Pontius Pilate Inscription | Archaeological Proof of the Roman Governor Who Tried Jesus – FAF #38 — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:00Paul Weaver (00:00) Have you ever noticed how the Bible boldly
2. 0:02names people, places, and events and expects  history to back it up? And it does. Well, in 1961,
3. 0:10archaeologists uncovered a stone with the name  of one of the most infamous figures in history,
4. 0:15a man directly connected to the crucifixion of  Jesus Christ. Pontius Pilate. Stay right there.
5. 0:25Welcome to Faith Affirming Findings, a  podcast dedicated to sharing with you
6. 0:30the incredible discoveries from the  field of biblical archaeology. These
7. 0:34findings will strengthen your faith,  affirm the historicity of Scripture,
8. 0:39and provide you with unique insights into  the culture and background of the Bible.
9. 0:50Here is your host, Associate  Professor of Bible Exposition
10. 0:54at Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Paul Weaver.
11. 1:02Welcome back to Faith Affirming Findings where  we explore the archaeological discoveries that
12. 1:07affirm the historical reliability of scripture.  Today we travel to the Mediterranean coast to
13. 1:13the ancient port city of Caesarea Maritima where  in the summer of 1961 a remarkable inscription
14. 1:20was unearthed. It's called the pilot stone or  pilot inscription. During the summer of 1961,
15. 1:28A team of Italian archaeologists were  excavating the ancient Roman theater at
16. 1:33Caesarea. During the dig, they uncovered a  limestone block, not in a temple or palace,
17. 1:39but set into a staircase landing in the theater.  This was its secondary use. In the ancient world,
18. 1:46builders often repurposed stones from  older buildings, especially if they were
19. 1:51still strong and well-cut. The block they  found had clearly been taken from another.
20. 1:57older structure and carved into it was  something extraordinary, a dedication
21. 2:02mentioning a man named Pontius Pilate. The  stone is about 31 and a half inches high,
22. 2:1026 and three quarter inches wide and  almost eight inches thick. It bears
23. 2:14Latin inscription. The first line mentions the  word Tiberium, most likely a temple or shrine
24. 2:20built by Pilate in honor of Emperor Tiberius.  Later, when the Tiberium fell into disrepair,
25. 2:27The inscripted stone was recycled into the  theater steps. The second line contains the
26. 2:32name Pontius and the third line records  the title Prefect of Judea. A scholarly
27. 2:39reconstruction of the original inscription  reads, the Tiberium that Pontius Pilate,
28. 2:44Prefect of Judea has built for the people  of Caesarea in honor of Tiberius. Dating
29. 2:51between AD 26 and AD 36, this is the  only known stone inscription bearing
30. 2:56Pilate's name. Of course, Pontius  Pilate plays a central, pivotal
31. 3:01role in the gospel narratives. Pontius Pilate  is mentioned 55 times in the New Testament,
32. 3:0751 times in the gospels, three times in Acts, and  once in 1 Timothy. Pilate played a central role
33. 3:14in the civil trial and crucifixion of Jesus. In  fact, Pilate's name is permanently etched into the
34. 3:20earliest Christian creeds. The Apostles' Creed,  for example, says, I believe in Jesus Christ.
35. 3:26who suffered under Pontius Pilate,  was crucified, died, and was buried.
36. 3:31If such a man existed, ruled in  Judea, and oversaw the trial of Jesus,
37. 3:35we would expect the archaeological record to  affirm it. And the Pilate stone does exactly
38. 3:41that. The Pilate stone not only confirms Pilate's  existence and role, it also affirms the Bible's
39. 3:48careful selection of titles. The Roman historian  Tacitus, writing decades later, called Pilate a
40. 3:55Procurator, but the pilot stone shows his  official title at the time was Prefect. In fact,
41. 4:01the title Procurator wasn't even used  until the reign of Emperor Claudius,
42. 4:06years after Pilate's governorship. Luke, writing  in the first century, chose the more general term
43. 4:12Governor in Luke 3.1, a term that would apply  both to the original title Prefect and to the
44. 4:18later title of Procurator. Luke's wording is  historically spot on. Tacitus, though, respected.
45. 4:25was simply wrong. The pilot stone  vindicates Luke, exposes Tacitus'
46. 4:30error, and demonstrates once again that  the scripture is historically reliable.
47. 4:37The pilot stone is more than just a carved  rock in a museum. It's a tangible link to
48. 4:43the most important events in human history,  the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
49. 4:49of Nazareth. The discovery of the pilot  stone affirms one more historical detail.
50. 4:54of scripture reminding us that the Bible  is historically reliable and worthy of your
51. 5:00careful study. You can see the pilot stone today  at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. A silent but
52. 5:08powerful witness that Pontius Pilate was not  a myth, but a real Roman official who stood
53. 5:13face to face with the King of Kings. And that  is your faith-affirming finding of the week.
54. 5:21For more discoveries that affirm the Bible's  historical reliability, explore our other
55. 5:26Faith-Affirming Finding episodes on YouTube at  youtube.com forward slash Bible and Theology
56. 5:33Matters. These videos accompany my book published  by Kriegel Academic Publishing by the same name,
57. 5:40Faith-Affirming Findings, set to be  released in the early months of 2026.
58. 5:46This book and these videos highlight the 50  most important discoveries from the field.
59. 5:51of biblical archeology that affirm or validate  our faith in the historicity and reliability
60. 5:57of scripture. Thanks for watching and see you  next time. Faith Affirming Findings podcast is
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