Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor who questioned Jesus before the crucifixion in the New Testament accounts. He governed Judaea during the reign of the emperor Tiberius.
The Gospels describe Jesus being brought to Pilate after Jewish leaders accuse him of claims connected with kingship. Pilate questions Jesus and ultimately authorizes crucifixion, although the accounts portray him differently in tone and detail. Matthew includes the episode of Pilate washing his hands, while John gives an extended dialogue about kingship and truth.
An inscription discovered at Caesarea Maritima confirms Pilate’s historical title as prefect of Judaea. The New Testament sometimes uses the broader title “governor,” while the inscription identifies him as prefect. Pilate is therefore both a figure in the passion narratives and one of the New Testament characters supported by archaeological evidence outside the texts.