Who is the procurator of Judaea? Procurator Pontius Pilate - a native of Scotland

For 2000 years, historians, writers, and artists have been trying to discern and study the image of this man. We pronounce his name daily in the prayer “Creed” - “... crucified for us under Pontius Pilate“... Even people who are far from the Church and have never read the Gospel know about Pontius Pilate from Mikhail Bulgakov’s famous novel “The Master and Margarita.” What was the man like who sent the Savior to Calvary?

A little history

Pontius Pilate(lat. Pontius Pilatus) - the fifth Roman procurator (ruler) of Judea from 26 to 36 AD, Roman horseman (equitus). His residence was located in the palace built by Herod the Great in the city of Caesarea, from where he ruled the country.

In general, not much is known about Pontius Pilate. Today, one of the most important sources about him are the Gospels and the works of the Roman historian Josephus. There is also written evidence from historians such as Tacitus, Eusebius of Caesarea and Philo of Alexandria.

According to some information, Pontius Pilate was born in 10 BC in Lugdunum, in Gaul (now Lyon, France). Pontius is, apparently, the family name of Pilate, indicating his belonging to the Roman family of Pontius. He was married to the illegitimate daughter of Emperor Tiberius and granddaughter of Emperor Augustus Octavian Claudia Procula ( she later became a Christian. In the Greek and Coptic churches she is canonized, her memory is celebrated on November 9 (October 27, old style)). Being the most humble servant of his father-in-law, the emperor, Pilate went with his wife to Judea to become its new Roman prefect. For 10 years, he ruled this country, prevented impending uprisings and suppressed riots.

Almost the only characteristic given to Pilate by his contemporary are the words of Philo of Alexandria: “ naturally tough, stubborn and ruthless... depraved, rude and aggressive, he raped, abused, repeatedly killed and constantly committed atrocities" The moral qualities of Pontius Pilate can be judged by his actions in Judea. As historians point out, Pilate was responsible for countless cruelties and executions committed without any trial. Tax and political oppression, provocations that offended the religious beliefs and customs of the Jews, caused mass popular uprisings that were mercilessly suppressed.

Pilate began his reign in the Holy Land by bringing into Jerusalem standards with the image of the emperor. So he tried to demonstrate his contempt for the Jews and their religious laws. But in order not to put Roman soldiers at unnecessary risk, this operation was carried out at night. And when in the morning the inhabitants of Jerusalem saw the Roman banners, the soldiers were already in their barracks. This story is described in great detail by Josephus in The Jewish War. Afraid to remove the standards without permission (apparently, this was just what the legionnaires were waiting for in their barracks), the residents of Jerusalem went to Caesarea to meet the new governor of Rome who had arrived. Here, according to Josephus, Pilate was adamant, because removing the standards was tantamount to insulting the emperor. But on the sixth day of the demonstration, either because Pilate did not want to begin his assumption of office with a massacre of civilians, or because of special instructions from Rome, he ordered the standards to be returned to Caesarea.

But the real conflict between the Jews and the Roman governor occurred after Pilate’s decision to build in Jerusalem aqueduct (water utility, a structure for the centralized supply of water to the city from country sources). To implement this project, the procurator asked for subsidies from the treasury of the Jerusalem Temple. Everything would have worked out if Pontius Pilate had secured funding through negotiations and the voluntary consent of the Temple treasurers. But Pilate committed an unprecedented act - he simply withdrew the required amount from the treasury! It is clear that on the part of the Jewish population this unacceptable move provoked a corresponding reaction - an uprising. This became the reason for decisive action. Pilate "ordered to dress (in civilian clothes) a significant number of soldiers, gave them clubs, which they had to hide under their clothes." The legionnaires surrounded the crowd, and after the order to disperse was ignored, Pilate “gave the soldiers a conventional sign, and the soldiers set to work much more zealously than Pilate himself would have liked. Working with clubs, they equally hit both noisy rebels and completely innocent people. The Jews, however, continued to stand firm; but since they were unarmed, and their opponents were armed, many of them fell dead here, and many left covered with wounds. Thus the indignation was suppressed."

The following account of Pilate's cruelty is contained in the Gospel of Luke: " At this time some came and told Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.”(Luke 13:1). Obviously, we were talking about an event that was well-known at that time - a massacre right in the Jerusalem Temple during the statutory sacrifice...

