The Vengeance of the Saviour Overview

THE VENGEANCE OF THE SAVIOUR / “VINDICTA SALVATORIS”

• Claimed Author: Pilate

• Original Language: Latin

pgs. 214-216 & https://www.pseudepigrapha.com/apocrypha_nt/avsav.htm

Chapters 1-30 Summarized

The Roman ruler Titus has cancer in his right nostril, and his face is eaten away by some disease, and Tiberius, his master, has fever, ulcers, and nine kinds of leprosy. Some Ishmaelite named Nathan comes by and tells him about a prophet named “Emmanuel” and describes his many miracles, passion, descent into Hell, and resurrection. Titus then says he would have slain all the Jews with his own hand for destroying his Lord. He is then healed, and so he requests to be baptized. The author exposes his anti-semitism by putting it in the mouth of Titus and God healing him for such a declaration (who happens to be pious).

Titus sends for Vespasian to send 5,000 men to destroy the Jews in Jerusalem. Archelaus is terrified and kills himself, and Jerusalem is besieged for seven years. Inside Jerusalem, there is famine, and the people starve and give up the keys of the city. The siege of Jerusalem is explained as being Vespasian and Titus wanting to do ‘justice’ and avenge Jesus rather than them reacting to Jewish rebellion. There is no account of the vigorous fighting of the Jews or their own war within Jerusalem. 

Titus and Vespasian slay some, crucify others downwards, stab some to death, sell others, and sell others at the cost of thirty for a penny. The Jews are crucified upside down, as they crucified Jesus, or sold thirty for a penny, as Jesus was sold for thirty coins.

They search for an image of Jesus and find Veronica, the lady who was healed of her flow of blood. They ask her if she has an image of Jesus and torture her until she finally confesses it. They take it, put it in a gold cloth, and go to Rome. Veronica sells everything she has saying she has to follow the image and adore it. In Christian tradition and in the stages of the cross, Veronica uses a cloth to clean Jesus’ bloody face, and a perfect image of his face is imprinted onto the cloth. Icons are shown to have miraculous power, and personal devotion to them is shown to be great.

Tiberius tells Velosian (the one who had gotten the image from Veronica) about how he had destroyed the Jews. They then seize Pilate and put him in prison. Tiberius also imprisons Pilate for his own corruption in crucifying Jesus.

Chapters 31-35 Translated

31-35. When Tiberius sees the image of Jesus, he is healed along with everyone sick near him. He bows down and asks Jesus to free him from sin. He then asks to be baptized. The miraculous power of icons is demonstrated.