Book Description
This dramatic historical fiction offers a behind-the-scenes story of an ambitious Roman politician whose fateful decision changed the course of history. Guaranteed fiction!
Customer Reviews:
Great! Absolutely Great!.......2007-09-20
This book was a great read...then when I realized all the research Paul Maier did in creating this book, I was awed.
According to the author's notes, Maier researched all historical references available about Pilate, Roman politics, and general life in Judea during the time of Christ. Maier then fills in the missing parts with his own fictional "filler" that fits the historical facts.
I have loaned this book out dozens of times and my friends and family are also amazed. Everybody loves the book. I'm certain you will too.
What a great read.......2007-04-14
What a great book. It's historically accurate and makes learning history fun. It's also a great book to learn about the relationship between the Jews and the Roman and that fateful trial. I recommend it highly, specially for teens who don't want to learn history the old way. Maier predates Dan Brown in this genre and has a key difference, he has the credentials and the accuracy to write a novel that takes no creative license with history.
A Masterpiece Of Scholarship And Literature.......2007-04-06
Too many great Biblical novels, especially those that were made into great movies in the 1950s and 60s, suffered from the fact that they constructed narratives that required a wild dose of historical speculation or embellishment that doesn't square with the accounts we've learned from the Gospels and from the archeological record.
But Paul Maier, a Biblical scholar and historian, found a new way of writing a good novel that *also* manages to be informative and scholarly, and it's a pity that his approach has not been emulated by others. In "Pontius Pilate", Maier starts with *every* known historical fact about Pilate, and constructs his fictional narrative with a keen eye on connecting that which is known. There are no fictional characters at the centerpiece as in classic novels like "The Robe" and "Ben Hur." Along the way, Maier, as a scholar, gives us documented footnotes to explain why he has written the narrative this way and referred the reader to appropriate primary sources from Antiquity.
The end result is both a book that gives us a compelling narrative AND enlightens amateur Biblical historians about the scholarly record and what we should consult further. That is the greatness of this work, and along the way I gained more insight and understanding of the Roman politics affecting the governing of Judea at the time of Christ. In particular, Maier enlightens the reader of how Pilate's background likely suggested ties to the notorious Sejanus, who was executed by Emperor Tiberius for conspiring against him. Since Sejanus was disdainful of the Jews, Pilate's association with him might have led to the incidents documented in Philo and Josephus that caused relations to be bad with the Jews (the matter of displaying the Emperor's image on iconic standards, and the use of Temple money to construct an aqueduct). Afterwards, with Tiberius imposing a more pro-Jewish policy, Pilate would have found himself forced to curry more favor with the Jews, lest they complain to Tiberius who might find reason to remove Pilate based on his past associations with Sejanus.
And in that context, we then understand perhaps the real reason for why at the trial of Jesus, Pilate was told, "If you free this man, you are no friend of Caesar." and why despite the misgivings he seemed to have, he felt compelled to give in. This is likely a true indicator of Pilate's character and motives, and it's worth noting that Mel Gibson's "Passion Of The Christ" essentially uses this interpretation of Pilate that Maier offers in his film.
Maier also depicts Pilate's wife Procula (Maier does not refer to her as "Claudia Procula" because he notes that the name "Claudia" comes from a much later tradition than the name Procula) as someone who tentatively is moving in the direction of faith in Christ by story's end. Since history does not tell us conclusively what happened to Pilate after he was recalled by Tiberius, Maier leaves the question of his fate open-ended and while this might not be satisfying to those expecting a more clean narrative, it still works in this genre and one comes away feeling that their knowledge of the 1st century AD has been enhanced greatly.
The pity is that this novel never received big screen epic movie treatment, because it deserved it a lot more than other well-noted Biblical novels that did reach the big screen.
Also worth reading........2007-02-19
For those willing to see the truth of Jesus' suffering, buy the Amazon book "Crucified by Pontius Pilate" by C.W. Griffen.
Excellent reading for understanding Jesus' times.......2006-08-03
If you are going to pick up this book, you are probably very familiar with Pilate's role in the Passion of Jesus already. What this book will really give you is a very readable explanation of politics in Jesus' time as illustrated by Pilate's career. If you have been confused before by the succession of Julian emperors and Herodian kings, or by who ruled when in which part of Palestine, or by what was Roman policy in Palestine at which time, this book will make it all clear to you.
I already had some knowledge of a few incidents involving Pilate and the Jewish authorities, such as the iconic standards and the Jerusalem aqueduct, but this book really helped me clarify how those events developed and what was at stake. The Roman political environment in Pilate's time was truly horrific (the fate of Sejanus' children chilled my blood) and this book will definitely let you glimpse at the horror and how it might have affected Pilate's thinking.
Be sure to read the notes. The author is crystal-clear about when he gives solid historical fact and when he embarks in plausible creative speculation (such as Pilate's dialogues with Cornelius and his encounter with Paul).
As the author clearly exposes, the earliest sources and church traditions overall do not give an unfavorable image of Pilate (the glaring exception is Philo who in all likelihood was pushing an agenda). He could not have done so bad a job if he held his post for 10 years. It is quite telling, therefore, that those who were closer to the actual events were indeed sympathetic to him and such is reflected in Maier's book. The vilification of Pilate only came later.
In short, extremely informative and enjoyable. I can't wait now to start "The Flames of Rome".
Book Description
From Antoinette May, a New York Times bestselling author and striking new voice in literature, comes PILATE'S WIFE, the amazing story of Claudia, the seer who foresaw the persecution of Christians at the hand of the Romans and tried to stop the crucifixion of Jesus.
