if Pilate be angry, I
should suffer some mischief. But if thou shouldst go
alone and ask, and shouldst receive the dead one, then
I too will accompany thee, and will perform all that
is necessary for the funeral. When Nicodemus had
said this, Joseph lifted up his eyes to heaven, and
prayed that he might not fail in his request, and went
to Pilate, and having saluted him, sat down. Then
he saith to him, I pray thee, my lord, if I ask any-
thing which seemeth to thy majesty unreasonable,
not to be angry with me. And he said, And what is
it that thou askest? Joseph saith, Jesus, the good
man whom through envy the Jews have carried away
288
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
to crucifixion, I beseech thee to give me him for
burial. Pilate saith, And what hath happened, that
when he hath been witnessed against by his own
nation for magic arts, and hath been suspected of
seizing the kingdom of Cæsar, and hath therefore
been given up to death by us, we should give order
for him to be honoured as soon as he is dead? And
Joseph, being very sorrowful and weeping, fell at the
feet of Pilate, saying, My lord, let no jealousy of the
dead possess thee. For, in death, every fault must
perish from a man. But I know thy majesty, how
anxious thou wast not to crucify Jesus, and what thou
saidst to the Jews for him, at one time persuading,
and at another time angry, and afterwards how thou
didst wash thy hands, and didst declare thou hadst no
part at all with those who wished him to be put to
death: On all which accounts I entreat thee that my
request may not be rejected. Pilate, therefore, seeing
Joseph thus urgent and entreating, and weeping,
raised him up, saying, Go, I grant thee him that
is dead; take him and do what thou wilt.
And then Joseph, having given thanks to Pilate,
and kissed his hands and his robes, went out rejoicing
in heart, because he had obtained what was desired,
but having his eyes yet filled with tears: thus, while
sorrowing, he had joy. He went away to Nicodemus,
therefore, and told him all that had happened. Then,
when they had bought a hundred pounds of myrrh
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
289
;
and aloes, and a new sepulchre,¹ with the mother of
God, and Mary Magdalene, and Salome, with John
and the other women, they wrapped him in a white
linen cloth, according to the custom, and laid him in
the tomb.
And the mother of God said, weeping, How shall
I not bewail thee, my son? how shall I not tear my
face with my nails? This, my son, is that which the
old man Simeon foretold to me, when I took thee into
the temple, a babe of forty days old. This is the
sword which now pierceth through my soul. My
sweetest son, who shall stay my tears? None at all,
but only thou, if, as thou saidst, thou shalt rise the
third day.
Mary Magdalene said, weeping, Hearken O peoples,
tribes, and tongues, and learn to what a death the
lawless Jews have delivered him that had wrought
for them countless benefits. Hearken and wonder.
Who will make these things heard throughout all
the world? I will go alone to Cæsar in Rome; I
will make known to him what evil Pilate hath done
by yielding to the lawless Jews. Thus also Joseph
lamented, saying, Alas for me! sweetest Jesus, dear
and most unfortunate of men, if one may call thee a
They bought a new sepulchre, says this writer, in direct contradic-
tion to the Gospels, which teach us that the sepulchre was already
Joseph's own. Matt. xxvii. 57-60. Most of the particulars in this
account of the burial are fictitious, and were added not earlier than the
second part about the Descent into the Underworld.
19
290
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
man, who hast done such marvels as man never did
How shall I perform thy obsequies? how shall I
bury thee? Now ought they to be present whom
thou didst feed with a few loaves: for thus I should
not have seemed to be wanting in honour.
Then Joseph with Nicodemus went home: like-
wise also the mother of God, with the women, John
also accompanying them.¹
CHAPTER XII.
WHEN the Jews learned that these things had
been done by Joseph and Nicodemus they were
greatly moved against them; and the chief priests,
Annas and Caiaphas, admonished Joseph, and said to
him, Wherefore hast thou performed these obsequies
for Jesus? Joseph saith, I know that Jesus was a
just and true and good man in all respects, and I
know also, that ye through envy devised his murder;
and for this cause I performed his funeral. Then
the chief priests were angry and seized Joseph and
cast him in prison, and said unto him, If we did not.
keep the feast of unleavened bread to-morrow, we
would have put thee to death to-morrow, as we did
him; but for the present, being kept in confinement,
1 The mention of John in this story of the burial seems to have a
motive, but I cannot say what it is: probably, John was pre-eminent
among the saints, honoured where this adaptation of Nicodemus was
produced. Peter on the contrary, is studiously kept out of sight, if we
except the allusion at page 284, lines 10, 11.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
291
early on the Lord's day¹ thou shalt be delivered to
death. Thus they said, and sealed with a seal the
prison, which was fastened with all manner of bolts
and locks.
Thus, then, when the preparation was finished,
early on the Sabbath the Jews went to Pilate, and
said to him, Lord, that deceiver said that after three
days he would rise again. Lest therefore his disciples
should steal him by night and deceive the people by
such a falsehood, command that his sepulchre should
be guarded. Pilate therefore, for this, gave them
five hundred soldiers, who also were set about the
sepulchre to guard it, and they put seals upon the
stone of the sepulchre.
2
Therefore, when the day began to break on the
Lord's day, the chief priests and the Jews held a
council, and sent to bring Joseph out of prison in
order to put him to death; but on opening it they
found him not. And they wondered at this, how
when the doors were shut and the locks secure, and
the seals remained, Joseph was not to be seen.
1 That the Jews should speak of the Lord's day before it was insti-
tuted is an amusing anachronism, but worthy of notice, as a fresh
evidence of the utter disregard of truth and consistency with which
these apocrypha have been made up.
2 Pilate, most likely, did not appoint a guard of more than four or
five soldiers-hundreds are easily written. The paragraph is one of
the interpolations.
:
292
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER XIII.
HEREUPON, one of the soldiers who guarded the
tomb, came and said in the synagogue, Know that
Jesus is risen! The Jews said, How? And he said,
First there was an earthquake; then an angel of the
Lord bearing lightning came from heaven and rolled
away the stone from the sepulchre, and sat upon it.
And through fear of him all we soldiers became as
dead men, and could neither flee nor speak.
And we
heard the angel saying to the women who came there
to see the sepulchre, Fear not; for I know that ye
seek Jesus. He is not here, but is risen, as he fore-
told you.
Stoop down and see the sepulchre where
his body lay. But go and tell his disciples that he is
risen from the dead: and let them go into Galilee,
for there shall they find him. Therefore, I tell you
beforehand.
The Jews said to the soldiers, Who were the
women who came to the sepulchre, and why did ye
not lay hold of them? The soldiers said, Because of
fear, and the sight alone of the angel, we could neither
speak nor move. The Jews said, As the God of
Israel liveth, we believe nothing that ye say. The
soldiers said, Jesus performed so great miracles and
ye believed not, and will ye now believe us? Ye
say truly that God liveth, and in very truth He liveth
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
293
whom ye crucified. We have heard moreover that
ye had Joseph shut in the prison, and that ye after-
wards opened the doors and found him not.
Do ye
then give up Joseph, and then we will also give you
Jesus. The Jews said, Joseph who escaped from
prison ye will find at Arimathea, his own place.
And the soldiers said, Go ye also into Galilee, and
ye will find Jesus, as the angel said to the women.
Hereupon the Jews were afraid, and said to the
soldiers, See that ye tell this to no one, or all will
believe in Jesus. On which account, also, they gave
them much money.
And the soldiers said, We are
afraid lest Pilate should hear that we have received
money, and should put us to death. But the Jews
said, Take it, and we pledge ourselves to give to Pilate
an answer for you; only, say that ye slept, and that
in your sleep the disciples of Jesus came and stole
him out of the sepulchre. Therefore the soldiers
took the money, and said as they were told. And
until this day the same false report is spoken among
the Jews.
CHAPTER XIV.
AND after a few days, three men came from Galilee
to Jerusalem. One of them was a priest, Phinehas
by name, another was a Levite, by name Aggæus,
294
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and the other was a soldier,¹ by name Adas. These
came to the chief priests, and said to them, and to
the people, Jesus, whom ye crucified, we have seen in
Galilee, with his eleven disciples, at the mount of
Olives, teaching them, and saying, Go ye into all the
world, and preach the Gospel; and whoso believeth
and is baptised, shall be saved, but whoso believeth
not, shall be condemned. And having said this, he
ascended to heaven.2 And we saw, both
both we and many
others of the five hundred who were there.3
And when the chief priests and Jews heard these
things they said to the three men, Give glory to the
God of Israel, and repent of the falsehoods ye tell.
They answered, As the God of our fathers liveth, of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we lie not, but tell you
the truth. Then spake the chief priest, and they
brought the Old Testament of the Hebrews from the
temple, and he made them swear, and giving them
also money, he sent them to another place that they
might not proclaim the resurrection of Christ in
Jerusalem.
When, therefore, such sayings had been heard by all
the people, the multitude assembled in the temple,
and there was a great tumult. For many said, Jesus
is risen from the dead, as we hear, and why did ye
crucify him? But Annas and Caiaphas said, Believe
1 In the earlier version of the book Adas is called a teacher.
3 1 Cor. xv. 6.
2 Mark xvi. 16.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
295
not, O Jews, what the soldiers say; nor believe that
they saw an angel descending from heaven. For we
gave money to the soldiers not to tell this to any one;
and so also, the disciples of Jesus gave them money,
to say that Jesus is risen from the dead.
CHAPTER XV.
NICODEMUS said, O children of the people of
Jerusalem, the prophet Elijah ascended to the height
of heaven with a fiery chariot, and it is not incredible
if Jesus also is risen; for the prophet Elijah was a
pre-figuration of Jesus, in order that ye should not
disbelieve when ye heard that Jesus was risen. I
therefore say and advise that we ought to send
soldiers into Galilee, where the men testify that
they saw him with his disciples, in order that they
may go about and find him, and so that we may seek
from him forgiveness for the evil which ye did to
him. This saying pleased them, and they chose out
soldiers, and sent them into Galilee and Jesus they
found not; but they found Joseph at Arimathea.
:
When, therefore, the soldiers returned, and the
chief priests learned that Joseph was found, they
assembled the people, and said, What shall we do to
Joseph, that he may come to us? So when they had
taken counsel, they wrote him a letter to this effect:
296
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
There-
Father Joseph: Peace to thee, and to all thine house,
and to thy friends. We know that we have offended
against God, and against thee, his servant.
fore we entreat thee to come hither to us thy children,
for we have wondered much how thou didst escape
from prison, and we truly say that we took evil
counsel against thee. But God, who saw that we
took unjust counsel against thee, delivered thee out
of our hands. Nevertheless, come to us; for thou
art the honour of our people.
The Jews sent this letter to Arimathea with seven
soldiers, friends of Joseph, who went and found him,
and addressed him respectfully, as they were bidden,
and gave him the letter. And when he had received
and read this, he glorified God, and bade the soldiers
welcome, and when the table was set, he ate and
drank with them all day and night.
And on the morrow he went with them to Jerusalem.
And the people came to meet him, and bade him wel-
come. And Nicodemus received him into his house.
And on the day following, both Annas and Caiaphas,
the chief priests, invited him to the temple, and said
to him, Give glory to the God of Israel, and tell us
the truth. For we know that thou didst bury Jesus,
and for this we apprehended thee, and shut thee in
prison. Afterwards, when we sought to bring thee out
in order that thou mightest be put to death, we found
thee not, and we marvelled, and were greatly afraid;
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297
nevertheless, we prayed to God that we might find
and ask thee. Therefore, tell us the truth.
Joseph said to them, On the evening of the prepa-
ration, when ye secured me in prison, I betook myself
to prayer all the night, and all the day of the sabbath.
And at midnight I saw the prison house, that four
angels lifted it up, holding it by the four corners.
And Jesus entered like lightning, and through fear
of him I fell to the ground. Therefore, taking me
by the hand, he raised me, saying, Fear not, Joseph.
Then he embraced and kissed me, and said, Turn and
see who I am. Therefore, I turned and looked and
said, Lord, I know not who thou art. He saith, I
am Jesus, whom thou didst bury the day before
yesterday. I said to him, Show me the sepulchre,
and then I will believe. Therefore he took me by
the hand, and led me away to the sepulchre, which
was open.
And when I saw the linen clothes and
the napkin, and knew, I said, Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord, and worshipped him.
Then he took me by the hand, the angels also follow-
ing, and led me to Arimathea, to my house, and
saith unto me, Abide here for forty days. For I go
unto my disciples, that I may instruct them to preach
my resurrection.
CHAPTER XVI.
WHEN Joseph had said these things, the chief
298
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
priests cried unto the people, We know that Jesus
had both father and mother; how shall we believe
that he is the Christ ? One of the Levites answered
and said, I know the family of Jesus, pious men,
greatly addicted to the service of God, and receiving
tithes of the people of the Jews.¹ And I also know
Simeon, the old man, that he took him when he was
a babe, and said to him, Now lettest thou thy servant
depart, O Lord.
The Jews said, Let us find the three men who saw
him at the mount of Olives, that we may ask them
and learn the truth more accurately. And they
found and brought them before all, and made them
swear to tell the truth. And they said, As the God
of Israel liveth, we saw Jesus at the mount of Olives,
alive, and ascending into heaven.
Then Annas and Caiaphas separated the three
from one another, and asked them privately and
singly. They agreed therefore in their speech, and
the three spoke the same thing. The chief priests
answered and said, Our scripture saith that every
word shall be established with two or three witnesses.2
Joseph therefore hath confessed that he performed his
funeral rites, and buried him, along with Nicodemus,
and how it is the truth that he hath risen.
1 This receiving of tithes by the family of Jesus is a fiction with no
possible foundation.
2 Deut. xvii. 6; Matt. xviii. 16.
299
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
THE SECOND PART: OR,
THE DESCENT OF CHRIST TO THE UNDERWORLD.
CHAPTER I. (XVII.)¹
JOSEPH saith, And why marvel ye that Jesus hath
risen ? This is not wonderful; but it is wonderful
that he arose not alone, but that he also raised many
other dead, who appeared unto many in Jerusalem.
And if ye know not the others, Simeon at least, who
took Jesus (in his arms), and his two sons, whom he
raised again, them at least ye know. For we buried
them a short time ago, but now their tombs are seen
open and empty, and they are living, and abiding
in Arimathea. Therefore they sent men and found
their sepulchres open and empty. Joseph saith, Let
us go to Arimathea, and let us find them.
Then the chief priests, Annas and Caiaphas, arose,
1 Two sets of numbers are prefixed to the chapters of this second
part, because it is written merely as a continuation of the former in the
copies which contain it.
300
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and Joseph, and Nicodemus, and Gamaliel, and
others with them, and went to Arimathea, and found
those whom Joseph said. Therefore they offered
prayer, and saluted one another. Then they came
with them to Jerusalem, and brought them into the
synagogue, and shut the doors, and placed in the
midst the Old Testament of the Jews, and the chief
priests said unto them, We wish you to swear by the
God of Israel and Adonai, and thus that ye may tell
the truth, how ye arose, and who raised you from
the dead.
When the men who had risen heard this, they
made upon their faces the sign of the cross,¹ and said
to the chief priests, Give us paper and ink and a pen.
They brought them therefore; and they sat down
and wrote thus-
CHAPTER II. (XVIII.)
O LORD Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life
of the world, give us grace that we may rehearse thy
resurrection, and thy wonderful works which thou
didst in Hades. We, therefore, were in Hades with
all those who fell asleep from the beginning. Now
at the hour of midnight, upon those dark places,
there arose as it were the light of the sun, and
1 This notion of the sons of Simeon crossing themselves, refers to a
practice at least as old as the time of Tertullian (De Corona Milit. 2).
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
301
shone, and we were all lighted up and saw one
another. And immediately our father Abraham was
united with the patriarchs and the prophets, and they
were together filled with joy, and said to one another,
This light is from a great illumination. The prophet
Isaiah, who was there, said, This light is from the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, concerning
whom I prophesied while I was yet alive, saying,
The land of Zebulun, and the land of Nephthalim, the
people which sitteth in darkness hath seen a great
light.¹
/
Then came into the midst another, an ascetic from
the desert, and the patriarchs said to him, Who art
thou? And he said, I am John, the last of the
prophets, who made straight the ways of the Son of
God, and preached to the people repentance for
remission of sins. And the Son of God came
unto me; and when I saw him from afar I said to
the people, Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh
away the sin of the world. And with my hand I
baptised him in the river Jordan, and I saw, as it
were, a dove, and the Holy Spirit coming upon him;
and I heard also the voice of the God and Father
saying thus, This is my beloved Son in whom I am
well pleased. And for this cause he sent me also to
you, that I might preach how the only begotten Son
of God cometh hither, that whoever believeth in him
2 Matt. iii. 3, 11; Mark i. 4; John i. 36
1 Is. ix. 1, 2.
302
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
you :
shall be saved, but whoso shall not believe in him
will be condemned.¹ Therefore, I say to all of
when ye see him, that ye should all worship him,
because, now only have ye time of repentance for
your worship of idols in the vain world above, and
for the sins ye have committed: but at another time
this cannot be.
CHAPTER III. (XIX.)
THEREFORE, while John was thus teaching those
who were in Hades, and the first made and first father
Adam heard it, he saith to his son Seth, My son, I
wish thee to tell the forefathers of the race of men,
and to the prophets, whither I sent thee when I was
about to die. And Seth said, Prophets and patriarchs,
hearken. When my father Adam, the first made,
was about to die, he sent me to offer prayer to
God very near the gate of Paradise, that he would
guide me by an angel to the tree of mercy, and let
me take oil and anoint my father, and that he might
recover from his sickness. Which also I did.
after my prayer the angel of the Lord came and said
to me, Seth, what dost thou ask? dost thou ask the
oil which restoreth the sick, or the tree which poureth
forth such oil, because of the sickness of thy father?
This is not now to be found. Go, therefore, and tell
1 Mark xvi, 16.
And
!
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
303
1
thy father that, after 5500 years are accomplished
from the creation of the world, then shall descend
upon earth, the only begotten Son of God, being
made man, and He shall anoint him with such oil,
and he shall arise, and with water and with the Holy
Spirit shall wash both himself and his descendants,
and then shall he be healed of all sickness: but
now this cannot be.¹
When the patriarchs and the prophets heard this
they rejoiced greatly.
CHAPTER IV. (xx.)
Now while they were all in so great joy, Satan, the
inheritor of darkness, came and said to Hades, All-
devouring and insatiate one, hear my words. From
the race of the Jews, there is one called Jesus, naming
himself the Son of God, but being a man, the Jews
have crucified him through our joint exertions.
And now that he is dead, be ready that we may bind
him safely here. For I know that he is a man, and
I also heard him saying My soul is very sorrowful,
unto death. He wrought me many evils also, while
in the world above he conversed with mortals. For
2
1 This legend of Seth seems to have been borrowed from a Jewish
source, and adapted to Christian uses. The reader will find something
more about it in the preliminary essay.
2 Mark xiv. 34.
304
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
where he found my servants he persecuted them, and
the men whom I made halt, blind, lame, lepers, and
the like, he healed by his word alone. And when I
had made many ready for burial, even them, by a
word alone, he made alive again.
1
Hades saith, And is he so mighty as to be able to
do such things by a word alone? or canst thou resist
him who is such? It seemeth to me no one will be
able to resist him who is such. But if thou sayest
thou heardest him fearing death, he said this mock-
ing and laughing at thee, wishing to seize thee with
a mighty hand; and woe, woe, unto thee for ever-
more.
Satan saith, All-devouring and insatiate Hades,
wast thou so afraid when thou heardest of our common
foe? I feared him not, but I wrought upon the
Jews, and they crucified him, and gave him gall and
vinegar to drink. Be ready, therefore, to hold him
firmly when he cometh.
Hades answered, Inheritor of darkness, son of
perdition, Devil, thou hast but now told me that
many whom thou preparedst for burial he by a word
alone did make alive: and if he delivered others
from burial, how and by what power shall he be
held by us? Now a short time ago I swallowed a
certain dead man, Lazarus by name, and a little
after, one of the living, by a word alone, forcibly
drew him out of my bowels. Now I think it was he
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
305
of whom thou speakest. Therefore, if we receive
him here, I fear we may run a risk even in regard to
the rest; for lo! I see that all whom I have ever swal-
lowed are in commotion, and my belly¹ is in pain.
And Lazarus, who was snatched beforehand from me,
seemeth to me no good sign; because he flew away
from me like an eagle, not like a dead man; so
quickly did the earth cast him forth. Wherefore, I
conjure thee, both for thy benefit and for mine, not
to bring him hither; for I think that he is coming
here, in order to raise up all the dead. And this I
say to thee, By the darkness which we keep, if thou
dost bring him hither, none of the dead will be left
to me.
CHAPTER V. (XXI.)
WHILE Satan and Hades were talking thus with
each other, there came a great voice like thunder,
saying, Lift up your gates, O ye rulers, and be ye
lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of Glory shall
come in. And when Hades heard, he said to Satan,
Go forth, if thou art able, and resist him. Therefore
Satan went forth. Then saith Hades to his demons,
Secure well and firmly the brazen gates, and the iron
bars, and hold down my bolts, and stand upright and
1 Jonah ii. 2.
2 Ps. xxiv. 7.
20
306
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
watch everything: for if he should enter here, woe
will seize us.
On hearing these things, the forefathers all began
to reproach him, saying, All-devouring and insatiate,
open, that the King of Glory may come in. David
the prophet saith, Knowest thou not, O blind one,
that when I was living in the world, I prophesied
this word, Lift up your gates, O ye rulers ? Isaiah
said, Through the Holy Spirit, when I foresaw this,
I wrote, The dead shall arise, and they that are in the
tombs shall be raised, and those who are in the earth
shall be glad, And, Where is thy sting, O death?
where is thy victory, O Hades ?¹
The voice, therefore, came again, saying, Lift up
the gates. Hades, hearing the voice a second time,
answered, as forsooth not knowing, and said, Who is
this King of Glory? The angels of the Lord said,
The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in
battle. And immediately, at this word, the brazen
gates were broken, and the iron bars were crushed,
and all the dead that were bound were loosed from
their bonds, and we with them. And the King of
Glory entered as a man, and all the dark places of
Hades were lighted up.
1 Is. xxvi. 19; Hos. xiii. 14.
2 That is, the two sons of Simeon, who are supposed to write the
story.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
307
1
CHAPTER VI. (XXII.)
HADES straightway cried, We are conquered; woe
unto us. But who art thou that hast so great
authority and power? And what art thou, who
comest hither without sin-seeming small, and able to
do great things, humble and high, servant and Lord,
soldier and king, who hast authority over the dead
and the living? Thou wast nailed to the cross, and
wast laid in the tomb, and now thou art free, and
hast dissolved all our power. Art thou Jesus, of
whom the chief ruler Satan said to us, That through
the cross and death thou art about to inherit all the
world?
Then the King of Glory seized the chief ruler
Satan by the head, and delivered him to the angels,
and said, Bind with irons his hands and feet and
neck and mouth. Then he delivered him to Hades,
and said, Take him and keep him safely until my
second coming.
