One might think that the tradition that goes back to the Gospel of Peter was known to the fierce critic of Christianity, Celsus. According to Origen, who polemicized with him, Celsus said that, according to Christians, "the Jews, having executed Jesus and drunk him with gall (italics ours. — Ed.), incurred the wrath of God" [133]. Such an interpretation is absent in the canonical gospels, only in Matthew it is said that Jesus was given vinegar mixed with gall to drink (27:34), in the other three gospels Jesus is given vinegar (Jn. 19. 29; Lux. 23. 16; Mk. 15. 30. Cf. Matt. 27. 48, where only vinegar is also mentioned). In Peter, gall is placed in the first place: it was by giving Jesus gall with vinegar that "they" completed their sins (the word "gall" in Greek also means poison). Thus, Peter's version was so popular among Christians that it was included in the work of their opponent. All this circumstantial evidence suggests that the original version of the Gospel was written at about the same time as the canonical Gospels (perhaps Luke used this text), after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD among the Judeo-Christians of Asia Minor, where they used this Gospel until the turn of the second and third centuries, or in neighboring Syria. The peculiarities of this Gospel, which so acutely posed the problem of guilt and retribution, made it possible to revise it after 134 AD (the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt), when for the Christians of the empire the question of breaking with Judaism became a question not only of doctrine, but also of self-preservation. The sacralization and spiritualization of the image of Jesus, characteristic of the apocrypha, the absence of suffering on the cross, the resurrection in a fantastic form, could attract the attention of the Docetists, who interpreted it in the spirit of their teaching (and perhaps not only interpreted, but also reworked in copying). The idea of a possible revision is also suggested by Serapion's reaction. It is characteristic that Serapion, condemning this Gospel, wrote about the addition of certain commandments. Subsequently, the Gospel of Peter was found to be false. Eusebius calls him among the spurious ones (NE. III. 25).

The Gospel of Peter is of interest to historians of Christianity, because it was created at a time when, according to A. Harnack, the Gospel material was still in an unformed form, the canon did not exist, and this material was freely altered [134]. The very disputes around the orientation of this Gospel, which were conducted by scholars of modern times, indicate that we have before us not a theological treatise, but a work that reflected the Christian teaching in its contradictory development and formation, on the one hand, preserving the most revered ancient tradition about Jesus, and, on the other hand, meeting the needs of believers of the time when it was created — the need for a miracle, for just retribution to those responsible for the death of Jesus. The need to convince the unbelieving pagans of the manifestation of the divine nature of their Savior with the help of stories no less fantastic than those contained in numerous works of literature of the first and second centuries, devoted to miraculous signs, soothsayers, sorcerers, mysterious transformations, etc. for example, Herod's participation in the trial of Jesus). The Gospel of Peter seems to be located between the Judeo-Christian and New Testament traditions, on the one hand, and the Gnostic teachings (which will be discussed later) on the other. Perhaps this is why it was not recognized by the Church: the image of Christ who did not experience suffering was associated with the condemned Gnostic teaching, the direct opposition of the Jewish people to the priesthood and elders connected it with the Judeo-Christian writings that were also condemned, and the fantastic details differed from those described in the recognized sacred books. But, as the find in Akhmim shows, this Gospel (at least fragments of it) continued to be copied and venerated among certain groups of Eastern Christians [135].

The Gospel of Peter [136]

1. 1. … But none of the Jews washed his hands, neither Herod nor any of His judges. And when no one wanted to wash, Pilate arose. 2. Then Herod the king commands the Lord to be taken, saying to them, "What I have commanded you to do with him, do it" [138].

2. 3. Joseph, a friend of Pilate and the Lord, was there, and seeing that they were about to crucify him, he went to Pilate and asked for the body of the Lord for burial. 4. And Pilate sent to Herod to ask for a body. 5. And Herod said, "Brother Pilate [140], even if no one asked, we would bury him, for the Sabbath is coming,[141] for it is written in the Law, 'The sun shall not set on the slain,'" and delivered him to the crowd before the first day of the feast of unleavened bread.

3. 6. And they took Him, and chased Him, and fled, pushing Him, and said, "We persecute the Son of God, having received power over Him." 7. And they clothed him in purple and seated him in the judgment seat, saying, "Judge righteously, O king of Israel" [143]. 8. And one of them brought a crown of thorns and placed it on the head of the Lord. 9. And some standing (nearby) spat in His eyes, others struck Him on the cheeks, some poked at Him with a reed stick, and some scourged Him, saying, "This is the honor with which we shall honor the Son of God."

