GOVERNOR OF JUDAEA · NEW TESTAMENT

Pontius Pilate. The governor who gave sentence on Jesus, told in all four Gospels.

RULEDi

Not given Governor of Judaea in the fifteenth year of Tiberius (Luke 3:1); no length is given.

SEAT

Not stated

HOUSE

Not stated 8th of 17 in Rome

SCRIPTURE SAYS

“Matthew: they "delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor".”

PROPHETS

None named

ROME: 17 RULERS HEROD THE GREAT → PORCIUS FESTUS

AUTHORITY

Under whose authority

SUCCESSION

Before and after

WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS

What Scripture says of him

  • Matthew: they "delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor". Matthew 27:2
  • All four Gospels have Pilate ask Jesus, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" Matthew 27:11 Mark 15:2 Luke 23:3 John 18:33
  • Pilate said he found no fault in him, yet released Barabbas and delivered Jesus to be crucified. Luke 23:4 Luke 23:24–25 John 18:38 John 19:16 Matthew 27:26 Mark 15:15
  • Luke: some told Jesus "of the Galilæans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices". Luke 13:1
  • Acts: Jesus was denied "in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go"; Herod and Pontius Pilate "were gathered together" against him. Acts 3:13 Acts 4:27 Acts 13:28
  • 1 Timothy: Christ Jesus "before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession". 1 Timothy 6:13

THE KINGDOM

The places Scripture names

Rome. Only places Scripture names are shown, each where the Atlas puts it.

TRIALS AND HEARINGS

The hearings held

UNDATED IN SCRIPTURE

THE NATION

What the nation did

  • Galileans "whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices". Luke 13:1

ON THE WORLD STAGE

The powers of the day

ROME

Tiberius

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · FOUND 1961; AD 26-36

The Pilate stone, Caesarea

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · EMBASSY OF AD 39-40

Philo: the gilt shields

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · EVENTS OF AD 64

Tacitus on Christus

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · ABOUT AD 155

Justin and the "Acts of Pontius Pilate"

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · ABOUT AD 197

Tertullian: Pilate's report

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · ABOUT AD 325

Eusebius: Pilate's end

TWO ACCOUNTS

Where the accounts differ

What Pilate asked, and what he heard

MATTHEW · MARK · LUKE

JOHN

Herod Antipas

LUKE

MATTHEW · MARK · JOHN

When Jesus was scourged

MATTHEW · MARK

JOHN · LUKE

No fault found

LUKE · JOHN

MATTHEW · MARK

The hour

MARK

JOHN

The words over the cross

MATTHEW · MARK · LUKE

JOHN

Told by one Gospel only

MATTHEW

MARK

DATES DIFFER

When was it?

SCRIPTURE'S NUMBERS

No years given

None beyond Luke 3:1.

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 12

Luke 3 Luke 13 Matthew 27 Matthew 28 Mark 15 Luke 23 John 18 John 19 Acts 3 Acts 4 Acts 13 1 Timothy 6

PASSAGES · 17

Luke 3:1 Luke 13:1–2 Matthew 27:1–2 Matthew 27:11–26 Matthew 27:57–66 Matthew 28:14 Mark 15:1–15 Mark 15:42–45 Luke 23:1–25 Luke 23:50–52 John 18:28–19:22 John 19:31 John 19:38 Acts 3:13 Acts 4:27 Acts 13:28 1 Timothy 6:13

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture does not tell how Pilate's governorship ended or how he died.
  • Scripture does not name Pilate's wife.
  • Luke does not say when or why Pilate shed the Galileans' blood.
  • Scripture does not say that Pilate reported the trial to Tiberius.

