Pilate’s trial, or the man facing a choice

This article explores the circumstances of Pontius Pilate's trial of Jesus Christ and the motives that prompted Pilate to hand down the death verdict. The author has tried to present the course of the trial in the confrontation of the interests of particular people and the complexity of the historical situation, without which Pilate's behavior and his sentence receive a simplistic explanation. It is argued that although Philo of Alexandria and Josephus Flavius in their writings depicted Pilate as a cruel and implacable persecutor of their people, his actions were quite rational and driven by the interests of the Roman Empire as understood by its viceroy. The view that Pilate was inconsistent and ambiguous during the trial is refuted. Political interests, legal peculiarities and moral factors that influenced his decision are analyzed. This removes the traditional accusation that Pilate's verdict was motivated by fear of the wrath of the emperor Tiberius, something the high priests threatened him with.