Roman prefect of Judea from 26 to 36 CE e., Roman horseman
No later than 41
short biography
Pontius Pilate(lat. Pontius Pilatus; other Greek Ποντίος Πιλάτος) - Roman prefect of Judea from 26 to 36 AD. e., Roman horseman (equit). Tacitus calls him the procurator of Judea, Josephus Flavius - the ruler ( hegemon) and governor, but an inscription found in 1961 in Caesarea, dating from the reign of Pilate, shows that he, like other Roman rulers of Judea from 6 to 41, was in the position of prefect.
The reign of Pilate was marked by mass violence and executions. Tax and political oppression, the provocative actions of Pontius Pilate, which offended the religious beliefs and customs of the Jews, caused massive popular uprisings, which were mercilessly suppressed by the Romans. A contemporary of Pilate, the philosopher Philo of Alexandria characterizes him as a cruel and corrupt petty tyrant, guilty of numerous executions committed without any trial. The Jewish king Agrippa I, in a letter to Emperor Caligula, also lists Pilate's numerous crimes: "bribery, violence, robbery, ill treatment, insults, continuous executions without a judicial verdict and his endless and unbearable cruelty."
Pontius Pilate in the Christian tradition
According to the New Testament, Pontius Pilate during the trial three times refused to put Jesus Christ to death, in which the Sanhedrin headed by the high priest Caiaphas was interested.
… But they shouted: Crucify Him! Crucify! He said to them a third time: What evil has he done? I found nothing worthy of death in Him; so, having punished him, I will let him go. But they continued with a great cry to demand that he be crucified; and overcame their cry and the chief priests. And Pilate decided to be at their request and let them go to prison for indignation and murder, whom they asked, and betrayed Jesus into their will.
Ecce Homo(Behold, Man!). In the painting by Antonio Chiseri, Pontius Pilate shows the scourged Jesus to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, in the right corner is the grieving wife of Pilate.
According to the gospel story, Pilate at the same time “took water and washed his hands before the people”, thus using the old Jewish custom, symbolizing innocence in the shedding of blood (hence the expression “wash your hands”).
After the Samaritans complained about the massacre perpetrated by Pontius Pilate, in 36 the Roman legate in Syria Vitellius (father of the future emperor Vitellius) removed him from his post and sent him to Rome. Pilate's further fate is unknown.
There are many legends about Pilate's subsequent life and his suicide, the historical accuracy of which is doubtful. 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 of the water that the body was removed, 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 is a raised swamp. In Switzerland, this legend is so widely known that even the main mountain of Lucerne is called Pilate's mountain "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 for the names of Jesus and Mary) mentioned in the Christian Creed: “ And in one Lord Jesus Christ, ... crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, who suffered and was buried". According to a common theological interpretation, the words " under Pontius Pilate"- an indication of a specific date, that the earthly life of Christ became a fact of human history.
Apocrypha about Pontius Pilate
The initial hostility of Christianity to Pontius Pilate gradually disappears, and “repentant” and “converted to Christianity” Pilate becomes the hero of a number of New Testament apocrypha, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church even canonized Pilate’s wife Procula (the name is known from a number of lists of the Gospel of Nicodemus), who began to be identified with the Roman Christian Claudia, mentioned by the Apostle Paul (2 Tim. 4:21) - as a result, a double name arose - Claudia Proculus. The Ethiopian Church honors Pilate as a saint and commemorates him with his wife on June 25.
Pilate's Judgment
The trial of Pilate is the trial of Jesus Christ described in the Gospels, to which Pilate, following the demands of the crowd, pronounced a death sentence. During the trial, according to the Gospels, Jesus Christ was tortured (scourged, crowned with thorns) - therefore, Pilate's trial is among the Passion of Christ.
Historical evidence
In addition to the New Testament, Pontius Pilate is mentioned in the writings of Josephus, Philo of Alexandria, and Tacitus. In 1961, in the Mediterranean port of Caesarea, which was once the residence of the Roman governor in Judea, two Italian archaeologists discovered a limestone slab measuring 82x100x20 cm with a Latin inscription, deciphered by archaeologist Antonio Frava as:
…]S TIBERIEVM… pon]TIVS PILATVS.. PRAEF]ECTVS IVDA[ EA]E..́.
which is possibly a fragment of the inscription: " Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea, introduced Tiberius to the Caesareans". This slab was the first archaeological find that confirmed the existence of Pilate.
During excavations near the city of Beit Shemesh, a stone-paved section of the ancient Roman road was discovered, about 150 m long and up to 6 meters wide, on which they found coins minted by the Roman prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate in 29 AD. e.
Josephus also mentions Pilate's name in the so-called Testimonium Flavianum .
In general, the number of historical evidence about Pontius Pilate is significantly inferior to the number of apocryphal texts associated with his name - starting with the "Reports of Pilate to Tiberius", references to which are already found in the authors of the 2nd-3rd centuries, and ending with fakes of the 20th century - such, for example, as "Testimony of the Greek Hermidius" (allegedly serving as the official biographer of the ruler of Judea and recording the details of the trial of Jesus).
Pilate in art and culture
The image of Pilate was reflected in the culture of modern times: in fiction(for example, "Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov, "Procurator of Judea" by Anatole France, "Gospel of Pilate" by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, "Pilate's Creed" by Karel Chapek, "Straitjacket" by Jack London, "Blach" by Chingiz Aitmatov), " Memoirs of Pontius Pilate" by Anna Berne, music (for example, the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Andrew Lloyd Webber, "Master and Margarita" by A. Gradsky, the song of the group "Aria" "Blood for Blood") and many others; V fine arts(for example, “Christ before Pilate” (1634) by Rembrandt, “What is truth?” (1890) by Nikolai Ge, as well as a number of canvases dedicated to the plot of Ecce Homo (“Behold, the man”), including works by Hieronymus Bosch , Caravaggio, Correggio, Tintoretto, Mihai Munkacsy and many others.
