The Righter Report

Jesus Cited in the Acts of Pontius Pilate

“Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judea serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37. He is best known today for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and ordered his crucifixion.” – Wikipedia

The Acts of Pontius Pilate –

The contents of this purportedly lost document are reported by both Justin Martyr (AD 150) and the Roman Jurist Tertullian (AD 200). Both agree that it was an official document of Rome. Two types of archives were kept in ancient Rome. The Acta Senatus were composed of minutes of the senatorial meetings. These contained no discussions of Christ or Christianity as far as is known. The Commentarii Principis were composed of the correspondence sent to the emperors from various parts of the empire. Any report from Pilate to Tiberius Caesar would belong to this second group.

Justin Martyr reported around AD 150 in his “First Apology” that the details of Jesus’ crucifixion could be validated from Pilate’s report:

And the expression, “They pierced my hands and my feet,” was used in reference to the nails of the cross which were fixed in his hands and feet. And after he was crucified, they cast lots upon his vesture, and they that crucified him parted it among them. And that these things did happen you can ascertain in the “Acts” of Pontius Pilate. – Justin Martyr, First Apology, XXXV

Later in the same work Justin lists several healing miracles and asserts, “And that he did these things, you can learn from the Acts of Pontius Pilate.”

Source: The Historical Jesus, Dr. Gary Habermas, pages 215-216

By the way, there have been occasional skeptics who have claimed that Pontius Pilate never existed.  To their chagrin archaeologists excavating the ruins of the “Theater at Caesarea” in 1963 found a Latin inscription that named “Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea.”

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December 13, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment