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Archaeologists Find First Evidence of Existence of Pontius Pilate

June 20, 1961
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The engraved name of the Roman Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, was found on a stone 10 miles south of Haifa, it was revealed here today. This is the first time that archaeological evidence has been discovered of the Roman who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The only previous evidence of Pilate’s existence was known through the Christian Gospels and the writings of the Jewish historian, Josephus Flavius.

The stone, 31 by 29 inches, was found near Caesara, the Roman capital of Judea, in the ruins of a Roman amphitheater, by a University of Milan archaeological expedition.

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