[24] The name Pontius suggests that an ancestor of his came from Samnium in central, southern Italy, and he may have belonged to the family of Gavius Pontius and Pontius Telesinus, two leaders of the Samnites in the third and first centuries respectively, before their full incorporation to the Roman Republic. Nothing is known about what happened to him after this event. The Christian Gospels record that Pilate ordered the crucifixion of Jesus at some point during his time in office; Josephus and the Roman historian Tacitus also record this information. [173], One important version of the Pilate legend is found in the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine (12631273 CE), one of the most popular books of the later Middle Ages. [44] He also would have toured around the province in order to hear cases and administer justice. [28] According to the cursus honorum established by Augustus for office holders of equestrian rank, Pilate would have had a military command before becoming prefect of Judaea; Alexander Demandt speculates that this could have been with a legion stationed at the Rhine or Danube. This resulted in a crowd of Jews surrounding Pilate's house in Caesarea for five days. [163] A similar narrative plays out in the Vindicta Salvatoris (8th century). [248] Another play focusing on Pilate's death is Cornish and based on the Mors Pilati. The Jews hated him and his administration, for he was not only very severe, but showed little consideration for their susceptibilities. [279] Pilate is the only person besides Jesus and Mary mentioned by name in the creeds. According to one prominent post-war theory, Pilate's treatment of the Jews was motivated by antisemitism, but most modern historians do not accept this theory.[10]. First published in 1930, this is an in-depth exploration of what happened between the death of Jesus and the [251], John Masefield's play in verse, Good Friday was written in 1916. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He nonetheless washes his hands of guilt after the tortures have been administered. He convicted Jesus of treason and declared that Jesus thought himself King of the Jews, and had Jesus crucified. This is stated by those Greek historians who have recorded the Olympiads, together with the respective events which have taken place in each period.[11]. Tiberius received the petition and angrily reprimanded Pilate, ordering him to remove the shields. Flavius Josephus. November 9 is the feast-day of Claudia Procula, Pontius Pilate's wife. According to the traditional account of his life, Pilate was a Roman equestrian (knight) of the Samnite clan of the Pontii (hence his name Pontius). [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. Corrections? Did the people who crucified Christ go to hell or the Lake of Fire? [249] The Mystre de la Passion d'Angers by Jean Michel includes legendary scenes of Pilate's life before the passion. There was no circumventing his guilt. [116] The inscription was formerly found outside the church of St. Secundus, where it had been copied from a presumed original. [229] While in some plays Pilate is opposed to the Jews and condemns them, in others he describes himself as a Jew or supports their wish to kill Christ. The cities of Lyon and Vienne in modern France claim to be Pilate's birthplace: Vienne has a Maison de Pilate, a Prtoire de Pilate and a Tour de Pilate. [25] Like all but one other governor of Judaea, Pilate was of the equestrian order, a middle rank of the Roman nobility. He was always concerned about Rome's opinion of him. [210] Images of Pilate were especially popular in Italy, where, however, he was almost always portrayed as a Roman,[211] and often appears in the new medium of large-scale church paintings. The nineteenth century saw a renewed interest in depicting Pilate, with numerous images made. Many sources within the Bible (as well as other historical accounts) sketch him as a bully and a coward. [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. As the prefect of Roman-occupied Palestine, he insulted the religious sensibilities of his Jewish subjects by promoting Roman religion and emperor worship. Probably the most obvious factual mistake is the portrayal of Pontius Pilate. 12. [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. Pilate weakly capitulates. [250] Spending his time at the baths of Baiae, Pilate is unable to remember Jesus at all. Pilate was unpopular with the Jewish population because he hung worship images of the emperor throughout Jerusalem and minted coins with the image of pagan symbols. [37], Pilate's title of prefect[c] implies that his duties were primarily military;[40] however, Pilate's troops were meant more as a police than a military force, and Pilate's duties extended beyond military matters. [234] The 1517 Alsfelder Passionsspiel portrays Pilate as condemning Christ to death out of fear of losing Herod's friendship and to earn the Jews' good will, despite his long dialogues with the Jews in which he professes Christ's innocence. As a result, pressure was applied by the Jewish Sanhedrin (Luke 23:2-7) upon Pilate. [183] In the medieval Slavonic Josephus, an Old Church Slavonic translation of Josephus, with legendary additions, Pilate kills many of Jesus's followers but finds Jesus innocent. Pilate has also frequently been portrayed in film. His patron in Rome was Sejanus, who virtually governed Rome after the Emperor Tiberius retired to his villa at Capri. [169] The legend exists in many different versions and was extremely widespread in both Latin and the vernacular, and each version contains significant variation, often relating to local traditions.