Gospel of Nicodemus

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The Gospel of Nicodemus (EvNik) is an apocryphal Gospel of Passion with a rich history of impact up to the early modern period. In addition, the EvNik exerted considerable influence on medieval art and literature. It is dated around 310-320 or the middle of the 4th century. The first part is also known as the " Pilate Acts " ( Latin Acta Pilati).

The writing consists of three parts: 1. Depiction of the process and the crucifixion of Jesus (Pilate files) 2. Capture and liberation of Joseph of Arimathäa , 3. Descent of Christ into the underworld (Latin: Descensus Christi ad inferos ). The term "Nicodemus Gospel" refers to the fictitious information about the tradition at the beginning of the scriptures. There the text is output as a translation into Greek ; "Ananias" is named as translator, who is said to have been a Roman imperial bodyguard with the rank of officer and based on a Hebrew text that came from Nicodemus . According to the testimony of the Gospel of John, he was present at the crucifixion of Jesus.

The Pilate files should not be confused with the alleged letter from the governor Pilate to Emperor Tiberius , which reports on Jesus' miracles.

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Part 1: Process and Crucifixion of Jesus

The “Pilate Acts” (Chapters I-XI) contain embellishments about the process, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus with the clear tendency to exonerate the figure of Pilate from responsibility for the death of Jesus at the expense of the Jewish leadership of the Sanhedrin . Jewish synagogue rulers and priests testify to the resurrection in a detailed resurrection report.

In the prologue, the crucifixion is dated in the 19th year of Tiberius' reign, on the 8th day before the calendar of April, March 25th.

The legends popular in the Middle Ages of the handkerchief of Veronica and the soldier Longinus , who stabbed Jesus in the side with a spear (cf. Jn 19.34  EU ) and later turned to the Christian faith, go back to the Pilate files . The two thieves who were crucified with Jesus also get their traditional names Gestas and Dysmas here . Jesus promises paradise to the latter (9.4).

Part 2: Capture and Liberation of Joseph from Arimathea

Joseph of Arimathäa's fate (chap. XII – XVI), who, according to the canonical Gospels, buried the body of Jesus in his own tomb, is described in detail and set in parallel with the passing of Jesus: Events in Galilee and Judea form a framework around the plot in Jerusalem, where, because of the overwhelming burden of witnesses, the members of the high council are slowly rethinking .

The high council first has Joseph arrested and locked up. On the Sabbath the council wants to sit in judgment on him. His prison is found empty, however, causing fear and consternation. The council no longer dares to approach the "twelve witnesses" who are also imprisoned (XII, 2). The guards who guarded the tomb of Jesus at the request of the Jews report to the high council that there was an earthquake, an angel came down from heaven, encouraged the women at the tomb and spoke of the resurrection of Jesus (XIII, 1; cf. Mt 28: 5-7). An interrogation that the council conducts with the guards develops into an argument. The guards eventually testify to Jesus' resurrection twice, but encounter disbelief. Fearing public riot, the Jews bribe the soldiers to testify that the disciples stole Jesus that night (XIII, 3). The hard attitude of the council is shaken in the 14th chapter by witnesses who come from Galilee and report that they saw Jesus with his disciples and also his ascension on their way from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are sworn to secrecy and sent back (XIV, 2). The council, impressed by Nicodemus' speech and the report that Joseph of Arimathea had been seen alive, wrote a repentant letter to Joseph asking him to come to Jerusalem (XV, 2). Its entry into the city was a triumph, it was cheered by the people. His admission to the Council, on the other hand, is unfriendly and (still) characterized by skepticism. Joseph has to tell how he escaped from prison (XV, 5). He tells how he was delivered by the risen Jesus (XV, 6). At the center of the sixteenth chapter is the repentance of the Jews in Jerusalem. The resurrection of Christ is accepted as real. The people respond to the corresponding pronouncements of the High Council with a hymn of praise to God (XVI, 8).

Part 3: Christ's Descent into the Underworld

Chapters XVII – XXVII form a supplement that was probably written in Latin in the 6th century and describes the descent of Christ into the underworld (Latin: Descensus ad inferos ) and from the underworld as a place where the souls of the righteous since Adam reported (see Limbus patrum ).

Tradition and literary character

The framework narrative or the legend of the "Acta Pilati" dates back to the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Theodosius II (September 1, 425 - September 1, 426). There is no evidence of the existence of the original Hebrew text, which the author Ananias claims to have translated into Greek, so that the contents are considered a legend. There are translations of the “Acta Pilati” in Latin, Coptic, Syrian, Armenian and Old Slavic languages.

Further historical references to the Pilate files are speculative. One of the apologists of the 2nd century, Justin the Martyr , refers twice in his 1st Apology (chapters 35 and 48) to acts of the trial of Jesus before the Roman governor of the province of Judea, Pontius Pilate:

"You can see that he really did that from the files prepared under Pontius Pilate."

- 1st Apology, 48.3

Due to the context of Justin, who refers to tables of the census under Quirinus that have not yet been proven (1st Apology, 34.2), his information on the "files" is also considered to be historically unreliable.

The textual contents of the Pilate files themselves speak against their credibility. So z. B. claims:

"When Jesus was brought before Pilate, the imperial images on the standards bowed and paid homage to him."

It is, however, one of the established historical facts that the images which crowned the Roman standards, out of consideration for Jews and because of the status of Jerusalem as a holy city, remained outside the city walls when the associations to which they belonged moved into the city . This state of affairs did not change until the year 70. Even after Flavius ​​Josephus (Bellum judaicum II 169–174; Antiquitates XVIII 55–59), Pilate got into trouble when he insisted on putting the standard with the image of the emperor through the city walls Bring inner city. Pilate therefore had to give in to the indignation of the Jewish people. The author of the Pilate files evidently had no knowledge of these historical connections.

According to a hypothesis on the origin of the text that is ultimately uncertain according to the current state of research, it could originally have been two separate texts, the first of which would have included parts 1 and 2. The text of the Pilate files underwent many adaptations and additions up to the late Middle Ages. A Middle English version reports how Joseph of Arimathea brought the Holy Grail to England after the crucifixion and hid it there.

The font was also very well received in art history. Many medieval images go back to reports from the Pilate files. Contemporary literature and film also took up the material.

The edition of the Greek and Latin texts by Konstantin von Tischendorf in his Evangelia Apocrypha is authoritative to this day .

literature

expenditure

Secondary literature

Fiction

  • Lloyd C. Douglas: The Savior's Robe. Novel . Publisher Heidi Kraus, Hofheim / T. 1992

Web links

Remarks

  1. ^ Christiane Furrer: La Passion dans les Acta Pilati , in: Tobias Nicklas u. a. (Ed.): Suffered. Died. Risen. Passion and Easter traditions in ancient Christianity , WUNT II (273), Tübingen 2010, p. 70.
  2. ↑ George Reid: Acta Pilati . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York 1922
  3. ^ Zbigniew Izydorczyk (Ed.): The Medieval Gospel of Nicodemus. Texts, Intertexts, and Contexts in Western Europe . (= Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies 158), Tempe / Arizona 1997, pp. 215–217 and Jörg Röder:  Evangelium nach Nicodemus. In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (eds.): The scientific biblical dictionary on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2006 ff.
  4. ↑ A. Masser, M. Siller (ed.): The gospel Nicodemi in late medieval prose . Heidelberg 1987, p. 10.