The Apocryphal New Testament (Hone 1820: Protevangelion, Infancy Gospels, Nicodemus, Paul & Thecla, Apostolic Fathers incl. Hermas)

Our present text of this book depends in the main upon a single Arabic manuscript, now lost, which was used by Sike, the first editor, in 1697. There are now known to be other manuscripts at Rome and Florence, but they have not been fully collated. The greater part of the book, however, is also embodied in a Syriac History of the Virgin which was edited and translated by Sir E. A. Wallis Budge in 1899. The Arabic Gospel is a late compilation, as has been shown most clearly by Father P. Peeters in his recent French edition (1914, Bvangiles apocryplies, ii). The book falls into several divisions: T iq q lgfp nntp nrpfiyp^ II-IX. The Nativity to the Flight into Egypt. The Protevangelium is the ultimate source of some parts of this. X-XXV. Miracles in Egypt, some of which show influence of late local traditions. XXVI-XXXV. Return to Nazareth. Miracles done there, which do not occur in other texts. XXXVI-LIII. Further miracles, mostly derived from Thomas : ending with Jesus in the Temple. LIV. Baptism of Jesus. A briefer analysis of this book will suffice than in the case of PseudoMatthew. I. States that it is found in the book of Joseph the highpriest in the time of Christ, who some say is Caiaphas, that Jesus in the cradle proclaimed his Godhead.

II. The decree of Augustus in the year 300 (or 304) of the era of Alexander. The Birth in a cave. An old Hebrew woman comes as midwife. III. Her hands are withered (?) because of her unbelief, and she is healed. (There is a gap in the text.) IV. The Shepherds. The midwife praises God. V. The Circumcision. V, VI. The Presentation. VII. The Magi. VIII. They bring back one of Jesus’ swaddling cloths which is proof against fire, and is preserved with veneration. IX. The Flight. X, XI. Arrival in Egypt. An idol announces the presence of a God, and falls. The demoniac son of a priest is healed. XII. Alarm of Joseph and Mary. XIII. Robbers hear a noise of an approaching host and flee, leaving their captives. Joseph and Mary arrive, and the captives ask who is the king who is coming. Answer: ‘He is coming on after us.’ XIV. A demoniac woman healed. XV. A dumb bride healed. XVI. A woman oppressed by a demon-serpent relieved. XVII. A leprous girl healed by water in which Jesus was washed. XVIII. A leprous child healed in like manner. XIX. A hus¬ band and wife released from a spell. XX, XXI. The brother of two women, who had been changed into a mule, restored by having Jesus placed on his back (Peeters points out the identity of this miracle with one told of St. Macarius in the Historia Lausiaca of Palladius). XXII. The leprous girl of XVII married to the brother.

XXIII. The robbers Titus and Dumachus (the good and bad thieves of the Crucifixion) capture them. Titus redeems them: XXIV. At Matarieh in Egypt a spring bursts forth and balm originates from the sweat of Jesus. XXV. They lived three years at Misr (Cairo) and saw Pharaoh. Many miracles were done which are not written in the Gospel of the Infancy or in the complete Gospel (probably the Canonical Gospels are meant). These chapters are an Egyptian interpolation not earlier than the twelfth century. XXVI. Return to Nazareth. XXVII. At Bethlehem a sick child healed. XXVIII. A child diseased in the eyes healed. XXIX. Two women, mothers of children. One child dies, the other, Cleopas, is healed. The mother of the dead throws Cleopas first into an oven, then into a well: he is uninjured: she herself falls into the well and is killed. XXX. One of two twin boys healed—the Bartholomew of the Gospels. XXXI. A leprous 1 The meeting with the good thief is told in other places: in the B Recension (Greek) of the Acts of Pilate; and by Aelred of Rievaulx (de Vita Eremitica ad Sororem, xlviii: printed with St. Augustine’s works, ed. Bened. I, App. 51: Migne P. L. xxxii). Aelred’s form is thus:

Do not in thy meditation pass over the gifts of the Magi: nor leave him without company when he flees into Egypt. Think that to be true which is told, that he was captured by robbers in the way and saved by the kindness of a youth. This was, they say, the son of the chief of the robbers, and when he got possession of his prey, and found the child on his mother’s breast, such splendour of majesty appeared in his lovely face that the youth , not doubting that he was more than man, inflamed with love embraced him and said: O most blessed of children, if ever there come a time for having mercy on me, then remember me and forget not this hour. This they say was the robber who was crucified on Christ’s right hand, and when the other blasphemed, said: Dost thou not fear God (and the rest), and turning to the Lord and beholding him in that majesty which he had seen in him as a child, and not forgetful of his pact, said: Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. So as an incentive of love I think it not useless to hold this belief, though I would not rashly affirm its truth.

woman healed. XXXII. A leprous bride healed. XXXIII, XXXIV. A woman haunted by a dragon freed by one of Christ’s swaddling cloths. XXXV. Judas, a child possessed by the devil, smites Jesus, and the devil leaves him in the form of a dog. XXXVI. Jesus (seven years old) makes figures of all sorts of animals of clay, and makes them walk, fly, and feed. XXXVII. The story of the Dyer Salem (see above). XXXVIII. Jesus lengthens or shortens beams which Joseph had cut wrongly: for he was not clever at his trade. XXXIX. A bed made for the king of Jerusalem pulled out to the right size. XL. The children in the oven (see above). XLI. In the month of Adar the boys make Jesus their king, and passers by have to stop and salute him. XLII. The parents of a child bitten by a snake come, and are stopped: Jesus goes with them to the snake’s nest and makes it suck out the poison: it bursts: the child is healed: he was Simon Zelotes. XLIII. James bitten by the viper and healed. XLIV. Zeno falls from the house and is raised. XLV.. Jesus brings water in his cloak. XLVI. The pools and sparrows of clay. The son of Hanan spoils the pools and is palsied. XLVII. The child who ran against Jesus falls dead. XLVIII. Taught by Zacheus, who is confounded by his wisdom. XLIX. Taught by another master, who smites him and dies.

L. With the doctors at Jerusalem: questioned about the Law. LI. Questioned about astronomy. LII. And by a philosopher about philosophy: he answers all perfectly. LIII. Is found by Mary and Joseph. Returns with them. LIV. He lived in obscurity until his baptism. LV. Doxology. The stories which this book has in common with Thomas are rather shortly told and do not help to solve difficulties in the older text. The long series of healings in Egypt and at Bethlehem is monotonous: for the most part the Virgin is the prominent figure in them. It is to her that the sufferers apply, and she gives them the water in which the child has been washed, or some of his linen, or allows them to touch him. There is an echo of the story in ch. xli in a Western book, the Vita Rhythmica of the Virgin and Christ, a long Latin rhyming composition of the thirteenth century, edited by Vogtlin (Bibl. d. Litterar. Vereins in Stuttgart, no. 180, 1888). In 11. 2,564 sqq. it is said that the Egyptian boys crowned Jesus as king: and again in 2,612, after the return from Egypt, the boys made him their king and called him domicellus , ‘young Lord’. The sources of this Vita are enumerated by the compiler, and are ostensibly Greek to a large extent—Germanus, Theophilus, Epiphanius, Ignatius are named, as well as the Infantia Salvatoris. With it should be read the Latin stories printed from a Giessen manuscript by O. Schade, Kdnigsberg, 1876, Narrationes de vita et conversations B.VJM, & o. They follow the text of the Vita Rhythmica closely.

The only accessible edition of this is the excellent French one of P. Peeters in Svangiles apocryphes , ii, 1914 (Textes et Documents : Hemmer & Lejay). It is a very long text, occupying over 200 pages of print. Like the other secondary documents with which we have been dealing, it is ultimately dependent on the Protevangelium and the Gospel of Thomas, but the data of both are enormously amplified. It comes into Armenian from Syriac, but the date of the Syriac book from which it was translated is open to question. An Infancy Gospel was brought into Armenia by Nestorian missionaries in 590. This cannot be the present text: on the other hand, an Armenian writer of the twelfth century mentions a book of the Infancy which may be ours. I. ‘Rdcit de Saint Jacques, fr&re du Seigneur.’ Story of the birth of Mary. It begins abruptly with Joachim’s retirement to the desert, and follows the Protevangelium with some omissions and many expansions. In III is a long digression about Zacharias. In IV the marriage: Joseph’s protests are much lengthened. V has an immense dialogue between Gabriel and the Virgin. VI, another between the Virgin and Joseph. VII. The water of jealousy.

VIII. The decree of Augustus and the Nativity: the silence of creation is related. Joseph in his search for a midwife meets first Eve, who comes to see the promise of redemption fulfilled: then Salome, whose unbelief and cure are told of. X. The Shepherds. XI. The Magi, Melkon, king of Persia, Gaspar, of India, Balthasar, of Arabia. This episode is very long. The Magi bring with them the testament which Adam delivered to Seth. XII. The Presentation. XIII. The Massacre of the Innocents. XIV. The death of Zacharias and escape of John ( Protev .). XV. The Flight and Sojourn in Egypt. The fall of idols and temples is told at vast length. The Family dwell for a time with a prince called Eleazar (who appears under the name of Lazarus in Budge’s Syriac History). XVI. The beginning of the return. There is more destruction of temples and there are healings of children, and also the first of several scenes—protracted to great length—in which Jesus is accused of causing the death of a child and is summoned before a judge. Long dialogues take place, and finally the dead child is raised to exculpate Jesus; after which he sometimes dies again. XVIII. Continues these stories. XIX, XX. Jesus is sent at the suggestion of the King (of Bethlehem, Barjesus) to learn from Gamaliel, who is confounded by his wisdom: then follows the story of the throne made straight. XXI. The story of the dyer, Israel, at Tiberias. XXII. Another trial of Jesus. XXIII Miracles (or tricks) wrought on children on a mountain. XXIV

Cure of a leper at Emmaus, with a very long dialogue. XXV. They go to Nazareth. Jesus arbitrates between two brothers, Malachias and Micheas. XXVI. Cure of a man, Hiram. XXVII. Cure of an old man, Balthasar: long dialogue. XXVIII. Jesus arbitrates between two soldiers. There is on the whole little of ancient flavour in the book, and it does not seem to preserve any details, which are not to be found else¬ where, of the old tradition. The diffuseness of the expansions reminds one of the Armenian version of 4 Esdras, which takes the most unwarrantable liberties with the text. HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER, OR DEATH OF JOSEPH This is an Egyptian book, not earlier than the fourth century in date, and very probably later: it exists in fragments in Sahidic, complete in Bohairic (the dialects of Upper and Lower Egypt respec¬ tively), and complete also in Arabic. A Latin version made in the fourteenth century from the Arabic exists, but has not been printed. The object of the book is the glorification of St. Joseph and his feast-day: his cult, so popular in the West, was long confined to Egypt. The interest of it lies in a few reminiscences of earlier books, and in the picturesque and highly Egyptian descriptions of death. The lamentations of Joseph and his prayers find many parallels in the literature of Christian Egypt, and especially in the Coptic accounts of the death of the Virgin.

