Pilate, Pontius

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[[Image:Eccehomo1.jpg|thumb|right|370px|''[[Ecce Homo]]'' ("Behold the Man!"), [[Antonio Ciseri|Antonio Ciseri's]] depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged [[Jesus]] to the people of [[Jerusalem]].]]
 
[[Image:Eccehomo1.jpg|thumb|right|370px|''[[Ecce Homo]]'' ("Behold the Man!"), [[Antonio Ciseri|Antonio Ciseri's]] depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged [[Jesus]] to the people of [[Jerusalem]].]]
  
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'''Pontius Pilate''' ({{pronEng|ˈpɔnʧəs ˈpaɪleɪt}}; [[Latin]]: '''Pontius Pilatus''', [[Greek language|Greek]]: {{polytonic|Πόντιος Πιλάτος}}) was the [[Roman governor|governor]] of the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[Iudaea province]] from A.D. [[26]] until [[36]]. In modern times he is best known as the man who, according to the [[Biblical canon|canonical]] [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Gospel]]s, presided over the [[Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus|trial of Jesus]] and ordered his [[crucifixion]]. Pilate's biographical details before and after his appointment to Judaea are unknown, but have been supplied by tradition, which include the detail that his wife's name was [[Saint Procula|Procula]] (she is canonized as a [[saint]] in the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]]) and competing legends of his birthplace.
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'''Pontius Pilate''' ({{pronEng|ˈpɔnʧəs ˈpaɪleɪt}}; [[Latin]]: '''Pontius Pilatus''', [[Greek language|Greek]]: {{polytonic|Πόντιος Πιλάτος}}) was the [[Roman governor|governor]] of the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[Iudaea province]] from 26 -36 C.E. He is best known as the man who, according to the [[Biblical canon|canonical]] [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Gospel]]s, presided over the trial of Jesus and ordered his [[crucifixion]]. Other details are provided by the Jewish historian Josephus, who reports him to have engaged in ruthless suppression of Jews and Samaritans when elements of these groups displayed disloyalty to Rome. After a particularly harsh action against a Samaritan messianic movement sometime after the death of Jesus, Pilate's administration came under criticism and he was recalled to Rome.
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Although sometimes portrayed sympathetically because of his reported reticence to condemn Jesus, Pilate has become emblematic of the person who “washes his hands” of responsibility rather than taking a stand for justice.
  
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==Birthplace==
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==Procurator or prefect?==
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Pilate's date and place of birth are unknown. [[Fortingall]] in [[Perthshire]], [[Scotland]]<ref>http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_fortingall.htm</ref>; Tarraco (now [[Tarragona]]) in [[Spain]], and [[Forchheim (Oberfranken)|Forchheim]] and its suburb Hausen in [[Germany]] have all developed local legends<!-- placing his origin there? —>.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The author of the ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' 1911 article noted that ''Pontius'' suggested a [[Samnite]] origin&mdash;among the Pontii&mdash;and his [[cognomen]] ''Pileatus'', if it derived from the ''pileus'' or [[Phrygian cap|cap of liberty]], descent from a [[freedman]]. He is commonly believed to be descended from [[Gaius Pontius]], a Samnite General.
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Pilate's date and place of birth are unknown. He is commonly believed to be descended from [[Gaius Pontius]], a [[Samnite]] General. Pilate's title is traditionally given as [[Promagistrate|procurator]]. The Roman historian [[Tacitus]] speaks of him as such, but the title may be anachronistic. An inscription on a limestone block&mdash;apparently a dedication to [[Tiberius Caesar Augustus]] that was discovered in 1961—refers to Pilate as "[[Prefect]] of Judea."
  
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==Titles and duties==
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[[Image:First century palestine.gif|thumb|300px|right|Iudaea Province in the first century included [[Judea]], [[Samaria]], [[Edom|Idumea]], and other smaller territories.]]  
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Pontius Pilate's title was traditionally thought to have been [[Promagistrate|procurator]].  [[Tacitus]] speaks of him as such.  However, an inscription on a limestone block &mdash; apparently a dedication to [[Tiberius Caesar Augustus]] &mdash; that was discovered in [[1961]] in the ruins of an amphitheater called [[Caesarea Maritima]] refers to Pilate as "[[Prefect]] of Judea".  [[Archaeology|Archaeologists]] believe it to be genuine and settles the argument about the historicity of Pontius Pilate. (See [[Pilate Stone]]).
 
  
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The title used by the governors of the region varied over the period of the [[New Testament]]. When [[Samaria]], [[Judea]] and [[Idumea]] were first amalgamated into the Roman [[Iudaea Province]], from [[6]] to the outbreak of the [[First Jewish Revolt]] in [[66]], officials of the [[Equestrian (Roman)|Equestrian order]] (the lower rank of governors) governed. They held the Roman title of prefect until [[Herod Agrippa I]] was named ''King of the Jews'' by [[Claudius]]. After Herod Agrippa's death in [[44]], when Judaea reverted to direct Roman rule, the governor held the title procurator.  When applied to governors, this term ''procurator'', otherwise used for financial officers, connotes no difference in rank or function from the title known as prefect.  Contemporary archaeological finds and documents such as the Pilate Inscription from Caesarea attest to the governor's more accurate official title only for the period 6 through 44: [[prefect]]. The logical conclusion is that texts that identify Pilate as procurator are more likely following Tacitus or are unaware of the pre-44 practice.
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The title used by the governors of the region varied over the period of the [[New Testament]]. [[Herod the Great]] ruled the area directly as a Roman client king until his death around 4 B.C.E. The territory he governed was split among his sons, but none of them was allowed the title of king. When [[Samaria]], [[Judea]], and [[Edom|Idumea]] were amalgamated into the Roman province of Iudaea, from 6 C.E. to the outbreak of the [[First Jewish Revolt]] in 66, officials of the [[Equestrian (Roman)|Equestrian order]] (the lower rank of governors) ruled the province on Rome’s behalf. They held the Roman title of ''prefect'' until [[Herod Agrippa I]] was named ''King of the Jews'' by [[Claudius]]. After Agrippa's death in 44 C.E., Judaea reverted to direct Roman rule. The governor then held the title ''procurator'', although the function of this office seems virtually identical with prefect.  
  
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The procurators' and prefects' primary functions were military, but as representatives of the empire they were responsible for the collection of imperial taxes,<ref>[http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/jesus/jesuskeyfigures.html law.umkc.edu]</ref> and also had limited judicial functions. Other civil administration lay in the hands of local government: the municipal councils or ethnic governments such as — in the district of Judea and Jerusalem — the [[Sanhedrin]] and its president the [[List of High Priests of Israel|High Priest]]. But the power of appointment of the High Priest resided in the Roman legate of [[Syria (Roman province)|Syria]] or the prefect of Iudaea in Pilate's day and until [[41]]. For example, [[Caiaphas]] was appointed High Priest of [[Herod's Temple]] by Prefect Valerius Gratus and deposed by Syrian Legate [[Lucius Vitellius]]. After that time and until 66, the Jewish client kings exercised this privilege. Normally, Pilate resided in Caesarea but traveled throughout the province, especially to [[Jerusalem]], in the course of performing his duties. During the [[Passover]], a festival of deep national as well as religious significance for the Jews, Pilate, as governor or prefect, would have been expected to be in Jerusalem to keep order. He would not ordinarily be visible to the throngs of worshippers because of the Jewish people's deep sensitivity to their status as a Roman province.
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The procurators' and prefects' primary functions were military, but as representatives of the empire they were also responsible for the collection of imperial taxes.<ref>[http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/jesus/jesuskeyfigures.html The Trial of Jesus: Key Figures] ''law.umkc.edu''. Retrieved May 1, 2008.</ref> They had limited judicial functions. Other civil administration lay in the hands of local government: the municipal councils or ethnic governments such as—in the district of Judea and Jerusalem—the [[Sanhedrin]] and the [[List of High Priests of Israel|high priest]]. The power to appoint the high priest, however, lay not with the Sanhedrin but with the prefect of Iudaea in Pilate's day. This conforms with the Gospel accounts of close cooperation between the high priest's group and Pilate during the trial of Jesus.
  
