And now, when the marvellous resurrection of our Saviour and his ascension into the heavens had already become renowned among most men, and since an ancient custom prevailed that the rulers of the nations should report to him who held the imperial power whatever new things were taking place among them, that nothing of what happened might escape him, Pilate communicated to the Emperor Tiberius the things concerning the resurrection from the dead of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which were already noised abroad among all throughout the whole of Palestine,
who, having inquired into his other wonders, and how after death he had risen from the dead and was already believed by many to be a God, referred the matter to the senate. But they say that the senate rejected the report — ostensibly because it had not first examined the matter (for an ancient law prevailed that no one should be deified among the Romans except by vote and decree of the senate), but in truth because the saving teaching of the divine message had no need of human ratification and confirmation.
In this way, then, when the council of the Romans had rejected the report brought to it concerning our Saviour, Tiberius kept the opinion which he had held before, and devised nothing amiss against the teaching of Christ.
These things Tertullian — a man accurately versed in the laws of the Romans, in other respects also illustrious, and among the most distinguished men at Rome — sets down in the Apology for the Christians written by him in the Latin tongue but translated also into the Greek language, recounting the matter in these very words: «But, that we may discuss such laws from their origin: it was an ancient decree that no god should be consecrated by an emperor before being approved by the senate. Marcus Aemilius did thus concerning a certain idol, Alburnus. And this too supports our argument, namely that among you godhood is conferred by human approval.
Tiberius, therefore, in whose time the name of Christians came into the world, when this doctrine was reported to him from Palestine, where it first began, communicated it to the senate, making it plain to them that he was pleased with the doctrine. But the senate, because it had not itself examined it, rejected it; he, however, remained in his own opinion, and threatened death to the accusers of the Christians — heavenly providence having by a dispensation put this into his mind, that the word of the Gospel, having an unhindered beginning, might run everywhere over the earth.