CHAPTER VII. (XXIII.)
AND Hades took Satan, and said to him, Beelzebub,
inheritor of fire and punishment, enemy of the
saints, by what necessity hast thou contrived that
308
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
the King of Glory should be crucified, that he should
come hither and spoil us?
of the dead is left in me;
Turn and see that none
but all that thou didst
For
gain by the tree of knowledge, thou hast lost it all
by the tree of the cross; and all thy joy is changed
into grief; and thou, that didst wish to put to death
the King of Glory, hast put thyself to death.
since I have received thee to keep thee safely, thou
wilt learn by experience what evils I shall do to
thee. O chief devil, the beginning of death, the
root of sin, the end of all evil! what evil didst thou
find in Jesus, to procure his destruction? How didst
thou dare to do so great evil? How didst thou
study to bring down to this darkness such a man,
through whom thou art deprived of all that ever
died ?
CHAPTER VIII. (XXIV.)
WHILE Hades thus discoursed with Satan, the
King of Glory opened his right hand, and took hold
of the first father Adam, and raised him. Then he
turned and said to the rest, Come with me all ye who
have died through the tree which he touched. For
behold, I raise you all up again through the tree of
the cross.
Moreover, he sent them all out; and the
first father Adam appeared filled with satisfaction,
and said, I give thanks unto thy majesty, O Lord,
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
309
because thou hast brought me from the lowest Hades.¹
So also all the prophets and the saints said, We give
thee thanks, O Christ, Saviour of the world, because'
thou hast brought back our life from destruction.²
And when they had said these things, the Saviour
blessed Adam on the forehead with the sign of the
cross; and he did this also to the patriarchs and the
prophets, and martyrs and forefathers, and took them
and sprang up out of Hades. And as he went, the
holy fathers followed him, chanting, and saying,
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord,³
Alleluia: to him be glory from all the saints.
•
CHABTER IX. (xxv.)
THEN He went to Paradise, holding the forefather
Adam by the hand, and delivered him, and all the
righteous, to the archangel Michael. When, there-
fore, they entered the gate of Paradise, two aged
men met them, to whom the holy fathers said, Who
are ye, who have not seen death, and have not
descended into Hades, but inhabit Paradise in body
and soul? One of them answering, said, I am
Enoch, who pleased God, and was translated hither
by him; and this is Elijah the Tishbite; and we
are to live until the end of the world: and then we
are to be sent by God to resist Antichrist, and
1 Ps. lxxxvi. 13.
2 Ps. ciii. 4.
3 Ps. cxviii. 26
310
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
shall be slain by him, and after three days shall
rise again, and be caught up in clouds to meet the
Lord.¹
CHAPTER X. (XXVI.)
WHILE they were saying these things, there came
another lowly man, and bearing a cross upon his
shoulders; and the holy fathers said to him, Who
art thou, having the appearance of a robber, and what
is the cross which thou bearest upon thy shoulders ?
He answered, As ye say, I was a robber and a thief
in the world, and therefore the Jews seized me and
delivered me to the death of, the cross, with our
Lord Jesus Christ. As he was hanging upon the
cross I believed in him, seeing the miracles which
were done; and I called upon him, and said, Lord,
when thou reignest, forget not me. And straightway
he said to me, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, to day
thou shalt be with me in Paradise. Therefore, bear-
ing my cross I came to Paradise, and finding the
archangel Michael, I said to him, Our Lord Jesus,
who was crucified, hath sent me hither; lead me,
therefore, into the gate of Eden. And the flaming
sword, seeing the sign of the cross, opened unto me,
and I came in. Then saith the archangel to me, Wait
a little, for Adam, the forefather of the race of men,
1 1 Thess. iv. 17; Rev, xi. 3-12; 1 John ii, 18; iv. 3.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
311
is coming with the righteous, that they also may
enter in. And now seeing you, I am come to meet you.
On hearing these things, the saints all cried with
a loud voice, Great is our Lord, and great is his
power.¹
CHAPTER XI. (XXVII.)
ALL these things we two brothers.saw and heard ;
and we were sent by Michael the archangel, and
were appointed to preach the resurrection of the
Lord, but first to go to Jordan and be baptised;
whither also we went, and were baptised along with
other dead who had risen; and afterwards we came
to Jerusalem, and celebrated the Passover of the
resurrection. But now, not being able to remain
here, we are going away. And may the love of God
and the Father, and the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be
with you all.3
When they had written these things, and closed
the books, they gave half to the chief priests, and
half to Joseph and Nicodemus. And immediately
they vanished: unto the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Amen.
1 Ps. cxlvii. 5.
2 The brothers do not say who baptised them at the Jordan. Their
keeping the Passover of the resurrection at Jerusalem raises a difficulty
which I do not care to discuss.
3 2 Cor. xiii. 14
312
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
THE LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS,
PART I.,
OR, ACTS OF PILATE.
I, ENEAS, was at first a protector of the Hebrews,
and a follower of the law; then the Saviour's grace
and his great gift apprehended me, and I knew
Christ Jesus in Holy Scripture, I came to him, and
embraced his faith, that I might become worthy of
his holy baptism. First of all I sought for the
records, written in those times, concerning our Lord
Jesus Christ, which the Jews published in the age of
Pontius Pilate, and we found them in Hebrew
writings, drawn up in the age of our Lord Jesus
Christ; but I translated them into Greek during
the reign of the eminent Theodosius, in his seven-
teenth consulship, and Valentinian, the fifth time
consul, in the ninth indiction.¹ All ye who read
this book, and copy into other documents, be mindful
of me, and pray for me, Eneas, the least of the
servants of the Lord, that he may be merciful to
1 See note, p. 229.
•
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
313
me, and forgive my sins which I have committed
against him. Peace be to all who read these things,
and to all their house for ever. Amen.
Now it came to pass in the nineteenth year of the
reign of Tiberius Cæsar, emperor of the Romans,
and of Herod, the son of Herod king of Galilee, the
nineteenth year of his dominion, on the eighth of
the kalends of April, which is the twenty-fifth day
of the month of March, in the consulate of Rufinus
and Rubellio, in the fourth year of the 202nd Olym-
piad, under the chief priests of the Jews, Joseph and
Caiaphas: the great things done by the chief priests
and the other Jews, which Nicodemus recorded after
the cross and passion of the Lord, and which Nico-
demus himself committed to Hebrew writing.
CHAPTER I.
ANNAS and Caiaphas, Summas and Datam, Gama-
liel, Judas, Levi, Naphthalim, Alexander and Jairus,
and the rest of the Jews came to Pilate, accusing the
Lord Jesus Christ of many things, and saying, We
know that he was born the son of Joseph the carpen-
ter by Mary, and he saith he is the Son of God and
a king: not only this, but he also breaketh the
sabbath, and wisheth to abolish the law of our
fathers. Pilate saith, What are the things which he
doth, and would thereby abolish the law? The Jews
314
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
say, We have a law that no one should heal on the
sabbath; but he on the sabbath, by evil arts, healeth
the lame and the humpbacked, the blind, the paraly-
tic, the leprous, and demoniacs. Pilate saith to them,
By what evil arts? They say to him, He is an evil
doer, and casteth out demons by Beelzebub, the
prince of the demons, and they all are subject to
him. Pilate saith to them, It is not for an unclean
spirit to cast out demons, but for the god Scolapius.¹
ness.
The Jews said, We pray thy majesty to decree that
he should be heard before thy judgment seat. Pilate
called the Jews to him and said unto them, Tell me,
how can I, who am a procurator, examine a king?
They say unto him, We do not say that he is a king,
but he saith it. Therefore, Pilate called a messenger,
and said to him, Let Jesus be brought with gentle-
And the messenger went out and adored him,
when he recognised him, and spread upon the ground
the vestment which he carried in his hand, saying,
Lord, walk upon this and enter, for the procurator
calleth for thee. But the Jews, seeing what the
messenger did, cried out against Pilate saying, Why
didst thou not cause him to enter by the summons of
a herald, and not by a messenger? For when the
messenger saw him he adored him, and the vestment
which he held in his hand he spread before him on
1 Literally 'the god of Scolapius,' but 'in deo Scolapii' are to be
understood as if in apposition. Thus, for 'Urbs Roma.' 'the city
Rome,' we say 'the city of Rome.' Scolapius is of course Esculapius.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
315
the ground, and said to him, Lord, the procurator
calleth for thee.
Now Pilate, summoning the messenger, said to
him, Why hast thou done this, and honoured Jesus
who is called Christ? The messenger said to him,
When thou sentest me to Jerusalem to Alexander, I
saw him sitting on an ass, and the children of the
Hebrews broke off branches from the trees and strewed
them in the way; and some held branches in their
hands; and some strewed their garments in the way,
crying and saying, Save, then, thou who art in the
highest; blessed is he that cometh in the name of
the Lord.
The Jews cried out and said against the messenger,
The children of the Hebrews cried out in Hebrew;
how is it for thee, a Gentile, to know this? The
messenger said to them, I asked one of the Jews and
said, What is that which they cry out in Hebrew ?
and he explained it to me. Pilate said to them,
How did they cry out in Hebrew? The Jews said,
Hosanna in the highest. Pilate saith to them, How
is Hosanna in the highest interpreted? They say
unto him, Save us, thou who art in the highest.
Pilate saith to them, If ye confirm the words and
sayings with which the children cried out, what sin
hath the messenger committed? And they were
silent. The procurator, therefore, said to the messen-
ger, Go out and bring him in as thou wilt. And the
316
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
messenger went out and did as before, and said to
Jesus, Lord, come in, for the procurator calleth for
thee.
Now when Jesus entered, and the standard-bearers
were bearing the standards, the tops of the standards
bowed down of themselves and worshipped Jesus.
But the Jews, seeing how the standards bowed them-
selves and worshipped Jesus, cried out still more
against those who bore the standards.
So Pilate
said to the Jews, Marvel ye not how the standards
bowed themselves and worshipped Jesus? The Jews
said to Pilate, We saw how the men who bear the
standards bowed and worshipped Jesus. And the
procurator called the standard-bearers, and said unto
them, Why have ye done thus? They said unto
Pilate, We are Gentiles, and servants of the temples;
how should we worship him? for as we were holding
them, the ensigns themselves bowed of their own
accord, and worshipped him.
Pilate said unto the rulers of the synagogue, and
the elders of the people, Choose ye strong and power-
ful men, and let them hold the standards, and let us
see if they bow of themselves. So the elders of the
Jews took twelve most strong and powerful men, and
made them hold the standards by six and six, and
they stood before the judgment seat of the procurator.
Pilate saith to the messenger, Take out Jesus from
the prætorium, and bring him in again in any way
:
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
317
thou wilt. And Jesus and the messenger went out-
side the prætorium. And Pilate called those who held
the standards before, and said to them, By the safety
of Cæsar, if the standards do not bow themselves
when Jesus entereth, I will cut off your heads. And
the procurator commanded Jesus to enter the second
time. And the messenger did the same as before,
and greatly entreated Jesus to go up, and walk upon
his vestment. And He walked upon it and came in.
But as Jesus entered, immediately the standards
bowed themselves and worshipped Jesus.
CHAPTER II.
Now when Pilate saw it, fear took hold of him,
and he forthwith wished to rise up from the judgment
seat. And while he thought thus, to rise up and
depart, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have nothing
to do with that just man; for I have this night
suffered many things because of him. And Pilate
called the Jews, and said to them, Ye know that my
wife is a worshipper of God, and rather accordeth
with you in Judaism. The Jews say unto him, It is
so, and we know it. Pilate saith to them, Behold,
my wife hath sent to me saying, Have nothing to do
with that just man; for I have this night suffered
many things because of him. The Jews answered
and said unto Pilate, Have we not told thee that he
1
318
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
L
is a magician? behold, he hath sent a phantom of
dreams to thy wife.
Pilate called Jesus and said to him, What is it
that these testify against thee? and sayest thou
nothing to them? And Jesus answered, If they
had not power they would not speak. Every one
hath power over his own mouth, to speak good and
bad: they will see.
So the elders of the Jews answered and said to
Jesus, What shall we see? First, that thou art
born of fornication; secondly, that at thy nativity
at Bethlehem there was made a slaughter of infants;
thirdly, that thy father Joseph, and thy mother
Mary fled into Egypt, because they had no con-
fidence in the people.
Certain of the Jews who stood by, being well
disposed, said, We say that he was not born of forni-
cation, but we know that Mary was espoused to
Joseph, and he was not born of fornication. Pilate
said to the Jews who said he was born of fornication,
This
your speech is not true, because the espousals were
celebrated, as these men of your nation say. Annas.
and Caiaphas say unto Pilate, We say with all the
multitude that he was born of fornication and is a
malefactor; but these are proselytes and his disciples.
And Pilate calling to Annas and Caiaphas saith to
them, What are proselytes? They say unto him,
They were born children of the Gentiles, and are
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
319
now become Jews. Those who bore witness that
Jesus was not born of fornication, Lazarus and As-
terius, Antonius and Jacob, Annes and Azaras, Sa-
muel and Isaac, Phinehas and Crispus, Agrippa and
Judas, answered, We are not proselytes, but were
born children of the Jews, and speak the truth; for
we were present at the espousals of Mary.
So Pilate called unto him these twelve men who
proved that Jesus was not born of fornication, and he
said unto them, I adjure you by the safety of Cæsar,
tell me if it is true that Jesus was not born of forni-
cation. They say unto Pilate, We have a law not to
swear, because it is sin; but let them swear by the
safety of Cæsar that it is not as we say, and we are
deserving of death. Then said Pilate to Annas and
nothing to those things which
these men testify? Annas and Caiaphas say unto
Pilate, These twelve believe that he was not born of
fornication: All we people cry that he was born of
fornication, and is a malefactor, and saith that he
is the son of God and a king, and we are not
believed.
Caiaphas, Answer ye
And Pilate commanded all the multitude to go out,
except the twelve men who said that he was not born
of fornication, and he commanded Jesus to go apart
from them. And Pilate said to them, Wherefore
wish the Jews to slay Jesus? They say unto him,
They are jealous bcause he healeth on the sabbath.
320
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Pilate said, For a good work do they wish to slay
him? They say unto him, Yea, lord.
CHAPTER III.
PILATE being filled with fury went out, of the præ-
torium and said to them, I take the sun to witness
that I find not one fault in this man. The Jews
answered and said to the governor, If he had not
been a malefactor we should never have delivered
him unto thee. Pilate saith to them, Take ye him.
and judge him according to your law. The Jews
answered, It is not lawful for us to put any one to
death. Pilate saith to them, God hath said to you
that ye should not put any one to death; hath he
then said to me that I should kill?
Having entered the prætorium again, Pilate called
Jesus unto himself secretly and said to him, Art thou
king of the Jews? Jesus answered Pilate, Dost thou
speak this of thyself? or have others said it to thee
concerning me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew?
thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered
thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered
and said, My kingdom is not of this world. If my
kingdom had been of this world, my servants would
by all means have contended that I should not
be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom
is not from hence. Pilate said to him, Art thou
-1
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
321
therefore a king? Jesus saith to him, Thou sayest;
for I am a king. For on this account was I born,
and for this I came, that I should bear witness for
the truth, and every one who is of the truth heareth
my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?
Jesus saith, Truth is from heaven. Pilate saith, Is
truth not on earth? Jesus saith to Pilate, Observe
how they who say the truth are judged by those who
have power on earth.
CHAPTER IV.
PILATE therefore, leaving Jesus within the præto-
rium, went out to the Jews and said to them, I find
not one fault in him. The Jews say to him, He said,
I can destroy this temple, and raise it up again in
three days. Pilate said to them, What temple? The
Jews say to him, That which Solomon built in forty-
six years; and he speaketh of destroying and build-
ing it in three days. Pilate saith to them, I am in-
nocent of the blood of this man: Ye shall see to it.
The Jews say to him, His blood be on us and on our
children.
But Pilate called the elders and priests and Levites
and said to them privately, Do not so: for though
ye accuse him I have found him in no wise worthy
of death, not even for healing and the violation of
the Sabbath. The priests and Levites and elders say,
#
21
322
APOCRYFHAL GOSPELS.
Tell us, if one hath blasphemed Cæsar, is he worthy
of death or no? Pilate saith to them, He is worthy
to die. The Jews answered him, How much more is
he worthy to die who hath blasphemed God?
Now the governor commanded the Jews to go out
of the prætorium, and calling Jesus he said to him,
What shall I do to thee? Jesus saith to Pilate, As
it is allowed. Pilate saith, How is it allowed? Jesus
saith, Moses and the prophets preached beforehand
of my death and resurrection. Now when the Jews
heard this they said to Pilate, Why further desirest
thou to hear the blasphemy? And Pilate said, If
this saying is blasphemous, take ye him, and lead
him to your synagogue, and judge him according to
your law. The Jews say to Pilate, Our law con-
taineth this, If a man sinneth against man, he is
worthy to receive forty stripes save one, but he that
blasphemeth against God is to be stoned.
Pilate saith to them, Therefore judge him accord-
ing to your law. The Jews say to Pilate, We wish
him to be crucified. Pilate saith to them, He de-
serveth not to be crucified.
Now the governor looking at the people of the
Jews standing round, saw very many of the Jews.
weeping, and he said, All the multitude doth not
wish him to die. The elders say to Pilate, The whole
multitude of us have come for this that he may die.
Pilate saith to the Jews, What hath he done that he
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
323
should die? They say to him, Because he said that
he is the Son of God and a King.
CHAPTER V.
Bur a certain man named Nicodemus, who was a
Jew, stood before the governor and said, I beseech
thee mercifully to bid me say a few words. Pilate
saith to him, Say on. Nicodemus saith, I have said
to the elders and priests and Levites and all the mul-
titude of the Jews in the synagogue, What have ye
to do with this man? This man doth many miracles
and signs which no man hath done or can do. Dis-
miss him and do nothing evil against him. If the
signs which he doeth are of God, they will stand, but
if of men they will be brought to nought. For Moses
also, when sent of God into Egypt, did many signs,
which God commanded him to do before Pharaoh
king of Egypt. And the evil-doers Jamnes and
Mambres were there healing, and they also did the
signs which Moses did, and the Egyptians esteemed
them as gods, both Jamnes and Mambres. And be-
cause the signs which they did were not of God,
both they themselves perished, and those who be-
lieved them. And now dismiss this man, for he is
not worthy of death.
The Jews say to Nicodemus, Thou art become his
disciple, and makest a plea for him. Nicodemus
324
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
saith unto them, Is the governor also become his
disciple, and doth he make a plea for him? Hath
not Cæsar appointed him to this dignity? Now
the Jews were groaning and gnashing their teeth
against Nicodemus. Pilate saith to them, Why do
ye gnash your teeth against him when ye hear the
truth? The Jews say to Nicodemus, Receive his
truth and a portion with him. Nicodemus saith,
Amen, amen, amen, may I receive as ye have said.
CHAPTER VI.
Now a certain person of the Jews, starting up,
asked the governor that he might say a word. The
governor saith, What thou wilt say, say. He said, I
lay eight-and-thirty years infirm in my bed in the
greatest pain. And when Jesus came, many de-
moniacs and persons seized with divers infirmities
were healed by him. And a certain young men
pitied me and carried me in my bed and placed me
before him. And when Jesus saw, he had pity on me
and said this word to me, Take up thy bed and walk.
And immediately I was made whole, and took up my
bed and walked. The Jews say unto Pilate, Ask
him what day it was when he was healed. He said,
The Sabbath. The Jews said, Have we not thus de-
clared, that on the Sabbath he healeth and casteth
out demons?
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
325
And a certain other Jew starting up said, I was
born blind, I heard a voice and saw nobody. And
as Jesus passed by, I cried with a loud voice, Son of
David, have mercy on me.
And he had mercy on
me, and put his hands upon my eyes, and imme-
diately I saw.
And another Jew, starting up, said, I was bowed
down and he made me upright with a word.
And another said, I was leprous, and he healed me
with a word.
CHAPTER VII.
ALSO a woman, named Veronica, called out from a
distance to the governor, I had an issue of blood
twelve years, and I touched the hem of his garment,
and immediately the issue of my blood stayed. The
Jews say, We have a law that a woman shall not
come to bear witness.
CHAPTER VIII.
AND certain others, a multitude of men and
women, cried out, saying, This man is a prophet,
and the demons are subject unto him. Pilate saith
to those who said, The demons are subject unto him,
And why are your teachers not subject unto him?
They say to Pilate, We do not know. And others
326
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
said to Pilate that he raised up Lazarus from the
tomb after he had been dead four days. When the
governor heard this, he trembled, and said to all the
multitude of Jews, Why do ye wish to shed innocent
blood?
CHAPTER IX.
AND Pilate called Nicodemus and the twelve men
who said he was not born of fornication, and said to
them, What shall I do? for there is a sedition
among the people. They say unto him, We know
not: let them see to it. Pilate again called all the
multitude of the Jews and said, Ye know that it is
a custom with you on the day of unleavened bread
that I should release unto you one that is bound. I
have a notable criminal in prison, a murderer called
Barabbas, and Jesus who is called Christ, in whom
I find no cause of death. Which will ye that I re-
lease unto you? And they all cried, saying, Release
Barabbas unto us. Pilate saith unto them, What
then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ ?
They all say, Let him be crucified. The Jews said
again, Thou art not the friend of Cæsar if thou dost
release him, for he said he was the Son of God and a
king; except thou wishest him to be king, and not
Cæsar.
Then Pilate, filled with anger, said to them, Your
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
327
race hath always been seditious, and ye have been
opposed to them that have been for you. The Jews
answered, Who are for us? Pilate saith to them,
Your God who snatched you from the hard servitude
of the Egyptians, and led you out of Egypt through
the sea, as by dry land, and fed you in the desert
with manna and quails, and brought forth water
from the rock for you and gave you drink, and gave
a law unto you: And amid all these things ye pro-
voked your God, and sought for you a molten calf
as your God. And ye did anger your God, and
he meant to slay you; and Moses prayed for you
that ye might not die. And now ye say that I hate
the king.
And rising from the tribunal he sought to go out.
But the Jews cried and said to him, We know that
Cæsar and not Jesus is king. For the magi also
offered him gifts as a king, and when Herod heard
from the magi that a king was born, he wished to
slay him.
But this becoming known, Joseph, his
father, took him and his mother, and they fled into
Egypt; and on hearing it, Herod slew all the infants
of the Jews born in Bethlehem.
Pilate was afraid when he heard these words: and
when silence was made among the people, who were
shouting, Pilate said, Is this he whom Herod sought
after? They say to him, It is he. And Pilate took
water and washed his hands before the people, say-
328
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
ing, I am innocent of the blood of this just man: ye
will see.
The Jews shouted again, His blood be
upon us and upon our children.
Then Pilate commanded him to be loosed, and said
to Jesus, Thine own nation complain of thee as a
king: therefore I have decreed that thou shalt first
be scourged according to the statutes of the emperors.
and then be crucified upon a cross.
CHAPTER X.