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Equestrians such as Pilate could not command legionary forces, and so in military situations, he would have to yield to his superior, the legate of Syria, who would descend into Palestine with his legions as necessary. As governor of Judaea, Pilate would have small auxiliary forces of locally recruited soldiers stationed regularly in Caesarea and Jerusalem, such as the [[Antonia Fortress]], and temporarily anywhere else that might require a military presence.  The total number of soldiers at his disposal numbered in the range of 3000.<ref>{{cite web | title = Administrative and military organization of Roman Palestine | url = http://www.usd.edu/erp/Palestine/administ.htm | accessdate = 2006-05-08 }}</ref>
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Normally, Pilate resided in [[Caesarea]] but traveled throughout the province, especially to [[Jerusalem]], in the course of performing his duties. During the [[Passover]], a festival of deep national, as well as religious significance for the Jews, Pilate would have been expected to be in Jerusalem to keep order. However, he would not ordinarily be visible to the throngs of worshipers because of the Jewish people's deep sensitivity to Gentile interference in their religious rites.
  
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==Pilate according to early Jewish accounts==
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As governor of Judaea, Pilate would have small auxiliary forces of locally recruited soldiers stationed regularly in Caesarea and Jerusalem, and temporarily anywhere else that might require a military presence. The total number of soldiers at his disposal numbered in the range of 3000. For larger military needs, he would be dependent on the support of his superior, the Roman legate of Syria.<ref>[http://www.usd.edu/erp/Palestine/administ.htm ''Administrative and military organization of Roman Palestine''] ''www.usd.edu''. Retrieved May 1, 2008.</ref>
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Most of the information about Pilate comes from the accounts of the first-century Jewish historian [[Josephus]] in ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'' and ''[[The Wars of the Jews]]''. Pilate is said to have displayed some empathy for [[Jew]]ish sensibilities. The two accounts in Josephus' writings of one important event may be summarised as follows:
 
  
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:On one occasion, when the soldiers under his command came to Jerusalem, he made them bring their ensigns with them, upon which were the usual images of the emperor. [[Aquila (Roman)|Roman battle standards]] were considered idolatrous by the Jews. The ensigns were brought in secretly by night, but their presence was soon discovered. Immediately multitudes of excited Jews rushed to Caesarea to petition him for the removal of the obnoxious ensigns. He ignored them for five days, but the next day he admitted the Jews to hear their complaint. He had them surrounded with soldiers and threatened them with instant death unless they ceased to trouble him with the matter. The Jews then threw themselves to the ground and bared their necks, declaring that they preferred death to the violation of their laws. Pilate, unwilling to kill so many, succumbed and removed the ensigns.<ref>Josephus, ''Wars of the Jews''[http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/josephus/war-2.htm 2.9.2-3]; ''Antiquities of the Jews'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0146&layout=&loc=18.55 18.55-59]</ref>
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Tradition holds that Pilate's wife's name was [[Saint Procula|Procula]]. She is canonized as a [[saint]] in the [[Greek Orthodox Church]] because of her reported attempt to prevent Pilate from carrying out Jesus’ crucifixion. (Mt. 27:19)
  
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[[Philo of Alexandria]] states that on one other occasion Pilate dedicated some gilded shields in the palace of [[Herod Antipas]] in honor of the emperor. On these shields there was no representation of any forbidden thing, but simply an inscription of the name of the donor and of him in whose honor they were set up. The Jews petitioned him to have them removed; when he refused, they appealed to Tiberius, who sent an order that they should be removed to Caesarea (Philo, ''Legatio ad Gaium,'', 38).
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==Pilate according to early Jewish accounts==
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[[Image:Josephus.jpg|thumb|Josephus]]
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Outside of the Gospels, most information about Pilate comes from the accounts of the first-century Jewish historian [[Josephus]] in ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'' and ''[[The Wars of the Jews]]'':
  
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Pilate is also said to have appropriated [[Herod's Temple]] funds for the construction of an [[Aqueduct (Roman)|aqueduct]]:
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:On one occasion, when the soldiers under (Pilate's) command came to [[Jerusalem]], he made them bring their ensigns with them, upon which were the usual images of the emperor. Roman battle standards were considered idolatrous by the Jews. The ensigns were brought in secretly by night, but their presence was soon discovered. Immediately multitudes of excited Jews rushed to Caesarea to petition him for the removal of the obnoxious ensigns. He ignored them for five days, but the next day he admitted the Jews to hear their complaint. He had them surrounded with soldiers and threatened them with instant death unless they ceased to trouble him with the matter. The Jews then threw themselves to the ground and bared their necks, declaring that they preferred death to the violation of their laws. Pilate, unwilling to kill so many, succumbed and removed the ensigns.<ref>Josephus, ''Wars of the Jews'' 2.9.2-3; ''Antiquities of the Jews'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0146&layout=&loc=18.55 18.55-59] ''www.perseus.tufts.edu''. Retrieved May 1, 2008.</ref>
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:At another time he used the sacred treasure of the temple, called [[corban]] (''qorban''), to pay for bringing water into Jerusalem by an aqueduct. A crowd came together and clamored against him; but he had caused soldiers dressed as civilians to mingle with the multitude, and at a given signal they fell upon the rioters and beat them so severely with staves that the riot was quelled (Josephus, ''Jewish War'' 2.175–177; ''Ant.'' 18.60–62).
 
  
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Pilate may possibly have responded so harshly to the unrest because, due to political machinations, the powerful neighbouring Roman province of Syria was unable to provide him military support.{{fact|date=November 2007}}
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Pilate is also said to have appropriated [[Temple of Jerusalem|Temple]] funds for the construction of an [[Aqueduct (Roman)|aqueduct]]:
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:At another time he used the sacred treasure of the Temple, called [[corban]] ''(qorban)'', to pay for bringing water into Jerusalem by an aqueduct. A crowd came together and clamored against him; but he had caused soldiers dressed as civilians to mingle with the multitude, and at a given signal they fell upon the rioters and beat them so severely with staves that the riot was quelled. (Josephus, ''Jewish War'' 2.175–177; ''Ant.'' 18.60–62)
  
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Shortly after the account of this episode, the ''Antiquities of the Jews'' 18.63-64, a heavily disputed passage known as the ''[[Testimonium Flavianum]]'' and which many scholars think was interpolated, states that, "about this time", Pilate ordered the crucifixion of someone called "Jesus", whom the author identifies as "the [[Christ]]" (i.e. the [[Messiah]]), after whom "the tribe of Christians" were named.
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Pilate is also mentioned in the ''[[Testimonium Flavianum]]''—contained in manuscripts of Josephus’ works but believed by most scholars today to be a later addition—which states that Pilate ordered the crucifixion of "Jesus," whom the writer identifies as "the [[Christ]]." The passage is considered suspicious because Jesus is mentioned nowhere else in Josephus' writings, which would be highly unlikely if the author indeed thought him to be the [[Messiah]].
  
