[] Legendary or theological additions have also been made to the narrative [] Despite extensive differences, however, there is a certain agreement amongst the evangelists regarding the basic facts, an agreement which may well go beyond literary dependency and reflect actual historical events. [3], In the thirteenth century, depictions of the events of Christ's passion came to dominate all visual art formsthese depictions of the "Passion cycle" do not always include Pilate, but they often do so; when he is included, he is often given stereotyped Jewish features. This resulted in a crowd of Jews surrounding Pilate's house in Caesarea for five days. Flavius Josephus. He is sometimes replaced by Herod, Annas, and Caiaphas in the trial scene. Cyclopedia of Biblical Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. [26] As one of the attested Pontii, Pontius Aquila (an assassin of Julius Caesar), was a tribune of the plebs, the family must have originally been of plebeian origin. 1887, p. 199. Gill. Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea [ .. has given?]". [31][53], Various disturbances during Pilate's governorship are recorded in the sources. Author interviews, book reviews and lively book commentary are found here. Antiquities of the Jews 18.4.2. I've done quite a bit of research, the Bible mentions the wife of Pontius Pilate but not by name. Medieval art frequently portrayed scenes of Pilate and Jesus, often in the scene where he washes his hands of guilt for Jesus's death. [169] The legend exists in many different versions and was extremely widespread in both Latin and the vernacular, and each version contains significant variation, often relating to local traditions.[170]. [181], Pilate was also the subject of legends in Eastern Christianity. Pilate died 39. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. "), John 18:38 (Quid est veritas? Pilate's importance in modern Christianity is underscored by his prominent place in both the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. And Pontius the philosopher was among them. [274], Mel Gibson's 2004 film The Passion of the Christ portrays Pilate, played by Hristo Shopov, as a sympathetic, noble-minded character,[275] fearful that the Jewish priest Caiaphas will start an uprising if he does not give in to his demands. Many of these legends connected Pilate's place of birth or death to particular locations around Western Europe, such as claiming his body was buried in a particularly dangerous or cursed local area. [184], Pilate is one of the most important figures in early Christian art; he is often given greater prominence than Jesus himself. The New Testament suggests that Pilate had a weak, vacillating personality. "[289] However, Paul Maier argues that Pilate's long term as governor of Judaea indicates he must have been a reasonably competent administrator,[290] while Henry MacAdam argues that "[a]mong the Judaean governors prior to the Jewish War, Pilate must be ranked as more capable than most. [286], The Gospels' deflection of responsibility for Jesus's crucifixion from Pilate to the Jews has been blamed for fomenting antisemitism from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. [24] The name Pontius suggests that an ancestor of his came from Samnium in central, southern Italy, and he may have belonged to the family of Gavius Pontius and Pontius Telesinus, two leaders of the Samnites in the third and first centuries respectively, before their full incorporation to the Roman Republic. [32] As Tiberius had retired to the island of Capri in 26, scholars such as E. Stauffer have argued that Pilate may have actually been appointed by the powerful Praetorian Prefect Sejanus, who was executed for treason in 31. First published in 1930, this is an in-depth exploration of what happened between the death of Jesus and the His patron in Rome was Sejanus, who virtually governed Rome after the Emperor Tiberius retired to his villa at Capri. According to one prominent post-war theory, Pilate's treatment of the Jews was motivated by antisemitism, but most modern historians do not accept this theory.[10]. [22] If it means "skilled with the javelin," it is possible that Pilate won the cognomen for himself while serving in the Roman military;[20] it is also possible that his father acquired the cognomen through military skill. [41] As Roman governor, he was head of the judicial system. After Jesus heals Pilate's wife of a fatal illness, the Jews bribe Pilate with 30 talents to crucify Jesus. Julia had been married to Tiberius, but he divorced and exiled her due to her immoderate lifestyle. Antiquities of the Jews 18.4.2. The post of governor of Judaea was of relatively low prestige and nothing is known of how Pilate obtained the office. He did not prevent their petition. Claudia Wife Of Pontius Pilate that you are looking for. [176] Per a local legend,[180] the village of Fortingall in Scotland claims to be Pilate's