I have in my possession a copy of the letter written by Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar, Emperor of Rome.
This Historic letter written by Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar Letter is from the “Archko Volume” containing manuscripts, in Constantinople, and the Records of the Senatorial Docket, taken from the Library at Rome, Translated by Drs. McIntosh and Twyman of the Antiquerian Lodge, Genoa, Italy. This has been checked and is in accord with the copy of the original lodged in the British Museum, which has verified the accuracy of the transcription. Verified in November, 1935.
Historic Letter Resurrected Pilate’s lengthy letter to Tiberius Caesar—Discusses at length the arrest, the trial and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
TIBERIUS CAESAR-EMPEROR OF ROME-NOBLE SOVEREIGN GREETING:
The events of the last few days in my providence have been of such a character that I will give the details in full as they occurred, as I should not be surprised if, in the course of, time, they may change the destiny of our nation, for it seems of late that all the gods have ceased to be propitious.
I am almost ready to say, Cursed be the day that I succeeded Vallerius Falceus in the government of Judea; for since then my life has been one of continual uneasiness and distress.
On my arrival at Jerusalem I took possession of the Praetorium, and ordered a splendid feast to be prepared, to which I invited the Tetrarch of Galilee, with the high priest and his officers. At the appointed hour no guest appeared. This I considered an insult offered my dignity, and the whole government which I represent. A few days later, the high priest designed to pay me a visit.
Before we go on with the account, here is an article that claims that it is a hoax. We don’t know if it is or not, but for balance sake, we post this first, before the letter goes on. Even if it is fiction, it is very good fiction and inspiring to read. ENJOY Either way!
The Fraudulent Letter of Pontius Pilate
Menas Papageorgios
April 29, 2013
What is the truth behind the “news” of the alleged letter of Pilate about Jesus?
In the last 24 hours, presumably due to the coming of Easter Day, Greek news and information sites have spread the “news” of “the manuscript proof of the decision of Pontius Pilate regarding Jesus”.
According to these publications, which have reproduced massively throughout dozens of websites, “this exciting manuscript regarding the decision to crucify Jesus Christ remained completely unknown until 1309 A.D., until it was found in the well-known earthquake city of L’Aquila in Central Italy (near which was discovered the ancient Roman town of Amiterno, where they found the home of Pontius Pilate).”
They go on to say: “In 1381 it was brought to Constantinople in the days of Patriarch Jeremiah. It was translated by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Dionysios in the year 1643.”
The Truth
In fact news about the above letter is “old news”, appearing at times even in different variations and bears no relations to current events. The most important thing is that the text above is not associated even with historical reality.
In 1928, British journalist William Percival Crozier (1879-1944) issued the “Letters of Pontius Pilate: Written During His Governorship of Judea to His Friend Seneca in Rome”, presenting a fantastic novel (fiction) on the idea of what could have been written by Pilate regarding Jesus, based on the facts described in the Gospels. He notes that the first to make reference to an “invisible” letter of Pilate regarding Jesus was the Christian apologist Tertullian in the 3rd century A.D. (obviously based on the references made in the apocryphal work “Acts of Peter and Paul”).
It is worth mentioning that internet users seeking answers regarding the reliability of the text of Pilate about Jesus, contacted the Library of Congress in the U.S., from whom they received the following answer:
The Library of Congress has received a number of inquiries over the years about a purported letter from Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar concerning Jesus Christ. The Library does not have such a letter in its collections.
To restore the historical truth, we must mention that Pontius Pilate was a historical person who even had correspondence with the Roman orator Seneca. In the letters of Pilate to Seneca (available to historians) there is no mention of Jesus.
Translated by John Sanidopoulos
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CONTINUED LETTER OF PONTIUS PILATE
His deportment was grave and deceitful. He pretended that his religion forbade him and his attendants to sit at the table of the Romans, and eat and offer libations with them, but this was only a sanctimonious seeming, for his very countenance betrayed his hypocrisy.
Although I thought it expedient to accept his excuse, from that moment I was convinced that the conquered had declared themselves the enemy of the conquerors; and I would warn the Romans to beware of the high Priests of this country. They would betray their own mother to gain office and a luxurious living. It seems to me that, of conquered cities, Jerusalem is the most difficult to govern.
So turbulent are the people that I live in momentary dread of an insurrection. I have not soldiers sufficient to suppress it. I had only one centurion and a hundred men at my command. I requested a reinforcement from the perfect of Syria, who informed me that he had scarcely troops sufficient to defend his own province. An insatiate thirst for conquest to extend our empire beyond the means of defending it, I fear, will be the cause of the final overthrow of our whole government. I lived secluded from the masses, for I do not know what those priests might influence the rabble to do; yet I endeavored to ascertain, as far as I could, the mind and standing of the people. Continue reading “Historic Letter written by Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar About Jesus Life Events – Truth or Fiction?” →