Introduction

Introduction to the Acts of Yeshua HaMashiach: The Sworn Testimony of Nicodemus

The Recovered Record of the Hall of Pilate

The text presented here stands as a profound monument of Hebraic Messianic Nazarene heritage, capturing the raw, unedited legal and spiritual drama surrounding the trial, crucifixion, and supernatural victory of Yeshua HaMashiach. Historically recovered from the public records in Jerusalem within the hall of Pontius Pilate by the Emperor Theodosius the Great, this manuscript preserves an account written originally in Hebrew by Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who openly stood in defense of the Messiah.

By restoring the text to its native Hebraic expressions—honoring the sacred names of Yahuah Elohim and Yeshua HaMashiach—this narrative strips away centuries of Hellenized detachment. It plunges the reader directly into the urgent, apocalyptic atmosphere of first-century Jerusalem, where the cosmic battle between light and darkness was legally arbitrated under the nineteen-year reign of Tiberius Caesar.

Significance and Hidden Revelations

Unlike traditional canonized accounts that focus primarily on the earthly mechanics of the crucifixion, the Acts of Nicodemus bridges the gap between the visible world and the deep cosmic realities of the underworld. It provides vital testimony on three crucial fronts:

The Miraculous Courtroom Manifestations: Chapter One reveals that when Yeshua was summoned before the Roman tribunal, the very tops of the imperial standards carried by Pagan ensigns supernatural bent down of their own accord to worship Him, defying both the physical strength of chosen guards and the political fury of the Sanhedrin.

The Sworn Confession of the Temple: Chapter Twenty-Two details a dramatic, closed-door assembly where Pilate compelled the high priests Annas and Caiaphas under oath to open the "great book" of the Scripture. Through careful mathematical calculation of the generations and the proportions of the Ark of the Covenant (five cubits and a half), the Jewish leadership was forced to confess that their own texts perfectly fixed the incarnation of the Almighty Elohim at exactly 5,500 years from creation—proving they had executed the Messiah in ignorance.

The Harrowing of Hades: Chapters Thirteen through Twenty present a stunning, firsthand eyewitness account delivered by Charinus and Lenthius—the two resurrected sons of the high priest Simeon. Allowed three days on earth after rising from their graves, they commit to paper an identical, miraculously corresponding narrative of Yeshua descending into the depths of hell as the "King of Glory," shattering the bronze gates, binding HaSatan under the dominion of Beelzebub, and liberating Adam, the prophets, and the penitent thief into the spiritual provisions of Paradise.

Structural Narrative Overview

Chapters 1–4 (The Accusation and Trial): Annas, Caiaphas, and their confederates accuse Yeshua of violating the Sabbath through miraculous cures and performing deeds by "wicked methods". Despite the warnings of his own wife's visions, Pilate navigates the political turbulence as the crowd demands the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of the "King of the Jews".

Chapters 5–6 (The Ring of Witnesses): A procession of healed citizens—including the 38-year paralytic from the sheep-pool, a man born blind, a cleansed leper, and a woman named Veronica—boldly break the status quo to testify of Yeshua's divine power, matching the defense mounted by Nicodemus.

Chapters 7–12 (Crucifixion, Burial, and Disappearance): Details the execution at Golgotha alongside Dimas and Gestas, the piercing of Yeshua's side by Longinus, and His subsequent burial by Yoseph of Arimathea. Following the resurrection, Yoseph is miraculously broken out of a sealed, windowless prison cell by Yeshua Himself, throwing the temple guards into absolute confusion.

Chapters 13–22 (The Mysteries of the Underworld and Temple Verdict): The resurrected sons of Simeon document the solar-gold light that invaded the blackness of hell, the ancient promise of the "oil of mercy" granted to Adam through the archangel Michael, and the total subjection of the prince of destruction under the wood of the cross.

The Septuagint (LXX) Connection

This text heavily echoes the expansive scriptural voice of the ancient Septuagint (LXX)—the primary text utilized by the early Nazarene assemblies. Where later traditional translations shortened or obscured prophetic lines, the descriptions within this Gospel shine brightly through the lens of the LXX: from the trembling "porters of Hades" in Job 38:17 to the cosmic summons for all angels to worship Him in Deuteronomy 32:43. It reminds the modern believer that history is not an unpredictable sequence of random events, but a finely woven tapestry that bends completely toward the ultimate sovereignty of the Messiah.

The Core Message

True redemption is not a localized historic event or an abstract philosophy; it is an all-encompassing, multidimensional triumph that conquered the grave, rewrote human lineage from Adam onward, and demands a radical response of Teshuvah (repentance) and total obedience to the living King of Glory.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 1

Chapter 1

1.0×

1ANNAS and Caiaphas, and Summas, and Datam, Gamaliel, Judas, Levi, Nepthalim, Alexander, Cyrus, and other Jews, went to Pilate about Yeshua, accusing him with many bad crimes 2And said, We are assured that Yeshua is the son of Yoseph the carpenter, born of Miriam, and that he declares himself the Son of Elohim, and a king; and not only so, but attempts the dissolution of the sabbath, and the Torah (laws) of our fathers. 3Pilate replied; What is it which he declares? and what is it which he attempts dissolving? 4The Jews told him, We have a Torah (law) which forbids doing cures on the sabbath day; but he cures both the lame and the deaf, those afflicted with the palsy, the blind, and lepers, and demoniacs, on that day by wicked methods 5Pilate replied, How can he do this by wicked methods? They answered, He is a conjurer, and casts out devils by the prince of the devils; and so all things become subject to him 6Then said Pilate, Casting out devils seems not to be the work of an unclean spirit, but to proceed from the power of Elohim 7The Jews replied to Pilate, We entreat your highness to summon him to appear before your tribunal, and hear him yourself 8Then Pilate called a messenger and said to him, By what means will HaMashiach be brought hither? 9Then went the messenger forth, and knowing HaMashiach, worshipped him; and having spread the cloak which he had in his hand upon the ground, he said, Master, walk upon this, and go in, for the governor calls thee. 10When the Jews perceived what the messenger had done they exclaimed (against him) to Pilate, and said, Why did you not give him his summons by a beadle, and not by a messenger?—For the messenger, when he saw him, worshipped him, and spread the cloak which he had in his hand upon the ground before him, and said to him, Master, the governor calls thee. 11Then Pilate called the messenger, and said, Why hast thou done thus? 12The messenger replied, When thou sentest me from Jerusalem to Alexander, I saw Yeshua sitting in a mean figure upon a she-ass, and the children of the Hebrews cried out, Hosannah, holding boughs of trees in their hands. 13Others spread their garments in the way, and said, Save us, thou who art in heaven; blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Yahuah (Lord). 14Then the Jews cried out, against the messenger, and said, The children of the Hebrews made their acclamations in the Hebrew language; and how couldst thou, who art a Greek, understand the Hebrew? 15The messenger answered them and said, I asked one of the Jews and said, What is this which the children do cry out in the Hebrew language? 16And he explained it to me, saying, they cry out"Hosannah,", which, being interpreted, is, O, Yahuah (Lord), save me; or, O Yahuah (Lord), save. 17Pilate then said to them, Why do you yourselves testify to the words spoken by the children, namely, by your silence? In what has the messenger done amiss? And they were silent. 18Then the governor said unto the messenger, Go forth and endeavour by any means to bring him in. 19But the messenger went forth, and did as before; and said, Master, come in, for the governor calleth thee. 20And as Yeshua was going in by the ensigns, who carried the standards, the tops of them bowed down and worshipped Yeshua. 21Whereupon the Jews exclaimed more vehemently against the ensigns. 22But Pilate said to the Jews, I know it is not pleasing to you that the tops of the standards did of themselves bow and worship Yeshua; but why do ye exclaim against the ensigns, as if they had bowed and worshipped? 23They replied to Pilate, We saw the ensigns themselves bowing and worshipping Yeshua. 24Then the governor called the ensigns and said unto them, Why did you do thus? 25The ensigns said to Pilate, We are all Pagans and worship the gods in temples; and how should we think anything about worshipping him? We only held the standards in our hands and they bowed themselves and worshipped him. 26Then said Pilate to the rulers of the synagogue, Do ye yourselves choose some strong men, and let them hold the standards, and we shall see whether they will then bend of themselves. 27So the elders of the Jews sought out twelve of the most strong and able old men, and made them hold the standards, and they stood in the presence of the governor. 28Then Pilate said to the messenger, Take Yeshua out, and by some means bring him in again. And Yeshua and the messenger went out of the hall. 29And Pilate called the ensigns who before had borne the standards, and swore to them, that if they had not borne the standards in that manner when Yeshua before entered in, he would cut off their heads. 30Then the governor commanded Yeshua to come in again. 31And the messenger did as he had done before, and very much entreated Yeshua that he would go upon his cloak, and walk on it, and he did walk upon it, and went in. 32And when Yeshua went in, the standards bowed themselves as before, and worshipped him.

