Although his exact date of birth is unknown, Pontius Pilate was born Marcus Pontius Pilatus to the Pontii clan in central Italy. He served as the prefect or governor of Judea during the reign of the Emperor Tiberius.
We know little more than that. Much of what we do know comes from the Bible, which portrays Pilate as stern, headstrong, and authoritarian. However, it also portrays him as weak and vacillating, easily swayed by crowds or under pressure.
Some secular historians even doubted his existence until 1961, when an inscription bearing his name was discovered during an archaeological dig in Israel.
Best known for Christ’s death
He is best known for presiding over the trial and execution of Christ.
As governor he had to protect Rome’s interests, while tring to maintain peace in a volatile region with limited military support. As a result, Pilate became adept at appeasing both sides.
So when the Jewish authorities brought Christ to Pilate and accused him of being a political threat, Pilate acted in the interests of his own career. To appease the crowd and prevent a riot, he ordered Christ’s crucifixion.
His duties as governor
According to tradition, Pilate was a Roman knight. Cicero described knights as “the strength of the Republic” and “the most upright and respected of men”. However, in Palestine, where they were publicans, or tax collectors, the rabbis grouped them with harlots, pagans, highwaymen, and murderers.
As governor Pilate was required to oversee construction projects and tax collection, as well as maintain order in the territory. He accomplished this by any means necessary, including cruelty and execution.
Roman officials were already greatly disliked in Israel as oppressive foreign rulers. But Pilate was particularly resented for requiring that all coins be inscribed with pagan religious symbols and all military banners emblazoned with the emperor’s image. Both practices conflicted with Jewish religious beliefs.
Following his brutal attack on the Samaritans at Mount Gerezzim in 36 AD, Pilate was summoned to Rome to stand trial for cruelty, oppression, and for executing people without due process.
His death
According to the historian Eusebius of Caesarea, the Emperor Caligula ordered Pilate to kill himself. Other accounts claim that Pilate was executed, or that he committed suicide after being exiled from Rome. His death is believed to have occurred around 39 AD.
Some say he may have been killed after converting to Christianity. Both he and his wife are venerated as saints by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and their feast day is June 25.
However, since there is no evidence of a conversion, this idea is possibly based on the episode of Pilate’s wife telling him to “have nothing to do with this innocent man” and Pilate washing his hands to claim his innocence of Christ’s blood.
His Relationship to Truth
We learn from the Gospel of John that Pontius Pilate was cynical about truth. He asked Jesus if He was a king. Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and I came into the world for this reason, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
In a cynical response, Pilate asked “What is truth?” Then he handed Christ over to be crucified. (John 18)
Although we cannot know if Pilate ever discovered the truth he was so skeptical of, we do know that he is, sadly, remembered as a calculating politician who prioritized political correctness over truth.
Pilate’s life should serve as a lesson to us in our currently politically correct times. We must choose whether to be on God’s side or on the side of political correctness. We can’t have it both ways.
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Proverbs 29:25
Sources:
- Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judaea, Encyclopedia Brittanica
- Pontius Pilate Biography, www.biography.com
- What Does History Tell Us About Pontius Pilate, www.compellingtruth.org
- The Tragedy of Pontius Pilate, www.christiancourier.com
📷 Image credits of Pilate: Pilate in military dress by http://www.LumoProject.com | Other image by Antonio Ciseri.
Reading this again reminded me of the sadness of someone who walks away from hope. Who refuses to see the possibilities because they’re afraid or care more about what others think. Whatever happened to Pilate, it makes me sad that he came so close to the truth and missed it. Hopefully, he did find Jesus, both he and his wife. I try to picture the pressure he must have felt at the trial. Mixed feelings for the man. Hopeful, though.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed rereading it, Dayle. I accidentally placed quite a few posts in the trash and had to republish them, lol! Pilate is an interesting character, for sure. After coming so close to the truth and then missing it is sad, indeed. Let’s hope he did eventually find it. I know that the Lord gives people every possible chance.
This is absolutely fascinating. That Pilate was tried for such cruelty, dying either by his own hand or execution, and that he might have been considered a saint is incredible. It still begs the question–how could anyone confronted with God Incarnate, holy and pure, powerful in His truth and love for people, walk away from Him?
I too was surprised too, Dayle, that some consider him a saint. If Eusebius reported correctly, it doesn’t seem he would have had the time to become a Christian. But then, both historical and Biblical accounts are often condensed. Years can pass between one chapter and the next, so it could be possible. And we know that God is willing to forgive even henious acts, as for the apostle Paul. I also found it interesting that secular historians doubted his existence. Yet the Bible continues to be proven true, over and over! And yes, you’re right – how can anyone just walk away from such great truth?