THIS MIGHT SURPRISE YOU

For centuries, Pontius Pilate was known from literary sources alone — Josephus, Philo, Tacitus, and the Gospels. What turned up in 1961 at Caesarea?

The answer

Archaeologists found a limestone block at Caesarea Maritima naming Pontius Pilate and identifying him as prefect of Judea — though the stone is damaged and the title itself is reconstructed from a broken line. It's the first appearance of his name in the material record, independent of the literary sources.

Why it’s interesting

Coins were struck in Judea during his prefecture, but none carry his name — which is why this stone mattered. A Gospel figure stepped out of the text and onto carved rock.

Scholarly consensus

You can know the Bible.

Not just the stories, but the history, authorship, and scholarship behind it.