XV. PILATE AT THE PAVEMENT

John 19:13.—“When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement.” (Liqostrwton.)

According to St. John, therefore (he being the only one of the Evangelists who mentions this incident), Pilate comes out of his own hall to his judgment-seat on the Pavement. The hall and the Pavement, then, were near or contiguous.

Now let us turn to Josephus. “The City was strengthened by the palace in which he (Herod) dwelt, and the Temple by the fortifications attached to the bastion called Antonia.” (Antiq. xv. 8. § 5.) Hence we conclude that the temple was near the Castle of Antonia.

“On the western side of the court (of the temple) were four gates, one looking to the palace.” (Antiq. xv. 11. § 5.) Hence we conclude that the temple was near the palace of Herod. Therefore the palace was near the Castle of Antonia.

But if Pilate’s hall was a part of the palace, as it was (that being the residence of the Roman governor when he was at Jerusalem), then Pilate’s hall was near the Castle of Antonia.

Here let us pause a moment, and direct our attention to a passage in the Jewish War (vi. 1. § 8) where Josephus records the prowess of a centurion in the Roman army, Julianus by name, in an assault upon Jerusalem.

“This man had posted himself near Titus, at the Castle of Antonia, when, observing that the Romans were giving way, and defending themselves but indifferently, he rushed forward and drove back the victorious Jews to the corner of the inner temple, single-handed, for the whole multitude fled before him, scarcely believing such strength and spirit to belong to a mere mortal. But he, dashing through the crowd, smote them on every side, as many as he could lay hands upon. It was a sight which struck Cæsar with astonishment, and seemed terrific to all. Nevertheless, his fate overtook him—as how could it be otherwise, unless he had been more than man?—for having many sharp nails in his shoes, after the soldier’s fashion, he slipped as he was running upon the Pavement (kata Liqostrwtou), and fell upon his back. The clatter of his arms caused the fugitives to turn about: and now a cry was set up by the Romans in the Castle of Antonia, who were in alarm for the man.”

From this passage it appears that a pavement was near the Castle of Antonia; but we have already seen that the Castle of Antonia was near the palace (or Pilate’s hall); therefore this pavement was near Pilate’s hall. This then is proved from Josephus, though very circuitously, which is not the worse, that very near Pilate’s residence a pavement (Liqostrwton) there was; that it gave its name to that spot is not proved, yet nothing can be more probable than that it did; and consequently nothing more probable than that St. John is speaking with truth and accuracy when he makes Pilate bring Jesus forth and sit down in his judgment-seat in a place called the Pavement [See Hug’s Intro. to the New Testament, Vol. i. p. 18] .