Gospel of Peter (Akhmim fragment)

Contents

1. 0The title of the fragment.
2. 1Unlike Pilate, neither the Jews nor Herod and his judges wash their hands.
3. 2Herod orders the Lord to be taken away for execution.
4. 3Joseph asks Pilate for the Lord's body, and Pilate asks Herod for it.
5. 5Herod answers that they would bury him anyway because of the law and the coming sabbath.
6. 6The people drag the Lord off, mock him with purple and seat him on the judgement seat.
7. 8One of them crowns the Lord with thorns.
8. 9They spit on, strike, pierce and scourge the Lord in mockery.
9. 10The Lord is crucified between two criminals, keeps silent, and his garments are divided.
10. 13One criminal defends the Lord, and in anger they order that his legs not be broken so that he die in torment.
11. 15Darkness falls at noon and the Jews fear the sun has set while he still lives.
12. 16They give the Lord gall with vinegar and so complete their sins.
13. 18In the darkness many go about with lamps and stumble.
14. 19The Lord cries out to his power, is taken up, and the temple veil is torn.
15. 21The nails are drawn out, the Lord is laid on the ground, and the earth shakes.
16. 22The sun shines again at the ninth hour, and the Jews give the body to Joseph.
17. 24Joseph washes, wraps and buries the Lord in his own tomb.
18. 25The Jewish leaders lament their sin and the coming judgement on Jerusalem.
19. 26Peter and his companions hide in grief, sought as would-be temple burners.
20. 27The disciples fast and mourn until the sabbath.
21. 28Alarmed by the people's reaction, the leaders go to Pilate.
22. 30The elders ask Pilate for soldiers to guard the tomb for three days.
23. 31Pilate assigns the centurion Petronius and soldiers to guard the tomb.
24. 32They roll a great stone to the tomb, seal it with seven seals and keep watch.
25. 34A crowd comes on the sabbath morning to see the sealed tomb.
26. 35On the night before the Lord's day a loud voice sounds from heaven.
27. 36Two radiant men descend from the opened heavens to the tomb.
28. 37The stone rolls away by itself and the two young men enter the tomb.
29. 38The soldiers wake the centurion and the elders.
30. 39The guards see three men come out of the tomb, two supporting one, followed by a cross.
31. 40The giant figures emerge, a heavenly voice asks whether he has preached to the sleeping, the cross answers 'Yes', and the guards resolve to tell Pilate.
32. 44The heavens open again and a man descends into the tomb.
33. 45The centurion reports to Pilate and confesses that he was the Son of God.
34. 46Pilate declares himself innocent of the blood of the Son of God.
35. 47The leaders beg Pilate to silence the guards.
36. 48Fearing the people, the leaders prefer sin before God, and Pilate orders the guards to keep silent.
37. 50At dawn on Sunday Mary Magdalene and her friends come to the tomb to mourn.
38. 52The women resolve to mourn at the tomb though they fear the Jews.
39. 53The women wonder who will roll away the stone.
40. 54The women plan to leave their offerings at the door if they cannot enter.
41. 55The women find the tomb open and a young man in shining clothes sitting inside.
42. 56The young man tells the women that the crucified one has risen and gone back to where he was sent, and they flee in fear.
43. 58At the end of the feast many people return home.
44. 59The twelve disciples grieve and go home.
45. 60Peter, Andrew and Levi go back to fishing, where the fragment breaks off.