Pontius Pilate

===New Testament Apocrypha===
Beginning in the fourth century, a large body of Christian apocryphal texts developed concerning Pilate, making up one of the largest groups of surviving [[New Testament Apocrypha]].{{sfn|Hourihane|2009|p=25}} Originally, these texts served both to unburden Pilate of guilt for the death of Jesus as well as to provide more complete records of Jesus's trial.{{sfn|Demandt|2012|pp=93–94}} The apocryphal [[Gospel of Peter]] completely exonerates Pilate for the crucifixion, which is instead performed by [[Herod Antipas]].{{sfn|Koester|1980|p=126}} Moreover, the text makes explicit that while Pilate washes his hands of guilt, neither the Jews nor Herod do so.{{sfn|Hourihane|2009|p=26}} The Gospel includes a scene in which the centurions who had been guarding Jesus' tomb report to Pilate that Jesus has been resurrected.{{sfn|Koester|1980|pp=128–129}}

The fragmentary third-century [[Manichaean]] ''[[Gospel of Mani]]'' has Pilate refer to Jesus as "the Son of God" and telling his centurions to "[k]eep this secret".{{sfn|Hourihane|2009|p=27}}

In the most common version of the passion narrative in the apocryphal [[Gospel of Nicodemus]] (also called the ''Acts of Pilate''), Pilate is portrayed as forced to execute Jesus by the Jews and as distraught at having done so.{{sfn|Izydorczyk|1997|p=4}} One version claims to have been discovered and translated by a Jewish convert named Ananias, portraying itself as the official Jewish records of the crucifixion.{{sfn|Dilley|2010|pp=592–594}} Another claims that the records were made by Pilate himself, relying on reports made to him by Nicodemus and [[Joseph of Arimathea]].{{sfn|Izydorczyk|1997|p=6}} Some Eastern versions of the Gospel of Nicodemus claim that Pilate was born in Egypt, which likely aided his popularity there.{{sfn|Grüll|2010|p=168}} The Christian Pilate literature surrounding the Gospel of Nicodemus includes at least fifteen late antique and early medieval texts, called the "[[Pilate cycle]]", written and preserved in various languages and versions and dealing largely with Pontius Pilate.{{sfn|Izydorczyk|1997|pp=9–11, 419–519}} Two of these include purported reports made by Pilate to the emperor (the ''[[Anaphora Pilati]]'' to Emperor Tiberius and the [[Letter of Pilate to Claudius]] to [[Claudius]]) on the crucifixion, in which Pilate recounts Jesus' death and resurrection, blaming the Jews.{{sfn|Izydorczyk|1997|p=7}} Another purports to be an angry reply by Tiberius, condemning Pilate for his role in Jesus' death, the [[Letter of Tiberius to Pilate]].{{sfn|Izydorczyk|1997|p=7}} Another early text is an apocryphal [[Letter of Herod to Pilate|letter attributed to "Herod"]] (a composite character of the various Herods in the Bible), which claims to respond to a letter from Pilate in which Pilate spoke of his remorse for Jesus' crucifixion and of having had a vision of the risen Christ; "Herod" asks Pilate to pray for him.{{sfn|Carter|2003|pp=10–11}}

In the so-called ''[[Book of the Cock]]'', a late-antique apocryphal passion Gospel only preserved in [[Ge'ez]] (Ethiopic) but translated from Arabic,{{sfn|Piovanelli|2003|pp=427–428}} Pilate attempts to avoid Jesus's execution by sending him to Herod and writing further letters arguing with Herod not to execute Jesus. Pilate's family become Christians after Jesus miraculously cures Pilate's daughters of their deaf-muteness. Pilate is nevertheless forced to execute Jesus by the increasingly angry crowd, but Jesus tells Pilate that he does not hold him responsible.{{sfn|Piovanelli|2003|p=430}} This book enjoys "a quasi-canonical status" among Ethiopian Christians to this day and continues to be read beside the canonical gospels during [[Holy Week]].{{sfn|Piovanelli|2003|pp=433–434}}

====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&ndash;567}}
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