In cinema, the image of Pontius Pilate was presented in dozens of films by the following actors:
- Sigmund Lubin ("Passion Play" "Passion Play" (Finland, 1898)
- Samuel Morgan ("From the Manger to the Cross" (USA, 1912)
- Amleto Novelli ("Christ", "Christus" (Italy, 1916)
- Werner Kraus ("Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" (I.N.R.I.), Germany, 1923)
- Victor Varkoni ("King of Kings", "The King of Kings" (Austria, 1927)
- Jean Gabin (Calvary, France, 1935)
- Basil Rathbone (" Last days Pompey, USA, 1935)
- Jose Baviera ("Jesus of Nazareth" "Jesus of Nazareth" (1942); "Mary Magdalene" "María Magdalena, pecadora de Magdala" (1946); "Virgin Mary" "Reina de reinas: La Virgen María" (1948); "El mártir del Calvario" (1952) Mexico.
- Lowell Gilmore (The Living Christ Series (USA, 1951)
- Richard Boone (The Shroud (USA, 1953)
- Basil Sydney ("Salome" "Salome" (USA, 1953)
- Gerard Tisci ("Kiss of Judas" aka "El beso de Judas", Spain, 1954)
- Alan Whitley (Jesus of Nazareth, UK, 1956)
- Jean Mare ("Pontius Pilate", Italy - France, 1956)
- Frank Thring (Ben Hur, USA, 1959)
The phrase "Pontius Pilate" is known, perhaps, to everyone educated person. However, to be honest, for most people the main sources of information
about the bearer of this name remain a novel by M.A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita" and the gospel texts of the New Testament. Although such authorities as Josephus Flavius, Philo of Alexandria, Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus wrote about Pontius Pilate. There are also apocryphal interpretations, the manuscripts of Eusebius of Caesarea, and finally, the later finds of archaeologists and historians.
And therefore, there is an opportunity to slightly supplement the textbook image of the famous Roman or, if you like, slightly “wipe” it - too much varnish has accumulated on the chased profile of the iron praetor for almost two thousand years.
Let's make a reservation right away: hypotheses, versions, conjectures inevitably, like ivy, braid biographies famous people, and characters like Pilate in particular. Therefore, any judgment about him is, to one degree or another, a compilation of various opinions, and the correctness of any statement depends on how tightly these opinions “adhere” to each other, unless, of course, we are talking about a narrowly professional analysis.
Pontius Pilatus - an aristocrat from the Pontius clan, a Roman horseman (there was such an estate), the fifth procurator of Judea. In Latin, "pilatus" means "spear-bearer".
The date of birth, however, as well as the date of death, are not exactly known.
By romantic legend Pilate was born out of wedlock from the king of Mainz-Tyre. So, a German.
According to a more prosaic version, Pilate was born into an ordinary Roman, albeit noble, family, received a decent education and, thanks to his personal qualities, rose to the rank of procurator. However, he was married to the illegitimate daughter of Emperor Tiberius, the granddaughter of Emperor Augustus - Claudia. Of course, this circumstance could not but contribute to his diplomatic career.
Historically, Pilate's career begins in the year 26 (all given dates are from the Nativity of Christ), when Tiberius appointed him procurator of Judea to replace Valerius Gratu.
It should be noted that in 1961 a stone slab was found in Caesarea with an inscription engraved on it dating back to the period of Pilate's reign. It follows from the text that Pontius Pilate (like all the governors of Rome in this region from 6 to 41 years) still held the position not of a procurator, but of a prefect. By the way, the discovery of the mentioned plate was an extra and indisputable proof of the very existence of an official named Pontius Pilate.
Strictly speaking, Pilate ruled not only Judea, but also Idumea and Samaria and, according to some sources, was the sixth procurator. However, the serial number is a moot point. Therefore, and also for brevity and out of habit, we, like the most ancient historians, will call the successor of Valery Grat in Bulgakov's simply: "the fifth procurator of Judea, the horseman Pontius Pilate."
He served as a procurator for ten years, from 26 to 36 years old, quite a long time in those days, which indirectly testifies to his competence. Although everyone has effective manager» have and back side, which is discussed below.
Together with her husband, Claudia Procula also arrived in the troubled province, which was uncharacteristic for the wives of officials of this rank. Usually the procurators' wives stayed at home, at home, by the window.
The couple lived in Caesarea Maritime, in the residence of the Roman rulers, which is about a hundred kilometers from Jerusalem. In the capital, Pilate also had his own palace - the “praetorium” (the former palace of King Herod), where he periodically visited on business. The main duties of the procurator were: the personification of the power of Rome, ensuring public order, overseeing the receipt of taxes, and the administration of justice.
After getting acquainted with traditional sources, the image of Pontius Pilate is rather sympathetic: restless, with broken integrity, but strong-willed and strong man, trying to transgress the prevailing circumstances by some inner call ... This impresses.
And yet (according to numerous data from secular researchers) Pilate was cruel, cunning, merciless.
He treated the Jewish people with extreme arrogance and undisguised contempt. Perhaps, in past times, such a “dynamic” character was quite justified and even expedient, but in fact, Pilate's rule was based on lies, provocations, violence and executions. Any opposition was inevitably punished.
