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Book I — Source paragraphs and footnotes

Chapter IX.—The Times of Pilate.; original source section: Chapter 9

2 complete historical source paragraphs and 7 editorial footnotes. Author and edition credits are shown for each record; original wording is retained.

English translation and editorial credits: Rev. Arthur Cushman McGiffert (Ph.D.).

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1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great by his wife Malthace, was Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea from b.c. 4 to a.d. 39. In 39 a.d. he went to Rome to sue for the title of King, which his nephew Herod Agrippa had already secured. But accusations against him were sent to the emperor by Agrippa, and he thereby lost his tetrarchy and was banished to Lugdunum (Lyons) in Gaul, and died (according to Josephus, B. J. II. 9. 6) in Spain. It was he who beheaded John the Baptist, and to him Jesus was sent by Pilate. His character is plain enough from the New Testament account. For further particulars of his life, see Josephus, Ant. XVII. 8. 1; 11. 4; XVIII. 2. 1; 5 and 7; B. J. II. 9.

Editorial footnote · Book I, Chapter IX.—The Times of Pilate.; original source section: Chapter 9, editorial note cite_note-3 · Original source

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1. The historian already mentioned agrees with the evangelist in regard to the fact that Archelaus succeeded to the government after Herod. He records the manner in which he received the kingdom of the Jews by the will of his father Herod and by the decree of Cæsar Augustus, and how, after he had reigned ten years, he lost his kingdom, and his brothers Philip and Herod the younger, with Lysanias, still ruled their own tetrarchies. The same writer, in the eighteenth book of his Antiquities, says that about the twelfth year of the reign of Tiberius, who had succeeded to the empire after Augustus had ruled fifty-seven years, Pontius Pilate was entrusted with the government of Judea, and that he remained there ten full years, almost until the death of Tiberius.

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Josephus reckons here from the death of Augustus (14 a.d.), when Tiberius became sole emperor. Pilate was appointed procurator in 26 a.d. and was recalled in 36.

Editorial footnote · Book I, Chapter IX.—The Times of Pilate.; original source section: Chapter 9, editorial note cite_note-6 · Original source

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1. The historian already mentioned agrees with the evangelist in regard to the fact that Archelaus succeeded to the government after Herod. He records the manner in which he received the kingdom of the Jews by the will of his father Herod and by the decree of Cæsar Augustus, and how, after he had reigned ten years, he lost his kingdom, and his brothers Philip and Herod the younger, with Lysanias, still ruled their own tetrarchies. The same writer, in the eighteenth book of his Antiquities, says that about the twelfth year of the reign of Tiberius, who had succeeded to the empire after Augustus had ruled fifty-seven years, Pontius Pilate was entrusted with the government of Judea, and that he remained there ten full years, almost until the death of Tiberius.

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Josephus dates the beginning of Augustus’ reign at the time of the death of Julius Cæsar (as Eusebius also does in chap. 5, §2), and calls him the second emperor. But Augustus did not actually become emperor until 31 b.c., after the battle of Actium.

Editorial footnote · Book I, Chapter IX.—The Times of Pilate.; original source section: Chapter 9, editorial note cite_note-7 · Original source

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1. The historian already mentioned agrees with the evangelist in regard to the fact that Archelaus succeeded to the government after Herod. He records the manner in which he received the kingdom of the Jews by the will of his father Herod and by the decree of Cæsar Augustus, and how, after he had reigned ten years, he lost his kingdom, and his brothers Philip and Herod the younger, with Lysanias, still ruled their own tetrarchies. The same writer, in the eighteenth book of his Antiquities, says that about the twelfth year of the reign of Tiberius, who had succeeded to the empire after Augustus had ruled fifty-seven years, Pontius Pilate was entrusted with the government of Judea, and that he remained there ten full years, almost until the death of Tiberius.

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Eusebius refers here, not to the acts of Pilate written by Christians, of which so many are still extant (cf. Bk. II. chap. 2, note 1), but to those forged by their enemies with the approval of the emperor Maximinus (see below, Bk. IX. chap. 5).

Editorial footnote · Book I, Chapter IX.—The Times of Pilate.; original source section: Chapter 9, editorial note cite_note-8 · Original source

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2. Accordingly the forgery of those who have recently given currency to acts against our Saviour is clearly proved. For the very date given in them shows the falsehood of their fabricators.

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

ὁ τῆς παρασημειώσεως χρόνος. “In this place παρασ. is the superscription or the designation of the time which was customarily prefixed to acts. For judicial acts were thus drawn up: Consulatu Tiberii Augusti Septimo, inducto in judicium Jesu, &c.” (Val.)

Editorial footnote · Book I, Chapter IX.—The Times of Pilate.; original source section: Chapter 9, editorial note cite_note-9 · Original source

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2. Accordingly the forgery of those who have recently given currency to acts against our Saviour is clearly proved. For the very date given in them shows the falsehood of their fabricators.

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Josephus, Ant. XVIII. 2. 2 and 4. 2.

Editorial footnote · Book I, Chapter IX.—The Times of Pilate.; original source section: Chapter 9, editorial note cite_note-5 · Original source

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1. The historian already mentioned agrees with the evangelist in regard to the fact that Archelaus succeeded to the government after Herod. He records the manner in which he received the kingdom of the Jews by the will of his father Herod and by the decree of Cæsar Augustus, and how, after he had reigned ten years, he lost his kingdom, and his brothers Philip and Herod the younger, with Lysanias, still ruled their own tetrarchies. The same writer, in the eighteenth book of his Antiquities, says that about the twelfth year of the reign of Tiberius, who had succeeded to the empire after Augustus had ruled fifty-seven years, Pontius Pilate was entrusted with the government of Judea, and that he remained there ten full years, almost until the death of Tiberius.

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Ant.XVIII. 2. 2. Compare §1, above.

Editorial footnote · Book I, Chapter IX.—The Times of Pilate.; original source section: Chapter 9, editorial note cite_note-10 · Original source

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3. For the things which they have dared to say concerning the passion of the Saviour are put into the fourth consulship of Tiberius, which occurred in the seventh year of his reign; at which time it is plain that Pilate was not yet ruling in Judea, if the testimony of Josephus is to be believed, who clearly shows in the above-mentioned work that Pilate was made procurator of Judea by Tiberius in the twelfth year of his reign.

Date uncertain | Eusebius of Caesarea (historical work attribution)

2. Accordingly the forgery of those who have recently given currency to acts against our Saviour is clearly proved. For the very date given in them shows the falsehood of their fabricators.

Complete source paragraph · Book I, Chapter IX.—The Times of Pilate.; original source section: Chapter 9, source paragraph 3 · Original source

Date uncertain | Eusebius of Caesarea (historical work attribution)

3. For the things which they have dared to say concerning the passion of the Saviour are put into the fourth consulship of Tiberius, which occurred in the seventh year of his reign; at which time it is plain that Pilate was not yet ruling in Judea, if the testimony of Josephus is to be believed, who clearly shows in the above-mentioned work that Pilate was made procurator of Judea by Tiberius in the twelfth year of his reign.

Complete source paragraph · Book I, Chapter IX.—The Times of Pilate.; original source section: Chapter 9, source paragraph 4 · Original source