Gospel of Nicodemus

The Gospel of Nicodemus, including the Acts of Pilate (Latin: Acta Pilati; Greek: Πράξεις Πιλάτου) is an apocryphal gospel claimed to have been derived from an original Hebrew work written by Nicodemus, who appears in the Gospel of John as an associate of Jesus. The title The Gospel of Nicodemus is mediaeval in origin. The dates of its accreted sections are uncertain, but scholars agree in assigning the resulting work to the middle of the fourth century AD.

The section about Pilate is an older text found in the Greek Acts of Peter and Paul and is a purported official document from Pontius Pilate (or composed from reports at the praetorium at Jerusalem) reporting events in Judea to Emperor Tiberius, and referring to the crucifixion of Jesus, as well as his miracles.

History and authenticity

The oldest sections of the book appear first in Greek. The text contains multiple parts, which are uneven in style and would seem to be by different hands. The Acts of Pilate does not purport to have been written by Pilate (thus is not pseudepigraphical), but does claim to have been derived from the official acts preserved in the praetorium at Jerusalem.