Pontius Pilate: A Novel
by Paul L. Maier
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Book Summary Information
Author: Paul L. MaierEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1995-07-12
ISBN: 0825432960
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Kregel Publications
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Book Reviews of Pontius Pilate: A Novel
Book Review: A Masterpiece Of Scholarship And Literature
Summary: 5 Stars
Too many great Biblical novels, especially those that were made into great movies in the 1950s and 60s, suffered from the fact that they constructed narratives that required a wild dose of historical speculation or embellishment that doesn't square with the accounts we've learned from the Gospels and from the archeological record.
But Paul Maier, a Biblical scholar and historian, found a new way of writing a good novel that *also* manages to be informative and scholarly, and it's a pity that his approach has not been emulated by others. In "Pontius Pilate", Maier starts with *every* known historical fact about Pilate, and constructs his fictional narrative with a keen eye on connecting that which is known. There are no fictional characters at the centerpiece as in classic novels like "The Robe" and "Ben Hur." Along the way, Maier, as a scholar, gives us documented footnotes to explain why he has written the narrative this way and referred the reader to appropriate primary sources from Antiquity.
The end result is both a book that gives us a compelling narrative AND enlightens amateur Biblical historians about the scholarly record and what we should consult further. That is the greatness of this work, and along the way I gained more insight and understanding of the Roman politics affecting the governing of Judea at the time of Christ. In particular, Maier enlightens the reader of how Pilate's background likely suggested ties to the notorious Sejanus, who was executed by Emperor Tiberius for conspiring against him. Since Sejanus was disdainful of the Jews, Pilate's association with him might have led to the incidents documented in Philo and Josephus that caused relations to be bad with the Jews (the matter of displaying the Emperor's image on iconic standards, and the use of Temple money to construct an aqueduct). Afterwards, with Tiberius imposing a more pro-Jewish policy, Pilate would have found himself forced to curry more favor with the Jews, lest they complain to Tiberius who might find reason to remove Pilate based on his past associations with Sejanus.
And in that context, we then understand perhaps the real reason for why at the trial of Jesus, Pilate was told, "If you free this man, you are no friend of Caesar." and why despite the misgivings he seemed to have, he felt compelled to give in. This is likely a true indicator of Pilate's character and motives, and it's worth noting that Mel Gibson's "Passion Of The Christ" essentially uses this interpretation of Pilate that Maier offers in his film.
Maier also depicts Pilate's wife Procula (Maier does not refer to her as "Claudia Procula" because he notes that the name "Claudia" comes from a much later tradition than the name Procula) as someone who tentatively is moving in the direction of faith in Christ by story's end. Since history does not tell us conclusively what happened to Pilate after he was recalled by Tiberius, Maier leaves the question of his fate open-ended and while this might not be satisfying to those expecting a more clean narrative, it still works in this genre and one comes away feeling that their knowledge of the 1st century AD has been enhanced greatly.
The pity is that this novel never received big screen epic movie treatment, because it deserved it a lot more than other well-noted Biblical novels that did reach the big screen.
Summary of Pontius Pilate: A Novel
This dramatic historical fiction offers a behind-the-scenes story of an ambitious Roman politician whose fateful decision changed the course of history. Guaranteed fiction! (20040603)Fiction Books
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