Footnotes

1. HaMashiach accused to Pilate by the Jews of healing on the sabbath, 9. summoned before Pilate by a messenger who does him honour, 20. worshipped by the standards bowing down to him.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 2

Chapter 2

1.0×

1Now, when Pilate saw this, he was afraid, and was about to rise from his seat. 2But while he thought to rise, his own wife, who stood at a distance, sent to him, saying have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered much concerning him in a vision this night. 3When the Jews heard this, they said to Pilate, Did we not say unto thee, He is a conjuror? Behold, he hath caused thy wife to dream. 4Pilate then calling Yeshua, said, thou hast heard what they testify against thee, and makest no answer? 5Yeshua replied, If they had not a power of speaking, they could not have spoke; but because everyone has the command of his own tongue, to speak both good and bad, let him look to it. 6But the elders of the Jews answered, and said to Yeshua, What shall we look to? 7In the first place, we know this concerning thee, that thou wast born through fornication; secondly, that upon the account of thy birth the infants were slain in Bethlehem; thirdly, that thy father and mother Miriam fled into Egypt, because they could not trust their own people. 8Some of the Jews who stood by spake more favourably, We cannot say that he was born through fornication, but we know that his mother Miriam was betrothed to Yoseph, and so he was not born through fornication. 9Then said Pilate to the Jews who affirmed him to be born through fornication, This your account is not true, seeing there was a betrothment, as they testify who are of your own nation. 10Annas and Caiaphas spake to Pilate, All this multitude of people is to be regarded, who cry out, that he was born through fornication, and is a conjuror; but they who deny him to be born through fornication, are his proselytes and disciples. 11Pilate answered Annas and Caiaphas, Who are the proselytes? They answered, They are those who are the children of Pagans, and are not become Jews, but followers of him. 12Then replied Eleazer, and Asterius, and Antonius, and Yacob, Caras, and Samuel, Isaac, and Phinees, Crispus and Agrippa, Annas and Judas, We are not proselytes, but children of Jews, and speak the truth, and were present when Miriam was betrothed. 13Then Pilate, addressing himself to the twelve men who spake this, said to them, I conjure you by the life of Caesar, that ye faithfully declare whether he was born through fornication, and those things be true which ye have related. 14They answered Pilate, We have a Torah (law), whereby we are forbidden to swear, it being a sin: Let them swear by the life of Caesar that it is not as we have said, and we will be contented to be put to death. 15Then said Annas and Caiaphas to Pilate, Those twelve men will not believe that we know him to be basely born, and to be a conjuror, although he pretends that he is the son of Elohim, and a king: which we are so far from believing, that we tremble to hear. 16Then Pilate commanded everyone to go out except the twelve men who said he was not born through fornication, and Yeshua to withdraw to a distance, and said to them, Why have the Jews a mind to kill Yeshua? 17They answered him, They are angry because he wrought cures on the Sabbath day. Pilate said, Will they kill him for good work? They say unto him, Yes, Sir.

Footnotes

2 Is compassionated by Pilate's wife, 7 charged with being born in fornication. 12 Testimony to the betrothing of his parents. Hatred of the Jews to him.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 3

Chapter 3

1.0×

1The Pilate, filled with anger, went out of the hall, and said to the Jews, I call the whole world to witness that I find no fault in that man. 2The Jews replied to Pilate, If he had not been a wicked person, we had not brought him before thee. 3Pilate said to them, Do ye take him and try him by your Torah (law). 4Then the Jews said, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. 5Pilate said to the Jews, The command, therefore thou shalt not kill, belongs to you, but not to me. 6And he went again into the hall, and called Yeshua by himself, and said to him, Art thou the king of the Jews? 7And Yeshua answering, said to Pilate, Dost thou speak this of thyself, or did the Jews tell it thee concerning me? 8Pilate, answering, said to Yeshua, Am I a Jew? The whole nation and rulers of the Jews have delivered thee up to me. What hast thou done? 9Yeshua answering, said, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, and I should not have been delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from hence. 10Pilate said, Art thou a king then? Yeshua answered, Thou sayest that I am a king: to this end was I born, and for this end came I into the world; and for this purpose I came, that I should bear witness to the truth; and every one who is of the truth, heareth my voice. 11Pilate saith to him, What is truth? 12Yeshua said, Truth is from heaven. 13Pilate said, Therefore, truth is not on earth. 14Yeshua said to Pilate, Believe that truth is on earth among those who, when they have the power of judgment, are governed by truth, and form right judgment.

Footnotes

1 Is exonerated by Pilate. 11 Disputes with Pilate concerning Truth.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 4

Chapter 4

1.0×

1Then Pilate left Yeshua in the hall, and went out to the Jews, and said, I find not any one fault in Yeshua. 2The Jews say unto him, But he said, I can destroy the temple of Elohim, and in three days build it up again. 3Pilate saith unto them, What sort of temple is that of which he speaketh? 4The Jews say unto him, That which Solomon was forty-six years in building, he said he would destroy, and in three days build up. 5Pilate said to them again, I am innocent from the blood of that man; do ye look to it. 6The Jews say to him, His blood be upon us and our children. Then Pilate, calling together the elders and scribes, priests and Levites, saith to them privately, Do not act thus; I have found nothing in your charge (against him) concerning his curing sick persons, and breaking the sabbath, worthy of death. 7The Priests and Levites replied to Pilate, By the life of Caesar, if anyone be a blasphemer, he is worthy of death; but this man hath blasphemed against the Most High. 8Then the governor again commanded the Jews to depart out of the hall; and calling Yeshua, said to him, What shall I do with thee? 9Yeshua answered him, Do according as it is written. 10Pilate said to him, How is it written? 11Yeshua saith to him, Moses and the prophets have prophesied concerning my suffering and resurrection. 12The Jews, hearing this, were provoked and said to Pilate, Why wilt thou any longer hear the blasphemy of that man? 13Pilate saith to them, If these words seem to you blasphemy, do ye take him, bring him to your court, and try him according to your Torah (law). 14The Jews reply to Pilate, Our Torah (law) saith, he shall be obliged to receive nine and thirty stripes, but if after this manner he shall blaspheme against Yahuah (the Lord), he shall be stoned. 15Pilate saith unto them, If that speech of his was blasphemy, do ye try him according to your Torah (law). 16The Jews say to Pilate, Our Torah (law) commands us not to put anyone to death: we desire that he may be crucified, because he deserves the death of the cross. 17Pilate saith to them, It is not fit he should be crucified: let him be only whipped and sent away. 18But when the governor looked upon the people that were present and the Jews, he saw many of the Jews in tears, and said to the chief priests of the Jews, All the people do not desire his death. 19The elders of the Jews answered to Pilate, We and all the people came hither for this very purpose, that he should die. 20Pilate saith to them, Why should he die? 21They said to him, Because he declares himself to be the Son of Elohim, and a King.

Footnotes

1 Pilate finds no fault in Yeshua. 16 The Jews demand his crucifixion.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 5

Chapter 5

1.0×

1But Nicodemus, a certain Jew, stood before the governor, and said, I entreat thee, O righteous judge, that thou wouldst favour me with the liberty of speaking a few words. 2Pilate said to him, Speak on. 3Nicodemus said, I spake to the elders of the Jews, and the scribes, and priests, and Levites, and all the multitude of the Jews, in their assembly; What is it ye would do with this man? 4He is a man who hath wrought many useful and glorious miracles, such as no man on earth ever wrought before, nor will ever work. Let him go, and do him no harm; if he cometh from Elohim, his miracles (his miraculous cures) will continue; but if from men, they will come to nought. 5Thus, Moses, when he was sent by Elohim into Egypt, wrought the miracles which Elohim commanded him before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and though the magicians of that country, Jannes and Jambres, wrought by their magic the same miracles which Moses did, yet they could not work all which he did. 6And the miracles which the magicians wrought, were not of Elohim, as ye know, O Scribes and Pharisees; but they who wrought them perished, and all who believed them. 7And now let this man go, because the very miracles for which ye accuse him, are from Elohim; and he is not worthy of death. 8The Jews then said to Nicodemus, Art thou become his disciple, and making speeches in his favour? 9Nicodemus said to them, Is the governor become his disciple also, and does he make speeches for him? Did not Caesar place him in that high post? 10When the Jews heard this, they trembled, and gnashed their teeth at Nicodemus, and said to him, Mayest thou receive his doctrine for truth, and have thy lot with HaMashiach! 11Nicodemus replied, Amen; I will receive his doctrine, and my lot with him, as ye have said. 12Then another certain Jew rose up, and desired leave of the governor to hear him a few words. 13And the governor said, Speak what thou hast a mind. 14And he said, I lay for thirty-eight years by the sheep-pool at Jerusalem, labouring under a great infirmity, and waiting for a cure which should be wrought by the coming of an angel, who at a certain time troubled the water; and whosoever first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 15And when Yeshua saw me languishing there, he said to me, Wilt thou be made whole? And I answered, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool. 16And he said unto me, Rise, take up thy bed and walk. And I was immediately made whole, and took up my bed and walked. 17The Jews then said to Pilate, Our Lord Governor, pray ask him what day it was on which he was cured of his infirmity. 18The infirm person replied, It was on the sabbath. 19The Jews said to Pilate, Did we not say that he wrought his cures on the sabbath, and cast out devils by the prince of devils? 20Then another certain Jew came forth, and said, I was blind, could hear sounds, but could not see anyone; and as Yeshua was going along, I heard the multitude passing by, and I asked what was there? 21They told me that Yeshua was passing by: then I cried out, saying, Yeshua, Son of David, have mercy on me. And he stood still, and commanded that I should be brought to him, and said to me, What wilt thou? 22I said, Master, that I may receive my sight. 23He said to me, Receive thy sight: and presently I saw, and followed him, rejoicing and giving thanks. 24Another Jew also came forth, and said, I was a leper, and he cured me by his word only, saying, I will, be thou clean; and presently I was cleansed from my leprosy. 25And another Jew came forth, and said, I was crooked, and he made me straight by his word. 26And a certain woman named Veronica said, I was afflicted with an issue of blood for twelve years, and I touched the hem of his garments, and presently the issue of my blood stopped. 27The Jews then said, We have a Torah (law), that a woman shall not be allowed as an evidence 28And, after other things, another Jew said, I saw Yeshua invited to a wedding with his disciples, and there was a want of wine in Cana of Galilee; 29And when the wine was all drank, he commanded the servants that they should fill six pots which were there with water, and they filled them up to the brim, and he blessed them, and turned the water into wine, and all the people drank, being surprised at this miracle. 30And another Jew stood forth, and said, I saw Yeshua teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum; and there was in the synagogue a certain man who had a devil; and he cried out, saying, let me alone; what have we to do with thee, Yeshua of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know that thou art the Holy One of Elohim. 31And Yeshua rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, unclean spirit, and come out of the man; and presently he came out of him, and did not at all hurt him. 32The following things were also said by a Pharisee; I saw that a great company came to Yeshua from Galilee and Judaea, and the sea-coast, and many countries about Jordan, and many infirm persons came to him, and he healed them all. 33And I heard the unclean spirits crying out, and saying, Thou art the Son of Elohim. And Yeshua strictly charged them that they should not make him known. 34After this, another person, whose name was Centurio, said, I saw Yeshua in Capernaum, and I entreated him, saying, Master, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy. 35And Yeshua said to me, I will come and cure him. 36But I said, Master, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant shall be healed. 37And Yeshua said unto me, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And my servant was healed from that same hour. 38Then a certain nobleman said, I had a son in Capernaum, who lay at the point of death; and when I heard that Yeshua was come into Galilee, I went and besought him that he would come down to my house, and heal my son, for he was at the point of death. 39He said to me, Go thy way, thy son liveth. 40And my son was cured from that hour. 41Besides these, also many others of the Jews, both men and women, cried out and said, He is truly the Son of Elohim, who cures all diseases only by his word, and to whom the devils are altogether subject. 42Some of them further said, This power can proceed from none but Elohim. 43Pilate said to the Jews. Why are not the devils subject to your doctors? 44Some of them said, The power of subjecting devils can not proceed but from Elohim. 45But others said to Pilate that he had raised Lazarus from the dead, after he had been four days in his grave. 46The governor, hearing this, trembling, said to the multitude of the Jews, What will it profit you to shed innocent blood?