Pilate was the first procurator who encroached on the holy of holies of all Jews - on their religious feeling;
while the policy of Rome at that time in the subject territories was emphatically tolerant and very careful in such delicate matters. Nevertheless, Pontic Pilate repeatedly allowed unauthorized deviations and even rolls in relation to the "general line".
One of the first demarches of the freshly baked procurator was the well-known incident “with shields and banners”: the legions that arrived in Jerusalem for winter quarters entered the city with shields and standards, on which images of Roman Caesars were revealed. Meanwhile, according to Jewish concepts, which excluded any images of a person, this was a direct insult to the people and a mockery of religion: the Romans blasphemously brought pagan symbols of their own power into the Holy City. Of course, Pilate knew perfectly well what he was doing; moreover, everything was done at night and without any prior notice. Simply put, the residents of the capital were presented with a fait accompli.
This had a colossal effect: the next day, huge crowds of people went to Caesarea to personally appeal to the procurator with a protest. Despite all sorts of counter threats, the Jews acted uncompromisingly, demonstrating their readiness to die immediately, if only they would not endure such oppression.
Their opposition was so powerful that even such an implacable type as Pontius Pilate had to give in: the imperial symbols were taken out of Jerusalem and returned back to Caesarea.
Although, most likely, only the fear of the possible anger of the emperor Tiberius contributed to such a resolution of the conflict, but this does not change the essence: the provocation, albeit with an unsuccessful ending, was carried out.
Another example.
Being a true Roman, Pilate loved to create. In particular, he set out to build an aqueduct in Jerusalem, through which water was to come to the city from distant sources, overcoming distances of up to four hundred stages. However, a good undertaking needed funds.
There were no such funds in the budget. Without hesitation, the procurator withdraws the required amount from the sacrificial money of the sanctuary of the Temple (the so-called "korban").
Of course, the Jews were shocked. They surrounded the construction sites, protesting furiously and obstructing the work. Needless to say, the riots were mercilessly suppressed with a huge number of victims, as well as beaten and maimed.
It would seem that nothing special, the usual practice.
But the point of this example is the following: anticipating the active reaction of the population, Pilate decided not to use the troops in the suppression, but introduced provocateurs disguised as civilians into the crowd, carrying whips, clubs and similar means under their clothes. On a prearranged signal, a special operation began to disperse the protesters, with the most sad consequences for them. A very typical episode.
In a letter to the emperor Caligula (who replaced Tiberius), the nominal king of Judea, Herod Agrippa the First, characterizes the personality and reign of Pilate in the following way: ... terrible and senseless cruelty ”(quote from Philo of Alexandria).
The historical dominant of the biography of Pontius Pilate is undoubtedly the trial of Jesus Christ and the execution of the Savior.
There are two approaches to understanding what happened at the very beginning of the New Era.
The first approach is canonical, described in the New Testament; the other is skeptical-analytical, let's say, which, if not refutes, then seriously questions the generally accepted Christian interpretation.
So, according to the Canon (as briefly as possible), Jesus preached in Jerusalem, taking with him many people who considered him the Messiah. The coming of the Messiah was destined Old Testament- the Israelites were waiting for him, sincerely believing in the inevitability of the coming. Rumors about the newly appeared preacher spread with incredible speed, the popularity of Jesus grew, which could not but disturb the local clergy. In the end, Christ was captured and isolated. He was accused of blasphemy, heresy, organizing riots and other related things. The "pretender" was judged by the Sanhedrin (the highest judicial body of the Jews) and sentenced to death.
To top it off, the verdict had to be approved by the Roman governor, that is, Pontius Pilate. Having familiarized himself with the case, the procurator did not see mortal crimes in the speeches and actions of the defendant and called on the Sanhedrin to review the verdict. However, they did not want to hear. Pilate insisted, exhorted three times, but all to no avail: “Crucify him!” the crowd chanted. Pilate was forced to give in, still remaining with a special opinion: he literally washed his hands in front of the people, demonstrating his innocence in the future.
Jesus Christ was subjected to scourging and in terrible agony was executed by crucifixion on the cross.
Skeptics are skeptical main question procurator - "Are you the King of the Jews?" - Jesus does not directly answer, but he does not categorically deny ("You say ..."), which indirectly confirms his messianism and, thereby, automatically assigns himself the royal title. Independent claim to power according to Roman laws is a serious crime. Moreover, it is fraught with another rebellion. It is not surprising that Pilate sends the troublemaker to Golgotha with a mocking inscription on the cross "Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews."
What kind of hesitation on the part of the procurator can we talk about?
Pilate's power in Judea was de facto absolute, and if he wanted to release or pardon anyone, he would not ask permission from the screaming, despised crowd.
If we take into account, moreover, the peculiarities of the character of the Golden Spear Horseman, then the above episode looks simply nonsense, all the more so since much more serious precedents took place earlier.
Or so: why did the Roman soldiers mock and mock at the one whom Pilate secretly sympathized with, while the other two convicted of real crimes did without preliminary torture?
Why does the crowd hate Jesus to such an extent that they are ready to pardon the murderer, rather than the one to whom, until recently, they sang praises as a king and covered the way with their clothes?
There are many arguments, not always indisputable, but the bottom line is that the following sounds categorically: why did Pilate resist the execution of Jesus?
Indeed, from the point of view of an imperial official, the procurator behaved illogically. The words and deeds of the Nazarene threatened the religious and state foundations of Judea, that is, the territory entrusted to the care of the Roman governor. Any turmoil, and even more so a social explosion, guaranteed serious trouble, first of all, for the procurator himself. Why did Pilate defend a troublemaker and a vagabond if it did not bring any benefit either for himself, his beloved, or for the Roman Empire?
On the contrary, the aggravation of relations with the obstinate Jews and, much worse, with the Roman authorities inevitably followed.