The order of the book is as follows (I use Forbes Robinson’s and Peeters’s versions): Proem: ‘This is the going forth from the body of our father Joseph the carpenter, the father of Christ according to flesh, whose life was 111 years.’ It was told by Christ to the apostles on Mount Olivet, was written down by them, and laid up in the library at Jerusalem. The day of the death was the 26th of the month Epep. I. Christ on Mount Olivet addresses the apostles : on the certainty of death and the justice of God, &c. II. Joseph was of Bethlehem: he was a carpenter, and married and had four sons, Judas, Josetos (Arab. Justus), James, Simon, and two daughters, Lysia (Arab. Asia) and Lydia. His wife died, leaving James still young. III. Mary was being brought up in the Temple till she was twelve years old. The priests decided to give her to a husband. IV. The lot fell on Joseph. Mary brought up James and was called Mary of James. Two years passed. V. ‘I came and dwelt in her.’ Joseph’s perplexity. VI. Re¬ assured by Gabriel.

VII. Decree of Caesar. The Birth ‘by the tomb of Rachel’. VIII. Herod sought to slay me. The Flight: Salome was with us. A year in Egypt. IX. Return to Nazareth. Joseph worked at his trade. X. His health and strength were unimpaired: he lived to be 111. XI. Josetos and Symeon married. Joseph dwelt with James. I was subject to Mary and to him. XII. Joseph’s death drew nigh. He went to the temple and prayed at the altar. XIII. His prayer to be saved from the terrors after death, ‘the river of fire wherein all souls are purified before they see the glory of God’. XIV. He returned to Nazareth and fell ill. The dates of his life: he was 40 when he married, and was married forty-nine years: a year alone after his wife’s death. Two years with Mary before the Nativity. XV. His strength gave way and he was troubled and uttered a lamentation (XVI) over all the parts of his body, for their several transgressions. XVII. I went to him. His greeting and address: he told of his doubt about Mary, and of another incident (a fusion of two stories in Thomas ). The Sahidic tells it thus: I remember also the day that the horned serpent bit the lad on his foot and he died. His relations were gathered unto thee, wishing to take thee and deliver thee to Herod the lawless. And I found thee (Boh.

Thy mercy found him), and thy godhead laid hold of him and he lived; and when thou didst raise him up to his parents there was great joy to them. But I requested thee, O my beloved son, saying'. Be quiet in all things: and I took hold of thy right ear and pulled it. Thou didst answer, saying unto me: Unless thou wert my father according to the flesh, surely I would have warned thee because thou didst pull my right ear. (The Bohairic has slight variants, and the Arabic softens the incident by saying, ‘I took hold of thy hand’.)

XVIII. I wept. My mother asked if Joseph must die, and I told her that it must be so. XIX. I sat at his head, Mary at his feet. I felt his heart and found that the soul was in his throat. XX. Mary felt his feet and legs and found them cold as ice. The brethren and sisters were summoned. Lysia the eldest daughter (‘who is the seller of purple’, Sahidic: cf. Acts xvi. 14) lamented: so did all. XXI. I looked at the south of the door and saw Death, and Amente following with their satellites ‘decani’ armed with fire. Joseph saw them and feared. I rebuked them and they fled. Death hid himself behind the door. I prayed. XXII. Prayer for protection for the soul of Joseph ‘until it cross the seven aeons of darkness’. ‘Let the river of fire be as water and the sea of demons cease vexing.’ Address to the apostles on the terrors of death. XXIII. When I had said Amen, my mother answering me in the language of the inhabitants of the heavens, Michael, Gabriel, and the choir of the angels came. Numbness and panting seized on Joseph. Death seeing me dared not enter. I arose and went outside and bade him go in and do his appointed work, but deal gently. Then Abbaton went in and took the soul, at sunrise on 26th Epep. Michael and Gabriel put the soul into a precious silken napkin and the angels took it away, singing. (The passage about Death (Abbaton) is only in Sahidic: the Bohairic shortens the section.)

XXIV. I sat down by the body and closed the eyes and mouth; and comforted Mary and the rest. XXV. The people of Nazareth came and mourned till the ninth hour. Then I put all forth, anointed and washed the body. 4 1 prayed to my Father with heavenly prayers which I wrote with my own fingers on the tables of heaven before I took flesh in the holy Virgin Mary.’ Angels came and shrouded the body. XXVI. I blessed it from all corruption ; pronounced blessings on all who celebrate his memory by good deeds or write the story of his death. XXVII. The chief men of the place came to prepare the body, and found it already shrouded. The burial. I wept. XXVIII. The lament of Jesus. XXIX. The body was laid in the tomb beside Jacob his father. XXX. We the apostles rejoiced to hear all this. We asked why Joseph should not have been exempted from death like Enoch and Elias. XXXI. Jesus speaks of the inevitableness of death, and tells how Enoch and Elias still have to die, and are in trouble until their death is over. Antichrist will shed the blood of two men (Arab, four) like a cup of water, because of the reproaches they will heap upon him.

XXXII. We asked: Who are the two whom he will slay? Answer: Enoch and Elias. (Arabic has, ‘Who are the Four whom he will slay? Answer: Enoch, Elias, Schila, and Tabitha.’ Mr. W. E. Crum has shown that for Schila we ought to read Sibylla. This gives two men and two women. Nothing is laiown of stories in which the Sibyl is killed by Antichrist, but in the Coptic Apocalypse of Elias, Tabitha figures prominently, with¬ standing Antichrist and being slain by him.) The book ends with a doxology of the apostles. There are a number of Lives, Panegyrics, Discourses, &c„ in Coptic, complete and fragmentary, which tell the story of the Virgin’s birth. In Forbes Robinson’s Coptic Apocryphal Gospels ares I. A Sahidic fragment of a homily, perhaps attributed to Evodius of Antioch, disciple of the apostles. This tells of Joakim—formerly called Cleopas—and Anna, and of the way in which they were taunted by the men and women they met when they went to Jerusalem, because they had no children: and of their grief in consequence. Each then had a vision of a white dove: it came and sat on Joakim’s head, and on Anna’s bosom. Anna had another vision with a prediction of Mary’s birth. Mary was born on the 15th of Hathor. Zacharias was warned by an angel to tell Anna and Joakim to dedicate Mary in three years’ time.

II a. (Sahidic.) Mary is brought to the Temple and lives there, fed by angels. Her chastity and sobriety of attire are described in terms which recur in other panegyrics, especially that of Demetrius: see below. II b. The Annunciation. Decree of Augustus. Nativity. Before it, Mary’s face is radiant and then troubled, but her vision of two peoples is not mentioned. Joseph goes to find a midwife. There seem to be only rather faint memories of the Protevangelium in these fragments. In Budge’s Miscellaneous Coptic Texts, 1915, are some which bear on this subject, viz. 1. p. 620. The Twentieth Discourse of Cyril of Jerusalem. In this Mary is represented as saying to Cyril: ‘I was a child promised to God, and my parents dedicated me to Him before I came into the world. My parents . . . were of the tribe of Judah and house of David. My father was Joakim, which is being interpreted Kleopa. My mother was Anna . . . who was usually called Mariham. I am Mary Magdalene because the name of the village wherein I was born was Magdalia. My name is Mary of Cleopa. I am Mary of James the son of Joseph the carpenter.’

p. 631. We are told that in the village of Magdalia dwelt a rich and devout man David. A vision told him that the Redeemer should come out of his family. His wife Sara bore him a child whom the father called Joakim, and the mother Cleopa. He married Anna, daughter of Aminadab, David’s brother. They were childless. After many days they went to the Temple, prayed for a child, and promised to dedicate it to God. A voice came, saying that their prayer was heard. Mary was born, dedicated in the Temple at three years old, and brought up there till she was fifteen. The reckless identification of the Virgin Mary with all the other Maries of the Gospels is characteristic of these Egyptian rhapsodies. In the Book of Bartholomew the appearance of Christ to Magdalene after the resurrection is turned into an appearance to his mother: and so too in another Coptic fragment on the Passion described later on. 2. Discourse by Demetrius of Antioch. p. 653. There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Joakim and he had a wife whose name was Susanna (sic. else¬ where in the discourse it is Anna). They were childless and prayed for a child. A man of light appeared and promised them a daughter whom they were to dedicate to God. She was born on 15th of Athor and dedicated. The description of her habits is almost identical with that in fragment II a of Robinson.

When she was twelve the priests decided to commit her to the care of a man. The lot fell on Joseph. She sat in his house and weaved the veil of the Temple. Angels ministered to her in the form of doves or some other kind of holy bird. ‘They flew about her in the place where she used to sit working at her handicraft, and they would alight upon the window of her room and they longed to hear her holy voice, which was sweet, and pretty, and holy.’ We then read of the Annunciation and the salutation of Gabriel—of great length—the Visitation, Decree of Caesar, journey to Bethlehem. Joseph looked at Mary and saw her whole body shining, and that she was greatly moved, for the time of the birth drew nigh. A great star appeared and excited much comment. At dawn on the 29th of Khoiak, Mary asked Joseph to seek a woman to help her. He found one on the roof of her house, and asked if she knew a midwife. She said: ‘Thou art Joseph the husband of Mary,’ and came down, and put on her finest apparel. Before they reached the caravanserai the child was born. The woman’s name was Salome. When they entered the house they saw the Child in the manger and the ox and ass protecting him. Salome worshipped him. She was the first who recognized the Christ, and she followed him everywhere throughout his life. ‘I wish very much that I might describe unto you fully the life of that woman and her acts and deeds . . .’ but there is not time. 1

The story is continued with some few non-Biblical details to the Flight into Egypt, on p. 682. The killing of Zacharias is shortly told in agreement with the account in the Protevangelium. 3. The Discourse of Epiphanius. This has very few points of contact with the Apocrypha. It does tell the whole story of Salome, and simply transfers to her a great part of the legend of Thais or of Mary the niece of the hermit Abraham. is mentioned that Mary was working when the Annunciation took place. 4. The Discourse of Cyril of Alexandria. In this the care of Mary for her child, and her intercourse with him, is rather prettily described. 4 She used to take hold of his hand and lead him along the roads, saying, “My sweet son, walk a little way”, in the same manner as all other babes are taught to walk. And he, Jesus, the very God, followed after her untroubled. He clung to her with his little fingers, he stopped from time to time, and he hung on to the skirts of Mary his mother, he upon whom the whole universe hangeth. He would lift up his eyes to her face . . . and she would catch him up to herself and lift him up in her arms, and walk along with him.’

At p. 721 is essentially the same description of the Virgin’s habits that we have found in Robinson, II a, and Demetrius. These documents on the whole show great negligence in the use of ancient sources and great licence on the part of the writers; and I think this is rather characteristic of the Christian literature of Egypt. When we come to the Passion-narratives and the Acts and Apocalypses we shall encounter some striking instances of the taking of liberties with texts. By way of a curiosity, and to dispel illusions that may perhaps be entertained, I add a short note on a modern forgery, ‘The childhood of Christ—translated from the Latin by Henry Copley Greene, with original text of the manuscript at the monastery of St. Wolfgang. New York: Scott-Thaw Co. London: Burns & Oates. 1904.’ This is the form in which some readers may have met the book. The original is: ‘L’Evangile de la jeunesse de Not re-Seigneur J^sus-Christ d’apr&s S. Pierre.* Latin text and French version by Catulle Mendfcs: Paris, Armand Colin, 1894. All that we are told of the provenance of the Latin text is that it was ‘found some years ago in the ancient abbey of St. Wolfgang in the Salzkammergut*. The opening words of the prologue attribute the work to St. Peter. It is a sentimentalized compilation from Protevangelium, Pseudo-Matthew, the Latin Thomas, and the Arabic Gospel. It claims to be at least mediaeval in date, but the claim is made null by the simple fact that the Latin contains many phrases from Sike’s Latin version of the Arabic Gospel, which was written in 1697.