In the hours before Jesus' trial, Claudia, wife to Pontius Pilate, Roman magistrate of Jerusalem, has a vision in her sleep. She sees a man she has met before, Jesus, the husband of her friend Mary of Magdala, nailed to a crucifix, writhing in pain and offered only vinegar to quench his thirst. She sees men marching off to war, crosses emblazoned on their chests as they pillage foreign lands. She sees men and women fed to lions and burned alive. And she hears the name of her husband passed down through history... "suffered under Pontius Pilate."
Pulling from extensive research, Antoinette May recreates the known world of two–thousand years ago and puts an imaginative new twist on "the greatest story ever told." PILATE'S WIFE follows the life of Claudia as she travels to the battlefield of Gaul, the coliseum in Rome, the temples of Isis in Alexandria, and the holy temple in Jerusalem. The novel tells the story of Claudia's life as a mystic, describing the visions she saw leading up to her great vision of the crucifixion, but also her life as a woman, one torn between her duties as the wife of a Roman magistrate and her desires for the true love she has found with a gladiator.
Weaving together a vivid portrait of the Roman Empire at the beginning of the first millennium, the infighting and passions of the Roman royalty and upper–class, and an awe–inspiring recreation of the last days of Jesus, PILATE'S WIFE will offer a shocking new look at a story we thought we once new.
Customer Reviews:
Borrow it from your library.......2007-08-24
Not a bad read, but don't waste your money on it--borrow it from the library. I needed a break from a long run of non-fiction reading, and this worked as a "guilty pleasure" sort of book.
Pilate's Wife.......2007-06-28
This was an extremely good book and May has a very vivid imagination. It was fast paced, and exciting. The only thing that gets me is that Claudia was such a good liar even from the beginning lol. It nearly drove me crazy fearing that "we" (the book is that good it places you right there)would get caught at any second. And to even imagine that while Miriam was looking for Claudia to get her to talk to Pontius about letting Jesus go, she was off looking after her dying lover. strange but I did say that may has an imagination. You will not be disappointed..
LOVED THIS BOOK.......2007-02-14
I am a big fan of historical novels and this one kept me involved from the first page! I highly recommend this book - great read!!!
Disappointing.......2007-01-12
I had eagerly looked forward to this novel. I, too, had been reading historical fiction about Mary and the theories of her relationship with Jesus. I was bitterly disappointed in her depiction of Mary as a prostitute. I thought it had been established this was an error from an earlier Pope. I really wish we could stop depicting Mary in this manner.
I enjoyed the first part of the book but once she moved after her marriage, I thought the book got on shaky ground. I don't think the research was very thorough. Also I really didn't understand what happened with the snakes. The book said it transformed her but really didn't explain why. I really think Claudia would make an interesting book at the hands of a more experienced author who does their research.
Flaws bug me - but the plot sucked me in.......2006-12-31
I've done a lot of reading on the times involved in The Da Vinci Code story, including the alternate theories of Mary Magdalene, Jesus, his mother and followers. I was very intrigued when Pilate's Wife came out - offering to cover this same time period from the point of view of Pontius Pilate's dream-seeing partner.
I *love* the Mists of Avalon story, where dream-seeing young Morgause is brought up by her mom and powerfully-driven aunt. I immediately saw the similarities here. Both begin with a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, seeing visions, which the adults around her sometimes dismiss and sometimes pay attention to. With Claudia, she grows up in a military family, only coming into the grand city of Rome after a childhood in army camps. Her family is extremely powerful, so she mixes with the high and mighty, sitting besides Tiberius at the gladiator games, living the high life.
In short time she has dedicated herself to Isis (against her father's wishes), become obsessed with Pilate and drugs him with a love potion, then marries him. But all the not-so-subtle warnings of the potion provider go right over her head - he quickly starts having affairs. Soon she becomes obsessed with a muscular gladiator and starts sleeping with him. It's only at the very end of the book that she actually runs into Jesus, and it's a Forest Gump situation - suddenly she's at every key scene with him. I was surprised that she wasn't at the Last Supper somehow.
There are many aspects of the story which I really enjoyed. I liked the descriptions of the lives of the Vestal Virgins, the political intrigues of Tiberius, the descriptions of ancient towns of all sizes and styles. The story kept me involved and reading to the end through one sitting.
This is my own bias, but it really bugged me that Mary Magdalene was presented in this story as a whore. This was a mistake made by Pope Gregory in 591 which propagated until 1969, when the Vatican admitted the error. The fact that a modern book *still* has to say that the only way this wealthy woman could support Jesus was by selling her body irks me to no end. I'm quite fine with the theory - true or invented - that Jesus married her. We know he "loved" her, and that can be interpreted as a loyal follower or as someone he kissed and was intimate with. But in this book she was cast out by her family for being raped, then makes her fortune by sleeping around with wealthy men. Jesus' mom dislikes Mary quite vehemently and is sulky at their wedding.
Another nit-pick which bugged me is that when (in again a Forest Gump situation) Claudia runs into Jesus as a child in Egypt, Jesus says his name is Yeshua, known by the Romans as Jesus. Hah! If he went around telling people his name was Yeshua as a child, that is what they would call him. In *Greek writing* the name is Iesus since Greek doesn't have a "Y" or "sh" letter, and then they put Ss at the end of their names. So that would be pronounced "eeae-soos" . The only reason there is a J in there is because of the Germans, who use the J letter for a I sound. They also meant for it to be said "eeae-soos". It's only the ignorant English who saw that and started pronouncing it with a J sound. That was *long* long after his death. So the English all mis-pronounce his name.