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In approximately 36, Pilate used arrests and executions to quash what appears to have been a [[Samaritan]] religious procession in arms that may have been interpreted as an uprising.<ref>Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'', 18:85</ref> Pilate's behaviour was so offensive to the morals of the time that, after complaints to the Roman legate of Syria, Pilate was recalled to [[Rome]], where he disappears from historic record. Pilate's supposed suicide{{fact|date=November 2007}} is merely a legend, and not derived from any historical account.
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In approximately 36 C.E., several years after the crucifixion of Jesus, Pilate moved ruthlessly to quash what appears to have been an armed [[Samaritan]] religious procession that he apparently saw as a messianic uprising.<ref>Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'', 18:85</ref> Many Samaritan lives were lost in the process, and Pilate's behavior was considered much too harsh. After complaints to the Roman legate of Syria, Pilate was recalled to [[Rome]], where he disappears from historic record.
  
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==The "Pilate Inscription" or "Pilate Stone" from Caesarea==
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==Pilate in the Gospel accounts==
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[[Image:Pilate-inscription 03.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Limestone block discovered in 1961 with Pilate's tribute in Latin to [[Tiberius]]. The words <small>[...]TIVS PILATV[...]</small> can be clearly seen on the second line.]]
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[[Image:Munkacsy - christ before pilate.jpg|thumb|350px|''Christ before Pilate'', [[Mihály Munkácsy]], 1881]]
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Luke 13 refers to "Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices." Although the reference is not specific, it could relate to the suppression of demonstrations such as those mentioned in Josephus, above.
  
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The first physical evidence relating to Pilate was discovered in [[1961]], when [[Pilate Stone|a block of black limestone]] was found in the Roman theatre at [[Caesarea Maritima]], the capital of the province of [[Iudaea (Roman province)|Iudaea]], bearing a damaged dedication by Pilate of a ''Tiberieum''.<ref>The word ''Tiberieum'' is otherwise unknown: some scholars speculate that it was some kind of structure, perhaps a temple, built to honor the emperor [[Tiberius]].</ref> This dedication states that he was <small>[...]ECTVS IUDA[...]</small> (usually read as ''praefectus iudaeae''), that is, ''prefect/governor'' of Iudaea. The early governors of Iudaea were of prefect rank, the later were of procurator rank, beginning with [[Cuspius Fadus]] in 44.
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Pilate is best known, however, for his role in the condemnation and [[crucifixion]] of Jesus. According to the [[Biblical canon|canonical]] Gospels, Pilate presided at one of the trials of Jesus, who was brought to him by the high priest and other Jewish leaders who had arrested Jesus and questioned him at a private residence during the night. Despite stating that he personally found him not guilty of a crime meriting death, Pilate ordered Jesus' crucifixion.
  
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The inscription is currently housed in the [[Israel Museum]] in [[Jerusalem]], where its Inventory number is AE 1963 no. 104. Dated to 26–37, it was discovered in [[Caesarea (Israel)]] by a group led by Antonio Frova.
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The Gospels differ in their reports about Pilate’s precise role in the drama. In Mark, Pilate’s main question to Jesus was whether he considered himself to be the ''King of the Jews'', and thus a political threat ({{bibleverse||Mark|15:2|NIV}}). In Luke’s version, Temple authorities had decided that he was guilty of blasphemy, but brought him to Pilate to accuse him further of sedition against Rome. The [[Gospel of Luke]] alone reports that Pilate handed Jesus over to the jurisdiction of [[Herod Antipas]] for judgment on the grounds that Jesus was a Galilean and thus under Antipas' jurisdiction.  
  
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==Modern Descendants==
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All four Gospels agree that it had been a tradition of the Romans to release a Jewish prisoner at the time of the [[Passover]]. Pilate offers the crowd the choice of releasing either Jesus or an insurrectionist named [[Barabbas]]. The crowd states that it wishes to save Barabbas. Accordingly, Pilate condemns Jesus to crucifixion. The [[Gospel of Matthew]] adds that before condemning Jesus to death, Pilate washes his hands with water in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood." (27:24) In John's Gospel, he becomes a kind of philosopher, asking Jesus "what is truth?" before declaring he sees no basis for a charge against him. (John 18:38)
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There is a family in Southern Italy, named Pilato, that claim to be descended or related to Pilate. Also several people in France, which had a huge Roman population, and Greece, which too had a huge latin population after Constantine.
 
  
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==Pilate in the canonical Gospel accounts==
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Pilate nevertheless had Jesus publicly flogged and then executed by crucifixion as a traitor to Rome. John 19 reports that Pilate was concerned that if he let Jesus go, his reputation in Rome would suffer. He thus "had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross" as a example for other would-be messiahs and their followers. It read: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."
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[[Image:Munkacsy - christ before pilate.jpg|thumb|300px|''Christ before Pilate'', [[Mihály Munkácsy]], 1881]]
 
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According to the [[Biblical canon|canonical]] Christian Gospels, Pilate presided at the trial of Jesus and, despite stating that he personally found him not guilty of a crime meriting death, handed him over to crucifixion. Pilate is thus a pivotal character in the [[New Testament]] accounts of Jesus.  
 
  
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According to the New Testament, Jesus was brought to Pilate by the [[Sanhedrin]], who had arrested Jesus, and questioned him themselves. The Sanhedrin had, according to the Gospels, only been given answers by Jesus that they considered blasphemous.  The [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2023:1-2&version=31 Gospel of Luke] records that members of the Sanhedrin then took Jesus before Pilate where they accused him of sedition against Rome by opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar and calling himself a king.  Pilate's main question to Jesus was whether he considered himself to be the ''King of the Jews'', and thus a political threat. {{bibleverse||Mark|15:2|NIV}} in the [[NIV]] translation states: "Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. However, that is a debatable translation of {{polytonic|«ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτῶ λέγει, σὺ λέγεις»}}. The [[KJV]] has Jesus' reply as: "Thou sayest it"; the [[NRSV]] has: "You say so"; the [[Jesus Seminar]]'s ''Scholars Version'' has: "If you say so."
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Matthew 27 reports that Pilate turned Jesus' body over to [[Joseph of Arimathea]]—a wealthy man who was a disciple of Jesus and is identified in Mark 15:43 as a member of the Sanhedrin—for burial.  
  
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The [[Gospel of Luke]] also reports that such questions were asked of Jesus, in Luke's case it being the priests that repeatedly accuse him, though Luke states that Jesus remained silent to such inquisition, causing Pilate to hand Jesus over to the jurisdiction ([[Galilee]]) of [[Herod Antipas]]. Although initially excited at meeting Jesus, about whom he had heard, Luke states that Herod ended up mocking Jesus and so sent him back to Pilate. This intermediate episode with Herod is not reported by the other Gospels, which appear to present a continuous and singular trial in front of Pilate.
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[[Image:Jesus and Pilatos by Santiago Martinez Delgado.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Jesus at the hands of Pilate, oil on Canvas- Cucuta Cathedral Colombia by Master [[Santiago Martinez Delgado]] ]]
  
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Unlike the [[synoptic gospels]], the [[Gospel of John]] states that Jesus said to Pilate that he is a king and "came into the world ... to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice", to which Pilate famously replied, "[[What is truth?]]" ({{bibleverse||John|18:38|NIV}})
 
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In a volume of [[Believe It or Not]], [[Robert Ripley|Ripley]] quotes Pilate speaking in [[Latin]], "QUID EST VERITAS?" ("What is truth?") and adds that an [[anagram]] of this is "EST VIR QUI ADEST"—"It is the man who stands before you."
 
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The Synoptic Gospels and John then state that it had been a tradition of the Jews to release a prisoner at the time of the [[Passover]]. Pilate offers them the choice of an insurrectionist named [[Barabbas]] or Jesus, somewhat confusing because Barabbas had the full name Jesus Barabbas, and ''Barabbas'' (''bar-Abbas'') means ''Son of the Father'', so the crowd had been given the choice of ''Jesus Son of the Father'' or ''Jesus''. The crowd states that they wish to save Barabbas (i.e., ''Jesus Son of the Father''). According to the Synoptics, Pilate is aware that the priests had handed Jesus over because they considered him a threat, but Pilate himself does not feel that Jesus is any threat to the Roman Empire and, upholding a Roman tradition of sparing ''the subjugated'', asserts that Jesus is innocent of the charges.
 