However, Pontius Pilate became one of the most famous in history not thanks to his cruelty or the construction of the Jerusalem aqueduct. All his cruelty and treachery were eclipsed by a single act - trial of Jesus Christ and the subsequent execution. From the Holy Scriptures we definitely know that the Lord was sentenced to death precisely by Pilate, who at that time represented the highest Roman power in Judea. The death sentence was also carried out by a cohort of Roman soldiers. The Savior was crucified on the Cross, and crucifixion is a Roman tradition of capital punishment.

The Trial of Jesus Christ

On the eve of the Jewish Passover, Pilate received an invitation from the Sanhedrin to Jerusalem for the holiday. His temporary residence in Jerusalem was praetoria, which was probably located in the former palace of Herod at the Tower of Antony. The Praetoria was a vast and magnificent chamber, where not only Pilate’s home was located, but also premises for his retinue and soldiers. In front of the praetorium there was also a small square where the regional ruler held court. It was here that Jesus was brought to be tried and sentenced.

Pilate's residence in Jerusalem - Praetorium

Preliminary "inquiry" in Anna's house

It all begins on the night from Thursday to Friday, when Jesus Christ was taken into custody in the Garden of Gethsemane after his prayer for the cup. Immediately after his arrest, Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin (the highest judicial body of the Jews). First, Christ appeared before Anna.

Great Sanhedrin consisted of 71 judges. Membership in the Sanhedrin was for life. We know the names of only 5 members of the Jerusalem Sanhedrin: the high priest Caiaphas, Annas ( having lost the rights of the high priesthood by that time), holy righteous Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and Gamaliel. Before the conquest of Judea by the Romans, the Sanhedrin had the right of life and death, but from that time its power was limited: it could pronounce death sentences, but the consent of the Roman ruler was required to carry them out. The Sanhedrin was headed by the high priest Caiaphas. Among the members of the court, who had great weight, was also the former high priest Annas, who was at the head of the Sanhedrin for over 20 years before Caiaphas. But even after his resignation, he continued to actively participate in the life of Judean society.

The trial of Jesus Christ began with Anna. The high priests and elders wanted the Savior dead. But taking into account the fact that the decision of the Sanhedrin was subject to approval by the Roman procurator, it was necessary to find such accusations that would arouse political concerns among the Roman ruler. The former high priest wanted to bring the matter to the point of accusing Jesus Christ of plotting rebellion and leading a secret community. There was insidious intent in this. Anna began to ask Christ about his teachings and his followers. But Jesus ruined the plan of the retired high priest: He claimed that he always preached openly, did not spread any secret teaching, and offered to listen to witnesses to his sermons. Because The preliminary inquiry failed; Anna, not having the power to pronounce a sentence, sent Christ to Caiaphas.

Meeting of the Sanhedrin in the house of Caiaphas

The high priest Caiaphas wanted the death of the Savior and made more efforts than others to fulfill this. Immediately after the resurrection of Lazarus, he, fearing that everyone would believe in Jesus, proposed killing the Savior: “ you know nothing and will not think that it is better for us that one person should die for the people than for the whole nation to perish"(John 11:49–50).

That night the house of Caiaphas and the courtyard were crowded. The composition of the first meeting of the Sanhedrin, which gathered to judge the Savior, was incomplete. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were absent. The chief priests and elders tried to speed up the trial in order to prepare everything necessary for another morning full meeting of the Sanhedrin, at which they could formally sentence Jesus to death. They were in a hurry to get everything done on Friday, because... the next day was Saturday—it was forbidden to hold a court hearing. In addition, if the trial and execution of the sentence are not carried out on Friday, they will have to wait a week due to the Easter holiday. And this could again disrupt their plans.

The priests wanted to bring two charges: blasphemy(for accusation in the eyes of the Jews) and sedition(for accusation in the eyes of the Romans). " The chief priests and elders and the entire Sanhedrin looked for false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death, and found none; and although many false witnesses came, they were not found"(Matt. 26:57–60). Without witnesses, a judicial decision is impossible. (The Lord, having given the Law to God’s chosen people on Mount Sinai, also established rules regarding witnesses: “ According to two witnesses or three witnesses, a person condemned to death must die: he should not be put to death according to one witness"(Deut. 17:6).)

