Dec 04, 2000 imagining pilate s wife one of the most fascinating passages in pontius pilate is about not pilate but his wife, claudia procula. Jesus has been arrested, deserted by his male disciples, denied by peter, beaten and humiliated by callous men under the jurisdiction of the high priest, and he is now standing before pilate, the governor of judea. Mentioned in the gospels only once, pontius pilates wife tells the roman governor she had a dream the night before where she suffered because of christ and to free him. Historians suspect that jesus actions in the temple courtyard scared pilate because there had been jewish riots in the past over religious issues at the temple. Claudia, wife of pontius pilate by diana wallis taylor. After the deposition of the eldest son of herod, archelaus who had succeeded his father as ethnarch, judea was placed under the rule of a roman procurator. The wife of pontius pilate sends a message to him asking him not to have anything to do with jesus, because she has had a terrible dream and suffered much because of him. Pontius pilate biography childhood, life achievements. Wayne jackson takes a look at pilate in this weeks penpoints. In the story of the crucifixion, pilate s role is rather vague.
Church consider pilate guilty of jesus death because he did not release him. According to some traditions, the roman emperor caligula ordered pontius pilate to death by execution or suicide. He is best known today for being the official who presided over the trial of jesus and ordered his crucifixion. Pontius pilate was appointed the fifth roman prefect over judea during the reign of tiberius. Jesus has been arrested, deserted by his male disciples, denied by peter, beaten and humiliated by callous men under the jurisdiction of the high priest, and he is. The dream of pilates wife in chapters 26 and 27 of matthews gospel, the author sets a compelling scene. Matthew probably recorded this incident because it is another indication of jesus innocence. Pontius pilate, governor of judea who presided at the trial of jesus, was truly a tragic character. Pontius pilate was a roman governor under the emperor of tiberius in the 1st century. Her husbands deadly crimes against the jews had made her face well known and hated every place where she might go in palestine.
Jan 22, 2020 on television, pilate s wife was played by joan leslie in the 1951 family theater episode hill number one also starring james dean as john the apostle, and by geraldine fitzgerald in the 1952 studio one episode pontius pilate where procula is depicted as halfjewish, and is brought before pilate as a christian rebel herself, fifteen years after jesus death. Pontius pilates wife is the unnamed spouse of pontius pilate, who appears only once in the gospel of matthew, where she intercedes with pilate on jesus behalf. Extrabiblical tradition holds her to be named procla or claudia, and is regarded as a saint in the eastern catholic churches. And a few days after, sentence was therefore passed upon pilate, that he should be condemned to the most disgraceful death. Imagining pilates wife one of the most fascinating passages in pontius pilate is about not pilate but his wife, claudia procula. This page shares what we know about her from the scriptures. Pontius pilates wife wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Pontius pilate served as the prefect of judaea from 26 to 36 a.
I really enjoyed the character claudia, and the historical details, especially about the roman empires. Claudia procula was a roman princess and the wife of pontius pilate, the man who ordered jesus christ to be crucified. Dec 08, 2002 the wife of pontius pilate hid her trembling hands and did what she had done a dozen times before. Pontius pilate, latin in full marcus pontius pilatus, died after 36 ce, roman prefect governor of.
The last recorded incident in pilate s career was another conflict. According to flavius josephus, pilates supporter, sejanus, was murdered later. Wanting to avoid this humiliating death he took a knife that was smuggled to him by a friend and. While pilate was sitting on the judges seat, his wife sent him this message. Pilate will forever stand as a warning against giving in to the pressure of. Pilate was known to be a tough leader, as relentless as he was coldblooded. It was a very interesting look at what the wife of pontius pilate might have been like, based mostly on the authors ideas, history, and the few mentions of her in the bible. Josephus wrote, pilate had condemned him jesus to a cross that, of course, is how most of us have come to know pontius pilate. According to the traditional account of his life, pilate was a roman equestrian knight of the samnite clan of the pontii hence his name pontius. Pilate inscription biblical archaeology in israel bible. Fearful of his position, pilate caved in and ordered jesus death. Supposedly, it was the sanhedrin that met during the night and sentenced jesus to death. On the sixth day, he ordered his soldiers to surround the protesters and threaten to execute them if they did not disperse.
