Scripture gives us no further information concerning Pilate, but Josephus, the Jewish historian records that Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea succeeded Gratus. More than 30 years earlier, his father, Herod the Great, had tried but failed to murder the young Jesus by slaughtering all the boys under two years old in Bethlehem ( Matthew 2:16 ), but Joseph, Mary and Jesus had already fled to Egypt. 27:15-26; Mk. "[104] Taylor notes that Philo discusses Pilate as though he were already dead in the Embassy to Gaius, although he is writing only a few years after Pilate's tenure as governor. Antiquities of the Jews 18.4.2. Yet the Bible isn't the only ancient source of information about Pilate. [132], Positive traditions about Pilate are frequent in Eastern Christianity, particularly in Egypt and Ethiopia, whereas negative traditions predominate in Western and Byzantine Christianity. He was sent back to Rome by the legate of Syria to answer for this incident before Tiberius, but the emperor died before Pilate arrived in Rome. [19], The sources give no indication of Pilate's life prior to his becoming governor of Judaea. Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea (2636 CE) who presided at the trial of Jesus and gave the order for his crucifixion. But the Jewish leaders did care. [140][141], Beginning in the fourth century, a large body of Christian apocryphal texts developed concerning Pilate, making up one of the largest groups of surviving New Testament Apocrypha. [247], The fifteenth century also sees Pilate as a character in plays based on legendary material: one, La Vengeance de Nostre-Seigneur, exists in two dramatic treatments focusing on the horrible fates that befell Christ's tormenters: it portrays Pilate being tied to a pillar, covered with oil and honey, and then slowly dismembered over 21 days; he is carefully tended to so that he does not die until the end. . [163][164] In the Mors Pilati (perhaps originally 6th century, but recorded c.1300 CE),[165] Pilate was forced to commit suicide and his body thrown in the Tiber. However, the body is surrounded by demons and storms, so that it is removed from the Tiber and instead cast into the Rhone, where the same thing happens. [131], Due to his role in Jesus' trial, Pilate became an important figure in both pagan and Christian propaganda in late antiquity. [192] From the eleventh century onward, Pilate is frequently represented as a Jewish king, wearing a beard and a Jewish hat. According to one prominent post-war theory, Pilate's treatment of the Jews was motivated by antisemitism, but most modern historians do not believe this theory.[10]. [23] In the Gospels of Mark and John, Pilate is only called by his cognomen, which Marie-Joseph Ollivier takes to mean that this was the name by which he was generally known in common speech. [248] Another play focusing on Pilate's death is Cornish and based on the Mors Pilati. [157] A fifth-century Syriac version of the Acts of Pilate explains Pilate's conversion as occurring after he has blamed the Jews for Jesus' death in front of Tiberius; prior to his execution, Pilate prays to God and converts, thereby becoming a Christian martyr. That would be wonderful if true. after Pilate's deposition, he himself became ruler of Judaea. Eusebius, quoting from apocryphal accounts, said that Pilate suffered misfortune in the reign of Caligula (37 - 41 AD), was exiled to Gaul and eventually committed suicide in Vienne. [3], In the thirteenth century, depictions of the events of Christ's passion came to dominate all visual art formsthese depictions of the "Passion cycle" do not always include Pilate, but they often do so; when he is included, he is often given stereotyped Jewish features. [16][17][18] The written sources provide only limited information and each has its own biases, with the gospels in particular providing a theological rather than historical perspective on Pilate. [14] He is also briefly mentioned in Annals of the Roman historian Tacitus (early 2nd century AD), who simply says that he put Jesus to death. [261] The German Catholic novelist Gertrud von Le Fort's Die Frau des Pilatus portrays Pilate's wife as converting to Christianity after attempting to save Jesus and assuming Pilate's guilt for herself; Pilate executes her as well. There are many different conceptions of what it means to be human. By other accounts, Pontius Pilate was sent into exile and committed suicide of his own accord. [93] The Samaritans, claiming not to have been armed, complained to Lucius Vitellius the Elder, the governor of Syria (term 3539), who had Pilate recalled to Rome to be judged by Tiberius. This may mean they were