Finally, two false witnesses came who pointed out the words spoken by the Lord when expelling the merchants from the temple. At the same time, they maliciously altered the words of Christ, putting a different meaning into them. At the beginning of His ministry Christ said: “ Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"(John 2:18-19). But even this accusation attributed to Christ was not sufficient for serious punishment. Jesus did not utter a single word in His defense. Thus, the night session, which undoubtedly lasted several hours, did not find any basis for the death penalty. The silence of Christ irritated Caiaphas, and he decided to force such a confession from the Lord that would give reason to condemn Him to death as a blasphemer. Caiaphas turned to Jesus: “ I adjure You by the living God, tell us, Are You the Christ, the Son of God?“Christ could not help but respond to these words and answered: “ You said!" that is: " Yes, you said it right that I am the promised Messiah", and added: " From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.“The words of Christ angered the high priest and, tearing his clothes, he said: “ What more need do we have of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy!“And everyone condemned Jesus for blasphemy and sentenced Him to death.

But the decision of the Sanhedrin, which condemned Jesus to death, had no legal force. The fate of the accused was to be decided only by the prosecutor.

Pilate's Court

Jesus Christ on trial before Pilate

The Jewish high priests, having condemned Jesus Christ to death, could not themselves carry out the sentence without its approval by the Roman governor. As the evangelists narrate, after the night trial of Christ, they brought him in the morning to Pilate in the praetorium, but they themselves did not enter it “so as not to be defiled, but so that they could eat the Passover.” The representative of the Roman government had the right to approve or cancel the verdict of the Sanhedrin, i.e. finally decide the fate of the Prisoner.

The Trial of Pilate is the trial of Jesus Christ described in the Gospels, to whom Pilate, following the demands of the crowd, sentenced him to death. During the trial, according to the Gospels, Jesus was tortured (scourged, crowned with thorns) - therefore, the trial of Pilate is included in the Passion of Christ.

Pilate was unhappy that he was being interfered with in this matter. According to the evangelists, during the trial Pontius Pilate three times refused to put Jesus Christ to death, in which the Sanhedrin led by the high priest Caiaphas was interested. The Jews, seeing Pilate's desire to evade responsibility and not participate in the matter with which they came, brought forward a new accusation against Jesus, which was of a purely political nature. They made a substitution - having just slandered Jesus and condemned Him for blasphemy, they now presented Him to Pilate as a dangerous criminal for Rome: “ He corrupts our people and forbids giving tribute to Caesar, calling Himself Christ the King."(Luke 23:2). Members of the Sanhedrin wanted to transfer the matter from the religious area, which Pilate had little interest in, to the political. The chief priests and elders hoped that Pilate would condemn Jesus because He considered Himself the King of the Jews. ( With the death of Herod the Elder in 4 BC, the title of king of Judea was destroyed. Management passed to the Roman governor. According to Roman law, a real claim to the power of the King of the Jews was classified as a dangerous crime.)

A description of Pilate's trial of Jesus is given in all four evangelists. But the most detailed dialogue between Jesus Christ and Pilate is given in the Gospel of John.

“Pilate came out to them and said: What do you accuse this Man of? They answered him: If He had not been an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you. Pilate said to them: Take Him, and judge Him according to your law. The Jews said to him: It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death, so that the word of Jesus, which He spoke, might be fulfilled, indicating by what kind of death He would die. Then Pilate again entered the praetorium, and called Jesus, and said to Him: Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him: Are you saying this on your own, or have others told you about Me? Pilate answered: Am I a Jew? Your people and the chief priests delivered You up to me; what did you do? Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world; If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight for Me, so that I would not be betrayed to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here. Pilate said to Him: So are You a King? Jesus answered: You say that I am a King. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I came into the world, to testify to the truth; everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice. Pilate said to Him: What is truth? And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.” (John 18:29-38)

The main question that Pilate asked Jesus was: “Are you the King of the Jews?” This question was due to the fact that a real claim to power as King of the Jews, according to Roman law, was classified as a dangerous crime. The answer to this question was the words of Christ - “you say,” which can be considered as a positive answer, since in Jewish speech the phrase “you said” has a positive constative meaning. In giving this answer, Jesus emphasized that not only was he of royal descent by genealogy, but that as God he had authority over all kingdoms.

Evangelist Matthew reports that during the trial of Jesus, Pilate’s wife sent a servant to him to say: “ do not do anything to the Righteous One, because now in a dream I suffered a lot for Him"(Matt. 27:19).

Claudia Procula - wife of Pontius Pilate

Flagellation

Before finally yielding to the Jews, Pilate ordered the Prisoner to be scourged. The procurator, as the holy Apostle John the Theologian testifies, ordered the soldiers to do this in order to calm the passions of the Jews, to arouse compassion among the people for Christ and to please them.

