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Who was Pontius Pilate?
Pontius Pilate was the fifth Roman governor of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius. He held the authority to judge cases and impose death sentences, and he ordered Jesus crucified. The Acts of Pilate presents him as a governor who questions the accusations against Jesus and doubts that execution is deserved. This sympathetic portrayal softens his responsibility, while its hostility toward Jewish accusers reflects prejudice of the time. The later Report of Pilate to Caesar also places him in the role of an official reporting to imperial authority, rather than preserving his own account.
From The Acts of Pilate and The Report of Pilate to CaesarWhat does Pilate most want to avoid in The Acts of Pilate?
In The Acts of Pilate, Pilate tries to avoid condemning someone he regards as undeserving of death, while also fearing the crowd and the emperor. He questions the demand for execution, describes the threatened death as innocent bloodshed, and asks whether Jesus might be released. He also notices that some people in the crowd are grieving rather than demanding death. The story therefore presents a governor pulled between his judgment and public pressure. Its effort to soften Pilate and blame Jewish leaders reflects the hostility of its time, not an excuse for his responsibility.
From The Acts of PilateWhat role did Pilate play in the trial and crucifixion of Jesus?
Pilate was the Roman governor who presided over Jesus's trial and ordered his crucifixion. His office gave him the power to impose capital punishment. In The Acts of Pilate, his questions emphasize uncertainty: he wonders how a governor can judge a king and asks what is to become of Jesus. The Report of Pilate to Caesar likewise places Jesus before him for judgment, though it is a later work, not his own report. These literary portrayals emphasize pressure on Pilate, but his hesitation does not remove his role as the official who authorized the execution.
From The Acts of Pilate and The Report of Pilate to CaesarWhat is known about Pilate's life and the Roman world he governed?
Pilate served under Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. His earlier life is largely unknown. As governor of Judaea, he administered justice, collected taxes, and held the power to order executions. His main residence was Caesarea, with visits to Jerusalem chiefly during major feasts to maintain order. After violently suppressing a Samaritan uprising, he was dismissed and summoned to Rome. His later fate is unknown. The Death of Pilate supplies a suicide and a wandering, troubled corpse, but those events belong to medieval legend rather than established knowledge of his life.
From The Death of PilateHow do the Pilate texts portray his responsibility for Jesus's death?
The Acts of Pilate portrays a governor who questions why healing should lead to execution, softening his responsibility by stressing his doubts. The Death of Pilate takes a harsher approach: Pilate becomes afraid because he recognizes his own part in causing Jesus’s death, and the legend later condemns him. These are different literary portraits, not evidence that his responsibility disappeared. The Acts also reflects hostility toward Jewish leaders that was a view of its time; that prejudice does not justify shifting responsibility onto Jewish people collectively.
From The Acts of Pilate and The Death of PilateHow does The Death of Pilate portray the emperor's anger toward the governor?
In The Death of Pilate, the emperor’s anger turns Pilate from a governor into someone facing judgment. Yet the legend makes that anger strangely vulnerable: when Pilate appears wearing Jesus’s seamless tunic, the emperor’s fury vanishes and he welcomes him. The garment gives Pilate temporary protection rather than proving his innocence. This is a medieval story about guilt, relics, and judgment, not a documented account of the encounter. Its wider hostility toward Jewish people reflects prejudice of its time and does not establish collective responsibility for Jesus’s death.
From The Death of PilateWhat does Pilate's questioning of witnesses show about seeking sound judgment?
The Acts of Pilate connects sound judgment with hearing a case and checking testimony, but these scenes do not give a detailed account of Pilate questioning witnesses. One scene asks that Jesus appear before his judgment seat and receive a hearing. Later, the council questions Aggaeus and invokes the requirement for agreement among two or three witnesses. That later examination belongs to the council, not Pilate. The distinction matters: the text values corroboration, but it does not make every example of careful inquiry an action of the governor.
From The Acts of PilateWhom does Pilate fear in The Acts of Pilate?
In The Acts of Pilate, Pilate fears the crowd and the emperor. His position places him between pressure for a death sentence and concern about imperial authority. The courtroom exchange makes the first tension clear: the accusers demand crucifixion while Pilate says that Jesus does not deserve it. That exchange does not itself describe his fear of the emperor, although this belongs to the text’s broader portrayal. Its tendency to soften Pilate while treating Jewish leaders harshly reflects a view of its time, not a basis for collective blame.
