My LORD’s BibleGospel of Nicodemus, Part I: The Acts of Pilate 15
1And Nicodemus rose up and stood before the council, saying: Ye say well. Know ye not, O people of the Lord, the men that came down out of Galilee, that they fear God and are men of substance, hating covetousness (a lie, Lat. ), men of peace? And they have told you with an oath, saying : We saw Jesus upon the mount Mamilch with his disciples and that he taught them all things that ye heard of them, and, say they, we saw him taken up into heaven. And no man asked them in what manner he was taken up. For like as the book of the holy scriptures hath taught us that Elias also was taken up into heaven, and Eliseus cried out with a loud voice, and Elias cast his hairy cloak upon Eliseus, and Eliseus cast the cloak upon Jordan and passed over and went unto Jericho. And the sons of the prophets met him and said: Eliseus, where is thy lord Elias? and he said that he was taken up into heaven. And they said unto Eliseus: Hath not a spirit caught him up and cast him upon one of the mountains? but let us take our servants with us and seek after him. And they persuaded Eliseus and he went with them, and they sought him three days and found him not: and they knew that he had been taken up. And now hearken unto me, and let us send into all the coasts ( al. mountains) of Israel and see whether the Christ were not taken up by a spirit and cast upon one of the mountains. And this saying pleased them all: and they sent into all the coasts (mountains, Lat. ) and sought Jesus and found him not. But they found Joseph in Arimathaea, and no man durst lay hands upon him.
Ἀνέστη δὲ ὁ Νικόδημος καὶ ἔστη ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ συνεδρίου λέγων· ὀρθῶς λαλεῖτε. οὐκ ἀγνοεῖτε, λαὸς κυρίου, τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς κατελθόντας ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ὅτι αὐτοὶ φοβούμενοι τὸν θεόν εἰσιν καὶ ἄνδρες εὐπορίας, μισοῦντες πλεονεξίαν, ἄνδρες εἰρήνης· καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐξηγήσαντο μετὰ ὅρκου ὅτι εἴδαμεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ Μαμίλχ μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅτι ἐδίδασκεν ὅσα ἠκούσαμεν παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅτι εἴδαμεν αὐτὸν ἀναληφθέντα εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. καὶ οὐδεὶς ἠρώτησεν αὐτοὺς τὸ ποίῳ σχήματι ἀνελήφθη. καὶ γὰρ καθὼς ἐδίδασκεν ἡμᾶς τὸ τῶν ἁγίων γραφῶν βιβλίον, ὅτι καὶ Ἠλίας ἀνελήφθη εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ Ἐλισσαῖος ἐφώνησεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, καὶ ἔρριψεν Ἠλίας τὴν μηλωτὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπάνω τοῦ Ἐλισσαίου, καὶ ἔρριψεν Ἐλισσαῖος τὴν μηλωτὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπάνω τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, καὶ ἐπέρασεν καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Ἱεριχώ. καὶ ὑπήντησαν αὐτῷ τὰ τέκνα τῶν προφητῶν καὶ εἶπαν· Ἐλισσαῖε, ποῦ ὁ κύριός σου Ἠλίας; καὶ εἶπεν ὅτι ἀνελήφθη εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς Ἐλισσαῖον· μὴ πνεῦμα ἥρπασεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἔρριψεν ἐφ᾽ ἓν τῶν ὀρέων; ἀλλὰ λάβωμεν τοὺς παῖδας ἡμῶν μεθ᾽ ἑαυτῶν καὶ ζητήσωμεν αὐτόν. καὶ ἔπεισαν τὸν Ἐλισσαῖον, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν. καὶ ἐζήτησαν αὐτὸν τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ οὐχ εὗρον αὐτόν, καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι ἀνελήφθη. καὶ νῦν ἀκούσατέ μου, καὶ ἀποστείλωμεν ἐν παντὶ ὁρίῳ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἴδωμεν μή πως ἀπὸ πνεύματος ἀνελήφθη ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ ῥέριπται ἐν ἑνὶ τῶν ὀρέων. καὶ ἤρεσεν πᾶσιν ὁ λόγος οὗτος. καὶ ἀπέστειλαν ἐν παντὶ ὁρίῳ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἐζήτησαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ οὐχ εὗρον αὐτόν· εὗρον δὲ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ εἰς Ἀριμαθαίαν, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησεν κρατῆσαι αὐτόν. (136939)
2And they told the elders and the priests and the Levites, saying : We went about throughout all the coasts of Israel, and we found not Jesus; but Joseph we found in Arimathaea. And when they heard 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 how they should meet with Joseph, and they took a volume of paper and wrote unto Joseph these words: Peace be unto thee. We know that we have sinned against God and against thee, and we have prayed unto the God of Israel that thou shouldest vouchsafe to come unto thy fathers and unto thy children ( Lat. But thou didst pray unto the God of Israel, and he delivered thee out of our hands. Now therefore vouchsafe, &c.) for we are all troubled, because when we opened the door we found thee not: and we know that we devised an evil counsel against thee, but the Lord helped thee. And the Lord himself made of none effect (scattered) our counsel against thee, O father Joseph, thou that art honourable among all the people.
Καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν καὶ τοῖς Λευίταις ὅτι περιήλθομεν ἐν παντὶ ὁρίῳ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ οὐχ εὕρομεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν· τὸν δὲ Ἰωσὴφ εὕρομεν εἰς Ἀριμαθαίαν. ἀκούσαντες δὲ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἐχάρησαν καὶ ἔδωκαν δόξαν τῷ θεῷ Ἰσραήλ. καὶ συμβούλιον ποιήσαντες οἱ ἀρχισυνάγωγοι καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ποίῳ τρόπῳ συντύχωσιν τῷ Ἰωσήφ, ἔλαβον τόμον χάρτου καὶ ἔγραψαν τῷ Ἰωσὴφ τάδε· εἰρήνη σοι. οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν εἰς τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἰς σέ, καὶ ηὐξάμεθα τῷ θεῷ Ἰσραὴλ καταξιῶσαί σε ἐλθεῖν πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας σου καὶ πρὸς τὰ τέκνα σου, ὅτι ἐλυπήθημεν ἅπαντες· ἀνοίξαντες γὰρ τὴν θύραν οὐχ εὕρομέν σε. καὶ οἴδαμεν ὅτι βουλὴν κακὴν ἐβουλευσάμεθα κατὰ σοῦ, ἀλλὰ ὁ κύριος ἀντελάβετό σου, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος διεσκέδασεν τὴν βουλὴν ἡμῶν τὴν κατὰ σοῦ, τίμιε πάτερ Ἰωσήφ. (72688)
3And they chose out of all Israel seven men that were friends of Joseph, whom Joseph also himself accounted his friends, and the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites said unto them: See: if he receive our epistle and read it, know that he will come with you unto us: but if he read it not, know that he is vexed with us, and salute ye him in peace and return unto us. And they blessed the men and let them go. And the men came unto Joseph and did him reverence, and said unto him: Peace be unto thee. And he said: Peace be unto you and unto all the people of Israel. And they gave him the book of the epistle, and Joseph received it and read it and embraced ( or kissed) the epistle and blessed God and said: Blessed be the Lord God, which hath redeemed Israel from shedding innocent blood; and blessed be the Lord, which sent his angel and sheltered me under his wings. (And he kissed them) and set a table before them, and they did eat and drink and lay there.
