The Redemption of Pontius Pilate by Lewis Ben
Smith
Book Reviewed by Thomas A. Timmes
Pontius Pilate. Who is he and why should I read a book about
him? Will this book add to my general
knowledge of history and Roman history in particular? I know he’s mentioned several times in the
Bible’s New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to be specific, and has a
2,000 year reputation as a bad guy. Is
there more to know? The answer is yes,
quite a bit, as I discovered.
I learned that the
author did not have to create the story or characters out of whole cloth. Quite a lot is known about Pilate from the
accounts of Flavius Josephus, Philo, the Jewish philosopher, who is openly
hostile to Pilate, Tactitus’ Annals of Imperial Rome, the writings of several
early Christian church fathers such as Tertullian, and Jewish archival records.
The characters of
the story are known historical figures:
Tiberius, the Emperor, Drusilla, his mother, Germanicus, his son, Sejanus,
Tiberius’ confidant, Caligula, the future Emperor, Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of
Galilee, Caiaphas, Jewish High Priest, Jesus of Nazareth, healer and miracle
worker, and several others.
I also discovered
that Pilate and his wife Procula have been the subject of hundreds of books
going back to the 1870’s. Apparently,
there is a hunger to know more about Pilate and why he condemned Jesus to be
scourged and crucified even though he personally could find no fault in him.
Lewis Ben Smith has
connected all the dots and shown himself to be a masterful story teller! The Redemption of Pontius Pilate is a
compelling, action-packed, and suspenseful tale of intrigue and betrayal. The book is filled with relatable characters
and historical events that showcase his knowledge of Roman and Judean politics
of the era. He has created a seamless and
plausible account of the remarkable rise and devastating fall of Pilate, a Roman
of high Equestrian status.
What went wrong with
Pilate’s promising career? This is where
Lewis Ben Smith really shines! The
answer lies with Tiberius’ successor-to-be - Caligula! Tiberius protects Pilate from young Caligula’s
wrath by posting him far from Rome in the least desirable region of the Empire,
Judea, a small but troublesome area within the Syrian Province.
Once Pilate escapes from
Rome, his main concern is to maintain the Pax Romana in Judea, prevent Jewish complaints
about him from reaching Tiberius, hunt down the Jewish Zealots, collect the
taxes, and maintain a bevy of spies to alert him to possible trouble. As a soldier, Pilate relishes combat with the
Zealots and shows them no mercy when they are captured. Crucifixion is the punishment of choice!
Pilate is depicted
as an honest governor, but has a cruel streak that he constantly battles to
control. Twice he is reprimanded by
Tiberius for offending the Jews and told to be more sensitive to their
particular beliefs. Pilate then hears
about a healer who is attracting huge crowds.
His spies see and hear nothing to worry about, but the High Priest and
Sanhedrin view the healer and miracle worker, Jesus, as a threat. Pilate refuses to do anything about him and
continues to receive condensed versions of what the “trouble-maker” is saying
and doing.
Meanwhile Pilate and
his Legionaries capture the Zealot commander Bar Abbas who now has a date with
the cross. About the same time, the
Jewish police arrest Jesus for disturbing the peace and possibly upsetting
Judea’s delicate relationship with Rome.
The High Priest demands that Pilate have him executed on the grounds
that Jesus has declared himself a King and is in competition with Caesar. Pilate steadfastly refuses to order the
execution until the High Priest threatens Pilate with another written complaint
to Tiberius. Pilate famously washes his
hands of the whole affair and approves the execution.
Two years later, Emperor
Tiberius dies and Caligula is proclaimed the new Emperor. At this point in the tale, Lewis Ben Smith
reverts to the fictional aspects of his story.
Caligula wants revenge against Pilate and the hunt is on! Caligula’s black clad Praetorians descend upon
Judea and set the stage for an exciting conclusion.
I genuinely liked
the book and highly recommend it.
Thomas A. Timmes is
the author of Legio XVII: Battle of Zama
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