birthplace, but this is almost certainly a 19th-century inventionparticularly as the Romans did not invade the British Isles until 43. The dream of "Claudia" is referred to in Matthew 27:19: While Pilate was sitting in the judgment hall, his wife sent him a message: "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night, I suffered much on account of him.". [136] Bart Ehrman, on the other hand, argues that the tendency in the Early Church to exonerate Pilate and blame the Jews prior to this time reflects an increasing "anti-Judaism" among Early Christians. Tiberius received the petition and angrily reprimanded Pilate, ordering him to remove the shields. [254], Pilate features prominently in Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, which was written in the 1930s but only published in 1966, twenty six years after the author's death. [217], Following this longer period in which few depictions of Pilate were made, the increased religiosity of the mid-nineteenth century caused a slew of new depictions of Pontius Pilate to be created, now depicted as a Roman. Following Livia's death, the coins only read . [275] McDonough argues that "Shopov gives us a very subtle Pilate, one who manages to appear alarmed though not panicked before the crowd, but who betrays far greater misgivings in private conversation with his wife. Historical and traditional accounts of the life of Pontius Pilate As a result, pressure was applied by the Jewish Sanhedrin (Luke 23:2-7) upon Pilate. 11. N.S. So he introduced Caesars effigies, which were upon the ensigns, and brought them into the city; whereas our law forbids us the very making of images; on which account the former procurators were wont to make their entry into the city with such ensigns as had not those ornaments. [168] This connection to Mount Pilatus is attested from 1273 CE onwards, while Lake Lucerne has been called "Pilatus-See" (Pilate Lake) beginning in the fourteenth century. In this video we dig into the facts, and the moun. [166][167], Beginning in the eleventh century, more extensive legendary biographies of Pilate were written in Western Europe, adding details to information provided by the bible and apocrypha. . Pontius Pilate. What happened to Pontius Pilate after the death of the Lord Jesus Christ? 9. Nothing is known about what happened to him after this event. M. P. Charlesworth argues that Pilate was "a man whose character and capacity fell below those of the ordinary provincial official [] in ten years he had piled blunder on blunder in his scorn for and misunderstanding of the people he was sent to rule. For he was a doer of surprising feats a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. Alexander Demandt suggests that the leader of this movement may have been Dositheos, a messiah-like figure among the Samaritans who was known to have been active around this time. As governor, it was Pilate's job to pass judgement in capital cases: he was the one who condemned Jesus to suffer on the cross. [187] In later images he is typically shown washing his hands of guilt in Jesus' presence. The Jews hated him and his administration, for he was not only very severe, but showed little consideration for their susceptibilities. [123] Joan Taylor has argued that the symbolism on the coins show how Pilate attempted to promote the Roman imperial cult in Judaea, in spite of local Jewish and Samaritan religious sensitivities. He has little interest, no . Pilate has frequently been a subject of artistic representation. King Herod hears of this accomplishment and asks him to come to Palestine to aid his rule there; Pilate comes but soon usurps Herod's power. The novel centers on an extended dialogue between Pilate and Jesus witnessed in a vision by the narrator Avdii Kallistratov, a former seminarian. It is known from the ancient tradition that Pontius Pilate and his spouse were executed. He eventually becomes a Christian himself. [260], In 1986, Soviet-Kyrgiz writer Chingiz Aitmatov published a novel in Russian featuring Pilate titled Plakha (The Place of the Skull). [68] Bond argues that the number of Galileans killed does not seem to have been particularly high. [106] The fragmentary nature of the inscription has led to some disagreement about the correct reconstruction, so that "apart from Pilate's name and title the inscription is unclear. Pontius Pilate, Latin in full Marcus Pontius Pilatus, (died after 36 ce), Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea (2636 ce) under the emperor Tiberius who presided at the trial of Jesus and gave the order for his crucifixion. [92], According to Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews (18.4.12), Pilate's removal as governor occurred after Pilate slaughtered a group of armed Samaritans at a village called Tirathana near Mount Gerizim, where they hoped to find artifacts that had been buried there by Moses. First Apology 35. He had to be. When a mob formed while Pilate was visiting Jerusalem, Pilate ordered his troops to beat them with clubs; many perished from the blows or from being trampled by horses, and the mob was dispersed. Josephuss references appear to be consistent. [50], The Gospel of Luke mentions in passing Galileans "whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices" (Luke 13:1). The sons of Herod the Great petitioned him to remove the shields, but Pilate refused. [210] Pilate's characterization varies greatly from play to play, but later plays frequently portray Pilate somewhat ambiguously, though he is usually a negative character, and sometimes an evil villain. Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea (2636 CE) who presided at the trial of Jesus and gave the order for his crucifixion. In order to understand what was happening when she is mentioned in Scripture here is Matthew 27:15-19. [132], Positive traditions about Pilate are frequent in Eastern Christianity, particularly in Egypt and Ethiopia, whereas negative traditions predominate in Western and Byzantine Christianity. He provoked both Jews and Samaritans to rioting during his tenure, and he later had to stand trial in Rome for cruelty and oppression. [270], Only one film has been made entirely in Pilate's perspective, the 1962 French-Italian Ponzio Pilato, where Pilate was played by Jean Marais. Clearly, as an index to the character and personality of Pilate, the New Testament is devastating, but it is preoccupied with concerns of the nascent Christian communities, increasingly making their way among the Gentiles and eager to avoid giving offense to Roman authorities. "[107] Originally, the inscription would have included an abbreviated letter for Pilate's praenomen (e.g., T. for Titus or M. for Marcus). In them, Pilate is portrayed as wishing to save Jesus, being affected by his charisma, but as too cowardly to do so. [232] Pilate goes on to play an important role in the increasingly long and elaborate passion plays performed in the German-speaking countries and in France. So Vitellius sent Marcellus, a friend of his, to take care of the affairs of Judea, and ordered Pilate to go to Rome, to answer before the emperor to the accusation of the Jews. Another tradition states that Pontius Pilate was born in Germany and was a bastard son of Tyrus, king of Mayence. [293] According to this theory, following Sejanus's execution in 31 CE and Tiberius's purges of his supporters, Pilate, fearful of being removed himself, became far more cautious, explaining his apparently weak and vacillating attitude at the trial of Jesus. [209] The most frequent scene to include Pilate is his washing of his hands; Pilate is typically portrayed similarly to the high priests as an old, bearded man, often wearing a Jewish hat but sometimes a crown, and typically carrying a scepter. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. (" ?") It was a fragmentary, undated inscription on a large piece of marble recorded in Ameria, a village in Umbria, Italy. [283][284], Pilate's washing his hands of responsibility for Jesus's death in Matthew 27:24 is a commonly encountered image in the popular imagination,[75] and is the origin of the English phrase "to wash one's hands of (the matter)", meaning to refuse further involvement with or responsibility for something. Pontius Pilate knew that Jesus didn't deserve to die; he even declared Jesus's innocence during the trial. There are these words: At His coming the lame shall leap as an hart, and the tongue of the stammerer shall be clear speaking: the blind shall see, and the lepers shall be cleansed; and the dead shall rise, and walk about. And that He did those things, you can learn from the Acts of Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate's wife is the unnamed spouse of Pontius Pilate, who appears only once in the Gospel of Matthew, where she intercedes with Pilate on Jesus' behalf.It is uncertain whether Pilate was actually married, although it is likely. On the basis of events which were documented by the second-century pagan philosopher Celsus and the Christian apologist Origen, most modern historians believe that Pilate simply retired after his dismissal. [63] It is unclear why the shields offended against Jewish law: it is likely that they contained an inscription referring to Tiberius as divi Augusti filius (son of divine Augustus). [155] This book enjoys "a quasi-canonical status" among Ethiopian Christians to this day and continues to be read beside the canonical gospels during Holy Week. They decided therefore to accuse Jesus before the governor, Pontius Pilate (6), of a political offense: rebellion against the Emperor, implied in Jesus' claim to be 'King of the Jews.' According to Luke (23:6-12) Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas (as 'he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction') who sent him back to Pilate (7). Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.3. [171] Howard Martin summarizes the general content of these legendary biographies as follows: a king who was skilled in astrology and named Atus lived in Mainz. [202] While many images still draw from the Acts of Pilate, the Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine is the primary source for depictions of Pilate from the second half of the thirteenth century onward. After Jesus died on the cross, the gospels record that Pilate allowed several members of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, to bury Jesus (Mark 15:43; John 3:1; 19:38-40). Pontius Pilate, Latin in full Marcus Pontius Pilatus, (died after 36 ce ), Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea (26-36 ce) under the emperor Tiberius who presided at the trial of Jesus and gave the order for his crucifixion. Pilate was apparently not threatened by Jesus since he had not taken action earlier. Flavius Josephus. Pilate has also frequently been portrayed in film. 3. [52] Based on John 19:12, it is possible that Pilate held the title "friend of Caesar" (Latin: amicus Caesaris, Ancient Greek: K), a title also held by the Jewish kings Herod Agrippa I and Herod Agrippa II and by close advisors to the emperor. He plays an important role in medieval passion plays, where he is often a more prominent character than Jesus. However, trouble followed as indicated in Josephus following statement, But when this tumult was appeased, the Samaritan senate sent an embassy to Vitellius, a man that had been consul, and who was now president of Syria, and accused Pilate of the murder of those that were killed . The body is first thrown in the Tiber, but because it causes storms it is then moved to Vienne, and then thrown in a lake in the high Alps. [15] Besides these texts, dated coins in the name of emperor Tiberius minted during Pilate's governorship have survived, as well as a fragmentary short inscription that names Pilate, known as the Pilate Stone, the only inscription about a Roman governor of Judaea predating the Roman-Jewish Wars to survive. I ran to his bedchamber crying, "Pontius, Pontius, believe. [192] Images of Pilate are found on new materials such as metal, while he appeared less frequently on ivory, and continues to be a frequent subject of gospel and psalter manuscript illuminations. This is stated by those Greek historians who have recorded the Olympiads, together with the respective events which have taken place in each period.[11]. [271] Speaking of Dennen's portrayal in the trial scene, McDonough describes him as a "cornered animal. Pontius Pilate served as the prefect of Judaea from 26 to 36 A.D. Pontius Pilate (Latin: Pontius Pilatus; Greek: , Pontios Pilatos) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. "[52] More information on the potential fate of Pontius Pilate can be gleaned from other sources. According to some, Pilate killed himself while in exile to Gallia. [148] One version claims to have been discovered and translated by a Jewish convert named Ananias, portraying itself as the official Jewish records of the crucifixion. [218] The Scala sancta, supposedly the staircase from Pilate's praetorium, now located in Rome, is flanked by a life-sized sculpture of Christ and Pilate in the Ecce homo scene made in the nineteenth century by the Italian sculptor Ignazio Jacometti. . Founder, MD Paelon Memorial Hospital, Entrepreneur , Paediatrician , ISTM Certified Travel Medicine Physician, Conflict Dynamics Certified Mediator, Experienced Primary Care Physician Pontius Pilate is one of the exceptions. [43] He seems to have been free to govern the province as he wished, with intervention by the legate of Syria only coming at the end of his tenure, after the appointment of Lucius Vitellius to the post in 35. [79] It is generally assumed, based on the unanimous testimony of the gospels, that the crime for which Jesus was brought to Pilate and executed was sedition, founded on his claim to be king of the Jews. Josephus states his inferential judgment that Pilate was deeply affected with their firm resolution, suggesting his own strength of character. [64][65] Bond dates the incident to 31, sometime after Sejanus's death in 17 October. He connects this change to increased "anti-Judaism. [110] Bond argues that we cannot be sure what kind of building this referred to. [125] In the mid-20th century, A. Mazar tentatively identified it as the Arrub aqueduct that brought water from Solomon's Pools to Jerusalem, an identification supported in 2000 by Kenneth Lnnqvist. 8. (59) But they threw themselves upon the ground, and laid their necks bare, and said they would take their death very willingly, rather than the wisdom of their laws should be transgressed; upon which Pilate was deeply affected with their firm resolution to keep their laws inviolable, and presently commanded the images to be carried back from Jerusalem to Cesarea.