The Gospel of Kepha
1 But of the Yahudim none washed his hands, neither Herod nor one of his judges. And since they did not desire to wash, Pilate stood up. 2 And then Herod the king orders Adonai to be taken away, having said to them, ‘What I ordered you to do, do.’
3 But Yoceph, the friend of Pilate and of Adonai, had been standing there; and knowing they were about to crucify him, he came before Pilate and requested the body of Adonai for burial. 4 And Pilate, having sent to Herod, requested his body. 5 And Herod said: ‘Brother Pilate, even if no one had requested him, we would have buried him, since indeed Sabbath is dawning. For in the Law, it has been written: The sun is not to set on one put to death.’
And he gave him over to the people before the first day of their feast of the Unleavened Bread. 6 But having taken Adonai, running, they were pushing him and saying, ‘Let us drag along the Son of Elohiym now that we have power over him.’ 7 And they clothed him with purple and sat him on a chair of judgment, saying: ‘Judge justly, King of Yashar’el.’ 8 And a certain one of them, having brought a thorny crown, put it on the head of Adonai. 9 And others who were standing there were spitting in his face, and others slapped his cheeks. Others were jabbing him with a reed; and some scourged him, saying, ‘With such honor let us honor the Son of Elohiym.’
10 And they brought two wrongdoers and crucified Adonai in the middle of them. But he was silent as having no pain. 11 And when they had set the cross upright, they inscribed that THIS IS THE KING OF YASHAR’EL. 12 And having put his garments before him, they divided them up and threw as a gamble for them. 13 But a certain one of those wrongdoers reviled them, saying: ‘We have been made suffer thus because of the wrong that we have done; but this one, having become Savior of men, what injustice had he done to you?’ 14 And having become irritated at him, they ordered that there be no leg-breaking, so that he might die tormented.
15 But it was midday, and darkness held fast all Yehudah; and they were distressed and anxious lest the sun had set, since he was still living. For it is written for them: Let not the sun set on one put to death. 16 And someone of them said: ‘Give him to drink gall with vinegary wine.’ And having made a mixture, they gave to drink. 17 And they fulfilled all things and completed the sins on their own head. 18 But many went around with lamps, thinking that it was night, and they fell. 19 And Adonai screamed out, saying: ‘My power, O power, you have forsaken me.’ And having said this, he was taken up.
20 And at the same hour the veil of the Yerushalayim sanctuary was torn into two. 21 And they drew out the nails from the hands of Adonai and placed him on the earth; and all the earth was shaken, and a great fear came about. 22 Then the sun shone, and it was found to be the ninth hour. 23 And the Yahudim rejoiced and gave his body to Yoceph that he might bury it, since he was one who had seen the many good things, he did. 24 And having taken Adonai, he washed and tied him with a linen cloth and brought him into his own sepulcher, called the Garden of Yoceph.
25 Then the Yahudim and the elders and the priests, having come to know how much wrong they had done themselves, began to beat themselves and say: ‘Woe to our sins. The judgment has approached and the end of Yerushalayim.’ 26 But I with the companions was sorrowful; and having been wounded in spirit, we were in hiding, for we were sought after by them as wrongdoers and as wishing to set fire to the sanctuary. 27 In addition to all these things we were fasting; and we were sitting mourning and weeping night and day until the Sabbath.
28 But the scribes and Pharisees and elders, having gathered together with one another, having heard that all the people were murmuring and beating their breasts, saying that ‘If at his death these very great signs happened, behold how just he was,’ 29 feared (especially the elders) and came before Pilate, begging him and saying, 30 ‘Give over soldiers to us in order that we may safeguard his burial place for three days, lest, having come, his disciples steal him, and the people accept that he is risen from the death, and they do us wrong.’ 31 But Pilate gave over to them Petronius the centurion with soldiers to safeguard the sepulcher. And with these the elders and scribes came to the burial place. 32 And having rolled a large stone, all who were there, together with the centurion and the soldiers, placed it against the door of the burial place. 33 And they marked it with seven wax seals; and having pitched a tent there, they safeguarded it. 34 But early when the Sabbath was dawning, a crowd came from Yerushalayim and the surrounding area in order that they might see the sealed tomb.
35 But in the night in which Adonai’s day dawned, when the soldiers were safeguarding it two by two in every watch, there was a loud voice in heaven; 36 and they saw that the heavens were opened and that two males who had much radiance had come down from there and come near the sepulcher. 37 But that stone which had been thrust against the door, having rolled by itself, went a distance off the side; and the sepulcher opened, and both the young men entered. 38 And so those soldiers, having seen, awakened the centurion and the elders (for they too were present, safeguarding). 39 And while they were relating what they had seen, again they see three males who have come out from thy sepulcher, with the two supporting the other one, and a cross following them, 40 and the head of the two reaching unto heaven, but that of the one being led out by a hand by them going beyond the heavens. 41 And they were hearing a voice from the heavens saying, ‘Have you made proclamation to the fallen-asleep?’ 42 And an obeisance was heard from the cross, ‘Yes.’
43 And so those people were seeking a common perspective to go off and make these things clear to Pilate; 44 and while they were still considering it through, there appear again the opened heavens and a certain man having come down and entered into the burial place. 45 Having seen these things, those around the centurion hastened at night before Pilate (having left the sepulcher which they were safeguarding) and described all the things that they indeed had seen, agonizing greatly and saying: ‘Truly he was the Son of Elohiym.’
46 In answer Pilate said: ‘I am clean of the blood of the Son of Elohiym, but it was to you that this seemed [the thing to do].’
47 Then all, having come forward, were begging and exhorting him to command the centurion and the soldiers to say to no one what they had seen.
48 ‘For,’ they said, ‘it is better for us to owe the debt of the greatest sin in the sight of Elohiym than to fall into the hands of the Yehudim people and be stoned.’ 49 And so Pilate ordered the centurion and the soldiers to say nothing.
50 Now at the dawn of Adonai ’s Day Mariyam Magdalene, a female disciple of Adonai (who, afraid because of the Yahudim since they were inflamed with anger, had not done at the tomb of Adonai what women were accustomed to do for the dead beloved by them), 51 having taken with her women friends, came to the tomb where he had been placed. 52 And they were afraid lest the Yahudim should see them and were saying, ‘If indeed on that day on which he was crucified we could not weep and beat ourselves, yet now at his tomb we may do these things. 53 But who will roll away for us even the stone placed against the door of the tomb in order that, having entered, we may sit beside him and do the expected things? 54 For the stone was large, and we were afraid lest anyone see us. And if we are unable, let is throw against the door what we bring in memory of him; let us weep and beat ourselves until we come to our homes.’
55 And having gone off, they found the sepulcher opened. And having come forward, they bent down there and saw there a certain young man seated in the middle of the sepulcher, comely and clothed with a splendid robe, who said to them: 56 ‘Why have you come? Whom do you seek? Not that one who was crucified? He is risen and gone away. But if you do not believe, bend down and see the place where he lay, because he is not here. For he is risen and gone away to there whence he was sent.’ 57 Then the women fled frightened.
58 Now it was the final day of the Unleavened Bread; and many went out returning to their home since the feast was over. 59 But we twelve disciples of Adonai were weeping and sorrowful; and each one, sorrowful because of what had come to pass, departed to his home. 60 But I, Shimon Kepha, and my brother Andrew, having taken our nets, went off to the sea. And there was with us Leviy of Alphaeus whom Adonai…