Footnotes

1 Nicodemus speaks in defence of HaMashiach, and relates his miracles. 12 Another Jew, 26 with Veronica, 34 Centurio, and others, testify of other miracles.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 6

Chapter 6

1.0×

1Then Pilate, having called together Nicodemus, and the fifteen men who said that Yeshua was not born through fornication, said to them, What shall I do, seeing there is like to be a tumult among the people. 2They said unto him, We know not; let them look to it who raise the tumult. 3Pilate then called the multitude again, and said to them, Ye know that ye have a custom, that I should release to you one prisoner at the feast of the passover; 4I have a noted prisoner, a murderer, who is called Barabbas, and Yeshua, who is called HaMashiach, in whom I find nothing that deserves death; which of them therefore have you a mind that I should release to you? 5They all cry out and say, Release to us Barabbas. 6Pilate saith to them, What then shall I do with Yeshua who is called HaMashiach? 7They all answer, Let him be crucified. 8Again, they cry out and say to Pilate, You are not the friend of Caesar, if you release this man? for he hath declared that he is the Son of Elohim, and a king. But are you inclined that he should be king, and not Caesar? 9Then Pilate, filled with anger, said to them, Your nation hath always been seditious, and you are always against those who have been serviceable to you? 10The Jews replied, Who are those who have been serviceable to us? 11Pilate answered them, Your Elohim who delivered you from the hard bondage of the Egyptians, and brought you over the Red Sea as though it had been dry land, and fed you in the wilderness with manna and the flesh of quails, and brought water out of the rock, and gave you a Torah (law) from heaven: 12Ye provoked him all ways, and desired for yourselves a molten calf, and worshipped it, and sacrificed to it, and said, These are Thy gods, O Yisrael, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt 13On account of which your Elohim was inclined to destroy you; but Moses interceded for you, and your Elohim heard him, and forgave your iniquity. 14Afterwards, ye were enraged against, and would have killed your prophets, Moses and Aaron, when they fled to the tabernacle, and ye were always murmuring against Elohim and his prophets. 15And arising from his judgment seat, he would have gone out; but the Jews all cried out, We acknowledge Caesar to be king, and not Yeshua. 16Whereas this person, as soon as he was born, the wise men came and offered gifts unto him; which when Herod heard, he was exceedingly troubled, and would have killed him. 17When his father knew this, he fled with him and his mother, Miriam, into Egypt. Herod, when he heard he was born, would have slain him; and accordingly sent and slew all the children which were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under. 18When Pilate heard this account, he was afraid; and commanding silence among the people, who made a noise, he said to Yeshua, Art thou therefore a king? 19All the Jews replied to Pilate, he is the very person whom Herod sought to have slain. 20Then Pilate, taking water, washed his hands before the people and said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person; look ye to it. 21The Jews answered and said, His blood be upon us and our children. 22Then Pilate commanded Yeshua to be brought before him, and spake to him in the following words: 23Thy own nation hath charged thee as making thyself a king; wherefore I, Pilate, sentence thee to be whipped according to the laws of former governors; and that thou be first bound, then hanged upon a cross in that place where thou art now a prisoner; and also two criminals with thee, whose names are Dimas and Gestas.

Footnotes

1 Pilate, dismayed by the turbulence of the Jews, 5 who demand Barabbas to be released, and HaMashiach to be crucified, 9 Pilate warmly expostulates with them, 20 washes his hands of HaMashiach's blood, 23 and sentences him to be whipped and crucified.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 7

Chapter 7

1.0×

1Then Yeshua went out of the hall, and the two thieves with him. 2And when they came to the place which is called Golgotha, they stripped him of his raiment, and girt him about with a linen cloth, and put a crown of thorns upon his head, and put a reed in his hand. 3And in like manner did they to the two thieves who were crucified with him, Dimas on his right hand and Gestas on his left. 4But Yeshua said, My Father, forgive them; For they know not what they do. 5And they divided his garments, and upon his vesture they cast lots. 6The people in the meantime stood by, and the chief priests and elders of the Jews mocked him, saying, he saved others; let him now save himself if he can; if he be the son of Elohim, let him now come down from the cross. 7The soldiers also mocked him, and taking vinegar and gall offered it to him to drink, and said to him, If thou art king of the Jews, deliver thyself. 8Then Longinus, a certain soldier, taking a spear, 1 pierced his side, and presently there came forth blood and water. 9And Pilate wrote the title upon the cross in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek letters, viz. This is the king of the Jews. 10But one of the two thieves who were crucified with Yeshua, whose name was Gestas, said to Yeshua, If thou art HaMashiach, deliver thyself and us. 11But the thief who was crucified on his right hand, whose name was Dimas, answering, rebuked him, and said, Dost not thou fear Elohim, who art condemned to this punishment? We indeed receive rightly and justly the demerit of our actions; but this Yeshua, what evil hath he done? 12After this groaning, he said to Yeshua, Master, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 13Yeshua, answering, said to him, Verily I say unto thee, that this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.

Footnotes

1 Manner of HaMashiach's crucifixion with the two thieves.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 8

Chapter 8

1.0×

1And it was about the sixth hour, and darkness was upon the face of the whole earth until the ninth hour. 2And while the sun was eclipsed, behold, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom, and the rocks also were rent, and the graves opened, and many bodies of saints, which slept, arose. 3And about the ninth hour, Yeshua cried out with a loud voice, saying, Hely, Hely, lama zabacthani? which, being interpreted, is, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? 4And after these things, Yeshua said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit; and having said this, he gave up the ghost. 5But when the centurion saw that Yeshua, thus crying out, gave up the ghost, he glorified Elohim, and said, Of a truth this was a just man. 6And all the people who stood by were exceedingly troubled at the sight; and reflecting upon what had passed, smote upon their breasts, and then returned to the city of Jerusalem. 7The centurion went to the governor and related to him all that had passed; 8And when he had heard all these things, he was exceeding sorrowful; 9And calling the Jews together, said to them, Have ye seen the miracle of the sun's eclipse, and the other things which came to pass, while Yeshua was dying? 10Which, when the Jews heard, they answered to the governor, The eclipse of the sun happened according to its usual custom. 11But all those who were the acquaintances of HaMashiach stood at a distance, as did the women who had followed Yeshua from Galilee, observing all these things. 12And behold, a certain man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Yeshua, but not openly so, for fear of the Jews, came to the governor, and entreated the governor that he would give him leave to take away the body of Yeshua from the cross. 13And the governor gave him leave. 14And Nicodemus came, bringing with him a mixture of myrrh and aloes about a hundred pound weight; and they took down Yeshua from the cross with tears, and bound him with linen cloths with spices, according to the custom of burying among the Jews, 15And placed him in a new tomb, which Joseph had built, and caused to be cut out of a rock, in which never any man had been put; and they rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre.

Footnotes

1 Miraculous appearance at his death. 10 The Jews say the eclipse was natural. 12 Joseph of Arimathaea embalms HaMashiach's body and buries it.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 9

Chapter 9

1.0×

1When the unjust Jews heard that Yoseph had begged and buried the body of Yeshua, they sought after Nicodemus; and those fifteen men who had testified before the Governor, that Yeshua was not born through fornication, and other good persons who had shown any good actions towards him. 2But when they all concealed themselves through fear of the Jews, Nicodemus alone shewed himself to them, and said, How can such persons as these enter into the synagogue? 3The Jews answered him, But how durst thou enter into the synagogue, who wast a confederate with HaMashiach? Let thy lot be along with him in the other world. 4Nicodemus answered, Amen; so may it be, that I may have my lot with him in his kingdom. 5In like manner, Yoseph, when he came to the Jews, said to them Why are ye angry with me for desiring the body of Yeshua of Pilate? Behold, I have put him in my tomb, and wrapped him up in clean linen, and put a stone at the door of the sepulchre: 6I have acted rightly towards him; but ye have acted unjustly against that just person, in crucifying him, giving him vinegar to drink, crowning him with thorns, tearing his body with whips, and prayed down the guilt of his blood upon you. 7The Jews at the hearing of this were disquieted, and troubled; and they seized Joseph, and commanded him to be put in custody before the sabbath, and kept there till the sabbath was over. 8And they said to him, Make confession; for at this time it is not lawful to do thee any harm, till the first day of the week come. But we know that thou wilt not be thought worthy of a burial; but we will give thy flesh to the birds of the air, and the beasts of the earth. 9Yoseph answered, That speech is like the speech of proud Goliath, who reproached the living Elohim in speaking against David. But ye scribes and doctors know that Elohim saith by the prophet, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay to you 1 evil equal to that which ye have threatened to me. 10The Elohim whom you have hanged upon the cross, is able to deliver me out of your hands. All your wickedness will return upon you. 11For the governor, when he washed his hands, said, I am clear from the blood of this just person. But ye answered and cried out, His blood be upon us and our children. According, as ye have said, may ye perish for ever. 12The elders of the Jews, hearing these words, were exceedingly enraged; and seizing Joseph, they put him into a chamber where there was no window; they fastened the door, and put a seal upon the lock; 13And Annas and Caiaphas placed a guard upon it, and took counsel with the priests and Levites, that they should all meet after the sabbath, and they contrived to what death they should put Yoseph. 14When they had done this, the rulers, Annas and Caiaphas, ordered Joseph to be brought forth. 15¶In this place, there is a portion of the Gospel lost or omitted, which cannot be supplied.

