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Pontius Pilate Bronze Prutah

Pontius Pilate Bronze Prutah
Roman Province of Judea
AD 26–36

This bronze prutah issued under Pontius Pilate, Roman prefect of Judea, represents the complex intersection of Roman imperial authority and local religious sensitivities in the early 1st century AD. The coin features symbolic motifs such as the lituus (a Roman augural staff) or simpulum, reflecting Roman administrative and religious power rather than portraiture, which was avoided to respect Jewish aniconic traditions. Struck during the period traditionally associated with the trial of Jesus of Nazareth, this modest coin holds exceptional historical significance, serving as a tangible artifact of Roman provincial governance, early Judaean society, and the political landscape of the biblical era.

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