Or maybe that is why, precisely in defiance of the Sanhedrin and the hated high priest Caiaphas, Pilate opposed? Let's say.
But is the game worth the candle? Doubtful...
True believers will chuckle: Pilate defended not an insane impostor claiming to be the Messiah, but the Savior himself! How did you recognize? He who has a soul, let him feel. Need to understand...
What can you say? Faith begins where knowledge ends. And vice versa. In any case, none of the sources gives a clear answer to the main question: why did Pilate need all this? Yes, if Jesus had been innocent a thousand times, Pilate would have turned him in and would not wince - with his service record and attitude to justice! Well, not because of the headache and rose oil, after all.
In short, in fact - it is not clear.
Paradoxically, it is the central event in the life of Pontius Pilate that provides the least reliable information about this person.
After the events described, Pilate of Pontus ruled Judea for more than three years. Contrary to apocryphal views, the style of his reign did not change, and popular unrest continued to flare up periodically on various occasions. However, an event occurred, the consequences of which the procurator, to put it mildly, underestimated.
A large number of Samaritans gathered on Mount Gerizim, sacred to them, in order to find sacred vessels, which (according to the assurances of a certain preacher) Moses had buried there. In general, it was an ordinary religious ceremony, but it brought together a huge number of believers.
Pilate, who did not like such gatherings very much, ordered the crowd to be dispersed. A real massacre was perpetrated, which claimed many lives, including very influential members of the Samaritan community.
Representatives of the Supreme Council of Samaria immediately appealed to the consul Vitaliy (the imperial legate of Syria and the immediate superior of the procurator), begging to save people from the horrors of Pilate's rule.
Rome's patience ran out. Another excess of power was evident. The Raging Horseman was removed from his post and urgently recalled to the metropolis to give explanations.
The fifth procurator of Judea did not return to his former place of service.
And this is the last thing more or less reliably known about a man named Pontius Pilate.
The circumstances of the death of the former procurator are exceptionally legendary.
Historians and theologians are unanimous only that Pilate committed suicide. Some believe that the ex-procurator did not reach Rome, but banally stabbed himself on the road with his own dagger. Others assure
(and this is the most common version) that Caligula, the successor of Emperor Tiberius, exiled Pilate to Vienna, where he took his own life. The moralizing legend continues this theme: they tried to drown the body of a suicide in the waters of the Tiber, and later the Rhone, but to no avail: the rivers did not accept him, they literally “pushed” the corpse to the surface. And yet he managed to be buried in an obscure alpine lake.
From then until now, every year on Friday before Easter, a languishing ghost appears by the water, and in a vain desire to cleanse itself, everything washes and washes its incorporeal, blood-stained hands ...
5 174
In history, the truth often turns into a legend, and it is no longer considered true. And then some person comes, from the point of view of others naive and gullible, and says: “What if the legend contains a healthy grain? What if you believe her?
This happened more than a hundred years ago, when Schliemann, whom we have already talked about, believed that Troy, described by Homer in the Iliad, actually existed, and went to look for it. He followed in the footsteps of the Homeric heroes and found the place where this great city stood.
Something similar happened during the search for another ancient hero, or rather, the anti-hero of the Bible, the Roman governor in Judea, Pontius Pilate. He did not glorify himself with anything either before or after the execution of Jesus Christ, he came from obscurity and disappeared into obscurity. But his word, his decision to wash his hands, changed the history of the whole earth.
Since so many scientists today think that in fact Jesus did not exist - this is, so to speak, a collective image that has developed in the memory of descendants from the images of several teachers and prophets who preached at the turn of our era - the existence of Pontius Pilate is in doubt . Was there such a politician and administrator in the Roman Empire?
Believe me, for two thousand years researchers have been sifting through the Roman archives, unfortunately preserved rather poorly, so as not to miss a single word, not a single mention of Pontius Pilate. But we found few. True, we can say with certainty that Pontius Pilate certainly existed and really served in Judea.
But where he came from, learned only recently by British scientists.
And if we talk about historical sensations, about unraveling mysteries that are already many hundreds of years old, then the story of Pontius Pilate will be in the foreground.
The British turned to old chronicles, as well as to Roman inscriptions - after all, England was once a Roman colony, it was conquered by Julius Caesar, and many Roman generals served there, gaining experience in wars with the Scots and Irish, the recalcitrant sons of Albion.
In 13 BC, a Roman detachment arrived in the Caledonian Forest in southern Scotland. In those parts, the power of the Romans ended. The Scots, who lived to the north, did not obey anyone and attacked the Roman garrisons.
The Roman ruler of England sent the centurion Pontius to those parts in order for him to establish good relations with the Scottish king Metallanus. Pontius arrived at the capital of the king, Fortingall. And since the king was not very rich and powerful, his capital was, obviously, a simple castle surrounded by village houses.
The most famous place in Fortingall was the yew.
The yew tree is similar to the juniper. It grows very slowly and can live for thousands of years. The yew at Fortingall was one of the oldest trees in Scotland. It was believed that he was already two thousand years old.
It was under this tree that the Roman centurion met the niece of the Scottish king Elijah and fell in love with her without memory.
In the meantime, the Romans, with the permission of Metallanus, built a small fortress nearby, and Pontius commanded its garrison. Apparently, Pontius' relationship with the royal family was good.
At least the king did not object to the marriage of Elijah and the Roman officer.
And soon disaster struck. Elijah gave birth to a boy and died in childbirth. This often happened in those days.
The boy was left an orphan. He grew up in a Roman fortress and played under an ancient tree.