Perhaps one specimen of the turn which is given to the original stories may be given. In the case of the boy who runs against Jesus, Jesus laments, saying, ‘Non ploro quia malum mihi inflixum est, sed quia malum altero inflixurus sum. Euh! frater mi,* &c. He then puts his hand on the boy’s forehead, saying, ‘ Quoniam pulsavisti, cade, et quoniam vitae in me currens offendisti, siste in morte ’. (Because you have pushed me, fall; and because by running against me you have offended (or stumbled against) life, continue dead.) The ooy dies and Jesus mourns for twelve days.

Presumably the Latin text as well as the French version may be regarded as the work of Catulle Mendfes. Three other modern forgeries about the Life of Christ I will just name—more to show my consciousness of their existence than because they are at all interesting. One is a life said to have been found in a Buddhist monastery in Tibet, and connected with the name of Notovich as discoverer or translator. The second is a ridiculous and disgusting American book called ‘The Archko Volume’. The third is the Letter of Benan (an Egyptian physician), shown by Professor Carl Schmidt (Der Benanbrief , 1919) to have been forged by Ernst Edler von der Planitz. This, I believe, had a great vogue recently in Central Europe, but I have never heard of it in an English dress.

The early testimonies about this book have been set forth already. The present fragment was discovered in 1884 in a tomb at Akhmim in Egypt. The manuscript in which it is is a little book containing a portion of the Book of Enoch in Greek, this fragment on the Passion, and another, a description of Heaven and Hell, which is either (as I now think) a second fragment of the Gospel, or a piece of the Apocalypse of Peter. It will be given later under that head. We have seen that the Gospel of Peter is quoted by writers of the latter end of the second century. It has been contended that Justin Martyr also used it soon after the middle of that century, but the evidence is not demonstrative. I believe it is not safe to date the book much earlier than a.d. 150. It uses all four canonical Gospels, and is the earliest uncanonical account of the Passion that exists. It is not wholly orthodox: for it throws doubt on the reality of the Lord’s sufferings, and by consequence upon the reality of his human body. In other words it is, as Serapion of Antioch indicated, of a Docetic character.

Another characteristic of it is its extremely anti-Jewish attitude. Blame is thrown on the Jews wherever possible, and Pilate is white¬ washed. In this case I give, in Roman and Arabic figures respectively, a double division into sections and verses. The first is that of Armitage Robinson, the second that of Harnack. I. 1 But of the Jews no man washed his hands, neither did Herod nor any one of his judges: and whereas they would not 2 wash, Pilate rose up. And then Herod the king commanded that the Lord should be taken into their hands , saying unto them: All that I commanded you to do unto him, do ye. II. 3 Now there stood there Joseph the friend of Pilate and of the Lord, and he, knowing that they were about to crucify him, came unto Pilate and begged the body of Jesus for 4 burial. And Pilate sending unto Herod, begged his body. 5 And Herod said: Brother Pilate, even if none had begged for him, we should have buried him, since also the sabbath dawneth; for it is written in the law that the sun should not set upon one that hath been slain (murdered).

III. 6 And he delivered him unto the people before the first day of (or on the day before the) unleavened bread, even their feast. And they having taken the Lord pushed him as they ran, and said: Let us hale the Son of God, now that 7 we have gotten authority over him. And they put on him a purple robe, and made him sit upon the seat of judgement, 8 saying: Give righteous judgement, thou King of Israel. And one of them brought a crown of thorns and set it upon the others buffeted his cheeks; and others did prick him with a reed, and some of them scourged him, saying: With this honour let us honour (or at this price let us value) the son of God. IV. 10 And they brought two malefactors, and crucified the pain. And when they set the cross upright, they wrote 12 thereon: This is the King of Israel. And they laid his gar¬ ments before him, and divided them among themselves and 13 cast the lot upon them. But one of those malefactors reproached them, saying: We have thus suffered for the evils which we have done; but this man which hath become the

14 saviour of men, wherein hath he injured you? And they were wroth with him, and commanded that his legs should not be broken, that so he might die in torment. V. 15 Now it was noonday, and darkness prevailed over all Judaea: and they were troubled and in an agony lest the sun should have set, for that he yet lived: for it is written for them that the sun should not set upon him that hath been 16 slain (murdered). And one of them said: Give ye him to drink gall with vinegar: and they mingled it and gave him 17 to drink: and they fulfilled all things and accomplished 18 their sins upon their own heads. And many went about with 19 lamps, supposing that it was night: and some fell. And the Lord cried out aloud saying: My power, my power, thou hast forsaken me. And when he had so said, he was taken up. VI. 21 And then they plucked the nails from the hands of the Lord and laid him upon the earth: and the whole earth was shaken, and there came a great fear on all. 23 hour. And the Jews rejoiced, and gave his body unto Joseph to bury it, because he had beheld all the good things which

24 he did. And he took the Lord and washed him and wrapped him in linen and brought him unto his own sepulchre, which is called the Garden of Joseph. VII. 25 Then the Jews and the elders and the priests, when they perceived how great evil they had done themselves, began to lament and to say: Woe unto our sins: the judgement and the end of Jerusalem is drawn nigh. in our minds and would have hid ourselves; for we were sought after by them as malefactors, and as thinking to set 27 the temple on fire. And beside all these things we were fasting, and we sat mourning and weeping night and day until the sabbath. VIII. 28 But the scribes and Pharisees and elders gathered one with another, for they had heard that all the people were murmuring and beating their breasts, saying: If these very great signs have come to pass at his death, behold how 29 righteous he was. And the elders were afraid and came unto 30 Pilate, entreating him and saying: Give us soldiers that we (or they) may watch his sepulchre for three days, lest his disciples come and steal him away and the people suppose

81 that he is risen from the dead, and do us hurt. And Pilate gave them Petronius the centurion with soldiers to watch the sepulchre; and the elders and scribes came with them unto 82 the tomb, and when they had rolled a great stone to keep out ( al . together with) the centurion and the soldiers, then all 83 that were there together set it upon the door of the tomb ; and plastered thereon seven seals ; and they pitched a tent there and kept watch. IX. 34 And early in the morning as the sabbath dawned, there came a multitude from Jerusalem and the region round about to see the sepulchre that had been sealed. soldiers were keeping guard two by two in every watch, 86 there came a great sound in the heaven, and they saw the heavens opened and two men descend thence, shining with (lit. having) a great light, and drawing near unto the sepulchre. of itself and went back to the side, and the sepulchre was X. 38 opened and both of the young men entered in. When therefore those soldiers saw that , they waked up the cen¬ turion and the elders (for they also were there keeping

89 watch) ; and while they were yet telling them the things which they had seen, they saw again three men come out of the sepulchre, and two or them sustaining the other (lit. the 40 one), and a cross following after them. And of the two they saw that their heads reached unto heaven, but of him that 41 was led by them that it overpassed the heavens. And they 42 heard a voice out of the heavens sayings Hast thou (or Thou hast) preached unto them that sleep? And an answer was heard from the cross, saying : Yea. XI. 43 Those men therefore took counsel one with another to 44 go and report these things unto Pilate. And while they yet thought thereabout, again the heavens were opened and a 45 man descended and entered into the tomb. And they that were with the centurion (or the centurion and they that were with him) when they saw that, hasted to go by night unto Pilate and left the sepulchre whereon they were keeping watch, and told all that they had seen, and were in great agony, saying s Of a truth he was the son of God.

46 Pilate answered and said: I am clear from the blood of 47 the son of God, but thus it seemed good unto you. Then all they came and besought him and exhorted him to charge the centurion and the soldiers to tell nothing of that they had 48 seen: For, said they, it is expedient for us to incur the greatest sin before God, rather than to (and not to) fall into 49 the hands of the people of the Jews and to be stoned. Pilate therefore charged the centurion and the soldiers that they should say nothing. XII. 50 Now early on the Lord’s day Mary Magdalene, a disciple (Jem.) of the Lord— which , being afraid because of the Jews, for they were inflamed with anger, had not per¬ formed at the sepulchre of the Lord those things which women are accustomed to do unto them that die and are 51 beloved of them—took with her the women her friends and 52 came unto the tomb where he was laid. And they feared lest the Jews should see them, and said: Even if we were not able to weep and lament him on that day whereon he was

53 crucified, yet let us now do so at his tomb. But who will roll away for us the stone also that is set upon the door of the tomb, that we may enter in and sit beside him and perform 54 that which is due ? for the stone was great, and we fear lest any man see us. And if we cannot do so, yet let us cast down at the door these things which we bring for a memorial of him, and we will weep and lament until we come unto our house. XIII. 55 And they went and found the sepulchre open: and they drew near and looked in there, and saw there a young man sitting in the midst of the sepulchre, of a fair countenance and clad in very bright raiment, which said unto them: 66 Wherefore are ye come ? whom seek ye ? not him that was crucified? He is risen and is departed; but if ye believe it not, look in and see the place where he lay, that he is not here : for he is risen and is departed thither whence he was sent. 67 Then the women were affrighted and fled.

XIV. 58 Now it was the last day of unleavened bread, and many were coming forth of the city and returning unto their 59 own homes because the feast was at an end. But we, the twelve disciples of the Lord, were weeping and were in sorrow, and each one being grieved for that which had befallen 60 departed unto his own house. But I, Simon Peter, and Andrew my brother, took our nets and went unto the sea: and there was with us Levi the son of Alphaeus, whom the Lord (For Fragment II see Apocalypse of Peter.) We have as yet no true critical edition of this book: one is in pre¬ paration, by E. von Dobschutz, to be included in the Berlin corpus of Greek Ante-Nicene Christian writers. A short statement of the authorities available at this moment is therefore necessary. Tischendorf in his Evangelia Apocrypha divides the whole writing into two parts: (1) the story of the Passion; (2) the Descent into Hell; and prints the following forms of each: six in all: 1. Part I, Recension A in Greek from eight manuscripts, and a Latin translation of the Coptic version in the notes. 2. Part I, Recension B in Greek from three late manuscripts.