They took Jesus into the courtyard and took off his clothes and beat him. The blows were delivered with triple whips, the ends of which had lead spikes or bones. Then they dressed Him in the king’s jester’s outfit: a scarlet robe (royal-colored cloak), gave Him a cane and a branch (“royal scepter”) in His right hand, and placed a wreath woven from thorns (“crown”) on His head, the thorns of which dug into the Prisoner’s head, when the soldiers beat Him on the head with a cane. This was accompanied by moral suffering. The warriors mocked and outraged the One who contained within Himself the fullness of love for all people - they knelt down, bowed and said: “ Rejoice, King of the Jews!”, and then they spat on him and beat him on the head and face with a cane (Mark 15:19).

When studying the Shroud of Turin, identified with the burial shroud of Jesus Christ, it was concluded that Jesus was struck 98 blows (while the Jews were allowed to apply no more than 40 blows - Deut. 25: 3): 59 blows of a scourge with three ends, 18 with two ends and 21 - with one end.

Pilate brought the bloodied Christ in a crown of thorns and scarlet robe to the Jews and said that he did not find any guilt in Him. " Behold, Man!"(John 19:5), - said the procurator. In the words of Pilate " Behold, Man!“One can see his desire to arouse compassion among the Jews for the prisoner, who, after torture, does not look like a king in his appearance and does not pose a threat to the Roman emperor. But the people did not show leniency either the first or the second time and demanded the execution of Jesus in response to Pilate’s proposal to release Christ, following a long-standing custom: “ You have a custom that I give you one for Easter; Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?" At the same time, according to the Gospel, the people began to shout even more loudly “ let him be crucified».

In the painting by Antonio Ciseri, Pontius Pilate shows the scourged Jesus to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; in the right corner is the grieving wife of Pilate.

Seeing this, Pilate pronounced a death sentence - he sentenced Jesus to crucifixion, and he himself “ washed his hands before the people, and said: I am innocent of the blood of this righteous one" To which the people exclaimed: “ His blood be on us and on our children"(Matthew 27:24-25). Having washed his hands, Pilate performed the ritual washing of hands customary among the Jews as a sign of non-involvement in the murder being committed (Deut. 21: 1-9)…

After the crucifixion

In the texts of early Christian historians one can find information that 4 years after the execution of the Nazarene, the procurator was deposed and exiled to Gaul. As for the further fate of Pontius Pilate after leaving Judea at the end of 36, there is no reliable information.

Many hypotheses have been preserved, which, despite the differences in details, boil down to one thing - Pilate committed suicide.

According to some reports, Nero signed an order for the execution of Pontius Pilate as a henchman of Tiberius, after he was exiled to Gaul. Apparently, no one was able to intercede for the former Roman procurator of Judea. The only patron Pilate could count on, Tiberius, had died by this time. There are also legends according to which the waters of the river where Pilate was thrown after he committed suicide refused to accept his body. In the end, according to this story, Pilate's body had to be thrown into one of the high mountain lakes in the Alps.

Apocrypha about Pontius Pilate

The name of Pontius Pilate is mentioned in some early Christian apocrypha of the 2nd century.

Many apocrypha even assumed that Pilate subsequently repented and became a Christian. Such pseudo-documents dating back to the 13th century include “The Gospel of Nicodemus”, “Pilate’s Letter to Claudius Caesar”, “Pilate’s Ascension”, “Pilate’s Letter to Herod the Tetrarch”, “Pilate’s Sentence”.

It is noteworthy that in the Ethiopian Church, in addition to the wife of the procurator Claudia Procula, Pontius Pilate himself is canonized.

Pontius Pilate in the novel “The Master and Margarita”

Pontius Pilate is the central character of M.A. Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” (1928-1940). The son of the astrologer king, the cruel procurator of Judea, the horseman Pontius Pilate, nicknamed the Golden Spear, appears at the beginning of the 2nd chapter: “In a white cloak with a bloody lining, a shuffling cavalry gait, early in the morning of the fourteenth day of the spring month of Nisan in the covered colonnade between the two wings of Herod’s palace The Great Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, came out.”

Having studied the novel, we can conclude that the image of Pontius Pilate is very contradictory, he is not just a villain and a coward. He is a person whom the social conditions that prevailed before him keep within certain limits. Mikhail Bulgakov in his novel showed the procurator as a victim, as a person tormented by pangs of conscience. Pilate is endowed with sympathy for Jesus, in whose sermons he does not see any threat to public order.

