* For other traces of the use of this Gospel by Origen, see J. O. FE. Murray’s article in the Hapositor (4th series, vii. 55 if).
+ Other writers who were probably acquainted with the Petrine Gospel are the author of the Didascalia and Apostoli- cal Constitutions (cf. Harnack, Bruchstiicke, p. 41 f.); and
Cyril of Jerusalem (ct. Swete, ‘The Akhmim Fragment,’ in his edition of the Gospel of Peter, xxx ff.),
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There has been much discussion in regard to the meaning of a phrase in Justin Martyr's (c. 150) Dialogue with Trypho. Some have thought that this Gospel is referred to as the ‘Memoirs of Peter’ in the passage: ‘And when it is said that he changed the name of one of the apostles to Peter; and when it is written in the Memoirs of him (dmopuyypovetuara atrod) that this so happened, ete.’ The difficult problem of the relation to this Gospel of Justin Martyr’s quotations cannot be discussed until its contents have been given; but it is important that the discussion should not be biassed by the assumption that ‘the name ‘‘ Me- moirs” cannot with any degree of propriety be applied to our canonical Gospels,’ as the author of Supernatural Religion asserts (The Gospel accord- ing to Peter, p. 22). It may be granted that the airod is more naturally interpreted as referring to Peter and not to Jesus; but the judgment of such an expert as Lipsius (Dict. Christ. Biography, ii. 712) must not be forgotten: ‘In the passage in question the right reading is most probably not amrouynuovedwara airov (i.e. of Peter mentioned just before), but drour. airav (t.e. Tav dmocréhwy as else- where).’ But if, contrary to his invariable practice, Justin here attaches a name to the Evangelistic writings, it is by no means certain that he speaks of this apocryphal Gospel as the ‘Memoirs of Peter.’ He may refer to the Second Gospel, for many ancient authorities support the testimony of Origen : ‘The Gospel published by Mark may be called Peter’s, whose interpreter Mark was’ (adv. Marcion. iv. 5), and in Mk 38" there is a record of the fact mentioned by Justin: ‘Simon he sur- named Peter.’
ii. CONTENTS OF RECENTLY DISCOVERED FRAG- MENT.—In 1892 M. Bouriant published the manu- script known as ‘the Akhmim Fragment’ ; it con- tains portions of the Gospel of Peter, of the Apoca- lypse of Peter, of the Book of Enoch, and of the Acts of St. Julian. This parchment manuscript and a papyrus collection of mathematical pro- blems were discovered by the French Archeological Mission during the winter of 1886-87 in the tomb of a monk at Akhmim, the ancient Panopolis, in Upper Egypt. A heliographice reproduction of the manuscript greatly assisted paleeographists to de- termine the true text, in regard to which scholars are now generally agreed. The parchment codex is assigned to a date between the 8th and the 12th century. The following translation by Dr. J. Armitage Robinson was carefully revised by him in accordance with the photographic facsimile (Ante-Nicene Christian Library, vol. ix. p. 7f.):—
1. But of the Jews none washed his hands, neither Herod nor any one of his judges. And when they had refused to wash them, Pilate rose up. And then Herod the king commandeth that the Lord be taken, saying to them, What things soever I commanded you to do unto him, do.
2. And there was standing there Joseph the friend of Pilate and of the Lord ; and, knowing that they were about to crucify him, he came to Pilate and asked the body of the Lord for burial. And Pilate sent to Herod and asked his body. And Herod said, Brother Pilate, even if no one had asked for him, we purposed to bury him, especially as the Sabbath draweth on; for it is written in the Law that the sun set not upon one that hath been put to death.
38. And he delivered him to the people on the day before the unleavened bread, their feast. And they took the Lord and pushed him as they ran, and said, Let us drag away the Son of God, having obtained power over him. And they clothed him with purple, and set him on the seat of judgment, saying, Judge righteously, O king of Israel. And one of them brought a crown of thorns and put it on the head of the Lord. And others stood and spat in his eyes, and others smote his cheeks ; others pricked him with a reed ; and some scourged him, saying, With this honour let us honour the Son of God.
4, And they brought two malefactors, and they crucified the Lord between them. But he held his peace, as though having no pain. And when they had raised the cross, they wrote the title, This is the king of Israel. And having set his garments before him they parted them among them, and cast lots for them. And one of those malefactors reproached them, saying, We for the evils that we have done have suffered thus, but this
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RSs cna ee ea ee a eae ee
‘limited to the use of the Diatessaron’ (op. cit. xxiv.). Dr. Rendel Harris, in his ‘Popular Ac- count’ of the Gospel, clearly states the facts, but reserves his final judgment.