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Pilate is forced to condemn Jesus to crucifixion, due to the pressure of the crowd, who according to the Synoptics had been coached to shout against Jesus by the [[Pharisees]] and [[Sadducees]]. The [[Gospel of Matthew]] adds that before condemning Jesus to death, Pilate washes his hands with water in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; you will see".
 
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[[Image:Jesus and Pilatos by Santiago Martinez Delgado.jpg|thumb|right|Jesus at the hands of Pilate, oil on Canvas- Cucuta Cathedral Colombia by Master [[Santiago Martinez Delgado]] ]]
 
 
===Responsibility for Jesus' death===
 
===Responsibility for Jesus' death===
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In all New Testament accounts, Pilate hesitates to condemn Jesus until the crowd insists. Some have suggested that this may have been an effort by [[Early Christian]] polemicists to curry favor with Rome by placing the blame for Jesus' execution on the Jews. {{Fact|date=November 2007}} Yet Pilate's ability to be swayed by the crowd and his subsequent unjust decision to execute the innocent man hardly seem complimentary of Rome. So perhaps to save face, he "washed his hands", said that his death was not on his hands, and let the crowd decide.
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In all [[New Testament]] accounts, Pilate hesitates to condemn Jesus but orders his death after the crowd insists. John 19:12 reports: "Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, 'If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.'" A number of modern scholars, Christian and secular alike, have suggested that this part of the story may have been an effort by early Christian writers to distance themselves from the Jews, who themselves had rebelled against Rome around the time of the Gospels’ writing.  
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Roman magistrates had wide discretion in executing their tasks, and some readers question whether Pilate would have been so captive to the demands of the crowd (Miller, 49–50). (And see, Nettervile, "''Jesus'', etc pp. 22-23)<ref>[http://www.jesus-on-taxes.com/Page2.html jesus-on-taxes.com]</ref> Summarily executing someone to calm the situation would, however, have been a tool a Roman governor could have used, and Pilate's reputation for cruelty and violence in secular accounts of the era makes it quite plausible he would have had no hesitation in using this tool.  
 
  
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With the [[Edict of Milan]] in AD 313, the state-sponsored [[persecution of Christians]] came to an end, and Christianity became officially tolerated as one of the religions of the Roman Empire. Afterward, in AD 325 the [[First Council of Nicaea|First Ecumenical Council]] at Nicaea promulgated a creed which was amended at the subsequent [[First Council of Constantinople]] in 381. The [[Nicene Creed]] incorporated for the first time the clause ''was crucified under Pontius Pilate'' (which had already  been long established in the [[Old Roman Symbol]], an ancient form of the [[Apostles' Creed]] dating as far back as the 2nd century AD) in a creed that was intended to be authoritative for all Christians in the Roman Empire. The main reason for this clause was to state the belief in Jesus as a real person, living in a precise moment and place, that is [[Historicity of Jesus|a historical Jesus]]. It is less clear that it was intended to implicate Pilate in Jesus' death. In modern times Western traditions regard Pilate as guilty, but those of [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodoxy]] argue that he was clearly exonerated, and did all that he could to release Jesus. {{Fact|date=November 2007}}
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Nevertheless, in 325 C.E. the [[Nicene Creed]] incorporated the clause “crucified under Pontius Pilate" in a statement of faith that was intended to be authoritative for all Christians in the Roman Empire.
  
 
==Pilate in the Apocrypha==
 
==Pilate in the Apocrypha==
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Little enough is known about Pilate, but mythology has filled the gap. A body of fiction built up around the dramatic figure of Pontius Pilate, about whom the Christian faithful hungered to learn more than the canonical gospels revealed. [[Eusebius]] (''Historia Ecclesiae'' ii: 7) quotes some early apocryphal accounts that he does not name, which already relate that Pilate fell under misfortunes in the reign of [[Caligula]] (AD 37–41), was exiled to [[Gaul]] and eventually committed suicide there in [[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]].
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[[Image:What is.jpg|thumb|200px|Pilate as philosopher: "What is truth?"]]
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A body of legend has grown up around the figure of Pontius Pilate. The fragmentary apocryphal [[Gospel of Peter]] exonerates Pilate of responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus, placing the blame squarely on [[Herod Antipas]] and the Jews. The fourth century [[apocryphal]] text known as the ''[[Acts of Pilate]]'' gained wide circulation in the [[Middle Ages]], when it was also known as the Gospel of Nicodemus. Its first section (1–11) contains a fanciful and dramatic account of the trial of Jesus, based upon {{bibleverse||Luke|23}}. The [[Ethiopian Church]] recognized Pilate as a saint in the sixth century, based on the account in the ''Acts of Pilate''.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12083c.htm ''Pontius Pilate'' from the Catholic Encyclopedia] Retrieved May 1, 2008.</ref> A letter purportedly from Pilate to the Emperor Claudius can be found in the apocryphal ''[[Acts of Peter and Paul]]''.
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Other details come from less respectable sources. His body, says the ''Mors Pilati'' ("Death of Pilate"), was thrown first into the [[Tiber]], but the waters were so disturbed by evil spirits that the body was taken to Vienne and sunk in the [[Rhône River|Rhône]]: a monument at Vienne, called Pilate's tomb, is still to be seen. As the waters of the Rhone likewise rejected Pilate's corpse, it was again removed and sunk in the lake at [[Lausanne]]. The sequence was a simple way to harmonise conflicting local traditions.
 
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The corpse's final disposition was in a deep and lonely mountain tarn, which, according to later tradition, was on a mountain, still called [[Mount Pilatus|Pilatus]] (actually ''pileatus'' or "cloud capped"), overlooking [[Lucerne]]. Every [[Good Friday]], the body is said to reemerge from the waters and wash its hands. 
 
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There are many other legends about Pilate in the folklore of Germany, particularly about his birth, according to which Pilate was born in the Franconian city of [[Forchheim (Oberfranken)|Forchheim]] or the small village of [[Hausen]] only 5 km away from it. His death was (unusually) dramatised in a medieval mystery play cycle from Cornwall, the Cornish ''Ordinalia''.
 
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Pilate's role in the events leading to the crucifixion lent themselves to melodrama, even tragedy, and Pilate often has a role in medieval [[mystery play]]s.
 
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In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], [[Claudia Procula]] is commemorated as a saint, but not Pilate, because in the Gospel accounts Claudia urged Pilate to have nothing to do with Jesus. In some Eastern Orthodox traditions, Pilate committed suicide out of remorse for having sentenced Jesus to death.
 
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===''Gospel of Peter''===
 
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{{main|Gospel of Peter}}
 
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The fragmentary apocryphal [[Gospel of Peter]] exonerates Pilate of responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus, placing it instead on [[Herod Antipas|Herod]] and the Jews, who unlike Pilate refuse to "wash their hands".  After the soldiers see three men and a cross miraculously walking out of the tomb they report to Pilate who reiterates his innocence: "I am pure from the blood of the Son of God".  He then commands the soldiers not to tell anyone what they have seen so that they would not "fall into the hands of the people of the Jews and be stoned".
 
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===''Acts of Pilate''===
 
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{{main|Acts of Pilate}}
 
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The 4th century [[apocryphal]] text that is called the ''[[Acts of Pilate]]'' presents itself in a preface (missing in some MSS) as derived from the official acts preserved in the ''[[praetorium]]'' at Jerusalem. Though the alleged Hebrew original of the document is attributed to [[Nicodemus]], the title ''Gospel of Nicodemus'' for this fictional account only appeared in mediaeval times, after the document had been substantially elaborated. Nothing in the text suggests that it is in fact a translation from Hebrew or Aramaic.
 
