The Pilate Stone

A limestone block discovered in 1961 at Caesarea Maritima bearing a damaged inscription that reads: “…TIBERIEUM… [PON]TIUS PILATUS… [PRAEF]ECTUS IUDA[EA]E.” This was the first archaeological evidence confirming the historical existence of Pontius Pilate; the Roman prefect who, according to all four Gospels, presided over the trial of Jesus and ordered His crucifixion. Before this discovery, some skeptics argued that Pilate was a literary invention. The stone settled the question permanently. It was found in secondary use as a stair in the Caesarea theater, meaning it was originally part of a first-century structure Pilate himself had dedicated. The stone is now housed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.