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • A. Deissmann, tr. L. R. M. Strachan, St. Paul: A Study in Social and Religious History (1912), Appendix I, The Proconsulate of L. Junius Gallio, pp. 235-260 (Orosius on p. 257).
  • Cassius Dio, tr. E. Cary, Roman History, book 60 (Loeb Classical Library, vol. 7) (1924), 60.6.6.
  • E. H. Plumptre, in C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A New Testament Commentary for English Readers, Notes on Acts 18:2 and 27:1 (about 1880), read on Bible Hub.
  • E. H. Plumptre, in C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A New Testament Commentary for English Readers, Notes on Luke 2:2 and 3:1 (about 1880), read on Bible Hub.
  • Eusebius, tr. A. C. McGiffert, Church History, book 2 (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 1) (1890), 2.2.1-2; 2.6.3-7; 2.7; 2.8.1; 2.25.5.
  • Eusebius, tr. A. C. McGiffert, Church History, book 9 (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 1) (1890), 9.5.1.
  • John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament, note on Acts 25:21 (1746-48), read on Bible Hub.
  • Seneca, tr. R. M. Gummere, Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 104 (Loeb Classical Library, vol. 3) (1925), 104.1 and Gummere's note 2.
  • The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Latin dedicatory inscription mentioning Pontius Pilate (IAA 1961-529), collection catalogue entry (facts only) (online catalogue, read 2026), findspot, date range, material, number, catalogue heading and the museum's English reconstruction of the text (checked by web search 2026-10-07; the Latin letters were not checked).
  • Justin Martyr, tr. M. Dods and G. Reith, The First Apology (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1) (1885), chs. 34, 35, 48.
  • R. J. Knowling, The Acts of the Apostles (Expositor's Greek Testament, vol. 2), on Acts 18:2 (1900), read on Bible Hub.
  • J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, 4th ed. (1878), p. 30 note 1; detached essay 'Caesar's Household', pp. 171 ff..
  • J. B. Lightfoot, Essays on the Work Entitled Supernatural Religion (1889), Appendix, pp. 292-296 (the proconsul of Cyprus).
  • J. R. Lumby, The Acts of the Apostles (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges), on Acts 18:2 (1885), read on Bible Hub.
  • H. A. W. Meyer (English translation), Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Acts of the Apostles, on Acts 18:2 (1877-80), note on Acts 18:2 with notes 73 and 75; read on Bible Hub.
  • Philo, tr. C. D. Yonge, On the Virtues and Office of Ambassadors (the Embassy to Gaius), The Works of Philo Judaeus vol. 4 (1855), chapters 37-38 (Yonge's numbering), pp. 164-166.
  • A. Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to S. Luke (International Critical Commentary) (1896), on Luke 3:1, pp. 81-84.
  • A. C. Hervey, Acts (Pulpit Commentary), on Acts 18:2 (1884), read on Bible Hub.
  • W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen (1895), Chronological Index (as tabulated in the Letters research, pauls-letters-part1.md section 1.2).
  • W. M. Ramsay, Was Christ Born at Bethlehem? A Study on the Credibility of St. Luke (1898), chs. VII-VIII (pp. 131-173); ch. X, pp. 199-202 and note I, p. 221; ch. XI, pp. 227-245.
  • W. M. Ramsay, The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament (1915), ch. XII, pp. 150-162.
  • Augustus, tr. F. W. Shipley, Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Loeb Classical Library) (1924), chapter 34.
  • Augustus, tr. F. W. Shipley, Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Loeb Classical Library) (1924), chapter 8.
  • A. T. Robertson, Paul, the Apostle (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) (1915), part 3, III. Chronology of Paul's Career; read online, not yet checked against a scan.
  • E. Schürer, tr. S. Taylor and P. Christie, A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, Division 2, vol. 2 (1885), section 31, pp. 236-238 with notes 67-70.
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Augustus (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 100.1.
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Claudius (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 18.2; 25.4 with Rolfe's note 75; 28; 45; Rolfe's note 79 (accession 25 January 41); note 81 (Felix's wives).
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Nero (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 16.2; 57.1.
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Tiberius (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 73.1.
  • Tacitus, tr. A. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb, The Annals of Tacitus (1884), 3.48; 12.43; 12.54; 15.44; 15.73, with the translators' notes (1884 printing; first published 1876).
  • Tacitus, tr. A. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb, The History of Tacitus (1888), 5.9 (1888 printing; first published 1864).
  • Tertullian, tr. S. Thelwall, Apology (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3) (1885), chs. 5 and 21.

Rooted in Scripture. Open for discovery.

A place to read slowly, ask deeply, and follow the connections. Scripture, study and the voices of Christian history, brought together for a lifetime of learning.

SPEND TIME IN THE WORD

  • Open the reader
  • Books & reading progress
  • Compare Scripture editions
  • Find a passage

FOLLOW YOUR QUESTIONS

  • Study collections
  • People & places
  • Faith & apologetics
  • Stories of faith

A library with a paper trail.

Meet the authors. Explore the collection. Trace each work to its source.

Download the code.

Open source on GitHub.