November 5, 2023
Understanding The Layout
(Some information may be too graphic for small children)
“As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, ‘If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.’ Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.” John 19:12-13 (NASB)
While some still dispute the facts of the Bible, archeological discoveries are proving the Bible’s accuracy more each day. One of the problems of the past was small things within stories like this one which made it hard to track the direction of Jesus during his trial and conviction by Pilate. Recent discoveries such as the one below help authenticate the Bible’s recording of these events. The writers of the gospel saw things clearly. Things we might not see so well now, due to time, damage, and the reconstruction of Jerusalem over time. One thing is sure. God is a truth-teller, and His words are being proven true every time a shovel hits to unearth the soil.
“As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, ‘If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.’” “… seeing their advantage, and not slow to profit by it. If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend, &c.— ‘This was equivalent to a threat of impeachment, which we know was much dreaded by such officers as the procurators, especially of the character of Pilate or Felix. It also consummates the treachery and disgrace of the Jewish rulers, who were willing, for the purpose of destroying Jesus, to affect a zeal for the supremacy of a foreign prince’ [Webster and Wilkinson].”[1] They were in so many words, sell-outs. “… he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.” Jesus was in the palace area inside the wall at the time, as the Jews continued their remarks about Jesus’ guilt. When “he brought Jesus out…” Jesus would have been taken to the city wall at the Western Gate. This gate is no longer intact though. It has since been filled in. “In the 1970’s an archeological excavation revealed the original Western gate which allowed entrance to the palace area.”[2] This is where the palace and the Roman barracks were located. The city wall had been filled higher than the original construction. This occurred sometime after the first century (70 A. D.) when the Romans sieged the city. Prior to this time, the wall had an entrance that led from the outer wall to the inner wall. Between the two (the inner and outer wall gates) was an area where access was gained to the top of the wall. Steps led to an area between the wall. According to first-century Jewish writers, the top of the wall was wide enough for two Roman chariots who could ride side-by-side. At the top of the steps, between the two walls, was a raised area with a seat for Pilate. This was called the Judgment Seat. It had a raised area of pavement (or smoothed) where the seat was placed. This would allow protection for Pilate within the city (between the two walls) to hear and judge cases.
Pilate might have used this area for his protection, but he couldn’t hide from Jesus in the end. He would be judged by the One whom he thought he controlled.
[1] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Vol. 2, p. 165). Logos Research Systems, Inc.