A New Witness to the Acta Pilati Tradition
In a few days I will be heading to Winnipeg to participate in a workshop dedicated to the Acts of Pilate/Gospel of Nicodemus cycle of texts ("Editing the Acts of Pilate in Early Christian Languages: Theory and Practice"). For more information on the event see the web site dedicated to the workshop. I will be presenting on two fragmentary texts preserved in one of the manuscripts (Vienna, cod. hist. gr. 91) I used for my critical edition of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. One of these texts is a portion of a sermon by Pseudo-Eusebius of Alexandria (“On the Passion, for the Preparation Day”) which draws upon the Descensus tradition. The other text is another sermon that also draws upon the Pilate cycle (particularly the Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea) but I have not been able to identify it. I give the preliminary English translation of this text below (hyphens —– indicate words in the manuscript that I have not been able to decipher).
The Funeral of Jesus
…and he was very afraid. He said to Joseph: “I grant to you, Joseph, the body of Jesus”. And Nicodemus heard that Joseph received the right to take down the body of Jesus. Running swiftly, he came to Joseph saying: “My Lord Joseph, do not deprive me of your reward; rather, I too shall be with you at the tomb of the stranger so that we may find mercy”. And Joseph brought a clean linen shroud and Nicodemus myrrh …