8. Part II (Descent into Hell) in Greek from three manuscripts. 4. Part I in Latin, using twelve manuscripts, and some old editions. 5. Part II in Latin (A) from four manuscripts. 6. Part II in Latin (B) from three manuscripts. Tischendorf’s must be described as an eclectic text not representing, probably, any one single line of transmission: but it presents the book in a readable, and doubtless, on the whole, correct form. There are, besides the Latin, three ancient versions of Part I of considerable importance, viz.: Coptic , preserved in an early papyrus at Turin, and in some frag¬ ments at Paris. Last edited by Revillout in Patrologia orientalis , ix. 2. Syriac , edited by Rahmani in Studia Syriaca , II. Armenian , edited by F. C. Conybeare in Studia Bihlica y IV (Oxford, 1896): he gives a Greek rendering of one manuscript and a Latin one of another. All of these conform to Tischendorfs Recension A of Part I: and this must be regarded as the most original form of the Acta which we have. Recension B is a late and diffuse working-over of the same matter: it will not be translated here in full. The first part of the book, containing the story of the Passion and Resurrection, is not earlier than the fourth century. Its object in the main is to furnish irrefragable testimony to the resurrection. Attempts have been made to show that it is of early date—that it is, for instance, the writing which Justin Martyr meant when in his Apology he referred his heathen readers to the ‘Acts’ of Christ’s trial preserved among the archives of Rome. The truth of that matter is

that he simply assumed that such records must exist. False ‘acts’ of the trial were written in the Pagan interest under Maximin, and intro¬ duced into schools early in the fourth century. It is imagined by some that our book was a counterblast to these. The account of the Descent into Hell (Part II) is an addition to the Acta, It does not appear in any Oriental version, and the Greek copies are rare. It is in Latin that it has chiefly flourished, and has been the parent of versions in every European language. The central idea, the delivery of the righteous Fathers from Hades, is exceedingly ancient. Second-century writers are full of it. The embellishments, the dialogues of Satan with Hades, which are so dramatic, come in later, perhaps with the development of pulpit oratory among Christians. We find them in fourth-century homilies attributed to Eusebius of Emesa. This second part used to be called Gnostic, but there is nothing unorthodox about it, save the choice of the names of the two men who are supposed to tell the story, viz. Leucius and Karinus. Leucius Charinus is the name given by church writers to the supposed author of the Apocryphal Acts of John, Paul, Peter, Andrew, and Thomas. In reality Leucius was the soi-disant author of the Acts of John only. His name was transferred to the other Acts in process of time, and also (sometimes disguised as Seleucus) to Gospels of the Infancy and narratives of the Assumption of the Virgin. With all these the original Leucius had nothing to do. When his name came to be attached to the Descent into Hell we do not yet know: nor do we know when the Descent was first appended to the Acts of Pilate. Not, I should conjecture, before the fifth century.

MEMORIALS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST DONE IN THE TIME OF PONTIUS PILATE Prologue (Absent from some manuscripts and versions). I Ananias (Aeneas Copt,, Emaus Latt.), the Protector, of praetorian rank, learned in the law, did from the divine scriptures recognize our Lord Jesus Christ and came near to him by faith, and was accounted worthy of holy baptism: and I sought out the memorials that were made at that season in the time of our master Jesus Christ, which the Jews deposited with Pontius Pilate, and found the memorials in Hebrew (letters), and by the good pleasure of God I translated them into Greek (letters) for the informing of all them that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: in the reign of our Lord Flavius Theodosius, in the seventeenth year, and of Flavius Valentinianus the sixth, in the ninth indiction [corrupt: Lat, has the eighteenth year of Theo¬ dosius, when Valentinian was proclaimed Augustus, i. e. a. d. 425]. All ye therefore that read this and translate (or copy) it into other books, remember me and pray for me that God will be gracious unto me and be merciful unto my sins which I have sinned against him.

Peace be to them that read and that hear these things and to their servants. Amen. In the fifteenth ( al . nineteenth) year of the governance of Tiberius Caesar, emperor of the Romans, and of Herod, king of Galilee, in the nineteenth year of his rule, on the eighth of the Kalends of April, which is the 25th of March, in the consulate of Rufus and Rubellio, in the fourth year of the two hundred and second Olympiad, Joseph who is Caiaphas being high priest of the Jews: These be the things which after the cross and passion of the Lord Nicodemus recorded 1 and delivered unto the high priest and the rest of the Jews: and the same Nicodemus set them forth in Hebrew (letters). Annas and Caiaphas and Somne (Senes) and Dothaim (Dothael, Dathaes, Datam) and Gamaliel, Judas, Levi and Nepthalim, Alexander and Jairus and the rest of the Jews, and came unto Pilate accusing Jesus for many deeds, saying: We know this man, that he is the son of Joseph the carpenter, begotten of Mary, and he saith that he is the Son of God and a king; more¬ over he doth pollute the sabbaths and he would destroy the law of our fathers.

Pilate saith: And what things are they that he doeth, and would destroy the law ? The Jews say: We have a law that we should not heal any man on the sabbath: but this man of his evil deeds hath healed the lame and the bent, the withered and the blind and the paralytic, the dumb and them that were possessed, on the sabbath day! Pilate saith unto them: By what evil deeds ? They say unto him: He is a sorcerer, and by Beelzebub the prince of the devils he casteth out devils, and they are all subject unto him. Pilate saith unto them: This is not to cast out devils by an unclean spirit, but by the god Asclepius. 2 The Jews say unto Pilate: We beseech thy majesty that he appear before thy judgement-seat and be heard. And Pilate called them unto him and said: Tell me, how can I that am a governor examine a king? They say unto him: We say not that he is a king, but he saith it of himself. And Pilate called the messenger ( cursor) and said unto him: Let Jesus be brought hither, but with gentleness. And the messenger went forth, and when he perceived Jesus he worshipped

1 For ‘recorded’, &c., other manuscripts and Coptic and Latin have ‘recorded those things that were done by the high priests and the Jews’. him and took the kerchief that was on his hand and spread it upon the earth and saith unto him: Lord, walk hereon and enter in, for the governor calleth thee. And when the Jews saw what the messenger had done, they cried out against Pilate saying: Wherefore didst thou not summon him by an herald to enter in, but by a messenger? for the messenger when he saw him wor¬ shipped him and spread out his kerchief upon the ground and hath made him walk upon it like a king! 3 Then Pilate called for the messenger and said unto him: Wherefore hast thou done this, and hast spread thy kerchief upon the ground and made Jesus to walk upon it ? The messenger saith unto him: Lord governor, when thou sentest me to Jeru¬ salem unto Alexander, I saw Jesus sitting upon an ass, and the children of the Hebrews held branches in their hands and cried out, and others spread their garments beneath him, saying: Save now, thou that art in the highest: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

4 The Jews cried out and said unto the messenger: The children of the Hebrews cried out in Hebrew: how then hast thou it in the Greek? The messenger saith to them: I did ask one of the Jews and said: What is it that they cry out in Hebrew ? and he interpreted it unto me. Pilate saith unto them: And how cried they in Hebrew? The Jews say unto him: Hosanna membrome barouchamma adonai. Pilate saith unto them: And the Hosanna and the rest, how is it 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 unto them: If you yourselves bear witness of the words which were said of the children, wherein hath the messenger sinned ? and they held their peace. The governor saith unto the messenger: Go forth and bring him in after what manner thou wilt. And the messenger went forth and did after the former manner and said unto Jesus: Lord, enter in: the governor calleth thee. the standards, the images (busts) of the standards bowed and did reverence to Jesus. And when the Jews saw the carriage of the standards, how they bowed themselves and did reverence unto Jesus, they cried out above measure against the ensigns. But Pilate said unto the Jews: Marvel ye not that the images bowed themselves and did reverence unto Jesus? The Jews say unto Pilate: We saw how the ensigns made them to bow and did reverence to him. And the governor called for the ensigns and saith unto them: Wherefore did ye so? They say unto Pilate: We are Greeks and servers of temples, and how could we do him reverence? for indeed, whilst we held the images they bowed of themselves and did reverence unto him.

elders of the people: Choose you out able and strong men and let them hold the standards, and let us see if they bow of them¬ selves. And the elders of the Jews took twelve men strong and able and made them to hold the standards by sixes, and they were set before the judgement-seat of the governor; and Pilate said to the messenger: Take him out of the judgement hall (praetorium) and bring him in again after what manner thou wilt. And Jesus went out of the judgement hall, he and the messenger. And Pilate called unto him them that before held the images, and said unto them: I have sworn by the safety of Caesar that if the standards bow not when Jesus entereth in, I will cut off your heads. And the governor commanded Jesus to enter in the second time. And the messenger did after the former manner and besought Jesus much that he would walk upon his kerchief; and he walked upon it and entered in. And when he had entered, the standards bowed themselves again and did reverence unto Jesus. from the judgement-seat. And while he yet thought to rise up, his wife sent unto him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with this just man, for I have suffered many things because of him by night. And Pilate called unto him all the Jews, and said unto them: Ye know that my wife feareth God and favoureth rather the customs of the Jews, with you? They say unto him: Yea, we know it. Pilate saith unto them: Lo, my wife hath sent unto me, saying: Have thou nothing to do with this just man: for I have suffered many things because of him by night. But the Jews answered and said unto Pilate: Said we not unto thee that he is a sorcerer ? behold, he hath sent a vision of a dream unto thy wife.

2 And Pilate called Jesus unto him and said to him: What is it that these witness against thee ? speakest thou nothing ? But Jesus said: If they had not had power they would have spoken nothing; for every man hath power over his own mouth, to speak good or evil: they shall see to it. 3 The elders of the Jews answered and said unto Jesus: What shall we see? Firstly, that thou wast born of fornication; secondly, that thy birth in Bethlehem was the cause of the slaying of children; thirdly, that thy father Joseph and thy mother Mary fled into Egypt because they had no confidence before the people. the Jews: We say not that he came of fornication; but we know that Joseph was betrothed unto Mary, and he was not born of fornication. Pilate saith unto those Jews which said that he came of fornication: This your saying is not true, for there were espousals, as these also say which are of your nation. Annas and Caiaphas say unto Pilate: The whole multitude of us cry out that he was born of fornication, and we are not believed: but these are proselytes and disciples of his. And Pilate called Annas and Caiaphas unto him and said to them: What be proselytes? They say unto him: They were born children of Greeks, and now are they become Jews. Then said they which said that he was not born of fornication, even Lazarus, Asterius, Antonius, Jacob, Amnes, Zenas, Samuel, Isaac, Phinees, Crispus, Agrippa, and Judas : We were not born proselytes (are not Greeks, Copt.), but we are children of Jews and we speak the truth ; for verily we were present at the espousals of Joseph and Mary.

that he was not born of fornication, and saith unto them: I adjure you by the safety of Caesar, are these things true which ye have said, that he was not born of fornication? They say unto Pilate: We have a law that we swear not, because it is sin: but let them swear by the safety of Caesar that it is not as we have said, and we will be guilty of death. Pilate saith to Annas and Caiaphas: Answer ye nothing to these things ? Annas and Caiaphas say unto Pilate: These twelve men are believed which say that he was not born of fornication, hut the whole multitude of us cry out that he was born of fornication, and is a sorcerer, and saith that he is the Son of God and a king, and we are not believed. saving the twelve men which said that he was not born of forni¬ cation, and he commanded Jesus to be set apart: and Pilate saith unto them: For what cause do they desire to put him to death? They say unto Pilate: They have jealousy, because he healeth on the sabbath day. Pilate saith: For a good work do they desire to put him to death? They say unto him: Yea.

without the judgement hall and saith unto 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 were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him unto thee. And Pilate said: Take ye him and judge him according to your law. The Jews said unto Pilate: It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. Pilate said: Hath God forbidden you to slay, and allowed me ? Jesus apart and said unto him: Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered and said to Pilate: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me ? Pilate answered Jesus: Am I also a Jew? thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world; for if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have striven that 1 should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate said unto him: Art thou a king, then? Jesus answered him: Thou sayest that I am a king; for for this cause was I born and am come, that every one that is of the truth should hear my voice. Pilate saith unto him: What is truth? Jesus saith unto him: Truth is of heaven. Pilate saith: Is there not truth upon earth? Jesus saith unto Pilate: Thou seest how that they which speak the truth are judged of them that have authority upon earth.

the Jews and said unto them: I find no fault in him. The Jews say unto him: This man said: I am able to destroy this temple and in three days to build it up. Pilate saith: What temple? The Jews say: That which Solomon built in forty and six years, but which this man saith he will destroy and build it in three days. Pilate saith unto them: I am guiltless of the blood of this just man: see ye to it. The Jews say: His blood be upon us and on our children. him and said to them secretly: Do not so: for there is nothing worthy of death whereof ye have accused him, for your accusation is concerning healing and profaning of the sabbath. The elders and the priests and Levites say: If a man blaspheme against Caesar, is he worthy of death or no ? Pilate saith: He is worthy of death. The Jews say unto Pilate: If a man be worthy of death if he blaspheme against Caesar, this man hath blasphemed against God. the judgement hall, and he called Jesus to him and saith unto him: What shall I do with thee? Jesus saith unto Pilate: Do as it hath been given thee. Pilate saith: How hath it been given ? Jesus saith: Moses and the prophets did foretell concern¬ ing my death and rising again. Now the Jews inquired by stealth and heard, and they say unto Pilate: What needest thou to hear further of this blasphemy? Pilate saith unto the Jews: If this word be of blasphemy, take ye him for his blasphemy, and bring him into your synagogue and judge him according to your law. The Jews say unto Pilate: It is contained in our law, that if a man sin against a man, he is worthy to receive forty stripes save one: but he that blasphemeth against God, that he should be stoned with stoning.

