Search

Luke 13 (WEB)

Pontius Pilate

Gender
Male
Appears in
 Biography | Hershel Wayne House

Pontius Pilate (Πόντιος Πίλατος) is one of the most well known figures of ancient history, most of his familiarity based on his judgment of Jesus the Messiah recorded in the New Testament. Jesus' appearance before Pontius Pilate is recorded by all four Gospels (Matt 27:2; Mark 15:1-15; Luke 23:1-5; John 18:28- 19:16), but information about him also occurs in the writings of Josephus, Tertullian, Eusebius, Philo, Tacitus and Agapius of Hierapolis. For example, Tacitus says regarding Pilate: 

Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.1

He has been vilified by some and canonized by others,2 considered as evil since he sentenced Jesus to death and viewed as a Christian by others who influenced Tiberius to be favorable to Christianity.3

Pilate was the fifth Roman governor of Judea, and had a troubled, and less than lustrous (undistinguished), career in that capacity. The date of his appointment and dismissal is subject to debate, but Pilate is commonly thought to have been appointed governor in A.D. 26 or 27, and removed from office in A.D. 36.  He is reported to have died by suicide.

He had a rugged rule in Judea. Previous rulers in Judea had respected Jewish customs and sensitivities, but Pilate seemed to have little regard for them. He sneaked in images of the emperor ensigns brought into Jerusalem at night, which he finally removed due to the protests of the Jews. He, first, threatened them with death, but afterwards relented. At another time, he received a rebuke from emperor Tiberius after he had irritated the Jews to insurrection when he set up gold-coated shields in Herod’s palace, having Pilate to remove the shields to Caesarea and place them in the temple of Augustus.4

In the second episode, Pilate was not so pliable. He had appropriated funds from the temple treasury to pay for the construction of an aqueduct, to carry water to Jerusalem. Josephus does not say that this action violated Jewish law, but he does say that the indignant Jerusalemites surrounded Pilate as he heard cases, and protested angrily. Pilate, however, had taken the precaution of planting “plain-clothes” soldiers among the crowd. At the appropriate moment he signaled for them to draw their clubs and beat the protesters. Josephus says that many Jews perished, either from the blows or from being trampled in the escape. Thus, under Pilate, the Jews were reduced to fearful silence (2.177).5

His last vicious act was to have his cavalry and infantry kill a number of Samaritans who went for religious purposes to Mount Gerizim.6 After the Samaritans complained, the Roman governor of Syria, Vitellius, sent Pilate to Rome to explain himself to Tiberius, but before Pilate arrived, Tiberius had died.7 The successor to Tiberius, Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, removed Pilate from his position and exiled him to Vienne-on-Rhone. He is believed to have committed suicide while in exile during the reign of Caligula.8

  1. Cornelius Tacitus, Annals 15.44, quoted from Early Christian Writings, http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/tacitus.html (last visited November 8, 2011). ↩︎

  2. A. N. Sherwin-White, “Pontius Pilate,” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, Ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1988; 2002): “Origen described Pilate’s wife as a convert, and the Coptic church ultimately canonized Pilate himself.” Coptic should probably be understood as Ethiopic. “The Coptic Church or the Abyssinian Coptic Orthodox Church referred to in this article is the Ethiopian church, but they are sometimes confused because of their origins in Egypt. The fourth or fifth century Gospel of Nicodemus (which contains the Acts of Pilate), does not make Pilate a Christian, but depicts him as more friendly towards Jesus than any of the canonical gospels. Pilate was soon canonized by the Ethiopic churches. See Questions and Answers, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States, http://www.suscopts.org/q&a/index.php?qid=766&catid=446 (last visited November 8, 2011). ↩︎

  3. See discussion in Philip Schaff, The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series Vol. I (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, 1997), 105-06. Numerous stories arose regarding Pilate seeking to exonerate him or recognize him as a Christian. “For instance, the apocryphal Acts of Pilate recounts the trial showing that Pilate’s decision was forced upon him. Colorful embellishments bring home the point: when Jesus enters Pilate’s praetorium, the imperial standards miraculously bow down. Tertullian even speaks of Pilate as a “Christian at heart” and contributes to the legendary conversion of both Pilate and his wife (who later gains the name Procula).” Gary M. Burge, “Pilate, Pontius,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Eds. Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1988), 1694-95. The suicide is described by Eusebius (H.E. 2.7) was precipitated by his actions against the Samaritans, discussed by Arthur Cushman McGiffert, “Eusebius: Church History,” in Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1995, second printing), 110, n 13. “Pilate’s downfall occurred in the following manner. A leader of the Samaritans had promised to disclose the sacred treasures which Moses was reported to have concealed upon Mt. Gerizim, and the Samaritans came together in great numbers from all quarters. Pilate, supposing the gathering to be with rebellious purpose, sent troops against them and defeated them with great slaughter. The Samaritans complained to Vitellius, governor of Syria, who sent Pilate to Rome (36 a.d.) to answer the charges brought against him. Upon reaching Rome he found Tiberius dead and Caius upon the throne. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to defend himself, and, according to tradition, was banished to Vienne in Gaul, where a monument is still shown as Pilate’s tomb. According to another tradition he committed suicide upon the mountain near Lake Lucerne, which bears his name.” Ibid. Also see, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1988; 2002). ↩︎