From The Acts of PilateHow does The Acts of Pilate contrast legal power with justice?
The Acts of Pilate separates the possession of legal authority from the practice of justice. Jesus describes truthful people being judged by earthly rulers, while Pilate himself says that Jesus does not merit crucifixion. Together, these moments expose a gap between the governor’s power to decide and the fairness of the outcome. The text also treats speech as a form of responsibility, capable of serving good or harm. Its hostile portrayal of Jewish accusers reflects a view of its time, not grounds for collective blame.
From The Acts of PilateHow does Pilate fail to act on his doubts about the charges against Jesus?
In The Acts of Pilate, Pilate’s failure lies in the distance between his judgment of the accusations and the sentence he ultimately orders. He says that charges concerning healing and Sabbath observance provide no basis for execution. The bowing standards also cause him to question the response of those opposing Jesus. Yet neither his objections nor his astonishment prevents the crucifixion. The narrative thus presents doubt without an effective refusal to condemn. Its hostility toward Jewish accusers reflects a view of its time and does not remove Pilate’s responsibility.
From The Acts of PilateWhat kind of courtroom story does The Acts of Pilate tell?
The Acts of Pilate tells a courtroom story in which accusations against Jesus meet questions, doubts, and testimony in his defense. Pilate questions a healed man about when his healing happened, while the accusers treat healing on the Sabbath as grounds for complaint. The governor struggles to understand why a good deed should lead to death. This makes him appear hesitant rather than eager to condemn. The story’s hostility toward Jewish accusers reflects prejudice of its time and softens Pilate’s own responsibility.
From The Acts of PilateWho is said to have recorded The Acts of Pilate, and why is that claim doubted?
The Acts of Pilate claims that Nicodemus recorded the events in Hebrew and passed his account to the high priest and other Jewish people after Jesus’s death. That is the text’s account of its own origin, not established authorship. Scholars doubt that Nicodemus wrote it, and the work is understood as an anonymous Christian retelling rather than a surviving courtroom record. Its opening claim gives the narrative the appearance of testimony from someone closely connected with the events, but the claim itself does not prove that connection.
From The Acts of PilateMore questions
How is Pilate remembered differently in Eastern and Western Christian traditions?
Eastern Christian traditions sometimes remember Pilate as a convert and saint, while Western traditions often portray him negatively. The stories themselves offer contrasting images rather than one settled portrait. In The Acts of Pilate, he questions why Jesus should die and says that crucifixion is undeserved. That treatment softens his responsibility and reflects the text's age, including its hostility toward Jewish leaders. In The Death of Pilate, protection from Jesus's tunic lasts only until the garment is removed, when the emperor's anger returns. Neither scene establishes Pilate's later beliefs as historical fact.
From The Acts of Pilate and The Death of PilateWhy do readers still turn to the stories about Pilate?
The stories about Pilate bring together questions of power, fear, responsibility, and the desire to know what happened beyond the familiar trial account. The Acts of Pilate presents an anxious governor and astonished witnesses, while The Report of Pilate to Caesar describes extraordinary darkness at Jesus's death. Such scenes show how later Christians expanded the story and imagined Rome responding to it. The texts also contain hostility toward Jewish people, a prejudice of their time that cannot be treated as justified blame. Their lasting interest includes both their vivid storytelling and their revealing limitations.
From The Acts of Pilate and The Report of Pilate to CaesarWhat warning does Pilate's conduct at the trial offer readers?
Pilate's conduct can be read as a warning about the gap between recognizing an injustice and preventing it. In The Acts of Pilate, he questions why healing should lead to a death sentence, yet the governor who raises that objection still orders the crucifixion. His uncertainty about judging Jesus as a king also places authority and responsibility at the center of the scene. The text does not offer a simple account of his private motives. Its sympathetic treatment of Pilate and hostility toward Jewish leaders reflect a view of the time, not grounds for shifting his responsibility.
From The Acts of PilateWhat do the texts suggest Pilate had most reason to regret?