4 Pilate saith unto them: Take ye him and avenge yourselves of him in what manner ye will. The Jews say unto Pilate: We will that he be crucified. Pilate saith : He deserveth not to be crucified. of the Jews which stood by, he beheld many of the Jews weeping, and said : Not all the multitude desire that he should be put to death. The elder of the Jews said : To this end have the whole multitude of us come hither, that he should be put to death. Pilate saith to the Jew's : Wherefore should he die ? The Jews said : Because he called himself the Son of God, and a king. the governor and said: I beseech thee, good (pious) lord , bid me speak a few words. Pilate saith: Say on. Nicodemus saith: I said unto the elders and the priests and Levites and unto all the multitude of the Jews in the synagogue: Wherefore contend ye with this man? This man doeth many and wonderful signs, which no man hath done, neither will do: let him alone and contrive not any evil against him: if the signs which he doeth are of God, they will stand, but if they be of men, they will come to nought. For verily Moses, when he was sent of God into Egypt did many signs, which God commanded him to do before Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and there were there certain men, servants of Pharaoh, Jannes and Jambres, and they also did signs not a few, of them which Moses did, and the Egyptians held them as gods, even Jannes and Jambres: and whereas the signs which they did were not of God, they perished and those also that believed on them. And now let this man go, for he is not worthy of death.

2 The Jews say unto Nicodemus: Thou didst become his disciple and thou speakest on his behalf. Nicodemus saith unto them: Is the governor also become his disciple, that he speaketh on his behalf? did not Caesar appoint him unto this dignity? And the Jews were raging and gnashing their teeth against Nicodemus. Pilate saith unto them: Wherefore gnash ye your teeth against him, whereas ye have heard the truth? The Jews say unto Nicodemus: Mayest thou receive his truth and his portion. Nicodemus saith: Amen, Amen: may I receive it as ye have said. 1 Now one of the Jews came forward 1 and besought the governor that he might speak a word. The governor saith: If thou wilt say aught, speak on. And the Jew said: Thirty and eight years lay I on a bed in suffering of pains, and at the coming of Jesus many that were possessed and laid with divers diseases 1 ‘Came forward’, lit. ‘leaped’. The word is said to be technically used foi the coming forward of a witness. were healed by him, and certain (faithful) young men took pity on me and carried me with my bed and brought me unto him; and when Jesus saw me he had compassion, and spake a word unto me: Take up thy bed and walk. And I took up my bed and walked. The Jews say unto Pilate: Ask of him what day it was whereon he was healed ? <Pilate said unto him that was healed of his sickness: Tell me truly what day it was whereon he healed thee. Copt, only .> He that was healed saith: On the sabbath. The Jews say: Did we not inform thee so, that upon the sabbath he healeth and casteth out devils ?

2 And another Jew came forward and said: 1 I was bom blind: I heard words but I saw no man’s face: and as Jesus passed by I cried with a loud voice: Have mercy on me, O son of David. And he took pity on me and put his hands upon mine eyes and And another Jew came forward and said: I was bowed and he made me straight with a word. And another said: I was a leper, and he healed me with a word. And a certain woman named Bernice (Beronice Copt., Veronica Lat.) crying out from afar off said: I had an issue of blood and I touched the hem of his garment, and the flowing of my blood was stayed which I had twelve years. The Jews say: We have a law that a woman shall not come to give testimony, And certain others, even a multitude both of men and women, cried out, saying: This man is a prophet and the devils are subject unto him. Pilate saith to them which said: The devils are subject unto him: Wherefore were not your teachers also subject unto him? They say unto Pilate: We know not. Others also said: He raised up Lazarus which was dead out of his tomb after four days. And the governor was afraid and said unto all the multitude of the Jews: Wherefore will ye shed innocent blood ?

which said that he was not born of fornication, and said unto them: What shall I do, for there riseth sedition among the 1 MS. J has, ‘Another said with tears’. * After the blind man, MS. J has, ‘Another, a dumb man, said: I was without speech and he touched my tongue and immediately I was healed.’ people? They say unto him: We know not; let them see to it. Again Pilate called for all the multitude of the Jews and saith: Ye know that ye have a custom that at the feast of unleavened bread 1 should release unto you a prisoner. Now 1 have a prisoner under condemnation in the prison, a murderer, Barabbas by name, and this Jesus also which standeth before you, in whom I find no fault: Whom will ye that I release unto you? But they cried out: Barabbas. Pilate saith: What shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ? The Jews say: Let him be crucified. But certain of the Jews answered: Thou art not a friend of Caesar’s if thou let this man go; for he called himself the Son of God and a king: thou wilt therefore have him for king and not Caesar.

2 And Pilate was wroth and said unto the Jews: Your nation is alway seditious and ye rebel against your benefactors. The Jews say: Against what benefactors? Pilate saith: According as I have heard, your God brought you out of Egypt out of hard bondage, and led you safe through the sea as by dry land, and in the wilderness he nourished you with manna and gave you quails, and gave you water to drink out of a rock, and gave unto you a law. And in all these things ye provoked your God to anger, and sought out a molten calf, and angered your God and he sought to slay you: and Moses made supplication for you and ye were not put to death. And now ye do accuse me that I hate the king (emperor). 3 And he rose up from the judgment-seat and sought to go forth. And the Jews cried out, saying: We know our king, even Caesar and not Jesus. For indeed the wise men brought gifts from the east unto him as unto a king, and when Herod heard from the wise men that a king was born, he sought to slay him; and when his father Joseph knew that, he took him and his mother and they fled into Egypt. And when Herod heard it he destroyed the children of the Hebrews that were born in Bethlehem.

Pilate silenced the multitude, because they cried still, and said unto them: So, then, this is he whom Herod sought? The Jews say: 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. Again the Jews cried out: His blood be upon us and upon our children. judgement-seat whereon he sat, and saith unto Jesus: Thy nation hath convicted thee (accused thee) as being a king: therefore have I decreed that thou shouldest first be scourged according to the law of the pious emperors, and thereafter hanged upon the cross in the garden wherein thou wast taken: and let Dysmas and Gestas the two malefactors be crucified with thee. malefactors with him. And when they were come to the place they stripped him of his garments and girt him with a linen cloth and put a crown of thorns about his head: likewise also they hanged up the two malefactors. 1 But Jesus said: Father, for¬ give them, for they know not what they do. And the soldiers divided his garments among them. And the people stood looking upon him, and the chief priests and the rulers with them derided him, saying: He saved others, let him save himself: if he be the son of God [let him come down from the cross]. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming and offering him vinegar with gall; and they said: If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself.

And Pilate after the sentence commanded his accusation to be written for a title in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew, according to the saying of the Jews: that he was the King of the Jews. Gestas] spake unto him, saying: If thou be the Christ, save thyself, and us. But Dysmas answering rebuked him, saying: Dost thou not at all fear God, seeing thou art in the same con¬ demnation ? and we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus: Remember me, Lord, in thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, that to-day thou shalt be (art) with me in paradise. over the land until the ninth hour, for the sun was darkened: and the veil of the temple was rent asunder in the midst. And Jesus called with a loud voice and said: Father, baddach ephkid rouel, 2 which is interpreted: Into thy hands I commend my spirit. And having thus said he gave up the ghost. And when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying: This man was righteous. And all the multitudes that had come

1 Coptic, Latin, and others have, ‘Dysmas on the right and Gestas on the left*. MS. J has, ‘Gestas on the right and Dysmas on the left’, and makes Gestas the penitent thief. There is some evidence supporting this in the original story: Dumachus in the Arabic gospel is the bad thief, Titus the good one. But the view that Dysmas was the good one has prevailed. * A Coptic fragment has: ‘Father, Abi (-my Father), Adach Ephkidrou, Adonai Aroa, Sabel, Lou el, EloeT, Elemas, Abakdanei (Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani), Orioth, Mioth, Ouaath, Soun, Perineth, Tothat. The prayer of the Saviour upon the cross concerning Adam.’ to the sight, when they beheld what was done smote their breasts and returned. that had come to pass: and when the governor and his wife heard, they were sore vexed, and neither ate nor drank that day. And Pilate sent for the Jews and said unto them: Did ye see that which came to pass? But they said: There was an eclipse of the sun after the accustomed sort. which came with him from Galilee, beholding these things. But a certain man named Joseph, being a counsellor, of the city of Arimathaea, who also himself looked for the kingdom of God, this man went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in a hewn sepulchre wherein was never man yet laid.

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 syna¬ gogue? 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 know 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. 1 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. because of Joseph, there came certain of the guard which the Jews had asked of Pilate to keep the sepulchre of Jesus lest peradventure his disciples should come and steal him away. And they spake and declared unto the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites that which had come to pass: how that there was a great earthquake, and we saw an angel descend from heaven, and he rolled away the stone from the mouth of the cave, and sat upon it.

And he did shine like snow and like lightning, and we were sore afraid and lay as dead men. And we heard the voice of the angel speaking with the women which waited at the sepulchre, saying: Fear ye not: for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here: he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly and say unto his disciples that he is risen from the dead, and is in Galilee.