Καὶ ἐξελέξαντο ἀπὸ παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ ἑπτὰ ἄνδρας φίλους τοῦ Ἰωσήφ, οὓς καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἐγνώριζεν, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτοῖς οἱ ἀρχισυνάγωγοι καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται· βλέπετε· εἰ δεξάμενος τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἡμῶν ἀναγνῷ, οἴδατε ὅτι μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν ἐλεύσεται πρὸς ἡμᾶς· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀναγνῷ, οἴδατε ὅτι κεκάκωται πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι αὐτὸν ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐπιστράφητε πρὸς ἡμᾶς. καὶ εὐλογήσαντες τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀπέλυσαν αὐτούς. καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ἄνδρες πρὸς Ἰωσήφ, καὶ προσεκύνησαν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτόν· εἰρήνη σοι. καὶ εἶπεν· εἰρήνη ὑμῖν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραήλ. οἱ δὲ ἐπέδωκαν αὐτῷ τὸ βιβλίον τῆς ἐπιστολῆς. καὶ δεξάμενος ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἀνέγνω καὶ περιεπτύξατο τὴν ἐπιστολήν, καὶ εὐλόγησεν τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπεν· εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεός, ὃς ἐλυτρώσατο τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ ἐκχέειν αὐτοὺς αἷμα ἀθῷον· καὶ εὐλογητὸς ὁ κύριος, ὃς ἐξαπέστειλεν τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐσκέπασέν με ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτοῦ. καὶ παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς τράπεζαν, καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον, καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν ἐκεῖ. (78844)
4And they rose up early and prayed: and Joseph saddled his she-ass and went with the men, and they came unto the holy city, even Jerusalem. And all the people came to meet Joseph and cried: Peace be to thine entering-in. And he said unto all the people: Peace be unto you, and all the people kissed him. And the people prayed with Joseph, and they were astonished at the sight of him. And Nicodemus received him into his house and made a great feast, and called Annas and Caiaphas and the elders and the priests and the Levites unto his house. And they made merry eating and drinking with Joseph. And when they had sung an hymn ( or blessed God) every man went unto his house. But Joseph abode in the house of Nicodemus.
Καὶ ὀρθρίσαντες ηὔξαντο· καὶ ἐπέσαξεν Ἰωσὴφ τὴν ὄνον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπορεύθη μετὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν, καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν πόλιν Ἱερουσαλήμ. καὶ ὑπήντησαν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τῷ Ἰωσὴφ καὶ ἔκραζον· εἰρήνη σοι ἐν τῇ εἰσόδῳ σου. καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς πάντα τὸν λαόν· εἰρήνη ὑμῖν, καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτούς. καὶ ηὔξαντο ὁ λαὸς σὺν τῷ Ἰωσήφ, καὶ ἐξίσταντο ἐπὶ τῇ θεωρίᾳ αὐτοῦ. καὶ ὑπεδέξατο αὐτὸν Νικόδημος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν δοχὴν μεγάλην, καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Ἄνναν καὶ Καϊάφαν καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ τοὺς Λευίτας εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. καὶ εὐφράνθησαν τρώγοντες καὶ πίνοντες σὺν τῷ Ἰωσήφ, καὶ ὑμνήσαντες ἕκαστος ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ· ὁ δὲ Ἰωσὴφ ἔμεινεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον Νικοδήμου. (61237)
5And on the morrow, which was the preparation, the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites rose up early and came to the house of Nicodemus, and Nicodemus met them and said: Peace be unto you. And they said: Peace be unto thee and to Joseph and unto all thy house and to all the house of Joseph. And he brought them into his house. And the whole council was set, and Joseph sat between Annas and Caiaphas and no man durst speak unto him a word. And Joseph said: Why is it that ye have called me? And they beckoned unto Nicodemus that he should speak unto Joseph. And Nicodemus opened his mouth and said unto Joseph: Father, thou knowest that the reverend doctors and the priests and the Levites seek to learn a matter of thee. And Joseph said: Inquire ye. And Annas and Caiaphas took the book of the law and adjured Joseph saying: Give glory to the God of Israel and make confession unto him: [for Achar, when he was adjured of the prophet Jesus (Joshua), forsware not himself but declared unto him all things and hid not a word from him: thou therefore also hide not from us so much as a word. And Joseph: I will not hide one word from you.] And they said unto him: We were greatly vexed because thou didst beg the body of Jesus and wrappedst it in a clean linen cloth and didst lay him in a tomb. And for this cause we put thee in safeguard in an house wherein was no window, and we put keys and seals upon the doors, and guards did keep the place wherein thou wast shut up. And on the first day of the week we opened it and found thee not, and we were sore troubled, and amazement fell upon all the people of the Lord until yesterday. Now, therefore, declare unto us what befell thee.
Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον, ἥτις ἦν παρασκευή, ὀρθρίσαντες οἱ ἀρχισυνάγωγοι καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται εἰς τὸν οἶκον Νικοδήμου, ὑπήντησεν αὐτοῖς Νικόδημος καὶ εἶπεν· εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. καὶ εἶπαν εἰρήνη σοι καὶ τῷ Ἰωσήφ, καὶ παντὶ τῷ οἴκῳ σου καὶ παντὶ τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰωσήφ. καὶ εἰσήνεγκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐκαθέσθη ἅπαν τὸ συνέδριον, καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ἐκάθισε μέσον Ἄννα καὶ Καϊάφα· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησεν λαλῆσαι αὐτῷ ῥῆμα. καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωσήφ· τί ὅτι ἐκεκλήκατέ με; διανεύουσιν δὲ τῷ Νικοδήμῳ λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν Ἰωσήφ. ἀνοίξας δὲ Νικόδημος τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εἶπεν τῷ Ἰωσήφ· πάτερ, οἶδας ὅτι οἱ τίμιοι διδάσκαλοι καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ζητοῦσιν παρὰ σοῦ μαθεῖν ῥῆμα. καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωσήφ· ἐρωτήσατε. καὶ λαβόντες τὸν νόμον Ἄννας καὶ Καϊάφας ὥρκισαν τὸν Ἰωσὴφ λέγοντες· δὸς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ δὸς αὐτῷ ἐξομολόγησιν. ὅτι ὁ Ἄχαρ ὁρκισθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ἰησοῦ οὐκ ἐπιώρκησεν, ἀλλὰ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτῷ πάντα, καὶ οὐκ ἔκρυψεν αὐτῷ ῥῆμα· καὶ σὺ οὖν μὴ κρύψῃς ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν ἕως ῥήματος. καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωσήφ· οὐ κρύψω ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν ῥῆμα ἕν. καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτόν· λύπῃ ἐλυπήθημεν ὅτι ᾐτήσω τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἐνετύλιξας αὐτὸ σινδόνι καθαρᾷ, καὶ ἔθηκας αὐτὸν ἐν μνήματι. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἠσφαλισάμεθά σε ἐν οἴκῳ ὅπου θυρὶς οὐκ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ κλεῖδας καὶ σφραγῖδας ἐπεθήκαμεν εἰς τὰς θύρας, καὶ παραφύλακες ἐτήρουν ὅπου ἦς κεκλεισμένος. καὶ τῇ μιᾷ τοῦ σαββάτου ἀνοίξαντες οὐχ εὕραμέν σε, καὶ ἐλυπήθημεν σφόδρα· καὶ ἔκστασις ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν κυρίου μέχρι τῆς ἐχθές. καὶ νῦν ἀνάγγειλον ἡμῖν τί γέγονας. (131398)
6And Joseph said: On the preparation day about the tenth hour ye did shut me up, and I continued there the whole sabbath. And at midnight as I stood and prayed the house wherein ye shut me up was taken up by the four corners, and I saw as it were a flashing of light in mine eyes, and being filled with fear I fell to the earth. And one took me by the hand and removed me from the place whereon I had fallen; and moisture of water was shed on me from my head unto my feet, and an odour of ointment came about my nostrils. And he wiped my face and kissed me and said unto me: Fear not, Joseph: open thine eyes and see who it is that speaketh with thee. And I looked up and saw Jesus and I trembled, and supposed that it was a spirit: and I said the commandments: and he said them with me. And [as] ye are not ignorant that a spirit, if it meet any man and hear the commandments, straightway fleeth. And when I perceived that he said them with me, I said unto him: Rabbi Elias? And he said unto me: I am not Elias. And I said unto him: Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me: I am Jesus, whose body thou didst beg of Pilate, and didst clothe me in clean linen and cover my face with a napkin, and lay me in thy new cave and roll a great stone upon the door of the cave. And I said to him that spake with me: Show me the place where I laid thee. And he brought me and showed me the place where I laid him, and the linen cloth lay therein, and the napkin that was upon his face. And I knew that it was Jesus. And he took me by the hand and set me in the midst of mine house, the doors being shut, and laid me upon my bed and said unto me: Peace be unto thee. And he kissed me and said unto me: Until forty days be ended go not out of thine house: for behold I go unto my brethren into Galilee.
Καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωσήφ· τῇ παρασκευῇ περὶ ὥραν δεκάτην ἀπεκλείσατέ με, καὶ ἔμεινα τὸ σάββατον πλῆρες. καὶ μεσούσης νυκτός, στήκοντός μου καὶ εὐχομένου, ὁ οἶκος ὅπου ἐνεκλείσατέ με ἐκρεμάσθη ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων γωνιῶν, καὶ εἶδον ὡς ἀστραπὴν φωτὸς εἰς τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου. καὶ ἔμφοβος γενόμενος ἔπεσα χαμαί. καὶ ἐπελάβετό μου τῆς χειρός τις καὶ ἐξέβαλέν με ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου ὅπου ἤμην πεπτωκώς, καὶ ἰκμὰς ὕδατος ἐξεχύθη ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς μου μέχρι τῶν ποδῶν μου, καὶ ὀσμὴ μύρου ἦλθεν περὶ τοὺς μυκτῆράς μου. καὶ ἐκμάξας μου τὸ πρόσωπον κατεφίλησέν με καὶ εἶπέν μοι· μὴ φοβοῦ, Ἰωσήφ· ἄνοιξον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου καὶ ἴδε τίς ἐστιν ὁ λαλῶν σοι. καὶ ἀναβλέψας εἶδον τὸν Ἰησοῦν· καὶ ἔντρομος γενάμενος ἐδόκουν φάντασμα εἶναι, καὶ τὰ προστάγματα ἔλεγον· καὶ αὐτὸς συνέλεγέν μοι. καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἀγνοεῖτε ὅτι φάντασμα, ἐὰν συναντήσει τινὶ καὶ ἀκούσῃ τῶν προσταγμάτων, φυγῇ φεύγει· καὶ ἰδὼν ὅτι συνέλεγέν μοι, εἶπον αὐτῷ· ῥαββὶ Ἠλία. καὶ εἶπέν μοι· οὐκ εἰμὶ Ἠλίας. καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· τίς εἶ, κύριε; καὶ εἶπέν μοι ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς, οὗ καὶ τὸ σῶμα ᾔτησω παρὰ Πιλάτου, καὶ ἐνέδυσάς με σινδόνι καθαρᾷ καὶ σουδάριον ἐπέθηκας ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν μου, καὶ ἔθηκάς με ἐν τῷ μνημείῳ σου τῷ καινῷ, καὶ ἐκύλισας λίθον μέγαν πρὸς τὴν θύραν τοῦ μνημείου. καὶ εἶπον τῷ λαλοῦντί μοι· δεῖξόν μοι τὸν τόπον ὅπου ἔθηκά σε. καὶ ἀπήνεγκέν με καὶ ἔδειξέν μοι τὸν τόπον ὅπου ἔθηκα αὐτόν, καὶ τὸ σινδόνιον ἔκειτο ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ τὸ σουδάριον τὸ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπέγνων ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστίν. καὶ ἐπελάβετό μου τῆς χειρὸς καὶ ἔστησέν με τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων μέσον τοῦ οἴκου μου, καὶ ἀπήγαγέν με εἰς τὴν κλίνην μου καὶ εἶπέν μοι· εἰρήνη σοι. καὶ κατεφίλησέν με καὶ εἶπέν μοι· ἕως τεσσαράκοντα ἡμερῶν μὴ ἐξέλθῃς ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου σου· ἰδοὺ γὰρ πορεύομαι πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. (151114)