Footnotes

1 The Jews angry with Nicodemus; 5 and with Yoseph of Arimathea, 7 whom they imprison.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 10

Chapter 10

1.0×

1When all the assembly heard this, they admired and were astonished, because they found the same seal upon the lock of the chamber, and could not find Yoseph. 2Then Annas and Caiaphas went forth, and while they were all admiring at Yoseph's being gone, behold, one of the soldiers, who kept the sepulchre of Yeshua, spake in the assembly. 3That while they were guarding the sepulchre of Yeshua, there was an earthquake; and we saw an angel of Elohim roll away the stone of the sepulchre and sit upon it; 4And his countenance was like lightning, and his garment like snow; and we became through fear like persons dead. 5And we heard an angel saying to the women at the sepulchre of Yeshua, Do not fear; I know that you seek Yeshua, who was crucified; he is risen as he foretold. 6Come and see the place where he was laid; and go presently, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead, and he will go before you into Galilee; there ye shall see him as he told you. 7Then the Jews called together all the soldiers who kept the sepulchre of Yeshua, and said to them, Who are those women, to whom the angel spoke? Why did ye not seize them? 8The soldiers answered and said, We know not whom the women were; besides we became as dead persons through fear, and how could we seize those women? 9The Jews said to them, As the Lord liveth, we do not believe you. 10The soldiers answering said to the Jews, when ye saw and heard Yeshua working so many miracles, and did not believe him, how should ye believe us? Ye well said, As the Lord liveth, for the Master truly does live. 11We have heard that ye shut up Yoseph, who buried the body of Yeshua, in a chamber, under a lock which was sealed; and when ye opened it, found him not there. 12Do ye then produce Yoseph whom ye put under guard in the chamber, and we will produce Yeshua whom we guarded in the sepulchre. 13The Jews answered and said, We will produce Yoseph, do ye produce Yeshua. But Yoseph is in his own city of Arimathaea. 14The soldiers replied, If Joseph be in Arimathaea, and Yeshua in Galilee, we heard the angel inform the women. 15The Jews, hearing this, were afraid and said among themselves, If by any means these things should become public, then everybody will believe in Yeshua. 16Then they gathered a large sum of money, and gave it to the soldiers, saying, Do ye tell the people that the disciples of Yeshua came in the night when ye were asleep and stole away the body of Yeshua; and if Pilate the governor should hear of this, we will satisfy him and secure you. 17The soldiers accordingly took the money and said as they were instructed by the Jews; and their report was spread abroad among the people. 18But a certain priest, Phinees, Ada a schoolmaster, and a Levite, named Ageus, these three came from Galilee to Jerusalem, and told the chief priests and all who were in the synagogues, saying, 19We have seen Yeshua, whom ye crucified, talking with his eleven disciples, and sitting in the midst of them in Mount Olivet, and saying to them, 20Go forth into the whole world, preach the Gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and whosoever shall believe and be baptized, shall be saved. 21And when he had said these things to his disciples, we saw him ascending up to heaven. 22When the chief priests, and elders, and Levites heard these things, they said to these three men, Give glory to the Elohim of Yisrael, and make confession to him, whether those things are true, which ye say ye have seen and heard. 23They answering said, As the Elohim of our fathers liveth, the Elohim of Abraham, and the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, according as we heard Yeshua talking with his disciples, and according as we saw him ascending up to heaven, so we have related the truth to you. 24And the three men further answered, and said, adding these words, If we should not own the words which we heard Yeshua speak, and that we saw him ascending into heaven, we should be guilty of sin. 25Then the chief priests immediately rose up, and holding the book of the Torah (law) in their hands, conjured these men, saying, Ye shall no more hereafter declare those things which ye have spoken concerning Yeshua. 26And they gave them a large sum of money, and sent other persons along with them, who should conduct them to their own country, that they might not by any means make any stay at Jerusalem. 27Then the Jews did assemble all together, and having expressed the most lamentable concern, said, What is this extraordinary thing which is come to pass in Jerusalem? 28But Annas and Caiaphas comforted them, saying, Why should we believe the soldiers who guarded the sepulchre of Yeshua, in telling us, that an angel rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 29Perhaps his own disciples told them this, and gave them money that they should say so, and they themselves took away the body of Yeshua. 30Besides, consider this, that there is no credit to be given to foreigners, because they also took a large sum from us, and they have declared to us according to the instructions which we gave them. They must either be faithful to us, or to the disciples of Yeshua.

Footnotes

1 Yoseph's escape. 2 The soldiers relate HaMashiach's (Christ's) resurrection. 18 Christ is seen preaching in Galilee. 21 The Jews repent of their cruelty to him.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 11

Chapter 11

1.0×

1Then Nicodemus arose, and said, Ye say right, O sons of Yisrael, ye have heard what those three men have sworn by the Torah (Law) of Elohim, who said, We have seen Yeshua speaking with his disciples upon Mount Olivet, and we saw him ascending up to heaven. 2And the scripture teacheth us that the blessed prophet Elijah was taken up to heaven; and Elisha being asked by the sons of the prophets, Where is our father Elijah? He said to them, that he is taken up to heaven. 3And the sons of the prophets said to him, Perhaps the spirit hath carried him into one of the mountains of Yisrael, there perhaps we shall find him. And they besought Elisha, and he walked about with them three days, and they could not find him. 4And now hear me, O sons of Yisrael, and let us send men into the mountains of Yisrael, lest perhaps the spirit hath carried away Yeshua, and there perhaps we shall find him, and be satisfied. 5And the counsel of Nicodemus pleased all the people; and they sent forth men who sought for Yeshua, but could not find him: and they returning, said, We went all about, but could not find Yeshua, but we have found Yoseph in his city of Arimathea. 6The rulers hearing this, and all the people, were glad, and praised the Elohim of Yisrael, because Yoseph was found, whom they had shut up in a chamber, and could not find. 7And when they had formed a large assembly, the chief priests said, By what means shall we bring Yoseph to us to speak with him? 8And taking a piece of paper, they wrote to him, and said, Peace be with thee, and all thy family. We know that we have offended against God and thee. Be pleased to give a visit to us your fathers, for we were perfectly surprised at your escape from prison. 9We know that it was malicious counsel which we took against thee, and that the Master took care of thee, and the Master himself delivered thee from our designs. Peace be unto thee, Yoseph, who art honourable among all the people. 10And they chose seven of Yoseph's friends, and said to them, When ye come to Yoseph, salute him in peace, and give him this letter. 11Accordingly, when the men came to Yoseph, they did salute him in peace, and gave him the letter. 12And when Yoseph had read it, he said, Blessed be Yahuah Elohim, who didst deliver me from the Yisraelites, that they could not shed my blood. Blessed be Elohim, who has protected me under thy wings. 13And Yoseph kissed them, and took them into his house. And on the morrow, Yoseph mounted his ass and went along with them to Yerusalem. 14And when all the Jews heard these things, they went out to meet him, and cried out, saying, Peace attend thy coming hither, father Yoseph. 15To which he answered, Prosperity from the Master attend all the people. 16And they all kissed him; and Nicodemus took him to his house, having prepared a large entertainment. 17But on the morrow, being a preparation-day, Annas, and Caiaphas, and Nicodemus, said to Yoseph, Make confession to the Elohim of Yisrael, and answer to us all those questions which we shall ask thee; 18For we have been very much troubled, that thou didst bury the body of Yeshua; and that' when we had locked thee in a chamber, we could not find thee; and we have been afraid ever since, till this time of thy appearing among us. Tell us, therefore, before Elohim, all that came to pass. 19Then Yoseph, answering, said, Ye did indeed put me under confinement, on the day of preparation, till the morning. 20But while I was standing at prayer in the middle of the night, the house was surrounded with four angels; and I saw Yeshua as the brightness of the sun, and fell down upon the earth for fear. 21But Yeshua, laying hold on my hand, lifted me from the ground, and the dew was then sprinkled upon me; but he, wiping my face, kissed me, and said unto me, Fear not, Yoseph; look upon me, for it is I. 22Then I looked upon him, and said, Rabboni Elias! He answered me, I am not Elias, but Yeshua of Nazareth, whose body thou didst bury. 23I said to him, Shew me the tomb in which I laid thee. 24Then Yeshua, taking me by the hand, led me unto the place where I laid him, and shewed me the linen clothes, and napkin which I put round his head. Then I knew that it was Yeshua, and worshipped him, and said, Blessed be he who cometh in the name of Yahuah. 25Yahuah again taking me by the hand, led me to Arimathaea to my own house, and said to me, Peace be to thee; but go not out of thy house till the fortieth day; but I must go to my disciples.

Footnotes

1 Nicodemus counsels the Jews. 6 Yoseph found. 11 Invited by the Jews to return. 19 Relates the manner of his miraculous escape.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 12

Chapter 12

1.0×

1When the chief priests heard all these things, they were astonished, and fell down with their faces on the ground as dead men, and crying out to one another said, What is this extraordinary sign which is come to pass in Yerusalem? We know the father and mother of Yeshua. 2And a certain Levite said, I know many of his relations, religious persons, who are wont to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings to the Elohim of Yisrael, in the temple, with prayers. 3And when the high priest Simeon took him up in his arms. he said to him, Yahuah, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Yisrael. 4Simeon in like manner blessed Miriam the mother of Yeshua, and said to her, I declare to thee concerning that child; He is appointed for the fall and rising again of many, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. 5Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also, and the thoughts of many hearts shall be revealed. 6Then said all the Jews, Let us send to those three men, who said they saw him talking with his disciples in Mount Olivet. 7After this, they asked them what they had seen; who answered with one accord, In the presence of the Elohim of Yisrael, we affirm, that we plainly saw Yeshua talking with his disciples in Mount Olivet, and ascending up to heaven. 8Then Annas and Caiaphas took them into separate places, and examined them separately; who unanimously confessed the truth, and said they had seen Yeshua. 9Then Annas and Caiaphas said, "Our Torah (law) saith, By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." 10But what have we said? The blessed Enoch pleased Elohim, and was translated by the word of Elohim; and the burying-place of the blessed Moses is known. 11But Yeshua was delivered to Pilate, whipped, crowned with thorns, spit upon, pierced with a spear, crucified, died upon the cross, and was buried, and his body the honorable Yoseph buried in a new sepulchre, and he testifies that he saw him alive. 12And besides these men have declared, that they saw him talking with his disciples in Mount Olivet, and ascending up to heaven. 13Then Yoseph rising up said to Annas and Caiaphas, Ye may be justly under a great surprise, that you have been told, that Yeshua is alive, and gone up to heaven. 14It is indeed a thing really surprising, that he should not only himself arise from the dead, but also raise others from their graves, who have been seen by many in Yerusalem. 15And now hear me a little: We all knew the blessed Simeon, the high-priest, who took Yeshua when an infant into his arms in the temple. 16This same Simeon had two sons of his own, and we were all present at their death and funeral. 17Go therefore and see their tombs, for these are open, and they are risen: and behold, they are in the city of Arimathea, spending their time together in offices of devotion. 18Some, indeed, have heard the sound of their voices in prayer, but they will not discourse with any one, but they continue as mute as dead men. 19But come, let us go to them, and behave ourselves towards them with all due respect and caution. And if we can bring them to swear, perhaps they will tell us some of the mysteries of their resurrection. 20When the Jews heard this, they were exceedingly rejoiced. 21Then Annas and Caiaphas, Nicodemus, Joseph, and Gamaliel, went to Arimathaea, but did not find them in their graves; but walking about the city, they bound them on their bended knees at their devotions: 22Then saluting them with all respect and deference to Elohim, they brought them to the synagogue at Yerusalem: and having shut the gates, they took the book of the Torah (law) of Yahuah, 23And putting it in their hands, swore them by Elohim Master, and the Elohim of Yisrael, who spake to our fathers by the Torah (law) and the prophets, saying, If ye believe him who raised you from the dead, to be Yeshua, tell us what ye have seen, and how ye were raised from the dead. 24Charinus and Lenthius, the two sons of Simeon, trembled when they heard these things, and were disturbed, and groaned; and at the same time, looking up to heaven, they made the sign of the cross with their fingers on their tongues. 25And immediately they spake, and said, Give each of us some paper, and we will write down for you all those things which we have seen. And they each sat down and wrote, saying,

