Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/412

296 Father Joseph: Peace to thee, and to all thine house, and to thy friends. We know that we have offended against God, and against thee, his servant. Therefore we entreat thee to come hither to us thy children; for we have wondered much how thou didst escape from prison, and we truly say that we took evil counsel against thee. But God, who saw that we took unjust counsel against thee, delivered thee out of our hands. Nevertheless, come to us; for thou art the honour of our people.

The Jews sent this letter to Arimathea with seven soldiers, friends of Joseph, who went and found him, and addressed him respectfully, as they were bidden, and gave him the letter. And when he had received and read this, he glorified God, and bade the soldiers welcome, and when the table was set, he ate and drank with them all day and night.

And on the morrow he went with them to Jerusalem. And the people came out to meet him, and bade him welcome. And Nicodemus received him into his house. And on the day following, both Annas and Caiaphas, the chief priests, invited him to the temple, and said to him, Give glory to the God of Israel, and tell us the truth. For we know that thou didst bury Jesus, and for this we apprehended thee, and shut thee in prison. Afterwards, when we sought to bring thee out in order that thou mightest be put to death, we found thee not, and we marvelled, and were greatly afraid;