The Great Search for Jesus related discoveries continues, and there has been yet another breakthrough.
Scientists have revealed evidence supporting the existence of Adam and Eve over 200,000 years ago, and now researchers claim to have substantiated one of the Bible’s most significant miracles.
The quest for discoveries related to Jesus continues unabated, with another breakthrough recently announced.
The authenticity of the Gospel of Nicodemus, also known as the Acts of Pilate, remains a hot topic of debate among religious scholars. If proven true, it could shed light on many aspects of Jesus’ death.
Many Christians are particularly interested in the first part of this gospel, which details both the trial Jesus underwent and His resurrection. This pivotal moment is seen through the eyes of Nicodemus, who is identified as a follower of Christ earlier in the Gospel of John.
Interestingly, it mentions another key figure not included in the New Testament – Roman centurion Longinus, a crucial character in this section, reports the Irish Star.
Nicodemus portrays Longinus as the soldier who stabs Jesus in the side with a spear as He is crucified. It’s at this point that he regains his sight after his eyes are splashed with the blood and water flowing from Christ Himself.
Another depiction of the overlooked character is as a soldier standing guard over Jesus’s body in the tomb. This account suggests that Longinus rejected a bribe from Jewish authorities, declaring Christ to be ‘truly the Son of God’, following an earthquake after Jesus’s death.
The authenticity of this tale is widely debated, with many doubting it was penned by Nicodemus. Some have even suggested this narrative of Christ’s death and resurrection was written by an unidentified author between 400 and 500 years before his death.
This is why it no longer appears in the Bible, despite the image of Longinus being immortalised in a stunning statue located beneath Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
Even today, the former centurion who famously converted to Christianity serves as a martyr for followers of the faith, after he was killed for merely sharing his beliefs.
