Pilate Inscription

The Pilate=20 Inscription

Caesarea,=20 Israel
New = Testament=20 Period
Pontius Pilate, (26-37=20 AD)
Limestone,=20 inscribed
82.0 cm H, 65.0 cm W
Building Dedication
4=20 Lines of Writing (Latin)
Date=20 of Discovery: 1961
Israel Museum (Jerusalem)
AE 1963 = no.=20 104

Inscription by Pontius=20 Pilate

It wasn't = long ago when=20 many scholars were questioning the actual existence of a = Roman=20 Governor with the name Pontius Pilate, the procurator who = ordered=20 Jesus' crucifixion. In June 1961 Italian archaeologists led = by Dr.=20 Frova were excavating an ancient Roman amphitheatre near=20 Caesarea-on-the-Sea (Maritima) and uncovered this = interesting=20 limestone block. On the face is a monumental inscription = which is=20 part of a larger dedication to Tiberius Caesar which clearly = says=20 that it was from "Pontius Pilate, Prefect of = Judea."

It = reads:

Line=20 One: =20 TIBERIEUM,,

Line=20 Two: = (PON)=20 TIUS

Line=20 Three: = (PRAEF)=20 ECTUS IUDA (EAE)

This is the = only known=20 occurrence of the name Pontius Pilate in any ancient = inscription.=20 Visitors to Caesarea's theater today see a replica, the = original is=20 in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. It is interesting as well = that=20 there have been a few bronze coins found that were struck = form 29-32=20 AD by Pontius Pilate.

Who was = Pontius=20 Pilate?

Pontius Pilate's family name,=20 Pontius, indicates that he was of the tribe of = Pontii.=20 It was one of the most famous of the ancient Samnite names. = The=20 surname or cognomen Pilatus indicates the familia, or branch = of the=20 gens Pontius. The name is uncertain, though some think it = may have=20 meant "armed with the pilum" (a spear or javelin). One = interesting=20 note is about another man in Roman history bearing the name. = Lucius=20 Pontius Aquila was a friend of Cicero and one of the = assassins of=20 Julius Caesar on the Ides of March (44 BC) when the would-be = king=20 was murdered.

The only = information=20 regarding Pontius Pilate is the New Testament and two Jewish = writers: Josephus and Philo of Alexandria. By far our = greatest=20 amount of information comes from the Jewish writer Flavius = Josephus=20 who composed his two great works, the Antiquities of the = Jews and=20 the Jewish War, towards the end of the first century. There = are also=20 several "less reliable" traditions and legends. One early German legend says that Pilate was an illegitimate = son of=20 Tyrus, king of Mayence, who had Pilate taken to Rome as a = prisoner.=20 After he had apparently committed a murder he was sent to = Pontus,=20 where he enlisted in the Roman Army and proved himself by = winning=20 many victories against the barbarous tribes in the = north.

Tacitus, when = speaking of=20 the cruel punishments inflicted by Nero upon the Christians, = tells=20 us that Christ, from whom the name "Christian" was derived, = was put=20 to death when Tiberius was emperor by the procurator Pontius = Pilate=20 (Annals xv.44). Apart from this reference and what is told = us in the=20 New Testament, all our knowledge of him is derived from two = Jewish=20 writers, Josephus the historian and Philo of=20 Alexandria.

The Roman=20 Procurator

Tiberius = Caesar, who=20 succeeded Augustus in AD 14, appointed Pontius Pilate as = governor of=20 Judea in 26 AD. Pilate arrived and made his official = residence in=20 Caesarea Maritima, the Roman capital of Judea. Pilate was = the 5th=20 procurator of Judea. The province of Judea, formerly the = kingdom of=20 Archelaus, was formed in 6 AD when Archelaus was exiled and = his=20 territory transformed into a Roman province. Although it = included=20 Samaria and Idumaea, the new province was known simply as = Judea or=20 Judaea. It generally covered the S. half of Palestine, = including=20 Samaria. Judea was an imperial province (i.e. under the = direct=20 control of the emperor), and was governed by a=20 procurator.

The = procurator was devoted=20 to the emperor and directly responsible to him. His primary=20 responsibility was financial. The authority of the Roman = procurators=20 varied according to the appointment of the emperor. Pilate = was a=20 procurator cum porestate, (possessed civil, military, and = criminal=20 jurisdiction). The procurator of Judea was somehow under the = authority of the legate of Syria. Usually a procurator had = to be of=20 equestrian rank and experienced in military = affairs.

Under the = rule of a=20 procurator cum porestate like Pontius Pilate, the Jews were = allowed=20 as much self-government as possible under imperial = authority. The=20 Jewish judicial system was run by the Sanhedrin and = court met=20 in the "hall of hewn stone", but if they desired to inflict = the=20 death penalty, the sentence had to be given and executed by = the=20 Roman procurator.