[4]. [2] The Christian Pilate literature surrounding the Gospel of Nicodemus includes at least fifteen late antique and early medieval texts, called the "Pilate cycle", written and preserved in various languages and versions and dealing largely with Pontius Pilate. 1. Others suggest that he was executed during the reign of Emperor Nero. [31] Josephus states that Pilate governed for 10 years (Antiquities of the Jews 18.4.2), and these are traditionally dated from 26 to 36/37, making him one of the two longest-serving governors of the province. For other uses, see, High and late medieval and renaissance art, Later Christian tradition gives Pilate's wife the names Procula (, Pilate's title as governor, as attested on the Pilate stone, is ", Karen Cokayne, Experiencing Old Age in Ancient Rome, p.100, Roman Procurator coinage Pontius Pilate, List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources, https://library.brown.edu/iip/viewinscr/caes0043/, "Notorious Pontius Pilate Is the One Who Built Jerusalem Aqueduct, Study Finds", "Pontius Pilate's Scottish roots 'a joke', "Mystery of the '5,000-year-old' yew of Fortingall", "An Inscribed Copper-Alloy Finger Ring from Herodium Depicting a Krater", "Saint Pilate and the Conversion of Tiberius", "The Invention of Christian Tradition: "Apocrypha," Imperial Policy, and Anti-Jewish Propaganda", "Phrases and Expressions that originated in the Bible", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pontius_Pilate&oldid=1150174332, This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 18:27. The Jewish historian Josephus, the philosopher Philo of Alexandria and the Gospel of Luke all mention incidents of tension and violence between the Jewish population and Pilate's administration. Brown also rejects the historicity of Pilate washing his hands and of the blood curse, arguing that these narratives, which only appear in the Gospel of Matthew, reflect later contrasts between the Jews and Jewish Christians. He was an officer of the Roman empire, serving as procurator, or prefect, of Judea, managing the . Justin Martyr. The nineteenth century saw a renewed interest in depicting Pilate, with numerous images made. This is the first known usage of the motif of Pilate being influenced and corrupted by the Devil in Medieval Art. The king reads in the stars that he will bear a son who will rule over many lands, so he has a miller's daughter named Pila brought to him whom he impregnates; Pilate's name thus results from the combination of the names Pila with Atus. [224][225][226], Pilate plays a major role in the medieval passion play. Answer (1 of 5): Pilate had a political benefactor in Rome named, Lucius Aelius Sejanus. Like all other conspirators, he was forced into exile, far away from important power games and family ties. The York Mystery Plays include Pilate's wife and her dream, but offer the opposite interpretation: Satan comes to tempt Pilate wife's to thwart Jesus's purpose to redeem and save us through His. According to Josephus, Pilate's removal from office occurred because he violently suppressed an armed Samaritan movement at Mount Gerizim. [273] The trial takes place in Pilate's private stables, implying that Pilate does not think the judgment of Jesus very important, and no attempt is made to take any responsibility from Pilate for Jesus's death, which he orders without any qualms. Ignatius of Antioch mentions him in his epistles to the Trallians, Magnesians, and Smyrnaeans[13] (composed between 105110 AD). His term of office was during the subsequent reign of Tiberius from 26-36 CE. The second-century pagan philosopher Celsus polemically asked why, if Jesus was God, God had not punished Pilate, indicating that he did not believe that Pilate shamefully committed suicide. When Jewish representatives demonstrated in Caesarea, Pilates city of residence, he threatened them with death unless they desisted, but, when they showed their readiness to die, he ordered the images removed. [175], Several places in Western Europe have traditions associated with Pilate. [77] In Ignatius's epistles to the Trallians (9.1) and to the Smyrnaeans (1.2), the author attributes Jesus's persecution under Pilate's governorship. Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Christ to the people Ecce homo! In Bond's view, the reference to "sacrifices" likely means that this incident occurred at Passover at some unknown date. Reportedly, his father sent him to Rome as a hostage. The earliest extant legendary biography is the De Pilato of c.1050, with three further Latin versions appearing in the mid-twelfth century, followed by many vernacular translations. Was Jesus resurrected on the same day Noah's ark rested on Mt. [236] The fifteenth-century German Benediktbeuern passion play depicts Pilate as a good friend of Herod's, kissing him in a reminiscence of the kiss of Judas. Pontius Pilate has come down in history because of his role in the execution of Jesus and because of his mention in the Christian statement of faith known . period something happened. [265], The