Pilate, Pontius: Probably connected with the Roman family of the Pontii, and called
"Pilate" from the Latin pileatus, i.e., "wearing the pileus", which
was the "cap or badge of a manumitted slave," as indicating that he
was a "freedman," or the descendant of one. He was the sixth in the
order of the Roman procurators of Judea (A.D. 26) His headquarters
were at Caesarea, but he frequently went up to Jerusalem. His reign
extended over the period of the ministry of John the Baptist and of
Jesus Christ, in connection with whose trial his name comes into
prominent notice. Pilate was a "typical Roman, not of the antique,
simple stamp, but of the imperial period, a man not without some
remains of the ancient Roman justice in his soul, yet pleasure-loving,
imperious, and corrupt. He hated the Jews whom he ruled, and in times
of irritation freely shed their blood. They returned his hatred with
cordiality, and accused him of every crime, maladministration,
cruelty, and robbery. He visited Jerusalem as seldom as possible; for,
indeed, to one accustomed to the pleasures of Rome, with its theatres,
baths, games, and gay society, Jerusalem, with its religiousness and
ever-smouldering revolt, was a dreary residence. When he did visit it
he stayed in the palace of Herod the Great, it being common for the
officers sent by Rome into conquered countries to occupy the palaces
of the displaced sovereigns." After his trial before the Sanhedrin,
Jesus was brought to the Roman procurator, Pilate, who had come up to
Jerusalem as usual to preserve order during the Passover, and was now
residing, perhaps, in the castle of Antonia, or it may be in Herod's
palace. Pilate came forth from his palace and met the deputation from
the Sanhedrin, who, in answer to his inquiry as to the nature of the
accusation they had to prefer against Jesus, accused him of being a
"malefactor." Pilate was not satisfied with this, and they further
accused him
1. of sedition,
2. preventing the payment of the tribute to Caesar, and
3. of assuming the title of king
(Luke 23:2)
Pilate now withdrew with Jesus into the palace
(John 18:33) and
examined him in private
(John 18:37,38) and then going out to the
deputation still standing before the gate, he declared that he could
find no fault in Jesus
(Luke 23:4) This only aroused them to more
furious clamour, and they cried that he excited the populace
"throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee." When Pilate heard of
Galilee, he sent the accused to Herod Antipas, who had jurisdiction
over that province, thus hoping to escape the difficulty in which he
found himself. But Herod, with his men of war, set Jesus at nought,
and sent him back again to Pilate, clad in a purple robe of mockery
(Luke 23:11,12) Pilate now proposed that as he and Herod had found no
fault in him, they should release Jesus; and anticipating that they
would consent to this proposal, he ascended the judgment-seat as if
ready to ratify the decision
(Matthew 27:19) But at this moment his wife
(Claudia Procula) sent a message to him imploring him to have nothing
to do with the "just person." Pilate's feelings of perplexity and awe
were deepened by this incident, while the crowd vehemently cried out,
"Not this man, but Barabbas." Pilate answered, "What then shall I do
with Jesus?" The fierce cry immediately followed. "Let him be
crucified." Pilate, apparently vexed, and not knowning what to do,
said, "Why, what evil hath he done?" but with yet fiercer fanaticism
the crowd yelled out, "Away with him! crucify him, crucify him!"
Pilate yielded, and sent Jesus away to be scourged. This scourging was
usually inflicted by lictors; but as Pilate was only a procurator he
had no lictor, and hence his soldiers inflicted this terrible
punishment. This done, the soldiers began to deride the sufferer, and
they threw around him a purple robe, probably some old cast-off robe
of state
(Matthew 27:28; John 19:2) and putting a reed in his right hand,
and a crowd of thorns on his head, bowed the knee before him in
mockery, and saluted him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They took
also the reed and smote him with it on the head and face, and spat in
his face, heaping upon him every indignity. Pilate then led forth
Jesus from within the Praetorium
(Matthew 27:27) before the people,
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, saying, "Behold the
man!" But the sight of Jesus, now scourged and crowned and bleeding,
only stirred their hatred the more, and again they cried out, "Crucify
him, crucify him!" and brought forth this additional charge against
him, that he professed to be "the Son of God." Pilate heard this
accusation with a superstitious awe, and taking him once more within
the Praetorium, asked him, "Whence art thou?" Jesus gave him no
answer. Pilate was irritated by his continued silence, and said,
"Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee?" Jesus, with calm
dignity, answered the Roman, "Thou couldest have no power at all
against me, except it were given thee from above." After this Pilate
seemed more resolved than ever to let Jesus go. The crowd perceiving
this cried out, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's
friend." This settled the matter. He was afraid of being accused to
the emperor. Calling for water, he washed his hands in the sight of
the people, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person."
The mob, again scorning his scruples, cried, "His blood be on us, and
on our children." Pilate was stung to the heart by their insults, and
putting forth Jesus before them, said, "Shall I crucify your King?"
The fatal moment had now come. They madly exclaimed, "We have no king
but Caesar;" and now Jesus is given up to them, and led away to be
crucified. By the direction of Pilate an inscription was placed,
according to the Roman custom, over the cross, stating the crime for
which he was crucified. Having ascertained from the centurion that he
was dead, he gave up the body to Joseph of Arimathea to be buried.
Pilate's name now disappears from the Gospel history. References to
him, however, are found in the Acts of the Apostles
(Acts 3:13; 4:27)
(Acts 13:28) and in
(1 Timothy 6:13) In A.D. 36 the governor of Syria
brought serious accusations against Pilate, and he was banished to
Vienne in Gaul, where, according to tradition, he committed suicide.