The boy grew up when the time came for the centurion to leave Scotland. The relations of Pontius with the king were so good that he sent his son Mansuteus with him. He wanted the prince to learn all the sciences in Rome.
Pontius is a rare name, and English historians immediately suspected that this was not the Pontius Pilate mentioned in the Gospel? Moreover, a boy born in 10 BC, the son of Pontius, would have been the same age as the governor of Judea during the events described in the Bible.
Where did the second half of the name come from?
Scientists believe that this happened due to the fact that little Pontius was finally orphaned - his father died shortly after returning to Rome. And then the boy was given a felt hat. Such a hat was called "pilatus", and only the head of the family could wear it. If an adult had inherited this hat, no one would have paid any attention to it. When a ten-year-old boy became the head of the family, this appeal sounded both respect and some irony at once.
So the nickname became part of the name. You won't find another like it in Rome. You can be almost sure that we are talking about the same person who was described by Mikhail Bulgakov in the novel The Master and Margarita.
Pontius Pilate entered the civil service and at the age of forty received the high post of governor of the Roman province. The fate of his friend, Prince Mansuteus, also turned out well, who turned out to be very capable and liked him so much in Rome that he was sent home, having approved not only the Scottish king, but also the Roman governor, which happened very rarely - as a rule, the Romans did not trust the nobility from the conquered provinces.
Pontius Pilate finished his career badly in Judea, although he managed to become famous for centuries.
However, on the day when this happened, no one in the world suspected that the governor was signing his own sentence for eternity. And least of all, Pilate himself thought about this, for whom, most likely, those events were ordinary and completely insignificant.
Of course, you know what happened, but still I remind you - it never hurts to read again what any cultured person should know.
The priests of Jerusalem, who enjoyed no less power in the city than King Herod himself, were afraid of the growing influence of Jesus Christ. They saw him as a threat to their dominance in the country. And, accusing the preacher of sacrilege and rebellion against the authorities, they seized him and brought him to Pontius Pilate. Christ was accused of allegedly wanting to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem and calling himself the son of God. Witnesses were found, and although Christ did not make excuses, but did not confess to the crimes, his fate seemed to have been decided.
And suddenly a barrier arose before the accusers of Christ in the person of Pontius Pilate. He spoke with Christ and, apparently, was convinced that he was not guilty of anything. But the Roman governor had to remain in tolerable relations with the top of Jewish society. And then he cheated - he ordered to send the prisoner to King Herod, let him understand and take responsibility. But Herod turned out to be even more cunning than Pilate and, as the Evangelist Luke writes, having not achieved any miracles from Christ, ordered to be beaten to the shouts of the high priests and, having changed his clothes so that no signs of torture could be seen, he sent him back to the Roman. Moreover, he took advantage of this opportunity in order to improve his relations with the Roman Empire. The Evangelist writes: “And that day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for before they had been at enmity with each other.” What kind of conspiracy happened between the two lords, we will obviously never know.
Whether Pilate wanted it or not, whether he had already agreed with Herod or was left alone with his conscience, he continued interrogating Jesus and after interrogation told the Jewish Pharisees that he considered Christ innocent and, moreover, was going to use his right - in honor of the Jewish Easter holiday to pardon one of those sentenced to death. And besides the two robbers, Barabbas was also sentenced to death, who was accused of rebellion against the authorities. Pilate said, "Let's set Christ free."
You should have listened to the noise raised by the priests-Pharisees and their henchmen, who ran to the governor's palace!
And then Pontius Pilate committed a demonstrative act, which is described only in the Gospel of Matthew: “Pilate, seeing that nothing helps, but confusion increases, took water and washed his hands before the people, and said: I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man.”
Oh, and Pilate was cunning! What a school of diplomacy in the capital of a conquered people! And the Roman Empire is clean, and the high priests were torn to pieces, whom they wanted.
Pilate's troubles began after the execution of Christ. Despite his crafty policy, an uprising against the Romans soon broke out in Jerusalem. Pilate brutally suppressed him, which caused the displeasure of Rome. An excellent diplomat - and suddenly such recklessness! And when, after that, Pilate massacred the tribe of the Samaritans, Rome decided to sacrifice an insufficiently flexible governor. There is such an old law: "There is no bad church, but there are bad priests." And if things go wrong in the colony, then you need to point out the guilty person, who can be sent to court so that everyone can see how we are fighting for justice!
Apparently, the reputation of the cunning Pilate was so bad that he was not only recalled home, but also ordered to await trial.
And here Pilate was lucky. The emperor Tiberius died, who issued this strict decree. The trial did not take place, but the property of the viceroy, apparently acquired in an unrighteous way, was confiscated, with public service he was expelled, and Pilate left Rome.
He moved north to what is now France.
The further events of his life border on a legend, a moralizing parable, so it cannot be argued that this was exactly the case.
But there are medieval French chronicles, which say that in old age, Pontius Pilate realized his sins and converted to Christianity - he became one of the first Christians among the noble Romans.
What is more certain is that Pontius Pilate returned to England, where a friend of his childhood ruled over Scotland.
King Mansuteus accepted him as a brother and settled him in his castle. Legends say that Pontius Pilate preached Christianity throughout England and achieved considerable success in this. From the chronicles it is known that he died on July 5, 55, that is, he lived for sixty-four years - a lot for those times.
For 2000 years, historians, writers, artists have been trying to discern and study the image of this man. We say his name every day in the prayer "Symbol of Faith" - "... 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 person who sent the Savior to Golgotha like?
