The Acts of Pilate
Prologue
I, Ananias, of the propraetor’s bodyguard, being learned in the law, knowing our Lord Jesus Christ from the Holy Scriptures, coming to Him by faith, and counted worthy of the holy baptism, having searched for the memorials written at that time of what was done in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the Jews had laid up in the time of Pontius Pilate, found these memorials written in Hebrew … All ye, therefore, who read them and copy them into other books, remember me, and pray for me, that God may be merciful to me, and pardon my sins which I have sinned against Him.
The Memorials
Having called a council, the high priests and scribes Annas and Caiaphas and Seines and Dathaes, and Gamaliel, Judas, Levi and Nephthalim, Alexander and Jairus, and the rest of the Jews, came to Pilate accusing Jesus about many things, saying: “We know this man to be the son of Joseph the carpenter, born of Mary; and he says that he is the Son of God, and a king; moreover, he profanes the Sabbath, and wishes to do away with the law of our fathers.”
Pilate says: “And what are the things which he does, to show that he wishes to do away with it?”
The Jews say: “We have a law not to cure any one on the Sabbath; but this man has on the Sabbath cured the lame and the crooked, the withered and the blind and the paralytic, the dumb and the demoniac, by evil practices.”
Pilate says to them: “What evil practices?”
They say to him: “He is a magician, and by Beelzebul prince of the demons he casts out the demons, and all are subject to him.”
… The Jews say to Pilate: “We entreat your highness that he stand at thy tribunal, and be heard.”
And Pilate having called them, says: “Tell me how I, being a procurator, can try a king?”
They say to him: “We do not say that he is a king, but he himself says that he is.”
And Pilate having called the messenger, says to him: “Let Jesus be brought in with respect.”
And the runner going out, and recognizing Him, adored Him, and took his cloak into his hand, and spread it on the ground, and says to him: “My lord, walk on this, and come in, for the procurator calls you.”
… As Jesus was going in, the standard-bearers were holding their standards, and the tops of the standards bent down and adored Jesus. And the Jews seeing how the standards were bent down and adoring Jesus, cried out vehemently against the standard-bearers … And the procurator having called the standard-bearers, says to them: “Why have you done this?”
They say to Pilate: “We are Greeks and temple-slaves, and how could we adore him? And assuredly, as we were holding them up, the tops bent down of their own accord, and adored him.”
… And Pilate seeing this, was afraid, and sought to go away from the tribunal; but when he was still thinking of going away, his wife sent to him, saying: Have nothing to do with this just man, for many things have I suffered on his account this night. And Pilate, summoning the Jews, says to them: “You know that my wife is a worshiper of God, and prefers to adhere to the Jewish religion along with you.”
They say to him: “Yes; we know.”
Pilate says to them: “Behold, my wife has sent to me, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with this just man, for many things have I suffered on account of him this night.’” And the Jews answering, say unto Pilate: “Did we not tell you that he was a sorcerer? Behold, he has sent a dream to thy wife.”
…. Pilate, filled with rage, went outside of the praetorium, and said to them: “I take the sun to witness that I find no fault in this man.”
The Jews answered and said to the procurator: “Unless this man were an evil-doer, we should not have delivered him to you.”
And Pilate said, “Do you take him, and judge him according to your law.” The Jews said to Pilate: “It is not lawful for us to put any one to death.” Pilate said: “Has God said that you are not to put to death, but that I am?”
And Pilate went again into the praetorium, and spoke to Jesus privately, and said to Him: “Are you the king of the Jews?” … Jesus answered him: “You say that I am a king. Because for this have I been born, and have I come, in order that every one who is of the truth might hear my voice.”
… And leaving Jesus within the praetorium, Pilate went out to the Jews, and said to them: I find no fault in him …
And the procurator ordered the Jews to go outside of the praetorium; and summoning Jesus, he says to Him: “What shall I do to you?” Jesus says to Pilate: “As it has been given to you.” Pilate says: “How given?” Jesus says: “Moses and the prophets have proclaimed beforehand of my death and resurrection.” And the Jews noticing this, and hearing it, say to Pilate: “What more will you hear of this blasphemy?”
… The Jews say to Pilate: “Our law bears that a man who wrongs his fellow-men is worthy to receive forty save one; but he that blasphemes God is to be stoned with stones” [citing Deuteronomy 25:3; Leviticus 24:16].
Pilate says to them: “Do you take him, and punish him in whatever way you please.”
The Jews say to Pilate: “We wish that he be crucified.”
Pilate says: He is not deserving of crucifixion.
And the procurator, looking round upon the crowds of the Jews standing by, sees many of the Jews weeping, and says: All the multitude do not wish him to die.
… [A] Jew stepped up and said: “I was born blind; I heard sounds, but saw not a face. And as Jesus passed by, I cried out with a loud voice, ‘Pity me, O son of David.’ And he pitied me, and put his hands upon my eyes, and I instantly received my sight.”
And another Jew stepped up and said: “I was crooked, and he straightened me with a word.”
And another said: “I was a leper, and he cured me with a word.”
And a woman cried out from a distance, and said: “I had an issue of blood, and I touched the hem of his garment, and the issue of blood which I had had for twelve years was stopped.”
And others said: “He raised Lazarus from the tomb after he had been dead four days.” And the procurator trembled, and said to all the multitude of the Jews: “Why do you wish to pour out innocent blood?”