The clearest suggested cause for regret is that Pilate authorized Jesus's death despite questioning whether any capital offense had occurred. In The Acts of Pilate, he asks why execution is being sought and declares that crucifixion is undeserved. The later letter in his name portrays him as having accepted accusations that led to the punishment. These are literary portrayals, not reliable access to his private remorse. The letter's attempt to transfer blame to Jewish people reflects anti-Jewish prejudice of its time. The texts cannot establish what the historical Pilate actually regretted.
From The Acts of Pilate and The Letter of Pontius Pilate to ClaudiusWhat authority did Pilate have over taxes, public funds and coins?
As governor, Pilate collected taxes and tribute, disbursed public funds, and minted coins. Those duties belonged to his administration alongside his judicial authority. The Acts of Pilate does not explain how he assessed taxes, managed accounts, or decided what coins to issue. Its references to money concern other transactions, including money given to people being accompanied toward Galilee. That detail offers no account of Pilate’s financial administration. His general responsibilities are known, but the text does not describe their practical workings in greater detail.
From The Acts of PilateHow does The Acts of Pilate portray Pilate's anxiety about condemning Jesus?
The Acts of Pilate presents Pilate’s anxiety through hesitation and conflicting statements rather than a detailed account of his feelings. At the judgment seat, he attributes Jesus’s condemnation as a king to others, yet he also contrasts the imprisoned murderer Barabbas with Jesus, whom he regards as innocent. His question about the authority given to him adds uncertainty to the scene. These details soften the governor’s portrayal, although he still orders the crucifixion. The text’s hostile treatment of Jewish leaders reflects a view of its time.
From The Acts of PilateHow does The Acts of Pilate relate to the Gospel of Nicodemus?
The Acts of Pilate became the first part of the larger work called the Gospel of Nicodemus. Within its story, Nicodemus is also an important figure: he defends Jesus, answers those who challenge his loyalty, and later welcomes Joseph into his home. Those scenes help explain his prominence in the narrative, though they do not themselves explain how the larger work received its title. The connection between the titles does not establish Nicodemus as the author; the work remains an anonymous Christian text.
From The Acts of PilateWhat does the episode of the bowing Roman standards add to The Acts of Pilate?
The bowing standards add a visible wonder to the courtroom drama. When Jesus enters, the images carried on Roman standards bend before him, and the action happens again at another entrance. Within the story, even objects associated with Roman authority appear to acknowledge Jesus’s importance. This gives the hearing a striking contrast: the accused stands before the governor, yet symbols of imperial power bow to him. The episode is one of the text’s additions to the Gospel accounts, not an ordinary detail of courtroom procedure.
From The Acts of PilateHow does The Acts of Pilate end after the crucifixion?
After the crucifixion, The Acts of Pilate turns toward disputed testimony about what followed Jesus’s death. One closing exchange presents people unable to answer what they have heard, yet unwilling to accept testimony from those outside their religious community. The ending therefore leaves a conflict over belief and witnesses, rather than a simple agreement about events. Its portrayal of Jewish resistance reflects the hostility of its time and should not be taken as a judgment on Jewish people generally. The narrative favors the witnesses it presents.
From The Acts of PilateWhy is The Letter of Pontius Pilate to Claudius not treated as Pilate's own letter?
The Letter of Pontius Pilate to Claudius is not treated as Pilate’s own letter because it was written long after his lifetime. It belongs to later writings that present the governor as a witness to Jesus’s story. A formal address or a claim to official records can give such writing an air of authority, but neither establishes authorship. The Report of Pilate to Caesar likewise adopts the form of an official communication. These literary claims are different from evidence that the historical governor actually wrote the works.
From The Letter of Pontius Pilate to Claudius and The Report of Pilate to CaesarHow does the Letter to Claudius explain Pilate's decision to permit crucifixion?
In the Letter to Claudius, Pilate’s decision is explained as the result of believing the leaders’ accusations before allowing the crucifixion. This differs from The Acts of Pilate, where he argues that Jesus does not deserve that punishment and questions why healing should lead to death. Both portrayals soften the governor’s responsibility in different ways. The letter’s wider blame of Jews and their children reflects anti-Jewish prejudice of its time, not Pilate’s documented beliefs. Historically, Pilate held the authority to order the execution.