2 The Jews say: With what women spake he? They of the guard say: We know not who they were. The Jews say: At what hour was it? They of the guard say: At midnight. The Jews say: And wherefore did ye not take the women? They of the guard say: We were become as dead men through fear, and we looked not to see the light of the day: how then could we take them? The Jews say: As the Lord liveth, we believe you not. They of the guard say unto the Jews: So many signs saw ye in that man, and ye believed not, how then should ye believe us? verily ye sware rightly ‘as the Lord liveth’, for he liveth 1 MS. J alone adds: ‘and sealed the door with the finger-ring of Caiaphas.* indeed . Again they of the guard say: We have heard that ye shut up him that begged the body of Jesus, and that ye sealed the door; and when ye had opened it ye found him not. Give ye therefore Joseph and we will give you Jesus. The Jews say: Joseph is departed unto his own city. They of the guard say unto the Jews: Jesus also is risen, as we have heard of the angel, and he is in Galilee.

afraid, saying: Take heed lest this report be heard and all men incline unto Jesus. And the Jews took counsel and laid down much money and gave it to the soldiers, saying: Say ye: While we slept his disciples came by night and stole him away. And if this come to the governor’s hearing we will per¬ suade him and secure you. And they took the money and did as they were instructed. [And this their saying was published abroad among all men. Lat .] and Aggaeus (Ogias Copt., Egias Lat.) a Levite came down from Galilee unto Jerusalem and told the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites, saying: We saw Jesus and his disciples sitting upon the mountain which is called Mamilch (Mambre or Malech Lat., Mabrech Copt.), and he said unto his disciples: Go into all the world and preach unto every creature (the whole creation): he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. [And these signs shall follow upon them that believe: in my name they shall cast out devils, 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.] And while Jesus yet spake unto his disciples we saw him taken up into heaven.

2 The elders and the priests and Levites say: Give glory to the God of Israel and make confession unto him: did ye indeed (or that ye did) hear and see those things which ye have told us? They that told them say: As the Lord God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob liveth, we did hear these things and we saw him taken up into heaven. The elders and the priests and the Levites say unto them: Came ye for this end, that ye might tell us, or came ye to pay your vows unto God ? And they say: To pay our vows unto God. The elders and the chief priests and the Levites say unto them: If ye came to pay your vows unto God, to what purpose is this idle tale which ye have babbled before all the people ? Phinees the priest and Addas the teacher and Aggaeus the Levite say unto the rulers of the synagogue and priests and Levites: If these words which we have spoken and seen be sin, lo, we are before you: do unto us as seemeth good in your eyes. And they took the book of the law and adjured them that they should no more tell any man these words: and they gave them to eat and to drink, and put them out of the city: moreover they gave them money, and three men to go with them, and they set them on their way as far as Galilee, and they departed in peace.

priests and the rulers of the synagogue and the elders gathered together in the synagogue, and shut the gate, and lamented with a great lamentation, saying: What is this sign which is come to pass in Israel? But Annas and Caiaphas said: Wherefore are ye troubled? why weep ye? Know ye not that his disciples gave much gold unto them that kept the sepulchre and taught them to say that an angel came down and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre ? But the priests and the elders said : Be it so, that his disciples did steal away his body ; but how is his soul entered into his body, and how abideth he in Galilee ? But they could not answer these things, and hardly in the end said: It is not lawful for us to believe the uncircumcised. [Lat. (and Copt., and Arm.) : Ought we to believe the soldiers, that an angel came down from heaven and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre ? but in truth his disciples gave ... sepulchre. Know ye not that it is not lawful for Jews to believe any word of the uncircumcised, knowing that they who received much gold from us have spoken according as we taught them.]

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 moun¬ tains ? 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. 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, &e.) 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.

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. 4 And 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. 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.] 1 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 ana 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.

6 And 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 1 om. Latt ., Arm . 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] 1 ye are not ignorant that a spirit, if it meet any man and hear the commandments, straightway fleeth. And when I per¬ ceived 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.

the Levites heard these words of Joseph they became as dead men and fell to the ground, and they fasted until the ninth hour. And Nicodemus with Joseph comforted Annas and Caiaphas and the priests and the Levites, saying: Rise up and stand on your feet and taste bread and strengthen your souls, for to-morrow is the sabbath of the Lord. And they rose up and prayed unto God and did eat and drink, and departed every man to his house. 2 And on the sabbath the ( al . our) teachers and the priests and Levites sat and questioned one another and said: What is this wrath that is come upon us ? for we know his father and his mother. Levi the teacher saith: I know that his parents feared God and kept not back their vows and paid tithes three times a year. And when Jesus was born, his parents brought him up unto this place and gave sacrifices and burnt-offerings to God. And [when] the great teacher Symeon took him into his arms and said: Now lettest thou thy servant, Lord, depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel. And Symeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother: I give thee good tidings concerning this child. And Mary said: Good, my lord? And Symeon said to her: Good. Behold, he is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel* and for a sign spoken against: and a sword shall

pierce through thine own heart also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. 3 They say unto Levi the teacher: How knowest thou these things? Levi saith unto them: Know ye not that from him I did learn the law ? The council say unto him: We would see thy father. And they sent after his father, and asked of him, and he said to them: Why believed ye not my son ? the blessed and righteous Symeon, he did teach him the law. The council saith: Rabbi Levi, is the word true which thou hast spoken ? And he said: It is true. Then the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites said among themselves: Come, let us send into Galilee unto the three men which came and told us of his teaching and his taking-up, and let them tell us how they saw him taken up. And this word pleased them all, and they sent the three men which before had gone with them into Galilee and said to them: Say unto Rabbi Addas and Rabbi Phinees and Rabbi Aggaeus: peace be to you and to all that are with you. Inasmuch as great questioning hath arisen in the council, we have sent unto you to call you unto this holy place of Jerusalem.

meditating upon the law, and saluted them in peace. And the men that were in Galilee said unto them that were come to them: Peace be upon all Israel. And they said: Peace be unto you. Again they said unto them: Wherefore are ye come? And they that were sent said: The council calleth you unto the holy city Jerusalem. And when the men heard that they were bidden by the council, they prayed to God and sat down to meat with the men and did eat and drink, and rose up and came in peace unto Jerusalem. and they examined them, saying: Did ye in very deed see Jesus sitting upon the mount Mamilch, as he taught his eleven disciples, and saw ye him taken up? And the men answered them and said: Even as we saw him taken up, even so did we tell it unto you. 6 Annas saith: Set them apart from one another, and let us see if their word agreeth. And they set them apart one from another, and they call Addas first and say unto him: How sawest thou Jesus taken up? Addas saith: While he yet sat upon the Mount Mamilch and taught his disciples, we saw a cloud that overshadowed him and his disciples: and the cloud carried him up into heaven, and his disciples lay ( al . prayed, lying) on their faces upon the earth. And they called Phinees the priest, and questioned him also, saying: How sawest thou Jesus taken up? And he spake in like manner. And again they asked Aggaeus, and he also spake in like manner. And the council said: It is contained in the law of Moses: At the mouth of two or three shall every word be established.

Abuthem (Bouthem Gr ., Abudem Lot ., Abuden, Abuthen Arm., om. Copt.) the teacher saith: It is written in the law: Enoch walked with God and is not, because God took him. Jaeirus the teacher said: Also we have heard of the death of the holy Moses, and have not seen him; for it is written in the law of the Lord: And Moses died at the mouth of the Lord, and no man knew of his sepulchre unto this day. And Rabbi Levi said: Wherefore was it that Rabbi Symeon said when he saw Jesus: Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign spoken against? And Rabbi Isaac said: It is written in the law: Behold I send my messenger before thy face, which shall go before thee to keep thee in every good way, for my name is named thereon. 1 7 Then said Annas and Caiaphas: Ye have well said those things which are written in the law of Moses, that no man saw the death of Enoch, and no man hath named the death of Moses. But Jesus spake before Pilate, and we know that we saw him receive buffets and spittings upon his face, and that the soldiers put on him a crown of thorns, and that he was scourged and received condemnation from Pilate, and that he was crucified at the place of

a skull and two thieves with him, and that they gave him vinegar to drink with gall, and that Longinus the soldier pierced his side with a spear, and that Joseph our honourable father begged his body, and that, as he saith, he rose again, and that (lit. as) the three teachers say : We saw him taken up into heaven, and that Rabbi Levi spake and testified to the things which were spoken by Rabbi Symeon, and that he said : Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign spoken against.

And all the teachers said unto all the people of the Lord: If this hath come to pass from the Lord, and it is marvellous in our eyes, ye shall surely know, O house of Jacob, that it is written: Cursed is every one that hangeth upon a tree. And another scripture teacheth: The gods which made not the heaven and the earth shall perish. And the priests and the Levites said one to another: If his memorial endure until the Sommos (Copt. Soum) which is called Jobel (i. e. the Jubilee), know ye that he will prevail for ever and raise up for himself a new people. Then the rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites admonished all Israel, saying: Cursed is that man who shall worship that which man’s hand hath made, and cursed is the man who shall worship creatures beside the Creator. And all the people said: Amen, Amen. And all the people sang an hymn unto the Lord and said: Blessed be the Lord who hath given rest unto the people of 1 Copt, for my name is in thee. Lat. for I have brought the (a) new name thereof, (or his new name): corrupt.

Israel according to all that he spake. There hath not one word fallen to the ground of all his good saying which he spake unto his servant Moses. The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers: let him not forsake us. And let him not destroy us from turning our heart unto him, from walking in all his ways and keeping his statutes and his judgements which he commanded 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, even the Lord our King: he shall save us. There is none like unto thee, O Lord. Great art thou, O Lord, and great is thy name. Heal us, O Lord, by thy power, and we shall be healed: save us, Lord, and we shall be saved: for we are thy portion and thine inheritance. And the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, for the Lord hath begun to make us to be his people. And when they had all sung this hymn they departed every man to his house, glorifying God. [For his is the glory, world without end. Amen.]

There is a considerable divergence of the versions in the concluding sections. The Coptic agrees substantially with the Greek A as translated above. The Armenian £ (rendered into Latin by Conybeare) has only two clauses of the final hymn, thus: Blessed be the Lord God who hath given rest unto all the people of Israel according as he hath said. And let the Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. And they went every man to his house praising God. The Armenian a has (after 4 the people said Amen (thrice) ’). And all the people sang an hymn unto the Lord and departed every man to his house. The Syriac ends at: the people said Amen (thrice). The Latin, after 4 a sign spoken against* has : Then the teacher (Addas) said unto all the congregation: If all the things which these have testified came to pass in Jerusalem ( al . Jesus), they are of God, and let them not be marvellous in our eyes. The rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites said one to another: It is contained in our law: His name shall be blessed for ever: his place shall endure before the sun and his seat before the moon: and in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed, and all nations shall serve him: and kings shall come from afar worshipping and magnifying him.

The Greek recension B, which abridges the latter part of the story (after the Crucifixion) very extensively, has this for its last paragraph: Then Annas and Caiaphas separated the three by one and one, and questioned them in private singly. And they agreed, and the three of them told one tale. The chief priests answered and said: Our scripture saith that every word shall be established by two or three witnesses. Joseph therefore confessed that he tended him and buried him, with Nicodemus; and how it is true that he rose again. This leads on to the opening words of Part II: Joseph saith: And why marvel ye that Jesus is risen? &c. The fact is that the two forms (Greek B and Latin) which have the Second Part—the Descent into Hell—attached to them, have been obliged on that account to modify the end of the First Part, so as to manage a plausible transition. It has been said that this is a later working-over of the original text. No known copy of it is earlier than the fifteenth century, and the language in some of them is very mediaeval. A short review only of the principal additions to the story will be given here.