In this case, god did guide her to testify to jesus righteousness. She was married to pontius pilate, the roman governor of jerusalem. Pontius pilate was the fifth prefect of the roman province of judaea and presided over the trial of jesus. Pilate will forever stand as a warning against giving in to the pressure of the crowd and turning our backs on jesus. Pilate, who was the fifth, succeeding valerius gratus in a. Catholic answers is pleased to provide this unabridged entry from the original catholic encyclopedia, published between 1907 and 1912.
I really enjoyed the character claudia, and the historical details, especially about the roman empires political upheaval during the time, was fascinating. According to eusebius of caesarea s ecclesiastical history, pontius pilate killed himself on orders from the emperor caligula sometime after 36 ce. Pilate was the governor of judea who bowed to pressure from the chief priests and agreed to have jesus crucified. It is thought he was born into an equestrian family in. Did pontius pilate actually convert to christianity. So caiaphas turned jesus over to pontius pilate, who held power as governor to carry out a death sentence. Pilates wife all the women of the bible bible gateway. As pilate was seated he received a message from his wife, who had suffered greatly in a dream because of him matt 27. The fine apparel of the court she laid aside and wore the common grade of clothing women wore. Claudia procula, friend of mary magdalene book i write. Pilate had sent many people to their deaths for trying to upset the roman dream, but this one was different somehow. Pilate s wife warned him, pilate didnt listen what do we know about pilate s wife. The book of matthew records that at this moment, pilates wife suddenly appears begging him to let jesus go because of a dream she just had. Why pontius pilates wife tried to save christ and the.
When the church became roman, the jews, it was said, drove pilate to execute jesus and it was all the fault of the jews that jesus was tortured. The only reliable statement we have about pilates life after his time in judaea comes from the pen of the jewish writer josephus. Truly he has died by a most disgraceful death, whom his own hand has not spared. The post of governor of judaea was of relatively low prestige and nothing is known of how pilate obtained the office. Very little, except that she was highborn, roman, welleducated and wealthy and the wife of the roman governor, pontius pilate, at the time of jesus death on the morning of the trial of jesus, she sent an urgent message to her husband. Yet, he was providentially used by god to establish the innocence of christ. Josephus says that a multitude of armed samaritans gathered on mount gerizim in hopes of uncovering treasures that moses had supposedly buried there. When nothing he said or did changed their minds, pilate washed his hands before the multitude and, describing jesus as procla had done, said. Jesus warned, wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it matthew 7. The wife of pontius pilate sends a message to him asking him not to have anything to do with. May 20, 2009 pontius pilate s wife share ecce homo behold the man by antonio ciseri. Apr 12, 2019 they knew jewish law would not allow them to put jesus to death john 18. History says little about pilate before he served as the roman prefect of judea between 26 and 36 a.
Pilate was the fifth governor of the roman province of judaea, during the reign of the emperor tiberius. Somehow, with this crucified prophet, a different dream was forming. Josephus states that pilate governed for 10 years antiquities of the jews 18. Some people believe that she is the claudia mentioned in 2 timothy 4. Dont have anything to do with that innocent man, for i have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him. Cnns david gregory visits the town of caesarea, israel, to explore the historical evidence for pontius pilate, the roman governor who decided the fate of jesus.
His wife sends him word of a revelatory dream she has had about jesus and urges him to have nothing to do. Pontius pilates wife knew jesus was innocent marg mowczko. But the sanhedrin, or high council, of which caiaphas was president, did not have the authority to execute people. It is a valuable resource for subjects related to theology, philosophy, history, culture, and more.
