A Portrait of Pilate ...
some critics have questioned the accuracy of the gospels because of the way they portray this Roman leader, while the New Testament paints him as being vacillating and willing to yield to the pressures of a Jewish mob by executing Jesus, other historical accounts picture him as being obstinate and inflexible, doesn't this present a contradiction between the bible and secular historians? Maier's study of Pilate shows that his protector of patron was Sejanus and that Sejanus fell from power in AD 31 because he was plotting against the emperor, this loss would have made Pilate's position very weak in AD 33, which is most likely when Jesus was crucified. so it would certainly be understandable that Pilate would have been reluctant to offend the Jews at that time and to get into further trouble with the emperor
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