Note: This blog post is part of an ongoing series on the final 24 hours of the life of the Savior.
Who Was Pilate?
Pilate is most famous for his role in the trial of Jesus Christ. But what else do we know about him? Who was he? What was the name of his wife who dreamt about Jesus? How does Pilate’s backstory better help us understand how the phrase “If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar’s friend” (John 19:12) might have been particularly threatening?
Outside the Bible, we know a little about Pilate, based on a few ancient sources. One of the most interesting is an ancient inscription, found at Caesarea Maritima that identifies Pilate as a Roman prefect over Judea (more on the Pilate stone). Caesearea Maritima (~ 70 miles from Jerusalem) was built by Herod the Great and was the residence of the Roman leaders who governed Judea. Pilate’s wife, mentioned in Matthew 27:19, is not named in the Bible. Early Christian mentions of her name (somewhere in the 3rd-4th centuries) refer to her as Procla or Procula. Likely the two of them set out together from Rome to govern Judea with feelings of both excitement and trepidation. It was a great opportunity for Pilate to prove himself as a great leader and a loyal subject of Tiberius, the Emperor.
Pilate and Procula, image from the movie The Son of God
Pilate became the prefect of Judea in approximately 26 AD, and would remain as the Roman leader in the area for a decade. The ancient historians Josephus and Philo recount three fascinating stories that appear to have occurred before Christ’s trial and provide a very interesting backstory for the Christ’s crucifixion. As you read these accounts, notice how in each case there is a conflict between Pilate and the Jewish authorities. One metric that the Emperor will use to judge Pilate is Pilate’s ability to keep the peace. Think about how the following stories create a backdrop that makes Pilate’s confrontation with the Jewish authorities over Jesus Christ even more challenging than it might otherwise have been.
Story #1: The Standards (from Josephus)
“Pilate, when he brought his army from Caesarea and removed it to winter quarters in Jerusalem, took a bold step in subversion of the Jewish practices, by introducing into the city the busts of the emperor that were attached to the military standards, for our law forbids the making of images. It was for this reason that the previous procurators when they entered the city, used standards that had no such ornaments.
“Pilate was the first to bring the images into Jerusalem and set them up, doing it without the knowledge of the people, for he entered at night. But when the people discovered, they went in a throng to Caesarea and for many days entreated him to take away the images. He refused to yield, since to do so would be an outrage to the emperor; however, since they did not cease entreating him, on the sixth day he secretly armed and placed his troops in position, while he himself came to the speaker’s stand. This had been constructed in the stadium, which provided concealment for the army that lay in wait.
“When the Jews again engaged in supplication, at a pre-arranged signal he surrounded them with his soldiers and threatened to punish them at once with death if they did not put an end to their tumult and return to their own places. But they, casting themselves prostrate and baring their throats, declared that they had gladly welcomed death rather than make bold to transgress the wise provisions of the laws. Pilate, astonished at the strength of their devotion to the laws, straightway removed the images from Jerusalem and brought them back to Caesarea” (Josephus, Antiquities, 18:55-59).
Story #2: The Aqueduct (from Josephus)
“[Pilate] spent money from the sacred treasury in the construction of an aqueduct to bring water into Jerusalem, intercepting the source of the stream at a distance of 200 furlongs. The Jews did not acquiesce in the operations that this involved; and tens of thousands of men assembled and cried out against him, bidding him relinquish his promotion of such designs.
“Some too even hurled insults and abuse of the sort that a throng will commonly engage in. He thereupon ordered a large number of soldiers to be dressed in Jewish garments, under which they carried clubs, and he sent them off this way and that, thus surrounding the Jews, whom he ordered to withdraw. When the Jews were in full torrent of abuse he gave his soldiers the prearranged signal.
“They, however, inflicted much harder blows than Pilate had ordered, punishing alike both those who were rioting and those who were not. But the Jews showed no faint-heartedness; and so, caught unarmed, as they were, by men delivering a prepared attack, many of them actually were slain on the spot, while some withdrew disabled by blows. Thus ended the uprising” (Josephus, Antiquities, 18:60-62).