Footnotes

1 The Jews astonished and confounded. 17 Simeon's two sons, Charinus and Lenthius, rise from the dead at Christ's crucifixion. 19 Yoseph proposes to get them to relate the mysteries of their resurrection. 21 They are sought and found, 22 brought to the synagogue, 23 privately sworn to secrecy, 25 and undertake to write what they had seen.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 13

Chapter 13

1.0×

1O Master Yeshua and Father, who art Elohim, also the resurrection and life of the dead, give us leave to declare thy mysteries, which we saw after death, belonging to thy cross; for we are sworn by thy name. 2For thou hast forbidden thy servants to declare the secret things, which were wrought by thy divine power in hell. 3When we were placed with our fathers in the depth of hell, in the blackness of darkness, on a sudden, there appeared the colour of the sun like gold, and a substantial purple-coloured light enlightening the place. 4Presently upon this, Adam, the father of all mankind, with all the patriarchs and prophets, rejoiced and said, That light is the author of everlasting light, who hath promised to translate us to everlasting light. 5Then Isaiah the prophet cried out, and said, This is the light of the Father, and the Son of Elohim, according to my prophecy, when I was alive upon earth. 6The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim beyond Jordan, a people who walked in darkness, saw a great light; and to them who dwelled in the region of the shadow of death, light is arisen. And now he is come, and hath enlightened us who sat in death. 7And while we were all rejoicing in the light which shone upon us, our father Simeon came among us, and congratulating all the company, said, Glorify the Master Yeshua HaMashiach, the Son of Elohim. 8Whom I took up in my arms when an infant in the temple, and being moved by the Holy Spirit, said to him, and acknowledged, That now mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Yisrael. 9All the saints who were in the depths of hell, hearing this, rejoiced the more. 10Afterwards, there came forth one like a little hermit, and was asked by everyone, Who art thou? [1 v.10 "one like a little hermit". Ascetic descriptor suits John the Baptist's wilderness life (camel's hair, locusts and honey: Matthew 3:4). "Little" may echo humility or diminutive figure; the identification is confirmed in v.11.] 11To which he replied, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, John the Baptist, and the prophet of the Most High, who went before his coming to prepare his way, to give the knowledge of salvation to his people for the forgiveness of sins. 12And I John, when I saw Yeshua coming to me, being moved by the Holy Spirit, I said, Behold the Lamb of Elohim, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. 13And I baptized him in the river Jordan, and saw the Holy Spirit descending upon him in the form of a dove, and heard a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 14And now, while I was going before him, I came down hither to acquaint you that the Son of Elohim will next visit us, and, as the day-spring from on high, will come to us, who are in darkness and the shadow of death.

Footnotes

1 The narrative of Charinus and Lenthius commences. 3 A great light in hell. 7 Simeon arrives, and announces the coming of HaMashiach.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 14

Chapter 14

1.0×

1But when the first man, our father Adam, heard these things, that Yeshua was baptized in Jordan, he called out to his son, Seth, and said, 2Declare to your sons, the patriarchs and prophets, all those things which thou didst hear from Michael, the archangel, when I sent thee to the gates of Paradise, to entreat Elohim that he would anoint my head when I was sick. 3Then Seth, coming near to the patriarchs and prophets, said, I Seth, when I was praying to Elohim at the gates of Paradise, beheld the angel of Yahuah, Michael, appear unto me, saying, I am sent unto thee from Yahuah; I am appointed to preside over human bodies. 4I tell thee, Seth, do not pray to Elohim in tears, and entreat him for the oil of the tree of mercy wherewith to anoint thy father Adam for his headache; 5Because thou canst not by any means obtain it till the last day and times, namely, till five thousand and five hundred years be past. 6Then will HaMashiach, the most merciful Son of Elohim, come on earth to raise again the human body of Adam, and at the same time to raise the bodies of the dead, and when he cometh he will be baptized in Jordan: 7Then with the oil of his mercy, he will anoint all those who believe on him; and the oil of his mercy will continue to future generations, for those who shall be born of the water and the Holy Spirit unto eternal life. 8And when at that time the most merciful Son of Elohim, HaMashiach Yeshua, shall come down on earth, he will introduce our father Adam into Paradise, to the tree of mercy. 9When all the patriarchs and prophets heard all these things from Seth, they rejoiced more. [2 v.9 "patriarchs and prophets ... rejoiced more" Joy of the righteous at deliverance: Psalm 97:11–12; Isaiah 25:9. In Descent tradition, the saints' rejoicing anticipates liberation (Wisdom of Solomon 3:1–9; cf. Matthew 27:52–53).]

Footnotes

1 Adam causes Seth to relate what he heard from Michael the archangel, when he sent him to Paradise to entreat God to anoint his head in his sickness.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 15

Chapter 15

1.0×

1While all the saints were rejoicing, behold HaSatan, the prince and captain of death, said to the prince of hell, 2Prepare to receive Yeshua of Nazareth himself, who boasted that he was the Son of Elohim, and yet was a man afraid of death, and said, My soul is sorrowful even to death. 3Besides, he did many injuries to me and to many others; for those whom I made blind and lame and those also whom I tormented with several devils, he cured by his Word; yea, and those whom I brought dead to thee, he by force takes away from thee. 4To this, the prince of hell replied to HaSatan, Who is that so-powerful prince, and yet a man who is afraid of death? 5For all the potentates of the earth are subject to my power, whom thou broughtest to subjection by thy power. 6But if he be so powerful in his human nature, I affirm to thee for truth, that he is almighty in his divine nature, and no man can resist his power. 7When, therefore, he said he was afraid of death, he designed to ensnare thee, and unhappy it will be to thee for everlasting ages. 8Then HaSatan, replying, said to the prince of hell, Why didst thou express a doubt, and wast afraid to receive that Yeshua of Nazareth, both thy adversary and mine? 9As for me, I tempted him and stirred up my old people, the Jews, with zeal and anger against him. 10I sharpened the spear for his suffering; I mixed the gall and vinegar, and commanded that he should drink it; I prepared the cross to crucify him, and the nails to pierce through his hands and feet; and now his death is near at hand, I will bring him hither, subject both to thee and me. 11Then the prince of hell, answering, said, Thou saidst to me just now, that he took away the dead from me by force. 12They who have been kept here till they should live again upon earth, were taken away hence, not by their own power, but by prayers made to Elohim, and their almighty Elohim took them from me. 13Who then is that Yeshua of Nazareth that by his word hath taken away the dead from me without prayer to Elohim? 14Perhaps it is the same who took away from me Lazarus, after he had been four days dead, and did both stink and was rotten, and of whom I had possession as a dead person, yet he brought him to life again by his power. 15HaSatan, answering, replied to the prince of hell, It is the very same person, Yeshua of Nazareth. 16Which when the prince of hell heard, he said to him, I adjure thee by the powers which belong to thee and me, that thou bring him not to me. 17For when I heard of the power of his Word, I trembled for fear, and all my impious company were at the same time disturbed; 18And we were not able to detain Lazarus, but he gave himself a shake, and with all the signs of malice, he immediately went away from us; and the very earth, in which the dead body of Lazarus was lodged, presently turned him out alive. 19And I know now that he is Almighty Elohim who could perform such things, who is mighty in his dominion and mighty in his human nature, and, who is the Saviour of mankind. 20Bring not, therefore, this person hither, for he will set at liberty all those whom I hold in prison under unbelief, and bound with the fetters of their sins, and will conduct them to everlasting life.

