Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/449

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LATIN GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
333

quake, and, We saw how the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, and sat upon it; and his appearance was as lightning, and his raiment like snow: and for fear we became as dead men. And we heard the voice of the angel talking to the women who had come to the sepulchre, and saying, Fear not: for I know that ye seek Jesus who was crucified: he is not here, he is risen, as he said: come and see the place where the Lord was laid. And go forth quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead, and will go before you into Galilee, as he told you.

The Jews say, With what women did he talk? The soldiers answer, We know not what women they were. The Jews say, At what hour was it? The keepers answer, At midnight. The Jews say, And why did ye not take them? The keepers answer, We became as dead men through fear of the angel, not hoping now to see the light of day and how could we take them? The Jews say, As the Lord God liveth, we do not believe you. And the keepers said to the Jews, Ye have seen so great signs in that man and have not believed, and how can ye believe us that the Lord liveth? Ye have well sworn; because the Lord Jesus Christ doth live. The keepers say again to the Jews, We have heard that ye shut up in prison and sealed it with your