Pontius Pilate. Fragment of the painting Christ before Pilate by Mihaly Munkacsy
A bit of history
(lat. Pontius Pilatus) - the fifth Roman procurator (ruler) of Judea from 26 to 36 AD, Roman horseman (equit). 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 writings of the Roman historian Josephus Flavius. There are also written accounts from historians such as Tacitus, Eusebius of Caesarea, and Philo of Alexandria.
According to some reports, Pontius Pilate was born in 10 BC in Lugdun, in Gaul (now Lyon, France). Pontius is apparently generic name 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 obedient servant of the emperor-in-law, 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 is the words of Philo of Alexandria: "naturally tough, stubborn and ruthless... depraved, rude and aggressive, he raped, abused, repeatedly killed and constantly atrocities." The moral qualities of Pontius Pilate can be judged by his deeds in Judea. As historians point out, Pilate was responsible for countless cruelties and executions carried out without any trial. Tax and political oppression, provocations that offended the religious beliefs and customs of the Jews, caused massive popular uprisings, which were mercilessly suppressed.
Pilate began his reign in the Holy Land by bringing standards with the image of the emperor to Jerusalem. So he tried to demonstrate his contempt for the Jews and their religious laws. But in order not to expose the Roman soldiers to unnecessary risk, this operation was carried out at night. And when the inhabitants of Jerusalem saw the Roman banners in the morning, the soldiers were already in their barracks. This story is described in great detail by Josephus Flavius in The Jewish War. Afraid to arbitrarily remove the standards (apparently, this was just what the legionnaires were waiting for in their barracks), the inhabitants of Jerusalem went to Caesarea to meet with the new governor of Rome who had arrived. Here, according to Josephus Flavius, 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 start his inauguration with a massive massacre of the civilian population, 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 canal, facility for centralized supply of the city with water from suburban sources). To implement this project, the procurator applied for subsidies to 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 Treasurers of the Temple. But Pilate committed an unprecedented act - he simply withdrew the necessary 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 prompted decisive action. Pilate "ordered to change (in civilian clothes) a significant number of soldiers, gave them clubs, which they were supposed to hide under their clothes." The legionnaires surrounded the crowd, and after the order to disperse was ignored, Pilate “gave a signal to the soldiers, 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 here fell dead, and many left covered with wounds. Thus the indignation was suppressed.
The following account of Pilate's cruelty is found in the Gospel of Luke: “At that time some came and told Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices.”(Luke 13:1). Obviously, it was about an event known at that time - a massacre right in the Jerusalem Temple during the charter sacrifice ...
However, Pontius Pilate did not become one of the most famous in history because of his cruelty or the construction of the Jerusalem aqueduct. All his cruelty and deceit was overshadowed by a single act - judgment of jesus christ and the ensuing execution. From Holy Scripture we definitely know that the Lord was sentenced to death by Pilate, who at that time represented the highest Roman authority 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 the Roman tradition of the death penalty.
Judgment on Jesus Christ
On the eve of the Jewish Passover, Pilate received an invitation from the Sanhedrin to Jerusalem for the feast. His temporary residence in Jerusalem was praetoria, which was probably located in the former palace of Herod near the tower of Anthony. The Praetorium was a vast and magnificent chamber, where not only Pilate's dwelling was located, but also a room for his retinue and soldiers. There was also a small square in front of the praetorium, where the regional ruler held court. It was here that Jesus was brought for trial and sentencing.
Residence of Pilate in Jerusalem - Praetorium
Preliminary "inquiry" in Anna's house
It all starts on the night of 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.
Grand Sanhedrin consisted of 71 judges. Membership in the Sanhedrin was for life. We know the names of only 5 members of the Jerusalem Sanhedrin: High Priest Caiaphas, Anna (lost by that time the rights of the high priesthood), holy righteous Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and Gamaliel. Before the conquest of Judea by the Romans, the Sanhedrin had the right to life and death, but from that time on his power was limited: he could pronounce death sentences, but their execution required the consent of the Roman ruler. 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 Jewish society.
With Anna, the trial of Jesus Christ began. The chief priests and elders wanted the death of the Savior. 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 fears in the Roman ruler.The former high priest wanted to lead the case to accusing Jesus Christ of plotting rebellion and leading a secret community. This was a cunning intent.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 the witnesses of his sermons. Because the preliminary inquiry failed, Anna, not having the power to pass judgment, sent Christ to Caiaphas.
The meeting of the Sanhedrin in the house of Caiaphas
The high priest Caiaphas wanted the death of the Savior and more than others made efforts to fulfill this. Immediately after the resurrection of Lazarus, he, fearing that everyone would believe in Jesus, offered to kill the Savior: "You know nothing and will not think that it is better for us that one man should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish"(John 11:49-50).
That night Caiaphas' house and courtyard were full of people. 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 pass the death sentence on Jesus. They were in a hurry to "turn everything over" for Friday, because the next day was Saturday - it was forbidden to hold a court session. In addition, if the trial and execution of the sentence are not carried out on Friday, one will have to wait a week due to the celebration of Easter. And this could again disrupt their plans.
The priests wanted to press two charges: blasphemy (for accusation in the eyes of the Jews) And sedition (for an accusation in the eyes of the Romans). “The chief priests and the elders and the whole Sanhedrin looked for false evidence against Jesus in order to put Him to death, and did not find it; and although many false witnesses came, they were not found"(Matthew 26:57-60). Judgment is impossible without witnesses. (The Lord, having given the Law to the God-chosen people on Mount Sinai, also established rules regarding witnesses: “According to two witnesses or three witnesses, the one condemned to death must die: he must not be put to death according to the words of one witness”(Deut. 17:6).)
