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| “ | Truth... do you want to know what my truth is, Claudia? I've been putting down rebellions in this rotten outpost for eleven years. If I don't condemn this man I know Caiphas will start a rebellion. If I do condemn him, then his followers may. Either way, there will be bloodshed. Caesar has warned me, Claudia. Warned me twice. He swore that the next time the blood would be mine. That is my truth! | „ |
| ~ Pilate agonizing over whether to sentence Jesus to death. |
Pontius Pilate is a supporting antagonist of the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ. He was the governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius. He was married to Claudia Procula.
He was portrayed by the Bulgarian actor Hristo Naumov Shopov.
Biography[]
Several years after Pilate became the Roman Governor of Judea, a number of the high priests approached him with a young preacher named Jesus Christ. Seeing the condition of the young man Pilate asked if it was the custom of the high priests to badly beat their prisoners. He then sent the young man on to Herod Antipas as Christ was under his authority, however Herod sent Christ back to Pilate.
Pilate questioned Christ at length and came to believe that Christ was not a threat to the state and had done nothing worthy of death. While Christ was in custody Claudia told Pilate of a dream she had concerning Christ, and begged her husband not to have Christ put to death. Pilate responded that his relationship with Emperor Tiberius was still quite fragile, and that the Emperor would not tolerate disruption in the province.
Pilate had Christ scourged by his troops, one centurion was so brutal in his treatment of Christ that he was forced to step in and stop him. Pilate still believed that Christ was still not guilty of anything that would merit a death sentence, however it became clear that the Jewish authorities there were egging the people on into a full scale revolt. Although sympathetic, Pilate finally acquiesced. Giving them the choice of Barabbas or Christ, the people chose Barabbas. Christ was taken away to be crucified. Before that could be done Pilate produced a sign to be placed on the Christ proclaiming him to be the King of the Jews. When the priests protested Pilate said too bad, he wasn't changing the sign for them.
Trivia[]
- Because he was hesitant on having Jesus crucified, the Ethiopian Church and Egyptian Orthodox Church believe he became a Christian and consider him a saint and a martyr, with a feast day on June 19 or 25.
- This depiction of Pilate is that of a sympathetic, noble-minded character, fearful that the Jewish priest Caiaphas will start an uprising if he does not give in to his demands. He expresses disgust at the Jewish authorities' treatment of Jesus when Jesus is brought before him and offers Jesus a drink of water.
- McDonough argues that "Shopov gives us a very subtle Pilate, one who manages to appear alarmed though not panicked before the crowd, but who betrays far greater misgivings in private conversation with his wife."
- Pilate is shown as speaking fluent Aramaic, which was the day to day language of Judea at the time, and the language generally agreed by historians to have been used by Christ and his disciples. This version of Pilate was also shown to speak fluent Latin, which would have been his first language.
- Shopov reprised the role of Pilate in the 2006 film The Final Inquiry. This version of Pilate colluded with the Jewish high priest to cover up the resurrection and trying to convince the Roman Emperor's investigator Taurus that it was all a sham.