From The Letter of Pontius Pilate to Claudius and The Acts of PilateHow does The Report of Pilate to Caesar present Jesus's miracles?
The Report of Pilate to Caesar presents Jesus’s miracles as real events that its governor has considered and accepted, rather than as rumors he merely repeats. Its Pilate judges these wonders greater than anything attributed to the gods of his own worship. The complaint about their happening on the Sabbath appears alongside that strong acknowledgment of their power. Written as an anxious report to the emperor, the account makes Roman authority seem to confirm Jesus’s extraordinary deeds. This is the later text’s portrayal, not a verified statement by Pilate.
From The Report of Pilate to CaesarWhat signs accompany the crucifixion in The Report of Pilate to Caesar?
The Report of Pilate to Caesar describes darkness around the crucifixion and frightening wonders, including the shaking of the earth. These are presented as signs surrounding Jesus’s death, not simply as ordinary events. The account enlarges features also associated with the Gospel narratives. The Acts of Pilate contains a different sign: Roman standards bow before Jesus during the hearing. That episode belongs to the trial and should not be confused with the signs at the crucifixion.
From The Report of Pilate to Caesar and The Acts of PilateWhy do versions of The Report of Pilate to Caesar differ about its recipient?
The Report of Pilate to Caesar presents Pilate as a frightened governor who orders events recorded and sends an account to his imperial superior. That closing statement addresses the ruler without explaining differences over his identity. The work was written long after Pilate’s lifetime and survives in several versions, including versions with different recipients. The text does not explain why those names differ. Its official tone is part of its literary presentation, rather than proof that an actual dispatch from Pilate survives.
From The Report of Pilate to CaesarWhy is The Death of Pilate read as a medieval legend rather than history?
The Death of Pilate belongs to a medieval tradition that imagined what happened after the Gospel accounts ended. Its author is unknown, and Pilate’s actual later fate remains unknown. The story gives him a shameful end, describes the emperor’s response to his death, and continues with disturbances caused by his body. These details serve a tale about guilt and judgment. They do not establish his historical fate. The distinction matters because the legend supplies a dramatic ending where reliable knowledge runs out.
From The Death of PilateHow does Jesus's tunic protect the governor in The Death of Pilate?
In The Death of Pilate, the governor brings Jesus’s seamless tunic with him and wears it before the emperor. The garment gives him a strange, temporary protection during a confrontation he greatly fears. The emperor’s astonishment is connected with the discovery that the clothing belonged to Jesus. The story treats the tunic as a powerful relic, not as evidence that Pilate is innocent. Its protection belongs to the legend’s treatment of guilt and sacred objects; it is not an account of established history.
From The Death of PilateHow did Pilate divide his time between Caesarea and Jerusalem?
Pilate’s main residence as governor was Caesarea. He went to Jerusalem chiefly for major feasts, when maintaining order was an important part of his duties. This was not an equal division between two permanent seats of daily life. The Acts of Pilate places Jerusalem at the center of its religious and judicial story, with the council summoning people there. It does not provide a calendar of Pilate’s journeys or say how long each stay lasted. His movements are known only in this broad outline.
From The Acts of PilateWhat did Pilate's equestrian rank mean in Roman society?
Pilate belonged to the equestrian order, a middle rank of Roman nobility. That identifies his social standing, but it does not reveal much about his early life, which is virtually unknown. The Acts of Pilate is concerned with his conduct as governor rather than with explaining Roman social ranks. It presents him questioning accusations and judging whether Jesus deserves execution. Those scenes illustrate his official role in the story, but the text does not explain the privileges or requirements of equestrian membership.
From The Acts of PilateHow was authority divided between Pilate and the Sanhedrin?
Pilate headed the judicial system and could impose capital punishment, while the Sanhedrin shared limited civil and religious authority. In The Acts of Pilate, that division appears through courtroom exchanges: accusers press for crucifixion, while Pilate questions the grounds and hears testimony about a healing. The story does not set out a complete description of either institution’s powers. It also softens Pilate’s responsibility while portraying Jewish leaders harshly. That hostility was a view of the time, not a fair judgment of Jewish people.