  4. Philo, On The Embassy of Gaius, Book XXXVIII 299-305. See the translation of this event in Charles Duke Yonge, The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996), 784. See Paul L. Maier, “The Episode of the Golden Roman Shields at Jerusalem, Harvard Theological Review 62 (1969): 109-121. ↩︎

  5. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.2. See the following for discussion of this, and other acts of Pilate: Steve Mason, Josephus and the New Testament (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1992). ↩︎

  6. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 18.4.1 ↩︎

  7. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 18.4.1 ↩︎

  8. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2.7: “It is worthy of note that Pilate himself, who was governor in the time of our Saviour, is reported to have fallen into such misfortunes under Caius, whose times we are recording, that he was forced to become his own murderer and executioner; and thus divine vengeance, as it seems, was not long in overtaking him. This is stated by those Greek historians who have recorded the Olympiads, together with the respective events which have taken place in each period.” Philip Schaff, The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series Vol. I (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, 1997), 110. ↩︎

Copyright © 2026 Hershel Wayne House. All rights reserved.
Biography | Gordon Franz

In A.D. 26 Tiberius appointed Pontius Pilate as the Roman procurator of Judea, an office he held for 10 years. In this position, he was given considerable independence from Rome. He was in charge of the legion at Capernaum and the detachment in Jerusalem. Pilate was described by Philo as being “‘by nature rigid and stubbornly harsh’ as well as ‘of spiteful disposition and an exceeding wrathful man’” (D. H. Wheaton, “Pilate,” in New Bible Dictionary, 929). Both Philo and Josephus, contemporaries of Pilate, record his atrocious acts against the Jewish religion and people. He vacillated between appeasing and angering the Jews. Although it was within his power to release Jesus at His trial and seems to have been reluctant to execute Him, Pilate nevertheless chose “to content the people” (Mark 15:15) so he ordered Jesus to be crucified. Years later Pilate ordered the slaughter of a group of Samaritans seeking sacred vessels, possibly the Ark of the Covenant, on Mt. Gerizim. A Samaritan delegation protested to the governor of Syria about the harsh treatment under Pilate. Pilate was removed to Rome and possibly forced to commit suicide (D. H. Wheaton, “Pilate,” in New Bible Dictionary, 929).

Copyright © 2026 Gordon Franz. All rights reserved.
Person & place data: Theographic Bible Metadata by Robert Rouse (Viz.Bible), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Luke 13 (WEB)

1Now there were some present at the same time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way. 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the men who dwell in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.”

6He spoke this parable. “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7He said to the vine dresser, ‘Behold, these three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and found none. Cut it down! Why does it waste the soil?’ 8He answered, ‘Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit, fine; but if not, after that, you can cut it down.’”

10He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years. She was bent over and could in no way straighten herself up. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” 13He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and glorified God.

14The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!”

15Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath and lead him away to water? 16Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”

17As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

18He said, “What is God’s Kingdom like? To what shall I compare it? 19It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and put in his own garden. It grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky live in its branches.”

20Again he said, “To what shall I compare God’s Kingdom? 21It is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

22He went on his way through cities and villages, teaching, and traveling on to Jerusalem. 23One said to him, “Lord, are they few who are saved?”

He said to them, 24“Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able. 25When once the master of the house has risen up and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ then he will answer and tell you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s Kingdom, and yourselves being thrown outside. 29They will come from the east, west, north, and south, and will sit down in God’s Kingdom. 30Behold, there are some who are last who will be first, and there are some who are first who will be last.”

31On that same day, some Pharisees came, saying to him, “Get out of here and go away, for Herod wants to kill you.”

32He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I complete my mission. 33Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, for it can’t be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.’

34“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused! 35Behold, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

World English Bible · public domain · ebible.org

Pontius Pilate