Jesus was buried in a cavern, hewn out of rock, at the entrance of which a guard was posted. In deep apprehension of what might unexpectedly happen, I took my son by the hand, put a thin coat on him, and ran to my husband. I shall pay attention to your tender request and try to remember the links of the long chain of my 1ifes scattered memories. Made using e, Book Cover for the Epistle Oh, if we only knew how much God loves us, and what a supremo sacri. Not long ago the newspapers published a small notice mentioning that representatives of the Jewish race wished to form a tribunal which should re-examine the proceedings which had led to the death of the Son of God. His hair has the colour of ripe pistachiosthat is, reddish, falls tresses upon His shoulders, and parts in two in the middle of the head in the Nazarene manner. Certainly, it can be said that in this case all evil-doers from the lowest ranks had gathered in Jerusalem. So that this great injustice could be done, and yesterdays uproar pass unsubdued, the detachment of soldiers came only today. Had I not been afraid of the rising of a sedition among the people, who were just on the point of breaking out, perhaps this man would still have been alive to us; although, urged more by fidelity to thy dignity than induced by my own wishes, I did not according to my strength resist that innocent blood free from the whole charge brought against it, but unjustly, through the malignity of men, should be sold and suffer, yet, as the Scriptures signify, to their own destruction. lled my heart. I am very much upset and alarmed because of the grudging Hebrews. After 1900 years the leader of the Jewish people recognised the dreadfulness of a juridical mistake and the crime which was perpetrated at the same place where now some of their descendants declared in the most solemn way, by four votes to one, that the Lord Jesus Christ was innocent. There are many modern texts and English translations of the letters, including the one on the website link you gave. He has blasphemed God and predicted the destruction of the Temple. I rose and m feet would hardly drag me along. Therefore, let your worldly wisdom stay within its limits. Your email address will not be published. Owing to their sweet and powerful words, these simple men suddenly became famous and renowned. After these words he went out and left me alone, and I shed bitter tears in my hopelessness and pity. His face shone in majesty like the sun. Corrections? They were divided into a thousand boisterous sects, but in one point they were all united: namely, in their furious hatred against the Romans. Second-century Christian writer Tertullian suggested in one of his writings that soon after the crucifixion of Christ Pilate converted to Christianity and even tried to convince Emperor Tiberius to follow suit. The Catalog of Good Deeds is the official blog of the Catalogue of St. Elisabeth Convent. You will see, therefore, that the duty of those who desire to be loved depends in following the path of obedience and suffering for the truths sake. They were forced during three and a half years to swallow those bitter pills which the Nazarene flung in their faces whenever He met them in public; and, being so extremely weak and cowardly they did not find courage enough to take measures as might have been desirable. 1st century) is unnamed in the New Testament, where she appears in a single verse of the Gospel of Matthew.In later Christian tradition, she is known variously as Saint Procula (also spelled Proculla or Procla), Saint Claudia, Claudia Procles or Claudia Procula. And evil spirits were there and did the same things. Written in Jerusalem this twenty-eight day of march (the 4147th year, according to the Hebrew reckoning, 4037th year according to English reckoning, since the creation of the world.. Thank goodness we have over 5000 pieces No 6000 of the New Testament in 7 different families. When Pilate heard this he slew himself with his own dagger, and by such a death put an end to his life. And Csar said, For what cause then didst thou perpetrate against him such daring and doing, not being ignorant of him, or assuredly designing some mischief to my government? His nose and His mouth give rise to no criticism, and His dense beard is similar to His hairlong, and parted in two in the middle. Jesus was still the object of all the banter and beating in the courts on the part of the crowd and of rough soldiers; their passions were even more inamed in view of His unlimited patience. Jesus, I said to Him at last, and for three successive years I gave you great freedom to speak, and I do not know whether you have read of Socrates or Plato, but I can tell you that in your preaching, so great a modesty comes to light that it will raise you above all these Philosophers. But Jesus did not answer. Along the many affairs which come before me, there was one case awoke my interest to the highest degree. The full text of Claudias letter can easily be found on the internet. Welcome to the site! Semidas father threw himself at the feet of the unknown man I have just described, who went nearer to the bed of the dead and showed Him his daughter, exclaiming: O my Lord, my daughter is in the arms of death, but if it is your will, she will arise. Deeply upset by this news, I took my child to hurry to them to bewail her together with