Many researchers feel that the reason the gospels slanted towards "Jews caused it all, the friendly Romans tried their best to stop it" was because the gospels were written during times the Romans were in power. It's like a newspaper in Germany in WWII slanting pro-Germany. It's something that happens. To have this book push so heavily that "it was all the nasty Jews' fault - those poor Romans were completely on Jesus' side" seemed unrealistic to me.
The book slips into the "ha ha we future people can laugh at your past mistaken ideas" situation a few times. The characters will make comments along the lines of "Nobody will remember this silly messiah in the future" that we the reader are supposed to chuckle at. I don't mind these when they are subtle and fit into the storyline, but the ones here were rather on the blatant side.
For some reason, I also found the clothing discussions confusing. I do enjoy visualizing what the characters look like and how typical dress was worn - but the use of strange terms without enough description of how they looked or were worn made it hard to do. It actually got frustrating when the story would then mention a term, because it was a reminder that I still didn't know what that item was.
In general, I had trouble sympathizing with Claudia. While Morgause in Mists of Avalon was smart and engaging - even while she had typical angst and issues during her life - Claudia seemed incredibly self absorbed and shallow. All she wants is to dedicate herself to Isis. No wait, all she wants is Pilate by her side. Oh wait, all she wants is her uncle to live, forget how Pilate feels. Wait, all she wants is to rut with a gladiator she saw once or twice.
I suppose you could argue that she has to go with the "do what you want NOW, damn the consequences" lifestyle because all around her she sees betrayals at any moment. Her sister, for one brief teen sexual encounter, is condemned to a life as a celibate. When she later has a sexual encounter, she is buried alive. Her parents both are forced to commit suicide. Her uncle is cursed and dies. She has a miscarriage. Other cousins of hers are slain. Still, it would have been nice to get the sense that she was making these choices rationally. I hate to keep comparing the book to Mists, but in Mists you really got a sense of the power of the attraction between Morgause and the men she fell for - and the difficulty of some of the decisions she made. In Pilate's Wife, it was more like a fleeting thought passed through her brain, and she became obsessed with it.
I think if the story had revolved around "random nobility" that these issues wouldn't have bothered me nearly the same. The issue is that Antoinette May is writing about very important people in history - people who have been researched and studied. It's the same issue as with the Da Vinci Code. You need to get those basic, important facts correct if we are going to be able to immerse ourselves in the world. If there are inaccuracies, it jars you out of that immersion.
Still, even though I kept hitting issues that made me wince, the general storytelling drew me along, and as I mentioned, I did read the book straight through and enjoyed it. So go into it knowing that these things exist, and read it for what it does offer. If Antoinette writes her next book about less well known people, I think I'll enjoy it much more!
Book Description
It's been thirty years since he sentenced the troublemaker to die,
but Pontius Pilate can't get Jesus out of his mind. . . .
Forced to live out his life in exile, Pontius Pilate, the former governor of Judea, is now haunted by the executions that were carried out on his orders. The life and death of a particular carpenter from Nazareth lay heavily on his mind. With years of solitude stretched out before him, Pilate sets out to uncover all he can about Jesus—his birth, boyhood, ministry, and the struggles that led to his crucifixion. With unexpected wit and candor, Pilate reveals a unique, compelling picture of Jesus that only one of his enemies could give.
In a vibrant, inventive, completely engaging novel that places Jesus and his teachings in a wonderfully accurate historical setting, James R. Mills has created nothing less than a new gospel that illuminates the beginnings of Christianity from an astonishing and unexpected point of view.
Customer Reviews:
An interesting interpretation from a different viewpoint........2003-08-11
This author has come up with a unique concept by novelizing the life of the historical Christ and then telling the story from the point of view of a relatively minor character, Pontius Pilate. As the title suggests, the novel is written in the form of memoirs as Pilate nears the end of his life. Pilate tries to come to some resolution of his own involvement in Jesus's death by reviewing Jesus's life, beginning with the unusual circumstances of his birth and continuing to the genesis of Christianity after his death. The author utilizes plain, accessible language to tell a story which includes a surprising amount of humor. You may not feel sorry for Pilate by the end, but you should at least wonder if perhaps there is more to the story of Jesus than we will ever know. An engaging, thought-provoking book.
The biography Pilate himself might have written........2002-02-17
Although it is a work of fiction, "Memoirs of Pontius Pilate" comes close to deserving a place in the history section. Much of this well-researched book is devoted to Pilate's own biography of Jesus; nevertheless, there is enough supplementary material here to leave the reader a bit more knowledgeable on the history of Roman Palestine.
Mills' Pilate begins with an introductory discussion about the Jewish people (written from a perspective that feels authentically Roman). The rest of the book traces the life of Jesus from the Nativity to the Crucifixion, after which the exiled former procurator adds his own views on the events that he had just described. Throughout the work Pilate remains sufficiently sceptical of the miracles and odd "coincidences" that his spies report to him, but the reader soon realises that this Roman is at least open to the possibility that the "strange carpenter" may actually be who he says he is.
A word of caution, though: readers who insist on seeing a cruel, heartless tyrant of a governor in this book will be sorely disappointed. Though the historical Pontius Pilatus may have been a man who truly deserves the wicked reputation he is cursed with today, would he have written about himself that way? In all certainty he would have described actions we now see as barbaric within the context of his own culture and upbringing; that is, he would have said that he was simply "doing his job" when he mowed down the Samartians on Mount Gerizim and threatened to hack a crown of Jews to death in Caesarea. Out of his love for Rome, his loyalty to Caesar and perhaps even his own strange form of concern for the well-being of the Jewish people, he did what he felt he had to do.