Finally, two false witnesses came, who pointed to the words spoken by the Lord during the expulsion of the merchants from the temple. At the same time, they maliciously twisted 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 such an accusation attributed to Christ was not sufficient for a serious punishment. Jesus never uttered a single word in His defense. Thus, the night session, which no doubt lasted several hours, did not find grounds for the death charge. 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 addressed Jesus: “I conjure you by the living God, tell us, are you the Christ, the Son of God?” Christ could not but respond to these words and answered: “You said!” that is: "Yes, you said correctly 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 else do we need witnesses for,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 procurator.
Pilate's Judgment
.jpg)
Jesus Christ at Pilate's Trial
The Jewish high priests, having condemned Jesus Christ to death, could not carry out the sentence themselves without its approval by the Roman governor. As the evangelists say, after the night trial of Christ, they brought him to Pilate in the morning in the praetorium, but they themselves did not enter it “so as not to be defiled, but so that they could eat Easter”. The representative of the Roman authorities had the right to approve or cancel the verdict of the Sanhedrin, i.e. finally decide the fate of the Prisoner.
The Judgment of Pilate is the trial of Jesus Christ described in the Gospels, to which Pilate, following the demands of the crowd, pronounced a death sentence. 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.
.JPG)
Pilate was not pleased to be involved in this matter. According to the Evangelists, Pontius Pilate during the trial three times refused to put Jesus Christ to death, in which the Sanhedrin headed by the high priest Caiaphas was interested. The Jews, seeing Pilate's desire to evade responsibility and not participate in the cause with which they came, brought a new accusation against Jesus, which was purely political in nature. They made a substitution - having just slandered Jesus and condemned Him for blasphemy, they now presented Him to Pilate as a criminal dangerous for Rome: “He corrupts our people and forbids giving tribute to Caesar, calling Himself Christ the King”(Luke 23:2). The members of the Sanhedrin wanted to move the matter from a religious area, which Pilate had little interest in, to a political one. The chief priests and elders hoped that Pilate would condemn Jesus for considering 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. The real claim to the power of the King of the Jews, according to Roman laws, was qualified as a dangerous crime.)
Pilate's trial of Jesus is described in all four evangelists. But the most detailed dialogue between Jesus Christ and Pilate is given in the Gospel of John.
“Pilate went out to them and said: What do you accuse this Man of? They said to him in reply: If He had not been a villain, we would not have betrayed Him to you. Pilate said to them: You take him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews said to him: We are not allowed to put anyone to death, so that the word of Jesus, which He spoke, might come true, making it clear by what death He would die. Then Pilate entered the praetorium again, 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 chief priests delivered you 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 delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here. Pilate said to Him: So You are the King? Jesus answered: You say that I am the King. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to bear witness to the truth; everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Pilate said to him, What is truth? And having said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, I find no fault in Him.”(John 18:29-38)
The main question 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 the King of the Jews, according to Roman law, qualified 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 did he have a royal lineage, but also, as God, he has 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 Righteous Tom, because now in a dream I suffered a lot for Him”(Matthew 27:19).
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 appease the passions of the Jews, arouse compassion for Christ among the people and please them.
.jpg)
They took Jesus into the yard and took off his clothes and beat him. The blows were applied with triple whips, at the ends of which there were lead spikes or bones. Then He was dressed in the king's jester's attire: a scarlet (royal-colored cloak), they gave Him a cane, a branch (“royal scepter”) in his right hand and put a wreath on his head, woven from thorns (“crown”), the thorns of which dug into the head of the Prisoner, when the soldiers beat him on the head with a cane. This was accompanied by moral suffering. The soldiers mocked and outraged Him Who contained in Himself the fullness of love for all people - they knelt down, bowed and said: "Hail, King of the Jews!", and then they spat on him and beat him with a cane on his head and face (Mark 15:19).
When examining the Shroud of Turin, identified with the burial shroud of Jesus Christ, it was concluded that Jesus received 98 blows (at the same time, the Jews were allowed to inflict no more than 40 blows - Deut. 25:3): 59 blows of a whip with three ends, 18 two ends and 21 - with one end.
Pilate brought the bloodied Christ in the crown of thorns and scarlet to the Jews and said that he did not find any fault in Him. "Behold, Man!"(John 19:5), the procurator said. In the words of Pilate "Behold, Man!" one can see his desire to arouse compassion among the Jews for the prisoner, who, after being tortured by his appearance does not look like a king and does not pose a threat to the Roman emperor. But the people, neither for the first nor the second time, showed leniency and demanded the execution of Jesus in response to Pilate's proposal to release Christ, following the old custom: “You have a custom for me to let you go alone at 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 "Let him be crucified."
In the painting by Antonio Chiseri, Pontius Pilate shows the scourged Jesus to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, in the right corner is the grieving wife of Pilate
Seeing this, Pilate passed a death sentence - he sentenced Jesus to be crucified, and he himself “I washed my hands before the people, and said: I am innocent of the blood of this Just One”. To which the people exclaimed: "His blood is 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-participation in the murder being committed (Deut. 21: 1-9) ...
After 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 his departure from Judea at the end of 36, there is no reliable information.
Many hypotheses have been preserved, which, despite the difference in details, come down to one thing - Pilate committed suicide.
According to some reports, Nero signed the 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.
Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK
According to the Gospel, Jesus' tormentor Pontius Pilate, in accordance with subsequent "editions", becomes a saint. The personality of Pilate is sometimes interpreted radically differently in many cultures. Is it possible to find the real one between the conflicting versions of his life after the crucifixion of Christ? What face of the mysterious procurator is looking at us from the pages of history?