close, since life in the administrative center of Caesarea would certainly have been more comfortable for her. His supper with the apostles (and subsequent arrest) happen on . After Sejanuss fall (31 ce), Pilate was exposed to sharper criticism from certain Jews, who may have capitalized on his vulnerability to obtain a legal death sentence on Jesus (John 19:12). In John (19:711), Pilate is depicted as having accepted the Christian interpretation of the meaning of Jesus, and he rejects Jewish leaders reminder that Jesus has merely said that he is the king of the Jews (19:21). Others argue that Pilate's duty was not so much to uphold justice as it was to promote peace and Roman interests. After Jesus heals Pilate's wife of a fatal illness, the Jews bribe Pilate with 30 talents to crucify Jesus. . Pontius Pilate was a Roman prefect (or governor) over Judea in the early first century (about 26-36 AD). Others suggest that he was executed during the reign of Emperor Nero. [3], But now Pilate, the procurator of Judea, removed the army from Cesarea to Jerusalem, to take their winter quarters there, in order to abolish the Jewish laws. [58] She dates this incident to early in Pilate's tenure as governor. [118], E. Stauffer and E. M. Smallwood argued that the coins' use of pagan symbols was deliberately meant to offend the Jews and connected changes in their design to the fall of the powerful Praetorian prefect Sejanus in 31. The New Testament suggests that Pilate had a weak, vacillating personality. The inscription reads () (Pilato(u)), meaning "of Pilate". "[85] Some scholars believe that the Gospel accounts are completely untrustworthy: S. G. F. Brandon argued that in reality, rather than vacillating on condemning Jesus, Pilate unhesitatingly executed him as a rebel. [184], Pilate is one of the most important figures in early Christian art; he is often given greater prominence than Jesus himself. But in 31 AD, Sejanus ended up on the wrong side of a political feud and was sentenced to . "[277] The Nicene Creed states "For our sake [Jesus] was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. Had it not been for his encounter with Jesus, Pontius Pilate might be just another name in the history books . [149] Another claims that the records were made by Pilate himself, relying on reports made to him by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. [31] Like other Roman governors of Judaea, Pilate made his primary residence in Caesarea, going to Jerusalem mainly for major feasts in order to maintain order. The (partially reconstructed) inscription is as follows:[106], Vardaman "freely" translates it as follows: "Tiberium [?of the Caesareans?] As a result, pressure was applied by the Jewish Sanhedrin (Luke 23:2-7) upon Pilate. [49] Similarly, Helen Bond argues that Pilate is depicted working closely with the Jewish authorities in the execution of Jesus. Pilate has frequently been a subject of artistic representation. [2] In short, the traditions are in conflict and we do not really know where Pilate was born or his life as a teenager or young adult. Archpriest Oleg Stenyayev. What Happened to Pontius Pilate after Jesus? His rule began in 26 CE and lasted until early in 37 CE (Josephus, Antiquities 18.32f, 35, 89). The Pontii were a Samnite gens. Pontius Pilate, Latin in full Marcus Pontius Pilatus, (died after 36 ce ), Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea (26-36 ce) under the emperor Tiberius who presided at the trial of Jesus and gave the order for his crucifixion. [262], Pilate has been depicted in a number of films, being included in portrayals of Christ's passion already in some of the earliest films produced. The fate of Pontius Pilate after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is disputed among historians. [280] The mention of Pilate in the creeds serves to mark the passion as a historical event. "[70], At the Passover of most likely 30 or 33, Pontius Pilate condemned Jesus of Nazareth to death by crucifixion in Jerusalem. At some point in 36 AD, a group of Samaritans from Samaria, who were followers of another messiah there, most likely called Dositheos, had begun excavating Mount Gerizim in the belief that they would find riches and artifacts there associated with the Hebrew prophet Moses. [249] The Mystre de la Passion d'Angers by Jean Michel includes legendary scenes of Pilate's life before the passion. She was recognized as a holy martyr by the Greek Orthodox, the Coptic and the Ethiopian Churches. Ignatius further dates Jesus's birth, passion, and resurrection during Pilate's governorship in his epistle to the Magnesians (11.1). See more. [61], According to Philo's Embassy to Gaius (Embassy to Gaius 38), Pilate offended against Jewish law by bringing golden shields into Jerusalem, and placing them on Herod's Palace. Her grand-father was the notorious King Herod, who executed most of his family and was said to have murdered the Innocents when Jesus was born. Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.3. Pressure was also applied by his wife to have nothing to do with Jesus. He became famous for the trial and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth (c. 30 CE). Pilate, PONTIUS.After the deposition of the eldest son of Herod, Archelaus (who had succeeded his father as ethnarch), Judea was placed under the rule of a Roman procurator. . [198], Despite being venerated as a saint by the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches, very few images of Pilate exist in these traditions from any time period. His decision may have also been made to avoid a bad report to Rome. [283][284], Pilate's washing his hands of responsibility for Jesus's death in Matthew 27:24 is a commonly encountered image in the popular imagination,[75] and is the origin of the English phrase "to wash one's hands of (the matter)", meaning to refuse further involvement with or responsibility for something. This is revealed to be because Pilate is wearing Jesus's coat; when the coat is removed, the Emperor condemns him to death, but Pilate commits suicide first. He connects this change to increased "anti-Judaism. Read on and learn more about this key figure in the crucifixion . Nothing is known about his life before he became governor of Judaea, and nothing is known about the circumstances that led to his appointment to the governorship. Home; About us. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. First we meet Lamia ambling idly on the coast near Rome. Pilate's wife has been named Procula or Claudia and in the Eastern and Ethiopian Churches she is revered as a saint. His characterization in these plays varies greatly, from weak-willed and coerced into crucifying Jesus to being an evil person who demands Jesus's crucifixion. His wife sends him word of a revelatory dream she has had about Jesus and urges him to have nothing to do with that innocent man (Matthew 27:19), and Pilate abdicates his responsibility to the emperor. [148] One version claims to have been discovered and translated by a Jewish convert named Ananias, portraying itself as the official Jewish records of the crucifixion. [11] Two additional chapters of Tacitus's Annals that might have mentioned Pilate have been lost. This reference has been variously interpreted as referring to one of the incidents recorded by Josephus, or to an entirely unknown incident. Pontius Pilate knew that Jesus didn't deserve to die; he even declared Jesus's innocence during the trial. [52] Based on John 19:12, it is possible that Pilate held the title "friend of Caesar" (Latin: amicus Caesaris, Ancient Greek: K), a title also held by the Jewish kings Herod Agrippa I and Herod Agrippa II and by close advisors to the emperor. [255] Henry I. MacAdam describes it as "the 'cult classic' of Pilate-related fiction. He did not prevent their petition. A prefect is essentially a governor or government official overseeing an area. When Jewish representatives demonstrated in Caesarea, Pilates city of residence, he threatened them with death unless they desisted, but, when they showed their readiness to die, he ordered the images removed. [97] J. P. Lmonon argues that the fact that Pilate was not reinstated by Caligula does not mean that his trial went badly, but may simply have been because after ten years in the position it was time for him to take a new posting. [266] Following the Second World War, Pilate and the Romans often take on a villainous role in American film. [235] In the 1493 Frankfurter Passionsspiel, on the other hand, Pilate himself accuses Christ. Pontius Pilate served as the prefect of Judaea from 26 to 36 A.D. This document, allegedly derived from Pilate's own records, says that he and his wife became believers in Jesus. I am always suspect of documents like this, so please understand that I am not presenting the "Acts of Pilate" as fact. The Samaritans reported Pilate to Vitellius, legate of Syria, after he attacked them on Mount Gerizim (36 ce). [230] In the Italian passion plays, Pilate never identifies himself as a Jew, condemning them in the fifteenth-century Resurrezione and stressing the Jews' fear of the "new law" of Christ. Pontius Pilate, therefore, by the command of Csar, is taken and brought through to Rome. Cyclopedia of Biblical Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.1. 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