As the fifth Prefect of Judea (26-36 CE), Pontius Pilate was essentially a police chief and tax collector. Accounts of his origins and early career are confused at best and, thanks to the gospels, his subsequent history has become highly embroidered with legends.

One thing seems sure: he was a tough cop, sometimes too much so even for the Romans. He appears to have been formally reprimanded, probably more than once, for what might be called today police brutality. Maybe that was the reason he had been shunted into what was considered a third-rate job.