One of the main characters of The Master and Margarita is not by chance Pontius Pilate. His dialogue with Jesus is one of the most intriguing parts of the gospel. There is a lot of uncertainty and tragedy in it of a man who is faced with a difficult choice: to support an unknown prophet or to fulfill his duty to Caesar. To this day, the multidimensional character of Pilate continues to intrigue not only historians and writers. Perhaps he really had no choice, because he was entangled in the political games of Jewish priests? Or maybe he himself led to this situation with an inept policy towards the occupied Israelis?
Pilate of Pontus
Ancient chroniclers wrote that Pontius Pilate was "the Roman ruler of Judea in 26-36 years after the birth of Christ." The adjective used before his name indicates that he was from Pontus. It was ancient land in the northeast of Asia Minor (currently the territory of Turkey), conquered by Rome in 63 BC.
Although there are no sources that tell about the youth of Pontius Pilate, it is known that at the height of his career he was both procurator and governor of Judea. He also ordered to call himself prefect. Despite this, his name went down in history thanks to Jesus, whom he crucified under the pressure of the Sanhedrin.
If not for him, history probably would never have mentioned his deeds. Apart from the Gospel, the most important documents referring to Pilate are the works of Josephus, Philo of Alexandria, and Tacitus.
Irrefutable evidence of the historicity of this person is also considered the so-called “Pilate’s Stone”, discovered in 1961 in Caesarea, the Seaside obelisk, which, in addition to the name seen on it, ascribes to Pontius Pilate the title of prefect of Judea. There are also coins (rods) that were minted by Pilate in the territory he controlled during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. It was precisely by his will that he took the post of prefect of Judea, as successor to Valerius Gratus.
Suicide death?
If the only evidence narrating about the fate of Pilate, consider only the Gospel, then the news about him disappears immediately after the crucifixion and burial of Christ. We don't know how he died or what he did.
However, the apocryphal Mors Pilati, written many years after the Evangelical events, tells a widespread, especially in Germany, version of the suicide of the prefect, presented as a cruel tyrant. As if to confirm this version, Eusebius of Caesarea in his work “History of the Church” (4th century AD) reads: “During the reign of Gaius, a great misfortune struck Pilate. He encroached on his life and became his own independent kat, and soon divine revenge descended on him. Greek writers talk about it…”.
According to legend, the body of the Roman procurator was thrown into the Tiber, but "the waters were disturbed by evil spirits, so the body swam to Vienna and sank in the Rhone." That is, it fell into the territory of modern Switzerland in the areas of Lake Geneva. According to legend, the remains to this day float up in a mountain pond on Mount Pilatus every Good Friday. The vast mountain range in the Alps is over 1200 meters above sea level and, although it seems unlikely, it owes its name to an ancient legend.
Acquaintance with Caesar
Pontius Pilate, despite political upheavals, held on to his "position" for a relatively long time - 10 years. Perhaps this was due to the specific policy of the emperor Tiberius, who argued that the frequent change of governors contributes to the spread of corruption. He used to say about impolite officials: “They suck blood like mosquitoes, but when they get drunk well, they do less harm. We must have mercy on people and not constantly send new robbers to them.
The wife who warned Pilate
From the Gospel of Luke we learn about another person in this story - the procurator's wife. Excited by the fate of the captured prisoner, she tells her husband: “Do not go into the case of this innocent person, because today in a dream I suffered a lot from him” (27, 19). The evangelist does not explain the nature of these dreams, but puts into the woman's mouth words that clearly contrast with the accusations coming from all sides: she calls Jesus just.
Luke pays no more attention to Pilate's wife. Apocrypha, however, gave her a name unknown in the Bible - Claudia Proculus. Origen argued that she must have been converted to Christianity. In the references to St. Nina, who was engaged in the evangelization of Georgia, left a small comment on this matter. Claudia allegedly kept for some time the burial shroud of Jesus, the so-called Shroud of Turin.
In the eyes of the Jews: an idolater
Despite moderate sympathy for Jesus of Nazareth, Pontius Pilate does not respect the Jewish people. At least he had several conflicts with his subjects. It all started with the introduction of paraphernalia with the image of Caesar in the fortress of Antonia. The Jews, offended by the violation of their rights, objected very vigorously.
As the historian Josephus writes: “Many Jews came to Caesarea to convince the procurator not to use these symbols. For five days, Pilate did not want to listen to them; he did this on the sixth day, sitting in the judge's chair. When the Jews gathered, he ordered them to be surrounded by a cordon of soldiers and threatened them with death if they did not stop torturing him with their demands. The Jews threw themselves on the ground and bared their necks, saying that they preferred death to the violation of their rights. Pilate, not wanting to kill so many people, relented and took down the flags.”
In addition, Pilate faced the displeasure of his subjects when he ordered the placement of gilded shields in honor of Tiberius in Herod's palace. Such an act was not acceptable, especially in the holy center of Judaism. The incident reached the highest authorities, as a result of which Pilate had to capitulate.
Bloody Viceroy or Saint?
The immediate cause of Pilate's removal from office was the bloody attack on Samaritan pilgrims in 36 CE. e. Deceived by the false prophet, they gathered in full armor at the foot of the sacred Mount Gerizim. The procurator attacked them at the head of his army and brutally killed them. The ruler of Syria, to whom Pilate (probably Publius Sulpicius Quirinius) obeyed, ordered him to provide explanations to Caesar himself.
Despite this, Pontius Pilate is now recognized as a saint by the Coptic Orthodox Church. According to legend, he secretly converted to Christianity after the death of Jesus. This was done because of the wife, who had to convince her husband of the true message of Christ. Their memorial day falls on June 20. In the eastern Orthodox Church only Claudia is a saint, because in the Gospel she convinced her husband that he had nothing to do with the crucifixion of the prophet from Nazareth.