A stern, gloomy, but not devoid of humanity hegemon, ready to refuse the Sanhedrin to condemn the strange preacher from Nazareth, he still sends Yeshua to be crucified. He even quarrels with the Jerusalem high priest over a righteous man. However, the fear of being accused of covering for the enemies of Caesar, to whom the priests included the Nazarene, forces him to go against his conscience... The execution of Yeshua Ha-Nozri becomes the main event in the life of Pilate and Conscience haunts the procurator for the rest of his life. He cannot get rid of the vision of the executed Yeshua and suffers for two thousand years, dreaming of meeting Him. That, in fact, is all we learn from Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel.

The image of Bulgakov's Pilate is lonely; the novel says nothing about the hegemon's wife Claudia - the horseman's only friend is the devoted dog Banga.

Bulgakov has a lot of deviations from the Gospel in his novel. So, before us is a different image of the Savior - Yeshua Ha-Nozri. Contrary to the long genealogy set out in the Gospel, going back to the line of David, nothing is known about either Yeshua’s father or mother. He has no brothers. “I don’t remember my parents,” he tells Pilate. And further: " They told me that my father was Syrian...“The writer deprives his hero of his family, his way of life, even his nationality. By removing everything, he shapes the loneliness of Yeshua...

Among the significant changes made by Bulgakov to the Gospel tradition are Judas. Unlike the canon, in the novel he is not an apostle and, therefore, did not betray his teacher and friend, since he was neither a student nor a friend of Yeshua. He is a professional spy and informer. This is his form of income.

In the novel “The Master and Margarita” everything is focused on refuting the essence of the Gospel Event - the Passion of Christ. The scenes of the execution of Yeshua Ha-Nozri are devoid of excessive cruelty. Yeshua was not tortured, they did not mock him, and he did not die from torment, which, as can be seen from the text, did not exist, but was killed by the mercy of Pontius Pilate. No crown of thorns. And the scourging was replaced by one blow of the scourge of the centurion Ratslayer. In the novel there is no heavy burden of bearing the cross. And, therefore, there is actually no way of the cross. There is a cart with three condemned men looking into the distance - to where death awaits them, on the neck of each of them is a board with the inscription “Robber and Rebel”. And also carts - with executioners and the necessary, alas, working equipment for carrying out an execution: ropes, shovels, axes and freshly hewn poles... And all this is by no means because the soldiers are kind. It’s just more convenient for them – both soldiers and executioners. For them, this is everyday life: soldiers have service, executioners have work. There is a habitual, disinterested indifference to suffering and death - on the part of the authorities, the Roman soldiers, the crowd. Indifference to the incomprehensible, unrecognized, indifference to a feat that was in vain... Yeshua was not executed by crucifixion with nails on a cross, a symbol of sorrow, like Jesus Christ (and as predicted by the prophets), but simply tied with ropes to a “post with crossbars.” At the hour of death, there is not only a group of apostles and women mournfully frozen in the distance (according to Matthew, Mark and Luke) or crying at the foot of the cross (according to John). There is no crowd mocking and shouting: “ If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross" From Bulgakov: “ The sun burned the crowd and drove it back to Yershalaim». There are not even twelve apostles. Instead of twelve disciples there is one Levi Matthew... And what does Yeshua Ha-Nozri say while dying on the cross? In the Gospel of Matthew: “... About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: Eli, Eli! lama sabachthan? That is: My God, my God! Why did you leave me?"A similar phrase is in the Gospel of Mark. In short, John has one word: “ said: it's done" Bulgakov has the last word of the executed man: “Hegemon...”

Who is he – Yeshua Ha-Nozri in the novel “The Master and Margarita”? God? Or a person? Yeshua, to whom, it seems, everything is open - the deep loneliness of Pilate, and the fact that Pilate has a painful headache, forcing him to think about poison, and the fact that the thunderstorm will come later, in the evening... Yeshua knows nothing about his fate. Yeshua does not have divine omniscience. He is a human. And this representation of the hero not as a god-man, but as an infinitely defenseless man...

