PILATE,Pontius, the fifth Roman procurator or “governor” (eττlτpoπo<s, ηγeμ,ωv) of Judaea, Samaria, and Idumaea, succeeded Valerius Gratus in 26 a.d. By rank he was a Roman eques, possibly of Samnite extraction; his official appointment he owed to the influence of Sejanus. His ordinary residence as procurator was* at Caesarea, the capital, but from time to time he visited Jerusalem, especially at the greater feasts, and on these occasions he had his bema in the magnificent palace of Herod the Great, hence called the praetorium. Apart from the supreme (to him, likely enough, most trivial) incident in his life (“suffered under Pontius Pilate ”) the few facts that are known of him indicate a somewhat exceptional recklessness about awakening Jewish fanaticism, and unscrupulousness as to the means used in quelling its manifestations. Not long after his appointment he allowed his soldiers to carry their eagles and other insignia to Jerusalem, and did not give way until an excited mob had stormed for five whole days and nights around his palace at Caesarea. At a later date, in order to provide for the completion of his aqueduct for bringing water to the city from the “Pools of Solomon,” he appropriated funds from the Corban or sacred treasury; but, profiting by his former experience, when this conduct was resented by the populace he caused some of his. soldiers, disguised as Jewish citizens but armed with staves and daggers, to mingle in the crowd, when many casual spectators as well as rioters were trampled to death. For having hung up in Herod’s palace certain gilt shields dedicated to Tiberius he was in vain remonstrated with by the Jews, but Tiberius, on being appealed to, ordered their transference to the temple of Augustus at Caesarea. Of the ...

It is not known of what country or family Pontius Pilate was, but it is believed that he was of Rome, or, at least, of Italy. He was sent to govern Judea in the room of Gratus, A. D. 26, or 27. He presided over this province for ten years, from the twelfth or thirteenth year of Tiberius, to the twenty-second of the same emperor. He is represented, both by Philo and Josephus, as a man of an impetuous and obstinate temper, and, as a judge, one who used to sell justice, and, for money, to pronounce any sentence that was desired. The same authors make mention of his rapines, his injuries, his murders, the torments that he inflicted upon the innocent, and the persons he put to death without any form of process. Philo, in particular, describes him as a man that exercised an excessive cruelty during the whole time of his government; who disturbed the repose of Judea; and was the occasion of the troubles and revolt that followed. St. Luke acquaints us, that Pilate had mingled the blood of the Galileans with their sacrifices; and that the matter, having been related to Jesus Christ, he introduced the subject into his discourse, Luke xiii. The reason why Pilate treated them in this manner, while sacrificing in the temple, is not known. At the time of our Saviour’s passion, Pilate made some attempts to deliver him out of the hands of the Jews. He knew the reasons of their enmity against him, Matthew xxvii, 18. His wife, also, having had a dream that alarmed her, requested he would not stain his hands with the blood of that just person, verse 19. He therefore attempted to appease the wrath of the Jews by scourging Jesus, John xix, 1; Matt. xxvii, 26; and also tried to take him out of their hands by proposing to deliver him or Barabbas on the day of the passover. Lastly, be ...