I am no relativist. From the very little that we know about Pilate, there is no doubt that he was -- to put it bluntly -- a very bad man. But it would be ridiculous to assume that he would have seen himself as anything other than a devoted public servant who tried to do his duty well.
From a different prospective.......2001-08-15
I found this book to be very enjoyable. It told a very well known story from a diffenent prospective. It was easy reading and followed events in a chronological order which made the story flow much better than reading disjointed gospels. It made me see those historic events in a differnt light.
PONTIUS PILATE: CAVETE EMPTOR.......2000-07-10
After reading the scathing review from the New York contributor - - I really wanted to like this book. Particularly after reading the heartfelt orgin(s) of the book that the author shared in the review he had submitted.
I couldn't bring myself to it once I began reading it.
Within a dozen pages I had lost interest and was appalled that I had bought this book. I felt that the narrative was both inaccurate and semantically anachronistic. The significance of events were presented with more "importance" than they had at the time; Christ's arrival in Jerusalem, and the subsequent chain of events at that Passover, was not the defining moment of the time. It was not the "JFK assassination" like event that was burned into everyone's mind. This is implied. Further - word/concepts are presented - by Pontius Pilate- that appear to be coming, conceptually, at least a 1000 - 1500 years too early. It would be like reading a novel about Abraham Lincoln - and having him say , " that's a cool idea." This was very distracting.
In general this was not successfully written from the perspective of a powerful 1st century Roman citizen/official -but from that of a devout 20th century Christian - who had excellent idea and good intent- but who didn't know how to get into the head and heart of his intended subject. (For a wonderful example of a successful attempt to step back in time a millennium or two see Memoirs Of Hadrian by M. Yourcenar. Different subject; roughly the same era.)
All-and-all, very disappointing. Awful.
PONTIUS PILATE: CAVETE EMPTOR.......2000-07-10
After reading the scathing review from the New York contributor - - I really wanted to like this book. Particularly after reading the heartfelt orgin(s) of the book that the author shared in the review he had submitted.
I couldn't bring myself to it once I began reading it.
Within a dozen pages I had lost interest and was appalled that I had bought this book. I felt that the narrative was both inaccurate and semantically anachronistic. The significance of events were presented with more "importance" than they had at the time; Christ's arrival in Jerusalem, and the subsequent chain of events at that Passover, was not the defining moment of the time. It was not the "JFK assassination" like event that was burned into everyone's mind. This is implied. Further - word/concepts are presented - by Pontius Pilate- that appear to be coming, conceptually, at least a 1000 - 1500 years too early. It would be like reading a novel about Abraham Lincoln - and having him say , " that's a cool idea." This was very distracting.
In general this was not successfully written from the perspective of a powerful 1st century Roman citizen/official -but from that of a devout 20th century Christian - who had excellent idea and good intent- but who didn't know how to get into the head and heart of his intended subject. (For a wonderful example of a successful attempt to step back in time a millennium or two see Memoirs Of Hadrian by M. Yourcenar. Different subject; roughly the same era.)
All-and-all, very disappointing. Dreadfull.
Customer Reviews:
'Milk the Christians' time is here again.......2002-10-27
This book is a notorious fraud from the 19th century.
It pretends to be contemporary accounts of the death etc of Jesus. Actually they're all bogus. The editor expanded this book into the 'Archko' volume, but was caught because he created some of his 'ancient' documents by copying verbatim from the novel 'Ben Hur'.
The motive appears to have been money, and the intended victims rural Christians with no way to check his claims.
Full details are available in E.J.Goodspeed's "Strange New Gospels", which is online. In the late 19th century a fair few people had a go at making money this way, targetting different groups. Mahan's effort is the only one still circulating, but Goodspeed details a collection of them.
Another "Hidden in the Vatican Library" Story.......2002-10-20
It is too bad that the Reverend W.D. Mahan really did not shelter a Mr Whydaman in the winter of 1856 who really had seen the documents found in Mahan's book. It would be wonderful to read an authentic interview of the Three Shepherds. It would be wonderful to read an authentic report of Pontius Pilate to Caesar. And it would be wonderful to read the report of Caiaphas concerning the execution of Jesus... if these documents were authentic.
_The Acts of Pilate_ begins with transcripts of letters between Mahan and Whydaman wherein Mahan pretends to procure transcripts of copies from the Vatican. Mahan did his homework fairly well. He includes some authentic details. However there are some flaws as noted by Edgar John Goodspeed in _Strange New Gospels_ (pub 1931).
Pilate wept! Caiaphas sees resurrected Jesus!.......2002-05-31
These ancient documents, preserved for hundreds of years in their original language deep within the Vatican, corroborate the Biblical accounts of Jesus' trial, crucifiction, and resurrection.
Some of the writings are straightforward reports of the period, like Josephus' writings. The author takes enormoous pains to establish their authenticity in traceable steps as well as his credentials for finding and publishing these documents.
Some of the accounts are truly astonishing. Pilate wrote a full description of the "Jesus issue" to Ceaser. He describes how he wept at the sight of bent and broken Joseph of Arimethia ascending Pilate's steps, stained with the blood of Jesus, asking for the dead body of his friend and Lord.
Caiaphas gives two accounts of his actions to the Sanhedrin. In the latter, he describes himself locked in his bedroom, studying the scriptures for prophecies concerning the Messiah. Suddenly, the resurrected Jesus appears before him and offers him salvation if he would but believe in the risen son of God. Caiaphas is convicted and forlorn. He resigns his position as high priest, unable to perform its functions with honor and integrity. Was he saved at the last?