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This text gained wide credit in the [[Middle Ages]], and has considerably affected the legends surrounding the events of the crucifixion, which, taken together, are called the [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion]].  Its popularity is attested by the number of languages in which it exists, each of these being represented by two or more variant "editions": Greek (the original), Coptic, Armenian and Latin versions. The Latin versions were printed several times in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
 
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One class of the Latin manuscripts contain as an appendix or continuation, the ''Cura Sanitatis Tiberii'', the oldest form of the  [[Saint Veronica|Veronica]] legend.
 
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The ''Acts of Pilate'' consist of three sections, whose styles reveal three authors, writing at three different times.
 
−
*The first section (1–11) contains a fanciful and dramatic circumstantial account of the trial of Jesus, based upon {{bibleverse||Luke|23}}.  
 
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*The second part (12–16) regards the [[Resurrection]].
 
−
*An appendix, detailing the ''Descensus ad Infernos'' was added to the Greek text. This legend of a ''[[Harrowing of Hell]]'' has chiefly flourished in Latin, and was translated into many European versions. It doesn't exist in the eastern versions, Syriac and Armenian, that derive directly from Greek versions. In it, Leucius and Charinus, the two souls raised from the dead after the Crucifixion, relate to the [[Sanhedrin]] the circumstances of Christ's descent to [[Limbo]]. ([[Leucius Charinus]] is the traditional name to which many late apocryphal ''Acta'' of Apostles is attached.)
 
  
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[[Eusebius]] (325), although he mentions an ''Acta Pilati'' that had been referred to by [[Justin]] and [[Tertullian]] and other pseudo-Acts of this kind, shows no acquaintance with this work.  Almost surely it is of later origin, and scholars agree in assigning it to the middle of the 4th century.  [[Epiphanius]] refers to an ''Acta Pilati'' similar to this, as early as 376, but there are indications that the current Greek text, the earliest extant form, is a revision of an earlier one.
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[[Eusebius]] (''Historia Ecclesiae'' ii: 7) quotes some early apocryphal accounts which relate that Pilate fell under misfortunes in the reign of [[Caligula]] (37–41 C.E.), was exiled to [[Gaul]], and eventually committed [[suicide]] there in [[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]].
  
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Justin the Martyr - The First and Second Apology of Justin
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The ''Mors Pilati'' ("Death of Pilate") legend treats Pilate as a villain. The narrative begins with an illness of Tiberius, who sends to Judea to find Christ, who can bring about a cure. Pilate hides the fact that Christ has been crucified and asks for a delay. Tiberius’ messenger, however, encounters [[Saint Veronica]], who informs him of the truth and sends him back to Rome with her kerchief, which heals Tiberius. The emperor then summons Pilate for punishment, but Pilate appears, before him in the very robe of the Christ and Tiberius' heart is softened. Once Pilate removes the garment, however, he is immediately executed. The ''Mors Pilati'' ("Death of Pilate") relates that his body was thrown first into the [[Tiber]], but the waters were so disturbed by evil spirits that the body was taken to Vienne and sunk in the [[Rhône River|Rhône]]. A monument at Vienne, called Pilate's tomb, is still to be seen. As the waters of the Rhone likewise rejected Pilate's corpse, it was reported removed again and sunk in the lake at [[Lausanne]]. The corpse's final disposition was supposedly in a deep and lonely mountain pool overlooking [[Lucerne]]. Every [[Good Friday]], the body is said to reemerge from the waters and wash its hands.  
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Chapter 35-"And that these things did happen, you can ascertain from the Acts of Pontius Pilate."
 
  
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The Apology letters were written and addressed by name to the Roman Emperor Pius and the Roman Governor Urbicus. All three of these men lived between AD 138-161.
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Pilate often has a role in medieval [[mystery play]]s. In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], Pilate’s wife, [[Claudia Procula]] is commemorated as a saint, because in the Gospel accounts she urged Pilate against convicting Jesus. In some Eastern Orthodox traditions, Pilate committed suicide out of remorse for having sentenced Jesus to death.
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===Minor Pilate literature===
 
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There is a [[pseudepigrapha]] letter reporting on the crucifixion, purporting to have been sent by Pontius Pilate to the Emperor Claudius, embodied in the pseudepigrapha known as the ''[[Acts of Peter and Paul]]'', of which the ''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]''  states, "This composition is clearly apocryphal though unexpectedly brief and restrained." There is no internal relation between this feigned letter and the 4th-century ''[[Acts of Pilate]]'' (''Acta Pilati'').   
 
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This Epistle or Report of Pilate is also inserted into the [[Pseudo-Marcellus]]  ''[[Passio sanctorum Petri et Pauli]]'' ("Passion of Peter and Paul"). We thus have it in both Greek and Latin versions.
 
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The ''Mors Pilati'' ("Death of Pilate") legend is a Latin tradition, thus treating Pilate as a monster, not a saint; it is attached usually to the more sympathetic ''[[Gospel of Nicodemus]]'' of Greek origin. The narrative of the ''Mors Pilati'' set of manuscripts is set in motion by an illness of Tiberius, who sends Volusanius to Judea to fetch the Christ for a cure. In Judea Pilate covers for the fact that Christ has been crucified, and asks for a delay. But Volusanius encounters [[Saint Veronica|Veronica]] who informs him of the truth but sends him back to Rome with her ''Veronica'' of Christ's face on her kerchief, which heals Tiberius. Tiberius then calls for Pontius Pilate, but when Pilate appears, he is wearing the seamless robe of the Christ and Tiberius' heart is softened, but only until Pilate is induced to doff the garment, whereupon he is treated to a ghastly execution. His body, when thrown into the Tiber, however, raises such storm demons that it is sent to Vienne ([[Gehenna|via gehennae]]) in France and thrown to the Rhone. That river's spirits reject it too, and the body is driven east into "Losania", where it is plunged in the bay of the lake near [[Lucerne]], near Mont Pilatus &mdash; originally ''Mons Pileatus'' or "cloud-capped", as [[John Ruskin]] pointed out in ''Modern Painters'' &mdash;  whence the uncorrupting corpse rises every Good Friday to sit on the bank and wash unavailing hands.
 
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This version combined with anecdotes of Pilate's wicked early life were incorporated in [[Jacobus de Voragine]]'s ''[[Golden Legend]]'', which ensured a wide circulation for it in the later Middle Ages. Other legendary versions of Pilate death exist: [[Antoine de la Sale]] reported from a travel in central [[Italy]] on some local traditions asserting that after the death the body of Pontius Pilate was driven until a little lake near [[Vettore Peak]] (2478 m in [[Sibillini Mounts]] ) and plunged in. The lake, today, is still named [[Lago di Pilato]].
 
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In the Cornish cycle of [[mystery play]]s, the "death of Pilate" forms a dramatic scene in the ''Resurrexio Domini'' cycle. More of Pilate's fictional correspondence is found in the minor Pilate apocrypha, the ''Anaphora Pilati'' (''Relation of Pilate''), an ''Epistle of Herod to Pilate'', and an ''Epistle of Pilate to Herod'', spurious texts that are no older than the 5th century.
 
