Epistle of Herod to Pilate: 1
Epistle of Pilate to Herod: 1
Anaphora Pilati: 1
This section includes likely pseudepigraphal letters to and from Pontius Pilate. It includes letters, probably quite late, purportedly from Herod to Pilate and Pilate to Herod. More significantly, the Report of Pontius Pilate, also called the Anaphora Pilati, is a likely pseudepigraphal letter from Pilate to Tiberius which describes Jesus’ execution and the aftermath. It may originate from the 4th century.
Herod to Pontius Pilate, the governor of Jerusalem: Peace. I am in great anxiety. I write these things to you, so that when you have heard them you may be grieved for me. For as my daughter Herodias, who is dear to me, was playing on a pool of water which had ice on it, it broke under her, and her whole body went down, and her head was cut off and remained on the surface of the ice. And behold, her mother is holding her head on her knees in her lap, and my whole house is in great sorrow. For I, when I heard of the Man Jesus, wished to come to you, so that I might see Him alone and hear His word, whether it was like that of the sons of men. And it is certain that because of the many evil things which were done by me to John the Baptist, and because I mocked the Christ, behold, I receive the reward of righteousness, for I have shed much blood of others’ children on the earth. Therefore, the judgments of God are righteous; for every man receives according to his thought. But since you were worthy to see that God-Man, therefore it suits you to pray for me. My son Azbonius is also in the agony of the hour of death. And I am also in affliction and great trial, because I have [severe] swelling; and I am in great distress, because I persecuted the introducer of immersion by water, which was John. Therefore, my brother, the judgments of God are righteous. And my wife, again, through all her grief for her daughter, has become blind in her left eye, because we desired to blind the Eye of righteousness. “There is no peace for the evildoers,” says the Lord. For already great affliction comes on the priests and on the writers of the Law; because they delivered to you the Just One. For this is the consummation of the world, that they consented that the nations should become heirs. For the children of light will be cast out, for they have not observed the things which were preached concerning the Lord, and concerning His Son. Therefore, gird up your loins and receive righteousness—you with your wife remembering Jesus night and day; and the kingdom will belong to you nations, for we, the [chosen] people, have mocked the Righteous One. Now if there is place for our request, O Pilate, because we were at one time in power, bury my household carefully; for it is right that we should be buried by you, rather than by the priests, whom, after a short time, as the Writings say, at the coming of Jesus Christ, vengeance will overtake. Farewell, with your wife Procla. I send you the earrings of my daughter and my own ring, so that they may be to you a memorial of my death. For worms already begin to issue from my body, and behold, I am receiving temporal judgment, and I am afraid of the judgment to come. For in both we stand before the works of the living God; but this judgment, which is temporal, is for a time, while that to come is judgment forever. End of the letter to Pilate, the governor.
Pilate to Herod the Tetrarch: Peace. Know and see, that in the day when you delivered Jesus to me, I took pity on myself, and testified by washing my hands [that I was innocent] concerning Him who rose from the grave after three days, and had performed your pleasure in Him, for you desired me to be associated with you in His crucifixion. But I now learn from the executioners and from the soldiers who watched His tomb that He rose from the dead. And I have especially confirmed what was told to me, that He appeared bodily in Galilee, in the same form, and with the same voice, and with the same doctrine, and with the same disciples, not having changed in anything, but preaching with boldness His resurrection, and an everlasting kingdom. And behold, heaven and earth rejoice; and behold, my wife Procla is believing in the visions which appeared to her, when you sent that I should deliver Jesus to the people of Israel, because of the hostility they had. Now when my wife Procla heard that Jesus had risen, and had appeared in Galilee, she took with her Longinus the centurion and twelve soldiers, the same that had watched at the tomb, and went to greet the face of Christ, as if to a great spectacle, and saw Him with His disciples. Now while they were standing, and wondering, and gazing at Him, He looked at them and said to them, “What is it? Do you believe in Me? Procla, know that in the covenant which God gave to the fathers, it is said that everyone who had perished should live by means of My death, which you have seen. And now you see that I live, whom you crucified. And I suffered many things, until I was laid in the tomb. But now, hear Me, and believe in My Father—God who is in Me. For I loosed the cords of death and broke the gates of Hades; and My coming will be hereafter.” And when my wife Procla and the Romans heard these things, they came and told me, weeping; for they were also against Him when they devised the evils which they had done to Him. So that I was also on the couch of my bed in affliction, and put on a garment of mourning, and took to myself fifty Romans with my wife and went into Galilee. And when I was going in the way, I testified these things: that Herod did these things by me, that he took counsel with me, and constrained me to arm my hands against Him, and to judge Him that judges all, and to scourge the Just One, Lord of the just. And when we drew near to Him, O Herod, a great voice was heard from Heaven, and dreadful thunder, and the earth trembled, and gave forth a sweet smell, like to which was never perceived even in the temple of Jerusalem. Now while I stood in the way, our Lord saw me as He stood and talked with His disciples. But I prayed in my heart, for I knew that it was He whom you delivered to me, that He was Lord of created things and Creator of all. But we, when we saw Him, all of us fell on our faces before His feet. And I said with a loud voice, “I have sinned, O Lord, in that I sat and judged You who avenges everyone in truth. And behold, I know that You are God, the Son of God, and I beheld Your humanity and not Your divinity. But Herod, with the children of Israel, constrained me to do evil to You. Therefore, have pity on me, O God of Israel!” And my wife, in great anguish, said, “God of heaven and of earth, God of Israel, do not reward me according to the deeds of Pontius Pilate, nor according to the will of the children of Israel, nor according to the thought of the sons of the priests; but remember my husband in Your glory!” Now our Lord drew near and raised up me, and my wife, and the Romans; and I looked at Him and saw there were on Him the scars of His cross. And He said, “That which all the righteous fathers hoped to receive and did not see—in your time the Lord of Time, the Son of Man, the Son of the Most High, who is forever, arose from the dead and is glorified on high by all that He created and established forever and ever.” End of the Letter of Pilate to Herod.
Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar: Greetings. Regarding Jesus Christ, whom I fully made known to you in my last [report], a bitter punishment has at length been inflicted by the will of the people, although I was unwilling and apprehensive. In good truth, no age ever had or will have a man so good and strict. But the people made a wonderful effort, and all their scribes, chiefs, and elders agreed to crucify this Ambassador of truth, their own prophets, like the sibyls with us, advising the contrary; and when He was hanged, supernatural signs appeared; and in the judgment of philosophers, menaced the whole world with ruin. His disciples flourish, not denying their Master by their behavior and temperance of life; indeed, in His Name they are most benevolent. Had I not feared a sedition might arise among the people, who were almost furious, perhaps this Man would have yet been living with us. Although, being rather compelled by fidelity to your dignity, than led by my own inclination, I did not strive with all my might to prevent the sale and suffering of righteous blood, guiltless of every accusation, unjustly, indeed, through the maliciousness of men, and yet, as the Writings interpret, to their own destruction. Farewell. The 5th of the Calends of April.