A ring believed to have been worn by Pontius Pilate, the
Roman prefect who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus, has been found in Israel,
archaeologists say.
The 2,000-year-old bronze ring was first unearthed 50 years
ago at Herodium, a fortress built by King Herod, but archaeologists recently
examined it and found the word, "Pilatus" on the ring. The writing
was found after scientists from the Israel Antiquities Authority cleaned and
photographed the ring, which showed a wine vessel called a "krater",
Metro UK reports.
Professor Danny Schwartz told Israeli news outlet Haaretz:
I don’t know of any other Pilatus from the period and the
ring shows he was a person of stature and wealth.
Roi Porat, director of the dig at Herodium said, "the
personal connection just cries out". But others suggest that the ring
might have been used by a member of Pilate’s staff to stamp documents.
The researchers wrote:
Simple all-metal rings were primarily the property of
soldiers, Herodian and Roman officials, and middle-income folk of all trades
and occupations.
It is therefore unlikely that Pontius Pilatus, the powerful
and rich prefect of Judaea, would have worn a thin, all copper-alloy sealing
ring.
