Pontius Pilate’s Letter to Tiberius about Jesus

YouTube offered a strange video for my viewing pleasure, yesterday. It comes from a series of videos which are verbatim recitations of chapters from a book called “Archko Volume”.

But, is the Acta Pilate real or fake?

According to one website, the answer is that it is fraudulent. But then, a couple of things occurred to me overnight. One: how did the writers of the Gospels know exactly what Jesus said? And, two, who were the true authors of those books? I’ve wondered these things before, but now they’re coming into clearer focus.

I surmised, many years ago, that Jesus must have resurrected and related the events of that holy week from his perspective to the Apostles. This could only be the case since the disciples fell asleep during the deeply disturbing discussions Jesus had with his Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, and they were not present at his trial before Pilate.

I have also entertained the idea that two Jewish men who became Roman citizens could have created Jesus’ story as a ‘parody’ to amuse the new emperor’s family and friends. This was done to suggest that Titus was actually the reincarnation of Jesus and that the destruction of Jerusalem was his revenge on them for Jesus’ crucifixion. In other words, the Second Coming of Christ.

Now a third idea has presented itself. I hinted previously that Tiberius Julius Alexander had access to Pontius Pilate‘s records after following in his role as Prefect in Jerusalem by 15 years. That may have included copies of his letters. What if he found Pilate’s daily journals and started to see the Greatest Story Ever Told developing? Because both Josephus and Alexander were raised in the Jewish faith, they would have known the scriptures, chapter and verse, that predicted the coming of a Messiah. Yes, that would make a great tale about a Son of Man who conquered the world.

Little did they know what would take place later.

The exact English quotations in Pilate’s letter makes it seem unlikely that this was written by Pilate or even his secretary. It’s assertion that Pilate was in thrall to Jesus is in contrast to psychic descriptions of what Pilate was ‘really’ like. If anything, the idea that this letter was ‘found’ in Italy, reminds me that no one even knows where Pilate died and was buried, let alone where his letters might have been hiding. Fake news can be backdated to give it providence, but my gut says, “No way!”

According to these publications, which have reproduced massively throughout dozens of websites, “this exciting manuscript regarding the decision to crucify Jesus Christ remained completely unknown until 1309 A.D., until it was found in the well-known earthquake city of L’Aquila in Central Italy (near which was discovered the ancient Roman town of Amiterno, where they found the home of Pontius Pilate).”

They go on to say: “In 1381 it was brought to Constantinople in the days of Patriarch Jeremiah. It was translated by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Dionysios in the year 1643.”

Orthodox Christianity Then and Now (May 1, 2013)

EOL