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==Veneration==
 
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{{Infobox Saint
 
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|name= Pontius Pilate
 
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|birth_date= Unknown
 
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|death_date= Unknown
 
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|feast_day=June 25
 
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|venerated_in=[[Ethiopian Orthodox Church]]
 
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|image=
 
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|imagesize=
 
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|titles=
 
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|beatified_date=
 
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|beatified_place=
 
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|beatified_by=
 
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|canonized_date=6th Century
 
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|canonized_place=
 
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|canonized_by=
 
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|attributes=
 
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|suppressed_date=
 
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}}
 
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The [[Ethiopian Church]] recognized Pilate as a saint in the sixth century, based on the account in the ''[[Acts of Pilate]]''.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12083c.htm ''Pontius Pilate'' from the Catholic Encyclopedia]</ref>
 
  
 
==Pilate in later fiction==
 
==Pilate in later fiction==
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Plays and movies dealing with life of Jesus Christ often include the character of Pontius Pilate due to the central role he played in the final days of Christ's life. Authors have also found reason to make Pilate a main character and fill in unknown details of his life. Pilate has been interpreted in a number of different ways.  At times he was portrayed as a weak and harried bureaucrat.  Some portrayals show Pilate as a hard governor who ruled with an iron fist. Also, some authors have portrayed Pilate as a man who sees clearly how the story of Jesus will affect human history. Other writers have portrayed a Pilate oblivious to the significance of the Galilean he condemns to death.
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Plays and movies dealing with life of Jesus Christ often include the character of Pontius Pilate. His character is variously portrayed. For example, in the classic work of the Russian writer [[Mikhail Bulgakov]], ''[[The Master and Margarita]]'', he serves allegorically as a model of the people who "washed their hands" by silently or actively condoning the crimes of [[Joseph Stalin]]. A similar reference is found in the [[Rolling Stones]]' song [[Sympathy for the Devil]] in the verse:
 +
''"Made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands, and sealed his (Christ’s) fate"''.  
  
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In the Vestibule of [[Hell]] in [[Dante]]'s ''[[The Divine Comedy|Divine Comedy]]'', a figure is seen "who made the great refusal". This is interpreted to be either Pontius Pilate or [[Pope Celestine V]].
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The imperial bureaucrat has retired to [[Sicily]] to become a gentleman farmer in the [[Anatole France]] short story "The Procurator of Judea’’.
  
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A ruthless, but human and complex, Pontius Pilate is portrayed in the classic work of [[Mikhail Bulgakov]], ''[[The Master and Margarita]]''. In it he exemplifies the statement "Cowardice is the worst of vices" and, thus, serves a model, in an allegorical interpretation of the work, of all the people who "washed their hands" by silently or actively agreeing with the crimes of [[Joseph Stalin]].
+
Notable figures who have played Pontius Pilate in various dramas include [[Telly Savalas]] ''([[The Greatest Story Ever Told]])'', [[Rod Steiger]] ''([[Jesus of Nazareth (movie)|Jesus of Nazareth]])'', [[Hurd Hatfield]] ''([[King of Kings (1961 film)|King of Kings]])'', [[Frank Thring]] ''([[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]])'', [[Richard Boone]] ''([[The Robe (film)|The Robe]])'', [[Gary Oldman]] ''([[Jesus (1999 film)|Jesus]])'', and [[Arthur Kennedy]] ''([[Barabbas (1962 film)|Barabbas]])''. [[Bulgaria]]n actor [[Hristo Naumov Shopov]] portrayed Pilate in [[Mel Gibson]]'s ''[[The Passion of The Christ]]'', while British musician [[David Bowie]] played the character in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s controversial ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ]]''. [[Jean Gabin]] portrayed Pilate in the 1935 [[France|French]] film ''[[Golgotha (1935 film)|Golgotha]]''. [[Barry Dennen]] played the harried, hesitant version of Pilate in both the [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] and film versions of ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]''.
  
−
This is referenced in The [[Rolling Stones]]' song [[Sympathy for the Devil]] in the verse:
+
==Notes==
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''"I was around when Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain, Made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands, and sealed his fate"''.  The book and the man is also referred to in the [[Pearl Jam]] track ''Pilate''.
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{{reflist}}
  
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Pilate appears in two stories in [[Karel Čapek]]'s collection ''Apocryphal Tales''. In "Pilate's Evening" the weary governor wonders why Jesus' friends and relatives did not come to try and save him, and wishes that they had. "Pilate's Creed" features a dialogue between Pilate and [[Joseph of Arimathea]]. Their argument reflects the conflict between [[scepticism|sceptical]] [[humanism]] (Pilate's famous "What is truth?") and [[religion|religious]] certainty (Joseph's reply, "The truth in which I believe").
 
−
 
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In ''The Flame and the Wind'', a novel by [[John Blackburn (author)|John Blackburn]], the aged Pilate is wracked by guilt over Jesus' death and directs his heir to find out if Jesus was really the [[son of God]]. The imperial bureaucrat has retired to [[Sicily]] to become a gentleman farmer in the [[Anatole France]] short story "The Procurator of Judea", and [[Netherlands|Dutch]] writer [[Simon Vestdijk]]'s 1938 novel ''[[De nadagen van Pilatus]]'' (''The Last Days of Pilate'') presents an account of Pilate's life after the crucifixion. [[Ann Wroe]]'s ''Pontius Pilate: The Biography of an Invented Man'' is an attempt to provide the obscure official with a biography suitable to the man who is so influential to the Christian story; the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] debuted a performance piece called ''The Pilate Workshop'' in the summer of 2004, which attempts to cast Wroe's research in the form of a mystery play.
 
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−
Notable figures who have played Pontius Pilate in various dramas include [[Telly Savalas]] (''[[The Greatest Story Ever Told]]''), [[Rod Steiger]] (''[[Jesus of Nazareth (movie)|Jesus of Nazareth]]''), [[Hurd Hatfield]] (''[[King of Kings (1961 film)|King of Kings]]''), [[Frank Thring]] (''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]''), [[Richard Boone]] (''[[The Robe (film)|The Robe]]''), [[Gary Oldman]] (''[[Jesus (1999 film)|Jesus]]''), and [[Arthur Kennedy]]  (''[[Barabbas (1962 film)|Barabbas]]''). [[Bulgaria]]n actor [[Hristo Naumov Shopov]] portrayed Pilate in [[Mel Gibson]]'s ''[[The Passion of The Christ]]'', while British musician [[David Bowie]] played the character somewhat sympathetically in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s controversial ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ]]''. [[Jean Gabin]] portrayed Pilate in the [[1935]] [[France|French]] film ''[[Golgotha (1935 film)|Golgotha]]''.
 
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[[Image:Biggus.jpg|frame|right|Pontius Pilate (center), portrayed by [[Michael Palin]] in ''[[Monty Python’s Life of Brian]]''.]]
 
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In the [[Monty Python]] film ''[[Life of Brian]]'', [[Michael Palin]] plays a [[comedy|comical]] Pilate who cannot pronounce the letter ''R'' ([[rhotacism]]) and is a close "fwiend" of Roman legion commander [[Biggus Dickus]]. This comically explains why the people demanded the release of "Woger" (Roger) and "Wodewick" (Roderick) over that of Jesus—they wanted to hear his speech impediment at work.
 
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[[Barry Dennen]] played the harried, hesitant version of Pilate in both the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and film versions of ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]''.
 
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Pilate is mentioned in the theme song for [[Marvel Comics]]' [[Nextwave]] series in a list of enemies, along with a monster, a pirate, an electric emu, a giant sky-rat, and a midget [[Hitler]].
 