Footnotes

1 Quarrel between HaSatan and the prince of hell concerning the expected arrival of HaMashiach in hell.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 16

Chapter 16

1.0×

1And while HaSatan and the prince of hell were discoursing thus to each other, on a sudden there was a voice as of thunder and the rushing of winds, saying, Lift up your gates, O ye princes; and be ye lift up, O everlasting gates, and the King of Glory shall come in. 2When the prince of hell (Belzabub) heard this, he said to HaSatan, Depart from me, and begone out of my habitations; if thou art a powerful warrior, fight with the King of Glory. But what hast thou to do with him? 3And he cast him forth from his habitations. 4And the prince said to his impious officers, Shut the brass gates of cruelty, and make them fast with iron bars, and fight courageously, lest we be taken captives. 5But when all the company of the saints heard this, they spake with a loud voice of anger to the prince of hell: 6Open thy gates that the King of Glory may come in. 7And the divine prophet David cried out, saying, "Did not I when on earth truly prophesy and say, O that men would praise the Lord (Yahuah) for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. 8For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. He hath taken them because of their iniquity, and because of their unrighteousness, they are afflicted. 9After this, another prophet, namely, holy Isaiah, spake in like manner to all the saints, did not I rightly prophesy to you when I was alive on earth? 10The dead men shall live, and they shall rise again who are in their graves, and they shall rejoice who are in earth; for the dew which is from the Master shall bring deliverance to them. 11And I said in another place, O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? 12When all the saints heard these things spoken by Isaiah, they said to the prince of hell, “Open now thy gates, and take away thine iron bars; for thou wilt now be bound, and have no power.” 13Then there was a great voice, as of the sound of thunder saying, “Lift up your gates, O princes; and be ye lifted up, ye gates of hell, and the King of Glory will enter in. 14The prince of hell, perceiving the same voice repeated, cried out as though he had been ignorant, Who is that King of Glory? 15David replied to the prince of hell, and said, I understand the words of that voice, because I spake them by his spirit. And now, as I have above said, I say unto thee, Yahuah strong and powerful, Yahuah mighty in battle: he is the King of Glory, and he is Yahuah in heaven and in earth; 16He hath looked down to hear the groans of the prisoners, and to set loose those that are appointed to death. 17And now, thou filthy and stinking prince of hell, open thy gates, that the King of Glory may enter in; for he is Yahuah of heaven and earth. 18While David was saying this, the mighty Yahuah appeared in the form of a man, and enlightened those places which had ever before been in darkness, 19And broke asunder the fetters which before could not be broken; and with his invincible power visited those who sat in the deep darkness by iniquity, and the shadow of death by sin.

Footnotes

1 HaMashiach's arrival at hell-gates; the confusion thereupon. 10 He descends into hell.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 17

Chapter 17

1.0×

1Impious Death and her cruel officers, hearing these things, were seized with fear in their several kingdoms when they saw the clearness of the light, 2And HaMashiach himself, on a sudden appearing in their habitations; they cried out therefore, and said, We are bound by thee; thou seemest to intend our confusion before the Master. 3Who art thou, who hast no sign of corruption, but that bright appearance which is a full proof of thy greatness, of which yet thou seemest to take no notice? 4Who art thou, so powerful and so weak, so great and so little, a mean and yet a soldier of the first rank, who can command in the form of a servant as a common soldier? 5The King of Glory, dead and alive, though once slain upon the cross? 6Who layest dead in the grave, and art come down alive to us, and in thy death all the creatures trembled, and all the stars were moved, and now hast thou thy liberty among the dead, and givest disturbance to our legions? 7Who art thou, who dost release the captives that were held in chains by original sin, and bringest them into their former liberty? 8Who art thou, who dost spread so glorious and divine a light over those who were made blind by the darkness of sin? 9In like manner, all the legions of devils were seized with the like horror, and with the most submissive fear cried out, and said, 10Whence comes it, O thou Yeshua HaMashiach, that thou art a man so powerful and glorious in majesty, so bright as to have no spot, and so pure as to have no crime? For that lower world of earth, which was ever till now subject to us, and from whence we received tribute, never sent us such a dead man before, never sent such presents as these to the princes of hell. 11Who, therefore, art thou, who with such courage enterest among our abodes, and art not only not afraid to threaten us with the greatest punishments, but also endeavourest to rescue all others from the chains in which we hold them? 12Perhaps thou art that Yeshua, of whom HaSatan just now spoke to our prince, that by the death of the cross thou wert about to receive the power of death. 13Then the King of Glory, trampling upon death, seized the prince of hell (Belzebub), deprived him of all his power, and took our earthly father Adam with him to his glory.

Footnotes

1 Death and the devils in great horror at HaMashiach's coming. 13 He tramples on death, seizes the prince of hell, and takes Adam with him to heaven.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 18

Chapter 18

1.0×

1Then the prince of hell took HaSatan, and with great indication said to him, O thou prince of destruction, author of Beelzebub's defeat and banishment, the scorn of Elohim's angels and loathed by all righteous persons! What inclined thee to act thus? 2Thou wouldst crucify the King of Glory, and by his destruction, hast made us promises of very large advantages, but as a fool wert ignorant of what thou wast about. 3For behold now that Yeshua of Nazareth, with the brightness of his glorious divinity, puts to flight all the horrid powers of darkness and death; 4He has broken down our prisons from top to bottom, dismissed all the captives, released all who were bound, and all who were wont formerly to groan under the weight of their torments have now insulted us, and we are like to be defeated by their prayers. 5Our impious dominions are subdued, and no part of mankind is now left in our subjection, but on the other hand, they all boldly defy us; 6Though, before, the dead never durst behave themselves insolently towards us, nor, being prisoners, could ever on any occasion be merry. 7O HaSatan, thou prince of all the wicked, father of the impious and abandoned, why wouldest thou attempt this exploit, seeing our prisoners were hitherto always without the least hopes of salvation and life? 8But now there is not one of them does ever groans, nor is there the least appearance of a tear in any of their faces. 9O prince HaSatan, thou great keeper of the infernal regions, all thy advantages which thou didst acquire by the forbidden tree, and the loss of Paradise, thou hast now lost by the wood of the cross; 10And thy happiness all then expired, when thou didst crucify Yeshua HaMashiach the King of Glory. 11Thou hast acted against thine own interest and mine, as thou wilt presently perceive by those large torments and infinite punishments which thou art about to suffer. 12O HaSatan, prince of all evil, author of death, and source of all pride, thou shouldest first have inquired into the evil crimes of Yeshua of Nazareth, and then thou wouldest have found that he was guilty of no fault worthy of death. 13Why didst thou venture, without either reason or justice, to crucify him, and hast brought down to our regions a person innocent and righteous, and thereby hast lost all the sinners, impious and unrighteous persons in the whole world? 14While the prince of hell was thus speaking to HaSatan, the King of Glory said to Beelzebub, the prince of hell, HaSatan, the prince shall be subject to thy dominion forever, in the room of Adam and his righteous sons, who are mine.

Footnotes

1 Beelzebub, prince of hell, vehemently upbraids HaSatan for persecuting HaMashiach (Christ) and bringing him to hell. 4. HaMashiach (Christ) gives Beelzebub dominion over HaSatan for ever, as a recompense for taking away Adam and his sons.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 19

Chapter 19

1.0×

1Then Yeshua stretched forth his hand, and said, Come to me, all ye my saints, who were created in my image, who were condemned by the tree of forbidden fruit, and by the devil and death; 2Live now by the wood of my cross; the devil, the prince of this world, is overcome, and death is conquered. 3Then presently all the saints were joined together under the hand of the Most High God; and the Master Yeshua laid hold on Adam's hand and said to him, Peace be to thee, and all thy righteous posterity, which is mine. 4Then Adam, casting himself at the feet of Yeshua, addressed himself to him, with tears, in humble language, and a loud voice, saying, 5I will extol thee, O Yahuah, for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Yahuah my Elohim, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. 6O Yahuah thou hast brought up my soul from the grave; thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 7Sing unto Yahuah, all ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but for a moment; in his favour is life. 8In like manner, all the saints, prostrate at the feet of Yeshua, said with one voice, Thou art come, O Redeemer of the world, and hast actually accomplished all things, which thou didst foretell by the Torah (law) and thy holy prophets. 9Thou hast redeemed the living by thy cross, and art come down to us, that by the death of the cross thou mightest deliver us from hell, and by thy power from death. 10O, Master, as thou hast put the ensigns of thy glory in heaven, and hast set up the sign of thy redemption, even thy cross on earth! So, Master, set the sign of the victory of thy cross in hell, that death may have do minion no longer. 11Then the Master, stretching forth his hand, made the sign of the cross upon Adam, and upon all his saints. 12And taking hold of Adam by his right hand, he ascended from hell, and all the saints of Elohim followed him. 13Then the royal prophet David boldly cried, and said, O sing unto the Master a new song, for he hath done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have gotten him the victory. 14Yahuah hath made known his salvation, his righteousness hath he openly shewn in the sight of the heathen. 15And the whole multitude of saints answered, saying, This honour have all his saints, Amen, Praise ye Yahuah. 16Afterwards, the prophet Habakkuk cried out, and said, Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for the salvation of thy people. 17And all the saints said, Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Yahuah; for Yahuah hath enlightened us. This is our Elohim forever and ever; he shall reign over us to everlasting ages, Amen. 18In like manner, all the prophets spake the sacred things of his praise, and followed the Master.

Footnotes

1. HaMashiach takes Adam by the hand, the rest of the saints join hands, and they all ascend with him to Paradise.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 20

Chapter 20

1.0×

1Then the Master Yeshua holding Adam by the hand, delivered him to Michael the archangel; and he led them into Paradise, filled with mercy and glory; 2And two very ancient men met them, and were asked by the saints, Who are ye, who have not yet been with us in hell, and have had your bodies placed in Paradise? 3One of them answering, said, I am Enoch, who was translated by the word of Elohim: 5 and this man who is with me, is Elijah the Tishbite, who was translated in a fiery chariot. 4Here we have hitherto been, and have not tasted death, but are now about to return at the coming of Antichrist, being armed with divine signs and miracles, to engage with him in battle, and to be slain by him at Jerusalem, and to be taken up alive again into the clouds, after three days and a half. 5And while the holy Enoch and Elias were relating this, behold, there came another man in a miserable figure carrying the sign of the cross upon his shoulders. 6And when all the saints saw him, they said to him, Who art thou? For thy countenance is like a thief's; and why dost thou carry a cross upon thy shoulders? 7To which he answering, said, Ye say right, for I was a thief who committed all sorts of wickedness upon earth. 8And the Jews crucified me withYeshua, and I observed the surprising things which happened in the creation at the crucifixion of the Master Yeshua. 9And I believed him to be the Creator of all things, and the Almighty King; and I prayed to him, saying, Master, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 10He presently regarded my supplication and said to me, Verily I say unto thee, this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. 11And he gave me this sign of the cross, saying, Carry this, and go to Paradise; and if the angel who is the guard of Paradise will not admit thee, shew him the sign of the cross, and say unto him: Yeshua HaMashiach who is now crucified, hath sent me hither to thee. 12When I did this, and told the angel who is the guard of Paradise all these things, and he heard them, he presently opened the gates, introduced me, and placed me on the right-hand in Paradise, 13Saying, "Stay here a little time, till Adam, the father of all mankind, shall enter in, with all his sons, who are the holy and righteous servants of Yeshua HaMashiach, who was crucified.” 14When they heard all this account from the thief, all the patriarchs said with one voice, Blessed be thou, O Almighty God, the Father of everlasting goodness, and the Father of mercies, who hast shewn such favour to those who were sinners against him, and hast brought them to the mercy of Paradise, and hast placed them amidst thy large and spiritual provisions, in a spiritual and holy life. Amen.

