Pontius Pilate

by Ann Wroe

Book Overview

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK - "Sublime . . . The definitive study of Pilate."--The Washington Post Book World

"A masterwork . . . one of the most interesting and creative books I've read in a very long time."--Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle Is the Way

"Compelling, eloquent and vivid . . . In a superb blend of scholarship and creativity, Wroe brings this...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375753974
• ISBN13: 9780375753978
• Release Date: March 2001
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful biography of a controversial historical figure

Pontius Pilate is known to most as the man responsible for the death of Jesus. Ann Wroe really doesn't harp on this issue one way or another -- but from the scarce few extant artifacts and writings about the man she has extrapolated a superb profile of a biblical figure who many still revile. My view of Pilate has always been in contrast with that of most others. I have never viewed Pilate as responsible for the murder of Jesus. Along with Caiaphas, the Jewish Priests, the Jewish population of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus, Judas, and the Roman Centurians who actually crucified Jesus, I see them all as "pawns" of God, mortals directed to carry out His plan for mankind. The Bible clearly asserts that God is omnipotent and, secondarily, that it was necessary for Jesus to die on the cross (for the sins of mankind). I therefore can come to no other conclusion than this: if God did NOT want Jesus to die, then all these minor conspirators could not have killed him even if they wanted to. In any case, Wroe's biography does not conflict with my theory, or anyone else's for that matter. She just presents us with a clear picture of the man, Pontius Pilate. She is equally honest with the reader on the limitations of her source information and doesn't try to fool us in any way. This book is a page-turner and reads like a good novel. Highly recommended.

Entertaining, informative

"Pontius Pilate" explores the little that is known and the much that has been conjectured about Pontius Pilate. It is light on historical facts about the man himself (we just don't know very much), but is rich in description of life in Palestine 2000 years ago. The relationship of Rome to Israel is explained in a clear, interesting fashion. There is so much behind the scenes that many modern readers of the Bible aren't aware of! For example, Israel was not a very desirable post for a Roman governor (the Jews were understandably resentful and rebellious to Roman occupation). So although Pilate had some power, he probably wasn't very high on Rome's totem pole and may not have been a very talented official. This book also discusses popular conceptions of Pilate in theater, art and culture throughout the ages. Although much of these conceptions are everything from somewhat fanciful to outright fictional, they are included because they nevertheless shape our modern conception of Pilate. This book has helped me to understand the political dyamics surrounding Jesus' life and death. This book does not challenge the authority of biblical accounts, nor does it hold them above what we know from other sources.

absolutely mesmerizing

Wroe has taken every scrap of information she could find about Pilate and woven a beautiful tapestry by synthesizing it all through her stunning imagination and beautiful prose.If you're looking for a work of archeology: NO.If you're looking for an affirmation of dogmatic faith: NO.If you're looking for a wonderfully written meditation on history, ambition, power, doubt, and the power of myth, among other things: YES.Surely one of the best books I've read in my life, and that's saying something, I'd like to think.

Fascinating and thought provoking

As Wroe admits, there is not enough hard evidence to allow one to write a true biography of Pilate. So she doesn't attempt this. Instead, she weaves together the fragments that do exist into a wonderful book, which can be roughly divided into 2main sections.The first deals with the historical background. Firstly,what did it mean for a Roman to be named a provincial governor? What sorts of people acheived this status, and how would they have viewed their job? Secondly, what was the situation in Judea during Pilate's time there? What was the relationship between the Romans and the Jews? What do we know about Pilate's specific acts while there? Although I knew quite a bit of Roman history, these sections were still very interesting, and did a better job of putting that history into a personal context than the usual political histories.The second section is much more speculative, and recounts the Passion, using both the Gospels and numerous medieval Passion Plays to explore Pilate, his character, and his motives. I think it is this section that some reviewers have objected to, but it was what I found most interesting. Pilate only shows up briefly in the Gospels, but the very existence of this book testifies to the continuing fascination that he has for people. Wroe traces some of the historical threads and interpretations on Pilate that have been created, and supplies a few speculations of her own. To me, this section read like nothing so much as _The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony_ by Calasso, with its telling and retelling of the Greek myths, sort of a theme and variations approach to the numerous alternative myths that have grown up around the central stories.So, maybe it isn't biography, but it is an enjoyable, informative, and thought provoking work of non-fiction, wherever you want to shelve it.

Well done...evenly balanced

This book is unique in that it does not assume to have all the facts about Pontius Pilate's life. Rather, Wroe takes what little we know of him, coupled with classical writings of Tacitus, Pliny and Suetonius, as well as medieval and modern representations through drama and prose, and creates a general character that is as complex as any person should be under those circumstances. This is not a history of Christianity or the Jews, but an attempt to create a living character out of what little we know. I think any other method to examining Pilate's life would be reduced to crude hagiography.