The Acts of Pilate

Prologue

I, Ananias, of the propraetor’s bodyguard, being learned in the law, knowing our Lord Jesus Christ from the Holy Scriptures, coming to Him by faith, and counted worthy of the holy baptism, having searched for the memorials written at that time of what was done in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the Jews had laid up in the time of Pontius Pilate, found these memorials written in Hebrew … All ye, therefore, who read them and copy them into other books, remember me, and pray for me, that God may be merciful to me, and pardon my sins which I have sinned against Him.

The Memorials

Having called a council, the high priests and scribes Annas and Caiaphas and Seines and Dathaes, and Gamaliel, Judas, Levi and Nephthalim, Alexander and Jairus, and the rest of the Jews, came to Pilate accusing Jesus about many things, saying: “We know this man to be the son of Joseph the carpenter, born of Mary; and he says that he is the Son of God, and a king; moreover, he profanes the Sabbath, and wishes to do away with the law of our fathers.”

Pilate says: “And what are the things which he does, to show that he wishes to do away with it?”

The Jews say: “We have a law not to cure any one on the Sabbath; but this man has on the Sabbath cured the lame and the crooked, the withered and the blind and the paralytic, the dumb and the demoniac, by evil practices.”

Pilate says to them: “What evil practices?”

They say to him: “He is a magician, and by Beelzebul prince of the demons he casts out the demons, and all are subject to him.”