Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol IX:
The Diatessaron of Tatian.: Section L

Section L.

[1]  3461 And Pilate said unto the chief priests and the multitude, I have not found [2] against this man anything.   3462 But they cried out and said, He hath disquieted 3463 our people with his teaching in all Judæa, and he began 3464 from Galilee and unto this [3] place.   3465 And Pilate, when he heard the name of Galilee, asked, Is this man a Galilæan?  [4]  3466 And when he learned that he was under the jurisdiction of Herod, he sent him to Herod:  for he was in Jerusalem in those days.

[5]  3467 And Herod, when he saw Jesus, rejoiced exceedingly:  for he had desired to see him for a long time, because he had heard regarding him many things; and he counted on 3468 [6] [Arabic, p. 189] seeing some sign from him.   3469 And he questioned him with many words; but [7] Jesus answered him not a word.   3470 And the scribes and chief priests were [8] standing by, and they accused him vehemently.   3471 And Herod scoffed at him, he and his servants; and when he had scoffed at him, he clothed him in robes of scarlet, [9] and sent him to Pilate.   3472 And on that day Pilate and Herod became friends, there having been 3473 enmity between them before that.

[10, 11]  3474 And Pilate called the chief priests and the rulers of the people,  3475 and said unto them, Ye brought unto me this man, as the perverter of your people:  and I have tried him before you, and have not found in this man any cause 3476 of all that ye [12] seek 3477 against him:   3478 nor yet Herod:  for I sent him unto him; and he hath done [13] nothing for which he should deserve death.   3479 So now I will chastise him, and let [14, 15] him go.   3480 The multitude all cried out and said, Take him from us, take him.   3481 And [16] the chief priests and the elders accused him of many things.   3482 And during their [17] accusation he answered not a word.   3483 Then Pilate said unto him, Hearest thou not [18] how many things they witness against thee?   3484 And he answered him not, not even one word:  and Pilate marvelled at that.

[19]  3485 And when the judge sat on his tribune, his wife sent unto him, and said unto him, See that thou have nothing to do with that righteous man:  for I have suffered much in my dream 3486 to-day because of him.

[20]  3487 And at every feast the custom of the judge was to release to the people one [21] prisoner, him whom they would.   3488 And there was in their prison a well-known prisoner, [22, 23] called Barabbas.   3489 And when they assembled, Pilate said unto them,  3490 Ye have a custom, that I should release unto you a prisoner at the passover:  will ye that I [24] release unto you the King of the Jews?   3491 And they all cried out and said, Release not [Arabic, p. 190] unto us this man, but release unto us Barabbas.  And this Barabbas was a [25] robber,  3492 who for sedition 3493 and murder, which was in the city, was cast into the p. 121 [26] prison.   3494 And all the people cried out and began to ask him to do as the custom was [27] that he should do with them.   3495 And Pilate answered and said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you?  Barabbas, or Jesus which is called the Messiah, the [28] King of the Jews?   3496 For Pilate knew that envy had moved them to deliver him up. [29]  3497 And the chief priests and the elders asked the multitudes to deliver Barabbas, and [30] to destroy Jesus.   3498 The judge answered and said unto them, Whom of the two will [31] ye that I release unto you?  They said, Barabbas.   3499 Pilate said unto them, And [32] Jesus which is called the Messiah, what shall I do with him?   3500 They all cried out [33] and said, Crucify him.   3501 And Pilate spake to them again, for he desired to release [34] Jesus;  3502 but they cried out and said, Crucify him, crucify him, and release unto us [35] Barabbas.   3503 And Pilate said unto them a third time, What evil hath this man done?  I have not found in him any cause 3504 to necessitate death:  I will chastise him and [36] let him go.   3505 But they increased in importunity 3506 with a loud voice, and asked him to crucify him.  And their voice, and the voice of the chief priests, prevailed.  [37]  3507 Then Pilate released unto them that one who was cast into prison for sedition and murder, Barabbas, whom they asked for:   3508 and he scourged Jesus with whips. 3509