Pontius = Pilate and the=20 Jews

According to = history Pilate=20 made an immediate = impression upon=20 the Jews when he moved his army headquarters from Caesarea = to=20 Jerusalem. They marched into the city with their Roman = standards,=20 bearing the image of the "divine emperor" and set up their=20 headquarters right in the corner of the Temple in a = palace-fortress=20 called "Antonia," which outraged the Jews. Pilate quickly = learned=20 their zealous nature and political power within the province = and,=20 according to Josephus, ordered the standards to be returned = to=20 Caesarea (Josephus Ant. 18.3.1-2; Wars 2.9.2-4).

Pilate made = some other=20 mistakes according to history before the time when he = ordered the=20 crucifixion of Jesus. One time he placed on the walls of his = palace=20 on Mt. Zion golden shields bearing inscriptions of the names = of=20 various gods. Tiberius had to personally order the removal = of the=20 shields. Another time Pilate used Temple revenue to build = his=20 aqueduct. There is another incident only recorded in the = Bible where=20 Pilate ordered the slaughter of certain Galileans (Luke = 13:1) who=20 had supposedly been offering sacrifices in the Temple. Here = are some=20 details:

"On one=20 occasion, when the soldiers under his command came to=20 Jerusalem, he caused them to bring with them their = ensigns,=20 upon which were the usual images of the emperor. The = ensigns=20 were brought in privily by night, put their presence = was soon=20 discovered. Immediately multitudes of excited Jews = hastened to=20 Caesarea to petition him for the removal of the = obnoxious=20 ensigns. For five days he refused to hear them, but on = the=20 sixth he took his place on the judgment seat, and when = the=20 Jews were admitted he had them surrounded with = soldiers and=20 threatened them with instant death unless they ceased = to=20 trouble him with the matter. The Jews thereupon flung=20 themselves on the ground and bared their necks, = declaring that=20 they preferred death to the violation of their laws. = Pilate,=20 unwilling to slay so many, yielded the point and = removed the=20 ensigns."

(The = Standards-=20 Josephus, War 2.169-174, Antiq 18.55-59)

"At = another time he=20 used the sacred treasure of the temple, called corban=20 (qorban), to pay for bringing water into Jerusalem by = an=20 aqueduct. A crowd came together and clamored against = him; but=20 he had caused soldiers dressed as civilians to mingle = with the=20 multitude, and at a given signal they fell upon the = rioters=20 and beat them so severely with staves that the riot = was=20 quelled."

(The = Aqueduct-=20 Josephus, War 2.175-177, Antiq 18.60-62)).

"Philo = tells us=20 (Legatio ad Caium, xxxviii) that on other occasion he=20 dedicated some gilt shields in the palace of Herod in = honor of=20 the emperor. On these shields there was no = representation of=20 any forbidden thing, but simply an inscription of the = name of=20 the donor and of him in whose honor they were set up. = The Jews=20 petitioned him to have them removed; when he refused, = they=20 appealed to Tiberius, who sent an order that they = should be=20 removed to Caesarea."

(from = International=20 Standard Bible Encyclopaedia)

The = Trial of Jesus=20 and Pontius Pilate

Pilate had traveled to Jerusalem in order = to maintain=20 order during the huge festival of Passover. This festival = was always=20 a problem time for the Romans, especially since Jewish = resentment=20 had always run especially high during national or religious=20 holidays.

According to = the Scriptures=20 the Jewish authorities brought Jesus to Pontius Pilate and = began=20 prosecution by saying,

"Luke = 23:1-2 Then the=20 whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And = they began=20 to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the = nation,=20 and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He = Himself is=20 Christ, a King."

The main = charges brought=20 before Pilate about Jesus were political and not religious. = Jesus=20 was accused of being a political threat to Rome and to = Caesar's=20 authority.

Pilate spoke = with Jesus=20 (see John 18:33-19:12) and considered the charges being = brought=20 against Jesus.

1. He = subverts the=20 nation
2. He opposes payment of taxes
3. He claims to = be a=20 King

These were, = of course,=20 false accusations because Jesus refused the title of king in = a=20 political sense, and did not oppose paying taxes. He = criticized the=20 leaders on religious issues, not political.

Pilate's = verdict on all=20 three counts were "I find no case against Him." For = whatever=20 reason Pilate tried to avoid judging Jesus. He wanted to = give the=20 responsibility to the Jewish authorities, then he tried to = detour=20 the responsibility to Herod. He also tried to invoke the = custom of=20 releasing a prisoner in honor of the Jewish Passover and let = the=20 multitudes decide, but they chose a murderous criminal named = Barabbas. Finally he had Jesus scourged in hope that the = Jewish=20 Sanhedrin would feel pity.

John = 19:15-16 "But they=20 cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" = Pilate said=20 to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests = answered,=20 "We have no king but Caesar!" Then he delivered Him to them = to be=20 crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him = away."