AND when Jesus had been scourged he delivered
him to the Jews to be crucified, and two robbers
with him, one named Dismas and another named
Gestas. And when they came to the place, they
stripped him of his garments, and girded him with
a linen cloth, and put a crown of thorns upon his
head. Likewise also they hung up the two robbers
with him, Dismas on the right, and Gestas on the
left. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do. And the soldiers parted
his garments amongst them. And the people stood
waiting. And the chief priests and their judges
derided him, saying among themselves, He saved
others, now let him save himself; if he is the Son of
God, let him come down from the cross. And the
soldiers mocked him, falling down before him, and
offering him vinegar with gall, and saying, If thou
art king of the Jews, deliver thyself.
:
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
329
Now after the sentence Pilate commanded a title
to be written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin letters
according to what the Jews had said:-THIS IS THE
KING OF THE JEWS.
Now one of the robbers that were hanging, Gestas
by name, said to him, If thou art Christ, deliver
thyself and us. But Dismas, answering, rebuked him
saying, Dost thou not even fear God, who art in this
condemnation ? for we, indeed, justly and worthily
receive the things we have done; but he hath done
no evil. And he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me
in thy kingdom. And Jesus said to him, Verily I
say unto thee, that to-day thou shalt be with me in
Paradise.
CHAPTER XI.
Now it was about the sixth hour, and darkness
came upon all the earth and the sun was obscured,
and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst;
and he cried with a loud voice and said, Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit. And, having said
this, he expired. And the centurion, seeing what was
done, glorified God, saying, This man was just. And
all the people, who were present at that sight, seeing
what was done, smote their breasts and returned.
Then the centurion reported to the governor what
was done. And the governor and his wife, on hear-
330
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
ing it, were greatly grieved, and neither ate nor
drank that day. And Pilate, calling the Jews, said
to them, Have ye seen what was done? And they
said to the governor, There has been an eclipse of
the sun, as is usual.
Now his acquaintance and the women who had fol-
lowed him out of Galilee, stood afar off beholding
these things. And behold, a certain man, Joseph by
name, a counsellor, of Arimathea a city of the Jews,
a good and just man, who did not consent to their
counsels nor deeds, and who himself expected the
kingdom of God, went away to Pilate and begged
the body of Jesus. And taking it down from the
cross, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and
placed it in his own new tomb wherein no one had
been laid.
CHAPTER XII.
Now the Jews having heard that Joseph had
begged the body of Jesus, sought for him and the
twelve men who had said that he was not born of
fornication, and for Nicodemus, and for many others
who had stood before Pilate and made known his
good works. But they were all hidden, and Nico-
demus alone appeared to them, because he was a
chief man of the Jews, and he said to them, How did
ye come into the synagogue? The Jews say unto
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
331
him, And how didst thou come into the synagogue,
for thou dost consent with him? His portion be
with thee in the world to come! Nicodemus said,
Amen, Amen, Amen! Likewise also Joseph, coming
forth, saith to them, Why are ye aggrieved against
me because I begged the body of Jesus? Behold, I
have placed him in my own new tomb, wrapping him
in a clean linen cloth, and I have rolled a stone to the
door of the cave. And ye have not acted well towards
the Just One, because ye have not laid it to heart that
ye crucified him and pierced him with a spear.
Jews therefore, seizing Joseph commanded him to be
guarded because of the sabbath day, and they said
unto him, Know that the time doth not demand any-
thing to be done with thee because the sabbath be-
ginneth to dawn. But know that thou art not
worthy of burial, but we will give thy flesh to the
fowls of heaven and the beasts of earth.
The
Joseph saith unto them, That is the speech of
haughty Goliath, who reproached the living God
(speaking) against holy David. But God hath said,
Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.
And Pilate, being convinced in heart, took water and
washed his hands before the sun, saying, I am inno-
cent of the blood of this just man: Ye will see. And
ye answered Pilate and said, His blood be upon us
and upon our children. And now I fear lest the
wrath of God should come upon you and upon your
332
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELŞ.
children as ye have said. But when the Jews heard
this they were embittered in their heart, and took
Joseph and shut him in a house where there was no
window, and put keepers at the doors, and sealed up
the door where Joseph was shut in.
Now on the Sabbath in the morning they took
counsel with the priests and Levites that all should
be assembled after the sabbath day. And, rising
at daylight, all the multitude took counsel in the
synagogue, by what death they should kill him.
And while the congregation was sitting, they com-
manded him to be brought with much insult; and
on opening the door they found him not. Therefore
all the people were afraid, and they wondered with
exceeding astonishment, because they found the seals
sealed, and because Caiaphas had the keys. And
they dared no more to lay a hand on those who spoke
for Jesus before Pilate.
CHAPTER XIII.
Now while they sat in the synagogue and disputed
about Joseph, some of the keepers came whom they
had asked from Pilate to guard the sepulchre of
Jesus, lest his disciples should come and steal him
away. And they made known and told the rulers
of the synagogue, and the priests and the Levites,
what was done; how there had been a great earth-
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
333
quake, and, We saw how the angel of the Lord de-
scended from heaven, and rolled away the stone from
the door of the sepulchre, and sat upon it; and his
appearance was as lightning, and his raiment like
snow: and for fear we became as dead men. And
we heard the voice of the angel talking to the women
who came to the sepulchre, and saying, Fear not:
for I know that ye seek Jesus who was crucified: he
is not here, he is risen as he said: come and see
the place where the Lord was laid. And go forth
quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from
the dead, and goeth before you into Galilee as he
told you.
The Jews say, With what women did he talk?
The soldiers answer, We know not what women
they were. The Jews say, At what hour was it?
The keepers answer, At midnight. The Jews say,
And why did ye not take them? The keepers
answer, We became as dead men through fear of
the angel, not hoping now to see the light of day;
and how could we take them? The Jews say, As
the Lord God liveth, We do not believe you. And
the keepers said to the Jews, Ye have seen so great
signs in that man and have not believed, and how
can ye believe us that the Lord liveth? Ye have
well sworn; because the Lord Jesus Christ doth live.
The keepers say again to the Jews, We have heard
that ye shut up in prison and sealed it with your
334
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
rings, Joseph, who begged the body of Jesus, and
when ye opened it ye found him not. Therefore give
us Joseph, and we will give you Jesus Christ. The
Jews said, Joseph is gone to Arimathea, his own city.
The keepers say to the Jews, And Jesus, as we have
heard from the angel, is in Galilee.
Now when they heard these sayings the Jews feared
greatly, and said, Lest this saying should be heard,
and all men should believe in Jesus. And the Jews
took counsel together, and took money enough and
gave it to the soldiers, saying, Say ye, While we
slept his disciples came and stole him. And if this
should be heard by the governor, we will assure him
and make you safe. And the soldiers, receiving it,
said as they were admonished by the Jews, and their
saying was sent abroad among all men.
CHAPTER XIV.
Now a certain priest named Phinehas, and Addas
a teacher, and Egeas a Levite, came down from Ga-
lilee unto Jerusalem, and reported unto the rulers of
the synagogue, and priests, and Levites, how they
had seen Jesus sitting, and his disciples with him, on
the mount of Olivet, which is called Mambre or Ma-
lech,¹ and he was saying to his disciples, Go into all
1 Some copies call this Amalech. The placing of the Mount of
Olives in Galilee is a topographical blunder, and confounding it with
Mauvre is another. See p. 252, note.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
335
the world and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of
God to every creature. He that shall believe and
be baptised, shall be saved; but he that shall not
believe, shall be condemned. Now these signs shall
follow them that shall believe: in my name they
shall cast out demons, they shall speak with new
tongues, they shall take up serpents, and if they
drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they
shall lay hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.
While Jesus spake these things to his disciples we
saw him taken up into heaven.
The priests, and Levites, and elders said unto
them, Give glory to the God of Israel, and give
acknowledgement to him, if ye have seen and heard
these things which ye tell. They who had declared
this said, As the Lord God of our fathers liveth, the
God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob, we saw and heard. The Jews say unto
them, Have ye come for this cause, to
tell us, or
They said,
The elders,
have ye come to offer prayer to God?
We are come to offer prayer to God.
and chief priests, and Levites say unto them, And if
ye are come to offer prayer to God, why have ye
talked of this madness before all the people? Phi-
nehas the priest, and Addas the teacher, and Egeas
the Levite, say unto the rulers of the synagogue, and
the priests, and the Levites, If the words which we
have spoken, which we have seen and heard, are sin,
336
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
behold, we are in your presence: do unto us accord-
ing to that which is good in your eyes. And tak-
ing the law they made them swear to tell no one
those things any more. And they gave them to eat
and drink, and sent them out of the city, giving
them money, and three men with them to conduct
them as far as Galilee.
Then when those men went up into Galilee, the
Jews counselled together, and the rulers of the syna-
gogue shut themselves up, and fell into a great fury,
saying, Why hath this sign happened in Israel ?
But Annas and Caiaphas said, Why are your souls
sad? Ought we to believe the soldiers that the
angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and rolled
away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? Nay,
but that his disciples gave much gold to those who
kept the sepulchre, and took away Jesus, and taught
them to say thus, Say that the angel of the Lord
descended from heaven and rolled away the stone
from the door of the sepulchre. Know ye not that
it is unlawful for Jews to believe strangers in any-
thing, knowing that the same who received money
enough from us have said as we taught them.
CHAPTER XV.
THEN Nicodemus arose and stood in the midst of
the council, and said, Ye have said rightly. Are
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
337
not they who came down from Galilee men who fear
God, men of peace, and hating a lie? And they
said with an oath, We saw Jesus sitting on mount
Mambre with his disciples, and he taught them in
our hearing: and they saw him taken up into heaven.
Now no one has asked them how he was taken up
into heaven. And in like manner the scripture of
the holy book teacheth us that holy Elijah also was
taken up into heaven: and Elisha cried with a loud
voice, and Elijah cast his mantle of sheepskin upon
Elisha; and Elisha again cast the mantle upon the
Jordan, and passed over and came to Jericho. And
the sons of the prophets met him, and said to Elisha,
Where is thy lord Elijah? and he said, He is
taken up into heaven. And they said to Elisha,
Hath a spirit seized him and cast him on one of
the mountains? But let us rather take our young
men with us and seek for him. And they prevailed
on Elisha, and he went with them; and they sought
for him three days and three nights, and found him
not, because he was taken up. And now, O men,
hear me, and let us send into all Israel, and see lest
Jesus hath been taken up somewhither and cast on
one of the mountains.
And that saying pleased
them all and they sent into all the mountains of
Israel to seek for Jesus, and found him not; but
they found Joseph of Arimathea, and no one dared
lay hold upon him.
22
338
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
And they reported unto the elders, and priests, and
Levites, saying, We have gone about all the moun-
tains of Israel, and have not found Jesus; but we
have found Joseph in Arimathea. Now when they
heard about Joseph they rejoiced, and gave glory to
the God of Israel. And the rulers of the synagogue
and priests and Levites took counsel in what way
they should send to Joseph; and they took paper
and wrote to Joseph :-
Peace be to thee and to all that is thine. We
know that we have sinned against God and against
thee: and thou hast supplicated the God of Israel,
and he hath delivered thee out of our hands. And
now deign to come to thy fathers and thy sons, for
we are greatly distressed. We, who opened the door
and found thee not, have all sought for thee. We
know that we have taken evil counsel against thee,
but the Lord hath supplanted our counsel against
thee. Father Joseph, thou art worthy to be honored
by all the people.
And they chose out of all Israel seven men who
were friends of Joseph, whom Joseph also knew as
friends, and the rulers of the synagogue and priests.
and Levites said to them, See ye: if he receiveth
the letter and readeth it, for certain he will come to
us with you; but if he doth not read it, know that
he is ill-disposed towards us, and when ye have
saluted him in peace return to us. And they blessed
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
339
!
them and sent them away. And they came to
Arimathea to Joseph, and worshipped him with
their face to the ground, and said, Peace be to thee,
and to all thine. And Joseph said, Peace be to you,
and to all the people of Israel. And they gave him
the letter; and Joseph took it and read it, and
he folded the letter, and blessed God, and said,
Blessed be the Lord God who hath delivered Israel,
that it might not shed innocent blood: and blessed
be God who hath sent his angel and sheltered me
under his wings. And he kissed them, and set a
table for them, and they ate and drank, and slept
there.
And when they arose in the morning, Joseph
saddled his ass and went with them, and they
entered the holy city of Jerusalem. And all the
people met him, crying out, and saying, Peace be on
thy coming in, father Joseph. In answer to them,
he said, The Lord's peace be on all the people. And
they all kissed him; and they prayed with Joseph,
and were all afraid on seeing him. And Nicodemus
received him into his house, and made a great feast,
and invited Annas and Caiaphas and the elders and
chief priests and Levites to his house; and making
merry and eating and drinking with Joseph they
blessed God, and went away every one to his own
home. But Joseph abode in the house of Nicodemus.
Now on the next day, which was the preparation.
340
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
.
the priests and rulers of the synagogue and Levites
arose early and came to the house of Nicodemus.
And Nicodemus met them, and said to them, Peace
be to you. And they said to him, Peace to thee and
to Joseph, and to thy house, and the house of Joseph.
And Nicodemus led them into his house, and a
council sat; and Joseph sat between Annas and
Caiaphas, and no one dared speak a word. And
Joseph said to them, Why have ye invited me?
But they signified with their eyes to Nicodemus that
he should speak with Joseph. And Nicodemus
opened his mouth and said, Father Joseph, thou
knowest that our venerable teachers, priests, and
Levites, seek to hear a word from thee; and Joseph
said, Ask on. And Annas and Caiaphas took the
law and caused Joseph to swear, saying, Give glory
to the God of Israel, and give to him acknowledge-
ment, so as not to hide from us any word. And
they said to him, We have been greatly grieved
because thou didst beg the body of Jesus, and didst
wrap it in a clean linen cloth, and didst lay him in
the sepulchre. Therefore we shut thee up in a
house where there was no window, and we put a
lock and a seal on the door, and on the first day of
the week we opened the doors and found thee not.
Therefore were we greatly grieved, and astonishment
came over all the people of God; and therefore art
thou invited, and now tell us what was done.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
341
Then said Joseph, On the day of preparation,
about the tenth hour, ye shut me in, and I remained
there the whole of the sabbath. And when mid-
night came, while I stood and prayed, the house.
wherein ye shut me was suspended by the four
corners, and there was a flashing of light in mine
eyes, and I fell trembling upon the ground. Then
one lifted me up from the place where I had
fallen, and poured abundance of water upon me.
from my head to my feet, and put about my
nostrils the fragrance of wonderful ointment, and
rubbed my face with the water, as if washing
me, and kissed me, and said to me, Joseph, fear
not, but open thine eyes, and see who it is that
speaketh to thee; and looking, I saw Jesus, and
being afraid, I thought it was an apparition. And
with prayer and other utterances I spake to him,
and he talked with me. And I said to him, Art
thou Rabbi Elijah? And he said to me, I am not
Elijah. And I said to him, Who art thou, Lord?
And he said to me, I am Jesus, whose body thou
didst beg from Pilate, and didst wrap in a clean
linen cloth, and didst put a napkin upon my face,
and didst lay me in thine own new sepulchre, and
didst roll a stone to the mouth of the sepulchre.
Then I said to him that spake to me, Show me,
Lord, where I laid thee. And he led me and showed
me the place where I laid him, and the linen cloth
f
342
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
which I had put upon him, and the napkin which
I had wrapped about his face; and I knew that it
was Jesus. And he took hold of me with his hand,
and put me in the midst of my house, the doors
being shut, and he put me in my bed, and said to
me, Peace be to thee! And he kissed me and said to
me, For forty days go not from thine house; for
behold, I go into Galilee to my brethren.
CHAPTER XVI.
Now when the rulers of the synagogue, and the
priests, and Levites, heard these words from Joseph,
they became as dead men, and fell upon the ground,
and fasted until the ninth hour. And Joseph and
Nicodemus besought them, saying, Arise, and stand
upon your feet, and taste bread, and refresh your
souls, for to-morrow is the sabbath of the Lord.
And they arose and besought the Lord, and ate and
drank, and went away, every man to his own house.
Now on the sabbath the teachers and doctors sat
questioning together and saying, What is this wrath
which is come upon us? for we know his father and
mother. Levi the teacher said, I know his parents
feared God, and never departed from prayer, and
gave tithes three times in the year. And when Jesus
was born his parents presented him in this place, and
offered sacrifices and burnt offerings to God. For
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
343
also the old man Simeon, the teacher, took him in his
arms, and said, Now, Lord, lettest thou thy servant
depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes
have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared
before the face of all people, to be a light to lighten
the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people
Israel. And he blessed Mary, his mother, and said,
I declare unto thee concerning this child. And Mary
said, Good, my lord. And Simeon answered, Good.
And he said again, Behold, he is set for the fall and
rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which
shall be spoken against; and a sword shall pierce
through thine own soul, that the thoughts of many
hearts may be revealed.¹
And the Jews said to Levi, and how knowest thou
these things? Levi saith, Know ye not that I
learned the law from him? They of the council say
unto him, We would see thy father.
And they
sought out his father, and obtained information, for
he said, Why have ye not believed my son? Simeon
the blessed and just taught him the law. The
council said to Rabbi Levi, The saying which thou
hast spoken is true. And the chief priests, and
rulers of the synagogue, and the Levites, said among
themselves, Come, let us send into Galilee to the
three men who came hither, and told us of his teach-
ing and assumption, and let them tell us how they
¹ Luke ii. 28-32, 34, 35.
344
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
saw him taken up into heaven. And that saying
pleased them all. Then they sent three men into
Galilee, and said, Go and say to Rabbi Addas, and
Rabbi Phinehas, and Rabbi Egeas, Peace be to you
and yours! Many inquiries have been made in the
council concerning Jesus, therefore we are directed
to invite you to the holy place, to Jerusalem.
The men departed into Galilee and found them
sitting and meditating upon the law. And they
greeted them in peace. And they said, Why are
ye come? The messengers answered, The council
calleth you to the holy city of Jerusalem. And
when they heard that they were required by the
council, they prayed to God, and sat down with the
men and ate and drank with them. And rising in
the morning they departed for Jerusalem in peace.
And on the morrow the council sat, and asked them
saying, Did ye clearly see Jesus sitting on Mount
Mambre, teaching his disciples, and taken up into
heaven ?
First Addas the teacher said, Truly I saw him
sitting on Mount Mambre teaching his disciples; and
a shining cloud overshadowed him and his disciples,
and he ascended into heaven; and his disciples were
praying with their faces to the ground. And then
calling Phinehas the priest, they asked him also, say-
ing, How didst thou see Jesus taken up? And he said.
the same as the other. And, again, on their calling
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS
345
and asking the third Rabbi, Egeas, he said the same
as the first and second. And they who were in the
council said, It is contained in the law of Moses that
by the mouth of two or three every word is ‘estab-
lished. The teacher Abudem, one of the doctors, saith,
It is written in the law, that Enoch walked with God,
and he was translated, because God took him. Jairus,
a teacher, said, and we have heard of the death of
holy Moses, and have not seen it; for it is written
in the law of the Lord, And Moses died according to
the mouth of the Lord, and no man knoweth his se-
pulchre unto the present day. Rabbi Levi said,
What is that which Rabbi Simeon said, Behold he is
set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel,
and for a sign which shall be spoken against? Rabbi
Isaac said, It is written in the law, Behold I send
my Angel, who shall go before thy face to keep thee
in every good way; for I have brought in his new
name.¹
Then Annas and Caiaphas said, Ye have rightly
said, that these things are written in the law of
Moses, that no one saw the death of Enoch, and no
one hath named the burial-place of holy Moses.
But Jesus gave answer to Pilate, and we saw him
scourged, and his face spit upon, and the soldiers put
a crown of thorns upon him, and he received sentence
from Pilate, and he was lately crucified, and they
1 Mat. iii. 1; Is. lxii. 2.
1
346
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
:
gave him gall and vinegar to drink, and two robbers
were crucified with him, and Longinus, a soldier,
pierced his side with a spear; and our dear father
Joseph asked for his body; and he arose, and as the
three teachers say, they saw him taken up into
heaven. And Rabbi Levi hath testified what was
spoken by the old man Simeon, that he was set for
the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for
a sign to be spoken against.
Then Didas, the teacher, said to all the congre-
gation, If all things which have been testified by
these men concerning Jesus have come to pass, they
are from God, and let it not be marvellous in our
eyes. The chiefs of the synagogue, and the priests,
and Levites said among themselves, It is contained
in our law, His name shall be blessed for ever; His
place continueth before the sun, and his seat before
the moon; and all the tribes of the earth shall be
blessed in him, and all nations shall serve him, and
kings shall come from afar adoring and magnifying
him.1
Pa, lxxii. 11, 17.
347
THE LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS,
PART II.,
OR, DESCENT OF CHRIST TO THE UNDERWORLD.
CHAPTER I. (XVII.)
AND Joseph arose and said to Annas and Caiaphas,
Truly and well do ye wonder that ye have heard
how Jesus hath been seen to ascend into heaven
alive from the dead. But it is more to be won-
dered at that he rose not alone from the dead, but
that he raised alive from their tombs many other
dead men, and they have been seen by many in
Jerusalem. And now hear me, for we all know
the blessed Simeon, the great priest, who in the
temple took the infant Jesus in his hands. And
the same Simeon had two sons, both of one mother,
and we were all present at their death and burial.
Go, therefore, and see their tombs, for they are open,
because they have arisen: and, behold, they are in
the city of Arimathea living together in prayer.
And indeed they are heard crying out, but speaking
348
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
with no one, but are speechless as dead men.' But
come, let us go to them, and let us bring them to us
with all honour and gentleness. And if we adjure
them, perhaps they will speak to us of the mystery
of their resurrection.
And
When they heard this they all rejoiced.
Annas and Caiaphas, Nicodemus and Joseph, went
and found them not in their sepulchre; but on going
into the city of Arimathea there tney found them
on bended knees and occupied in prayer. And
kissing them, with all veneration, and in the fear of
God, they brought them to Jerusalem to the syna-
gogue. And when the doors were shut, they took
the law of the Lord and put it in their hands,
adjuring them by the God Adonai and the God of
Israel, who spake by the law and the prophets to
our fathers, saying, If ye believe that it is Jesus
who raised you from the dead, tell us how ye rose
from the dead.
When Karinus and Leucius heard this adjuration,
they trembled in body and groaned, being troubled
in heart. And looking together to heaven they
made the sign of the cross on their tongues with
their fingers, and immediately they spake together,
saying, Give us separate sheets of paper, and let us
write what we have seen and heard.
And they
1 The writer seems to mean that they neither heard what was said
to them, nor said anything to men.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
349
gave them unto them. And sitting down they
both wrote, saying:
CHAPTER II. (XVIII.)