the mourners and her mother Salome. We demand the death of this man, Jesus of Nazareth, one of the priests answered in the name of all the people. If Herod had followed his own inclination in this connection, he would have immediately ordered Jesus to die. Herod to Pontius Pilate the Governor of Jerusalem: Peace. And when he had dismissed him, he soon became terribly inflamed against him, declaring himself wretched, because he had not expressed to him the anger of his bosom. He was led to us, and throwing himself at the feet of my husband, he said with tears in his eyes: I am Joseph of Arimathea, and I come to ask your permission to take Jesus body from the cross and to bury Him in my burial ground. He had risen again. Following an old custom, the governor used to set free on Easterday a criminal sentenced to death, thus showing an example of mercy and grace. He, ame executed His orders, and He stopped on a cloud. You'd think the inclusion of the letter of Pilate would give it the credentials of authenticity, but no - the letter is placed under the heading of Apocryphal Gospels. And again Csar resolved to have Pilate questioned, and commanded a captain, Albius by name, to cut off Pilates head, saying, As he laid hands upon the just man, that is called Christ, he also shall fall in like manner, and find no deliverance. In Connection with Him, O Emperor, there have been rumours every day of miracles performed by the said Jesus Christ. In Jerusalem he had no defence force other than his bodyguard and in addition a small number of local troops who had taken the oath of allegiance to the Roman eagle. . Instantaneously my palace took the appearance of a besieged town. But you will protect Him, isnt that so? No community reviews have been submitted for this work. And the moon, being like blood, did not shine the whole night, and yet she happened to be at the full. And behold, heaven and earth rejoice; and behold, Procla my wife is believing in the visions which appeared unto her, when thou sentest that I should deliver Jesus to the people of Israel, because of the ill-will they had. The next day passed without any event. He was therefore fastened to a great block of stone and sunk in the river Tiber. He could at least help me to . Are these historical records about Jesus' appearance accurate? the righteous, were raised by Him to the great eternity of divine salvation, but the second (the wicked) were thrown in a ery sea; in comparison with which the res of Erebus and Phlegethon are nothing. It only takes a minute to sign up. My husband, weary and under compulsion, was forced at last to yield. So, by virtue of which Roman law did he order the innocent prisoner to be scourged and crucied? Suddenly my eyes grew dim as a sequence to my heavy heart-beats, and I felt as if my life had come to an end. This new faith grew like the plant out of a mustard seed, as the true root of a fruit-bearing tree which should supersede all other roots (that is to say the false religions and the Roman grandeur). At first he did not think it a sufficiently important document to be copied, but some years later he mentioned this document to W. D. Machan, and the latter, inspired by an ardent desire to know the contents, wrote to the German student who, in the meantime, had become a professor in Westphalia (Germany), and requested that by mediation of the latters connections with the Vatican, he might have a copy of that valuable document prepared. but I could not cry for him. You say so, answered Jesus. Once Herod came to me in the Praetorian Office; and when, after some unimportant conversation, he rose to take leave, he asked me what I thought of Jesus of Nazareth. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and ultimately ordered his crucifixion.Pilate's importance in modern Christianity is underscored by his . Pilate declared I nd no fault in this man; with what justication then did he order Jesus to be beaten? All were astonished, and he was astonished himself, that he was so enraged against Pilate while absent, and could say nothing to him sharply while he was present. But I replied that I, in my view of the facts that Jesus was born in Galilee, He fell under the jurisdiction of Herod, and I ordered Jesus to be brought before him. Continually He is calling to your heart and appealing to your ear to return in peace to Jesus Christ and to give Him all your future, all your heart and life. No, said she, but with a pious sentiment of devotion. But is it possible that truth and right are dependent upon the consent of the people? Fear the Forces of heaven.. Jerusalem was evacuated; its whole population went along the death-road leading to that dreadful Golgotha. They are the only example in the history of the Church of saints spouses commemorated on the same day. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Herod says in one letter his daughter Herodias was playing in a pool with ice when the ice broke and cut off her head. With one gesture He separated the righteous from the wicked. By such roads as are not easily described, we journeyed with our personnel, engaged as servants. Therefore, my lord king, all that night the light ceased not. What a contrast between him and His audience, with their black beards and obdurate faces! The dream of "Claudia" is referred to in Matthew 27:19: While Pilate was sitting in the judgment hall, his wife sent him a message: "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night, I suffered much on account of him.". I shall tell you, they accuse me of maintaining close ties with you in order to deprive the Hebrews even of those scanty powers they retain from the Romans. FAQ Required fields are marked *. Lonely, I remained behind, thinking that that which had happened was controlled more by divine than human forces. This new faith grew like the plant out of a mustard seed, as the true root of a fruit-bearing tree which should supersede all other roots (that is to say the false religions and the Roman grandeur). When the throng saw him again, they immediately started to shout their brutal demand: Put Him to death, to death!. In this time of my loneliness I took up continuous studies of some of Jesus moral teachings, which had been given me by Salome, and which she carefully followed. (Matthew 22:23 22:33). These eyes, which gave Jairuss daughter life again, looked at His tormentors with an indescribable expression of peace and love. Doubt and deadly fear were written in his face. Our deadly silence was disturbed by a thunderstroke resounding through the corridors of the palace. A letter from Pontius Pilate's wife by Catherine Van Dyke. The fate of Pontius Pilate after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is disputed among historians. Each of these words pierced my heart like a knife. You will see, therefore, that the duty of those who desire to be loved depends in following the path of obedience and suffering for the truths sake. I exclaimed, highly indignant. Alone the steps, drops of blood the Nazarene had spilt were to be seen. In the introductory notice to the Apocryphal Gospels, the translator writes: "The text is formed from four authorities, none of them ancient." And now, ye see that I live, whom ye crucified. So terrible were these phenomena in the heavens as well as on earth, that Dionysius Areopagita exclaimed; Either the creator of nature is suffering or the universe perishes., In the first hour of the night I put on a coat and went, in the direction of Golgotha, on foot into the town, deeply excited and upset, feeling concerned and disappointed many were terror-stricken and tormented by what they had seen. They perished. whose eyes, amed with anger. With one gesture He separated the righteous from the wicked. So Volusianus came with Veronica to Rome, and said to Tiberius the emperor, Jesus, whom thou hast long desired, Pilate and the Jews have surrendered to an unjust death, and through envy fastened to the wood of the cross. The following are its contents : From Claudia Procula, greetings to Fulvia Rornelia. These people were so stirred up that I lived in an everlasting fear that a revolution might break out any moment. With bound hands, and clothes torn by blows He had suffered, and with a blood-covered forehead, Jesus of Nazareth, calm and undisturbed, stood before him. And a woman that had a flow of blood for many years, so that, in consequence of the flowing of her blood, all the joinings of her bones appeared, and were transparent like glass; and assuredly all the physicians had left her without hope, and had not cleansed her, for there was not in her a single hope of health: once, then, as Jesus was passing by, she took hold of the fringe of his clothes behind, and that same hour the power of her body was completely restored, and she became whole, as if nothing were the matter with her, and she began to run swiftly to her own city Paneas. It is only natural and absolutely advisable that the judges of to- day should read the Holy Books, i.e., the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. nd a warning not to do the same injustice, nor to be partial, but to judge according to divine right. Veronica said to him, When my Lord went about preaching, and I was very unwillingly deprived of his presence, I desired to have his picture painted for me, that while I was deprived of his presence, at least the figure of his likeness might give me consolation. We were forced to return to Europe wandering from town to town. 28th March. He had rounded them up with his cavalry, and ordered the leader to be killed and the crowd to be dispersed with pikes, and any whom they m1ght catch to be slain. Now, He breathes His last, remarked the third servant. The statues of the Emperor have been besmeared with stains from Golgotha. By such roads as are not easily described, we journeyed with our personnel, engaged as servants. 1929. Never had there been even the slightest evidence of such a crime. Deliver Him to us, so that He may die on the cross! In this masterpiece of history the official document where Pontius Pilate reported Christ''s death to Emperor Tiberius; went on to explain that it was recorded by the Roman historian, Valleus Paterculus, and was finally discovered in the early 1850''s in Rome''s Vatican library. And amid the terror dead men were seen rising again, so that the Jews who saw it said, We beheld Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs, who died some two thousand five hundred years before, and we beheld Noah clearly in the body. After so much uproar the town became suddenly calm, as if in thought, and a deadly silence pervaded it, as if death had covered it with its dark wings. He walked on the waters. And Volusianus, having