We have to admit that Bulgakov composed a different Pilate, who has nothing in common with the historical procurator of Judea Pontius Pilate.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

There is no information about his origin, it is only known that he belonged to the equestrian class and probably succeeded Valerius Grat as procurator in 26 AD, leaving this position in the beginning of 36.

fifth Roman procurator of Judea, Samaria and Idumea under Emperor Tiberius. There is no information about his origin, it is only known that he belonged to the equestrian class and probably replaced Valerius Grat as procurator in 26 AD, leaving this position at the beginning of 36. His relatively long term

board, apparently, should indicate his competence. At the same time, according to Philo of Alexandria (On the embassy to Gaius, De legatione ad Caium 38), Pilate’s rule was harsh, ruthless and corrupt; he offended the religious feelings of the Jews by allowing his soldiers

We will bring standards with Roman symbols and images into Jerusalem and use the funds stored in the sacred treasury to build an aqueduct. His reign ended after he carried out a massacre of the Samaritans, who had gathered on Mount Gerizim to dig up sacred vessels, which, as

a certain self-proclaimed messiah assured that Moses also buried there. As a result, Pilate was ordered to return to Rome, and this is the last we know of him from reliable sources.

Pilate, in the trial of Jesus and in condemning the latter, showed himself to be an imperial official faced with a threat to society

this peace of mind. The apologetic tendencies of the gospels, emphasizing his reluctance to condemn Jesus, may be explained by the fact that ancient Christians wanted to hold the Jews responsible for Jesus' death. Thus, according to Mark (15:1-15), Pilate simply agrees with the sentence

rum of the Sanhedrin and the demand of the people, and Matthew (27:11-25) adheres to the same version, adding to it the episode of washing his hands. In the third and fourth gospels (Luke 23:13-25; John 18:29; 19:16) Pilate constantly speaks of Jesus' innocence, but retreats under strong pressure from the chief priests and the crowds

There are many legends regarding the subsequent life of Pilate and his suicide, the historical authenticity of which is questionable. According to Eusebius of Caesarea, he was exiled to Vienne in Gaul, where various misfortunes eventually forced him to commit suicide. According to another apocryphal story

end, his body, after suicide, was thrown into the Tiber, and this caused such a disturbance in the water that it was recovered, taken to Vienne and drowned in the Rhone, where the same phenomena were observed, so that in the end he had to be drowned in a bottomless lake in Alps. Subsequently it was believed that Pilate

Pontius Pilate- the fifth prefect of Judea (26-36 AD) during the period of Roman occupation, who delivered the God-Man to death on the cross.

Up to 4 years A.D. Judea was ruled by his son Archelaus. Rome was dissatisfied with his rule, removed him from office, and from 6 AD. direct Roman rule was introduced, i.e. Judea became an ordinary Roman province.

Historicity of the figure

Until the twentieth century, several ancient historians also testified about Pilate. In 1961, archaeological evidence was added to them. A marble tablet was found in Palestine, the inscription on which was reconstructed as: “Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea, dedicated a temple to the people of Caesarea in honor of Tiberius,” which confirmed those who doubted that such a man really ruled Judea.

Pontius is a surname that indicates the family affiliation of the bearer, who has ancient Italian origin. Pilate is a nickname that translates as “javelin thrower” and speaks of belonging to the army. We do not know Pilate's name.

Job title

Pilate held the military position of prefect. Tacitus calls him a procurator (there is no such name in the Bible) - a manager whose duties concerned mainly civil affairs. Thus Pilate had a very wide range of powers and was responsible for all aspects of Roman provincial government.

During the earthly life of the Savior, Judea was part of the Roman Empire as one of its provinces. Since 6 AD, this territory, instead of puppet “kings” (like representatives of the Herodian dynasty), began to be ruled by governors appointed personally by the emperors of Rome and accountable only to him. Since almost from the very beginning of the Roman occupation the Jews were extremely hostile to the conquerors, and discontent could at any moment develop into a bloody riot, the Romans maintained a powerful military group in Palestine. It was commanded by a prefect who had almost unlimited power in the region.

Pilate was appointed to the post of prefect in 26, and he remained in power for ten years.

Character of Pilate

Judging by the works of ancient historians, Pilate was remembered by his contemporaries as a rude warrior, a cruel punisher, a bribe-taker and a careerist.

Philo of Alexandria (21 BC - 41 AD) calls Pilate “fierce and stubborn,” “naturally cruel and angry,” condemning “the corruption of his sentences, his predation, his ruin of entire families ... numerous executions of persons not convicted by any court, and other cruelties of all kinds.” It is known that in 36, due to complaints from the population about his cruelty, he was removed from office and sent to Rome.

Pilate and Christ

Pilate was a pagan and, when he heard from Christ about His divine dignity, he experienced slight fear that Jesus could be a demigod (a man born from the love of a deity and a man). The official's wife also spoke out against the execution. Wanting to “insure” himself, the procurator decides to limit himself to scourging the Convict. But the Jewish elders threatened Pilate with a complaint to the emperor if he did not approve the death sentence.