The title runs thus: A narrative concerning the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ and his holy Resurrection. Written by a Jew named Aeneas, which Nicodemus, a Roman toparch, translated out of the Hebrew tongue into the Roman speech. In two copies there is this prologue: After the kingdom of the Hebrews was dissolved, and four hundred years had gone by, and the Hebrews also were subject to the empire of the Romans, the Emperor of the Romans appointing them a king: afterward, when Tiberius Caesar wielded the sceptre of the Romans, in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had appointed Herod king in Judaea, the son of that Herod who aforetime killed the children in Bethlehem: and when he had Pilate as governor in Jerusalem, and Annas and Caiaphas had the high-priesthood of Jerusalem; Nicodemus, a Roman toparch, called unto him a Jew named Aeneas, and sought to record the things that were done in Jerusalem in the days of Annas and Caiaphas concerning Christ: which also the Jew having done and delivered it to Nicodemus, he translated these things from the Hebrew writing into the Roman speech: and the matter of this history is thus: (Where it will be noted that Nicodemus is no longer the Biblical personage, but a Roman official. Roman (Romaic) speech means here not Latin but Greek, and the term is an indication of very late date.)

When our Lord Jesus Christ had wrought many and great and unwonted wonders in Judaea, and for that cause was envied by the Hebrews: Pilate being governor in Jerusalem, and Annas and Caiaphas being high priests: there came certain of the Jews unto the same high priests, even Judas, Levi, Nephthalim, Alex¬ ander, Syrus, and many others, speaking against Christ; whom also those high priests sent to tell Pilate also these things. The story follows the same lines as A, naturally, but with differences great and small; and the individual manuscripts often make large insertions. Pilate gives his own mantle (naM\iov) to the messenger, whom one manuscript calls Rachaab. The Hebrew words except Hosanna are eliminated: one manuscript then interpolates a notice of the call of the apostles and a great many of the miracles of the ministry, and brings the narrative down to the denial of Peter. Malchus, it says, was the one who buffeted Jesus. Another manuscript, omitting all that has preceded, begins the story with the repentance of Judas. He brings the money back to the priests, and they abuse him at some length for his treachery. Then he casts down the money and leaves them. And departing to his house to make a halter of rope to hang himself, he found his wife sitting and roasting a cock on a fire of coals or in a pan before eating it: and saith to her: Rise up, wife, and provide me a rope, for I would hang myself, as I deserve.

But his wife said to him: Why sayest thou such things? And Judas saith to her: Know of a truth that I have wickedly betrayed my master Jesus to the evil-doers for Pilate to put him to death: but he will rise again on the third day, and woe unto us! And his wife said to him: Say not nor think not so: for as well as this cock that is roasting on the fire of coals can crow, just so well shall Jesus rise again, as thou sayest. And imme¬ diately at her word that cock spread his wings and crowed thrice. Then was Judas yet more convinced, and straightway made the halter of rope and hanged himself.

The rest of the story is as we know it. This story of the cock has made its way into Latin and thence into many mediaeval vernacular legends. The Latin copies say that it is found ‘in the books of the Greeks*. In cap. ix the sending of Jesus to Herod is inserted: one of many harmonistic changes wWch this text makes, to include all that is told in the canonical Gospels. In cap. x the Bearing of the Cross is greatly amplified. We have first of all Simon of Cyrene: ‘They gave the cross unto him, not because they had compassion on Jesus and would lighten him of his burden, but desiring, as has been said, to kill him more quickly.’ John followed with them, and then fled and went to the Mother of God (always called the Theotokos here) and told her. Her lament is given— and she and Martha and Mary Magdalene and Salome and the other women go to the place. John points out Jesus and the Virgin swoons and laments again. These lamentations are greatly expanded in one or other of the manuscripts. Dysmas is crucified on the right hand and Gestas on the left. At the end of cap. x, where the words of the thieves are narrated, two of the three manuscripts used by Tischendorf insert the story of the meeting with Dysmas in Egypt. First we have the incident of the palm-tree bowing to give its fruit.

Then the Holy Family meet Dysmas, who is struck with the beauty of Mary and of the child in her arms, adores them, and says, ‘If God had a mother I would have said that thou art she He receives them into his house, and when he goes out hunting commends them to his wife’s care. He has a leprous child who is always crying, and is healed by the water in which Jesus was washed. Dysmas hearing of this on his return is moved to do all he can to help Mary: and on the return from Egypt he aids them again, and Mary promises him a reward for his goodness. ‘Therefore was he accounted worthy through the grace of the merciful God and his Mother ... to bear witness upon the cross together with

In cap. xi the episode of Joseph’s begging the body is expanded. The Virgin, in one copy, asks him to do this. In another he goes to Nicodemus, who will not accompany him to Pilate but is ready to help in the burial. There is a long address of Joseph to Pilate, every clause beginning with ‘Give me this stranger*. At the burial there is a final lamentation of the Virgin and one of Mary Magdalene, who says: ‘Who shall make this known unto all the world? I will go alone to Rome unto Caesar: I will show him what evil Pilate hath done, consenting unto the wicked Jews.’ This story of Mary Magdalene’s going to Rome is one which appears in Byzantine chronicles and other late documents. In cap. xii two of the copies mark a conclusion after the sealing of the tomb. In fact one of them actually ends here: the other has a doxology and colophon, but continues with xii. 2, ‘When the Lord’s day dawned the chief priests took counsel *, &c. The remaining chapters, xiii-xvi, are most drastically abridged, containing 147 lines of print as against 333 of recension A. The con¬ cluding paragraph has been translated above, and the text runs on, as is there shown, into Part II, the Descent into Hell. Among the variations from the A narrative, of which the object is not clear, is this, that the three witnesses of the Ascension are here called ‘a priest named Phinees, a Levite named Aggaeus, and a soldier named Adas’.

This writing, or the nucleus of it, the story of the Descent into Hell, was. not originally part of the Acts of Pilate. It is—apart from its setting—probably an older document. When it was first attached to the Acts of Pilate is uncertain. The object of this prefatory note is to say that we have the text in three forms. Rhythmica (which draws on late Greek sources) has at 1. 2234 a story of the Holy Family being captured by robbers, one of whom treats them kindly. Wounded robbers are healed by the water in which Jesus was washed. 1. Greek, only in late manuscripts of Recension B. Tischendorf used three. 2. Latin A, found in the majority, perhaps, of the Latin manuscripts. Be it noted that all the Latin manuscripts have both parts of the Acts of Pilate. 3. Latin B, rather an abridged text in the account of the Descent, differing in order of contents and in setting from A. But the opening section is far longer than either of the others. There are no early versions except the Latin. The Coptic, Syriac, and Armenian contain Part I only. The order of the story in the three recensions demands a note. Latin A and Greek go together. Latin B differs.

i. The two men (nameless in Greek) are found and in¬ duced to write their story. H. The story. A light shines in Hell. Adam, Esaias, Simeon speak (not in B). (In Greek, Abraham and Esaias.) John Baptist comes. iii. Seth’s story of the oil of iv. Satan’s dialogue with Hell. v. First cry: Lift up the gates. David and Isaiah speak. Second cry. David speaks. Christ enters. (Greek, David speaks only once.) vi. Address of Hell to Christ (not in B). Satan bound. vii. Hell derides Satan. viii. Christ greets Adam and takes all saints out of hell. David, Habacuc, Mjcheas speak (not in B). (Greek omits the prophecies.) ix. They meet Enoch and Elias x. They meet the thief. xii. The two men vanish, &c. i. The two men are found, write their story, and re¬ turn to their tombs. ii. The story. A light shines. A voice: Lift up the gates. Satan has the doors se¬ cured. iii. Dialogue of Hell and Satan v. Isaiah and John Baptist vi. David and Jeremiah. Satan not allowed to leave hell. vii. Cry: Lift up the gates. The good thief appears (A. x). Second cry. viii. Doors broken. Christ enters.

ix. Christ greets Adam and Eve (not in A). x. Sets up his cross in hell (not in A). Leaves hell. Con¬ clusion. In order to place the material fairly before readers it seems necessary to give all three texts. Here the Greek, which, like the rest of Recen¬ sion B, is of late type, shall be relegated to the second place, and preference given to Latin A. The chapter- and verse-numberings are those of Tischendorf. [Part I, cap. xvi, ends with words of the rulers of the synagogue, &c. All nations shall serve him, and kings shall come from afar worshipping and magnifying him. Part II, cap. i, runs on from this.] 1 And Joseph arose and said unto Annas and Caiaphas: Truly and of right do ye marvel because ye have heard that Jesus hath been seen alive after death, and that he hath ascended into heaven. Nevertheless it is more marvellous that he rose not alone from the dead, but did raise up alive many other dead out [Part I ends in this text with words of the priests: Our scripture saith that every word shall be established at the mouths of two or three. Joseph therefore doth confess that he tended him and buried him, and how that it is true that he rose again.]

(Part II.) 1 Joseph saith: And why marvel ye that Jesus rose again. This is not marvellous: but this is marvellous, that he rose not alone, but raised up many other dead men which appeared Latin B. I (XVII) the three men which had come out of Galilee testifying that they had seen Jesus taken up into heaven, arose in the midst of the multitude of the chief men of the Jews, and said before the priests and Levites which were assembled unto the council of the Lord: As we came from Galilee unto Jordan, there met us a great multitude of men in white garments who had died aforetime. Among whom we beheld Karinus and Leucius to be present with them; and they came near unto us, and we kissed one another, for they were beloved friends of ours, and asked them, saying: Tell us, friends and brethren, what is this soul and flesh? and who are these with whom ye go? and how are ye which were dead remaining in the body. 2 And they answered and said: We arose with Christ out of hell, and he raised us up from the dead. And hereby may ye know that the gates of death and darkness are destroyed, and the souls of the saints are taken out thence, and have ascended into heaven with Christ the Lord. But we also have been com¬ manded by the Lord himself that for a set time we should walk the banks of Jordan and the mountains, yet not being seen of all men, neither speaking with all men, but only with those with whom it shall please him. And even now we should not have been able to speak unto you or to be seen of you unless we had been suffered by the Holy Ghost.

of their sepulchres, and they have been seen of many in Jeru salem. And now hearken unto me; for we all know the blessed Simeon, the high priest which received the child Jesus in his hands in the temple. And this Simeon had two sons, brothers in blood, and we all were at their falling asleep and at their burial. Go there¬ fore and look upon their sepulchres : for they are open, because they have risen, and behold they are in the city of Arimathaea dwelling together in prayer. And indeed men hear them crying out, yet they speak with no man, but are silent as dead men. But come, let us go unto them and with all honour and gentleness in Jerusalem unto many. And if ye know not the others, yet Simeon at least, which received Jesus, and his two sons, whom he hath raised up, these at least ye do know, for we buried them but a little while ago: and now their sepulchres are seen to be opened and empty,' and they themselves are alive and dwelling in Arimathaea. They sent therefore men, and found their sepul¬ chres opened and empty. Joseph saith: Let us go unto Arimathaea and find them.

heard these things they were stricken with fear and trembling, and wondered, saying , Did these things truly come to pass which these men of Galilee testify? Then Caiaphas and Annas said unto the council: Now shall it be made plain concerning all the things which these have testified, both first and last: if it shall be found true that Karinus and Leucius do remain alive in the body, and if we are able to behold them with our eyes, then that is true in all points which these testify; and if we find them, they will assure us of all things: but if not, ye shall know that all are lying reports. choose out fit men fearing God, which knew when these men had died and the sepulchre where they were buried, and should inquire diligently and see if it were so as they had heard. There went therefore to the place fifteen men which had been present throughout at their falling asleep, and had stood on their feet in the place where they were buried, and had seen their sepulchres. And these came and found their sepulchres and many others open, and found not any sign of the bones or the dust of them: and they returned with all speed and reported the things which they had seen.

and they said one to another: What shall we do? Annas and Caiaphas said: Let us send unto the place wherein we have bring them unto us, and if we adjure them, perchance they will tell us concerning the mystery of their rising again. and Caiaphas, Nicodemus and Joseph and Gamaliel went and found them not in their sepulchre, but they went unto the city of Arimathaea, and found them there, kneeling on their knees and giving themselves unto prayer. And they kissed them, and with all reverence and in the fear of God they brought them to Jerusalem into the synagogue. And they shut the doors and took the law of the Lord and put it into their hands, and adjured them Joseph and Nicodemus and Gamaliel and others with them, and went unto Arimathaea and found the men of whom Joseph spake. So they did offer prayer, and saluted one another: then they came with them to Jerusalem; and they brought them into the synagogue and made fast the doors, and set the Old Testament heard that they are, and dispatch unto them men of the nobler sort, beseeching and supplicating them: peradventure they will vouchsafe to come unto us. Then they sent unto them Nicodemus and Joseph and the three men, the Rabbis of Galilee which had seen them, entreating them that they would vouchsafe to come to them. And these went and walked about all the region of Jordan and of the mountains and found them not, and returned back again.

