Catalog
Prutah - Tiberius Pontius Pilate as Prefect
| Issuer | Judea |
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| Year | 29-30 |
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| Value | 1 Prutah = 1/256 Shekel |
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| Obverse description | Three bound ears of barley in the central field, the two outer stalks drooping downward and the central stalk upright, tied together at the base. A circular Greek legend surrounds the device, reading ΙΟΥΛΙΑ ΚΑΙCΑΡΟC, identifying Julia, mother of Caesar. The design is rendered in a simple, provincial style characteristic of Judaean prutot of the early Roman prefectural period. |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Struck under Pontius Pilate during his tenure as prefect of Judaea (26–36 AD), this prutah is one of three distinct types issued in his name — all deliberately provocative. Unlike his predecessors, Pilate chose symbols associated with Roman imperial cult and augural office, a decision that repeatedly inflamed the Jewish population and generated formal complaints to Rome. The specific issue of 29–30 AD corresponds to the period of maximum tension in his administration, years before Tiberius ultimately ordered his recall following the massacre of Samaritan pilgrims.