Pilate writes to Ceaser that he had dispatched 100 Roman soldiers to stand guard over Jesus' tomb. "The very event they were supposed to prevent," he said, "they became witnesses to." What a profound illustration!
These accounts are compelling, believable,and illuminating of the Biblical accounts. The book is fun and edifying to read.
Great book.......1999-11-23
This really isn't a book from an author's particular point of view. It is a compilation of eye witness accounts of contemporaries of Jesus translated into English from the original languages. It contains accounts from friends and family of Jesus, Jewish religious people and Roman government authorities. I believe this book to be very reliable.
Average customer rating:
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Relics of repentance: The letters of Pontius Pilate and Claudia Procula
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Customer Reviews:
Relics of Repentance.......2000-10-06
Relics of Repentance is centered around a 1st century autobiographical letter traditionally attributed to Claudia Procula-the wife of Pontius Pilate. If you ever wondered what happened to Pilate and his wife after the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, or what the content of Claudia's dream was (Matthew 27:19), or why Pilate was so reluctant to condemn Jesus and sought to release him (John 18:38-40 & 19:4-12), this booklet is a must. After reading this booklet, you will understand why Claudia is canonized a saint in the Greek Orthodox Church (Feast Day October 27th) and why Pilate & Claudia are both canonized saints in the Coptic Church (Feast Day June 25th).
Customer Reviews:
Pilate Interpreted.......2007-05-14
I came upon this book by accident, and I have found it very interesting in setting forth various interprettions of Pontius Pilate as revealed in the various Gospel authors. The author helps readers to see how differently Pilate is portrayed by the four evangelists and so expands our awareness of how each author has a particular agenda shaping his approach.
good book!.......2007-03-13
very informative and well written, the interpretation is what is likely to have happened. mel gibson should have read this book before he made the film "the passion of the christ"
A Diligent Effort.......2006-05-16
New Testament Professor Warren Carter's "Pontius Pilate: Portraits of a Roman Governor" (2003) is an interesting and thought provoking study. It should be read with a Bible near at hand. This 161 page paperback's research, for the most part, is well documented (with footnotes on most pages). Carter's biblical references are well sourced, but his many conclusions should be as well documented.
Carter's original suggestion- that Pilate's alliance with the Jerusalem elites is foremost in the governor's dealing with Jesus- is noteworthy (but not Scriptural). Most helpful, Carter considers Pilate from each Gospel's portrayal (which are very different from one another). In summation, he finds Pontius Pilate to be arrogant, ruthless, greedy, unafraid of the Jews, and unwilling to hear Jesus' message (which proclaims Pilate's entire Romanized world will soon be replaced by God).
This book is imaginative and teachable (I've used it to source Bible studies). It speaks to the imagery of "handing over" (page 63), Mrs. Pilate's massage to her husband about Jesus (page 94), Pilate's hand washing (page 96), the governor's antipathy for the Jerusalem Jews (page 119), the ironies in Jesus' trials (pages 140-152), and much more. Carter also imaginatively proposed a pre-trial meeting, with decisions for Jesus' fate, between Pilate and the Jerusalem elites (page 140).
Unfortunately, there are not many sources extant for Pontius Pilate. Carter's is a diligent effort at telling a story that is almost impossible to document. This book is recommended to well-read New Testament students, antiquities specialists, clergy, and Bible teachers. Amazon.com's price is good, order your copy soon.
PILATE PORTRAITS.......2006-02-14
I think the book would have been more interesting, and apt, if it had lived up to its title by being an illustrated history of Pilate as portrayed through the ages visually in contrast to Christ. His depictions actually stretch in time and place from fourth Christian century Roman sarcophagi to twentieth century Hollywood movies!
A Must Have.......2005-03-24
It is a book that no serious Biblical Scholar should be without. It is written in a lucid, easy style that makes it accessible for anyone either at the undergraduate level or high end popular level but also has implications for all Biblical Scholars. In the first three chapters the author gives the reader an overview of the historical context surrounding the time of Jesus. It is an essential and handy summary of the Roman government and especially the relationship between the Roman government and the Jewish Temple High Priest. The author then devotes one chapter to each Gospel's account of the meeting between Jesus and Pilate. If you thought you knew how to interpret these Gospel accounts, you will be surprised. Carter pays very close attention to each detail and the historical context of Roman occupation which makes his reading of the Gospels faithful and challenging. Thankfully, Carter does not go into much outside speculation. He lets us know what is the historical information we have of Pilate and then examines the literary construct of the Gospel accounts. This book is a most needed reference where you will have a summary of what we have historically in regards to Pontius Pilate as well as a careful examination of the Gospel accounts.
Book Description
If you thought you knew all there is to know about Pontius Pilate and Jesus, this little book has some surprises for you. In this "greatest story never told," Pontius Pilate finally gets a chance to tell his side of the story, filling in what the Bible left out. For someone who made one of the most momentous decisions of all time, we know almost nothing about him. Who was this man who sentenced Jesus to death? What went through his mind as he weighed the alternatives? Was he a villain or a victim of circumstance? If we can imagine Pilate as our contemporary, what would we have done in his place?
Written by one of France's great men of letters of the twentieth century, Pontius Pilate is a highly provocative and psychologically gripping novel that reconstructs Pilate's state of mind in deciding to convict Jesus. Taking his place alongside the authors of other such "sacred fantasies" as Nikos Kazantzakis (The Last Temptation of Christ) and Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code), the surrealist Roger Caillois conjures countless plausible dramas of the "what ifs" that might have played out inside Pilate's mind during the final twenty-four hours before he decided Jesus's fate. Transgressive, disconcerting, and original, Pontius Pilate provides a fascinating opportunity to contemplate the mind of a man who, with one decision, arguably changed the course of human history. It explores the interplay of politics and conscience, fundamentalism and cosmopolitanism, and fanaticism and pragmatism-themes even more compelling today than they were forty-some years ago when the book was originally published.
