Sacred Text Removed From The Bible Claims To Reveal How Jesus Really Died — And It Changes Everything

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ was crucified after being arrested and sentenced to death or at least, that’s the version most of us know.

But now, a sacred text that was left out of the Bible claims to identify the person responsible for Jesus’s death, potentially shifting the way people view the entire event.

This ancient claim comes from a book known as the Acts of Pilate, more widely referred to as the Gospel of Nicodemus. Even though it talks about the so-called “truth” behind the death of the Son of God, it was never officially added to the Bible as we know it today.

Before diving into the big revelation, let’s first revisit the timing of Jesus’s death for some context.

Most scholars and religious traditions agree that Jesus died on Good Friday, which places his death on April 3, AD 33, at around 3:00 p.m.

Even NASA has weighed in. On its website where it documents historical solar eclipses, the agency shared some compelling information that lines up with this timeline.

The Crucifixion by Jean Francois Portaels Getty Stock Images

"Christian texts mention that the Moon turned to blood after Jesus's crucifixion – potentially referring to a lunar eclipse, during which the Moon takes on a reddish hue." it read.

"Using this textual source, scholars narrowed down a possible date of crucifixion to Friday, April 3, 33 C.E. because a lunar eclipse occurred that day."

Alright, now that we’ve covered the timing, let’s get into what the Gospel of Nicodemus has to say.

Pierced by a spear on the cross

In the Bible, specifically in John chapter 19, verse 34, it mentions that a Roman soldier stabbed Jesus while he was still on the cross. Some scholars also believe that Jesus may have been referred to as Yeshu Nazarene at the time.

The verse states: "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out."

But it never names the soldier. So who was he?

Sculpture of Jesus and Longinus, the Roman soldier who pierced Christ in his side with a lance, in the Cathedral of Leon, Spain Getty stock

The man known as Longinus

The Gospel of Nicodemus actually gives that unnamed soldier a name. According to this sacred text, his name was Longinus.

Later in the book, it describes how Longinus took a spear and pierced Jesus's side. Just like the account in John, blood and water flowed out from the wound.

The Eastern Orthodox Church also ties Longinus to another moment. They believe he’s the one who said "Truly this was the Son of God." after the earthquake that followed Jesus’s death.

Even though the Bible never actually names this soldier, stories passed down over the years suggest that he saw what happened during the crucifixion and later converted to Christianity.

The Statue of Saint Longinus the Centurion Rome's St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City Steve Christo/Corbis via Getty Images

There’s no historical proof that Longinus was a real person, but the legends say he preached the gospel and was eventually killed because of his Christian faith.

This would have been during a time when Christianity was still considered illegal under Roman rule.

Even without any concrete evidence of his existence beyond scripture, Longinus has a statue honoring him beneath the massive dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

Why the Gospel of Nicodemus was banned

There’s a lot of discussion around who actually wrote the Gospel of Nicodemus, especially given how late it appears in history.

The book was never added to the official Bible, likely because it’s believed to have been written much later—sometime around the 4th or 5th century, which is hundreds of years after the events it talks about.

Still, many believe that it was written by Nicodemus, the same man mentioned in the Gospel of John who helped bury Jesus after the crucifixion.