Pontius Pilate: An Intriguing Novel by Paul L. Maier

Melodie Fleming: Love this author's style. He calls it a documentary novel. There are notes in the back to explain creative decisions and historical detail. This book helped me gain a greater understanding for the political pressures in Palestine during the 1st century. I felt transported to Jerusalem.

United States on Nov 23, 2023

Dan400Man: Pontius Pilate is one of the most tortured souls in the Bible. He's the most powerful man in Judea in his time, but he realizes there is something different about this Jesus of Nazareth. For any other man brought before him for trial, he wouldn't have given much care about a defendant's fate if the Jewish religious leaders had put up as much of a protest as they did for Jesus. Any man besides Jesus? "Well, sheesh, it's not worth the headache, and I really don't need Rome to hear about this. Tough luck, dude." But the Holy Spirit is working on Pilate in order to fulfill scriptures. We never hear another word in scripture about Pilate after the resurrection, and it's easy to wonder about his eternal fate. (And, if you think Pilate's damnation was a slam dunk, may I present to you Saul, responsible for the murders of many Christians before Jesus stopped him in his tracks (literally!) and converted him into His greatest apostle, Paul.)

Maier, a renowned Biblical-era historian, has a great knack for writing fiction that doesn't contradict known historical fact. In this 3rd edition, there are 19 pages of footnotes to support Maier's fiction choices. I don't consider myself to be...

United States on Nov 12, 2023

Ken: great fictional read on an historical person.

Canada on Dec 17, 2017

Bruce Moir: Really enjoyed the read. Lots of historical stuff. Looking forward to the sequel.

Canada on Jun 08, 2017

Phil: Anyone who has a good working knowledge of the New Testament but not of Ancient Rome will love this book. It adds body to the context of the New Testament. Love how Paul brings history to life!

Canada on Mar 03, 2017

Mina: I love the story very much so far. I am about one third of the book. I should have read Pontious Pilate first before reading "the Trial of Jesus: Victim of Bigotry and Cowardice " The reason is that we understand better why Pilate made the decision he did regarding the sentence of Jesus.

Canada on Feb 04, 2016

Anthony(Tony) Riggio: March 3, 2015

A review by Anthony T. Riggio of the novel Pontius Pilate written by Paul L. Maier

I purchased this book in the Kindle format from Amazon and read it in a couple of days. The author is Paul Maier who is a professor of history at Western Michigan University
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Pontius Pilate was a Roman Praetorian Guard and a protégé of L. Aelius Sejanus who was at the time of Pontius pilot's assignment as Governor of Judea, his intermediator to Augustus Tiberius, the ruler of Rome and its empire. Tiberius assigned Pilate somewhat reluctantly. He had nothing against Pilate but his delays in making assignment was due to his extreme paranoia concerning all of his subordinates and probably due to his ever growing mental lapses.

Pilate is assigned to Judea and travels there with his wife Procula and their entourage. The subjects in Judea were a difficult people and almost immediately they tested Pilates Governorship making Pilate realize that this was just the beginning of his supervision of Judea. The Jews resented the fact that their ruler Herrod and his sons were subordinate to Pilate. Between the Herrod's and the religious Pharisees and the Sanhedrin...

United States on Mar 05, 2015

Kevin W. Haug: In my 20 years of theological education and practice, I never had come across the perspective Maier shares. I do not know if this is because of ignorance on the part of my professors and teachers or because of a pervasive ideology running through liberal Protestantism (of which I am a part). What I do know is that Maier's novel fascinated me from the start.

Little was ever taught regarding the Roman governing dynamics which played a part in Israel and the very tenuous relationship between the empire and the Jewish people. Maier reconstructs this throughout his novel and gives the reader a glimpse into those dynamics. He further shows how these matters directly affected the trial of Jesus of Nazareth.

For those from a liberal protestant background, the book can be mind blowing at times, and if you come from that background and wish for this to happen, dive right in.

United States on Jun 13, 2013

Caleb Russell: The book is very detailed, focusing on the man who's single decision arguably changed the world. The stereotype of Pontius Pilate is set aside by the author who allows us to consider a full dimensional portrait of the historical prefect of Judea. As is true of much of Meier's works, the plot is enriched by the descriptions of a world as seen through the eyes of someone living in the 1st century. As I read the book being a Christian, I inevitably looked forward to the colossal confrontation between Pilate and the God-Man of Nazareth... But all in all, it was the final chapter of the book that etched the book in my mind as a worthwhile read in the way the author masterly contemplates if Pilate became a believer in Christ or remained a cynical skeptic... And the conclusion fits the rest of the book. I look forward to reading more of Meier's works, especially his historical fiction.

United Kingdom on Feb 01, 2009