With an introduction by the religion scholar Ivan Strenski, this new American edition of Charles Lam Markmann's original English translation (published in 1963 and long since out of print) makes available once again for the English-language reading public a remarkable work of intelligence, wit, and imagination. Pontius Pilate offers an engaging and climactic read for anyone interested in the interplay of religion and culture and in the mysteries of this pinnacle moment in the biblical narrative.
Book Description
These letters represent the times of Jesus, with some of the principal events of his life from a new viewpoint - that of the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate.
History has pictured Pilate as in some respects a good governor, anxious to serve his imperial master faithfully, and even in so far as possible to conciliate those who were placed in his care. In these letters Pilate describes the events of his Governorship, his impressions, his policy, his difficulties in dealing with the Jews.
"It seems," writes Pilate, "that all Galilee is agog about Jesus, and everyone knows of someone who has heard of someone else who has been cured of some disease." Pilate argues that Jesus is a popular leader who is politically dangerous, a troublesome fellow that must be gotten out of the way. "And," concludes Pilate, "if he was not a dangerous rebel yesterday, he would have been tomorrow."
In spite of this, Pilate has given us a fine picture of Jesus here, written with restraint and feeling, unconsciously reverent and absorbingly interesting.
Customer Reviews:
fiction.......2006-05-23
not bad as fiction. the entire book may be read online. However it is fiction that, unfortunately, seems to be regarded as a non-fiction source.
An original review of the book:
Review of 'Letters of Pontius Pilate', Manchester Guardian, 30 March 1928
Crozier's interests in Latin and Greek classics and the Bible inspired his writing. His first novel, 'Letters of Pontius Pilate - Written during his Governorship of Judea to His Friend Seneca in Rome', was published in 1928, and is reviewed in the Manchester Guardian by Professor Herford of Manchester University.
Take note: this is a work of fiction.......2004-02-21
When I first saw this book I had to ask, why have I never heard of this before? It should be very famous. When I began reading it, I concluded immediately that it must be a work of fiction. A quick web search confirms that W. P. Crozier was a reporter for the Guardian newspaper in England. This book is identified on the Guardian website as his first "novel," written in 1928.
This is a short story in letter form. It is an account of a self-absorbed, gossipy, impulsive and petty-minded provincial governor--intent on gaining credit for himself and possible advancement in the Roman hierarchy. To him Jesus was simply a minor problem: another of those troublesome people whom a good Roman governor had to dispose of in order to maintain provincial peace. Who knows? That may be an accurate rendering of Pilate's character and personality. The story has some interest in depicting in personal terms the contending interests that a Roman governor had to deal with in Jesus' time: the two neighboring king Herods; the prerogatives and rivalries of the Jewish priestly class; Rome's interest in maintaining order in the province; and the financial requirements of maintaining order and building public works.
Captivating! Enormously interesting!.......2003-09-17
This is a non-fiction collection of thirty-three letters written by Pontius Pilate over a four year period to his friend, the Roman senator Lucius Seneca. Seneca would eventually become tutor to the emperor Nero.
The friendship between Pilate and Seneca would last for many years, but Pilate only wrote to his friend during the first half of his administration. Many scholars believe that the disaster handling the Christ affair "would spoil him into indecency" and so it is not with surprising that he found it improper or unpalatable to carry on correspondence with a man, though a friend, who had the Caesar's ear.
The letters reveal much about the Pilate's personality and the challenges that he faced with the persistent difficulties that the Jewish populace presented from the rising unrest amongst their ranks. Many New Testament figures are written in these pages, such as Caiaphas, John the Baptist and Herod, but his encounter with Jesus, the emerging King of the Jews, would affect him with a regret and forlorness that would taint him for the rest of his administration and, we can assume, for the rest of his life.
This book, while not attempting to expand on the history of the Roman Empire or the origins of the Christian Era, offers a very personal view of the occurences of the region from the man who possessed an excellent ability for observation and communication. What makes Pilate unique, and which still captivates the imagination of mortals, is that he encountered the single most influential human being to have ever lived, but played a part in his death. This book allows the reader to discover how he handled the grief and perplexion that was the aftermath.
This is a terrific find, and one that I will treasure for many years. I have purchased several copies for friends and family, and I still get questions about where I purchased the book.
If one wishes to get a good picture of what Judea and the Roman Empire was like in the first century, then this is the book to get. Its like none other.
Amazon.com
Pontius Pilate, by Ann Wroe, is beautifully written, imaginatively researched, and intricately structured. Most importantly, it provides readers with a valuable emotional experience: a chance to rediscover and redeem Pilate's famous question--"What is truth?"--in a spirit of humility and hope. A handful of small coins and one inscribed stone are the only physical evidence that Pilate existed. All of the textual sources that mention Pilate, Wroe notes, are "so wrapped in propaganda or agendas that it is difficult to detect what, if anything, may be true." But since Pilate "stands at the center of the Christian story and God's plan of redemption," Wroe persevered in her efforts to discern the profile of his life. "Without his climactic judgment of Jesus, the world would not have been saved. To have a faceless bureaucrat at the heart of all this drama was unacceptable: something had to be made of this man." The book's bold ambition, however, is not blind. "This is not a search for the 'real' Pilate," Wroe admits. "At best, all we have are glints and hypotheses." To learn about her subject, Wroe had to sacrifice most of her sympathetic impulses and shift her concentration to the elements of Roman life that she did not understand. And oddly enough, the passages in which Wroe describes her ignorance most clearly are where we begin to glimpse "a man actually walking on a marble floor in Caesarea, feeling his shoes pinch, clicking his fingers for a slave, while clouds of lasting infamy gather overhead."
