Pilate's Court
Encyclopedia
In the Canonical gospels, Pilate's Court refers to the trial of Jesus
in praetorium
before Pontius Pilate
, preceded by the Sanhedrin preliminary hearing
. Finding that Jesus, being from Galilee
, belonged to Herod Antipas
' jurisdiction, Pilate decides to send Jesus to Herod. After questioning Jesus and receiving very few replies, Herod sees Jesus as no threat and returns him to Pilate. Fearing the defilement, the Jews did not enter the Court and Pilate's discussion with them occurred outside the praetorium.
It was noted that Pilate appears rather as an advocate pleading Jesus' case than as a judge in an official hearing.
have been proposed: the Antonia Fortress
and Herod's Palace
. Early pilgrims to Jerusalem
generally identified the praetorium with the Antonia Fortress, where the traditional Way of the Cross begins. The archaeological evidence, which dates the fortress remnants to the 2nd century AD, as well as the tense situation requiring Pilate to be near the Second Temple
as the center of Passover
activity, support the Antonia Fortress location.
uses the word aulē ("hall", "palace") to identify the praetorium. Outside the praetorium proper there was an area called the Pavement. There Pilate's judgement seat , in which he conversed with the Jews, was located.
As religions, professed by the Jews and the Romans, were different, the charges of the Sanhedrin against Jesus held no power before Pilate. From the three charges, brought by the Jewish leaders (perverting the nation, forbidding the payment of tribute and sedition
against Roman Empire
) Pilate picks up on the third one, asking "Are you the King of the Jews
?" Jesus replies with "You have said so". Then the hearing continues and Pilate finally asks Jesus "What is truth?"
Stepping back outside, Pilate publicly declares that he finds Jesus to be innocent of the charges, but the crowd insists on capital punishment. The universal rule of the Roman Empire limited the capital punishment strictly to the tribunal of the Roman governor and Pilate decided to publicly wash his hands as not being privy to Jesus' death.
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in praetorium
Praetorium
- Etemology :The praetorium, also spelled prœtorium or pretorium, was originally used to identify the general’s tent within a Roman Castra, Castellum, or encampment. The word originates from the name of the chief Roman magistrate, known as Praetor...
before Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
, preceded by the Sanhedrin preliminary hearing
Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus
The Sanhedrin trial of Jesus refers to the Canonical Gospel accounts of the trial of Jesus before the Jewish Council, or Sanhedrin, following his arrest and prior to his trial before Pontius Pilate...
. Finding that Jesus, being from Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
, belonged to Herod Antipas
Herod Antipas
Herod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
' jurisdiction, Pilate decides to send Jesus to Herod. After questioning Jesus and receiving very few replies, Herod sees Jesus as no threat and returns him to Pilate. Fearing the defilement, the Jews did not enter the Court and Pilate's discussion with them occurred outside the praetorium.
It was noted that Pilate appears rather as an advocate pleading Jesus' case than as a judge in an official hearing.
Praetorium site
Two possible praetorium sites in JerusalemJerusalem in Christianity
For Christians, Jerusalem's place in the ministry of Jesus and the Apostolic Age gives it great importance, in addition to its place in the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible.-Jerusalem in the New Testament and early Christianity:...
have been proposed: the Antonia Fortress
Antonia Fortress
The Antonia Fortress was a military barracks built by Herod the Great in Jerusalem on the site of earlier Ptolemaic and Hasmonean strongholds, named after Herod's patron Mark Antony...
and Herod's Palace
Herod's Palace
Herod's Palace was a fortified palace, built by Herod the Great to protect the Old City of Jerusalem. Part of Herodian architecture, the palace consisted of two principal buildings, each with its banquet halls, baths and accommodations for hundreds of guests....
. Early pilgrims to Jerusalem
Christian pilgrimage
Christian pilgrimage was first made to sites connected with the ministry of Jesus. Surviving descriptions of Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Jerusalem date from the 4th century, when pilgrimage was encouraged by church fathers like Saint Jerome and established by Helena, the mother of...
generally identified the praetorium with the Antonia Fortress, where the traditional Way of the Cross begins. The archaeological evidence, which dates the fortress remnants to the 2nd century AD, as well as the tense situation requiring Pilate to be near the Second Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
as the center of Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
activity, support the Antonia Fortress location.
The interrogation
The Gospel of MarkGospel of Mark
The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
uses the word aulē ("hall", "palace") to identify the praetorium. Outside the praetorium proper there was an area called the Pavement. There Pilate's judgement seat , in which he conversed with the Jews, was located.
As religions, professed by the Jews and the Romans, were different, the charges of the Sanhedrin against Jesus held no power before Pilate. From the three charges, brought by the Jewish leaders (perverting the nation, forbidding the payment of tribute and sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
against Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
) Pilate picks up on the third one, asking "Are you the King of the Jews
Jesus, King of the Jews
In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the King of the Jews both at the beginning of his life and at the end.Both uses of the title lead to dramatic results in the New Testament accounts. In the account of the Nativity of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, the three wise men In the New...
?" Jesus replies with "You have said so". Then the hearing continues and Pilate finally asks Jesus "What is truth?"
Stepping back outside, Pilate publicly declares that he finds Jesus to be innocent of the charges, but the crowd insists on capital punishment. The universal rule of the Roman Empire limited the capital punishment strictly to the tribunal of the Roman governor and Pilate decided to publicly wash his hands as not being privy to Jesus' death.