LORD JESUS CHRIST, the resurrection and life of
the dead, permit us to speak mysteries by the death
of thy cross, because we are adjured by thee. For
thou hast commanded thy servants to relate to no
one the secrets of thy Divine Majesty, which thou
hast accomplished in the underworld. Now when
we had been laid with all our fathers in the pit, in
the gloom of darkness, there suddenly appeared the
golden glow of the sun and a purple royal light
shining upon us. And immediately the father of all
the human race, with all the patriarchs and pro-
phets, exulted, saying, This light is the author of
eternal light, which hath promised to send us the
co-eternal light. And Isaiah cried out, and said,
This is the light of the Father, the Son of God, as I
foretold when I was living upon earth: The land of
Zebulun and the land of Naphtali beyond Jordan, in
Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which sat in
darkness saw a great light; and they who are in the
region of the shadow of death, light was shining
among them.¹ And now it is come and illumineth
us who sit in death.
1 Is. ix. 2.
350
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
And while we all exulted in the light which
shone upon us, our father Simeon came to us, and
he said to us, joyfully, Glorify the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God; for when he was born an
infant I took him in my hands in the temple, and,
moved by the Holy Spirit, I said, confessing him,
For now mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which
thou hast prepared in the sight of all people, a
light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy
people Israel.¹ On hearing this, the whole multi-
tude of the saints rejoiced the more.
And after this there came one like a dweller in
the wilderness, and was asked by all, Who art thou?
To whom, in reply, he said, I am John, the voice
and prophet of the Highest, preceding the presence
of his coming, to prepare His ways, to give know-
ledge of salvation to His people for remission of their
sins. And when I saw him coming to me, impelled
by the Holy Spirit, I said, Behold, the Lamb of
God, behold, it is He who taketh away the sins of
the world. And I baptised Him in the river Jordan,
and I saw the Holy Spirit descending upon Him in
the form of a dove, and I heard a voice from heaven,
saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased. And now I have come before His face, and
descended to announce to you that the dayspring
itself, the Son of God coming from on high, is about
1 Luke ii. 30-32.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
351
to visit us as we sit in darkness and the shadow of
death.
CHAPTER III. (XIX.)
AND when father Adam, the first-formed, heard
this, that Jesus was baptised in the Jordan, he cried
to his son Seth, Tell unto thy sons, the patriarchs
and prophets, all that thou didst hear from Michael
the Archangel, when I sent thee to the gates of
Paradise to pray God to send thee his angel to give
thee the oil of the tree of mercy, to anoint my body
when I was sick. Then Seth drew nigh to the holy
patriarchs and prophets, and said, When I Seth was
praying to the Lord at the gates of Paradise, behold,
Michael, the angel of the Lord, appeared unto me,
saying, I am sent to thee by the Lord; I am ap-
pointed over the human body. I say unto thee,
Seth, do not labour with tears by prayer and suppli-
cation for the oil of the tree of mercy to anoint thy
father Adam for the pain of his body, for thou canst
in no wise receive of it, save in the last days and
times, nor until 5500 years have been accomplished:
then shall come upon earth the most beloved Son of
God to raise the body of Adam and the bodies of the
dead, and at His coming He shall be baptised in the
Jordan. But when He shall have gone forth from
the water of Jordan, then with the oil of His mercy
352
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
;
shall He anoint all who believe in Him, and that oil
of mercy shall be for the generation of those who
are to be born of water and the Holy Spirit unto life
eternal. Then coming down into the earth,¹ the
most beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ, shall lead
our father Adam into Paradise to the tree of mercy.
When they heard all these things from Seth, all
the patriarchs and prophets rejoiced with great joy.
CHAPTER IV. (xx.)
2
AND when all the saints were rejoicing, behold
Satan, the prince and leader of death, said to Hades,
Prepare thyself to receive Jesus, who boasteth that
He is the Son of God, and is a man who feareth
death, and saith, My soul is sorrowful unto death.
And He hath opposed me in very many things and
done me mischief, and many whom I made blind,
lame, deaf, leprous, and demoniacs, He hath healed
with a word; and those whom I brought dead untc
thee he hath taken from thee.
Hades answered and said to Satan, the prince,
Who is he that is so powerful while he is a man
that feareth death? For all the powerful of the
earth are held subject to my power, and as subject
1 That is, literally so; the underworld being located like purgatory,
within this globe.
2 The Latin has ad inferum; when Inferus is personified I render
it Hades; but when plural Inferi' I translate it Underworld.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
353
thou hast by thy power brought them down. Art
thou, then, as powerful as that man Jesus, who feareth
death and yet resisteth thy power? If he is so
powerful in his humanity, I tell thee truly, he is
omnipotent in his divinity, and no one can with-
stand his power, and while he saith that he feareth
death, he is intending to seize thee, and it will be
woe unto thee through eternal ages.
But Satan the prince of Tartarus said, Why hast
thou hesitated and feared to receive that Jesus, my
enemy and thine? For I have tempted him, and
my ancient Jewish people I have stirred up with
jealousy and anger against him; I have sharpened a
lance to wound him, I have mingled gall and vinegar
to be given him to drink, and I have prepared the
wood for his crucifixion, and nails to fasten him,
and his death is at hand, and I will lead him to thee
subject to thee and me.
Hades answered and said, Thou hast told me that
it is he who took the dead from me. For there are
many who are detained by me here, who while they
lived on earth took the dead from me, not by their
own power, but by divine prayers; and their omnipo-
tent God took them from me. Who is that Jesus,
who by his word drew from me the dead, without
prayers? Perhaps it is he who made alive by the
word of his power Lazarus, that had been four days
in corruption and decay, whom I held dead.
23
354
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Satan the prince of death answered and said, It
is that same Jesus. Now when Hades heard this,
he said to him, I conjure thee by my powers and
thine, not to bring him to me. For when I heard
the command of his word, I was greatly terrified
with dread and trembled, and all my agents
were thrown into confusion with me. Neither
could we hold Lazarus, but shaking himself off,
like an eagle with all agility and speed, he leaped
up and left us, and the very earth which held the
dead body of Lazarus straightway gave him back
alive. So now I know that the man who could do
this is God, mighty in dominion, powerful in his
humanity, and Saviour of the human race; and if
thou shalt bring him to me, he will release and
conduct to the life of his divinity for ever, all who
are here shut up in the severity of prison, and
bound in the firm bonds of their sins.
CHAPTER V. (XXI.)
AND while Satan the prince, and Hades were
talking thus together, there was suddenly a sound as
of thunder and a crying of spirits: Lift up your
gates, ye princes, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting
doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.¹ When
Hades heard this, he said to Satan the prince,
1 Ps. xxiv. 7.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
355
Depart from me and go forth out of my abodes; if
thou art more excellent in power, fight against the
King of Glory. But what hast thou to do with
him? And Hades cast forth Satan out of his abodes.
And Hades said to his impious agents, Shut the
cruel brazen gates, and place iron bars against them,
and strongly resist, lest we be led captive who hold
captivity.
Now when all the multitude of saints heard this,
they said with a voice of rebuke to Hades, Open thy
gates that the King of Glory may come in. And
David cried, saying, When I was alive on earth, did
I not foretell to you, Let the mercies of the Lord be
confessed unto him, and his wonderful works to the
children of men, because He hath broken the brazen
gates and crushed the iron bars: He hath taken
them from the way of their iniquity.
1
And after this, Isaiah likewise said, When I was
alive on earth, did I not foretell to you, The dead
shall arise, and they shall arise who are in the tombs,
and they shall exult who are in the earth, for the
dew which is from the Lord is health to them. And
again, I said, O death, where is thy sting? O Hades,
where is thy victory ??
Now all the saints who heard these things from
Isaiah said to Hades, Open thy gates; conquered now,
thou wilt be feeble and powerless. And there was
2 Is. xxvi. 19; Hos. xiii. 14.
1 Ps. cvii. 16.
356
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
}
1
a great voice like thunder, saying, O ye princes, lift
up your gates, and be ye lifted up ye gates of Hades,
and the King of Glory shall come in. Hades, seeing
that they cried this twice, said, as if he knew not,
Who is the King of Glory? David answered and
said to Hades, I understand the words of this cry,
for I prophesied the same by his Spirit; and now,
what I said above I say to thee, The Lord strong and
mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, He is the King
of Glory. And the Lord himself hath looked down
from heaven upon earth to hear the groaning of the
prisoners, and to loose the children of the slain.2
And now most vile and most polluted Hades, Open
thy gates that the King of Glory may come in.
When David said this to Hades, the Lord of Majesty
came in the form of man, and illumined the eternal
darkness, and broke the indissoluble chains, and the
help of unconquered excellence visited us who sat in
the deep darkness of offences, and in the death-
shadow of sins.
CHAPTER VI. (XXII.).
ON seeing these things, Hades, and Death, and their
wicked agents, with their cruel ministers, trembled at
the brightness of so great a light, perceived in their
own realms, while they guddenly beheld Christ in
1 Ps. xxiv. 7, 8.
2 Ps. lxxix. 11.
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357
their abodes, and they cried out, saying, We are
conquered by thee. Who art thou that orderest our
confusion before the Lord? Who art thou that with-
out the ruin of corruption, by unfailing evidence of
majesty, in thy fury condemnest our power? Who
art thou, so great and small, humble and high, soldier
and commander, admirable warrior in the form of a
servant, and king of glory, dead and alive, whom
when slain the cross upheld? Thou who didst lie
dead in the sepulchre, hast come down alive unto us;
and at thy death every creature trembled, and all
the stars were shaken; and now thou art become free
among the dead, and dost disturb our legions. Who
art thou that dost loose the captives that are held
bound in original sin, and recallest them to their
primeval liberty? Who art thou that sheddest divine
and splendid and lustrous light upon them that are
blinded by the darkness of sin ?
Likewise also all the legions of demons, terrified
with similar fear, because of their fearful overthrow,
with one voice cried out, and said, Whence art
thou, O Jesus, so mighty a man, and splendid in
majesty, so illustrious without spot, and pure from
fault? For that earthly world, which hath ever
been subject unto us till now, which paid tribute
to our use, never sent us such a dead man, and
never assigned such gifts to the underworld. Who
then art thou that hast entered our borders so fear-
358
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
lessly, and not only dost not fear our punishments,
but dost aim to remove all from our bonds? Perhaps
thou art that Jesus, of whom Satan, our prince, said,
that by thy death on the cross thou wouldst receive
power over the whole world.
Then the King of Glory, in his majesty, spurning
Death, and seizing Satan the prince, delivered him to
the power of Hades, and drew Adam into his glory.
CHAPTER VII. (XXIII.)
THEN Hades, receiving Satan the prince, with
strong rebuke said to him, O prince of perdition,
and leader of destruction, Beelzebub, the mockery
of angels, and the contempt of the just! Why hast
thou determined to do this? Hast thou resolved to
crucify the King of Glory, in whose removal by
death thou didst promise us so great spoils? Like a
fool thou knewest not what thou didst. For behold,
that Jesus, by the splendor of his divinity, scattereth
all the darkness of death, and hath broken up the
lowest strongholds of our prisons, and cast out the
captives, and loosed them that were bound. And all
who used to groan under our torments, mock at us,
and by their prayers our domains are overcome, and
our realms are conquered, and no race of men now
feareth us. Moreover, the dead who were never
haughty towards us, nor could ever be joyful as
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359
captives, boldly threaten us. O prince Satan, father
of all the impious, wicked, and apostates, why hast
thou determined to do thus? They who from the
beginning until now despaired of safety and life,
their wonted howling is now no longer heard, neither
doth any of them utter a groan, nor is a trace of tears
found upon the face of any one of them. O prince
Satan, possessor of the keys of the underworld, those
thy riches which thou hadst gained by the tree of
prevarication and the loss of paradise, thou hast now
lost by the tree of the cross, and all thy joy is
perished. When thou didst hang up that Christ
Jesus the King of Glory, thou didst act against thy-
self and against me. Henceforth thou wilt know
what eternal torments and infinite punishments thou
shalt suffer in my everlasting prison. O prince
Satan, the cause of death and source of all pride, thou
oughtest first to have sought out the guilt of that
Jesus. Why, when thou knewest no fault in him,
didst thou dare to crucify him unjustly, without
cause, and bring the innocent and just to our region,
and lose the guilty, wicked, and unrighteous of all
the world?
And while Hades was saying these things to Satan
the prince, then the King of Glory said to Hades,
Satan shall be prince under thy power, for endles
ages, in the place of Adam and his sons, my righteous
ones.
360
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER VIII. (XXIV.)
AND the Lord stretched out his hand and said,
Come unto me, all my saints who have my image
and likeness. Ye who have been condemned by the
tree, and the devil, and death, now see the devil and
death condemned by the tree. Immediately all the
saints were assembled together under the hand of
the Lord. And the Lord took hold of the right
hand of Adam and said to him, Peace be unto thee
with all thy children, my just ones. And Adam,
falling down at the knees of the Lord, with tearful
entreaty besought him with a loud voice and said,
I will exalt thee, O Lord, because thou hast received
me, and hast not suffered mine enemies to rejoice
over me. O Lord God, I have cried unto thee, and
thou, O Lord, hast healed me; thou hast brought
out my soul from the underworld, thou hast saved
me from them that go down into the pit. Praise ye
the Lord, all his saints, and confess to the remem-
brance of his holiness; because wrath is in his in-
dignation, and life in his good pleasure. In like
manner also all the saints of God, falling on their
knees before the feet of the Lord, with one voice
said, Thou hast come, O Redeemer of the world: As
thou hast predicted by the law and thy prophets,
thou hast fulfilled in deed. Thou hast redeemed
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361
the living by thy cross, and by the death of the
cross thou hast come down to us, to deliver us by
thy majesty from the underworld and death. O
Lord, as thou hast set the title of thy glory in
heaven, and hast raised up thy cross on earth as
the title of redemption, so Lord, set on Hades the
sign of the victory of thy cross, that death may
reign no more.
And the Lord stretched out his hand and made
the sign of the cross over Adam and over all his
saints, and taking hold of the right hand of Adam
He went up from the underworld, and all the saints.
followed him. Then holy David cried aloud, say-
ing, Sing unto the Lord a new song; for He hath
done marvellous things. His right hand and his
holy arm hath brought salvation. The Lord hath
made known his salvation; He hath revealed his
justice in the sight of the nations. And all the
multitude of the saints answered and said, This is
glory unto all his saints. Amen. Alleluia.2
1
And after this Habakkuk, the prophet, cried and
said, Thou art for the salvation of thy people, to
deliver thy chosen. And all the saints answered
and said, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of
the Lord; God is the Lord, and He hath showed
light unto us. Amen. Alleluia.3
1 Ps. xcviii. 1, 2.
2 Ps. cxlix. 9; Rev. xix. 4.
3 Ps. cxviii. 26, 27. For the quotation from Habakkuk the Vulgate
362
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
In like manner after this the prophet Micah cried
and said, Who is God like thee, O Lord, taking
away iniquities and passing over sins? And now
thou restrainest thy wrath for a testimony, for thou
takest pleasure in mercy; and thou turnest away,
and hast compassion on us, and forgivest all our
iniquities, and hast sunk all our sins in the multi-
tude of death, as thou swearest unto our fathers in
ancient days.¹ And all the saints answered and
said, This is our God for ever and ever, and He shall
rule us for evermore.2 Amen. Alleluia. So also all
the prophets, rehearsing sacred utterances from their
praises, and all the saints, crying, Amen, Alleluia,
followed the Lord.
CHAPTER IX. (xxv.)
Now the Lord held Adam by the hand, and gave
him over to Michael the Archangel. And all the
saints followed Michael the Archangel, and he intro-
duced them all to the glorious grace of Paradise.
And there met them two men, very ancient of days.
And the saints asked them, Who are ye that have
not been with us yet dead in the underworld, and
has Egressus es in salutem populi tui, in salutem cum Christo tuo, 3,13.
"Thou went forth the salvation of thy people: salvation with thy
Christ," Douay Version. "Thou wentest forth for the salvation of
thy people, to save thine anointed," Septuagint.
1 Mic. vii. 18-20.
2 Ps. xlviii. 14.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
363
have been stationed in Paradise in the body? One
of them answered and said unto them, I am Enoch,
who was translated hither by the word of the
Lord; and he that is with me is Elijah the Tishbite,
who was taken up in a fiery chariot. Here and
hitherto we have not tasted death, but are reserved
to the coming of Antichrist, and we shall fight with
him by divine signs and prodigies; and when we
have been slain by him in Jerusalem, after three
days and a-half, we are to be taken up again alive
in the clouds.¹
CHAPTER X. (XXVI.)
AND while these things were talked of with the
saints, Enoch and Elijah, behold, there came up
another, a very wretched man, bearing on his
shoulders the sign of the cross. When they saw
him all the saints said unto him, Who art thou?
for thy appearance is that of a robber. And what is
the sign which thou bearest on thy shoulders? He
answered and said to them, Ye have said truly, for I
was a robber, and did all evil upon earth; and the
Jews crucified me along with Jesus, and I saw the
miracles which were done to the creatures by the
cross of Jesus that was crucified, and I believed Him
to be the creator of all creatures, and the omnipotent
1 Rev. xi. 9, 12.
364
APOCRYPHAL GUSPELS.
king; and I entreated Him, saying, Lord, remember
me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And He
straightway received my prayer, and said unto me,
Verily I say unto thee, This day thou shalt be with
me in Paradise.¹ And He gave me this sign of the
cross, saying, Go to Paradise, bearing this; and if
the angel guardian of Paradise suffer thee not to
enter, show him the sign of the cross, and say to
him, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who now is cruci-
fied, hath sent me. When I had done this I said
all these things to the angel guardian of Paradise,
who, when he heard these things from me, straight-
way opened the gate and took me in, and placed me
on the right side of Paradise, saying, Behold, wait
a little, and Adam, the father of all the human race,
shall come in with all his sons that are holy and
just, after the triumph and glory of the ascension of
the crucified Lord Christ.
When they heard all these words of the robber,
all the holy patriarchs and prophets with one voice
said, Blessed art thou, the Lord Almighty, the
Father of eternal good, and Father of mercies, who
hast given such grace to thy sinful ones,2 and hast
restored them to the grace of Paradise, and to thy
fat pastures, for this is most certain spiritual life.
Amen, Amen.
1 Luke xxiii. 42, 43.
2 The Latin peccatoribus looks like an error for pecoribus, “sheep,”
which is in harmony with the rest of the sentence.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
365
CHAPTER XI. (XXVII.)
THESE are the divine and sacred mysteries which
we saw and heard-I Karinus and Leucius. We
are not permitted further to record the other
mysteries of God, inasmuch as Michael the Arch-
angel protested, and said unto us, When ye go with
your brethren into Jerusalem, ye shall cry aloud in
your prayers, and glorify the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus Christ, who raised you from the dead
with himself. And ye shall speak with no man,
and shall abide as if dumb, until the hour cometh
when the Lord shall himself permit you to relate
the mysteries of his divinity. And Michael the
Archangel commanded us to walk over Jordan into
a fat and fruitful place, where there are many who
arose with us in witness of the resurrection of Christ
the Lord. For we, who arose from the dead, were
only permitted to be three days in Jerusalem to
celebrate the passover of the Lord with our kindred
who were living, in witness of the resurrection of
Christ the Lord; and we were baptised in the holy
river Jordan, and each received white robes. And
after three days, when the passover of the Lord had
been celebrated, all who arose with us were carried
away in clouds, and were taken beyond Jordan, and
werc seen no more by any.
But it was said unto us
366
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
that we should continue in prayer in the city of
Arimathea.
These are the great things which the Lord com-
manded us to relate to you. Give praise and con-
fession to him, and repent, that he may have mercy
on you. Peace be unto you from Jesus Christ him-
self, the Lord and the Saviour of us all.. Amen.
And after they had finished writing all on sepa-
rate sheets of paper, they arose. What Karinus
wrote he gave into the hands of Annas and Caiaphas
and Gamaliel; and in like manner what Leucius
wrote, he gave into the hands of Nicodemus and
Joseph. And being suddenly transfigured they ap-
peared all in white, and were seen no more. And
their writings were found to be alike, neither more
nor less by a single letter.
When all the synagogue of the Jews heard all
these wonderful sayings of Karinus and Leucius,
they said to one another, Truly all these things were
done by the Lord, and blessed be the Lord for ever
and ever. Amen. And they all went out with great
seriousness, smiting their breasts with fear and
trembling, and departed every one to his own
home.
Immediately Joseph and Nicodemus reported to
the governor all those things which were spoken by
the Jews in their synagogue. And Pilate himself
wrote all that was said and done by the Jews con-
LATIN GUSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
367
cerning Jesus and laid up all the words in the public
documents of his judgment hall.
CHAPTER XII. (XXVIII.)
AFTER these things Pilate went into the temple of
the Jews and assembled all the chief priests, and
grammarians, and scribes, and teachers of the law;
and he went with them into the sanctuary of the
temple, and commanded that all the doors should be
shut, and said to them, We have heard that ye have
in this temple a certain great volume; therefore I
pray you that it may brought before us. And when
the same volume was brought by four ministers,
adorned with gold and precious jewels, Pilate said to
them all, I adjure you by the God of your fathers,
who commanded you to build this temple in the
place of his sanctuary, not to withold the truth from
me. Ye know all that is written in this volume;
but now say whether ye have found in the Scriptures
that Jesus, whom ye crucified, that he was the Son
of God, who should come for the salvation of the
human race, and in how many years of time he ought
to have come. Manifest unto me whether ye cruci-
fied him ignorantly or knowingly.
When they were thus adjured, Annas and Caia-
phas commanded that all the others who were with
them should go out of the sanctuary, and they closed
368
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
all the doors of the temple and the sanctuary, and
said to Pilate, We have been adjured by thee, O
good judge, by the building of this temple, to make
truth and reason plain unto thee. After we had
crucified Jesus, not knowing him to be the Son of
God, thinking he wrought these miracles by some
incantation, we held a large assembly in this temple,
and when we consulted together concerning the mi-
raculous signs which Jesus had wrought, we found
many witnesses of our own nation, who said that
they had seen Jesus alive after the suffering of death,
and that he entered the height of heaven. And we
have seen two witnesses whom Jesus raised from the
dead, who made known unto us many miracles which
Jesus did among the dead, which we have in our
hands in writing. And our custom is, every year to
open this holy volume before our assembly and seek
the witness of God. And we have found, in the first
book of the Seventy, where Michael, the archangel,
talked with the third son of the first man Adam,
about the 5500 years,¹ after which should come from
heaven, Christ, the most beloved Son of God: and,
moreover, we have supposed that perhaps he was the
God of Israel who said to Moses, Make thee the ark
of the covenant, two cubits and a half in length, one
cubit and a half in breadth, and a cubit and a half
in height. By these five cubits and a half we under-
1 See Chapter iii. (xix.)
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
369
stood and knew the frame of the ark of the old co-
venant, that in five thousand five hundred years Jesus
Christ should come in the ark of the body, and we
find that he is the God of Israel, the Son of God.