Book Description
The foil to Jesus, the defiant antihero of the Easter story, mocking, skeptical Pilate is a historical figure who haunts our imagination. For some he is a saint, for others the embodiment of human weakness, an archetypal politician willing to sacrifice one man for the sake of stability. In this dazzlingly conceived biography, a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize, Ann Wroe brings man and myth to life. Working from classical sources, she plunges us into the world of biblical Judaea under the reign of the erratic and licentious emperor Tiberius and lets us see the trial of Jesus, in all its confusion, from the point of view of his executioner.
Download Description
Pontius Pilate arrived in Judaea in the year 26, sent to collect taxes and oversee the firm establishment of Roman law. His ten-year term was a time of relative peace in this fractious new outpost of the Roman Empire, where violence was not uncommon. He was not loved and not quite feared, and might have vanished into obscurity had he not come to preside, with some reluctance, over the most famous trial in history.
In this brilliant biography, a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize and a masterpiece of scholarship and imagination, Ann Wroe brings Pilate and his world to life. Working from classical sources, she reconstructs his origins and upbringing, his career in the military and life in Rome, his confrontation with Christ, and his long journey home. We catch glimpses of him pacing the marble floors in Caesarea, sharpening his stylus, getting dressed shortly before sunrise on the day that would seal his place in history. What were the pressures on Pilate that day? What did he really think of Jesus? Pontius Pilate lets us see Christ's trial for the first time, in all its confusion, from the point of view of his executioner.
Pontius Pilate is a historical figure, like Cleopatra and Alexander, who has been endlessly mythologized through the ages. For some he is a saint, for others the embodiment of human weakness, an archetypal politician willing to sacrifice one man for the sake of stability. Each generation has pressed onto Pilate the imprint of its anxieties and its faith. He has haunted -- and continues to haunt -- our imagination. From the Evangelists and the Copts (for whom he was a saint, martyred himself on the Cross) to more recent philosophers, artists, novelists, and politicians, Pilate has been resurrected in different guises for two thousand years. Ann Wroe brings man and myth to life in a book that expands the possibilities of the biographical form and deepens our understanding of the mysteries of faith.
It has often been said that Pontius Pilate was fingered by God to carry out the divine plan of salvation, just as clearly as Christ was. Ann Wroe shows how, in his hesitation before God, in his skepticism, his anxiety to do his job and exonerate himself of guilt, Pilate's story is very much our own.
"A splendid biography... meticulous and eloquent. In the course of this account, the reader discovers in a new way that evil and good are often deeply and mysteriously complementary."
KAREN ARMSTRONG
"In writing about Pilate, the decisions he made and the responsibility he has since had to bear, Wroe is also writing about the nature of guilt, human uncertainty, and solitariness. It is a book which will take root inside your head and grow there."
JULIA BLACKBURN
"Ann Wroe demonstrates, with a wide range of examples and reading, how men and women dip into this story and use it as a way of understanding themselves. Wroe is a creative, even a beautiful, writer. It is a wonderfully enjoyable, rich, generous book."
A. N. WILSON
"Ann Wroe's text crackles with millennia of moral meaning. We are made to feel for the figure who, from the balcony of his palace, may have seen Christ preach, and it is this Pilate to whom she dedicates her erudition. A remarkable book. It is an inspiration."
FIONA SHAW
"Any petty ambitions of Pontius Pilate to leave some trace of his contributions to Roman imperial history as governor of Judaea were overwhelmed by his supporting role in the foundation of the Christian religion.... There are far too many 'spiritual' books around which are problem-raising or problem-solving. Far too few are aware of the need to find a
Customer Reviews:
See the truth of Jesus' suffering.......2007-02-19
For those willing to see the truth of Jesus' suffering, buy the Amazon book "Crucified by Pontius Pilate" by C.W. Griffen.
Interesting.......2006-07-10
Ann Wroe's Pontius Pilate begins with the disclaimer that there isn't very much historical information about the former Prefect of Judea, and then goes on for 400+ pages. In fact, this book could be subtitled - "More than you ever wanted to know about who Pilate might have been." Wroe begins by giving us 3 different scenarios about Pilate's birth, with origins in Italy, or Germany, or Spain. Take your pick. Wroe provides three different stories with little guidance as to which is most likely. She then proceeds to tell us what life was like for the young adult when he lived in Rome. It's not about Pilate, per se, but about life in general for someone like Pilate, although we're not sure if it's the peasant Italian pilot, the swashbucking Spanaird, or the brooding German. Apparently it didn't make too much difference.
Wroe is a very good writer and she's obviously done her homework. So the fanciful sections about what life was like is very interesting and informative, but a reader who was drawn by the title "Pontius Pilate" might feel cheated that Wroe's central character is actually missing.
Here's some examples...