From The Acts of PilateWhat brought Pilate into conflict with the Jewish population?
Pilate’s rule included conflicts with the Jewish population over religious customs. The trial writings offer a narrower picture: people seek a hearing before his judgment seat, and accusations against Jesus include healing on the Sabbath. These scenes show religious concerns entering a Roman governor’s court, but they do not give a full account of the conflicts during his administration. The writings’ hostility toward Jewish accusers reflects a view of their time and should not be treated as collective responsibility for a whole people.
From The Acts of Pilate and The Report of Pilate to CaesarWhy was Pilate dismissed and ordered to answer to Tiberius?
Pilate was dismissed after violently suppressing a Samaritan uprising at Mount Gerizim and was ordered to Rome to answer to Tiberius. The emperor died before Pilate arrived, and Pilate’s later fate is unknown. The Death of Pilate tells a different, legendary story: the emperor turns against him for condemning Jesus and orders him imprisoned while his punishment is considered. Its account of imperial anger belongs to a medieval tale, not a documented explanation of his historical dismissal.
From The Death of PilateWhat warning does Pilate's wife send during the trial?
In The Acts of Pilate, Pilate’s wife sends a message asking him to stay out of the case against Jesus, whom she regards as innocent. Her warning follows a distressing dream about him. The message adds a private warning to the public doubts surrounding the trial, but it does not stop Pilate from ordering the crucifixion. Later, the governor and his wife are described as deeply upset by the reported events surrounding Jesus’s death, going without food or drink that day.
From The Acts of PilateHow does Nicodemus defend Jesus before Pilate?
In The Acts of Pilate, Nicodemus stands by Jesus even when others turn against him for doing so. Pilate describes his testimony as truthful and challenges the anger directed at him. When Nicodemus’s opponents wish that he might share Jesus’s fate, he accepts the association rather than withdrawing his support. Later, Pilate consults him alongside the twelve defenders. The text’s hostility toward Jewish opponents reflects a prejudice of its time; Nicodemus himself is a Jewish leader defending Jesus within that same story.
From The Acts of PilateWhat do the twelve defenders tell Pilate about Jesus's birth?
In The Acts of Pilate, the twelve defenders reject the accusation against Jesus’s parentage. They maintain that the charge about his birth is false. Pilate separates them from the larger gathering and questions them directly, pressing them to confirm their testimony under the authority of Caesar. Their role is to give the court testimony against an accusation, rather than merely repeat the crowd’s claims. The account’s hostile portrayal of Jewish accusers reflects a prejudice of its time, while the defenders are themselves Jewish men.
From The Acts of PilateWhat evidence do the healed witnesses bring to Pilate's court?
In The Acts of Pilate, the healed witnesses bring accounts of what Jesus has done for them. Their evidence is personal testimony about recovery, rather than a written record or an object presented to the court. Pilate questions one healed man about the day of his recovery, showing that the dispute concerns Sabbath observance as well as whether healing occurred. Another statement connects the opposition to Jesus with his Sabbath healings. The narrative’s hostile treatment of Jewish opponents reflects a prejudice of its time.
From The Acts of PilateHow do the later texts soften Pilate's responsibility for condemning Jesus?
The Acts of Pilate softens the governor’s responsibility by showing him declaring Jesus innocent while presenting the demand for condemnation as coming from others. His comparison with Barabbas makes his doubts especially clear. This hostility toward Jewish opponents reflects a prejudice of the time, not a basis for collective blame. Pilate nevertheless holds the authority to order the execution. The Death of Pilate takes a harsher approach: it directly associates him with Jesus’s condemnation and later describes a sentence against him.
From The Acts of Pilate and The Death of PilateWhy should the letter's collective blame of Jews be read as prejudice, not fact?
The Letter of Pontius Pilate to Claudius was written long after Pilate’s lifetime, so its collective accusation does not establish his beliefs or the guilt of a people. Its blame of Jews and their children reflects anti-Jewish prejudice of its time. The Acts of Pilate likewise stages hostile exchanges between the governor and Jewish accusers, but those scenes do not justify collective blame. They belong to a later religious narrative, while Pilate’s own authority and responsibility for ordering Jesus’s crucifixion remain part of the historical account.
