The Pilate Stone

Pontus Pilate was the Roman procurator in Judea at the time of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. He is mentioned in the Gospels and is a key player in the hand of crucifying Jesus. In recent times some skeptics have claimed that he was a fictional character. They are wrong on two counts. He is mentioned and associated with Judea in some Roman historical accounts. There is also evidence from a Stone which was discovered in the Judean area.

In 1961 a stone block was discovered at the archaeological site of Caesarea Maritima. The archeological dig was led by Italian archaeologists Dr. Antonio Frova. The stone artifact was unearthed while excavating in the area of an ancient theater built by decree of Herod the Great around 22–10 BC, along with the entire city of Caesarea.

A little more than century later and afterwards there were modifications or repairs made to the site. This included additional buildings added in the 1st century.

The artifact is of particularly significant because it is an archaeological find of an authentic 1st-century Roman inscription mentioning the name "Pontius Pilatus". The artifact is a fragment of a larger piece from the dedicatory inscription of a later building, probably a temple, that was constructed, possibly in honor of the emperor Tiberius, which would have dated during the same period 26–36 AD.

The Pilate Stone is a block of carved limestone with a size of 82cm x 65cm / 32 inches by 26 inches, which was discovered in Judea. The stone contains a Latin inscription which is partially damaged. However, there is enough to make out what the inscription says to consider its significance which mentions Pontius Pilate, a prefect of the Roman province of Judea from AD 26 – 36. This would place him there at the time of Christ’s crucifixion.

The Pilate Stone is currently located at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Archeologists have surmised the stone was reused (a common practice in ancient times was to re-use stones from an earlier building) in the 4th century as a building block for a set of stairs belonging to a structure erected behind the stage house of the Herodian theater which was originally constructed there. There the stone artifact was discovered, still attached to the ancient staircase, by archaeologists.

The Inscription

The parts which are still visible on the partially damaged block can be read beginning with a dedication to the Augustus ("the Divine Augusti"), the stepfather of emperor Tiberius, originally placed within a probably a temple dedicated to Tiberius. It has been considered as authentic because it was discovered in the coastal town of Caesarea, which was the capital of the Judean province during the time Pontius Pilate was Roman governor.

The remaining legible inscription reveals (conjectural letters in brackets):[3]

[DIS AUGUSTI]S TIBERIÉUM To the Divine Augusti [this] Tiberieum

[...PO]NTIUS PILATUS ...Pontius Pilate

[...PRAEF]ECTUS IUDA[EA]E ...prefect of Judea

[...FECIT D]E[DICAVIT] ...has dedicated [this]

The historical existence of the person Pontius Pilate is known from the New Testament, Jewish Literature and other brief mentions in retrospect by Roman historians. This artifact is significant because it is an authentic 1st-century record of the person with the same name.

There have been atheists who refused to consider sound evidence for the existence of Pontus Pilate; the person mentioned in the New Testament. This stone is just another fly in their ointment of prejudicial thinking. Archeologist conclude this stone is unquestionable proof for the existence of the person named Pontus Pilate

Today atheists want to pick and choose only certain evidence or assert there needs to be a specific type of evidence which would point to the fact that someone existed in History. There are many people who influenced cultures of the past for better or worse and to greater or lesser degree. In certain instances, for these individuals not a single note is written about them. Others have very little written about them such as the person of Pontus Pilate. There can be many reasons for this. It may include political reasons, perhaps Pontus Pilate in the grander scheme of things of that time, was not considered a person worth writing about. Also consider the governors who preceded him and those that came after him. Very little to nothing was written about them therefore little is known about them.

There are those who do the same thing concerning the person of Jesus Christ. Many skeptics and atheists insist that historian’s contemporary to His time would certainly have written about Him. This is not necessarily the case. Especially when one considers that many historians on the ancient times would not simply sit down to write a “History Book.” They were usually given a task by a leading official or underwritten by someone of great power and influence. The result was the tendency for the Historian to write what was considered important to their sponsor or benefactor.

When we consider the persons of Jesus Christ and Pontus Pilate, we find real proof of their existence from the New Testament in the Bible. Many skeptics and atheist disqualify the Bible all together. They do this for no good reason.

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