Footnotes

1 HaMashiach delivers Adam to Michael the archangel. 3. They meet Enoch and Elijah in heaven, 5, and also the blessed thief, who relates how he came to Paradise.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 21

Chapter 21

1.0×

1These are the divine and sacred mysteries which we saw and heard. I, Charinus and Lenthius are not allowed to declare the other mysteries of Elohim, as the archangel Michael ordered us. 2Saying, ye shall go with my brethren to Jerusalem, and shall continue in prayers, declaring and glorifying the resurrection of Yeshua HaMashiach, seeing he hath raised you from the dead at the same time with himself. 3And ye shall not talk with any man, but sit as dumb persons till the time come when the Master will allow you to relate the mysteries of his divinity. 4The archangel Michael further commanded us to go beyond Jordan, to an excellent and fat country, where there are many who rose from the dead along with us for the proof of the resurrection of HaMashiach. 5For we have only three days allowed us from the dead, who arose to celebrate the passover of our Master with our parents, and to bear our testimony for HaMashiach the Master, and we have been baptized in the holy river of Jordan. And now they are not seen by anyone. 6This is as much as Elohim allowed us to relate to you; give ye therefore praise and honour to him, and repent, and he will have mercy upon you. Peace be to you from the Master Elohim Yeshua HaMashiach, and the Saviour of us all. Amen, Amen, Amen. 7And after they had made an end of writing and had wrote in two distinct pieces of paper, Charinus gave what he wrote into the hands of Annas, and Caiaphas, and Gamaliel. 8Lenthius likewise gave what he wrote into the hands of Nicodemus and Joseph; and immediately they were changed into exceeding white forms and were seen no more. 9But what they had wrote was found perfectly to agree, the one not containing one letter more or less than the other. 10When all the assembly of the Jews heard all these surprising relations of Charinus and Lenthius, they said to each other, Truly all these things were wrought by Elohim, and blessed be the Master Yeshua forever and ever, Amen. 11And they went about with great concern, and fear, and trembling, and smote upon their breasts and went away, every one to his home. 12But immediately all these things which were related by the Jews in their synagogues concerning Yeshua, were presently told by Yoseph and Nicodemus to the governor. 13And Pilate wrote down all these transactions, and placed all these accounts in the public records of his hall.

Footnotes

1 Charinus and Lenthius, being only allowed three days to remain on earth, 7 deliver in their narratives, which miraculously correspond; they vanish, 13 and Pilate records these transactions.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 22

Chapter 22

1.0×

1These things, Pilate went to the temple of the Jews, and called together all the rulers and scribes, and doctors of the Torah (law), and went with them into a chapel of the temple. 2And commanding that all the gates should be shut, said to them, I have heard that ye have a certain large book in this temple; I desire you therefore, that it may be brought before me. 3And when the great book, carried by four ministers of the temple, and adorned with gold and precious stones, was brought, Pilate said to them all, I adjure you by the Elohim of your Fathers, who made and commanded this temple to be built, that ye conceal not the truth from me. 4Ye know all the things which are written in that book; tell me therefore, now, if ye in the Scriptures have found anything of that Yeshua whom ye crucified, and at what time of the world he ought to have come: shew it me. 5Then, having sworn Annas and Caiaphas, they commanded all the rest who were with them to go out of the chapel. 6And they shut the gates of the temple and of the chapel, and said to Pilate, Thou hast made us to swear, O judge, by the building of this temple, to declare to thee that which is true and right. 7After we had crucified Yeshua, not knowing that he was the Son of Elohim, but supposing he wrought his miracles by some magical arts, we summoned a large assembly in this temple. 8And when we were deliberating among one another about the miracles which Yeshua had wrought, we found many witnesses of our own country, who declared that they had seen him alive after his death, and that they heard him discoursing with his disciples, and saw him ascending unto the height of the heavens, and entering into them; 9And we saw two witnesses, whose bodies Yeshua raised from the dead, who told us of many strange things which Yeshua did among the dead, of which we have a written account in our hands. 10And it is our custom annually to open this holy book before an assembly, and to search there for the counsel of Elohim. 11And we found in the first of the seventy books, where Michael the archangel is speaking to the third son of Adam the first man, an account that after five thousand five hundred years, HaMashiach, the most beloved Son of Elohim was come on earth, 12And we further considered that perhaps he was the very Elohim of Yisrael who spoke to Moses, Thou shalt make the ark of the testimony; two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 13By these five cubits and a half for the building of the ark of the Old Testament, we perceived and knew that in five thousand years and a half (one thousand) years, Yeshua HaMashiach was to come in the ark or tabernacle of a body; 14And so our scriptures testify that he is the son of Elohim, and the Master and King of Yisrael. 15And because after his suffering, our chief priests were surprised at the signs which were wrought by his means, we opened that book to search all the generations down to the generation of Joseph and Mariam, the mother of Yeshua, supposing him to be of the seed of David; 16And we found the account of the creation, and at what time he made the heaven and the earth and the first man Adam, and that from thence to the flood, were two thousand, two hundred and twelve (2,212) years. 17And from the flood to Abraham, nine hundred and twelve (912). And from Abraham to Moses, four hundred and thirty (430). And from Moses to David the king, five hundred and ten (510). 18And from David to the Babylonish captivity, five hundred (500) years. And from the Babylonish captivity to the incarnation of HaMashiach, four hundred (400) years. 19The sum of all, which amounts to five thousand and a half (a thousand). 20And so it appears that Yeshua, whom we crucified, is Yeshua HaMashiach, the Son of Elohim, and true and Almighty Elohim. Amen. 21In the name of the Holy Trinity, thus end the Acts of our Saviour Yeshua HaMashiach, which the Emperor Theodosius the Great found at Jerusalem, in the hall of Pontius Pilate among the public records; the things were acted in the nineteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, Emperor of the Romans, and in the seventeenth year of the government of Herod the son of Herod king of Galilee, on the eighth of the calends of April, which is the twenty-third day of the month of March, in the CCIId Olympiad, when Joseph and Caiaphas were Rulers of the Jews; being a History written in Hebrew by Nicodemus, of what happened after our Saviour's crucifixion.

Footnotes

1 Pilate goes to the temple; calls together the rulers, and scribes, and doctors. 2 Commands the gates to be shut; orders the book of the Scripture; and causes the Jews to relate what they really knew concerning HaMashiach. 14 They declare that they crucified HaMashiach in ignorance, and that they now know him to be the Son of Elohim, according to the testimony of the Scriptures; which, after they put him to death, they are examined.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 23

Epilogue & The Temple's Last Word

1.0×

1Lift up your heads, O gates; and be lifted up, O everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? Yahuah strong and mighty, Yahuah mighty in battle. He has entered the gates of death; the porters of Hades quaked when they saw Him; the bars of iron were cut in sunder; the bronze gates shattered; the prisoners appointed to death were visited and set free. 2● Psalm 24:7–10 LXX; Job 38:17 LXX; Psalm 107:16; Psalm 102:19–20 LXX 3In these pages, we have watched the Innocent condemned, the Righteous One crucified, the gates broken, and the saints raised. The Voice that calls worlds into being called the dead by name; the One whom death could not corrupt led Adam by the hand; the sign of the cross was set in heaven, on earth, and in the depths. What was lost by the tree in Eden is won by the wood of the cross. 4● Genesis 3; Psalm 16:10; Luke 23:43; Acts 5:30; 1 Peter 2:24 5From the treasures of the Scriptures and the songs of the elders, the testimony is one. Wisdom declares that God has power of life and death; Isaiah sings that He swallows up death forever; Hosea taunts the grave; the Odes exult that Sheol lamented when its bars were broken; Enoch shows the “hollow places” of Sheol awaiting judgment; Job confesses that the gates of death tremble before the One who set the bounds of sea and dawn. 6● Wisdom of Solomon 16:13; Isaiah 25:8 LXX; Hosea 13:14 LXX; Odes of Solomon 42:11–20; 1 Enoch 22; Job 38:11–18 LXX 7In the counsel of time, the Most High spoke to Adam through Michael and sealed a hope: after “five days and a half,” the Word would come to redeem. The elders searched the great book and saw the pattern: the Ark’s measure of five and a half; the count of years woven through generations; the promise appearing at the fullness of days. Not a numerology to bind the Almighty, but a sign to teach the humble that history bends toward HaMashiach. 8● Book of Adam and Chawah (Life of Adam and Eve/Apocalypse of Moses); Exodus 25:10; 4 Ezra/2 Esdras 14:45–47; Psalm 90:4 9At the gates of Paradise, Enoch and Elijah—translated and preserved—welcome the redeemed; the penitent thief bears the sign and takes his place at the right hand; Adam enters beneath the cross’s banner; the prophets chant their oracles as living men. Michael escorts; the garden’s door, once guarded by flaming sword, is opened to those sealed by mercy. 10● Genesis 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11; Luke 23:39–43; Genesis 3:24; Revelation 2:7; 22:2 11And what remains for us? To take up the sign that frees, to pass through the waters and the Spirit, to receive the anointing of the Anointed, and to bear witness among the nations. For the King who harrowed Hades has also commanded, “Go, teach, baptize,” and has poured out the Ruach to make the wilderness rejoice and the lame to leap. The descent is not a tale to be admired at a distance, but a victory to be entered by repentance, faith, and obedience. 12● John 3:5; Isaiah 61:1; 35:5–6; Matthew 28:18–20 13Let the nations and the angels worship: “Rejoice, ye heavens, with Him; let all the angels of God worship Him; rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people.” Let every tongue confess the Name and every knee bend, above and below. For Yeshua the Messiah—Son of Elohim, King of Yisrael, true and Almighty Elohim—has shattered the ancient gates, led captivity captive, and opened the way of life. 14● Deuteronomy 32:43 LXX; Isaiah 45:23; Ephesians 4:8–10 15Therefore, sing a new song. Give thanks in the assembly of the saints. Bless the Father of mercies who has brought sinners to the mercy of Paradise, and walk as those who bear the light. The night is far spent; the day is at hand. The King of Glory has come in. May His peace guard your hearts; may His sign be upon your brows; may His praise be your breath until the ages of ages. Amen. 16The Temple's Last Word—And the LXX's Lamp 17Chapter 22 gathers Yisrael's leaders within the Temple, shuts the gates, opens the "great book," and under oath compels a verdict. Their confession is threefold: 18● Witness: many saw Him alive and ascending; two resurrected men left written testimonies. 19● Scripture: in "the first of the seventy books," Michael's word to Seth fixed the Advent at 5,500 years; the Ark's "five and a half" was read as a time‐sign of the Word tabernacling in flesh. 20● Chronology: a creation‐to‐Messiah reckoning summed "five thousand and a half." 21The result is a high confession: Yeshua is HaMashiach, Son of Elohim, Master and King of Yisrael—true and Almighty Elohim. 22In the generations after the destruction of the Temple, Yisrael's life was reshaped: rabbinic leadership consolidated the community's learning and practice (commonly associated with Yavneh in the late first century), and centuries later the Masoretic tradition stabilized the Hebrew consonantal text with vocalization and accentuation (roughly 6th–10th centuries CE). Across this long arc, some readings in the emerging MT stream are shorter than those preserved in the ancient Greek Scriptures used by early believers (the Septuagint). Where the MT is concise, the LXX often preserves lines that the New Covenant cites and this Gospel echoes—most notably Deuteronomy 32:43 LXX (“let all the angels of God worship Him; rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people”), a reading undergirding angelic and Gentile worship of the Son (Hebrews 1:6), and Job 38:17 LXX (“porters of Hades”) that frames the Descent. 23We say this not to accuse but to illumine: the LXX carries the very scriptural voice the apostles and the earliest assemblies used, and its witness keeps bright what later paths sometimes dimmed—namely, that angels, Yisraelites, and Gentiles are summoned to worship Yeshua as King and Savior. In that light, the Temple's sworn confession in Chapter 22 is not an anomaly but a culmination: Yisrael's own leaders, with Scripture in hand, declare what the LXX announces, and the nations now confess—that Yeshua is the Savior of humanity, the King of Glory who has broken the gates and opened the Kingdom.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 24

