Greek letters engraved on a 2,000-year-old ring may strengthen its possible connection to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea during the time of Jesus. A new study argues that the unusual inscription is actually Latin written in Greek letters and likely meant “to Pilate” or “for Pilate.”
The small copper-alloy ring carries the Greek letters “ΠΙΛΑΤΟ,” or “PILATO,” around an image of a pottery vessel. Catherine Bonesho, a UCLA professor of ancient Judaism, says the mix of Latin and Greek could explain an inscription that has puzzled scholars for years.
Her interpretation does not mean Pilate personally owned the ring. Instead, the artifact may have been used by a local worker handling administrative materials intended for someone named Pilate. The artifact has previously fueled debate over whether the ring of Pontius Pilate had actually been found.
Greek inscription fuels years of debate
Archaeologists discovered the ring at Herodium, a mountaintop fortress in the Judean desert, during excavations in the 1960s. It remained in storage for more than 50 years before researchers published a detailed analysis in 2018.
Those scholars connected “ΠΙΛΑΤΟ” with the name Pilate but proposed that it was an unusual Greek form meaning “belonging to Pilate.”
A 2023 study rejected that interpretation. Its authors argued that the letters on opposite sides of the vessel represented two separate words and had no connection to Pilate. Bonesho’s new analysis offers another explanation.
Greek letters on a 2,000-year-old ring may hold a new clue to Pontius Pilate.
A new study argues that “PILATO” was Latin written in Greek letters, meaning “to Pilate” or “for Pilate,” and may reveal how ordinary workers helped run Roman Judea. pic.twitter.com/EDiaJywRwz
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) September 3, 2026
In Latin, “PILATI” can indicate possession, meaning “of Pilate.” Bonesho instead interprets “PILATO” as a Latin dative form meaning “to Pilate” or “for Pilate.”
The key clue comes from the Greek alphabet. A conventional Greek transliteration of the Latin long “o” sound would use omega, “Ω.” The ring instead ends with omicron, “Ο.”
Bonesho argues that someone with elementary knowledge of Latin could have made the substitution. The Latin O and Greek omicron also look nearly identical, making the choice understandable for a craftsperson copying a Latin name into Greek letters.
The use of Greek for administrative purposes was not unusual in the wider region. A Greek-language papyrus discovered in the Judean Desert has also provided evidence about Roman-era legal and administrative affairs.
Ring may have belonged to a local worker
Bonesho also disputes the argument that the divided lettering represents two words. She suggests the vessel image may have been engraved first, forcing the craftsperson to fit the letters around it.
The ring’s material provides another clue. Copper-alloy jewelry was more common among local Judeans, soldiers, and lower-ranking officials. Wealthier Roman officials typically had access to rings made from more valuable materials.
The vessel design also resembles a Jewish motif used in Judea at the time. Bonesho suggests an enslaved or formerly enslaved local worker may have used the ring to seal materials in wax or clay before they were sent “to Pilate.”
The theory does not prove that the name refers specifically to Pontius Pilate. However, archaeological evidence has established Pilate’s position in Judea, while recent research has also reconsidered Pontius Pilate’s official role under Roman rule.
The ring may ultimately reveal something broader. Its combination of Latin language, Greek script, and local Jewish imagery offers a glimpse of how different cultures and languages overlapped in Roman Judea.
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