As a result, career considerations exceeded Pilate’s fear of the “local Deity” and he pronounced the death sentence on the Savior, choosing from the local religious law the most suitable rite () for his own protection.

What happened to Pilate after Christ?

The last thing we know for sure about Pontius is that in 36, after another brutal suppression of popular discontent, a complaint was once again written against him in Rome. Finally, it had its effect in the capital, and the legate of Syria, Vitellius, removed the governor from the post of prefect and sent him to Rome.

What happened next - the documents do not say. But a lot of apocrypha and frankly legendary information about the fate of the former official has been preserved. According to one version, he was exiled to Gaul (present-day France), where, unable to withstand the hardships and shame, he committed suicide. According to other stories, the prefect even became a Christian and was martyred during Nero's persecution around 64.

Pilate's wife's name was Claudia Procula. According to legend, after the Resurrection of Christ she believed and received Baptism. According to one version, it was the wife of the disgraced prefect that the Apostle Paul had in mind when conveying greetings to his disciple Timothy from a certain Roman woman Claudia (). In the Greek Orthodox Churches (for example, Constantinople), Procula is canonized.

Why is Pilate's name included in the Creed?

The words “under Pontius Pilate” in the Creed are an indication of the historicity of the fact of the Savior’s crucifixion.

Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate, Rome. procurator who ruled Palestine as part of Rome. provinces of Syria during the earthly life of Jesus Christ. Pontius is Pilate's family name, indicating his affiliation with Rome. to the Pontic family. It is not known, however, whether he belonged to this family by origin or whether the name "Pontius" was given to him upon adoption. After the displacement of Archelaus (see Archelaus) (see Archelaus) (Matt 2:22) in 6 A.D. Direct rule of Rome was established in Judea. A procurator (see Governor), subordinate to the proconsul of Syria, was placed at the head of the province. The fifth in the series of these governors, the successor of Valery Grat, was P.P. (26 AD), appointed to this post by Emperor. Tiberius under the patronage of the powers. favorite of Sejanus. Arrogant and cruel, P.P. treated Judas with contempt. people, more than once insulted his religion. feeling. So, soon after his appointment, he sent a military detachment to Jerusalem, on the banners of which the emperor was depicted. The Jews, in protest, sent an embassy to Caesarea, the seat of Rome. governor. After difficult negotiations, the banners were removed. Later P.P. misused money from the temple treasury intended for the construction of a water supply system in Jerusalem, the population of which suffered from a lack of water. This led to unrest in the city. But the procurator introduced disguised soldiers into the excited crowd in advance, and they dispersed it. Then P.P. ordered that golden shields with an inscription in honor of Tiberius be placed in Herod's palace in Jerusalem. This again caused outrage among city residents and the group's influence. the Jews appealed to the emperor with a complaint. The shields were removed. P.P. also ordered the minting of coins with the image of Rome. priest vessel (sympulum), which was also a challenge to the Jews. The procurator did not shy away from offerings and did not hesitate to use violence (Luke 13:1). The people hated him; after the overthrow of Sejan P.P. in 31 feared that the emperor might deprive him of his position in connection with the complaints received. This can explain the position of P.P. in the case of Jesus (Matthew 27:2,11-26; Mark 15:1-15; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:28 - 19:16) . P.P.'s wife asked him not to harm the Righteous One (Matt 27:19), but he, wanting to please the crowd, gave Jesus to be crucified, although before that he said that he did not see the guilt of this Man (John 18:38; 19:4,6). As a sign that he is innocent “of the blood of this Righteous One,” P.P. washed my hands of (Matt 27:24). Wanting to use the opportunity of reconciliation with Herod Antipas (see Herod Antipas), P.P. sent Jesus to him (Luke 23:7-12). End of P.P.'s reign marked by another bloody event. One day a large army gathered on Mount Gerizim. a crowd incited by a Samaritan who claimed that he could show the place where Moses hid the golden vessels. P.P. sent soldiers to disperse the crowd, several people were killed, and those taken prisoner were executed. The Samaritans sent a complaint to Vitellius, proconsul of Syria, after which in 36 another procurator was appointed, and P.P. summoned to answer in Rome. Then, according to some information, P.P. was exiled to the south of France, to Vienna. Tradition says that he committed suicide.

Brockhaus Biblical Encyclopedia. F. Rinecker, G. Mayer. 1994 .

