Customer Reviews

The Acts of Pilate

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It is too bad that the Reverend W.D. Mahan really did not shelter a Mr Whydaman in the winter of 1856 who really had seen the documents found in Mahan's book. It would be wonderful to read an authentic interview of the Three Shepherds. It would be wonderful to read an authentic report of Pontius Pilate to Caesar. And it would be wonderful to read the report of Caiaphas concerning the execution of Jesus... if these documents were authentic.

_The Acts of Pilate_ begins with transcripts of letters between Mahan and Whydaman wherein Mahan pretends to procure transcripts of copies from the Vatican. Mahan did his homework fairly well. He includes some authentic details. However there are some flaws as noted by Edgar John Goodspeed in _Strange New Gospels_ (pub 1931).

This book is a notorious fraud from the 19th century.

It pretends to be contemporary accounts of the death etc of Jesus. Actually they're all bogus. The editor expanded this book into the 'Archko' volume, but was caught because he created some of his 'ancient' documents by copying verbatim from the novel 'Ben Hur'.

The motive appears to have been money, and the intended victims rural Christians with no way to check his claims.

Full details are available in E.J.Goodspeed's "Strange New Gospels", which is online. In the late 19th century a fair few people had a go at making money this way, targetting different groups. Mahan's effort is the only one still circulating, but Goodspeed details a collection of them.

This really isn't a book from an author's particular point of view. It is a compilation of eye witness accounts of contemporaries of Jesus translated into English from the original languages. It contains accounts from friends and family of Jesus, Jewish religious people and Roman government authorities. I believe this book to be very reliable.

These ancient documents, preserved for hundreds of years in their original language deep within the Vatican, corroborate the Biblical accounts of Jesus' trial, crucifiction, and resurrection.

Some of the writings are straightforward reports of the period, like Josephus' writings. The author takes enormoous pains to establish their authenticity in traceable steps as well as his credentials for finding and publishing these documents.

Some of the accounts are truly astonishing. Pilate wrote a full description of the "Jesus issue" to Ceaser. He describes how he wept at the sight of bent and broken Joseph of Arimethia ascending Pilate's steps, stained with the blood of Jesus, asking for the dead body of his friend and Lord.

Caiaphas gives two accounts of his actions to the Sanhedrin. In the latter, he describes himself locked in his bedroom, studying the scriptures for prophecies concerning the Messiah. Suddenly, the resurrected Jesus appears before him and offers him salvation if he would but believe in the risen son of God. Caiaphas is convicted and forlorn. He resigns his position as high priest, unable to perform its functions with honor and integrity. Was he saved at the last?

Pilate writes to Ceaser that he had dispatched 100 Roman soldiers to stand guard over Jesus' tomb. "The very event they were supposed to prevent," he said, "they became witnesses to." What a profound illustration!

These accounts are compelling, believable,and illuminating of the Biblical accounts. The book is fun and edifying to read.