nogods4me

Someone just posted the following letters as proof of the existence of Jesus.
Anybody got any info on the veracity of the letters?
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This is a reprinting of a letter from Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar describing the physical appearance of Jesus. Copies are in the Congressional Library in Washington, D.C.


To Tiberius Caesar:
A young man appeared in Galilee preaching with humble unction, a new law in the Name of the God that had sent Him. At first I was apprehensive that His design was to stir up the people against the Romans, but my fears were soon dispelled. Jesus of Nazareth spoke rather as a friend of the Romans than of the Jews. One day I observed in the midst of a group of people a young man who was leaning against a tree, calmly addressing the multitude. I was told it was Jesus. This I could easily have suspected so great was the difference between Him and those who were listening to Him. His golden colored hair and beard gave to his appearance a celestial aspect. He appeared to be about 30 years of age. Never have I seen a sweeter or more serene countenance. What a contrast between Him and His bearers with their black beards and tawny complexions! Unwilling to interrupt Him by my presence, I continued my walk but signified to my secretary to join the group and listen. Later, my secretary reported that never had he seen in the works of all the philosophers anything that compared to the teachings of Jesus. He told me that Jesus was neither seditious nor rebellious, so we extended to Him our protection. He was at liberty to act, to speak, to assemble and to address the people. This unlimited freedom provoked the Jews -- not the poor but the rich and powerful.

Later, I wrote to Jesus requesting an interview with Him at the Praetorium. He came. When the Nazarene made His appearance I was having my morning walk and as I faced Him my feet seemed fastened with an iron hand to the marble pavement and I trembled in every limb as a guilty culprit, though he was calm. For some time I stood admiring this extraordinary Man. There was nothing in Him that was repelling, nor in His character, yet I felt awed in His presence. I told Him that there was a magnetic simplicity about Him and His personality that elevated Him far above the philosophers and teachers of His day.

Now, Noble Sovereign, these are the facts concerning Jesus of Nazareth and I have taken the time to write you in detail concerning these matters. I say that such a man who could convert water into wine, change death into life, disease into health; calm the stormy seas, is not guilty of any criminal offense and as others have said, we must agree -- truly this is the Son of God!

Your most obedient servant,
Pontius Pilate
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The following description of Jesus Christ was written by Publius Lentrelus, a citizen of Judea in the reign of Tiberius Caesar. It first appeared in the writings of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, 11th century:


There lives at this time in Judea a man of singular virtue whose name is Jesus Christ, whom the barbarians esteem as a prophet, but his followers love and adore him as the offspring of the immortal God. He calls back the dead from the graves and heals all sorts of diseases with a word or touch. He is a tall man, well-shaped, and of an amiable and reverend aspect; his hair of a color that can hardly be matched, falling into graceful curls, waving about and very agreeable crouching upon his shoulders, parted on the crown of the head, running as a stream to the front after fashion of the Nazarites. His forehead high, large and imposing; his cheeks without spot or wrinkle, beautiful with a lovely red; his nose and mouth formed with exquisite symmetry; his beard, and of a color suitable to his hair, reaching below his chin and parted in the middle like a fork; his eyes bright blue, clear and serene. Look innocent, dignified, manly and mature. In proportion of body most perfect, and captivating; his arms and hands delectable to behold. He rebukes with majesty, councils with mildness, His whole address whether in word or deed, being eloquent and grave. No man has seen him laugh, yet his manners are exceedingly pleasant, but he has wept frequently in the presence of men. He is temporate, modest and wise. A man for his extraordinary beauty and perfection, surpassing the children of men in every sense.
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A description of Jesus Himself is found in "The Archko Volume" (The Archko Volume, translated by Drs. McIntosh and Twyman of the Antiquarian Lodge, Genoa, Italy, from manuscripts in Constantinople and the records of the Senatorial Docket taken from the Vatican of Rome (1896) 92-93) which contains official court documents from the days of the Messiah. This information substantiates that He came from racial lines which had blue eyes and golden hair. In a chapter entiled "Gamaliel's Interview" it states concerning Jesus:


"I asked him to describe this person to me, so that I might know him if I should meet him. He said: 'If you ever meet him [Jesus] you will know him. While he is nothing but a man, there is something about him that distinguishes him from every other man. He is the picture of his mother, only he has not her smooth, round face. His hair is a little more golden than hers, though it is as much from sunburn as anything else. He is tall, and his shoulders are a little drooped; his visage is thin and of a swarthy complexion, though this is from exposure. His eyes are large and a soft blue, and rather dull and heavy....' This Jew [Judahite] is convinced that he is the Messiah of the world. ...this was the same person that was born of the virgin in Bethlehem some twenty-six years before..."

Mageth

Pilate's letter is definitely <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01601a.htm" target="_blank">Apocrypha</a>.

Publius Lentrelus's description first appeared in the writings of Saint Anselm of Canterbury during the 11th Century, and is most likely apocryphal.

Ah, found it (it's Lentulus, not Lentrelus):
<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09154a.htm" target="_blank">Publius Lentulus</a>

Publius Lentulus is a fictional character, and the letter is definitely apocryphal.

[ December 11, 2002: Message edited by: Mageth ]</p>

MortalWombat

According to <a href="http://geneva.rutgers.edu/src/faq/archko.txt" target="_blank">this archived usenet posting</a>, the Archko Volume was debunked in a book _Modern Apocrypha, Famous "Biblical" Hoaxes_ by Edgar J. Goodspeed (Goodspeed was a biblical scholar who made the first translation of the Apocrypha directly from Greek into English).

[ December 11, 2002: Message edited by: MortalWombat ]</p>

Godless Dave

Everything else aside, the desciption of Jesus having blonde hair and blue eyes are pretty damn suspect. Unless Mary was knocked up by a well-traveled Northern European? And why would Pilate bother the emperor with a letter about an itinerant preacher?

Mageth

<a href="http://www.answers.org/Bible/archko.html" target="_blank">The Archco Volume</a> appears to be nothing more than a 19th century hoax.

MortalWombat

It seems <a href="http://answers.org/bible/description.html" target="_blank">the Publius Lentulus letter</a> was also debunked in the very same book by Goodspeed.

Mageth

So it seems the poster was 0-for-3.

nogods4me

excellent folks, thanks, now frustrated the poster has trotted out Josephus, hehehehehe

diana

Jesus was the very picture of Middle Ages perfection? Wow!



You'd think the idiots that stumble across this stuff stop to ask themselves...If this is such an amazing bit of information, why haven't I seen this before? Why haven't I heard about it? Doesn't my preacher know about it? Why isn't he screaming about it from the fucking rooftops?

But NO.

There's another big-ass warning flag that just screams "apocryphal."

d

[ December 11, 2002: Message edited by: diana ]</p>