Pontius Pilate was appointed Prefect of Judea exactly 2,000 years ago this year, in 26 AD. In honour of the historic anniversary, the historical research centre Rubicon Institute hosted an event to discuss the historically verifiable facts of the life of Jesus Christ on Monday, 20 April. Professor of History and Archaeology at the University of Pécs Tibor Grüll sat down for a talk with Péter Antalffy of the Rubicon Institute in front of a packed house at the Premier KultCafé in Budapest, Hungary.
Professor Grüll started by sharing that the scientific examination of the life of Jesus started in the era of the Enlightenment. Prior to that, the text of the New Testament was considered in a scientific context, as a historical account.
In Germany in the 19th century, a renewed interest in the facts of Jesus’s life emerged, kicked off by the publication of The Life of Jesus: Critically Examined by David Friedrich Strauss in 1835, the professor added. In that book, Strauss rejects the possibility of miracles and gives an account of Jesus’s life as a historical figure.
Other German-language theological scholars, such as Ferdinand Christian Baur, published their thoughts on the subject. The most controversial piece came from Frenchman Ernest Renan, who, in his 1863 book, claimed that Jesus was a ‘pure Aryan’, giving justification for many racist theories later. Professor Grüll told the audience that this book was not received well—in fact, it has been banned in many countries.
Another scholar, the German Albert Schweitzer, came to the conclusion in his 1906 book that Jesus of Nazareth had never existed. Professor Grüll shared that he had heard this view from professors while he was studying at university. However, it is categorically false, he stressed.
The 1805 Palestine Exploration Fund was the first major archaeological expedition in the Holy Land, funded by public figures in the United Kingdom. Later, the Vatican and Jewish organizations have organized similar projects in the locations of Jesus’s life.
Professor Grüll went on to highlight key archaeological and textual evidence linked to the historical context of the New Testament. Among the most significant archaeological finds is the so-called Pilate Stone, a limestone block uncovered in 1961 in Caesarea, Israel. The inscription on the stone identifies Pontius Pilate as Prefect of Judea, providing important material confirmation of his role in the early 1st century AD.
In addition to archaeological evidence, Grüll pointed to written sources from antiquity.
The Roman historian Tacitus, writing in the early 2nd century, refers to the execution of Jesus Christ under the authority of Pontius Pilate during the reign of Emperor Tiberius, offering one of the most important non-Christian accounts of the event.
He also referred to archaeological findings connected to Nazareth. In the early 1960s, fragments bearing a Hebrew inscription interpreted as referencing the town were identified, contributing to the broader body of evidence supporting its existence in antiquity. As Professor Grüll noted, earlier scepticism in some scholarly circles had even questioned whether Nazareth existed during the time traditionally associated with Jesus.
Professor Grüll then spoke of the Caiaphas Ossuary, the chest holding the skeletal remains of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas of Jesus’s lifetime, found in 1990 in Israel. Another ossuary, that of Jesus’s brother James, also purports to exist; however, the authenticity of that artefact is debated to this day.
As the professor explained, it was found in the private collection of engineer Oded Golan. He was subsequently tried for forgery in Israel, with the state alleging he falsified the inscription that attributes the ancient box to Jesus’s brother. He was tried by a Hungarian judge, who ultimately acquitted him after finding that the charges were not proven to the standard of the criminal court. However, after the verdict, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) put out a statement that they maintain that the James Ossuary is not an authentic piece, even if forgery was not proven in a criminal court.
Professor Grüll, on the other hand, told the audience that he is of the opinion that it is a genuine piece.
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