For after his passion we, the chief priests, wonder-
ing at the signs which came to pass because of him,
opened this volume, seeking out all the generations
unto the generation of Joseph, and reckoning that
Mary, the mother of Christ, was of the seed of David:
and we found that from the time in which God made
heaven and earth and the first man, there were 2212
years to the Flood; and from the Flood to the build-
ing of the tower 531 years; and from the building
of the tower to Abraham 606 years; and from Abra-
ham to the coming of the children of Israel out of
Egypt 470 years; from the departure of the children
of Israel out of Egypt to the building of the temple
511 years; and from the building of the temple to
the destruction of the same temple 464 years; thus
far we found in the volume of Ezra and reckoning
from the burning of the temple to the coming of
Christ and his nativity we find there are 636 years.
These together are 5500 years, as we find written
in the volume that Michael, the archangel, foretold
to Seth, the third son of Adam, that Christ, the Son
of God, would come in 5500 years. Hitherto we
1
¹ The sum of the foregoing numbers is 5430, and not 5500 as stated
in the text.
24
370
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
have told no one, that there might be no dissension
in our synagogues; and now, thou, O good judge,
hast adjured us by this holy volume of the testimo-
nies of God, and we make it plain to thee. And we
adjure thee, by thy life and salvation, not to make
known these words to any in Jerusalem.
CHAPTER XIII. (XXIX.)
WHEN Pilate heard these words of Annas and
Caiaphas he inserted them all in the Acts of the
Lord the Saviour, in the public documents of his
judgment hall, and wrote a letter to Claudius, the
king of the city of Rome, saying,
Pontius Pilate to Claudius, his king, greeting.
It hath lately happened, as I have myself proved,
that the Jews, through envy, punished themselves and
their posterity by a cruel condemnation. For when
their fathers had a promise that their God would
send his Holy One from heaven who should be de-
servedly called their king, and promised that he
should be sent to earth by means of a virgin; when,
therefore, while I was governor, He had come into
Judea, and they had seen that he gave sight to the
blind, that he cleansed lepers, that he healed the
paralysed, that he expelled demons from men, raised
the dead, commanded the winds, walked with dry
feet upon the waves of the sea, and wrought many
:
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
371
other miraculous signs; and when all the people of
the Jews said he was the Son of God, the chief priests
were moved with envy against him, and took him
and delivered him to me, and perversely lying unto
me said that he was a magician and did contrary to
their law.
Now I believed it was so, and delivered him to be
scourged at their pleasure. And they crucified him,
and set a watch over him after he was buried. But
while my soldiers were guarding him he rose again
on the third day. To such a degree did the iniquity
of the Jews rage that they gave money to my soldiers,
saying, Say that his disciples stole his body. But
when they had taken the money they could not keep
silence as to what had been done, for they testified
that they saw that he had risen, and that they had
received money from the Jews.
I have put these things down, that no one may
falsely speak otherwise, and lest thou shouldst think
the falsehoods of the Jews are to be believed.
372
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS, PART II.
OR, THE DESCENT OF CHRIST TO THE UNDERWORLD.
(From the Latin Text. B.)
CHAPTER I. (XVII.)
THEN Rabbi Addas, and Rabbi Phinehas, and
Rabbi Egeas, three men who had come from Galilee
testifying that they had seen Jesus taken up into
heaven, arose in the midst of the multitude of the
chiefs of the Jews, and said before the priests and
Levites who were called to the Lord's council, As we
came out of Galilee unto Jordan there met us a very
great multitude of men, Abbats¹ who had been long
dead. Among whom we saw Karinus and Leucius
together present along with them. And as they
came unto us and kissed us, for they had been our
dear friends, we asked them, Tell us, friends and
brethren, What is this soul and flesh? And who are
these with whom ye are walking? And how do ye
continue in the body who have been long time dead?
1 i.e. fathers.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
373
They answered and said, We arose with Christ
from the underworld, and He raised us from the
dead. And hereby ye may know that the gates of
death and darkness are destroyed, and the souls of
the saints are taken thence and have ascended into
heaven with Christ the Lord. And it hath been
commanded us by the Lord himself that for a certain
time we should walk about the banks of the Jordan
and the mountains; yet not appearing unto all, nor
speaking with all, but only those whom it hath
pleased him. And now we could neither have ap-
peared nor spoken unto you unless it had been per-
mitted us by the Holy Spirit.
Now when all the multitude that was present in
the council heard this, being filled with fear and
trembling, they asked whether those things had
been really done which the Galileans declared. Then
Caiaphas and Annas said to the council, All that
these have declared, both before and after, must
now be cleared up. If it is found true that Karinus
and Leucius continue alive in the body, and if we
can behold them with our eyes, then all is true
which they have declared; and they who find them
will certify us concerning everything. But if not
we may know that all is false.
Then the council forthwith arose, and it seemed
good to them to choose fit men who feared God and
who knew when they died, and where they were
1
374
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
buried, and who should enquire diligently and see
whether it was as they had heard. There proceeded
thither therefore fifteen men, who were all along
present at their deaths, and stood at their feet when
they where buried, and saw their sepulchres. And
they came and found their sepulchres open, and very
many more, and found no trace of their bones or
dust. And they returned in all haste and told what
they had seen.
Then the whole assembly was troubled with great
sorrow, and they said to one another, What shall we
do? Annas and Caiaphas said, Let us send to where
we have heard they are, and let us send to them some
of our more honourable men, to beg and entreat
them: perhaps they will deign to come to us. Then
they sent unto them Nicodemus and Joseph, and the
three men, Rabbis of Galilee, who had seen them, to
beg them to deign to come to them. These, going
forth, walked about all the region of the Jordan and
the mountains, and not finding them, turned back.
And behold there suddenly appeared descending
from mount Amalek,¹ a very great multitude, about
twelve thousand men, who had risen with the Lord.
Although they recognised very many that were there,
they could not say anything to them because of fear
and the angelic vision, and stood afar off gazing at
them, and hearing them, as they marched along,
1 Elsewhere called Olivet. See page 252, note.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
375
singing and saying, The Lord hath risen from the
dead, as He had said; Let us all rejoice and be glad,
for He reigneth for ever. Then they that had been
sent were astonished, and through fear fell to the
ground, and they received an answer from them,
that they should seek for Karinus and Leucius at
their own houses.
And they arose and came to their homes, and found
them occupied in prayer. And when they went in
they fell with their faces to the ground, saluting
them; and standing up they said, Friends of God,
the whole multitude of the Jews hath sent us to you,
hearing that ye have risen from the dead, asking
and beseeching you to come to them, that we may
all know the wonders of God which are wrought
about us in our times. And straightway arising, at
a sign from God, they came with them and entered
their synagogue. Then the multitude of the Jews,
with their priests, placed in their hands the books of
the law, and adjured them, by the God Heloi and the
God Adonai, and by the law of the prophets, saying,
Tell us how ye arose from the dead, and what are
these wonders which have been wrought in our
times, such as we have never heard to have been
done at any time; because through fear all our bones
are astonished and dried up, and the earth trembleth
under our feet; for all our hearts have conspired to
shed the just and holy blood.
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APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Then Karinus and Leucius made signs to them
with their hands, that they should give them a sheet
of paper and ink. Now they did this because the
Holy Spirit suffered them not to speak with them.
And giving them each a sheet they retired apart
from one another, into separate cells. And when
they had made the sign of the cross of Christ with
their fingers, they began to write on separate papers;
and when they finished, as if with one mouth they
cried out, Amen, from their separate cells. And they
rose up, and Karinus gave his paper to Annas, and
Leucius to Caiaphas, and when they had saluted one
another, they departed, and returned to their sepul-
chres.
Then Annas and Caiaphas opened the sheets of
paper, and each of them began to read in secret.
But all the people took it amiss, and all cried out
thus, Read these writings openly unto us; and after
they have been read we will preserve them, lest,
perchance, this truth of God should be turned into
falsehood through their blindness by the unclean
and deceitful. Then Annas and Caiaphas, being
filled with trembling, delivered the sheet of paper to
Rabbi Addas and Rabbi Phinehas, and Rabbi Egias,
who had come from Galilee, and announced that
Jesus was taken up into heaven. And all the
multitude of the Jews entrusted to them to read the
writings. And they read the paper, which contained
these things:-
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
377
CHAPTER II. (XVIII.)
I AM Karinus. Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the
living God, suffer me to speak thy marvels which
thou hast wrought in the underworld. When, there-
fore, we were confined in darkness, and the shadow
of death, in the underworld, suddenly there shone
upon us a great light, and Hades and the gates of
death trembled. And the voice of the Son of the
Father most High was heard, as the sound of loud
thunder, and crying out mightily, he thus exclaimed,
O ye princes, throw back your gates, lift up the
eternal gates; the King of Glory, Christ the Lord,
approacheth to enter.
Then came Satan, the leader of death, fleeing in
terror, saying to his servants and the shades below,
O my servants and all ye shades below, run together,
shut your gates, put against them iron bars, and
fight bravely and resist, lest we who hold should be
held captive in chains. Then all his impious agents
were troubled, and began to shut the gates of death,
with all diligence, little by little to fasten the locks
and iron bars, to grasp all their ornaments with
firmly closed hands, and to utter the howlings of a
dreadful and most horrible voice.
1 Ornamenta-another and more probable reading is armamenta,
weapons.
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APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER III. (xIx.)
THEN said Satan unto Hades, Prepare thyself to
receive him that I shall bring down to thee. There-
upon Hades thus addressed Satan, That sound came
only from the cry of the Son of the Father most
High, for earth and all the places of hell beneath it
so trembled. Wherefore, I think that I and all my
bonds now lie exposed. But I conjure thee, Satan,
chief of all evil, by thy powers and mine, bring him
not to me, lest, while we would take him captive, we
should be taken captive by him. For if, at the
sound of his voice alone, all my power is thus
destroyed, what thinkest thou he will do when his
presence approacheth ?
To whom Satan, the leader of death, thus answered,
Why dost thou cry out? fear not, my ancient friend
most vile; for I have stirred up the people of the
Jews against him, I have bidden him to be buffeted.
and I have accomplished against him his betrayal by
his disciple; and he is a man who much feareth
death, and through fear hath said, My soul is
sorrowful even unto death; and I have brought him
to this, that he now hangeth lifted up on the cross.
Then said Hades to him, If it is he who by the
mere word of his command caused Lazarus to fly
like an eagle out of my bosom when he had been
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
379
dead already four days, he is not a man in humanity,
but is God in Majesty. I beseech thee not to bring
him to me.
To whom Satan said, Prepare thyself,
notwithstanding; fear not, for he now hangeth
upon the cross, I cannot do otherwise. Then Hades
thus exclaimed to Satan, If, therefore, thou canst
not do otherwise, behold thy ruin approacheth. I,
indeed, shall remain cast down and without honour,
but thou wilt be tormented under my dominion.
CHAPTER IV. (xx.)`'
Now the saints of God heard the contention
between Satan and Hades; but although they were
as yet without recollection of one another, never-
theless, they had knowledge. But our holy father
Adam thus confidently answered Satan, Leader of
of death, why dost thou fear and tremble? Behold
the Lord cometh, who will now destroy all thy
devices, and thou shalt be taken by him and bound
for ever.
Then all the saints, hearing the voice of our father
Adam, with what assured constancy he answered
Satan, were confirmed in their joy; and all of them
running to father Adam, were crowded together
about him. Then our father Adam, regarding nar-
rowly all that multitude, wondered if they had all
been descended from him in the world. And em-
380
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
bracing those who stood with him all around, shedding
most bitter tears, he called to his son Seth, saying,
O son Seth, tell the holy patriarchs and prophets
what the guardian of Paradise said to thee, when
I sent thee to bring to me of the oil of mercy to
anoint my body when I was weak.
Then he answered, When thou sentest me to the
gates of Paradise, I prayed and besought the Lord,
with tears, and called to the guardian of Paradise
that he would give me thereof. Then came forth
Michael the archangel and said to me, Seth, Where-
fore dost thou lament? Know beforehand that thy
father Adam shall not receive of this oil of mercy
now, but after many generations of the world. For
the most dear Son of God will come into the world
from heaven, and will be baptised by John in the
river Jordan and then shall thy father Adam, with
all who believe in him, receive of this oil¹ of mercy;
and the Kingdom of those that believe in Him will
abide for ever.
CHAPTER V. (XXI.)
THEN all the saints when they heard this rejoiced
with great joy. One of those who stood around,
Isaiah by name, crying aloud exclaimed, Father
¹ Tischendorf has de hoc deo, 'of this God;' an evident misprint for
de hoc oleo.
1
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
381
Adam, and all who stand around, hear my words.
When I was on earth, and the Holy Spirit taught
me, I sang of this light in prophecy, that the people
which sat in darkness hath seen a great light, and
to those who dwell in the region of the shadow of
death, light is sprung up. At his voice, father
Adam and all of them turned and asked him, Who
art thou, for what thou sayest is true? And he
answered and said, My name is Isaiah
Then appeared another near him, like a dweller in
the wilderness. And they asked him and said, Who
art thou, who wearest such things on thy body?
And he answered straightway, I am John the Bap-
tist, the voice and prophet of the most High. I
went before the face of the same Lord, to turn
desert and rough places into plain paths. With my
finger I pointed out and made known the Lamb of
the Lord, and the Son of God, to the men of Jeru-
salem. I baptised him in the river Jordan. I heard
the voice of the Father sounding out of heaven
above him, and declaring, This is my beloved Son in
whom I am well pleased. I received from him the
reply that he should go down to the underworld.
Then father Adam, hearing this, cried with a loua
voice, exclaiming, Alleluia, which is interpreted,
The Lord cometh, assuredly.¹
The writer clearly did not understand Hebrew.
382
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
CHAPTER VI. (XXII.)
THEN another who stood by, distinguished as
though by some royal ensign, David by name, cried
out thus, and said, When I was on earth I made a
revelation concerning the mercy of God and his
visitation to the people, prophesying joys to come,
saying, Through all ages, let the mercies of the
Lord be confessed, and his wonderful works to the
children of men, for he hath broken the gates of
brass, and burst asunder the iron bars. Then the
holy patriarchs and prophets began to call to mind
in turn, and every one to say something from his
prophecies. Then holy Jeremiah, examining his
prophecies, said to the patriarchs and prophets,
When I was on earth I prophesied of the Son of
God, that he appeared on earth and conversed with
men.
Then all the saints, rejoicing in the light of the
Lord, and in the sight of father Adam, and in the
answer of all the patriarchs and prophets, cried,
saying, Alleluia, blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord; so that at their cry Satan trem-
bled and sought a way of escape. And he could not,
for Hades and his officers held him bound in Hades
and securely guarded on all sides; and others said to
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
383
him, Why dost thou tremble? We by no means
suffer thee to go hence. But receive this, as thou
deservest, from him that thou daily wast fighting
against: but whether or not, know, that bound
by him thou wilt be in custody under me.
CHAPTER VII. (XXIII.)
AND a second time the voice of the Son of the
Father most High came as a voice of great thunder,
saying, O ye princes, lift up your gates, and be ye
lifted up ye eternal doors, and the King of Glory
shall come in. Then Satan and Hades cried and
said, Who is that King of Glory? And the voice of
the Lord answered them, The Lord strong and
mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
After this voice there came a man whose aspect
was as that of a robber, bearing a cross on his
shoulder, crying outside, saying, Open for me that
I may come in. And Satan opening the door for
him a little way, brought him inside into the abode,
and closed the door again after him. And all the
saints saw that he was very bright, and said to him
forthwith, Thy aspect is that of a robber. Tell us
what is that thou bearest on thy back? He answered
humbly, and said, In truth I was altogether a robber,
and the Jews hung me on a cross along with my
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father most high.
384
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
I am come as first sent, but He Himself cometh
after me immediately.
Then holy David, burning with anger against
Satan, cried aloud, O thou most polluted one, open
thy gates that the King of Glory may come in. In
like manner also all the saints of God aros against
Satan and wished to take him and rend him in
pieces. And again the cry was uttered within, O
princes, lift up your gates, and be ye lifted up, ye
eternal doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.
Hades and Satan asked again at that distinct utter-
ance, saying, Who is this King of Glory? And it
was said unto them by that marvellous voice, The
Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.
CHAPTER VIII. (XXIV.)
AND behold Hades suddenly trembled, and the
gates and locks of death were demolished, and the
iron bars were broken, and they fell to the ground,
and all things were laid bare. And Satan remained
in the midst, and stood confused and dejected, fas-
tened with a fetter on his feet. And lo, the Lord
Jesus Christ, coming in the glory of celestial light,
gentle, great, and humble, and bearing a chain in
his hands, bound Satan by the neck, and again tying
his hands behind him, threw him on his back into
Tartarus, and set his holy foot upon his throat, say-
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
385
ing, Through all ages though hast wrought many
evils, thou hast not rested in any wise; I deliver
thee this day unto everlasting fire. And having
quickly called Hades, he commanded him, saying,
Take this most base and wicked one, and hold him
in thy custody until the day when I shall command
thee. And when he had received him he sank down
with him beneath the feet of the Lord, into the depth.
of the Abyss.¹
CHAPTER IX. (Xxv.)
THEN the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of all, who is
kind and most gentle, saluted Adam graciously and
said unto him, Peace be unto thee, father Adam, and
unto thy children through immeasurable ages of
ages. Amen. Then father Adam fell down at the feet
of the Lord, and arose again and kissed his hands,
and wept violently, saying, Behold the hands which
formed me. And he testified unto all; and said to
the Lord, Thou art come, O King of Glory, deliver-
ing men and gathering them to thine eternal king-
dom. Then also our mother Eve in like manner fell
down at the feet of the Lord, and arose again and
kissed his hands, and weeping violently said, Behold
the hands which fashioned me. And she testified
unto all.
1 Rev. xx. 1-3.
1
25
386
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Then all the saints worshipped him and said,
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord;
God the Lord hath given us light. Amen, through all
ages. Alleluia, for evermore; praise, honour, might,
and glory, because thou hast come from on high
to visit us. And singing Alleluia all together, and
rejoicing together in glory, they ran together under
the hands of the Lord. Then the Saviour, making
inquiry concerning all of them, smote Hades, and
having cast down some into Tartarus, he took others
with him to the world above.
CHAPTER X. (XXVI.)
THEN all the saints of God besought the Lord to
leave in the underworld the symbol of victory (that
of the holy cross), that its most wicked ministers
might not prevail to detain any under accusation
whom the Lord had absolved. And so it came to
pass, and the Lord set his cross in the midst of
Hades, and it is the symbol of victory, and will
remain so for ever.
Then we all went out thence with the Lord, and
left Satan and Hades in Tartarus. And command was
given to us and to many others, that we should rise
with the body, to bear witness in the world unto the
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the
things which were done in the underworld.
LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
387
These, dearest brethren, are the things which we
have seen, and, being adjured, testify unto you, He
also attesting who died for us and rose again: for
as it is written, so hath it come to pass in all things.
CHAPTER XI. (XXVII.)
Now when the paper was finished and read, all
who heard fell upon their faces, weeping bitterly,
and violently smiting their breasts, crying and say-
ing with one accord, Woe unto us: Wherefore hath
this befallen us unhappy ones? Pilate fled, Annas
and Caiaphas fled, the priests and Levites fled, and
also the people of the Jews, lamenting and saying,
Woe unto us unhappy ones: we have shed holy
blood upon earth.
Therefore for three days and three nights they
tasted neither bread nor water, neither did any
of them return into the synagogue. But on the
third day, when the council assembled again, the
other paper (that of Leucius) was read; and it was
found to be neither more nor less by a single letter
than what the writing of Karinus contained. Then
the assembly was troubled, and they all lamented
forty days and forty nights, looking for destruction
from God, and the vengeance of God. But the kind
and most high merciful One did not at once destroy
them, liberally vouchsafing to them space for re-
388
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
pentance. But they were not found worthy to be
converted unto the Lord.
These are the testimonies of Karinus and Leucius,
dearest brethren, concerning Christ the Son of God,
and his holy deeds in the underworld: to Him let us
all give praise and glory through immeasurable ages
of ages. Amen.
LETTER OF PILATE TO TIBERIUS.¹
Ar that time in this territory there was a certain
man whom his disciples called God, and who per-
formed various miracles, whom many men have seen,
and who ascended alive into heaven, and his disciples
now do great things in his name, and testify that he
is God, and a teacher of the way of salvation in
truth.
1 This letter is from the semi-fabulous "History of Christ," in
Persian, written by Jerome Xavier, a Jesuit. It was published with a
Latin version by L. de Dieu, at Leyden, in 1639. I translate from
de Dieu's Latin, p. 533. Its source is unknown, but it is probably a
fiction of Xavier's.
1
389
LETTERS OF HEROD AND PILATE.
In 1854 or 1855 I published an English version
of these letters in a newspaper. Of that translation
I have no copy, and I have therefore made another.
Dr. Wright has included them in his "Contributions
to the Apocryphal Literature of the New Testament
from Syriac MSS.," and I have made use of both
his text and his translation. The letters occur in a
Syriac MS., of the sixth or seventh century, in the
British Museum. Dr. Tischendorf states in his
Apocalypses Apocrypha (Prolegg. p. 56) that he has
a copy of the same in Greek from a Paris MS. of
which he says "scriptura satis differt, non item ar-
gumentum." Of course the two letters are forgeries ;
produced perhaps about A.D. 400.
The letters are followed by a few extracts which
seem to have been added by some copyist, although
they are followed by the subscription to Pilate's
letter. I suppose that by Justinus, we are to under-
stand Justus of Tiberias of whom Josephus speaks
as a historian of his time. I cannot venture an
390
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
opinion favorable to the genuineness of this extract,
because Photius says Justus did not mention Christ.
By Theodorus, I understand the emperor Tiberius.
The question and answer agree in sense with what
is read in the " Anaphora," or Response of Pilate.
It is probably from one of the spurious documents, of
which this volume contains sufficient examples.
Josephus is of course the Jewish historian.
LETTER OF HEROD TO PILATE THE GOVERNOR.
Herod to Pontius Pilate the Governor of Jeru-
salem:
Peace.
I am in great anxiety. I write these things unto
thee, that when thou hast heard them thou mayest
be grieved for me. 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. And behold,
her mother is holding her head upon her knees in
her lap, and my whole house is in great sorrow. For
I, when I heard of the man Jesus, wished to come
to thee, that I might see him alone, and hear his
word, whether it was like that of the sons of men.
LETTERS OF HEROD AND PILATE.
391
And it is certain that because of the many evil
things which were done by me to John the Baptist,
and because I mocked the Christ, behold I receive
the reward of righteousness,¹ for I have shed much
blood of others' children upon the earth.2 Therefore
the judgments of God are righteous; for every man
receives according to his thought. But since thou
wast worthy to see that God-man, therefore it be-
cometh you to pray for me.
My son Azbonius also is in the agony of the hour
of death.
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. Therefore, my brother, the judg-
ments of God are righteous.
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. There is
no peace to the doers of evil, saith the Lord.3 For
already great affliction cometh upon the priests and
upon the writers of the law; because they delivered
unto thee the Just One. For this is the consum-
mation of the world, that they consented that the
1 2 Peter ii, 13.