film The Last Days of Pompeii (1935) portrays Pilate as "a representative of the gross materialism of the Roman empire", with the actor Basil Rathbone giving him long fingers and a long nose. [210] The actor who portrayed Pilate in the English plays would typically speak loudly and authoritatively, a fact which was parodied in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. During what years was Pontius Pilate governor of Judea. Ignatius stresses all these events in his epistles as historical facts. [231] The earliest surviving passion play, the thirteenth-century Ludus de Passione from Klosterneuburg, portrays Pilate as a weak administrator who succumbs to the whims of the Jews in having Christ crucified. [240] In the Wakefield plays, Pilate is portrayed as wickedly evil, describing himself as Satan's agent (mali actoris) while plotting Christ's torture so as to extract the most pain. [183] In the medieval Slavonic Josephus, an Old Church Slavonic translation of Josephus, with legendary additions, Pilate kills many of Jesus's followers but finds Jesus innocent. [122] This theory was rejected by Helen Bond, who argued that there was nothing particularly offensive about the designs. Jeremiah 9:23-24. His characterization in these plays varies greatly, from weak-willed and coerced into crucifying Jesus to being an evil person who demands Jesus's crucifixion. The fate of Pontius Pilate after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is disputed among historians. [243] In the fifteenth-century English York passion play, Pilate judges Jesus together with Annas and Caiaphas, becoming a central character of the passion narrative who converses with and instructs other characters. narrative | 89 views, 3 likes, 2 loves, 0 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Incarn Live Virtual Theatre: The story of the Resurrection can't. Pilate was the first who brought those images to Jerusalem, and set them up there; which was done without the knowledge of the people, because it was done in the nighttime; but as soon as they knew it, they came in multitudes to Cesarea, and interceded with Pilate many days, that he would remove the images; and when he would not grant their requests, because it would tend to the injury of Caesar, while yet they persevered in their request, on the sixth day he ordered his soldiers to have their weapons privately, while he came and sat upon his judgment seat, which seat was so prepared in the open place of the city, that it concealed the army that lay ready to oppress them: and when the Jews petitioned him again, he gave a signal to the soldiers to encompass them round, and threatened that their punishment should be no less than immediate death, unless they would leave off disturbing him, and go their ways home. "[291] Other scholars have argued that Pilate was simply culturally insensitive in his interactions with the Jews and in this way a typical Roman official. Falvius Josephus. A few years later, Pilate is brought to his father's court where he kills his half-brother. [11] Two additional chapters of Tacitus's Annals that might have mentioned Pilate have been lost. We do not know where Pontius Pilate was born. Tradition adds that Pilate died in Vienne, France on the Rhone or on Mount Pilatus, Switzerland. [213] Many, mostly German, engravings and woodcuts of Pilate were created in the fifteenth century. [205] In the Bible moralise, Pilate is generally depicted as a Jew. [285] Parts of the dialogue attributed to Pilate in the Gospel of John have become particularly famous sayings, especially quoted in the Latin version of the Vulgate. [27] He was probably married, but the only extant reference to his wife, in which she tells him not to interact with Jesus after she has had a disturbing dream (Matthew 27:19), is generally dismissed as legendary. Philo is hostile, Josephus mostly neutral, and the Gospels "comparatively friendly. [173], One important version of the Pilate legend is found in the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine (12631273 CE), one of the most popular books of the later Middle Ages. Pontius Pilate's wife is also called Claudia Procula in Christian tradition and is even recognized as a saint in the Greek Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. [168] The tradition may go back to a misread Latin inscription on the tower. The quote reveals that many Greeks considered Pilates misfortunes to be divine justice for the death of Jesus Christ. McClintock and Strong. The circumstances surrounding Pontius Pilate's death in circa 39 A.D. are something of a mystery and a source of contention. [9] Modern historians have differing assessments of Pilate as an effective ruler: while some believe that he was a particularly brutal and ineffective governor, others believe that his long time in office implies reasonable competence. But the Jews showed so little fear of death, that Pilate relented and removed the standards.