Who was Pontius Pilate?
Q: Who was Pontius Pilate?
A: Pontius Pilate was the governor of the Roman province of Judaea from AD 26 until 36. He was the sixth Procurator of Judaea and is best known as the man who presided over the Trial of Jesus and ordered his crucifixion.
Q: What do modern sources say about Pilate's role in Jesus' death?
A: Modern sources, such as Mark, portray Pilate as extremely reluctant to execute Jesus and suggest that it was actually the Jewish hierarchy that was responsible for his death. In Matthew, Pilate is said to have washed his hands of Jesus before reluctantly sending him to his death. In Luke, both Pilate and King Herod agree that Jesus did not conspire against Rome.
Q: What other historical figures mention Pontius Pilate?
A: Tacitus mentions him in his Annales (15,44), Philo of Alexandria mentions him in Leg. ad Caj. 38, and Flavius Josephus mentions him in Antiquities 18:3-4 and Bellum II 9-2-4.
Q: What is known about Pontius Pilates' life before or after he became governor?
A: Not much is known about Pontius Pilates' life before or after he became governor but some details have been supplied by tradition including that his wife's name was Procula (she has since been canonized as a saint in the Greek Orthodox Church).
Q: How does Pontius Pialte serve as a reliable historical benchmark for Jesus' death?
A: Since we know when Pontius Pialte served as governor (AD 26 - 36) we can use this time frame to reliably estimate when Jesus died during this period which serves as a historical benchmark for His death.
Q: Where does John state "my kingdom is not of this world" when held by Pilate?
A: This statement appears in John 18;36 where it states "My kingdom is not of this world” when held by Pontius Pialte