heard the order of the emperor, immediately departed, and came to Pilate, as it was commanded him. Can you add one? Edit. ve years old when Pilate, by the Emperors grace, was appointed procurator of Judea. and that by the spirit Nina these voices had been mixed with the howling of hunted animals. I followed Him, without His knowing. For in both we stand before the works of the living God; but this judgment, which is temporal, is for a time, while that to come is judgment for ever. Rumours went that many graves opened and many people saw righteous men, who long before had passed away, come to life again: prophets and priests from the time of Zachariah who was killed in the temple. In Jerusalem I was surrounded with tokens of respect and hand clasping : however, I lived in greater loneliness because of the pride and contempt with which the Hebrews met us. The door opened and I could see Semida, lying on a bed adorned with candlesticks and perfumes. After these words he went out and left me alone, and I shed bitter tears in my hopelessness and pity. She is commemorated on 9 November, new style. Pontius Pilate's wife was one of the Philosophy and religion good articles, but it has been removed from the list. However, truth will break through always and triumph. It will not be long before He who suffered so much will appear and gather, among His people, those who have been persecuted and wrongly sentenced. Pilate declared I, nd no fault in this man; with what justi. The emissaries who preach Jesus doctrines have inserted in the comments on their faith also the words: He was crucied by order of Pontius Pilate (Passus est sub Pontio Pilato) a terrible curse which will continue through all ages. One day I walked round a place called Siloah and there I noticed a rather large crowd and, amidst, against a tree, stood a young man who, with clearness and serenity, preached to the people. And while you probably seldom think of me, I hope you will read this . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Paul L. Maier Pontius Pilate - A Novel (Paperback) (US IMPORT) at the best online prices at eBay! Greeting: I have been informed of the audacity perpetrated very recently by the Jews inhabiting Jerusalem and the cities round about, and their lawless doing, how they compelled Pilate to crucify a certain god called Jesus, through which great transgression of theirs the world was darkened and drawn into ruin. And my wife, again, through all her grief for her daughter, is become blind in her left eye, because we desired to blind the Eye of righteousness. Bottom line: Pontius Pilate vindicates Jesus in the letter to Tiberius Cesar as oppose to just relaying the facts about the events to Tiberius Cesar. She says that they were some of the prophets and priests. At dinner I told Pontius what I had seen and heard. It has been said that He never laughs, but that His eyes are always tearful. Chief of the prosecutors office for the Hebrews : Butan. SOME DOCUMENTS REGARDING THE LAST EVENTS IN CHRIST LIFE, EXTRACTED FROM HISTORICAL CHRONICLES. Pontius Pilate's Story. I saw Him in my dream last night. whose words and sentences we notice on our altars, calling them divine. And many of the Jews died, and were engulfed and swallowed up in the chasms in that night, so that not even their bodies appeared. At last, it is proved that Roman justice is also guilty in no less a degree. His hands are externally beautiful. His wife sends him word of a revelatory dream she has had about Jesus and urges him to have nothing to do with that innocent man (Matthew 27:19), and Pilate abdicates his responsibility to the emperor. Therefore, Pilate tried to save Tiberius to understand that he did nothing further than confirm the sentence pronounce don Jesus by the Sanhedrin. The curtains in the Temple have been torn in two; the sun became dark as if it were in mourning. And he did another yet more mighty work, which had been strange even among our gods, he raised from the dead one Lazarus, who had been dead four days, commanding by a word alone that the dead man should be raised, when his body was already corrupted by worms which bred in his wounds. Showing 2 featured editions. The . nite expression of hope, which I could not understand. But they had one heresy against him, that he said the Sabbath was not their proper rest. Pontius sat on his ivory throne, in all the majesty with which Rome adorns her representatives ; and apparently showed no fear, as if it was his intention to appear thus, and to bear an intrepid expression on his face; but I could quickly understand and catch his concern. can you add a source to the alleged letter? Once I tried to speak to him of repentance and remorse for sins committed, but I shall never forget his wild glance and the bitter words of desperation with which he answered. I decide and order his death by crucifixion, together with others, in the manner applied to those people who are sentenced to death, be they of rich or poor standing, because he continuously caused uproar by his detrimental behaviour in Judas ; further, he called himself the Son of God, and King of Jerusalem, and threatened the Holy Temple and Jerusalem with destruction ; he refused to pay taxes to the Emperor and ventured to enter Jerusalem with leaves of date-palms and a retinue of people, like a king who enters Jerusalem and the Holy Temple.