From The Letter of Pontius Pilate to Claudius and The Acts of PilateHow does Veronica's cloth connect the emperor's healing with Pilate's summons?
In The Death of Pilate, Veronica’s cloth provides the link between the emperor’s search for healing and his demand that Pilate answer for Jesus’s death. Volusianus returns to Rome with Veronica and reports that the healer the emperor wanted has already been executed. The cloth bearing Jesus’s face brings healing in the legend, after which the emperor turns against Pilate and summons him. This is a medieval story, not documented history. Its collective blame of Jews also reflects anti-Jewish prejudice of the time.
From The Death of Pilate“To the most mighty, venerable, august, and divine emperor — from Pontius Pilate, governor of the East.”
The Report of Pilate to Caesar, Chapter 1“The Jews said to Pilate: ‘We want him crucified.’ Pilate said: ‘He does not deserve to be crucified.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“Then Pilate said to them: ‘For what reason do they want to put him to death?’ They said to Pilate: ‘They are jealous, because he heals on the Sabbath.’ Pilate said: ‘They want to put him to death for a good work?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“The Jews said to Pilate: ‘We want him crucified.’ Pilate said: ‘He does not deserve to be crucified.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“And the governor was afraid, and said to all the multitude of the Jews: Why do you want to shed innocent blood?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 11“The governor then looked out over the crowd of Jews standing there and saw that many of them were weeping, and he said: ‘Not all of this multitude want him put to death.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“And Pilate called them to him and said: Tell me — how can I, a governor, put a king on trial?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 2“Herod, Archelaus, and Philip, together with Annas and Caiaphas and all the people, handed him over to me for trial.”
The Report of Pilate to Caesar, Chapter 3“Pilate said: What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 12“On hearing this, Pilate took his own knife and killed himself, and so ended his life.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 4“The Romans dragged him out of the river Tiber and, in contempt, carried him down to Vienne, where they sank him in the river Rhône.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 5“Then Pilate said to them: ‘For what reason do they want to put him to death?’ They said to Pilate: ‘They are jealous, because he heals on the Sabbath.’ Pilate said: ‘They want to put him to death for a good work?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“When Pilate heard this, he was seized with great fear, for he knew that it was through envy that he had caused Jesus to be put to death.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 1“A few days later, sentence was passed: Pilate was condemned to a most shameful death.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 4“But Pilate had brought with him the seamless tunic of Jesus, and he wore it when he appeared before the emperor. The moment the emperor saw him, all his anger fell away, and he rose at once to meet him.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 3“Then they questioned Aggaeus, and he too spoke in the same manner. And the council said: It is written in the law of Moses: By the testimony of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 21“The Jews said to Pilate: We beg your majesty to have him brought before your judgment seat and heard.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 2“The Jews said to Pilate: ‘We want him crucified.’ Pilate said: ‘He does not deserve to be crucified.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“Jesus said to Pilate: ‘You see how those who speak the truth are judged by those who hold power on earth.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 5“But Jesus said: If they had no power, they would say nothing; for every man has power over his own mouth, to speak good or evil.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“The Jews said to Pilate: ‘We want him crucified.’ Pilate said: ‘He does not deserve to be crucified.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“There is nothing in your accusations against him that deserves death, for your charges concern healing and the profaning of the Sabbath.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“When the Jews saw how the standards bowed and did reverence to Jesus, they cried out loudly against the ensigns. But Pilate said to the Jews: Does it not astonish you that the images bowed and did reverence to Jesus?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 2“Pilate said to the man who had been healed: Tell me truly, what day was it when he healed you? The man answered: On the sabbath. The Jews said: Did we not tell you?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 9“And Pilate called them to him and said: Tell me — how can I, a governor, put a king on trial?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 2“Then Pilate said to them: ‘For what reason do they want to put him to death?’ They said to Pilate: ‘They are jealous, because he heals on the Sabbath.’ Pilate said: ‘They want to put him to death for a good work?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“These are the things which Nicodemus recorded and delivered to the high priest and the rest of the Jews after the crucifixion and death of the Lord; and Nicodemus himself first set them down in Hebrew characters.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 1“Then, moved by a divine impulse, or perhaps by the advice of some Christian, he ordered the tunic stripped from Pilate, and immediately felt all his former fury return against him.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 4“The Jews said to Pilate: ‘We want him crucified.’ Pilate said: ‘He does not deserve to be crucified.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“Then Pilate said to them: ‘For what reason do they want to put him to death?’ They said to Pilate: ‘They are jealous, because he heals on the Sabbath.’ Pilate said: ‘They want to put him to death for a good work?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“Pilate was angry and said to the Jews: Your nation is always stirring up trouble, and you turn against those who have done you good.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 12“When Pilate heard this he was afraid. He silenced the crowd, who were still shouting, and said to them: So this is the one Herod was searching for?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 12“The sun was completely hidden, and the sky turned black in the middle of the day, so that the stars came out — though even their light was dimmed.”
