PILATE, PONTIUS, sixth Roman procurator of Judea. FIN family name Pontius was conspicuous among the Romans at a very early period of their history; and his cog-' nomen Paulus, "armed with a javelin," may refer to military employment and success. lle is known in history chiefly as connected officially with the crucifixion. Joseplins agrees with the gospels in fixing the date of his administration; and Taeitus unites with time Scriptures, creeds, and all Christian history in affirming that Christ, the founder of the sect of Christians was put to death by Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiherius. Of his early history nothing is known. On being appointed to the government of Judea lie removed the headquarters of the army from Coesarea to Jerusalem. He greatly enraged the people by introducing the standards bearing the image of the emperor secretly into the city, and to prevent an insurrection was obliged quickly to withdraw them. On two other occasions he almost drove them to rebellion by similar disregard of their relig ions convictions. Els unwillingness to condemn Jesus, his repeated efforts to release hint, and ultimate submission to the clamors of the priests and populace agree well with the representations of secular history concerning the unmanliness of his character, and the fears which he habitually cherished of popular accusation preferred against him to the emperor. The accuracy of the gospel narrative concerning his proceedings at the trial is illustrated by several well-known facts of Roman history. As he was only a pro curator he had no qucestor to conduct the trial, and was therefore brought directly into communication with .Jesus. At an earlier period Roman governors had not been allowed
to have their wives with them in the provinces: but in his time the prohibition had fallen into neglect, and life senate refused to enforce it. The judgment seat spoken of in the gospels was a well-known part of a governor's official equipage; and the "tessel lated pavement" was so necessary to the administration of justice that Julius Ctesar car ried nee with him during his expeditious. The power of putting to death had been taken from the Jews on their subjection to Roman rule. it is well known that. the Romans often scourged prisoners before putting them to death. The New Testament says nothing concerning. Pilate after the resurrection of .Jesus. But Josephus relates that the Samaritans having accused him of undi:e severity towards them, Vitellins, ahen president of Syria. sent him to Rome to answer before the emperor. On his arrival there he found Caligula on the throne. Eusebius says that Pilate, wearied with misfo• tunes, at length committed suicide. The time and place of his death are not known. One tradition points to a pyramid 50 ft: high, at Vienna on the Rhone, which is called Pontius Pilate 's tomb: and another asserts that, having sought in vain to hide his sorrows by the lake of Lucerne, on the mountain now called mount Pilatus, he at last plunged into its dismal flood. Concerning his official report of the death of Jesus, see ACTS OF PILATE.