This study reconstructs the life of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor responsible for the execution of Jesus. The first section provides the historical and archaeological background. The following chapters look at six first-century authors: Philo, Josephus and the four gospel writers. Each chapter asks how Pilate is being used as a literary character in each work, why each author describes Pilate in a different way, and what this tells us about the relationship between each author and the Roman state.

"A helpful review..."

"The book is thoroughly researched, lucidly written, and well organized; it will be a standard historical work on Pilate. Recommended for any library supporting Greco-Roman history and New Testament studies."

"[Bond] has challenged established academic thought and introduced important information into a vital area of New Testament study. Most importantly Bond illustrates the extent to which modern academic misinterpretation has contributed to the manipulation of an already created image. ...Bond has in effect achieved far more, not least of which are the useful commentaries on the Gospels, and valued insight into the tenuous social situation of first century Judaea....Bond has created an extremely accessible volume, valuable for academics and students alike."

"Bond supplies a nuanced revisionist portrait, distinguishing `rhetorical' portraits (Philo, Josephus, and the four canonical Gospels) from the `historical' Pilate. The book is full of interpretive insights demonstrating how to read texts, how to interpret ancient authors' approaches to their work, and how `real' history became `literary' history. It is sure-footed on Roman governance, law and order, Roman and Judaen relations, and the politics of Tiberius's reign."

"An evangelical pastor or teacher interested in this governor, the passion narratives, or comparing Gospel accounts will find this work valuable."