Ring of Roman Governor Pontius Pilate Who Crucified Jesus Found in Herodion Site in West Bank
Ring of Roman Governor Pontius Pilate Who Crucified Jesus Found in Herodion Site in West Bank
The
ring was found during a dig led by Professor Gideon Forster from the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem 50 years ago, but only now has the
inscription been deciphered
The name of the man who ordered Jesus
crucified and ran his trial, the ancient infamous Roman governor of
Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate, has been deciphered on a bronze ring found in
excavations at the site of Herodion near the West Bank’s Bethlehem,
some 50 years ago.
The ring was found during a dig led by Professor Gideon Forster from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a short time after the Six-Day War in 1968-69, as part of preparations to open the site to visitors.
Findings
were recently handed over to the current team that works at the site,
led by Dr. Roee Porath, also from Hebrew University.
The
ring was one of thousands of items found in the dig. The famous name on
it was discerned after a thorough cleansing, when it was photographed
with the use of a special camera at the Israel Antiquities Authority
labs. The inscription on what was apparently a stamping ring included a
picture of a wine vessel surrounded by Greek writing translated as
saying “Pilatus.’”
The
name Pilatus has been linked to that of Roman governor Pontius Pilate,
mentioned in the New Testament as Jesus’ executioner. Pilate was the
fifth of Roman leaders in Judah, and apparently the most important of
them. He ruled in the years 26 to 36, and some say even from the year
19. The name was rare in the Israel of that era, says Professor Danny
Schwartz.
“I don’t know of any other Pilatus from the period and the ring shows he was a person of stature and wealth,” Schwartz said.
A
stamping ring of this type is also a hallmark to the status of the
cavalry in Roman times, to which Pilate belonged. The ring is quite
simple, therefore researchers believe it was used by the governor in day
to day work, or belonged to one of his officials or someone in his
court, who would use it to sign in his name.
There
has been one other find in Israeli archaeology with the name Pilatus on
it, which is also attributed to the infamous Roman. In the 1960s, Prof.
Forster found a stone with the name inscribed on it as well.
The
Herodion fortress was built by King Herod who also gave it its name.
Following his death in the first century, it became a huge burial site.
But the upper part of the complex continued to be used by Roman
officials ruling over Judea at that time. It is likely that Pilate also
used the Herodion as a central government administrative headquarters.
Pilate
is a well-known historic figure, whose image was one of a powerful
ruler. The historian Josephus says he moved iconic medallions bearing
the imperial bust of Caesar into Jerusalem against Jewish law which
forbade such idols in the holy city. There was a huge outcry after this
act was discovered, which ended when Pilate threatened the protesters
with mass slaughter.
“The
Jews seemed to have rehearsed it ahead of time, falling to the ground
as one, craning their necks to proclaim how they would sacrifice their
lives not to violate the teachings of the Torah.” Pilate responded by
immediately ordering the statues taken out of Jerusalem, Josephus wrote.
In
another instance, Josephus tells of how Pilate used treasures from the
holy temple to pay for renovations of the water system Herod had built
in Jerusalem.
Researchers
point at stories in the New Testament about the Bethlehem region where
Herodion later became the site of a large Christian village.
“You
can see he had a natural link to the Herodion,” Porath said. “Even for
Herod it was more than just a tomb site with a palace. It was also a
significant site of government. You can see the unusual significance
this site had. “
The
research into the ring was led by Professor Shua Amurai-Stark and
Malcha Hershkovitz, and an article about it appeared last week in the
Israel Exploration Journal.
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