Easton's Bible Dictionary
Pilate, Pontius
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 (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 (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 (3:13; 4:27;
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.
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Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible
Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy
freely.
Bibliography Information
Easton, Matthew George. "Entry for 'Pilate, Pontius'". "Easton's Bible
Dictionary". 1897.
Pontius
Pilate
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