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
The references to Pilate, outside the New Testament:
 
The references to Pilate, outside the New Testament:
−
*[[Josephus]], ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'' 18.35, 55-64, 85-89, 177; ''[[The Wars of the Jews]]'' 2.169-177;
+
* [[Josephus]], ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'' 18.35, 55-64, 85-89, 177; ''[[The Wars of the Jews]]'' 2.169-177;
−
*[[Philo]], ''Legatio ad Gaium'' (''Embassy to Gaius'') 38;  
+
* [[Philo]], ''Legatio ad Gaium'' ''(Embassy to Gaius)'' 38;  
−
*[[Tacitus]], ''[[Annals (Tacitus)|Annals]]'' 15.44.
+
* [[Tacitus]], ''[[Annals (Tacitus)|Annals]]'' 15.44.
−
{{reflist}}
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
* [http://www.bible-history.com/empires/pilate.html Pilate in history; the Tiberieum dedication block]
+
All links retrieved November 24, 2022.
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* [http://www.usd.edu/erp/Palestine/administ.htm The Administrative and Military Organization of Roman-occupied Palestine]
+
 
−
* [http://www.livius.org/pi-pm/pilate/pilate01.htm Pontius Pilate] Texts and Jona Lendering's discussion of all sources
+
* [http://www.bible-history.com/empires/pilate.html Pilate in history; the Tiberieum dedication block] ''www.bible-history.com''
−
* [http://virtualreligion.net/iho/pilate.html fresh translation] of texts and [http://virtualreligion.net/iho/pilate_2.html analysis] of evidence by Mahlon H. Smith
+
* [http://virtualreligion.net/iho/pilate.html Fresh translation] of texts and [http://virtualreligion.net/iho/pilate_2.html analysis of evidence by Mahlon H. Smith] ''virtualreligion.net''
−
*[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=312&letter=P&search=Pilate Jewish Encyclopedia: Pilate, Pontius]
+
*[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=312&letter=P&search=Pilate Jewish Encyclopedia: Pilate, Pontius] ''jewishencyclopedia.com''
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*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12083c.htm Catholic Encyclopedia (1911): Pontius Pilate]
+
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12083c.htm Catholic Encyclopedia (1911): Pontius Pilate] ''www.newadvent.org''
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*[http://www.1911ency.org/P/PI/PILATE_PONTIUS.htm ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' 1911:] "Pontius pilate"
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*[http://www.batz-hausen.de/pilateng.htm The Hausen Legend of Pontius Pilate] ''www.batz-hausen.de''
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*[http://www.batz-hausen.de/pilateng.htm The Hausen Legend of Pontius Pilate]
 
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*[http://www.celt.dias.ie/publications/celtica/c23/c23-211.pdf Brian Murdoch, "The ''Mors Pilati'' in the Cornish ''Resurrexio Domini'']
 
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*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/lent_talks/scripts/douglashurd.html Fictional Memoires of Pontius Pilate - at BBC Radio 4 by Douglas Hurd]
 
  
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{{succession box |
 
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  before=[[Valerius Gratus]] |
 
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  title=[[List of Kings of Judea#Roman Prefects and Procurators of Iudaea Province, 6-132 C.E.|Prefect]] of [[Iudaea Province|Iudaea]] |
 
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  years=26&ndash;36 |
 
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  after=[[Marcellus, Procurator of Judea|Marcellus]]
 
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[[Category: Religion]]
 
[[Category: Religion]]
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[[Category: History]]
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{{Credits|Pontius_Pilate|179325265}}

Latest revision as of 20:06, 9 April 2023

Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man!"), Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem.

Pontius Pilate (pronounced /ˈpɔnʧəs ˈpaɪleɪt/; Latin: Pontius Pilatus, Greek: Πόντιος Πιλάτος) was the governor of the Roman Iudaea province from 26 -36 C.E. He is best known as the man who, according to the canonical Christian Gospels, presided over the trial of Jesus and ordered his crucifixion. Other details are provided by the Jewish historian Josephus, who reports him to have engaged in ruthless suppression of Jews and Samaritans when elements of these groups displayed disloyalty to Rome. After a particularly harsh action against a Samaritan messianic movement sometime after the death of Jesus, Pilate's administration came under criticism and he was recalled to Rome.

Although sometimes portrayed sympathetically because of his reported reticence to condemn Jesus, Pilate has become emblematic of the person who “washes his hands” of responsibility rather than taking a stand for justice.

Procurator or prefect?

Pilate's date and place of birth are unknown. He is commonly believed to be descended from Gaius Pontius, a Samnite General. Pilate's title is traditionally given as procurator. The Roman historian Tacitus speaks of him as such, but the title may be anachronistic. An inscription on a limestone block—apparently a dedication to Tiberius Caesar Augustus that was discovered in 1961—refers to Pilate as "Prefect of Judea."

Iudaea Province in the first century included Judea, Samaria, Idumea, and other smaller territories.

The title used by the governors of the region varied over the period of the New Testament. Herod the Great ruled the area directly as a Roman client king until his death around 4 B.C.E. The territory he governed was split among his sons, but none of them was allowed the title of king. When Samaria, Judea, and Idumea were amalgamated into the Roman province of Iudaea, from 6 C.E. to the outbreak of the First Jewish Revolt in 66, officials of the Equestrian order (the lower rank of governors) ruled the province on Rome’s behalf. They held the Roman title of prefect until Herod Agrippa I was named King of the Jews by Claudius. After Agrippa's death in 44 C.E., Judaea reverted to direct Roman rule. The governor then held the title procurator, although the function of this office seems virtually identical with prefect.

The procurators' and prefects' primary functions were military, but as representatives of the empire they were also responsible for the collection of imperial taxes.[1] They had limited judicial functions. Other civil administration lay in the hands of local government: the municipal councils or ethnic governments such as—in the district of Judea and Jerusalem—the Sanhedrin and the high priest. The power to appoint the high priest, however, lay not with the Sanhedrin but with the prefect of Iudaea in Pilate's day. This conforms with the Gospel accounts of close cooperation between the high priest's group and Pilate during the trial of Jesus.

Normally, Pilate resided in Caesarea but traveled throughout the province, especially to Jerusalem, in the course of performing his duties. During the Passover, a festival of deep national, as well as religious significance for the Jews, Pilate would have been expected to be in Jerusalem to keep order. However, he would not ordinarily be visible to the throngs of worshipers because of the Jewish people's deep sensitivity to Gentile interference in their religious rites.

As governor of Judaea, Pilate would have small auxiliary forces of locally recruited soldiers stationed regularly in Caesarea and Jerusalem, and temporarily anywhere else that might require a military presence. The total number of soldiers at his disposal numbered in the range of 3000. For larger military needs, he would be dependent on the support of his superior, the Roman legate of Syria.[2]

Tradition holds that Pilate's wife's name was Procula. She is canonized as a saint in the Greek Orthodox Church because of her reported attempt to prevent Pilate from carrying out Jesus’ crucifixion. (Mt. 27:19)

Pilate according to early Jewish accounts

Josephus

Outside of the Gospels, most information about Pilate comes from the accounts of the first-century Jewish historian Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews and The Wars of the Jews:

On one occasion, when the soldiers under (Pilate's) command came to Jerusalem, he made them bring their ensigns with them, upon which were the usual images of the emperor. Roman battle standards were considered idolatrous by the Jews. The ensigns were brought in secretly by night, but their presence was soon discovered. Immediately multitudes of excited Jews rushed to Caesarea to petition him for the removal of the obnoxious ensigns. He ignored them for five days, but the next day he admitted the Jews to hear their complaint. He had them surrounded with soldiers and threatened them with instant death unless they ceased to trouble him with the matter. The Jews then threw themselves to the ground and bared their necks, declaring that they preferred death to the violation of their laws. Pilate, unwilling to kill so many, succumbed and removed the ensigns.[3]

Pilate is also said to have appropriated Temple funds for the construction of an aqueduct:

At another time he used the sacred treasure of the Temple, called corban (qorban), to pay for bringing water into Jerusalem by an aqueduct. A crowd came together and clamored against him; but he had caused soldiers dressed as civilians to mingle with the multitude, and at a given signal they fell upon the rioters and beat them so severely with staves that the riot was quelled. (Josephus, Jewish War 2.175–177; Ant. 18.60–62)

Pilate is also mentioned in the Testimonium Flavianum—contained in manuscripts of Josephus’ works but believed by most scholars today to be a later addition—which states that Pilate ordered the crucifixion of "Jesus," whom the writer identifies as "the Christ." The passage is considered suspicious because Jesus is mentioned nowhere else in Josephus' writings, which would be highly unlikely if the author indeed thought him to be the Messiah.

