The Roman horseman Pontius Pilate entered the annals of the ancient world as the fifth governor of Judea. The years of his reign were associated with various historical and fateful acts. The most significant among them is the trial of Jesus Christ; flagellation, laying of thorns and the execution of the Righteous on the Cross.
Until the 60s of the 20th century, the historical figure of Pontius Pilate was recognized by many scholars and religious scholars as purely legendary. The proof that such a Roman official really ruled Judea was the limestone slab found by Italian archaeologists in Palestine. A text was engraved on the stone table, which featured the name and position of Pontius Pilate, who "represented the Caesareans of Tiberius" and "dedicated a temple to the people of Caesarea in honor of Tiberius." Among the artifacts belonging to that period are coins minted by the Roman prefect (29 CE) and a ring found in 2018, on the inside of which the name of the hegemon is engraved.
For a long time, the fifth governor of Judea remained for man history without a biography. The personality of Pontius Pilate was delineated over time by compiling information from various sources. Among them:
- manuscripts and works of ancient philosophers (Josephus Flavius, Philo of Alexandria, Cornelius Tacitus, Eusebius of Caesarea);
- religious treatises (New Testament, Gospel);
- apocryphal writings ("Testimony of the Greek Hermidius", "Pilate's Reports to Tiberius");
- secular studies of historians and religious scholars (article by Brackhaus and Efron "Pilate", work of Arthur Drews "The Myth of Christ");
- literary and artistic works (the book of Anatole France, "The Procurator of Judea", the poem of George Petrovsky "Pilate", the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita").
Due to such a variety of sources, there are discrepancies and contradictions in the biography of Pontius Pilate. They are contained in everything - from the date of birth to the last days of his earthly existence.
Origin of the Roman Horseman
Most often, in the absence of a sufficient number of written monuments of the era under study, the ethnic roots and origin of the historical character are determined by analyzing the name and surname. So where is the man who was appointed by Tiberius to command the imperial guard (prefect) and who received the title of Roman horseman and the post of procurator of Judea? Who is he - a warrior of German origin (cherusque) or an Italian (Samnite) who was a member of the mercenary troops of the Romans?
The only thing that most historians agree on is that the future procurator was hardly a native Roman and his exact name is unknown.
In favor of the first version, the fact that Pilate is a nickname indicating the occupation of his ancestors (javelin thrower, spearman) speaks in favor of the first version. Pont is a city in Germany, near Bamberg. In support of the Germanic roots of Pilate, the following event is given: at the battle of Idistaviso, the future procurator of Judea commanded the cavalry tourm of the Romans. A brave warrior - a cherub named Ingomar (the illegitimate son of King Mainz - Tyr) was named Pilate for a well-aimed eye. The city of Lugdun in Gaul (on a modern map of Lyon, France) became his patrimony.
Another medieval Maintsian legend has a romantic color and says that Pilate (Pila-Atus) is formed from the addition of the names of his parents who lived in Rhine Germany: the king - the astrologer Atus and his wife - the daughter of the miller, whose name was Pila.
Researchers insisting on the Italian roots of Pilate claim to be from the middle strata of the Samnites, born in the province of Abruzzi on the Adriatic. The direct translation of the nickname Pontius means "hairy", and the name Pilate translates as "Black Sea".
But there are also scientists who are trying to prove that Pilate is an aristocrat from the noble Roman family of Pontius, who belonged to the privileged estate of equites (horsemen). In Latin, pilatus means "lancer". His wife was the illegitimate daughter of Tiberius, the granddaughter of the emperor Augustus Octavian - Claudius, which determined Pilate's diplomatic career.
Thus, over the past two millennia on the minted profile of the “iron praetor”, the mark on its exact ethnic origin was almost erased.
The reign of Igemon of Judea
Of all the lands captured, Judea was perhaps the most hectic acquisition of the Roman Empire. Tiberius needed an iron hand to suppress the hidden resistance of local residents, their categorical unwillingness to become subjects of Rome and to join the high imperial culture. The usual tool of the Romans - assimilation did not work here, and therefore tyranny was launched. Thus, at the behest of the father-in-law, taking into account his harsh and ruthless character, Pontius Pilate became the Roman governor of this area.
According to the German scientist G.A. Muller, Pila-Atus Pontus Fifth was appointed prosecutor of the provinces of Judea, Samaria and Idumea in 26 C.E. Replacing his predecessor Valery Grath (15 - 25 AD), he stayed in power for about fifteen years.
The duties of the procurator were: the personification of the power of Rome, the maintenance of public order, supervision of the receipt of taxes, the administration of justice. Possessing the highest power in Judea, a Roman official had the right not only to decide questions of life and death, but also, at his discretion, could appoint or overthrow the Jewish high priests.
Pilate was cruel, treacherous, merciless. His rule was based on lies, provocations, violence and executions without trial. Any opposition by the authorities was inevitably punished. Striving only for profit, the extortioner and bribe-taker set exorbitant fees from the population. Judging by the works of ancient historians, Pilate's contemporaries, he was known as a cynical and cruel tyrant: "everyone in Judea whispered that he was a beast and a fierce monster."
Such a harsh style of government by the Roman governors was considered the norm for that time. However, the policy of Rome in the subordinate territories was emphasized tolerant, and Pontius Pilate was distinguished by the fact that he showed complete disrespect for the religious traditions of the Jewish people. The prosecutor saw his task in showing who was the master in the Holy Land. In the desire to "bend the natives under himself, " the governor was often guided not so much by the state interests of Rome as by ordinary human harm and the desire to annoy the hated Jews.
- A direct scolding of the faith of local residents was Pilate's decision to decorate all public places with banners with portraits of the emperor. None of his predecessors dared to do this, knowing that for the Jews, any image is prohibited by the Law of Moses.
- A strong conflict with the local population flared up over the announcement of the construction of an aqueduct in Jerusalem. The thing was that Pilate ordered the missing money for the water supply from the temple treasury (corvan).
- He concluded his reign with the massacre of the Samaritans, who tried to arbitrarily excavate Mount Gorezin, where in their opinion the prophet Moses hid the sacred vessels. It was a blatant insult to the religious feelings of citizens and an absolutely ruthless destruction of the Jewish population.