4. 10. And they brought the two evildoers, and crucified the Lord between them in the middle: but he was silent, as if he were in no pain. 11. And when they lifted up the cross, they wrote (on it), "This is the king of Israel." 12. And having laid His garments before Him, they divided them and cast lots among themselves [144]. 13. But one of the evildoers rebuked them, saying, "Because of the evil we have done, we suffer so much, but He, who is the Savior of men, what evil has He done to you?" 14. And being indignant with him, they gave orders not to break his legs, so that he would die in torment.

5. 15. It was already noon, and darkness enveloped all Judea. And they began to worry and fear that the sun had set, and He was still alive. For it is ordained by them [145] that the sun should not set on the slain. 16. Then one of them said, "Give him gall and vinegar to drink," and they mixed him and gave him to drink. 17. And they have done all things, and have completed sins over their heads. 18. And many went about with lamps, and thinking that night had come, they went to rest. 19. And the Lord cried out, "My strength, my strength, you have forsaken me!" and having said this, he ascended [146]. 20. And at the same hour the veil of the temple of Jerusalem was torn in two.

6. 21. And then they pulled the nails out of the hands of the Lord[147] and laid Him on the ground. And the earth shook all over, and great fear began. 22. Then the sun shone, and it became clear that it was still the ninth hour [148]. 23. The Jews rejoiced and gave Joseph his body to bury the body, for he saw how much good he had done. 24. So he took the Lord, washed Him, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths,[149] and carried Him to his own tomb,[150] which is called Joseph's Garden,[151]

7. 25. Then the Jews, and the elders, and the priests, realizing what evil they had done to themselves, began to beat their breasts and say: "Alas, our sins! judgment is coming, and the end of Jerusalem is coming." 26. But I and my companions were grieved, and, broken in spirit, we hid ourselves, for we were sought out as evildoers and those who wanted to burn down the temple [152]. 27. Because of all this, we fasted and sat grieving and weeping night and day until the Sabbath.

8. 28. The assembled scribes, and Pharisees, and elders, heard that all the people were murmuring and beating their breasts, saying: "If such great signs appeared at His death, then you see how righteous He is." 29. They were frightened and went to Pilate, asking him and saying, "30. "Give us soldiers so that we can guard His grave for three days, so that His disciples do not come and steal Him, and the people do not think that He has risen from the dead and will not do us harm." 31. Pilate gave them Petronius the centurion to guard the tomb. And the elders and the scribes went with them to the sepulchre. 32. And having rolled a large stone, together with the centurion and the soldiers, they rolled it to the entrance of the tomb. 33. And having sealed it with seven seals, they set up a tent and began to watch.

9. 34. Early in the morning, when the Sabbath dawn began, a crowd came from Jerusalem and its environs to see the sealed tomb. 35. And that same night, when the day of the Lord was dawn,[153] and the soldiers were on guard two at a time, a loud voice rang out in the sky. 36. And they saw how the heavens were opened, and two men came down from there, radiating radiance, and approaching the tomb. 37. And the stone that was rolled against the door fell away of its own accord and moved away, and the tomb opened, and the two young men entered.

10. 38. And when the soldiers saw this, they woke up the centurion and the elders, for they were there guarding (the tomb). 39. And when they told what they had seen, they again saw three men coming out of the tomb, two supporting one, and the cross following them. 40. And the heads of the two reached to heaven, but the one who was led by the hand had a head higher than the sky. 41. And they heard a voice from heaven: "Have you declared to the asleep?" 42. And the answer from the cross was, "Yes" [154].

11. 43. And they were discussing with one another, that they might go and tell Pilate. 44. And while they were deliberating, the heavens opened again, and a certain man came down and entered the tomb. 45. Those who saw this, together with the centurion, hastened to Pilate,[155] leaving the tomb they were guarding, and announced all that they had seen in great confusion and agitation, saying, "Verily, the Son of God was the Son." 46. Answering, Pilate said, "I am clean from the blood of the Son of God, you have decided so." 47. Then everyone asked him to order the centurion and the soldiers not to tell anyone about what they had seen. 48. For it is better, they said, for us to be guilty of the greatest sin before God, than not to fall into the hands of the Jewish people and be stoned. 49. And then Pilate commanded the centurion and the soldiers not to tell anything.