Gospel of Nicodemus, Part I: The Acts of Pilate 12

1Now when the Jews heard that Joseph had begged the body of Jesus, they sought for him and for the twelve men which said that Jesus was not born of fornication, and for Nicodemus and many others which had come forth before Pilate and declared his good works. But all they hid themselves, and Nicodemus only was seen of them, for he was a ruler of the Jews. And Nicodemus said unto them: How came ye into the synagogue? The Jews say unto him: How didst thou come into the synagogue? for thou art confederate with him, and his portion shall be with thee in the life to come. Nicodemus saith: Amen, Amen. Likewise Joseph also came forth and said unto them: Why is it that ye are vexed against me, for that I begged the body of Jesus? behold I have laid it in my new tomb, having wrapped it in clean linen, and I rolled a stone over the door of the cave. And ye have not dealt well with the just one, for ye repented not when ye had crucified him, but ye also pierced him with a spear. But the Jews took hold on Joseph and commanded him to be put in safeguard until the first day of the week: and they said unto him: Know thou that the time alloweth us not to do anything against thee, because the sabbath dawneth: but knew that thou shalt not obtain burial, but we will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the heaven. Joseph saith unto them: This is the word of Goliath the boastful which reproached the living God and the holy David. For God said by the prophet: Vengeance is mine, and I will recompense, saith the Lord. And now, lo, one that was uncircumcised, but circumcised in heart, took water and washed his hands before the sun, saying: I am Innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. And ye answered Pilate and said: His blood be upon us and upon our children. And now I fear lest the wrath of the Lord come upon you and upon your children, as ye have said. But when the Jews heard these words they waxed bitter in soul, and caught hold on Joseph and took him and shut him up in an house wherein was no window, and guards were set at the door: and they sealed the door of the place where Joseph was shut up.

Ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ὅτι τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ᾐτήσατο ὁ Ἰωσήφ, ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς δώδεκα τοὺς εἰπόντας ὅτι οὐ γεγέννηται ἐκ πορνείας ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ τὸν Νικόδημον καὶ ἄλλους ἑτέρους πολλούς, οἵτινες παραπηδήσαντες ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πιλάτου τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐφανέρωσαν τὰ ἀγαθά. πάντων δὲ ἀποκρυβέντων μόνος ὁ Νικόδημος ὤφθη αὐτοῖς, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἄρχων ἦν τῶν Ἰουδαίων· καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Νικόδημος· πῶς εἰσήλθατε εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· σὺ πῶς εἰσῆλθες εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν; ὅτι συνίστωρ αὐτοῦ εἶ, καὶ τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦ μετὰ σοῦ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι. λέγει ὁ Νικόδημος· ἀμὴν ἀμήν. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ παρεκβὰς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τί ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε κατ᾽ ἐμοῦ, διότι ᾐτησάμην τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ; ἰδοὺ ἐν τῷ καινῷ μου μνημείῳ ἔθηκα αὐτόν, ἐντυλίξας αὐτὸν ἐν σινδόνι καθαρᾷ, καὶ ἐπεκύλισα λίθον ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν τοῦ μνημείου. καὶ οὐ καλῶς ἐπράξατε κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου, ὅτι οὐ μετεμελήθητε σταυρώσαντες αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγχῃ αὐτὸν ἐκεντήσατε. κρατήσαντες δὲ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἐκέλευσαν αὐτὸν ἀσφαλισθῆναι μέχρι τῆς μιᾶς τοῦ σαββάτου, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· γίνωσκε ὅτι ἡ ὥρα οὐκ ἀπαιτεῖ πρᾶξαί τι κατὰ σοῦ, ὅτι σάββατον διαφαύει· γίνωσκε δὲ ὅτι οὐδὲ ταφῆς καταξιωθήσῃ, ἀλλὰ δώσωμεν τὰς σάρκας σου τοῖς πετεινοῖς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰωσήφ· οὗτος ὁ λόγος τοῦ ὑπερηφάνου ἐστὶν Γολιάθ, ὃς ὠνείδισεν θεὸν ζῶντα καὶ τὸν ἅγιον Δαυίδ. εἶπεν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, κἀγὼ ἀνταποδώσω, λέγει κύριος. καὶ νῦν ὁ ἀκρόβυστος τῇ σαρκὶ καὶ περιτεμνόμενος τῇ καρδίᾳ λαβὼν ὕδωρ ἀπενίψατο τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ κατέναντι τοῦ ἡλίου λέγων· ἀθῷός εἰμι ἐγὼ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ δικαίου τούτου· ὑμεῖς ὄψεσθε. καὶ ἀποκριθέντες τῷ Πιλάτῳ εἴπατε· τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν. καὶ νῦν φοβοῦμαι μή ποτε φθάσει ἡ ὀργὴ κυρίου ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, καθὼς εἴπατε. ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐπικράνθησαν τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενοι τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἐκράτησαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐνέκλεισαν εἰς οἶκον ὅπου οὐκ ἦν θυρίς, καὶ παραφύλακες παρέμειναν τῇ θύρᾳ· καὶ ἐσφράγισαν τὴν θύραν ὅπου ἦν ἐγκεκλεισμένος Ἰωσήφ. (200178)

2And upon the sabbath day the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites made an ordinance that all men should appear in the synagogue on the first day of the week. And all the multitude rose up early and took council in the synagogue by what death they should kill him. And when the council was set they commanded him to be brought with great dishonour. And when they had opened the door they found him not. And all the people were beside themselves and amazed, because they found the seals closed, and Caiaphas had the key. And they durst not any more lay hands upon them that had spoken in the behalf of Jesus before Pilate.

Τῷ δὲ σαββάτῳ ὅρον ὥρισαν οἱ ἀρχισυνάγωγοι καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ὥστε πάντας εὑρεθῆναι ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ τῇ μιᾷ τοῦ σαββάτου. καὶ ὀρθρίσαντες ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ ἐβουλεύσαντο ποίῳ θανάτῳ ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτόν. καθεσθέντος δὲ τοῦ συνεδρίου ἐκέλευσαν αὐτὸν ἀχθῆναι μετὰ ἀτιμίας πολλῆς. καὶ ἀνοίξαντες τὴν θύραν οὐχ εὗρον αὐτόν. καὶ ἐξέστη πᾶς ὁ λαός, καὶ ἔκθαμβοι ἐγένοντο ὅτι τὰς σφραγῖδας εὗρον ἐσφραγισμένας, καὶ ὅτι τὴν κλεῖδα εἶχεν ὁ Καϊάφας. καὶ οὐκέτι ἐτόλμησαν ἐπιβαλεῖν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν εἰς τοὺς λαλήσαντας ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πιλάτου ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. (53599)