2 Matt. ii. 16. It is scarcely necessary to say that it was not the
Herod of the epistle who caused the massacre of the children at Beth-
lehem.
3 Is. xlviii. 22; lvii. 21.
392
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
1
Gentiles should become heirs. For the children of
light shall be cast out, for they have not observed
the things which were preached 'concerning the
Lord, and concerning his Son. Therefore gird up
thy loins, and receive righteousness, thou with thy
wife remembering Jesus night and day; and the
kingdom shall belong to you Gentiles, for we the
(chosen) people have mocked the Righteous One.
2
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 com-
ing of Jesus Christ, vengeance shall overtake.
Fare thee well, with Procla thy wife.
3
I send thee the earrings of my daughter and my
own ring, that they may be unto thee a memorial of
my decease. For already do worms begin to issue
from my body, and lo, I am receiving temporal
judgment, and I am afraid of the judgment to come.
For in both we stand before the works of the living
God; but this judgment, which is temporal, is for a
time, while that to come is judgment for ever.
End of the Letter to Pilate the Governor.
1 Luke xvi. 8.
2 1 Peter i. 13.
3 A palpable anachronism.
LETTERS OF HEROD AND PILATE.
393
1
LETTER OF PILATE TO HEROD.
Pilate to Herod the Tetrarch: Peace.
Know and see, that in the day when thou didst
deliver Jesus unto me, I took pity on myself, and
testified by washing my hands, (that I was innocent)
concerning him who rose from the grave after three
days, and had performed thy pleasure in him, for
thou didst desire me to be associated with thee in
his crucifixion. But I now learn from the execu-
tioners and from the soldiers who watched his
sepulchre, that he rose from the dead. And I have
especially confirmed what was told me, that he
appeared bodily in Galilee, in the same form, and
with the same voice, and with the same doctrine,
and with the same disciples, not having changed¹
in anything, but preaching with boldness his resur-
rection, and an everlasting kingdom.
And behold, heaven and earth rejoice; and be-
hold, Procla my wife is believing in the visions
which appeared unto her, when thou sentest that
I should deliver Jesus to the people of Israel, be-
cause of the ill-will they had.
Now when Procla, my wife,2 heard that Jesus was
1 Literally 'renewed anything.'
>
2 Literally his wife: a manifest error.
394
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
risen, and had appeared in Galilee, she took with her
Longinus the centurion and twelve soldiers, the
same that had watched at the sepulchre, and went
to greet the face of Christ, as if to a great spectacle,
and saw Him with his disciples.
Now while they were standing, and wondering,
and gazing at Him, He looked at them, and said to
them, What is it? Do ye believe in me? 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. And now, ye see that I live, whom
ye crucified. And I suffered many things, till that
I was laid in the sepulchre. But now, hear me,
and believe in my Father-God who is in me. For
I loosed the cords of death, and brake the gates of
Sheol; and my coming shall be hereafter.
And when Procla my wife and the Romans heard
these things, they came and told me, weeping; for
they also were against Him, when they devised the
evils which they had done unto Him. 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.
And when I was going in the way I testified
these things; that Herod did these things by me,
that he took counsel with me, and constrained me to
arm my hands against Him, and to judge Him that
1
LETTERS OF HEROD AND PILATE.
395
}
judgeth all, and to scourge the Just One, Lord of
the just. And when we drew nigh to Him, O Herod,
a great voice was heard from heaven, and dreadful
thunder, and the earth trembled, and gave forth
a sweet smell, like unto which was never perceived
even in the temple of Jerusalem. Now while I
stood in the way, our Lord saw me as He stood
and talked with his disciples. But I prayed in my
heart, for I knew that it was He whom ye delivered
unto me, that He was Lord of created things and
Creator of all. But we, when we saw Him, all of
us fell upon our faces before his feet. And I said
with a loud voice, I have sinned, O Lord, in that
I sat and judged Thee, who avengest all in truth.
And lo, I know that thou art God, the Son of God.
and I beheld thy humanity and not thy divinity.
But Herod, with the children of Israel, constrained
me to do evil unto thee. Have pity, therefore, upon
me, O God of Israel!
And my wife, in great anguish, said, God of
heaven and of earth, God of Israel, reward me not
according to the deeds of Pontius Pilate, nor ac-
cording to the will of the children of Israel, nor
according to the thought of the sons of the priests;
but remember my husband in thy glory!
Now our Lord drew near and raised up me and
my wife, and the Romans; and I looked at Him and
saw there were on Him the scars of his cross. And
396
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
:
He said, That which all the righteous fatners hoped
to receive, and saw not,-in thy time the Lord of
Time, the Son of Man, the Son of the most High,
who is for ever, arose from the dead, and is glorified
on high by all that he created, and established for
ever and ever.
1. Justinus, one of the writers that were in the days
of Augustus and Tiberius and Gaius, wrote in his
third discourse: Now Mary the Galilæan, who bare
the Christ that was crucified in Jerusalem, had not
been with a husband. And Joseph did not abandon
her; but Joseph continued in sanctity without a
wife, he and his five sons by a former wife; and
Mary continued without a husband.
2. 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? If the many demanded this righteously,
why didst thou not consent to their righteousness?
And if they demanded this unrighteously, how didst
thou transgress the law and command what was far
from righteousness?
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.
3. Josephus saith: Agrippa, the king, was clothed
in a robe woven with silver, and saw the spectacles
in the theatre of Cæsarea. When the people saw
LETTERS OF HEROD AND PILATE.
397
that his raiment flashed, they said to him, Hitherto
we feared thee as a man: henceforth thou art ex-
alted above the nature of mortals. And he saw an
angel standing over him, and he smote him as unto
death.¹
End of the Letter of Pilate to Herod.
1 This extract from Josephus (Ant. 19, 8) is abridged from the ac-
count of Eusebius (Hist. Eceles. 2, 10). The figures 1, 2, 3, indicate
the extracts which have been appended to the epistle.
1
398
APOCRYг HAL GOSPELS.
THE EPISTLE OF PONTIUS PILATE,
Which he wrote to the Roman Emperor, concerning our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Cæsar the emperor:
Greeting.
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. In
good truth, no age ever had or will have a man so
good and strict. But the people made a wonderful
effort, and all their scribes, chiefs, and elders agreed
to crucify this ambassador of truth, their own
prophets, like the sibyls with us, advising the
contrary; and when he was hanged supernatural
signs appeared, and in the judgment of philosophers
menaced the whole world with ruin. His disciples
flourish, not belying their master by their behaviour
and continence of life; nay, in his name they are
most beneficent.¹ Had I not feared a sedition might
1 Cf. Joseph. Ant. xviii. 3, 3.
EPISTLE OF PONTIUS PILATE.
399
arise among the people, who were almost furious,
perhaps this man would have yet been living with
us. 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 ac-
cusation, an injustice, indeed, due to the malicious-
ness of men, and yet, as the Scriptures interpret,
to their own destruction.
:
!
400
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
}
THE REPORT OF PILATE THE GOVERNOR,
Concerning our Lord Jesus Christ; which was sent
to Augustus Cæsar, in Rome.
In those days, when our Lord Jesus Christ was
crucified under Pontius Pilate the governor of
Palestine and Phoenicia, the things here recorded
came to pass in Jerusalem, and were done by the
Jews against the Lord. Pilate therefore sent the
same to Cæsar in Rome, along with his private
report, writing thus:-
To the most potent, august, divine, and awful
Augustus Cæsar, Pilate, the administrator of
the Eastern Province.
}
I have received information, most excellent one,
in consequence of which I am seized with fear and
trembling. For in this province which I administer,
one of whose cities is called Jerusalem, the whole
multitude of Jews delivered unto me a certain man
called Jesus, and brought many accusations against
him, which they were unable to establish by consist-
ent evidence. But they charged him with one heresy
in particular, namely, That Jesus said the Sabbath
was not a rest, nor to be observed by them. For he
REPORT OF PILATE, THE GOVERNOR.
401
performed many cures on that day, and made the
blind see, and the lame walk, raised the dead,
cleansed lepers, healed the paralytic who were
wholly unable to move their body or brace their
nerves, but could only speak and discourse, and he
gave them power to walk and run, removing their
infirmity by his word alone. There is another very
mighty deed which is strange to the gods we have:
he raised up a man who had been four days dead,
summoning him by his word alone, when the dead
man had begun to decay, and his body was cor-
rupted by the worms which had been bred, and
had the stench of a dog; but, seeing him lying in
the tomb he commanded him to run, nor did the
dead man at all delay, but as a bridegroom out of
his chamber, so did he go forth from his tomb, filled
with abundant perfume. Moreover, even such as
were strangers, and clearly demoniacs, who had their
dwelling in deserts, and devoured their own flesh,
and wandered about like cattle and creeping things,
he turned into inhabiters of cities, and by a word.
rendered them rational, and prepared them to be-
come wise and powerful, and illustrious, taking
their food with all the enemies of the unclean spirits
which were destructive in them, and which he cast
into the depth of the sea.
And, again, there was another who had a withered
hand, and not only the hand but rather the half
26
402
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
of the body of the man was like a stone, and he had
neither the shape of a man nor the symmetry of
a body: even him He healed with a word and ren-
dered whole. And a woman also, who had an issue
of blood for a long time, and whose veins and ar-
teries were exhausted, and who did not bear a human
body, being like one dead, and daily speechless, so
that all the physicians of the district were unable to
cure her, for there remained unto her not a hope of
life; but as Jesus passed by she mysteriously re-
ceived strength by his shadow falling on her from
behind, and touched the hem of his garment; and
immediately, in that very hour, strength filled her
exhausted limbs, and as if she had never suffered
anything, she began to run along towards Caper-
naum, her own city, so that she reached it in a six
days' journey.
And I have made known these things which I
have recently been informed of, and which Jesus did
on the Sabbath. And he did other miracles greater
than these, so that I have observed greater works of
wonder done by him than by the gods whom we
worship.
But Herod and Archelaus and Philip, Annas and
Caiaphas, with all the people, delivered him to me,
making a great tumult against me in order that I
might try him. Therefore, I commanded him to be
crucified, when I had first scourged him, though I
REPORT OF PILATE, THE GOVERNOR.
403
found no cause in him for evil accusations or deal-
ings.
Now when he was crucified, there was darkness
over all the world, and the sun was obscured for
half a day, and the stars appeared, but no lustre was
seen in them; and the moon lost its brightness, as
though tinged with blood; and the world of the de-
parted was swallowed up; so that the very sanctuary
of the temple, as they call it, did not appear to the
Jews themselves at their fall, but they perceived a
chasm in the earth, and the rolling of successive thun-
ders. And amid this terror the dead appeared rising
again, as the Jews themselves bore witness, and said
that it was Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the
twelve patriarchs, and Moses, and Job, who had died
before, as they say, some three thousand five hun-
dred years.
And there were very many whom I
myself saw appearing in the body, and they made
lamentation over the Jews, because of the trans-
gression which was committed by them, and because
of the destruction of the Jews and of their law.
And the terror of the earthquake continued from
the sixth hour of the preparation until the ninth
hour; and when it was evening on the first day of
the week, there came a sound from heaven, and the
heaven became seven times more luminous than on
all other days. And at the third hour of the night
the sun appeared more luminous than it had ever
404
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
shone, lighting up the whole hemisphere. And as
lightning-flashes suddenly come forth in a storm, so
there were seen men, lofty in stature, and surpassing
in glory, a countless host, crying out, and their voice
was heard as that of exceedingly loud thunder, Jesus
that was crucified is risen again: come up from Hades
ye that were enslaved in the subterraneous recesses of
Hades. And the chasm in the earth was as if it had
no bottom; but it was so that the very foundations
of the earth appeared, with those that shouted in
heaven, and walked in the body among the dead that
were raised. And He that raised up all the dead and
bound Hades said, Tell my disciples that He goeth
before you into Galilee, there shall ye see Him.
And all that night the light ceased not shining.
And many of the Jews died in the chasm of the
earth, being swallowed up, so that on the morrow
most of those who had been against Jesus, were not
to be found. Others saw the apparition of men
rising again whom none of us had ever seen. One
synagogue of the Jews was alone left in Jerusalem
itself, for they all disappeared in that ruin.
Therefore being astounded by that terror, and
being possessed with the most dreadful trembling,
I have written what I saw at that time and sent it
to thine excellency; and I have inserted what was
done against Jesus by the Jews, and sent it to thy
divinity, my lord.
405
i
THE REPORT OF PONTIUS PILATE,
GOVERNOR OF JUDEA;
Which was sent to Tiberius Cæsar in Rome.
To the most potent, august, dreadful, and divine
Augustus, Pontius Pilate, administrator of the
Eastern Province.
I have undertaken to communicate to thy good-
ness by this my writing, though possessed with much
fear and trembling, most excellent king, the present
state of affairs, as the result hath shown. 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 accu-
sations against him; but they could not convict him
in anything. But they had one heresy against him,
that he said the sabbath was not their proper rest.
Now that man wrought many cures and good works:
he caused the blind to see, he cleansed lepers, he
raised the dead, he healed paralytics, who could not
406
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
move at all, but had only voice, and all their bones
in their places; and he gave them strength to walk
and run, enjoining it by his word alone. And he
did another yet more mighty work, which had been
strange even among our gods, he raised from the
dead one Lazarus, who had been dead four days,
commanding by a word alone that the dead man
should be raised, when his body was already cor-
rupted by worms which bred in his wounds. And
he commanded the fetid body, which lay in the
grave, to run, and as a bridegroom from his chamber
so he went forth from his grave, full of sweet per-
fume. And some that were grievously afflicted by
demons, and had their dwellings in desert places,
and devoured the flesh of their own limbs, and went
up and down among creeping things and wild beasts,
he caused to dwell in cities in their own houses, and
by a word made them reasonable, and caused to be-
come wise and honourable those that were vexed by
unclean spirits, and the demons that were in them
he sent out in a herd of swine into the sea and
drowned them. Again, another who had a withered
hand, and lived in suffering, and had not even the
half of his body sound, he made whole by a word
alone. And a woman who had an issue of blood for
a long time, so that because of the discharge all the
joints of her bones were seen and shone through like
glass, for all the physicians had dismissed her with-
REPORT OF PONTIUS PILATE.
407
out hope, and had not relieved her; but, as Jesus
was passing by she touched from behind the hem of
his garments, and in that very hour the strength of
her body was restored, and she was made whole, as
if she had no affliction, and began to run fast to-
wards her own city of Paneas.
And these things happened thus: but the Jews
reported that Jesus did these things on the sabbath.
And I saw greater marvels wrought by him than by
the gods whom we worship.
Then Herod and Archelaus and Philip, and Annas
and Caiaphas, with all the people, delivered him up
to me, to put him on his trial. And because many
raised a tumult against me, I commanded that he
should be crucified.
Now when he was crucified darkness came over
all the world; the sun was altogether hidden, and
the sky appeared dark while it was yet day, so that
the stars were seen, though still they had their
lustre obscured, wherefore, I suppose your excellency
is not unaware that in all the world they lighted
their lamps from the sixth hour until evening. And
the moon, which was like blood, did not shine all
night long, although it was at the full, and the stars
and Orion made lamentation over the Jews, because
of the transgression committed by them.
And on the first day of the week, about the third
hour of the night, the sun appeared as it never
408
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
shone before, and the whole heaven became bright.
And as lightnings come in a storm, so certain men
of lofty stature, in beautiful array, and of inde-
scribable glory, appeared in the air, and a countless
host of angels, crying out and saying, Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among
men : Come up from Hades, ye who are in bondage
in the depths of Hades. And at their voice all
the mountains and hills were moved, and the rocks
were rent, and great chasms were inade in the
earth, so that the very places of the abyss were
visible.
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 patri-
archs, who died some two thousand five hundred
years before, and we beheld Noah clearly in the
body. 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.
Therefore, my lord king, all that night the light
ceased not. But many of the Jews died, and were
sunk and swallowed up in the chasms that night, so
that not even their bodies were to be seen. Now
I mean, that those of the Jews suffered who spake
against Jesus. And but one synagogue remained in
REPORT OF PONTIUS PILATE.
409
Jerusalem, for all the synagogues which had been
against Jesus were overwhelmed.
Through that terror, therefore, being amazed and
being seized with great trembling, in that very hour,
I ordered what had been done by them all to be
written, and I have sent it to thy mightiness.
1
410
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
THE TRIAL AND CONDEMNATION OF
PILATE.¹
Now when the letters came to the city of the
Romans, and were read to Cæsar with no few stand-
ing there, they were all terrified, because, through
the transgression of Pilate, the darkness and the
earthquake had happened to all the world. And
Cæsar, being filled with anger, sent soldiers and
commanded that Pilate should be brought as a
prisoner.
And when he was brought to the city of the
Romans, and Cæsar heard that he was come, he sat
in the temple of the gods, above all the senate, and
with all the army, and with all the multitude of his
power, and commanded that Pilate should stand in
the entrance. And Cæsar said to him, Most impious
one, when thou sawest so great signs done by that
man, why didst thou dare to do thus? By daring
to do an evil deed thou hast ruined all the world.
1 Commonly called "the Paradosis of Pilate." It may be regarded
as an historical continuation of the preceding, which it usually follows
in the MSS. without any title.
TRIAL AND CONDEMNATION OF PILATE. 411
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 Cæsar
said, And who are they? Pilate saith, Herod,
Archelaus, Philip, Annas and Caiaphas, and all the
multitude of the Jews. Cæsar saith, For what cause
didst thou execute their purpose? And Pilate said,
Their nation is seditious and insubordinate, and not
submissive to thy power. And Cæsar 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.¹ For by such miracles Jesus was
manifested to be the Christ, the King of the Jews.
And when Cæsar said this and himself named the
name of Christ, all the multitude of the gods fell
down together, and became like dust where Cæsar
sat with the senate. And all the people that stood
near Cæsar were filled with trembling because of the
utterance of the word and the fall of their gods, and
being seized with fear they all went away, every
man to his house, wondering at what had happened.
And Cæsar commanded Pilate to be safely kept, that
he might know the truth about Jesus.
And on the morrow when Cæsar sat in the capitol
with all the senate, he undertook to question Pilate
1 Gr. Tâs oñs àvapopâs
412
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
again. And Cæsar said, Say the truth, most impious
one, for through thy impious deed which thou didst
commit against Jesus, even here the doing of thy
evil works was manifested, in that the gods were
brought to ruin. Say then, who is he that was cru-
cified, for his name hath destroyed all the gods?
Pilate said, And verily his records are true; for even
I myself was convinced by his works that he was
greater than all the gods whom we venerate. And
Cæsar said, For what cause then didst thou perpe-
trate against him such daring and doing, not being
ignorant of him, or assuredly designing some mis-
chief to my government? And Pilate said, I did it
because of the transgression and sedition of the law-
less and ungodly Jews.¹
And Cæsar was filled with anger, and held a council
with all his senate and officers, and ordered a decree
to be written against the Jews, thus :—
To Licianus who holdeth the first place in the
East Country: Greeting.
I have been informed of the audacity perpetrated
very recently by the Jews inhabiting Jerusalem and
the cities round about, and their lawless doing, how
they compelled Pilate to crucify a certain god called
Jesus, through which great transgression of theirs
the world was darkened and drawn into ruin. De-
termine therefore, with a body of soldiers, to go to
See Letter of Pilate to Herod, Add. 2. p.
TRIAL AND CONDEMNATION OF PILATE.
413
them there at once and proclaim their subjection to
bondage by this decree. By obeying and proceeding
against them, and scattering them abroad in all
nations, enslave them, and by driving their nation.
from all Judea as soon as possible, show, wherever
this hath not yet appeared, that they are full of
evil.
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 Cæsar that these things had been done
by Licianus against the Jews in the east country,
and to please him.
And again Cæsar resolved to have Pilate ques-
tioned, and commanded a captain, Albius by name,
to cut off Pilate's 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.
And when Pilate came to the place he prayed in
silence, saying, O Lord, destroy not me with the
wicked Hebrews, for I should not have laid hands
upon thee, but for the nation of lawless Jews, be-
cause they provoked sedition against me: but thou
knowest that I did it in ignorance. 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
414
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
standeth with me in this the hour of my death,
whom thou taughtest to prophesy that thou must be
nailed to the cross. Do not punish her too in my
sin, but forgive us, and number us in the portion of
thy just ones. And behold, when Pilate had offered
his prayer, there came a voice from heaven, saying,
All generations and the families of the Gentiles shall
call thee blessed, because under thee were fulfilled
all these things that were spoken by the prophets
concerning me; and thou thyself must appear as my
witness at my second coming, when I shall judge
the twelve tribes of Israel, and them that have not
confessed my name. And the Prefect cut off the
head of Pilate, and behold an angel of the Lord
received it. And when his wife Procla saw the
angel coming and receiving his head, she also, being
filled with joy, forthwith gave up the ghost, and
was buried with her husband.
415
THE DEATH OF PILATE,
WHO CONDEMNED JESUS.
Now whereas Tiberius Cæsar emperor of the
Romans was suffering from a grievous sickness, and
heard that there was at Jerusalem a certain phy-
sician, Jesus by name, who healed all diseases by his
word alone; not knowing that the Jews and Pilate
had put him to death, he thus bade one of his
attendants, Volusianus by name, saying, Go as quick-
ly as thou canst across the sea, and tell Pilate, my
servant and friend, to send me this physician to
restore me to my original health. And Volusianus,
having heard the order of the emperor, immediately
departed, and came to Pilate, as it was commanded.
him. And he told the same Pilate what had been
committed to him by Tiberius Cæsar, saying, Tiberius
Cæsar, emperor of the Romans, thy lord, having
heard that in this city there is a physician who
healeth diseases by his word alone, earnestly en-
treateth thee to send him to him to heal his disease.
And Pilate was greatly terrified on hearing this,
knowing that through envy he had caused him to be
416
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
slain. Pilate answered the messenger, saying thus,
This man was a malefactor, and a man who drew
after himself all the people; so, after counsel taken of
the wise men of the city, I caused him to be crucified.
And as the messenger returned to his lodgings he
met a certain woman named Veronica, who had been
acquainted with Jesus, and he said, O woman, there
was a certain physician in this city, who healed the
sick by his word alone, Why have the Jews slain
him? 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 com-
manded to be crucified. Then he, grieving greatly,
said, I am exceedingly sorry that I cannot fulfil
that for which my lord hath sent me.
Veronica said to him, When my Lord went about
preaching, and I was very unwillingly deprived of
his presence, I desired to have his picture painted
for me, that while I was deprived of his presence, at
least the figure of his likeness might give me con-
solation. And when I was taking the canvas to the
painter to be painted, my Lord met me and asked
whither I was going. And when I had made known
to him the cause of my journey, He asked me for the
canvas, and gave it back to me printed with the
likeness of his venerable face. Therefore, if thy
lord will devoutly look upon the sight of this, he
will straightway enjoy the benefit of health.
DEATH OF PILATE.
417
Is a likeness of this kind to be procured with gold
or silver? he asked. No, said she, but with a pious
sentiment of devotion. Therefore, I will go with
thee, and carry the likeness to Cæsar to look upon,
and will return.
