A newly deciphered Egyptian text, dating back almost 1,200 years, tells part of the crucifixion story of Jesus with apocryphal plot twists, some of which have never been seen before.
Written in the Coptic language, the ancient text tells of Pontius Pilate,
the judge who authorized Jesus' crucifixion, having dinner with Jesus
before his crucifixion and offering to sacrifice his own son in the
place of Jesus. It also explains why Judas used a kiss, specifically, to
betray Jesus — because Jesus had the ability to change shape, according
to the text — and it puts the day of the arrest of Jesus on Tuesday evening rather than Thursday evening, something that contravenes the Easter timeline.
The discovery of the text doesn't mean these events happened, but
rather that some people living at the time appear to have believed in
them, said Roelof van den Broek,
of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, who published the translation
in the book "Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem on the Life and the Passion of Christ"(Brill, 2013).
Copies of the text are found in two manuscripts, one in the Morgan
Library and Museum in New York City and the other at the Museum of the
University of Pennsylvania. Most of the translation comes from the New
York text, because the relevant text in the Pennsylvania manuscript is
mostly illegible. [Image Gallery: 2 Ancient Curses Deciphered]
--Pontius Pilate has dinner with Jesus
While apocryphal stories about Pilate are known from ancient times, van den Broek
wrote in an email to LiveScience that he has never seen this one
before, with Pilate offering to sacrifice his own son in the place of
Jesus.
"Without further ado, Pilate prepared a table and he ate with Jesus on the fifth day of the week. And Jesus blessed Pilate
and his whole house," reads part of the text in translation. Pilate
later tells Jesus, "well then, behold, the night has come, rise and
withdraw, and when the morning comes and they accuse me because of you, I
shall give them the only son I have so that they can kill him in your
place."
In the text, Jesus comforts him, saying, "Oh Pilate, you have been
deemed worthy of a great grace because you have shown a good disposition
to me." Jesus also showed Pilate that he can escape if he chose to.
"Pilate, then, looked at Jesus and, behold, he became incorporeal: He
did not see him for a long time ..." the text read.
Pilate and his wife both have visions that night that show an eagle (representing Jesus) being killed.
In the Coptic and Ethiopian churches, Pilate is regarded as a saint,
which explains the sympathetic portrayal in the text, van den Broek
writes.
--The reason for Judas using a kiss
In the canonical bible the apostle Judas betrays Jesus in exchange for
money by using a kiss to identify him leading to Jesus' arrest. This
apocryphal tale explains that the reason Judas used a kiss,
specifically, is because Jesus had the ability to change shape.
"Then the Jews said to Judas: How shall we arrest him [Jesus], for he
does not have a single shape but his appearance changes. Sometimes he is
ruddy, sometimes he is white, sometimes he is red, sometimes he is
wheat coloured, sometimes he is pallid like ascetics, sometimes he is a
youth, sometimes an old man ..." This leads Judas to suggest using a
kiss as a means to identify him. If Judas had given the arresters a
description of Jesus he could have changed shape. By kissing Jesus Judas tells the people exactly who he is.
This understanding of Judas' kiss goes way back. "This explanation of
Judas' kiss is first found in Origen [a theologian who lived A.D.
185-254]," van den Broek writes. In his work, Contra Celsum the ancient writerOrigen, stated that "to those who saw him [Jesus] he did not appear alike to all."
--St. Cyril impersonation
The text is written in the name of St. Cyril of Jerusalem who lived
during the fourth century. In the story Cyril tells the Easter story as
part of a homily (a type of sermon). A number of texts in ancient times
claim to be homilies by St. Cyril and they were probably not given by
the saint in real life, van den Broek explained in his book.
Near the beginning of the text, Cyril, or the person writing in his
name, claims that a book has been found in Jerusalem showing the
writings of the apostles on the life and crucifixion of Jesus.
"Listen to me, oh my honored children, and let me tell you something of
what we found written in the house of Mary ..." reads part of the text.
Again, it's unlikely that such a book was found in real life. Van den
Broek said that a claim like this would have been used by the writer "to
enhance the credibility of the peculiar views and uncanonical facts he
is about to present by ascribing them to an apostolic source," adding
that examples of this plot device can be found "frequently" in Coptic
literature.
--Arrest on Tuesday
Van den Broek says that he is surprised that the writer of the text moved the date of Jesus' Last Supper,
with the apostles, and arrest to Tuesday. In fact, in this text, Jesus'
actual Last Supper appears to be with Pontius Pilate. In between his
arrest and supper with Pilate, he is brought before Caiaphas and Herod.
In the canonical texts, the last supper and arrest of Jesus happens on Thursday evening and present-day Christians
mark this event with Maundy Thursday services. It "remains remarkable
that Pseudo-Cyril relates the story of Jesus' arrest on Tuesday evening
as if the canonical story about his arrest on Thursday evening (which
was commemorated each year in the services of Holy Week) did not exist!"
writes van den Broek in the email.
--A gift to a monastery ... and then to New York
About 1,200 years ago the New York text was in the library of the
Monastery of St. Michael in the Egyptian desert near present-day
al-Hamuli in the western part of the Faiyum. The text says, in
translation, that it was a gift from "archpriest Father Paul," who, "has
provided for this book by his own labors."
The monastery appears to have ceased operations around the early 10th
century, and the text was rediscovered in the spring of 1910. In
December 1911, it was purchased, along with other texts, by American
financier J.P. Morgan. His collections would later be given to the
public and are part of the present-day Morgan Library and Museum in New
York City. The manuscript is currently displayed as part of the museum's
exhibition "Treasures from the Vault" running through May 5.
--Who believed it?
Van den Broek writes in the email that "in Egypt, the Bible had already
become canonized in the fourth/fifth century, but apocryphal stories
and books remained popular among the Egyptian Christians, especially
among monks."
Whereas the people of the monastery would have believed the newly
translated text, "in particular the more simple monks," he's not
convinced that the writer of the text believed everything he was writing
down, van den Broek said.
"I find it difficult to believe that he really did, but some details,
for instance the meal with Jesus, he may have believed to have really
happened," van den Broek writes. "The people of that time, even if they
were well-educated, did not have a critical historical attitude.
Miracles were quite possible, and why should an old story not be true?"
Posts
