Acta Pilate (Letter of Pilate to Caesar about Jesus, His Crucifixion & Resurrection)

[Akita Suggagaki]

I somehow stumbled upon this on Youtube. Rather interesting. I have no idea about the authenticity.

 

[The Liturgist]

Well, the Ethiopian Orthodox regard it as authentic, and even consider Pontius PIlate to be a martyr and a saint, which is interesting. I respect them a lot for their extreme piety.

 

[AFrazier]

I somehow stumbled upon this on Youtube. Rather interesting. I have no idea about the authenticity.

Based on some of the particular details, I would guess this was written between the sixth and ninth centuries, and not a genuine account. One such detail, for example, is Christ being born on the same day that Augustus brought peace. This is a reference to Augustus being named Pater Patriae, and it is alleged that the swearing to Augustus in the temples was in direct relation to this event. The oath swearing, according to sixth century common belief, was the census event during which Christ was born.

Further, this doesn't give any new information that can't be gleaned from existing histories. All the details it gives are things found in the gospels, and creatively embellished and woven into the story. In the second place, Jesus was a Jew. He would not be a blond-haired man. He would have been just as brunette as the rest of the Jews. A blond, glowing Jesus most definitely fits European imagery of Jesus approaching the Renaissance period.

It's also worth noting that the actions of Pilate as recorded by Josephus do not reflect a man short of troops or wary of Jewish might. It is highly unlikely that Pilate only had a hundred men to govern a province. Particularly in a province as tumultuous as Jerusalem.

Furthermore, the prediction of the Roman Empire falling apart because it had stretched too far and tried to hold too much was precisely what was happening around the fifth century. The first signs of Rome's downfall began in earnest as various parts of the Roman empire were invaded by the Moors, Visigoths, Huns, etc.

Anything is possible, of course, but while this is an entertaining and thought-provoking writing, I have serious doubts about its authenticity, and with good reason.

Nevertheless, I think I'll get a copy of that book. I'm sure one can be located. It looks like something worth having. I've read a great number of apocryphal and pseudepigraphal works. I've never seen this anywhere before. Thanks for sharing.

 

[The Liturgist]

It's also worth noting that the actions of Pilate as recorded by Josephus do not reflect a man short of troops or wary of Jewish might. It is highly unlikely that Pilate only had a hundred men to govern a province. Particularly in a province as tumultuous as Jerusalem.

Judea was a backwater, and Jerusalem was a backwater within a backwater even before the Romans shall we say reconfigured it in 130 AD as Aeolia Capitolina. The center of Roman authority in the province was, before St. Helena rebuilt the city after her son’s conversion, was the port of Caesarea.

I would also note that technically it was King Herod Antipas who governed the province. Pilate was clearly analogous to a British resident in a princely state of India, a High Commissioner, with enough soldiers to guard his palace, but little else, and we know from the Gospels that not only did Herod also have his own soldiers, but there were also soldiers or guards available to the Sanhedrin. And these were probably not Roman legionaries like the legendary centurion Petronius, mentioned in the apocryphal Gospel of Peter, but rather, were likely Jewish auxilliaries.

 

[AFrazier]

Judea was a backwater, and Jerusalem was a backwater within a backwater even before the Romans shall we say reconfigured it in 130 AD as Aeolia Capitolina. The center of Roman authority in the province was, before St. Helena rebuilt the city after her son’s conversion, was the port of Caesarea.

I would also note that technically it was King Herod Antipas who governed the province. Pilate was clearly analogous to a British resident in a princely state of India, a High Commissioner, with enough soldiers to guard his palace, but little else, and we know from the Gospels that not only did Herod also have his own soldiers, but there were also soldiers or guards available to the Sanhedrin. And these were probably not Roman legionaries like the legendary centurion Petronius, mentioned in the apocryphal Gospel of Peter, but rather, were likely Jewish auxilliaries.

Pilate wasn't merely a visiting resident. He was the Praefect, per the inscription found during the excavation under Antonio Frova. And we have at least one instance where it's obvious that his forces were well beyond a hundred or so men. Josephus, Antiquities 18.60-62, says that when Pilate "brought a current of water to Jerusalem" (presumably an aqueduct), using the corban to fund the project, the Jews got together "many ten thousands of the people" to protest. And Pilate had enough soldiers to surround them, and to do significant enough harm to the mob as to drive them away and put an end to their resistance.

Furthermore, Antipas was over Galilee. That was the whole point of Pilate sending Jesus to Antipas when he discovered that Jesus was from Galilee. Jerusalem had been formerly under the control of Archelaus, but Archelaus' portion defaulted to Roman oversight, initially under Coponius, presumably a Praefect under Quirinius, Legatus and Pronconsul of Syria, when Archelaus was banished and Judaea was annexed into the Syrian province.

 

[The Liturgist]

Pilate wasn't merely a visiting resident. He was the Praefect, per the inscription found during the excavation under Antonio Frova. And we have at least one instance where it's obvious that his forces were well beyond a hundred or so men. Josephus, Antiquities 18.60-62, says that when Pilate "brought a current of water to Jerusalem" (presumably an aqueduct), using the corban to fund the project, the Jews got together "many ten thousands of the people" to protest. And Pilate had enough soldiers to surround them, and to do significant enough harm to the mob as to drive them away and put an end to their resistance.

Furthermore, Antipas was over Galilee. That was the whole point of Pilate sending Jesus to Antipas when he discovered that Jesus was from Galilee. Jerusalem had been formerly under the control of Archelaus, but Archelaus' portion defaulted to Roman oversight, initially under Coponius, presumably a Praefect under Quirinius, Legatus and Pronconsul of Syria, when Archelaus was banished and Judaea was annexed into the Syrian province.

Indeed, and his rank proves my point, insofar as are not even provincial governors! They were something like sheriffs or regional executives. The office of prefect was not on the cursus honorum of Roman political life.

Now if Pontius Pilate had been more than a glorified garrison commander, but had at least a somewhat important rank like a curule or aedile, that might be impressive. But he was not, for instance, a proconsul or even a propraetor (former praetors governed most provinces, except for the tricky ones like former Carthage, whose surrounding lands we now call Tunisia were the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis.

 

[AFrazier]

Indeed, and his rank proves my point, insofar as are not even provincial governors! They were something like sheriffs or regional executives. The office of prefect was not on the cursus honorum of Roman political life.

Now if Pontius Pilate had been more than a glorified garrison commander, but had at least a somewhat important rank like a curule or aedile, that might be impressive. But he was not, for instance, a proconsul or even a propraetor (former praetors governed most provinces, except for the tricky ones like former Carthage, whose surrounding lands we now call Tunisia were the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis.

I don't actually think that his rank proves your point. Unless I'm misunderstanding you, you're in support of the idea that he had an extremely limited military force. A Praefect at that point in time was essentially a Presidial Procurator. He was a military presence with local municipal authority to tax, fine, and otherwise govern. And as I gave for an example, he had the forces to surround a mob of many tens of thousands according to Josephus.