Ancient Rome 26-36AD- Governors of Judaea – Pontius Pilate AE Prutah

This is a genuine ancient bronze prutah of the Roman province of Judaea, struck during the prefecture of Pontius Pilate, AD 26-36. It has been inspected and certified as genuine by NGC (Numismatic Guarantee Corporation). Comes in Box with a COA. This is a stock photo and the coin received may not be identical to the one pictured. A middling bureaucrat posted to a remote corner of the Roman Empire-the fifth prefect of the troublesome province of Judaea, to be precise-Pontius Pilate nevertheless became one of the most renowned historical figures of the last two millennia, by virtue of his presiding over the trial and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Little is known definitively about Pilate, although his historicity has been confirmed by multiple primary sources. An equestrian of the Pontii family, Pilate succeed Valerius Gratus as prefect in AD 26. He held the post for ten years, an unusually lengthy term of office that spanned the ministry of both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. According to Philo of Alexandria, a contemporary historian, he was notorious for offending the religious sensibilities of his subject-the Jews loathed him-and he was sacked by the Emperor Tiberius for suppressing a Samaritan uprising with too much brutality. When Jesus was brought before him on the capital charge of sedition, Pilate concluded that the miracle-making preacher was innocent of the crime. Only when the rabble insisted on his guilt does he famously wash his hands, sealing Jesus’ fate. He is reviled by some Christians, while other consider him a saint, notably the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which has venerated him since the sixth century.