Pilate did = not want to be=20 responsible for the death of Jesus, and he would not until = the=20 Jewish rulers threatened to report him to Caesar, which they = had=20 done before. They cried "let His blood be upon us and on our = children" (Matt 27:25) and how fearfully this was fulfilled. = (See Masada)

When all else = failed Pilate=20 washed his hands of the whole situation in the presence of = all the=20 people and turned Jesus over to his soldiers for crucifixion = and=20 ordered a sign made for Jesus' cross. The sign on the = vertical beam=20 of the cross read in Greek, Latin and Hebrew: "Jesus of = Nazareth,=20 the King of the Jews." The Sanhedrin were outraged and the = chief=20 priests came to Pilate and said:

John 19:21-23 = "Do not=20 write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'He said, "I am the King = of the=20 Jews." ' "Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have=20 written."

What = Happened to Pontius=20 Pilate?

Scripture = gives us no=20 further information concerning Pilate, but Josephus, the = Jewish=20 historian records that Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea = succeeded Gratus. According to Josephus (Ant, XVIII, iv, 2) = Pilate=20 held office in Judea for 10 years. Afterwards he was removed = from=20 office by Vitellius, the legate of Syria, and traveled in = haste to=20 Rome to defend himself before Tiberius against certain = complaints.=20 Before he reached Rome the Tiberius had died and Gaius = (Caligula)=20 was on the throne, AD 36. Josephus adds that Vitellius came = in the=20 year 36 AD to Judea to be present at Jerusalem at the time = of the=20 Passover. This would indicate that Pilate had already left = for=20 Rome.

Josephus = (Ant, XVIII, iv,=20 1, 2) gives an account of what really happened to Pontius = Pilate and=20 his removal from office. A religious fanatic arose in = Samaria who=20 promised the Samaritans that if they would assemble on Mt. = Gerizim,=20 he would show them the sacred vessels which Moses had hidden = there.=20 A great multitude of people came to the "sacred mountain" of = the=20 Samaritans ready to ascend the mountain, but before they = could they=20 were attacked by Pilate's cavalry, and many of them were=20 slaughtered. The Samaritans therefore sent an embassy to = Vitellius,=20 the legate of Syria, to accuse Pilate of murdering innocent = people.=20 Vitellius, who wanted to maintain friendship with the Jews, = removed=20 Pilate from office and appointed Marcellus in his = place.

Pilate was = ordered to go to=20 Rome and answer the charges made against him before the = emperor.=20 Pilate set out for Rome, but, before he could reach it, = Tiberius had=20 died.

From this = point onward=20 history knows nothing more of Pilate.

Tradition = and=20 Legend

Eusebius (4th = cent AD)=20 tells us (Historia Ecclesiastica, II), based on the writings = of=20 certain Greek historians, that Pilate soon afterward, = "wearied with=20 misfortunes," had killed himself. (Hist. Eccl. = 2.7.1).

Various = apocryphal writings=20 have come down to us, written from the 3rd-5th centuries AD, = giving=20 legendary details about Pontius Pilate becoming a Christian, = and his=20 wife, traditionally named Claudia Procula, was a Jewish = proselyte at=20 the time of the death of Jesus and afterward became a=20 Christian.

There are = other traditions=20 mentioned in the false Gospels (non-canonical Apocryphal = Gospels)=20 concerning Pontius Pilate.

Church = tradition portrayed=20 Pilate in very favorable terms. In the second century Gospel = of=20 Peter, Jesus is condemned not by Pilate but by Herod = Antipas.=20 Tertullian asserted that Pilate was a Christian at heart and = that he=20 wrote a letter to Tiberius to explain what had happened at = Jesus'=20 trial (Apology 21). The fourth or fifth century Gospel = of=20 Nicodemus (which contains the Acts of Pilate), does not make = Pilate=20 a Christian, but depicts him as more friendly towards Jesus = than any=20 of the canonical gospels. Pilate was soon canonized by the = Coptic=20 and Ethiopic churches.

The = Biblical=20 Comparison

The Bible = clearly mentions=20 Pontius Pilate as the Roman procurator of Judea at the time = of Jesus=20 Christ. Since this dedication stone found in Caesarea = Maritima was=20 the first inscription mentioning his actual name, and that = he indeed=20 was the Roman procurator who had made his official residence = in=20 Caesarea, the discovery of The Pilate Inscription is a = monumental=20 discovery that verifies again that the Bible is a Book of=20 history.

The Evidence of = Archaeology

The evidence = of archaeology=20 helps to give us:

1. Confidence = that the=20 places and people mentioned in the Bible are accurate, even = though=20 those places and people existed thousands of years in the=20 past.

2. Confidence = that the=20 details of the Biblical accounts have not changed over the = centuries=20 since it was written as we have a "fixed fact" in=20 history.

3. Confidence = that=20 everything that the Lord speaks will be fulfilled in its=20 time.

Isa = 46:8-10 "Remember=20 this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you=20 transgressors. Remember the former things of old, For I am = God,=20 and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like = Me,=20 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient = times=20 things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall = stand, And=20 I will do all My = pleasure,'

Written by Rusty Russell = (Bible=20 History Online)

Webmaster: rusty@bible-history.com

http://www.bible-history.com/index.htm