In approximately 36 C.E., several years after the crucifixion of Jesus, Pilate moved ruthlessly to quash what appears to have been an armed Samaritan religious procession that he apparently saw as a messianic uprising.[4] Many Samaritan lives were lost in the process, and Pilate's behavior was considered much too harsh. After complaints to the Roman legate of Syria, Pilate was recalled to Rome, where he disappears from historic record.

Pilate in the Gospel accounts

Christ before Pilate, Mihály Munkácsy, 1881

Luke 13 refers to "Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices." Although the reference is not specific, it could relate to the suppression of demonstrations such as those mentioned in Josephus, above.

Pilate is best known, however, for his role in the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus. According to the canonical Gospels, Pilate presided at one of the trials of Jesus, who was brought to him by the high priest and other Jewish leaders who had arrested Jesus and questioned him at a private residence during the night. Despite stating that he personally found him not guilty of a crime meriting death, Pilate ordered Jesus' crucifixion.

The Gospels differ in their reports about Pilate’s precise role in the drama. In Mark, Pilate’s main question to Jesus was whether he considered himself to be the King of the Jews, and thus a political threat (Mark 15:2). In Luke’s version, Temple authorities had decided that he was guilty of blasphemy, but brought him to Pilate to accuse him further of sedition against Rome. The Gospel of Luke alone reports that Pilate handed Jesus over to the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas for judgment on the grounds that Jesus was a Galilean and thus under Antipas' jurisdiction.

All four Gospels agree that it had been a tradition of the Romans to release a Jewish prisoner at the time of the Passover. Pilate offers the crowd the choice of releasing either Jesus or an insurrectionist named Barabbas. The crowd states that it wishes to save Barabbas. Accordingly, Pilate condemns Jesus to crucifixion. The Gospel of Matthew adds that before condemning Jesus to death, Pilate washes his hands with water in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood." (27:24) In John's Gospel, he becomes a kind of philosopher, asking Jesus "what is truth?" before declaring he sees no basis for a charge against him. (John 18:38)

Pilate nevertheless had Jesus publicly flogged and then executed by crucifixion as a traitor to Rome. John 19 reports that Pilate was concerned that if he let Jesus go, his reputation in Rome would suffer. He thus "had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross" as a example for other would-be messiahs and their followers. It read: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

Matthew 27 reports that Pilate turned Jesus' body over to Joseph of Arimathea—a wealthy man who was a disciple of Jesus and is identified in Mark 15:43 as a member of the Sanhedrin—for burial.

Jesus at the hands of Pilate, oil on Canvas- Cucuta Cathedral Colombia by Master Santiago Martinez Delgado

Responsibility for Jesus' death

In all New Testament accounts, Pilate hesitates to condemn Jesus but orders his death after the crowd insists. John 19:12 reports: "Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, 'If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.'" A number of modern scholars, Christian and secular alike, have suggested that this part of the story may have been an effort by early Christian writers to distance themselves from the Jews, who themselves had rebelled against Rome around the time of the Gospels’ writing.

Nevertheless, in 325 C.E. the Nicene Creed incorporated the clause “crucified under Pontius Pilate" in a statement of faith that was intended to be authoritative for all Christians in the Roman Empire.

Pilate in the Apocrypha

Pilate as philosopher: "What is truth?"

A body of legend has grown up around the figure of Pontius Pilate. The fragmentary apocryphal Gospel of Peter exonerates Pilate of responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus, placing the blame squarely on Herod Antipas and the Jews. The fourth century apocryphal text known as the Acts of Pilate gained wide circulation in the Middle Ages, when it was also known as the Gospel of Nicodemus. Its first section (1–11) contains a fanciful and dramatic account of the trial of Jesus, based upon Luke 23. The Ethiopian Church recognized Pilate as a saint in the sixth century, based on the account in the Acts of Pilate.[5] A letter purportedly from Pilate to the Emperor Claudius can be found in the apocryphal Acts of Peter and Paul.

Eusebius (Historia Ecclesiae ii: 7) quotes some early apocryphal accounts which relate that Pilate fell under misfortunes in the reign of Caligula (37–41 C.E.), was exiled to Gaul, and eventually committed suicide there in Vienne.

The Mors Pilati ("Death of Pilate") legend treats Pilate as a villain. The narrative begins with an illness of Tiberius, who sends to Judea to find Christ, who can bring about a cure. Pilate hides the fact that Christ has been crucified and asks for a delay. Tiberius’ messenger, however, encounters Saint Veronica, who informs him of the truth and sends him back to Rome with her kerchief, which heals Tiberius. The emperor then summons Pilate for punishment, but Pilate appears, before him in the very robe of the Christ and Tiberius' heart is softened. Once Pilate removes the garment, however, he is immediately executed. The Mors Pilati ("Death of Pilate") relates that his body was thrown first into the Tiber, but the waters were so disturbed by evil spirits that the body was taken to Vienne and sunk in the Rhône. A monument at Vienne, called Pilate's tomb, is still to be seen. As the waters of the Rhone likewise rejected Pilate's corpse, it was reported removed again and sunk in the lake at Lausanne. The corpse's final disposition was supposedly in a deep and lonely mountain pool overlooking Lucerne. Every Good Friday, the body is said to reemerge from the waters and wash its hands.

Pilate often has a role in medieval mystery plays. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Pilate’s wife, Claudia Procula is commemorated as a saint, because in the Gospel accounts she urged Pilate against convicting Jesus. In some Eastern Orthodox traditions, Pilate committed suicide out of remorse for having sentenced Jesus to death.

Pilate in later fiction

Plays and movies dealing with life of Jesus Christ often include the character of Pontius Pilate. His character is variously portrayed. For example, in the classic work of the Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita, he serves allegorically as a model of the people who "washed their hands" by silently or actively condoning the crimes of Joseph Stalin. A similar reference is found in the Rolling Stones' song Sympathy for the Devil in the verse: "Made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands, and sealed his (Christ’s) fate".

The imperial bureaucrat has retired to Sicily to become a gentleman farmer in the Anatole France short story "The Procurator of Judea’’.

Notable figures who have played Pontius Pilate in various dramas include Telly Savalas (The Greatest Story Ever Told), Rod Steiger (Jesus of Nazareth), Hurd Hatfield (King of Kings), Frank Thring (Ben-Hur), Richard Boone (The Robe), Gary Oldman (Jesus), and Arthur Kennedy (Barabbas). Bulgarian actor Hristo Naumov Shopov portrayed Pilate in Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ, while British musician David Bowie played the character in Martin Scorsese's controversial The Last Temptation of Christ. Jean Gabin portrayed Pilate in the 1935 French film Golgotha. Barry Dennen played the harried, hesitant version of Pilate in both the Broadway and film versions of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Notes

  1. ↑ The Trial of Jesus: Key Figures law.umkc.edu. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
  2. ↑ Administrative and military organization of Roman Palestine www.usd.edu. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
  3. ↑ Josephus, Wars of the Jews 2.9.2-3; Antiquities of the Jews 18.55-59 www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
  4. ↑ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 18:85
  5. ↑ Pontius Pilate from the Catholic Encyclopedia Retrieved May 1, 2008.

References
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The references to Pilate, outside the New Testament:

  • Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 18.35, 55-64, 85-89, 177; The Wars of the Jews 2.169-177;
  • Philo, Legatio ad Gaium (Embassy to Gaius) 38;
  • Tacitus, Annals 15.44.

External links

All links retrieved November 24, 2022.

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