Throughout the history of christendom, pontius pilate has been despised. By other accounts, pontius pilate was sent into exile and committed suicide of his own accord. Mar 25, 2016 the only reliable statement we have about pilates life after his time in judaea comes from the pen of the jewish writer josephus. But instead bar abbas was let free and jesus was crucified because of the religious mob that spoke out against him. Multiplied millions remember that when they say on sunday, crucified under pontius pilate. Mar 16, 2017 cnns david gregory visits the town of caesarea, israel, to explore the historical evidence for pontius pilate, the roman governor who decided the fate of jesus.
Maybe the sanhedrin thought it would be a slamdunk process, but they soon discovered that pilate isnt such a pushover. Very little, except that she was highborn, roman, welleducated and wealthy and the wife of the roman governor, pontius pilate, at the time of jesus death. And that can happen far more easily than most of us realize. Pontius pilate was the roman official who oversaw the trial of jesus, but he was not a governor. In later tradition, she becomes known as procula latin. The story goes on to say that pilate was pressured by the jews to carry out the sentence becau. It is uncertain whether pilate was actually married, although it is likely. Pilate, hearing this, killed himself with his own knife, and by such a death ended his life. Many of the romans considered dreams a means of divine guidance. Pilates wife warned him, pilate didnt listen what do we know about pilates wife.
According to flavius josephus, pilate s supporter, sejanus, was murdered later. Jesus would have died anyway, but pilate would not have been held responsible. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. If were going to understand the roman perspective on the death of jesus, we need to know something of the roman man who was legally responsible for his crucifixion. Pontius pilates wife is the unnamed spouse of pontius pilate, who appears only once in the. Have nothing to do with this man, she wrote to her husband. The wife of pontius pilate hid her trembling hands and did what she had done a dozen times before.
Extrabiblical tradition holds her to be named procla or claudia, and is regarded as a. In his antiquities of the jews, written about 60 years after the events, josephus states that pilate was recalled to rome after his mishandling of a riot involving the samaritans in ad 36. Why pontius pilates wife tried to save christ and the incredible. The governorship of judea was a relatively nonprestigious post, especially if compared to a parallel position in much wealthier egypt. He may have met his match, however, when he was given charge over the jewish people. Pontius pilate s wife is the unnamed spouse of pontius pilate, who appears only once in the gospel of matthew, where she intercedes with pilate on jesus behalf. On the morning of the trial of jesus, she sent an urgent message to her husband. When pilate tried to set jesus free, jesus opponents kept shouting, if you let this man go, you are no friend of caesar john 19.
Pilates wife interrupted him as he sat on the judgment seat, about to render a verdict in jesus case. Various apocryphal writings have come down to us, written from the 3rd5th centuries ad, giving legendary details about pontius pilate becoming a christian, and his wife, traditionally named claudia procula, was a jewish proselyte at the time of the death of jesus and afterward became a christian. While the bible does not tell us who the wife of pilate the governor was, the apocryphal book, the gospel of nicodemus, identifies her as claudia procula, and a. It is commonly believed that she became a christan after the death of jesus christ. And that these things did happen, you can ascertain from the acts of pontius pilate. This biography provides detailed information on his childhood, life, activities and timeline.
The historian eusebius maintained in his reports that numerous sources claimed that pontius pilate was exiled into gaul by the roman emperor caligula after the end of his 10 year prefect position. Pilates wife was used to living in the roman world that provided the economic and political foundation for our own, and yet when jesus intruded on her dream she realized that everything she held dear was being called into questionwealth, power, security, statusnone of it would allow her to really rest easy. Arguably, pilate is the is the bestknown governor in all of history. The mob, being urged by the priests, frantically chose barabbas for pardon and death for jesus. The circumstances surrounding pontius pilates death in circa 39 a. Like most works that are more than a century old, though, it. He convicted jesus of treason and declared that jesus thought himself king of the jews, and had jesus crucified. He sent pilate s wife the dream to have pilate cancel jesus crucifixion and prevent scripture from taking place. The strange afterlife of pontius pilate history today. Pontius pilates wife, claudia, is only mentioned once in the new testament, in matthew 27. According to the traditional account of his life, pilate was a roman equestrian knight of the samnite clan of. For more information about the acts of pilate, visit pontius pilate refers to christ in official records.
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