Publisher's Postscript

1.0×

1At Beit HaEmet Brit Chadashah (House of Truth in the New Covenant), we read this Gospel line by line beside the Torah, Prophets, Writings, and the apostolic testimony, with the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha open—listening for concord, testing every claim, and tracing every echo. What surprised us most was how clearly the Septuagint (LXX) illumines the horizon of this Gospel. Many of its strongest threads flow from the LXX's fuller readings: 2● Job 38:17 LXX names trembling "gates of death" and "porters of Hades"—the very drama at the King's descent. 3● Deuteronomy 32:43 LXX speaks of angelic worship and Gentiles rejoicing, cited in Hebrews 1:6 and sung across these pages. 4● Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14 in the LXX shout death's defeat with a clarity reflected in the saints' celebration. 5● Psalms 74:8, "In the Septuagint (LXX) text, 'They said in their heart, even all their kindred together, ''Come, let us abolish the feasts of the Lord from the earth.''" This varies notably from traditional Hebrew/Protestant translations, which typically reference the burning of the "meeting places" or "synagogues." Explore the full Greek text, English translation, and critical apparatus on the Blue Letter Bible or examine Bible Hub for Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint. 6○ Comparison Greek 7■ Septuagint (LXX): Focuses on the abolishing of feasts (ἑορτὰς - heortas) and identifies the opposition as the enemy's "kindred" (συγγένεια). 8■ Masoretic Text (Hebrew): Focuses on the destruction of meeting places (עדֵ וֹמ - mo'ed), translating to "Let us abolish them altogether". 9This has happened all over the world; many have been made to forget Appointed Times of the Most High. As Yeshua was crucified during Passover, He will return during the Feast of the Trumpets in His Second Coming. 10It is well known that the New Covenant writers overwhelmingly quote the Scriptures in their LXX form, and our study confirms that the LXX's voice often stands closer to the thought-world of the Gospel of Nicodemus than later, shorter renderings. Where the Masoretic tradition is more concise, the LXX frequently supplies the very words that knit this narrative to Yisrael's Scriptures. 11But our aim is not textual triumphalism; it is truth. We set the Gospel in a ring of witnesses—canonical, apocryphal, and pseudepigraphal—to show how the Most High has taken humanity full circle: from Eden's loss to Golgotha's tree to the garden re-opened. This redemption came at the highest cost—the blood of His Son, who became human and, under the sway of fallen powers, was handed over by human hands to the cross. “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do,” He prayed—naming both human ignorance and the deeper battle against principalities and powers. 12● Luke 23:34; 1 Corinthians 2:8; Ephesians 6:12 13In that prayer is the heart of this book's hope: mercy stronger than malice, light stronger than darkness, the cross reversing the tree. We publish this work so that readers may repent, remember, and return—testing all things by the Holy Scriptures, weighing ancient testimonies with discernment, and beholding Yeshua HaMashiach as the King of Glory who breaks the gates and opens the Kingdom. 14May the Ruach HaKodesh guide your reading; may the Scriptures be your lamp; may the cross be your sign; and may the Lord of heaven and earth be your song forever.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 25

Prayer of Teshuvah and Covenant in Yeshua the Messiah

1.0×

1Yahuah Elohim, Maker of heaven and earth, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob— 2I remember You are my Creator and my King. I return to You today. 3I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. 4I have wandered from Your ways, broken Your commands, and trusted what is false. 5I repent of my rebellion, idolatry, and every deed of darkness—known and unknown to me. 6In the Name of Yeshua HaMashiach, I renounce the rulership of fallen angels and every unclean spirit. 7I break agreement with lies, occult practices, secret covenants, and works of darkness. 8I reject the dominion of the adversary and submit myself to Yeshua, the King of Glory. 9I believe that Yeshua the Messiah died for my sins according to the Scriptures, 10that He was buried, that He descended to the realm of the dead and triumphed, 11and that He rose again on the third day and reigns forever at Your right hand. 12By His blood I am forgiven; by His victory I am set free. 13Yeshua, I confess You as my Master and my King. 14I surrender my life to You—spirit, soul, and body. 15Write Your Torah upon my heart; teach me Your ways; 16establish truth in my inward parts and make me steadfast in Your covenant. 17Ruach HaKodesh, Holy Spirit of the Most High, come and dwell within me. 18Cleanse me, seal me, and empower me to walk in holiness, humility, and love. 19Open my eyes to the Scriptures; strengthen me to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God. 20I choose to follow You in obedience and faith. 21I choose to be immersed in the Name of Yeshua, to identify with His death and resurrection, 22and to walk in newness of life as part of Your redeemed people. 23Graft me into the cultivated olive tree of Yisrael, and join me to the fellowship of the saints. 24Clothe me with the armor of light. 25Teach my hands to war in prayer and my heart to worship in spirit and truth. 26Let the word of my testimony and the blood of the Lamb overcome the evil one in my life. 27Set Your seal upon me. 28Guard my going out and my coming in. 29Sanctify my days, my work, my home, and my relationships for Your glory. 30Let the light of Yeshua shine through me, that others may see and turn to You. 31Yahuah Elohim, I belong to You. 32Keep me faithful until the day of Your appearing. 33For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 34In the Name of Yeshua HaMashiach—Amen.

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 26

Prayer of Deliverance and Dominion in Yeshua HaMashiach

1.0×

1Avinu Shebashamayim, (Our Father who is in heaven), Yahuah Elohei Avraham, Yitzchak, v’Ya’akov, (Yahuah elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), I come before You in the name of Yeshua HaMashiach. I cover my life and the lives of my family with the precious blood of Yeshua—the blood poured out on the tree at Golgotha. In the name of Yeshua, I nullify and bind every dark spirit and every mission of darkness rising against me—in the heavens, on the earth, and in the sea—and in all their realms, ranks, and orders. In the name of Yeshua, I tear down every stronghold of the enemy in my thoughts, in my spirit and soul, in my body, in my relationships and home, and in my livelihood and finances. I declare that no weapon formed against me shall prosper, spiritually, socially, economically, or in how I make choices, and that I am a child of Elohim, covered by the blood of the Messiah and sealed by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). 2I renounce every covenant, oath, and agreement with HaSatan, fallen angels, Nephilim and their offspring, with principalities and authorities, worldly governors, the princes of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness, which are in the high places; I cancel their works and drive them away from me and from my family line to the end of generations—by the cross, death, and resurrection of Yeshua, who “stripped the rulers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them.” I command every unclean spirit—Belzebubb and his legions, the power of the serpent, Abbadon, Molech, Baal, Asharoth, and Beliel with all theirlegions—to depart, be removed, and do not return—in the name of Yeshua. 3Ruach HaKodesh, fill me, sanctify me, seal me, and teach me to walk in the light. I put on the armor of light and the whole armor of Elohim—truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of Elohim—and I stand firm in the evil day. I call upon the mal’akhim of Yahuah—warrior and ministering angels—to encamp around me, to guard me, and to fight for me, according to His word: “The angel of Yahuah encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” 4I proclaim the Lordship of Yeshua HaMashhiach over the realms of the air, the earth, and the sea; over times, places, and boundaries; over gates and pathways; over my house and the assembly of the saints. The blood of the Lamb covers the doorposts of my life, and Your grace is my stronghold. Thank You, Abba (Father), that the victory has already been accomplished by the blood of the Lamb and by His resurrection; and I stand in it—in faith, in joy, and in shalom. In the holy and awesome name of Yeshua HaMashiach—amen and amen.

Quick Actions

Theme

Font Style

Text Size

Line Spacing

Ma\'aseh Pilatus

Introduction

Introduction to the Acts of Yeshua HaMashiach: The Sworn Testimony of Nicodemus

The Recovered Record of the Hall of Pilate

Significance and Hidden Revelations

Structural Narrative Overview

The Septuagint (LXX) Connection

The Core Message

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 1

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 2

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 3

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 4

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 5

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 6

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 7

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 8

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 9

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 10

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 11

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 12

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 13

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 14

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 15

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 16

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 17

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 18

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 19

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 20

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 21

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 22

Footnotes

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 23

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 24

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 25

Ma'aseh Pilatus (Gospel of Nicodemus)—Chapter 26