The Report of Pilate to Caesar, Chapter 3“And Pilate called them to him and said: Tell me — how can I, a governor, put a king on trial?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 2“Jesus said to Pilate: ‘Do as it has been given to you.’ Pilate said: ‘How has it been given?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“Then Pilate said to them: ‘For what reason do they want to put him to death?’ They said to Pilate: ‘They are jealous, because he heals on the Sabbath.’ Pilate said: ‘They want to put him to death for a good work?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“Then Pilate said to them: ‘For what reason do they want to put him to death?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“I have reported all of this to your imperial majesty for one reason: so that no one else might deceive you, and you might not be led to give credence to the false stories of the Jews.”
The Letter of Pontius Pilate to Claudius, Chapter 2“The Jews said to Pilate: ‘We want him crucified.’ Pilate said: ‘He does not deserve to be crucified.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“They also gave them money and three men to accompany them, and they escorted them on their way as far as Galilee, and they departed in peace.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 18“Pilate then ordered the curtain drawn before the judgment seat where he sat, and said to Jesus: Your own people have condemned you as a king.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 12“I have a condemned murderer in prison named Barabbas, and I also have this Jesus, who stands before you, in whom I find no fault.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 12“Jesus said to Pilate: ‘Do as it has been given to you.’ Pilate said: ‘How has it been given?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“Pilate called Nicodemus and the twelve men who had testified that Jesus was not born of fornication, and said to them: What am I to do?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 12“The Jews said to Nicodemus: You have become his disciple, and you are speaking on his behalf. Nicodemus said to them: Has the governor also become his disciple, since he too speaks on his behalf?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 8“Nicodemus received him into his house and made a great feast, and invited Annas, Caiaphas, the elders, the priests, and the Levites. They made merry, eating and drinking with Joseph, and when they had sung a hymn, every man went to his own house. But Joseph remained in the house of Nicodemus.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 19“Now when Jesus entered, the ensigns were holding the standards, and the busts upon the standards bowed down and did reverence to Jesus.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 2“And when he had entered, the standards bowed again and did reverence to Jesus.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 2“They could not answer these things, and in the end could only say: It is not lawful for us to believe the uncircumcised.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 18“To the most mighty, venerable, august, and divine emperor — from Pontius Pilate, governor of the East.”
The Report of Pilate to Caesar, Chapter 1“The Jews said to Pilate: ‘We want him crucified.’ Pilate said: ‘He does not deserve to be crucified.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“Then Pilate said to them: ‘For what reason do they want to put him to death?’ They said to Pilate: ‘They are jealous, because he heals on the Sabbath.’ Pilate said: ‘They want to put him to death for a good work?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“I write to your reverence in a state of great trembling and fear, most mighty emperor, to report the events of these present times, as their final outcome has now made clear.”
The Report of Pilate to Caesar, Chapter 1“The Jews brought it to my attention that Jesus performed these things on the Sabbath. I also determined that the miracles he worked were greater than any that the gods we worship have ever been able to perform.”
The Report of Pilate to Caesar, Chapter 3“And Pilate called those who had held the images before and said to them: I swear by the safety of Caesar that if the standards do not bow when Jesus enters, I will have your heads cut off.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 2“Seized with fear and confusion, trembling greatly, I gave orders at that very hour that everything done by all of them should be set down in writing, and I have now reported it all to your majesty.”