Story #3: The Shields (from Philo)
“Pilate was an official who had been appointed procurator of Judaea. With the intention of annoying the Jews rather than honoring Tiberius, he set up gilded shields in Herod’s palace in the Holy City. They bore no figure and nothing else that was forbidden, but only the briefest possible inscription, which stated two things — the name of the dedicator and that of the person in whose honour the dedication was made.
“But when the Jews at large learnt of his action, which was indeed already widely known, they chose as their spokesmen [King Herod’s] four sons, who enjoyed prestige and rank equal to that of kings, his other descendants, and their own officials, and besought Pilate to undo his innovation in the shape of the shields, and not to violate their native customs, which had hitherto been invariably preserved inviolate by kings and emperors alike.
“When Pilate, who was a man of inflexible, stubborn, and cruel disposition, obstinately refused, they shouted, ‘Do not cause a revolt! Do not cause a war! Do not break the peace! Disrespect done to our ancient Laws brings no honour to the Emperor. Do not make Tiberius an excuse for insulting our nation. He does not want any of our traditions done away with. If you say that he does, show us some decree or letter or something of the sort, so that we may cease troubling you and appeal to our master by means of an embassy.’
“This last remark exasperated Pilate most of all, for he was afraid that if they really sent an embassy, they would bring accusations against the rest of his administration as well, specifying in detail his venality, his violence, his thefts, his assaults, his abusive behavior, his frequent executions of untried prisoners, and his endless savage ferocity. So, as he was a spiteful and angry person, he was in a serious dilemma; for he had neither the courage to remove what he had once setup, nor the desire to do anything which would please his subjects, but at the same time he was well aware of Tiberius’ firmness on these matters.
“When the Jewish officials saw this, and realized that Pilate was regretting what he had done, although he did not wish to show it, they wrote a letter to Tiberius, pleading their case as forcibly as they could. What words, what threats Tiberius uttered against Pilate when he read it! …For immediately, without even waiting until the next day, he wrote to Pilate, reproaching and rebuking him a thousand times for his new-fangled audacity and telling him to remove the shields at once and have them taken from the capital to the coastal city of Caesarea. This was duly done. In this way both the honour of the Emperor and the traditional policy regarding Jerusalem were alike preserved” (Philo, Embassy 38:299-305, emphasis added).
How did Pilate feel when he receives a letter from Tiberius “rebuking him a thousand times for his new-fangled audacity.” Pilate knew that if Jewish leaders are displeased with him, they can make an end run to the Emperor, and that could spell disaster for Pilate.
Pilate and the Trial of Jesus Christ
With this background in mind, let’s revisit Pilate’s role in Christ’s trial. In the Gospel of John, Pilate states, “I find in [Jesus] no fault at all” (John 18:38) and “sought to release” Jesus (John 19:12). But when he did, the Jewish authorities cried out, stating, “If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar” (John 19:12).
While the details and timing are not clear, one possible historical interpretation is that Pilate had recently been in an argument with Jewish leaders who, as a result, wrote to Caesar (Emperor Tiberius) leading to Pilate being severely censured. Could Pilate afford another disagreement with the Jewish leadership? As one author has noted, “‘Friend of Caesar’ (amicus Caesaris) was a technical term for someone who enjoyed the patronage of the emperor and who may have benefited from an imperial appointment” (e.g., the lucrative position Pilate held). The use of amicus Caesaris in this context can be seen as a veiled threat – if you don’t crucify Jesus Christ then you are not amicus Caesaris – you’re not worthy of this position, you do not really support the Emperor – and we will let him know you are not on his side.
All of this background does not justify Pilate’s choices on that fateful day, but I believe it can help each of us better understand the drama and tension he faced that day. All of us will have to make choices about what is right, often under intense pressure. Ultimately Pilate buckled under pressure. Will we?
Want more information about Pontius Pilate? This post has just scratched the surface, and there are several nuances I haven’t explored. For a comprehensive scholarly overview, recommend Helen Bond’s book; for a lighter read, I suggest Paul Maier’s.
Read more about the final 24 hours of the life of the Savior.
