Pontius Pilate Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ====Pilate's death in the apocrypha==== {{anchor|Mors Pilati}} Seven of the Pilate texts mention Pilate's fate after the crucifixion: in three, he becomes a very positive figure, while in four he is presented as diabolically evil.{{sfn|Grüll|2010|pp=159–160}} A fifth-century [[Syriac language|Syriac]] version of the ''Acts of Pilate'' explains Pilate's conversion as occurring after he has blamed the Jews for Jesus' death in front of Tiberius; prior to his execution, Pilate prays to God and converts, thereby becoming a Christian martyr.{{sfn|Grüll|2010|pp=166–167}} In the Greek ''[[Paradosis Pilati]]'' (5th century),{{sfn|Izydorczyk|1997|p=7}} Pilate is arrested for the crime of executing Jesus, although he has since converted to be a follower of Christ.{{sfn|Grüll|2010|p=167}} His beheading is accompanied by a voice from heaven calling him blessed and saying he will be with Jesus at the [[Second Coming]].{{sfn|Burke|2018|p=266}} The ''Evangelium Gamalielis'', possibly of medieval origin and preserved in Arabic, Coptic, and [[Ge'ez]],{{sfn|Grüll|2010|p=160}} says Jesus was crucified by Herod, whereas Pilate was a true believer in Christ who was martyred for his faith; similarly, the ''Martyrium Pilati'', possibly medieval and preserved in Arabic, Coptic, and Ge'ez,{{sfn|Grüll|2010|p=160}} portrays Pilate, as well as his wife and two children, as being crucified twice, once by the Jews and once by Tiberius, for his faith.{{sfn|Grüll|2010|p=167}} In addition to the report on Pilate's suicide in Eusebius, Grüll notes three Western apocryphal traditions about Pilate's suicide. In the ''[[Cura sanitatis Tiberii]]'' (dated variously 5th to 7th century),{{sfn|Gounelle|2011|p=233}} the emperor Tiberius is healed by an image of Jesus brought by [[Saint Veronica]], [[Saint Peter]] then confirms Pilate's report on Jesus's miracles, and Pilate is exiled by the emperor [[Nero]], after which he commits suicide.{{sfn|Grüll|2010|p=162}} A similar narrative plays out in the ''[[Vindicta Salvatoris]]'' (8th century).{{sfn|Grüll|2010|p=162}}{{sfn|Gounelle|2011|pp=243–244}} In the ''[[Mors Pilati]]'' (perhaps originally 6th century, but recorded {{circa|1300 CE}}),{{sfn|Hourihane|2009|p=36}} Pilate was forced to commit suicide and his body thrown in the Tiber. However, the body is surrounded by demons and storms, so that it is removed from the Tiber and instead cast into the Rhone, where the same thing happens. Finally, the corpse is taken to [[Lausanne]] in modern Switzerland and buried in an isolated lake (perhaps [[Lake Lucerne]]), where demonic visitations continue to occur.{{sfn|Grüll|2010|pp=162–163}}{{sfn|Ehrman|Pleše|2011|p=559–567}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page