Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IX/The Diatessaron of Tatian/The Diatessaron/Section LII

Section LII.

[1] And after that, Jesus knew that all things were finished; and that the scripture [2] might be accomplished, he said, I thirst.&#160; And there was set a vessel full of vinegar:&#160; and in that hour one of them hasted, and took a sponge, and filled it with that [3] vinegar, and fastened it on a reed, and brought it near his mouth to give him a [4] drink.&#160; And when Jesus had taken that vinegar, he said, Everything is finished.&#160; [5] But the rest said, Let be, that we may see whether Elijah cometh to save him.&#160; [6, 7] And Jesus said, My Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.&#160; And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and said, My Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.&#160; He said that, and bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.

[8] And immediately the face of the door of the temple was rent into two parts from [9] top to bottom; and the earth was shaken; and the stones were split to pieces; and the [Arabic, p. 197] tombs were opened; and the bodies of many saints which slept, arose and [10] came forth; and after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and [11] appeared unto many.&#160; And the officer of the footsoldiers, and they that were with him who were guarding Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things which came [12] to pass, feared greatly, and praised God, and said, This man was righteous; and, [13] Truly he was the Son of God.&#160; And all the multitudes that were come together to the sight, when they saw what came to pass, returned and smote upon their breasts.

[14] And the Jews, because of the Friday, said, Let these bodies not remain on their crosses, because it is the morning of the sabbath (for that sabbath was a great day); and they asked of Pilate that they might break the legs of those that were [15] crucified, and take them down.&#160; And the soldiers came, and brake the legs of the [16] first, and that other which was crucified with him:&#160; but when they came to Jesus, [17] they saw that he had died before, so they brake not his legs:&#160; but one of the soldiers pierced him in his side with a spear, and immediately there came forth blood and [18] water.&#160; And he that hath seen hath borne witness, and his witness is true:&#160; and he [19] knoweth that he hath said the truth, that ye also may believe.&#160; This he did, that [20] the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, A bone shall not be broken in him; and the scripture also which saith, Let them look upon him whom they pierced.

[21] And there were in the distance all the acquaintance of Jesus standing, and the women that came with him from Galilee, those that followed him and ministered.&#160; [22] One of them was Mary Magdalene; and Mary the mother of James the little and [23] [Arabic, p. 198] Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee, and Salome, and many others which came up with him unto Jerusalem; and they saw that.

[24] And when the evening of the Friday was come, because of the entering of the [25] sabbath, there came a rich man, a noble of Ramah, a city of Judah, named Joseph, and he was a good man and upright; and he was a disciple of Jesus, but [26] was concealing himself for fear of the Jews.&#160; And he did not agree with the accusers [27] in their desire and their deeds:&#160; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.&#160; And this man went boldly, and entered in unto Pilate, and asked of him the body of [28] Jesus.&#160; And Pilate wondered how he had died already:&#160; and he called the officer of [29] the footsoldiers, and asked him concerning his death before the time.&#160; And when [30] he knew, he commanded him to deliver up his body unto Joseph.&#160; And Joseph bought for him a winding cloth of pure linen, and took down the body of Jesus, [31] and wound it in it; and they came and took it.&#160; And there came unto him Nicodemus also, who of old came unto Jesus by night; and he brought with him perfume [32] of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.&#160; And they took the body of Jesus, and wound it in the linen and the perfume, as was the custom of the Jews to bury.

[33] And there was in the place where Jesus was crucified a garden; and in that garden [34] a new tomb cut out in a rock, wherein was never man yet laid.&#160; And they left [35] Jesus there because the sabbath had come in, and because the tomb was near.&#160; And they pushed a great stone, and thrust it against the door of the sepulchre, and [36] went away.&#160; And Mary Magdalene and Mary that was related to Joses came to [37] [Arabic, p. 199] the sepulchre after them, &#160; and sat opposite the sepulchre, and saw the [38] body, how they took it in and laid it there.&#160; And they returned, and bought ointment and perfume, and prepared it, that they might come and anoint him.&#160; [39] And on the day which was the sabbath day they desisted according to the command.

[40, 41] And the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered unto Pilate, and said unto him, Our lord, we remember that that misleader said, while he was alive, After three days [42] I rise.&#160; And now send beforehand and guard the tomb until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him by night, and they will say unto the people that he [43] is risen from the dead:&#160; and the last error shall be worse than the first.&#160; He said unto them, And have ye not guards? go, and take precautions as ye know how.&#160; [44] And they went, and set guards at the tomb, and sealed that stone, with the guards.

[45] And in the evening of the sabbath, which is the morning of the first day, and in [46] the dawning while the darkness yet remained, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and other women to see the tomb.&#160; They brought with them the [47] perfume which they had prepared, and said among themselves, Who is it that will [48] remove for us the stone from the door of the tomb? for it was very great.&#160; And when they said thus, there occurred a great earthquake; and an angel came down [49] from heaven, and came and removed the stone from the door.&#160; And they came and found the stone removed from the sepulchre, and the angel sitting upon the [50] stone.&#160; And his appearance was as the lightning, and his raiment white as the [51] snow:&#160; and for fear of him the guards were troubled, and became as dead men.&#160; [52] And when he went away, the women entered into the sepulchre; and they found [53] [Arabic, p. 200] not the body of Jesus.&#160; And they saw there a young man sitting on the [54] right, arrayed in a white garment; and they were amazed. &#160; And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear ye not:&#160; for I know that ye seek Jesus the [55] Nazarene, who hath been crucified.&#160; He is not here; but he is risen, as he said.&#160; Come and see the place where our Lord lay.