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.
Herodium, a fortress built by King Herod