See what "Pontius Pilate" is in other dictionaries:

Lat. Pontius Pilatus ... Wikipedia

The central character of M.A. Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” (1928-1940). The son of the astrologer king, the cruel procurator of Judea, horseman P.P. nicknamed the Golden Spear appears at the beginning of the 2nd chapter “in a white cloak with a bloody lining, shuffling ... ... Literary heroes

- (Pontius Pilatus), Roman procurator (governor) of Judea in 26:36, during which Jesus Christ was crucified... Modern encyclopedia

- (Pontius Pilatus) Roman governor of Judea in 26 36, distinguished by cruelty. According to the New Testament tradition, he sentenced Jesus Christ to crucifixion... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Pontius Pilatus was the Roman governor of Judea in 26 36. According to the New Testament tradition, he sentenced Jesus Christ to crucifixion. Political science: Dictionary reference book. comp. Prof. Science Sanzharevsky I.I.. 2010 ... Political science. Dictionary.

Pontius Pilate- (Pilate, Pontius), Rome. Governor of Judea (26-36 AD), presided over the trial of Jesus Christ and sentenced him to crucifixion, the usual punishment for non-Romans accused of sedition. Tacitus mentions his role at the trial and New... ... The World History

Pontius Pilate- (Pontius Pilatus), Roman procurator (governor) of Judea in 26:36, during which Jesus Christ was crucified. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Roman procurator (governor) of Judea in the late 20s and early 30s. n. e., during which Jesus Christ was executed. P.P. is one of the main characters of the novel “The Master and Margarita”. At first glance, Bulgakov’s P.P. is a man without a biography, but... ... Bulgakov Encyclopedia

Pontius Pilate- Roman procurator () of Judea in 26-36. In some sources he is characterized as a corrupt and cruel person, although, according to the Gospels, Pontius Pilate, under whom Jesus Christ was crucified, tried in every possible way to save Him and washed (his) hands,... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of World History

- (Pontius Pilatus), Roman governor of Judea in 26 36, distinguished by cruelty. According to the New Testament tradition, he sentenced Jesus Christ to crucifixion. * * * PONTIUS PILATE PONTIUS PILATE (Pontius Pilatus), Roman governor of Judea in 26 36. According to ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

• On the night of the 14th of Nisan. Jesus Christ. Judas Iscariot. Pontius Pilate, Abram Paley, Alexander Volodin, Alexander Men, Anatole France, E. Svyatlovsky, Ivan Turgenev, Mikhail Bulgakov, Ernest Joseph Renan, Yuri Nagibin, The eternal theme of the relationship between Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot, Pontius Pilate - the source of thought, the choice of a moral path many generations. The collection consists of selected works by writers... Category: Religion Publisher:

A death in which the Sanhedrin, led by the high priest Caiaphas, was interested.

According to the gospel story, Pilate “took water and washed his hands in front of the people,” thus using an ancient Jewish custom that symbolized innocence in shedding blood (hence the expression “wash your hands”).

After the Samaritans complained about the bloody massacre committed by Pontius Pilate, in 36 the Roman legate in Syria Lucius Vitellius (father of the future Emperor Vitellius) removed him from office and sent him to Rome. The further fate of Pilate is unknown.

There are many legends regarding the subsequent life of Pilate and his suicide, the historical authenticity of which is questionable. According to Eusebius of Caesarea (4th century), he was exiled to Vienne in Gaul [ ], where various misfortunes eventually forced him to commit suicide. According to another apocryphal legend, his body, after suicide, was thrown into the Tiber, but this caused such a disturbance in the water that the body was recovered, taken to Vienne and drowned in the Rhone, where the same phenomena were observed, so that in the end he had to be drowned in lake named after him at an altitude of 1548 meters near Lucerne. At this place today there is a raised bog. In Switzerland, this legend is so widely known that even the main mountain of Lucerne is called Pilatusberg. According to other reports, he was executed by Nero. In Vienne there is a pyramidal column of the circus (hippodrome), which for a long time was passed off as the “tomb of Pilate”.

The name of Pontius Pilate is one of three (except the names of Jesus and Mary) mentioned in the Christian Creed: “ And in one Lord Jesus Christ, ... crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and buried" According to a common theological interpretation, the words “ under Pontius Pilate" - an indication of a specific date, of the fact that the earthly life of Christ became a fact of human history.

Apocrypha about Pontius Pilate

The initial hostility of Christianity towards Pontius Pilate gradually disappears, and the “repentant” and “converted to Christianity” Pilate becomes the hero of a number of New Testament