The Report of Pilate to Caesar, Chapter 4“When Caesar learned of Pilate's death, he said: ‘Truly he has died a most disgraceful death, since his own hand did not spare him.’”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 4“A few days later, sentence was passed: Pilate was condemned to a most shameful death.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 4“But Pilate had brought with him the seamless tunic of Jesus, and he wore it when he appeared before the emperor.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 3“When the emperor marveled greatly at this, he was told that the tunic had belonged to the Lord Jesus.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 4“When Pilate heard this, he was seized with great fear, for he knew that it was through envy that he had caused Jesus to be put to death.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 1“And those who had been sent said: The council summons you to the holy city of Jerusalem.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 21“Since a great dispute has arisen in the council, we have sent to summon you to this holy place of Jerusalem.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 21“The Jews said to Pilate: ‘We want him crucified.’ Pilate said: ‘He does not deserve to be crucified.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“Then Pilate said to them: ‘For what reason do they want to put him to death?’ They said to Pilate: ‘They are jealous, because he heals on the Sabbath.’ Pilate said: ‘They want to put him to death for a good work?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“The Jews said to Pilate: ‘We want him crucified.’ Pilate said: ‘He does not deserve to be crucified.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“Then Pilate said to them: ‘For what reason do they want to put him to death?’ They said to Pilate: ‘They are jealous, because he heals on the Sabbath.’ Pilate said: ‘They want to put him to death for a good work?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“The Jews said to Pilate: Ask him what day it was when he was healed. Pilate said to the man who had been healed: Tell me truly, what day was it when he healed you?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 9“The Jews said to Pilate: We beg your majesty to have him brought before your judgment seat and heard.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 2“The Jews brought it to my attention that Jesus performed these things on the Sabbath.”
The Report of Pilate to Caesar, Chapter 3“My God and my Lord — Pilate, out of envy, handed him over, condemned him, and ordered him to be crucified.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 1“The emperor then ordered Pilate held in prison while he deliberated with a council of wise men about what should be done with him.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 4“Pilate said to them: See, my wife has sent to me, saying: Have nothing to do with this just man.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 3“But the centurion reported to the governor everything that had come to pass; and when the governor and his wife heard it, they were deeply grieved, and neither ate nor drank that day. And Pilate summoned the Jews and said to them: Did you see what happened?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 14“Pilate said to them: Why do you gnash your teeth at him, when you have heard the truth? The Jews said to Nicodemus: May you receive his truth and share his fate. Nicodemus said: Amen, amen — may I indeed receive it, just as you have said.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 8“Pilate called Nicodemus and the twelve men who had testified that Jesus was not born of fornication, and said to them: What am I to do?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 12“And Pilate commanded the whole multitude to withdraw, except for the twelve men who said he was not born of fornication, and he ordered Jesus to be set apart.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“And Pilate called to him those twelve men who said that he was not born of fornication, and said to them: ‘I adjure you by the safety of Caesar — is it true, what you have said, that he was not born of fornication?’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“The Jews said to Pilate: Ask him what day it was when he was healed. Pilate said to the man who had been healed: Tell me truly, what day was it when he healed you?”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 9“They said to Pilate: ‘They are jealous, because he heals on the Sabbath.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 4“I have a condemned murderer in prison named Barabbas, and I also have this Jesus, who stands before you, in whom I find no fault.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 12“Pilate then ordered the curtain drawn before the judgment seat where he sat, and said to Jesus: Your own people have condemned you as a king.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 12“A few days later, sentence was passed: Pilate was condemned to a most shameful death.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 4“Pilate said to the Jews: ‘Why should he die?’ The Jews said: ‘Because he called himself the Son of God and a king.’”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 6“The Jews cried out: We know no king but Caesar, and not Jesus.”
The Acts of Pilate, Chapter 12“So Volusianus set out with Veronica for Rome, and said to the emperor Tiberius: Jesus, whom you have been longing to find, has been handed over to an unjust death by Pilate and the Jews, who out of envy nailed Him to the gibbet of the cross.”
The Death of Pilate, Chapter 2“The messenger then returned to his lodgings, where he met a woman named Veronica, who had been a friend of Jesus. He said to her: Woman, there was a physician in this city who healed the sick by his word alone — why have the Jews put him to death?”
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