Pilate Imports Standards to Jerusalem
Pilate was sent by Tiberius to Judaea as procurator, and in a covert operation at night he smuggled into Jerusalem under wraps those portrait plaques of the emperor which are called standards. When day came, this excited a huge commotion among the Jews. The immediate onlookers were appalled to see what amounted to a heavy-footed desecration of…
Josephus relates that Pontius Pilate, the Roman- appointed prefect of Judaea from 26 to 36 CE, demonstrates his insensitivity to Jewish values by trying to install standards (likenesses) of the emperor in Jerusalem, which the Jews perceive as a violation of their cultural norm against images. Pilate eventually has them removed.
Later, after he raids Temple funds to build an aqueduct, Pilate forcibly quells dissent by having the Jewish objectors beaten, causing a stampede during which many are crushed in their effort to escape.
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