Pontius Pilate named on ring
Pontius Pilate, best known for conducting one of the trials of Jesus and ordering His crucifixion, was the Roman Prefect of Judea AD 26–36. A copper-alloy ring from the same time, found in Herodium, a huge fortress-palace built by Herod the Great, has revealed his name. The Greek writing spells out “of Pilatus” around an image of a wine vessel known as a krater. It is believed that the ring may have belonged to Pilate himself, or may have been used by one of his officials. This fascinating archaeological find adds to the ever-growing body of evidence confirming the Bible’s historical accuracy.
- Amorai-Stark, S. et al., An inscribed copper-alloy finger ring from herodium depicting a krater, Israel Exploration Journal 68(2):208–220, 2018.
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