! So Volusianus came with Veronica to Rome, and
said to Tiberius the emperor, Jesus, whom thou
hast long desired, Pilate and the Jews have sur-
rendered to an unjust death, and through envy
fastened to the wood of the cross. Therefore, a
certain matron hath come with me bringing the
likeness of the same Jesus, and if thou wilt de-
voutly gaze upon it, thou wilt presently obtain
the benefit of thy health. So Cæsar caused the
way to be spread with cloth of silk, and ordered
the portrait to be presented to him; and as soon
as he had looked upon it he regained his original
health.
Then Pontius Pilate was apprehended by com-
mand of Cæsar, and brought to Rome. Cæsar,
hearing that Pilate had come to Rome, was filled
with exceeding wrath against him, and caused him
to be brought to him. Now Pilate brought with
him the seamless coat of Jesus, and wore it when
before the emperor. As soon as the emperor saw
him, he laid aside all his wrath, and forthwith rose
to him, and was unable to speak harshly to him in
anything: and he who in his absence seemed so
27
418
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
terrible and fierce, now in his presence is found
comparatively gentle.
And when he had dismissed him, he soon became
terribly inflamed against him, declaring himself
wretched, because he had not expressed to him the
anger of his bosom. And immediately he had him
recalled, swearing and protesting that he was a child
of death, and unfitted to live upon earth. And when
he saw him, he instantly greeted him, and laid aside
all the fury of his mind.
All were astonished, and he was astonished him-
self, that he was so enraged against Pilate while
absent, and could say nothing to him sharply while
he was present. 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. And when the
emperor was wondering very much about this, they
told him it had been the coat of the Lord Jesus.
Then the emperor commanded him to be kept in
prison till he should take counsel with the wise men
what he ought to do with him. And after a few
days sentence was given against Pilate, that he
should be condemned to the most ignominious
death. When Pilate heard this, he slew himself
with his own dagger, and by such a death put an
end to his life.
When Pilate's death was made known, Cæsar said,
DEATH OF PILATE.
419
Truly he has died the most ignominious death, whose
own hand has not spared him. He was therefore
fastened to a great block of stone and sunk in the
river Tiber. But wicked and unclean spirits, rejoic-
ing in his wicked and unclean body, all moved about
in the water, and caused in the air dreadful light-
ning and tempests, thunder and hail, so that all were
seized with horrible fear. 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. For Vienne means like the way
of Gehenna, because it was then a place of cursing.
And evil spirits were there and did the same things.¹
Those men, therefore, not enduring to be so
harassed by demons, removed the vessel of cursing
from them and sent it to be buried in the territory
of Losania. But when they were troubled exceed-
ingly by the aforesaid vexations, they put it away
from them and sunk it in a certain pool surrounded
by mountains, where even yet, according to the ac-
count of some, sundry diabolical contrivances are
said to issue forth.2
1 Various legends connecting Pilate with the neighbourhood of
Vienne are still current on the banks of the Rhone, but I do not think
it needful to repeat them here. The explanation of Vienne in the text
is simply ridiculous.
2 By Losania we must understand the Swiss canton of Lucerne, at
some distance to the South of which is a mountain bearing the name
of Pilate, and a small lake also called after him. The people of the
country have plenty of legends relating to poor Pilate, who, it seems,
could rest neither alive nor dead. I fancy that the story I have here
translated is a medieval Latin concoction of elements of various dates.
The Latin uame of Lucerue is properly Luceria.
420
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS,
THE STORY OF JOSEPH.
The Story of Joseph of Arimathea, who begged the
body of the Lord: in which he also introduces
the Case of the two Robbers.
CHAPTER I.
I Joseph of Arimathea begged from Pilate the
body of the Lord Jesus for burial, and for the same
cause was bound with fetters by the murderous
and God-opposing Jews, who also, by setting aside
the law, became to Moses himself ministers of tribu-
lation, and after provoking the lawgiver, and not
acknowledging God, crucified Him, and made Him
manifest to them that knew God.
In those days in which they condemned the Son
of God to be crucified, seven days before the passion
of Christ, two robbers, who had been condemned,
were sent from Jericho¹ to Pilate, the governor,
and their case was this:-
The first, whose name was Gestas, slew wayfarers
1 Luke x. 30.
STORY OF JOSEPH.
421
with the sword, some he stripped, women he hung
by their heels with their head downward, and cut off
their breasts, and he drank the blood from the limbs
of infants; he never acknowledged God, nor obeyed
the laws, but practised such deeds of violence from
the beginning.
Now the case of the other was this: He was called
Demas, was a Galilean by origin, and kept an inn.
He practised extortion upon the rich, but did good
to the poor. The thief was like Tobit, for he buried
the poor when they were dead.¹ He endeavoured to
plunder the multitude of the Jews, taking away the
very law at Jerusalem, and stripping the daughter
of Caiaphas, who was a priestess of the sanctuary,
taking away the mystical deposit of Solomon, which
was laid up in the place. Such were his actions.
And Jesus also was apprehended on the third day
before the passover, when it was evening. And no
passover was held by Caiaphas and the multitude of
the Jews, but they were in great heaviness because
of the spoil which the robber had caused in the
sanctuary. And they called Judas Iscariot and
spake to him, for he was (son) of the brother of Caia-
phas, the priest. Now he was not a disciple in the
presence of Jesus, but all the multitude of the Jews
urged him with guile to follow Jesus; not that he
might be obedient to the miracles which were done
2 Tobit i. 17. A questionable compliment to Tobit!
422
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
by him, nor that he should confess him, but that he
should deliver him to them, desiring to obtain a false
report of him; and for an honourable deed like this
they gave him daily a didrachma of gold. And he
consorted with Jesus for two years, as one of the
disciples, called John, saith.
And on the third day, before Jesus was taken,
Judas saith to the Jews, Come and let us hold a coun-
cil, for the robber did not steal the law, but Jesus
bimself, and I convict him. And while such words
were being spoken, there came in to us Nicodemus,
who kept the keys of the sanctuary, and he said to
all, Do not perpetrate such a deed. For Nicodemus
was truthful beyond all the multitude of the Jews.
And the daughter of Caiaphas, Sarah by name, cried
aloud and said, He said before all against this holy
place, I am able to destroy this temple and to raise
it up in three days. The Jews said unto her, Thou
hast credit with us all. For they regarded her as a
prophetess. And when the council had been held
Jesus was taken.
CHAPTER II.
AND on the morrow, being the fourth day, they
brought him at the ninth hour into the court of
Caiaphas. And Annas and Caiaphas said to him,
Tell us for what cause thou hast stolen our law, and
STORY OF JOSEPH.
423
2.
forbidden the precepts of Moses and the prophets?
And Jesus answered nothing. And again a second
time, the multitude also being present, they said
unto him, Wherefore dost thou wish at one stroke
to destroy the sanctuary which Solomon erected in
forty-six years? And Jesus answered nothing to
this. For the sanctuary of the synagogue had been
plundered by the robber.
And at the close of the evening of the fourth day,
all the multitude sought for the daughter of Caiaphas
to burn her with fire, because of the loss of the law,
for they could not keep the passover. And she said
to them, Wait my children, and let us destroy this
Jesus, and the law will be found, and the holy feast
which is ordained will be kept. And Annas and
Caiaphas secretly gave much gold to Judas Iscariot,
saying, Say as thou saidst to us before: I know that
the law was stolen by Jesus; that the accusation may
be turned against him, and not against this innocent
maiden. And Judas assented to these things and
said to them, Let not all the multitude know that
I have been taught by you to do this against Jesus.
But dismiss Jesus, and I will persuade the multitude
that these things are so. And they craftily dis-
missed Jesus.
And Judas went into the sanctuary when the fifth
day began to dawn, and said to all the people, What
will ye give me, that I may deliver to you the
424
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
destroyer of the law and the plunderer of the pro-
phets? The Jews said unto him, If thou deliver him
to us we will give thee thirty silverlings of gold.
Now the people knew not that Judas spake concern-
ing Jesus; for many confessed him to be the Son
of God. And Judas took the thirty silverlings of
gold.
And he went out at the fourth hour, and at the
fifth he found Jesus walking in the street. And
when evening was coming on, Judas saith to the
Jews, Give me the help of soldiers with swords and
staves, and I will deliver him to you. Therefore
they gave him assistants to take him. And as they
went Judas saith to them, Lay hold on him whom I
shall kiss; for he hath stolen the law and the pro-
phets. So he went up to Jesus and kissed him, say-
ing, Hail, Rabbi! And it was the fifth evening, and
they laid hold on him and delivered him to Caiaphas
and the chief priests; and Judas said, This is he who
stole the law and the prophets. And the Jews gave
Jesus an unjust trial, saying, Why hast thou done
this? And he answered nothing.
And Nicodemus and I, Joseph, seeing the sitting
of the pestilent¹ departed from them, not wishing to
perish with the council of the ungodly.
1 Ps. i. 1.
STORY OF JOSEPH.
425
CHAPTER III.
WHEN, therefore, they had perpetrated many
other shocking things that night against Jesus, they
gave him over to Pilate the governor, when the
preparation began to dawn, to have him crucified,
and for this cause they all came together. So after
examination had been made, Pilate the governor
commanded him to be nailed to the cross with two
robbers. And they were nailed up together with
Jesus; Gestas on the left hand and Demas on the
right.
And he that was on the left hand began to cry
out, saying unto Jesus, See how much evil I have
done in the earth; and if I had known that thou
art the king, I should have destroyed thee also. But
why callest thou thyself the Son of God, and canst
not help thyself in thy necessity? how canst thou
afford help to another when he prayeth? If thou
art the Christ, come down from the cross, that I may
believe thee. But now I see thee perishing with
me, not like a man, but like a wild beast. And he
began to say many other things against Jesus, blas-
pheming, and gnashing his teeth at him. For the
robber was caught in the snare of the devil.¹
But the robber on the right hand, whose name
1 1 Tim. iii. 7.
426
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
was Demas, seeing the divine grace of Jesus, cried
out thus: I know thee, Jesus Christ, that thou art
the Son of God. I see that thou art Christ, wor-
shipped by countless myriads of angels. Forgive me
my
sins which I have committed; at my trial cause
not the stars or the moon to come against me, when
thou shalt judge all the world, because by night
I wrought my evil counsels; move not the sun,
which is now darkened because of thee, to utter the
evils of my heart: for I can offer thee no gift for
the remission of my sins. Death is already over-
taking me for my sins; but forgiveness is thine;
deliver me, O Lord of all, from thy fearful judgment;
give not power to the enemy to devour me, and to
become the inheritor of my soul, as of him that
hangeth at thy left hand: for I perceive how the
devil joyfully receiveth his soul, and his flesh be-
cometh invisible. Ordain not that I should depart
into the portion of the Jews; for I see that Moses.
and the patriarchs are in great lamentation, and the
devil rejoicing over them. Therefore, Lord, before
my spirit departeth command that my sins may be
blotted out, and remember me, a sinner, in thy king-
dom when upon the great throne of the Most High,
thou shalt judge the twelve tribes of Israel,¹ for thou
hast prepared much chastisement for thy world
through its own fault.
1 Matt. xix. 28; Luke xxii. 30.
STORY OF JOSEPH.
427
And when the robber had said these things, Jesus
saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, that
this day thou shalt be with me in paradise. And
the children of the kingdom, the children of Abra-
ham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, shall be cast
out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.¹ And thou alone shalt dwell in
Paradise until my second coming, when I shall judge
those who have not confessed my name. And he
said to the robber, Go and tell the Cherubim and
the powers who wave the flaming sword, who have
guarded Paradise since Adam the first formed was in
Paradise, and transgressed, and kept not my com-
mandments, and I cast him out from thence: and
none of the former shall see Paradise until I am
about to come the second time to judge the living
and the dead,-writing thus,-
Jesus Christ the Son of God, who descended from the
heights of heaven, who came forth from the bosom of
the invisible Father inseparably, and came down into
the world to become incarnate and to be nailed to the
cross, that I might save Adam whom I formed,-to
my archangelic powers, the door-keepers of Paradise,
the servants of my father: I will and command that
the man who is crucified with me should enter, that
he should receive remission of sins for my sake, and
that arrayed in an incorruptible body he should enter
1 Luke xxiii. 43; Matt. viii. 11, 12.
428
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
into Paradise, and should dwell there, where no one
yet has been able to dwell.¹
And behold, when these things had been said,
Jesus gave up the ghost, on the day of the pre-
paration, at the ninth hour. And darkness was
upon all the earth, and there was a great earthquake,
and the sanctuary fell, and the pinnacle of the
temple.
CHAPTER IV.
Now I Joseph begged the body of Jesus and laid
it in a new sepulchre, where no one had been placed.
And the body of the robber on the right hand was
not found; but of him upon the left hand, as the
shape of a dragon, such was his body.
And when I had begged the body of Jesus to bury
it, the Jews, being carried away with angry jealousy,
confined me in prison, where force was used to them
that did evil. And this was done to me when it was
evening on the sabbath, wherein our nation trans-
gressed. And, behold, this nation of ours suffered
dreadful tribulations on the sabbath.
And when it was evening, on the first day of the
week, at the fifth hour of the night, Jesus cometh to
me in prison, with the robber that was crucified with
him on the right hand, whom he had sent into
1 See the answer to this epistle in the next chapter.
STORY OF JOSEPH.
429
;
Paradise. And there was much light in the dwell-
ing; and the house was suspended by the four
corners, and the place was free, and I went out.
I recognised Jesus first, therefore, and then the
robber, who was bringing letters to Jesus. And
as we journeyed into Galilee there shone a great
light, such as nature never produced, and great
was the fragrance of the robber, which came from
Paradise.
And while Jesus was sitting in a certain place he
read thus:
The Cherubim and the six-winged ones that are
commanded by thy Divinity to keep the garden of
Paradise, by the hands of the robber who was cruci-
fied with Thee by thine arrangement we declare this.
Seeing the mark of the nails on the robber that
was crucified with thee, and in the letters the splen-
dour of thy divinity, the fire was extinguished in-
deed, being unable to endure the brightness of the
symbol, and being in great fear we were filled with
dismay; for we had heard that the Maker of heaven
and earth and all creation had journeyed from on
high into the lower parts of the earth for the sake of
Adam the first-formed. For when we saw the un-
defiled cross flashing upon the robber, with a light
sevenfold greater than that of the glittering sun,
trembling came upon us who shared the agitation of
those in the underworld, and with a loud voice the
430
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
ministers of Hades said with us, Holy, holy, holy is
He who was in the beginning in the highest! And
the powers shouted aloud, Lord, thou art manifest in
heaven and upon earth, sending joy to the world;
and greater than such a gift, delivering thine own
handywork from death by the invisible counsel of
of ages.
CHAPTER V.
HAVING seen these things I went into Galilee with
Jesus and the robber, and Jesus was transfigured,
and was not as formerly before he was crucified, but
was altogether light, and angels continually minis-
tered unto him; and Jesus talked with them. And I
passed three days with him; and no one of his dis-
ciples was with him save only the robber.
And when the feast of unleavened bread arrived,
his disciple John came, and we no longer saw the
robber whatever was done.¹ And John asked Jesus,
Who is he that thou hast not caused me to be seen
by him? And Jesus answered him nothing. And
falling before him, he said, Lord, I know that thou
hast loved me from the beginning; and wherefore
dost thou not reveal this man to me? Jesus saith to
him, Why dost thou seek after hidden things? Art
1 The Greek is here obscure, and probably means that the robber
became invisible, however it came about.
STORY OF JOSEPH.
431
thou still foolish? Dost thou not perceive the fra-
grance of Paradise which had filled the place? Dost
thou not know who it was? The robber upon the
cross became an heir of Paradise. Verily, verily, I
say unto thee that it is for him alone until the great
day shall come. And John said, Make me worthy
to see him.
And while John was yet speaking the robber sud-
denly appeared, and John being terrified fell to the
ground. And the appearance of the robber was not
the same fashion as before John came, but was like a
king in great power, arrayed with the cross. And the
voice of many multitudes exclaimed, Thou art come
into the place of Paradise which hath been prepared
for thee: We have been appointed by Him that
sent thee to minister unto thee until the great day.
And when this voice came, both the robber and I,
Joseph, disappeared, and I was found in my house;
and I saw Jesus no more.
And I, who beheld these things, have written them
that all may believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, who
was crucified, and may no longer minister in the law
of Moses, but may believe in the signs and wonders
that were done by him, and that, believing, we may
inherit eternal life, and be found in the kingdom of
heaven; for unto Him glory, power, praise, and
majesty is due for ever and ever. Amen.
432
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
THE REVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
IN the days of Tiberius Cæsar the emperor, when
Herod was tetrarch, Christ was delivered by the
Jews under Pontius Pilate, and revealed by Tiberius.
In those days Titus was ruler under Tiberius in
the region of Equitania in the city of Libia which is
called Burgidalla.2 For Titus had a wound in his
right nostril because of a cancer, and his face was
laid open as far as his eye. There went forth a
certain man from Judæa, Nathan, the son of Nahum,
1 The antiquity of this document is considerable, as it exists in an
Anglo-Saxon translation. The Latin original is exceedingly barbarous
in style, and probably much corrupted. The incidents, characters, and
localities are introduced in utter disregard of history, geography, and
_reason. It would be a waste of time to point out all the absurdities of
this narration.
2 It might seem that Equitania, Libia, and Burgidalla, represent the
more recent names Aquitaine, Albi, and Bourdeaux. But this opinion
is opposed to the circumstance that a ship sailing to Rome was driven
thither by a "north-wind." By Equitania I understand the African
province of Zeugitana; for Libia I suggest Clypea; and Burgidalla I
would reject as an interpolation by some scribe who thought Zeugitana
meant Aquitaine. The last of these suggestions is at least favoured by
the various reading which omits Burgidalla altogether. ___ With regard
to Clypea or Aspis, it was a few miles south-east of the Hermæan pro-
montory, or Cape Bon, and some distance east of Utica and Carthage;
the old town still exists under the name of Calibia or Kelibia. For an
account of it, it may suffice to refer to Davis's "Carthage and her
Remains," chapter xvi. I think we may expect any amount of blun-
dering in a document which rests on a basis so unstable.
REVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
433
by name; for he was an Ishmaelite, who went from
land to land, and from sea to sea, and in all the
borders of the earth. Now Nathan was sent from
Judæa to Tiberius the emperor, to carry their treaty
to the city of Rome. Now Tiberius was sick, and
full of ulcers and fevers, and had nine sorts of
leprosy. And Nathan wished to proceed to the city
of Rome. But the north wind blew and hindered
his voyage and carried him to the port of the city of
Libia. And Titus seeing the ship coming knew that
it was from Judæa; and they all wondered and said
that they had never seen any bark come this way
from thence. But Titus bade the captain of the
vessel come to him, and asked who he was. And he
said, I am Nathan, the son of Nahum, of the race of
the Ishmaelites, and I am subject to Pontius Pilate
in Judæa. And I am sent to go to Tiberius the
And a
emperor to carry a treaty from Judæa.
mighty wind came down upon the sea and brought
me to a land which I know not.
And Titus said, If ever thou canst find any thing,
whether of drugs or of herbs, which can heal the
wound which I have in my face, as thou seest, so
that I may become well and receive my former
health, I will bestow upon thee many benefits. And
Nathan said unto him, My lord, I am not aware, nor
do I know of such things as thou sayest to me. But
if thou hadst been in time past in Jerusalem, thou
28
434
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
wouldst have found there a chosen prophet whose
name was Emmanuel: for he shall save his people
from their sins. He made wine of water in Cana of
Galilee as his first sign, and cleansed the lepers by
his word, enlightened the eyes of one born blind,
healed the paralytic, put demons to flight, and raised
three who were dead; he delivered a woman taken
in adultery and condemned by the Jews to be stoned;
another woman named Veronica who had an issue of
blood twelve years and came behind him and touched
the hem of his garment, even her he healed; and
with five loaves and two fishes he fed five thousand
men, leaving out children and women, and there
remained of the fragments twelve baskets; all these
things and many more were done before he suffered.
We saw him after his resurrection, in the flesh as he
was before.
Titus said to him, How did he rise from the dead,
when he was dead? And Nathan answered and
said, He was manifestly dead, and hung upon the
cross, and taken down again from the cross, and for
three days lay in a sepulchre: then he arose from
the dead and descended into Hades, and delivered
the patriarchs and prophets and all the human race:
then he appeared unto his disciples and ate with
them then they saw him ascending into heaven.
And so all that I tell thee is the truth. I saw it
with my own eyes and also all the house of Israel.
REVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
435
And Titus said these words,¹ Woe unto thee,
emperor Tiberius, thou art full of ulcers and en-
veloped in leprosy, because such an offence hath been
committed in thy realm; that hast made such laws2
in Judæa, in the land of the nativity of our Lord
Jesus Christ that they seized the king and slew the
governor of the people, and did not cause him to
come to us to cure thee of thy leprosy, and to cleanse
me from my infirmity. Wherefore if they had been
in my presence, with mine own hands I would have
slain the bodies of those Jews, and hung them upon
green wood, because they destroyed my Lord, and
my eyes were not thought worthy to see his face.
And when he had said this, immediately the
wound fell from the face of Titus, and his flesh
and face were restored to health. And all the sick
who were there were made whole in that hour. And
Titus cried out with all of them with a loud voice,
saying, My King and my God, because I have never
seen thee and thou hast made me whole, command
me to go with the ship upon the water to the land
of thy nativity, that I may execute vengeance upon
hy enemies and help me, Lord, to blot them out
nd to avenge thy death. Do thou, Lord, deliver
1 Literally "in his words."
2 I would read reges for leges, because of the following qui. In fact we
ead of the reges Judæorum' a little further on. I would also read
•
ut te mundaret a lepra et me curaret ab infirmitate mea,' because
prosy is said to be cleansed, and infirmity to be cured.

436
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
them into my hand.
hand. And when he had said this, he
gave order for himself to be baptised. And he called
Nathan to him, and said to him, How didst thou
see those baptised who believe in Christ? Come
to me and baptise me in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. For
I also firmly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with
all my heart and with all my soul; for there is no
other in the universe who created me and healed me
of my wounds.
And when he had said this, he sent messengers
with all speed to Vespasian, to come with the most
valiant men prepared as for war
Then Vespasian took with him five thousand armed
men, and they hastened to Titus. And when they
had come to the city of Libia, he said to Titus, Why
is it that thou hast caused me to come hither? And
he answered, Thou shouldst know that Jesus came
into this world, and was born in Judæa in a place
which is called Bethlehem, and was delivered by the
Jews, and scourged, and crucified on mount Calvary,
and on the third day he arose from the dead; and
his disciples saw him in the same flesh in which he
was born; and he manifested himself to his disciples,
and they believed on him. And we indeed wish to
become his disciples. Now let us go and blot out
his enemies from the earth, and now let them know
that there is none like the Lord our God on the face
of the earth.

REVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
437
Now when they had taken counsel they departed
from the city of Libia, which is called Burgidalla,'
and they went into a ship and proceeded to Jerusalem,
and surrounded the kingdom of the Jews, and began
to send them to destruction. When the kings of the
Jews had heard of their deeds, and the ruin of the
land, fear fell upon them, and they were greatly
troubled. Then Archelaus was troubled.in his words,
and said to his son, Son, take my kingdom and judge
it, and take counsel with the other kings who are in
the land of Judæa, that ye may be able to escape from
our enemies. And when he had said this, he drew
his sword and fell upon it, and he directed his very
sharp sword and thrust it into his breast and he died.
Now his son joined himself with the other kings who
were under him, and they took counsel among them-
selves, and went into Jerusalem with their chief men
who were in their counsel, and abode there seven
years. And Titus and Vespasian took counsel in
order to surround their city. And they did so.
Now when seven years were accomplished, the famine
became very grievous, and for lack of bread they
began to eat earth
Then all who were the soldiers of the four kings
took counsel among themselves, and said, We are
going to die, what will God do with us? or what
¹ The mention of Burgidalla is also omitted here by the Cottonian
Anglo-Saxon MS.
438
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
doth our life profit us, inasmuch as the Romans have
come to take our place and nation? It is better that
we should kill ourselves, than for the Romans to say
they slew us and gained a victory over us. And
they drew their swords and smote themselves, and
there died of them the number of 12,000 men.
Then there arose a great stench in that city from
the bodies of those dead men; and their kings feared
with a great fear even unto death, and were not able
to endure the stench of them, nor to bury them, nor
to cast them out of the city. And they said among
themselves, What shall we do? We, indeed, de-
livered Christ unto death, and now we are de-
livered unto death. Let us bow down our heads,
and give up the keys of the city to the Romans,
for God hath already delivered us unto death.
And they straightway went up on the walls of
the city, and all cried with a loud voice, saying,
Titus and Vespasian, receive the keys of the city
which were given to you by Messiah who is called
Christ.
Then they delivered themselves into the hands of
Titus and Vespasian, and said, Judge us, for we
ought to die, because we judged Christ, and he was
given up without cause. And Titus and Vespasian
took them, and part they
stoned, and part they hung
upon a tree with their feet up and their heads down-
wards, and smote them with lances. Some they gave
6
REVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
439
up to be sold, and some they divided among them-
selves, and they made four parts of them, as they had
done with the garments of the Lord. And they
said, They sold Christ for thirty pieces of silver, and
let us sell thirty of them for one denarius. And they
did so; and when they had done this, they took pos-
session of all the lands of Judæa and Jerusalem.
Then they made inquiry for the likeness or
portrait of Christ, how they might find it. And
they found a woman named Veronica who had it.
Then they took Pilate and sent him to prison to be
kept by four quarternions of soldiers at the door of
the prison. And they straightway sent their mes-
sengers to Tiberius, the emperor of the city of
Rome, that he would send Velosianus to them. And
he said to him, Take all that is necessary for thee at
sea, and go down to Judæa, and ask for one of the
disciples of him that was called Christ and Lord; that
he may come to me, and in the name of his God heal
me of the leprosy and the infirmities with which I
am daily oppressed, and of my wounds, for I lie sick.
And send against the kings of the Jews who are
subject to my empire thy forces and terrible tor-
ments, and condemn them to death, because they
slew Jesus Christ our Lord. And if thou shalt find
there any man who can deliver me from this my in-
firmity, I will believe in Christ the Son of God and
be baptized in his name. And Velosianus said, My
440
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
lord emperor, If I find any man who can help and
deliver us, what reward shall I promise him? And
Tiberius said unto him, The half of my kingdom
without fail, that it may be in his hand.
Then Velosianus straightway went and entered a
ship and hoisted sail for the voyage, and went sailing
over the sea. And he sailed one year and seven days,
in which time he came to Jerusalem. And he imme-
diately commanded some of the Jews to come to his
mightiness,¹ and began to inquire diligently what were
thedeeds of Christ. Then Joseph of the city of Arima-
thea, and Nicodemus both came together. And Nico-
demus said, I saw him, and know truly that he is the
Saviour of the world. And Joseph said to him, And
I took him down from the cross and placed him in a
new sepulchre which was cut out of a rock. And the
Jews shut me up on the day of preparation at even-
ing, and while I stood in prayer on the Sabbath day,
the house was suspended by the four corners, and I
saw the Lord Jesus Christ as a flash of light, and for
fear I fell to the earth. And he said to me, Look on
me, for I am Jesus whose body thou didst bury in
thy tomb. And I said to him, Show me the sepulchre
where I placed thee. And Jesus, taking my hand
with his right hand, led me to the place where I
had buried him.
་
1 The Latin is ad ejus potentiam, 'to his potency,' i.e., to himself as
having power: the use of abstract for concrete in speaking of dignities
is of most common occurrence.
REVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
441
Now there came also a woman, named Veronica,
and said to him, I touched the hem of his garment
in the crowd, for I had an issue of blood twelve
years, and straightway he healed me.
Then said Velosianus to Pilate, Pilate, thou im-
pious and cruel one, wherefore didst thou slay the
Son of God? And Pilate answered, His own nation
and the chief priests, Annas and Caiaphas, delivered
him unto me. Velosianus said, Thou impious and
cruel one, thou art worthy of death, and of a cruel
punishment. And he sent him back to prison.
And Velosianus at length inquired after the like-
ness or portrait of the Lord, and all who were there
said unto him, It is a woman named Veronica who
has the Lord's portrait in her house. And he im-
mediately commanded her to be brought before his
mightiness. And he said to her, Hast thou the Lord's
portrait in thy house? But she denied it. Then
Velosianus commanded her to be put to torture until
she produced the Lord's portrait, and being com-
pelled she said, I have it in a clean linen cloth, my
lord, and I daily adore it.¹ Velosianus said, Show it
to me. Then she showed the Lord's portrait. When
Velosianus saw it, he threw himself upon the ground;
and with a ready heart and a right faith he took it
1 The writers of legends universally appear to ignore the moral obli-
gation of truthfulness; but surely a man may write fiction without
canonizing what are vulgarly called lies.
1
442
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and wrapped it in a cloth of gold, and placed it in a
shrine and sealed it with his ring. And he sware by
an oath and said, As the Lord God liveth, and by the
safety of Cæsar, man shall see it no more upon the
face of the earth, until I see the face of my lord
Tiberius.
And when he had said this, the chief men, who were
the principal men of Judæa, took Pilate and led him
to the sea-port. But Velosianus took the Lord's por-
trait with all his own disciples and followers, and the
same day they entered the ship. Then the woman
Veronica forsook all she possessed for the love of
Christ, and followed Velosianus. And Velosianus.
said to her, Woman, what dost thou wish, or what
dost thou seek? And she answered, I seek the por-
trait of our Lord Jesus Christ, who enlightened me,
not for my merits, but of his holy pity.¹. . . Restore
to me the portrait of my Lord Jesus Christ, for I am
dying of this good desire. But if thou dost not re-
store it to me, I will not leave it until I see where
thou dost place it; for most unhappy I will serve
him all the days of my life. For I believe that my
Redeemer liveth for ever.
Then Velosianus commanded the woman Veronica
to be conveyed with him into the ship. And when
the sails were hoisted they began to proceed on their
1 At this point the copies are so corrupt that Tischendorf omits a
few lines as unintelligible; but he gives the various readings in his
notes. The omission is of trifling moment.
1
REVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
443
voyage in the name of the Lord, and sailed over the
sea. But Titus with Vespasian came into Judæa,
taking vengeance upon all the nations of their land.
At the end of a year Velosianus arrived at the city of
Rome, left his ship in the river, which is called Tiberis
or Tiber, and entered the city, which is called Rome.
And he sent his messenger to his lord Tiberius the
emperor at the Lateran concerning his happy arrival.
Then Tiberius the emperor, having heard the
messenger of Velosianus, rejoiced greatly, and com-
manded that he should come into his presence. And
when he had come he called him, saying, Velosianus,
how hast thou come, and what hast thou seen con-
cerning Christ the Lord, and his disciples in the
region of Judæa? Show me, I pray thee, one that
will heal me of my infirmity, that I may be forthwith
cleansed from this leprosy which I have upon my
body, and I will deliver all my realm into the power
of thee and of him.
And Velosianus said, My lord emperor, I found
thy servants Titus and Vespasian in Judæa fearing
the Lord, and they are cleansed from all their ulcers
and sufferings. And I found all the kings and
governors of Judæa hanged by Titus; Annas and
Caiaphas are stoned, and Archelaus has stabbed
himself; but I left Pilate bound at Damascus,¹ and
¹ This hardly agrees with the statement above that Pilate was taken
to a sea-port.
444
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
At
put in prison under safe keeping. Moreover, I have
received information concerning Jesus whom the
Jews most wickedly rushed upon with swords and
staves and weapons, and crucified him, when he
should have come to us to deliver us and to enlighten
us, and they hung him on a tree. And Joseph came
from Arimathea, and Nicodemus with him, bringing
a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred
pounds, to anoint the body of Christ; and they took
him down from the cross and laid him in a new
sepulchre. But on the third day he most assuredly
arose from the dead, and showed himself to his dis-
ciples in the same flesh in which he was born.
length, after forty days, they saw him ascending
into heaven. And many other signs Jesus wrought,
before and after his passion. First, he made wine
of water, he raised the dead, he cleansed lepers, he
gave sight to the blind, he healed the paralytic, he
put to flight demons, and made the deaf hear and
the dumb speak. He raised Lazarus from the grave
after four days; and he made whole the woman
Veronica, who had suffered an issue of blood twelve
years, and touched the hem of his garment. Then
it pleased the Lord in heaven, that the Son of God,
who, being sent into this world as the first-formed,
died on earth, should send his angel, and he com-
manded Titus and Vespasian, whom I knew, in the
place where thy throne is. And it pleased Almighty
REVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
445
God that they went into Judæa and Jerusalem, and
took thy subjects, and pronounced on them the
same judgement as they did when thy subjects took
Jesus and bound him. And Vespasian afterwards
said, What shall we do with those who will remain?
Titus answered, They hung our Lord on a green tree
and pierced him with a lance; and let us hang them
on a green tree, and run their bodies through with
a lance. And they did so. And Vespasian said,
What of those who remain ?
took the coat of our Lord Jesus Christ and made
four parts of it; now let us take them and divide
them into four parts, one for thee, one for me,
another for thy men, and a fourth part for my ser-
vants. And they did so.
Titus answered, They
And Vespasian said, What shall we do with those
that remain ? Titus answered, The Jews sold our
Lord for thirty pieces of silver, but let us sell thirty
of them for one piece of silver. And they did so.
And they took Pilate and delivered him to me, and
I put him in prison, in Damascus, to be kept by four
quaternions of soldiers. Then they made inquiry
with great diligence to seek out the Lord's portrait ;
and they found a woman named Veronica, who had
the Lord's portrait. Then Tiberius the emperor
said to Velosianus, How dost thou keep it? He
answered, I keep it in a pure cloth of gold, wrapped
in a mantle. And Tiberius the emperor said, Bring
446
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
it to me, and spread it before my face, that falling
to the ground and bending my knees I may adore it
on the earth. Then Velosianus spread out his man-
tle, with the cloth of gold whereon the portrait of
the Lord was depicted; and Tiberius the emperor
saw it. And immediately he adored the image of
the Lord, with a pure heart, and his flesh was made
clean as the flesh of a little child. And all the
blind, leprous, lame, dumb, deaf, and others suffering
from various infirmities who were there, were healed
and cured and cleansed.
Now Tiberius the emperor, with head bowed, and
bending his knees, considering that saying-Blessed
is the womb which bare thee and the breasts which
thou hast sucked-groaned unto the Lord, with tears,
saying, God of heaven and earth, suffer me not to
sin, but confirm my soul and body, and place me in
thy kingdom, for I ever trust in thy name. Deliver
me from all evils, as thou deliveredst the three chil-
dren¹ from the furnace of burning fire
Then said Tiberius the emperor to Velosianus,
Velosianus, hast thou seen any man of those who
saw Christ? Velosianus answered, I have seen such.
He said, Hast thou asked how they baptise them,
that believed in Christ? Velosianus said, My lord,
we have here one of the disciples of Christ himself.
Daniel and his two friends. Dan. iii, 19-27.
REVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
447
Then he commanded Nathan to be called to come to
him. Therefore, Nathan came and baptised him in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit, Amen.
Immediately, Tiberius the emperor being made
whole of all his infirmities, ascended his throne and
said, Blessed art thou, Lord God Almighty, and
worthy of praise, who hast delivered me from the
snare of death, and purified me from all my ini-
quities, for I have sinned much before thee, O Lord
my God, and I am not worthy to see thy face. And
then Tiberius the emperor was fully and with a firm
faith instructed in all the articles of belief.
May God Almighty, who is King of Kings and
Lord of Lords, protect us in his faith, and defend
and deliver us from all peril and evil, and deign to
lead us on to life eternal, when our temporal life
shall cease. He is blessed for ever and ever, Amen.
448
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS
APPENDIX.
THE SYRIAC GOSPEL OF THE BOYHOOD OF
OUR LORD JESUS.
Ir will be seen that the following document
resembles very closely the first Greek text of the
Gospel of Thomas, but it differs in isolated words,
contains additional sentences, and omits extensive
portions. Dr. William Wright edited this Syriac
from a MS. of the sixth century in the British
Museum. I have not exactly followed his translation,
because it has been made closely literal for critical
purposes. Readers who wish for a more minute
rendering than the following must consult Dr.
Wright's valuable work¹ of which I have made free
use with his full concurrence. I believe this to
be the most ancient extant form of the so-called
Gospel of Thomas; I have therefore thought it
would be interesting to the student who wishes to
see the different forms of these documents. The quo-
tations from St. Luke ii. 41-52, in chap. xv., are
not made from either the Peshito, Curetonian, or
Heraclean Syriac; although the translator may have
known the first and second of these.
1 Contributions to the Apocryphal Literature of the New Testament,
collected from Syriac MSS. in the British Museum, and edited with an
English translation and notes by W. Wright, LL.D., &c.-8vo. London,
1865.
1
APPENDIX.
449
1
THE BOYHOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS.
CHAPTER I.
Now the boy Jesus Christ when he was five years
old was playing at the ford of streams of water,
and he collected and confined the waters, and direct-
ed them in channels, and caused them to enter pools,
and made them become clear and bright. And he
took soft clay out of the moisture, and formed twelve
birds. For it was the Sabbath, and there were many
boys with him. Now a man of the Jews saw him
with the boys when he made these, and told Joseph
his father, and provoked him against Jesus, and said
to him, On the Sabbath he hath moulded clay and
made birds, which is not lawful on the Sabbath.
And Joseph went and rebuked him, and said to him,
Why dost thou make these on the Sabbath? Then
Jesus clapped his hands and made the birds fly away
before those that spake, and he said, Go fly away,
and remember me ye who live! and the birds went
away twittering. Now when the Pharisee saw it he
was greatly astonished, and went and told his friends.
1
CHAPTER II.
Now the son of Annas the scribe also was with
Jesus. And he took a stick from a willow tree and
¹ Dr. Wright renders 'Before the things which he said;' very reason-
ably conjecturing that the Syriac text is corrupt.
29
450
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
destroyed and broke down the pool, and let out the
waters which Jesus had collected, and made their
pools dry. And when Jesus saw what he did, be
said to him, Without root shall thy shoot be, and thy
fruits shall dry up like a bough of the wood which is
broken by the wind, and is no more. And the boy
immediately withered away.
CHAPTER III.
AND again, Jesus was going with his father, and a
certain boy who was running struck him with his
shoulder. Jesus saith unto him, Thou shalt not go
thy way. And immediately he fell down and died.
And all that saw him cried and said, Whence was
this boy born, that all his words become deeds?
And the kindred of him that was dead drew nigh to
Joseph, and said to him, This boy is thine; thou
canst not dwell with us in this village; but teach
him to bless.1
CHAPTER IV.
Now he came near to the boy and taught him, and
said, Why dost thou these things? and wherefore
speakest thou these things? and they consider and
hate thee. Jesus said, If the words of my Father
were not wise he would not know how to instruct
children. And again he said, If they were the
children of the bridechamber they would not receive
ie, except thou teach him to bless.
APPENDIX.
451
curses: these will not see torment. And straight-
way they became blind who accused him. But
Joseph was angry and took hold of his ear and pulled
it. Then Jesus answered, and said to him, It is
· enough for thee to command me and control me,¹ for
thou hast acted without knowledge.
CHAPTER V.
Now a certain teacher whose name was Zaccheus
heard him talking with his father, and said, O thou
naughty boy! And he said to Joseph his father, How
long wilt thou be unwilling to send this boy to learn
to love children of his own age, and to honour old
age? Joseph answered and said, And who is able to
instruct a boy like this? Does he suppose that he is
deserving of a small cross? Joseph answered and
said to the teacher, These words which thou hast
spoken, and these names, I am a stranger to them.
For I am apart from you, and I dwell within you.³
Honour in the flesh I have not. Thou art in the law
and in the law abidest; for when thou wast born
I was; but thou supposest thou art my father.
Thou shalt learn from me instruction which no other
man knoweth, nor is able to learn, and the cross
which thou didst speak of, he shall bear whose it is.
For when I am greatly exalted I will lay aside what-
2 So the Syriac, but Jesus is necessarily meant.
3 Or, among you.
1 Literally, find me.
3
452
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
ever is mingled in your nature; for thou knowest not
whence thou art; for I alone know truly when ye
were born, and how long time ye have to remain
here.
CHAPTER VI.
Now when they heard they were astonished, and
cried out and said, O sight and sound of wonder !
We never heard that man spake such words as these,
neither priests, nor scribes, nor Pharisees. Whence
was this one born that is but a child of five years,
and speaks these words? Man hath never seen such
a one as He.
Jesus answered and said to them, Ye
marvel at what I said to you, That I know when ye
were born. And again, I have something more to
say to you. Now when they heard they were silent
and could not speak. And Zaccheus the teacher
said to Joseph, I will teach him what he ought to
learn. And he took him into the school. But
when He came in He was silent. But Zaccheus the
scribe began to say to him from Aleph; and repeated
to him all the alphabet many times; and told him
to answer and say after him. But he was silent.
Then the scribe was angry, and struck him with his
hand upon his head. And Jesus said, A blacksmith's
anvil when it is beaten receives correction, and it
does not feel. But I am able to say the things
which are spoken by you with knowledge and under-
standing. The scribe answered and said, He is
APPENDIX.
453
something great; either he is God, or an angel, or—
what to say I know not.
CHAPTER VII.
THEN the boy Jesus laughed, and said, Let those
bear fruit in whom is no fruit, and let the blind
see the living fruit of the Judge.¹
CHAPTER VIII.
And again, once on the sabbath day Jesus was
playing on the housetop, and one of the boys fell
down and died. And when the others saw this they
fled, and Jesus was left alone. And the kindred of
him that was dead took hold of him, and said, Thou
didst cast the boy down. And Jesus said, I did not
cast him down. And they reviled him. Then he
came down beside the dead, and said to him, Zeno,—
for this was his name,—did I cast thee down? Now
he forthwith leaped up and stood and said, No, my
Lord. And all of them marvelled; the kindred also
of the boy praised God for these wonders.
CHAPTER IX.
Now again, once after Jesus was seven years old
¹ This passage partly corresponds with what may be found above
pp. 135 and 161. It is also analogous to a few words extracted by
Tischendorf from a Latin MS., of the fifth or sixth century: "fructuosa;
vident cæci fructuosa judicii." (Tischend. Evangelia Apocr. Prolegg.
p. xlvii.) In plain words the sense of the Syriac may be, "Let the
fruitless be fruitful, and the blind see the living fruit of judgment."
2 Cf. Acts iii. 8.
1
454
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
his mother sent him to draw water. And in the
press of a great crowd, his pitcher struck (something)
and was broken. But Jesus spread out the cloak
which he wore, and gathered up and brought the
Now his mother Mary was astonished at all
water.
she saw.
CHAPTER X.
AND again, once Jesus was playing, and he sowed
one bushel of wheat, and reaped a hundred quarters,
and gave them to the people of the village.
CHAPTER XI.
JESUS was eight years old; and Joseph was a
carpenter, and made nothing else but ploughs and
yokes. And a man ordered of him a couch of six
cubits. And there was not the proper measure in
one piece of one side, but it was shorter than its
fellow. And the boy Jesus took the measure of the
wood, and pulled and stretched it, and made it equal
to its fellow. And he said to Joseph his father, Do
all that thou wishest.
CHAPTER XII.
Now Joseph, when he saw that he was clever,
wished to teach him letters, and brought him to
the house of a scribe.
Say Aleph; and Jesus said it.
on that he should say Beth.
And the scribe said to him,
And the scribe went
And Jesus said to him,
Tell me first what Aleph is, and then I will tell thee
肉
​APPENDIX.
455
about Beth. And the scribe took and smote him;
and forthwith he fell down and died. And Jesus
went to his kindred. And Joseph called Mary his
mother, and commanded her that she should not let
him go out of the house, lest those should die who
smote him.
CHAPTER XIII.
Now a certain scribe said to Joseph, Hand him
over to me, and I will teach him. But Jesus entered
the house of the scribe, and took a volume and read,
not what was written, but great marvels.
CHAPTER XIV.
AND again, Joseph sent his son James to gather
wood, and Jesus went with him. But while they
gathered wood, a certain viper bit James in his hand.
And when Jesus came near him, he did nothing else
to him but stretch out his hand to him and blow
upon the bite, and it was cured.
CHAPTER XV.
AND when Jesus was twelve years old they went
to Jerusalem, as it was the custom with Joseph
and Mary to go to their festival. And when they
had observed the passover, they came back to their
house. And when they set out to come back, Jesus
tarried in Jerusalem. And neither Joseph nor Mary
his mother knew, but supposed he was with their
company. And when they came to the resting-place
456
APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
for that day, they sought him among their kindred,
and among their acquaintance. And when they
found not Jesus they came back to Jerusalem and
sought for him. And after three days they found
him sitting among the doctors, both hearing them
and questioning them. And all who heard him were
astonished, because he silenced these doctors; for he
expounded unto them the parables of the prophets,
and the mysteries and hard sayings which are in the
law. And his mother said to him, My son, why hast
thou done these things to us who have been dis-
tressed and troubled, and seeking for thee? Jesus
answered and said, Why did ye seek me? Know ye
not that it behoveth me to be in the house of my
Father? The scribes and Pharisees answered and
said to Mary, Art thou the mother of this boy?
The Lord hath blessed thee; for glory and wisdom
like this we have not seen in boys, nor have we
heard that any man has mentioned. And he arose
and went with his mother, and was subject to them.
But his mother retained all these words. Now Jesus
increased and advanced in wisdom and in grace with
God, and with men. Amen.
HERE ENDETH THE BOYHOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS.
Stephen Austin, printer, hertford.
t
1

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A
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THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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OCT 0 7 2003

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