Letters of Pontius Pilate

Written during His Governorship
of Judea to His Friend Seneca
in Rome

Edited by W.P. Crozier

Fredonia Books, Amsterdam,
The Netherlands 2002

176 pages

4/14

Nothing in this 2002 paperback version of the 1928 original indicates that it is a work of fiction. If fact, there is a carefully worded blurb on the copyright page that, in my opinion, deliberately obfuscates the genres that reads:

In order to make original editions of historical works available to scholars at an economical price this facsimile of the original edition is reproduced from the best available copy and has been digitally enhanced to improve legibility, but the text remains unaltered to retain historical authenticity.

To me, the inclusion of “historical works,” “scholars,” and “historical authenticity” serve to give the impression that this is a non-fiction work.

On March 30, 1928 The Manchester Guardian (now just The Guardian) printed a review of the British edition which was released that day by Jonathan Cape Ltd. It turned out that William Percival Crozier (a reporter and later editor for that same newspaper) was well versed in the Latin and Greek classics, as well as the Bible, all of which inspired his writing his first novel. And the paper identified it as such — a novel.

Seriously, who's going to believe Pontius Pilate ever said "Tell it to the Marines?" [Although Imperial Rome did have the equivilent of shipboard marines, the phrase did not appear until circa 1804 A.D.]

The American edition was published shortly thereafter, but printed without noting that it was a novel. As an afterthought the publisher, J.H. Sears & Company in New York, glued a tipped-in notice on the flap that said “these letters are purely fictitious and composed by Crozier for the purpose of presenting a picture of what might reasonably be supposed to have happened in the time of Pontius Pilate.” Both publishers listed Crozier as the “editor” in order to enhance the image of these being real letters.

I suspect that Crozier was influenced by Gesta Pilati: The Reports, Letters and Acts of Pontius Pilate. Being the Official Records of Pilate as made to Tiberius Caesar Emperor of Rome, Concerning the Apprehension, Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth written by William Overton Clough and published in 1880 by Robert Douglass. I’ll read that one soon and let you know. The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data lists Ann Wroe’s Pontius Pilate (Random House 2000) as biography despites its, um, enhancements, whereas Paul L. Maier’s Pontius Pilate (Kregel Publications 1968) proudly states on the cover “A Novel.”

Now let’s talk copyrights…