"...we have little more to rely on when we come to his age, or his marriage, or how bright he was. Of his age, we can only be certain that he was not younger than 30 when he went to Judea. That was the minimum age for governors..." (p. 40)
"The presence of Procula [his wife] in Judea, if she was there, has often been taken as an indicator of love. In the early years of the empire, wives did not normally accompany their husbands to the provinces." (p. 44)
"Ti estim alethia? was what he [Pilate] said, according to John; and if indeed he said it, Greek was very probably the language he used. This was the lingua franca of the eastern empire. Even a rough soldier would have a smattering of it, and a governor could not work without it, unless he dared to put himself at the mercy of interpreters....It is easy to imagine him mangling his Greek as English-speaking diplomates still mangle French...The state of Pilate's Greek, possibly fluent, possible awful, adds a peculiar poignancy to his supposed exchanges with Jesus... " (p. 50-51)
Wroe is stronger when she looks at the changes in perceptions of Pilate as she dissects the Medieval and later literary and stage personas. We see him change in appearance and temperament as each age re-invents him for their own purposes. She thoroughly documents each turn in the saga of the Pilate family, from his wife to his kids and dog. There is no history here, except the history of the history, which I guess is better than no history at all, but (as Albert Schweitzer said about Jesus) we shouldn't mistake this for history.
This book will appeal to anyone interested in history, especially as it pertains to Christianity. But it should be approached as a general study of the times, and not as a biography of Pontius Pilate.
What did Pilate really do?.......2006-05-20
Writing now in the advent of the movie the Da Vinci Code, there will no doubt be a spur of interest in books such as these about the characters surrounding the life and mission of Jesus. Like Thomas of the Gospel of John, believers and non believers alike seek to touch the wound and thereby gain "actual proof" of what the faithful maintain.
Today you can go to any coin show and buy a copper slug, sometimes recognizable in its imagery minted under the prefectorate of Pontius Pilate. Alternatively, if you're really so inclined, you can visit Israel and see the ancient remains of Caesarea Maritima, Pilate's old base camp, where a replica of the Pilatus inscription is on display against the backdrop of the mediterranean. Or, you can go to the Israel musuem and see the artifact itself, protectively encased.
At the library, you can read Josephus or Tacitus or the other minor references to an individual who was -- in his time -- largely irrelevant. Together these references would fail to even fill this page.
So who was Pilate? And what did this "invented man" really do?
It's rare that historical scholarship actually rises to the level of being great literature but amazingly, after putting in four years of thought and contemplation, great literature and great historical scholarship is just what Ann Wroe managed to do.
For those who get the chance there's a book club presentation by Wroe that periodically runs on cable. And it's well worth watching to see this proper British lady as she attempts to explain her book.
Her difficulty, our difficulty is that what we see all too often more the product of our cynicisms or unfounded hopes than what really exists. Is it a cloud in the shape of a bunny or a unicorn?
And what would Pilate say if we could ask him? Did you wash your hands? Did you condemn the savior? Did you make it so that we could gain salvation through Jesus Christ himself?
Would he say? "Me? I did that for you?"
A very disappointing read........2006-03-08
Either Ms Wroe wants to write a fictional novel based on Pilate or a historical analysis of the character. Reading this book it seems that she can never quite make up her mind. One minute we are reading what Josephus or Philo said about him in antiquity the next we are treated to a sample of the author's writing skills. It is almost like she cannot help herself and succumbs on every page to exercising her writing techniques by exploring imagery and metaphor.
Before I bought this book I assumed there was little or no detail about Pilate to work with. By the time I was finished with it my assumption remained the same. The only problem was that along the way I had to endure Ms Wroe's disjointed writing, pointless reference to medieval pageantry (the world is flat era), and endless waffle that has no place in a book that Pilate purports to be.
mmmmmmmmm.......
WROE'S PILATE IS NOT MY CO-PILOT.......2006-01-27
I think the book romanticizes an UNROMANTIC Roman who probably didn't say or do most if not all of the things attributed to him, including having Jesus crucified to death. Since there are so few sources to depend on for what Pilate was really like as a person and a procurator, I think a much better conception would have been a contrast between Pilate as the typical Roman and Jesus as the typical messianic-cult Jew. This at least would have had better play with the mythological stereotypes passing as history that have been interwoven around both since the first Christian century. Otherwise I think ALL we can ever REALLY know about Pilate at this point in time is to be found on the inscription slab from his capital Caesarea Maritima.
Average customer rating:
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Los Papeles De Damasco/ Letters from Damasco
Jorge Salazar
Manufacturer: Suma
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Product Description
Did Jesus truly die on a cross at the hands of Romans, or did the beautiful Claudia Procula, wife of Pontius Pilate, intercede to stop his crucifixion? Did the wealthy Judas Iscariot really betray his Master for thirty meager silver coins? It is to this world of fire, blood and constant betrayals that Marcio, a young roman chronicler, and Teofilo, his servant, teacher and lover, arrive. Fascinated by it all, each will try to uncover the mysteries and reveal the answers to the questions that have plagued every generation since the first century of our era.
Description In Spanish: ¿Fue Jesús verdaderamente crucificado por los romanos? ¿Fue rescatado de esa ignominiosa muerte destinda a los peores delincuentes, esclavos, piratas y sediciosos? ¿La hermosa y turbadora Claudia Prócula, sobrina influyente del emperador Tiberio y esposa de Poncio Pilatos, intercedió para que lo bajaran de la cruz? ¿Judas Iscariote, hombre adinerado, traiciono realmente a su Maestro por treinta míseras monedas de plata? A un mundo de fuego, sangre y traiciones permanentes, llega Marcio, un joven cronista romano, acompañado de su siervo, maestro y amante griego, Teófilo. Fascinados por al dramatismo del escenario, ambos intentarán develar los misterios y responder las interrogantes que desde el siglo I de nuestra era, hasta el presente, han encantado y ofuscado a todas las generaciones. Ellos irán en busca del personaje más sublime y adorado de la historia de la humanidad: Jesús Ben Josef, mejor conocido como Cristo, el Mesías o Elegido de Dios.
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