Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/556

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APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.

lord emperor, If I find any man who can help and deliver us, what reward shall I promise him? And Tiberius said unto him, The half of my kingdom without fail, that it may be in his hand.

Then Velosianus straightway went and entered a ship and hoisted sail for the voyage, and went sailing over the sea. And he sailed one year and seven days, in which time he came to Jerusalem. And he immediately commanded some of the Jews to come to his mightiness,[1] and began to inquire diligently what were the deeds of Christ. Then Joseph of the city of Arimathea, and Nicodemus both came together. And Nicodemus said, I saw him, and know truly that he is the Saviour of the world. And Joseph said to him, And I took him down from the cross and placed him in a new sepulchre which was cut out of a rock. And the Jews shut me up on the day of preparation at evening, and while I stood in prayer on the Sabbath day, the house was suspended by the four corners, and I saw the Lord Jesus Christ as a flash of light, and for fear I fell to the earth. And he said to me, Look on me, for I am Jesus whose body thou didst bury in thy tomb. And I said to him, Show me the sepulchre where I placed thee. And Jesus, taking my hand with his right hand, led me to the place where I had buried him.

  1. The Latin is ad ejus potentiam, 'to his potency,' i.e., to himself as having power: the use of abstract for concrete in speaking of dignities is of most common occurrence.