[170]. His decision may have also been made to avoid a bad report to Rome. During what years was Pontius Pilate governor of Judea. We know this because in 1961, an inscribed slab of limestone was found in Caesarea Maritima (modern-day Israel) and it stated that he was the [207], The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries see fewer depictions of Pilate, although he generally appears in cycles of artwork on the passion. SENAKULO - CLAUDIA (Claudia Procula) at PILATO (Pontius Pilate) - SBS2018Samahang Bagong Silang Cultural Presentation SemanasantaPressure was also applied by. "[88] Raymond E. Brown argued that the Gospels' portrayal of Pilate cannot be considered historical, since Pilate is always described in other sources (The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews of Josephus and Embassy to Gaius of Philo) as a cruel and obstinate man. [86] Paul Winter explained the discrepancy between Pilate in other sources and Pilate in the gospels by arguing that Christians became more and more eager to portray Pontius Pilate as a witness to Jesus' innocence, as persecution of Christians by the Roman authorities increased. Flavius Josephus. Different sources vary on exactly what happened to Pilate after the Crucifixion of Christ: Eusebius of . I ran to his bedchamber crying, "Pontius, Pontius, believe. [177] A number of traditions also connected Pilate to Germany. [19], On the basis of the many offenses that Pilate caused to the Judaean populace, some scholars find Pilate to have been a particularly bad governor. [19], The sources give no indication of Pilate's life prior to his becoming governor of Judaea. [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. He is sometimes replaced by Herod, Annas, and Caiaphas in the trial scene. According to Josephus (Ant, XVIII, iv, 2) Pilate held office in Judea for 10 years. Pontius Pilate (Latin: Pontius Pilatus; Greek: , Pontios Pilatos) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. Sources on Pontius Pilate are limited, although modern scholars know more about him than about other Roman governors of Judaea. [102][103] Pilate's supposed suicide is also left unmentioned in Josephus, Philo, and Tacitus. [11] Two additional chapters of Tacitus's Annals that might have mentioned Pilate have been lost. Our scripture today is 1 Peter 1:3-9 being read. Please select which sections you would like to print: Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Some people told Jesus about a group of Galileans who had come to the temple to sacrifice, and Pontius Pilate slaughtered them, probably due to a public disturbance the Galileans were causing (Luke 13:1). Due to the Gospels' portrayal of Pilate as reluctant to execute Jesus, the Ethiopian Church believes that Pilate became a Christian and venerates him as both a martyr and a saint, a belief which is historically shared by the Coptic Church. Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea [ .. has given?]". [25], Pilate was likely educated, somewhat wealthy, and well-connected politically and socially. [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. [240] In the Wakefield plays, Pilate is portrayed as wickedly evil, describing himself as Satan's agent (mali actoris) while plotting Christ's torture so as to extract the most pain. [232] Pilate goes on to play an important role in the increasingly long and elaborate passion plays performed in the German-speaking countries and in France. [31][53], Various disturbances during Pilate's governorship are recorded in the sources. Tiberius died in Misenum on the 16th of March in 37, in his seventy-eighth year (Tacitus, Annals VI.50, VI.51). On the basis of events which were documented by the second-century pagan philosopher Celsus and the Christian apologist Origen, most modern historians believe that Pilate simply retired after his dismissal. . [192] Depictions continue to be greatly influenced by the Acts of Pilate, and the number of situations in which Pilate is depicted also increases. The earliest extant legendary biography is the De Pilato of c.1050, with three further Latin versions appearing in the mid-twelfth century, followed by many vernacular translations. Founder, MD Paelon Memorial Hospital, Entrepreneur , Paediatrician , ISTM Certified Travel Medicine Physician, Conflict Dynamics Certified Mediator, Experienced Primary Care Physician [172], The trial and judgment of Jesus then happens as in the gospels. Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Christ to the people Ecce homo! A non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation. Gerizim. The Apostles Creed states that Jesus "suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. [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. [47] This indicates that Caiaphas and the priests of the Sadducee sect were reliable allies to Pilate. [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. We do not know where Pontius Pilate was born. Pontius Pilate's wife is the unnamed spouse of Pontius Pilate, who appears only once in the Gospel of Matthew, where she intercedes with Pilate on Jesus' behalf.It is uncertain whether Pilate was actually married, although it is likely. [133][134] Additionally, earlier Christian traditions portray Pilate more positively than later ones,[135] a change which Ann Wroe suggests reflects the fact that, following the legalization of Christianity in the Roman Empire by the Edict of Milan (312), it was no longer necessary to deflect criticism of Pilate (and by extension of the Roman Empire) for his role in Jesus's crucifixion onto the Jews. Eugene Norris asks our panel of pastors, What Happened to Pontius Pilate? Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week . If the tradition is true, she dreamed of the countless recitations and liturgical chants of . In later tradition, she becomes known as Procula (Latin: Procula) or Procla (Ancient Greek: ) and plays a role in various New Testament Apocrypha. She was recognized as a holy martyr by the Greek Orthodox, the Coptic and the Ethiopian Churches. "[138] An earlier reference to Pilate's records of Jesus's trial is given by the Christian apologist Justin Martyr around 160. [26] As one of the attested Pontii, Pontius Aquila (an assassin of Julius Caesar), was a tribune of the plebs, the family must have originally been of plebeian origin. [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. And so Pontius cried out to me. [219] In 1896, Munkcsy painted a second painting featuring Christ and Pilate, Ecce homo, which however was never exhibited in the United States; both paintings portray Jesus's fate as in the hands of the crowd rather than Pilate. [137] The earliest attestation of a positive tradition about Pilate comes from the late first-, early second-century Christian author Tertullian, who, claiming to have seen Pilate's report to Tiberius, states Pilate had "become already a Christian in his conscience. It will extremely squander the time. [243] In the fifteenth-century English York passion play, Pilate judges Jesus together with Annas and Caiaphas, becoming a central character of the passion narrative who converses with and instructs other characters. Pilate is typically represented in fourteen different scenes from his life;[200] however, more than half of all thirteenth-century representations of Pilate show the trial of Jesus. [57] Bond argues that the fact that Josephus says that Pilate brought in the standards by night, shows that he knew that the images of the emperor would be offensive. [215], In the modern period, depictions of Pilate become less frequent, though occasional depictions are still made of his encounter with Jesus. The disciples truly believed that Jesus was the Messiah and they loved Him, but their fear of arrest kept them bound in tearful silence. He has little interest, no . [254], Pilate features prominently in Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, which was written in the 1930s but only published in 1966, twenty six years after the author's death. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [100] Daniel Schwartz, however, argues that Eusebius's claims "should not lightly be dismissed. [7], And the expression, They pierced my hands and my feet, was used in reference to the nails of the cross which were fixed in His hands and feet. [2] The Christian Pilate literature surrounding the Gospel of Nicodemus includes at least fifteen late antique and early medieval texts, called the "Pilate cycle", written and preserved in various languages and versions and dealing largely with Pontius Pilate. [268] The 1959 film Ben-Hur shows Pilate (the Australian actor, Frank Thring, Jr.) presiding over a chariot race, in a scene that Ann Wroe says "seemed closely modeled on the Hitler footage of the 1936 Olympics," with Pilate bored and sneering. [125] In the mid-20th century, A. Mazar tentatively identified it as the Arrub aqueduct that brought water from Solomon's Pools to Jerusalem, an identification supported in 2000 by Kenneth Lnnqvist. [168] The tradition may go back to a misread Latin inscription on the tower. Answer (1 of 5): Pilate had a political benefactor in Rome named, Lucius Aelius Sejanus. After Jesus died on the cross, the gospels record that Pilate allowed several members of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, to bury Jesus (Mark 15:43; John 3:1; 19:38-40). Luke 23:8(NASB), Pilate was apparently not threatened by Jesus since he had not taken action earlier. [210] Pilate's characterization varies greatly from play to play, but later plays frequently portray Pilate somewhat ambiguously, though he is usually a negative character, and sometimes an evil villain. Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. Reportedly, his father sent him to Rome as a hostage. [273] The trial takes place in Pilate's private stables, implying that Pilate does not think the judgment of Jesus very important, and no attempt is made to take any responsibility from Pilate for Jesus's death, which he orders without any qualms. [257] Because he betrayed his desire to follow his morality and free Jesus, Pilate must suffer for eternity. Others suggest that he was executed during the reign of Emperor Nero. [195] Pilate also comes to feature in scenes such as the Flagellation of Christ, where he is not mentioned in the Bible. [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. [287], The main ancient sources on Pilate offer very different views on his governorship and personality. (" ?") Hear their responses inspired by scripture and what the Bible says in regards to an. Justin Martyr. [128], In 2018, an inscription on a thin copper-alloy sealing ring that had been discovered at Herodium was uncovered using modern scanning techniques. While there he was charged with murdering someone and was sent to Pontus, which is on the southeastern border of the Black Sea. [11][75] Josephus also mentioned Jesus's execution by Pilate at the request of prominent Jews (Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.3); the text may have been altered by Christian interpolation, but the reference to the execution is generally considered authentic. [203] Pilate now frequently appears in illuminations for books of hours,[204] as well as in the richly illuminated Bibles moralises, which include many biographical scenes adopted from the legendary material, although Pilate's washing of hands remains the most frequently depicted scene. He and his wife are venerated in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church; their feast day is June 25. The insurrection in which Barabbas was caught up, if historical, may well be another example. Pilate's importance in modern Christianity is underscored by his prominent place in both the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. [205] In the Bible moralise, Pilate is generally depicted as a Jew. McClintock and Strong. In Western Christian texts, he was instead portrayed as a negative figure and villain, with traditions surrounding his death by suicide featuring prominently. "), John 18:38 (Quid est veritas? If you are interested in Biblical history and archeology, you'll like this little booklet. [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.

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