Mount Amalech a very great multitude, about twelve thousand men, which had risen with the Lord. And though the men recognized many in that place, they were not able to speak a word unto them because of their fear, and the vision of angels; and they stood afar off beholding them and hearkening to them, how they went singing and saying: The Lord is risen from the dead as he said: let us all rejoice and be glad, for he reigneth for ever. Then they that had been sent were amazed and fell down upon the earth for fear: and they were warned by an angel of the Lord which raised them up from the earth, that they should seek out Karinus and Leucius in their own house. giving themselves unto prayer: and entering in unto them they fell on their faces to the earth and greeted them, and arose and said: O ye friends of God, the whole multitude of the Jews hath sent us unto you, for they have heard that ye are risen from the by the God Adonai and the God of Israel which spake unto our fathers by the prophets, saying: Believe ye that it is Jesus which raised you from the dead ? Tell us how ye have arisen from the dead.

trembled in their body and groaned, being troubled in heart. And looking up together unto heaven they made the seal of the cross with their fingers upon their tongues, and forthwith they spake both of them, saying: Give us each a volume of paper, of the Jews in the midst: and the high priests said unto them: We would have you swear by the God of Israel and by Adonai, and so speak the truth, how ye arose and who raised you from the dead. dead, entreating and beseeching you to come unto them, that we may all know the wonderful works of God which have been wrought upon us (or you?) in our days. And they rose imme¬ diately by the bidding of God and went with them, and entered into their synagogue. And when the chief of the priests saw them they were greatly troubled and trembling took hold upon them: and finally Annas and Caiaphas took the books of the law of God and put them into their hands, and adjured them by the god Heloi and the god Adonai and by the law and the prophets, saying: Tell us how ye arose from the dead, and what are these wonders which have been wrought in our days, even such as we have never heard to be done at any time: for now all our bones are confounded and dried up for fear, and the earth moveth itself beneath our feet: for verily we have joined together all our hearts to shed righteous and holy blood.

hands that they should give them a volume of paper, and ink: and this they did because the Holy Ghost suffered them not to speak with them. And they gave unto each of them paper, and separated them one from the other in several chambers (cells). And they, making with their fingers the sign of the cross of Christ, began to write each his volume; . and when they had ended, they cried out as it were with one voice out of their several chambers: Amen. And Karinus rose and gave his paper unto Annas and Leucius unto Caiaphas, and they saluted one another and went forth and returned unto their sepulchres. each of them to read to himself privily. But all the people took and let us write that which we have seen and heard. And they gave them unto them, and each of them sat down and wrote, saying: (al, resurrection of the dead and the life of the living), suffer us to speak of the mysteries of thy majesty which thou didst perform after thy death upon the cross, inasmuch as we have been adjured by thy Name. For thou didst command us thy servants to tell no man the secrets of thy divine majesty which thou wToughtest in hell.

Now when we were set together with all our fathers in the deep, in obscurity of darkness, on a sudden there came a golden heat of the sun and a purple and royal light shining upon us. And immediately the father of the whole race of men, together with all the patriarchs and prophets, rejoiced, saying: This light is their faces the sign of the cross, and said unto the chief priests: Give us paper and ink and pen. So they brought these things. And they sat down and wrote thus: give us grace that we may tell of thy resurrection and of thy marvellous works which thou didst in Hell (Hades). We, then, were in hell together with all them that have fallen it ill, and there was a cry from all of them: Read these writings unto us openly: and when they have been read, we will keep them, that this truth of God be not turned by blinding our eyes, unto deceit, by unclean and deceitful men. And thereupon Annas and Caiaphas, being seized with trembling, delivered the roll of paper unto Rabbi Addas and Rabbi Finegs and Rabbi Egias, which had come from Galilee and declared that Jesus was taken up into heaven: and unto them all the multitude of the Jews gave credence that they should read this writing. And they read the paper, wherein was contained this that followeth.

me to speak of thy marvellous works which thou didst in hell. When therefore we were holden in hell in darkness and the shadow of death, suddenly there shone upon us a great light, and hell did tremble, and the gates of death. And there was the beginning (author) of everlasting light which did promise to send unto us his co-eternal light. And Esaias cried out and said: This is the light of the Father, even the Son of God, according as I prophesied when I lived upon the earth: The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim beyond Jordan, of Galilee of the Gentiles, the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them did the light shine. And now hath it come and shone upon us that sit in death. there came unto us our father Simeon, and he rejoicing said unto us: Glorify ye the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God; for I received him in my hands in the temple when he was born a child, and being moved of the Holy Ghost I made confession and said unto him: Now have mine eyes seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel. And when they heard these things, the whole multitude of the saints rejoiced yet more.

asleep since the beginning: and at the hour of midnight there rose upon those dark places as it were the light of the sun, and shined, and all we were enlightened and beheld one another. And straightway our father Abraham, together with the patri¬ archs and the prophets, were all at once filled with joy and said one to another: This light cometh of the great lightening. The prophet Esaias being there present said: This light is of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: concerning which I prophesied when I was yet alive, saying: The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim, the people that sat in darkness, hath seen a great light. heard the voice of the Son of the most high Father, as it were the voice of a great thundering, and it proclaimed aloud and began: Draw back, O princes, your gates, remove your everlasting doors: Christ the Lord the king of glory approacheth to enter in. saying to his ministers and unto the hells: O my ministers and all the hells, come together, and shut your gates, set in place the bars of iron, and fight boldly and withstand, that we that hold them be not made captive in bonds. Then were all his evfl ministers troubled, and began to shut the gates of death with all

wilderness, and he was inquired of by all: Who art thou ? And he answered them and said: I am John, the voice and the prophet of the most High, which came before the face of his advent to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation unto his people, for the remission of their sins. And when I saw him coming unto me, being moved of the Holy Ghost, I said: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him that taketh away the sins of the world. And I baptized him in the river of Jordan, and saw the Holy Ghost descending upon him in the likeness of a dove, and heard a voice out of heaven saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And now have I come before his face, and come down to declare unto you that he is at hand to visit us, even the dayspring, the Son of God, coming from on high unto us that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. an anchorite (ascete), and the patriarchs said unto him : Who art thou? and he said: I am John, the end of the prophets, which made straight the ways of the Son of God, and preached repen¬ tance unto the people for the remission of sins.

And the Son of God came unto me, and when I saw him afar off I said unto the people: Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. And with mine hands I baptized him in the river Jordan, and saw as it were a dove, and the Holy Ghost coming upon him, and I heard also the voice of God and the Father thus speaking: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And for this cause sent he me unto you also. diligence, and by little to make fast the locks and the bars of iron, and to take fast in hand all their instruments, and to utter howlings with dreadful and hideous voice. 1 Then said Satan unto Hell: Make thee ready to receive him whom I shall bring down unto thee. Thereupon did Hell make answer unto Satan thus: This voice was nothing else but the cry of the Son of the most high Father, that the earth and all the places of hell did so quake at it: wherefore I think that I and all my bonds are now wide open. But I adjure thee, O Satan, head of all evil, by thy might and mine own, bring him not unto me lest when we would take him we be taken captive of him.

Latin A. Ill (XIX) that Jesus was baptized in Jordan, he cried out to Seth his son, saying : Declare unto thy sons the patriarchs and the prophets all that thou didst hear from Michael the archangel, when I sent thee unto the gates of paradise that thou mightest entreat 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 near unto the holy patriarchs and prophets, and said: When I, Seth, was praying at the gates of paradise, behold Michael the angel of the Lord appeared unto me, saying: I am sent unto thee from the Lord: it is I that am set over the body of man. And I say unto thee, Seth, vex not thyself with tears, praying and entreating to proclaim that the only begotten Son of God cometh hither, that whosoever believeth on him may be saved, and whoso believeth not on him may be condemned. Therefore say I unto you all, that when ye behold him ye shall worship him, for now only is the time of repentance for you, for that ye did worship idols in the vain world that is above, and for the sins which ye have committed: but at another time it is impossible that this should come to pass.

For if by his voice only all my might hath been thus over¬ thrown, what, thinkest thou, will he do when his presence is come unto us? 2 Unto whom Satan the prince of death answered thus: Why keepest thou this crying ? Fear not, my friend of old time, thou most evil one, for I stirred up the people of the Jews against him, and commanded him to be smitten with buffets, and did contrive against him betrayal by his disciple: and he is a man that feareth death greatly, for he said in his fear: My soul is sorrowful even unto death: yet unto death have I brought him, for now he hangeth lifted up upon a cross. 3 Then saith Hell unto him: If it be he that by the word of his command alone made Lazarus, which was four days dead, to fly out of my bosom like an eagle, then is he not a man in his manhood, but God in his majesty. I beseech thee, bring him not unto me. Satan saith to him: Notwithstanding, make thyself ready, fear not: for already he hangeth upon a cross, and I can do no other. Then Hell spake thus unto Satan: If, then, thou canst do no other, lo thy destruction draweth near, and I shall at last be cast down and remain without honour; but thou wilt be tormented under my dominion.

for the oil of the tree of mercy, that thou mayest anoint thy father Adam for the pain of his body: for thou wilt not be able to receive it save in the last days and times, save when five thousand and five hundred ( al . 5,952) years are accomplished: then shall the most beloved Son of God come upon the earth to raise up the body of Adam and the bodies of the dead, and he shall come and be baptized in Jordan. And when he is come forth of the water of Jordan, then shall he anoint with the oil of mercy all that believe on him, and that oil of mercy shall be unto all generations of them that shall be born of water and of the Holy Ghost, unto life eternal. Then shall the most beloved Son of And as John was thus teaching them that were in hell, the first-created Adam, the first father, also heard it, and said unto Seth his son: My son, I would have thee to tell the forefathers of the race of men, and the prophets; when I laid me down to die, whither I did send thee. And Seth said: Ye prophets and patriarchs, hearken: My father Adam, the first-created, laid him down on a time to die, and sent me to make supplication unto God hard by the gate of paradise, that he would lead me by his angel unto the tree of mercy, and I should take the oil and anoint my father, and he should arise from his sickness.