[38]  3510 Then the footsoldiers of the judge took Jesus, and went into the prætorium, and [39] [Arabic, p. 191] gathered unto him all of the footsoldiers.   3511 And they stripped him, and put on [40] him a scarlet cloak.   3512 And they clothed him in garments of purple, and plaited [41] a crown of thorns, and placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand;  3513 and while they mocked at him and laughed, they fell down on their knees before him, and bowed [42] down to 3514 him, and said, Hail, 3515 King of the Jews!   3516 And they spat in his face, and took the reed from his hand, and struck him on his head,  3517 and smote his cheeks.  [43]  3518 And Pilate went forth without again, and said unto the Jews, I bring him forth to [44] you, that ye may know that I do not find, in examining 3519 him, even one crime. 3520    3521 And Jesus went forth without, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garments.  [45]  3522 Pilate said unto them, Behold, the man!  And when the chief priests and the soldiers 3523 saw him, they cried out and said, Crucify him, crucify him.  Pilate said unto them, Take him yourselves, and crucify him:  for I find not a cause 3524 against [46] him.   3525 The Jews said unto him, We have a law, and according to our law he deserves [47] death, because he made himself the Son of God.   3526 And when Pilate heard this word, [48] his fear increased;  3527 and he entered again into the porch, and said to Jesus, Whence [49] art thou?   3528 But Jesus answered him not a word.  Pilate said unto him, Speakest 3529 thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have authority to release thee, and have [50] authority to crucify thee?   3530 Jesus said unto him, Thou hast not any 3531 authority over me, if thou wert not given it from above:  therefore the sin of him that delivered [51] me up unto thee is greater than thy sin.   3532 And for this word Pilate wished to release him:  but the Jews cried out, If thou let him go, thou art not a friend of Cæsar:  for every one that maketh himself a king is against Cæsar.

Footnotes

Luke xxiii. 4.

Luke xxiii. 5.

Or, led astray (cf. § 25, 17, note).

cf. Syriac versions.

Luke xxiii. 6.

Luke xxiii. 7.

Luke xxiii. 8.

Same word as in § 10, 16 (see note there).

Luke xxiii. 9.

Luke xxiii. 10.

Luke xxiii. 11.

Luke xxiii. 12.

Lit. and there was.

Luke xxiii. 13.

Luke xxiii. 14.

The Arabic word may also, like the Syriac, mean thing, but hardly, as that does here, fault or crime.  The Vat. ms., pointing differently, reads thing.  The same confusion occurs at § 40, 35 (cf. a converse case in § 25, 40).

So Ciasca’s text, following the Borg. ms.  The Vat. ms. has plotted, which is nearer the Syriac accuse.

Luke xxiii. 15.

Luke xxiii. 16.

Luke xxiii. 18a.

Mark xv. 3a.

Matt. xxvii. 12.

Matt. xxvii. 13.

Matt. xxvii. 14.

Matt. xxvii. 19.

See § 3, 12, note.

Matt. xxvii. 15.

Matt. xxvii. 16.

Matt. xxvii. 17a.

John xviii. 39.

John xviii. 40.

Luke xxiii. 19.

Ciasca’s text, following the Vat. ms., has disorder.  Borg. ms. has division (cf. heresies, Curetonian of § 50, 37), which by addition of a diacritical point gives sedition; cf. § 50, 37 (Ciasca, following Vat. ms.), and Peshitta (both places).

Mark xv. 8.

Mark 15:9, Matt. 27:17.

Matt. xxvii. 18.

Matt. xxvii. 20.

Matt. xxvii. 21.

Matt. xxvii. 22a.

Mark xv. 13.

Luke xxiii. 20.

Luke xxiii. 21.

Luke xxiii. 22.

Our translator has retained the Syriac word, which in this context means fault (see § 50, 11, note).

Luke xxiii. 23.

The word used in Vat ms. means a repeated charge or attack.  That in Borg. ms. is probably used in the post-classical sense of importuning him.  Either word might be written by a copyist for the other.  The same double reading probably occurs again at § 53, 55.

Mark 15:15, Luke 23:25.

Matt. xxvii. 26b.

cf. Syriac versions.

Matt. xxvii. 27.

Matt. xxvii. 28.

John xix. 2.

Matt. xxvii. 29b.

This may be a mere clerical error (very natural in Arabic) for scoffed at, the reading of the Syriac versions.  This being so, it is worthy of remark that the reading is apparently common to the two mss.  The Syriac words are, however, also somewhat similar.  The Jerusalem Lectionary has a word agreeing with the text above.

Lit. Peace.

Matt. xxvii. 30.

John xix. 3b.

John xix. 4.

This reading may be a corruption of a very literal rendering of the Peshitta.

cf. § 50, 11.

John xix. 5.

John xix. 6.

cf. § 11, 11, note.

See § 50, 35, note.

John xix. 7.

John xix. 8.

John xix. 9.

John xix. 10.

Borg. ms., Why speakest; a reading that might be a corruption of the Peshitta.

John xix. 11.

Lit. even one (Pesh.).

John xix. 12.