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Did Jesus Visit Scotland?  Scotland's Past Links with Ancient Egypt
The Romano-Christian British connection

WAS PONTIUS PILATE A SCOT?

From out of remote Glen Lyon, the longest glen in Scotland, has come an intriguing oral tradition that Pontius Pilate was born in the hamlet of Fortingall, which lies at the entrance to this dramatic and picturesque highland glen. This ancient tradition also claims that Pontius Pilate was related to the Scots King, Metallanus, whose royal seat was located on a hill fort called Dun Geal (the White Fort) at Fortingall.

According to the ancient Scots Chronicles, Metallanus was on good terms with the government of Caesar in Rome. Local tradition records a Roman camp at Fortingall and perhaps a clue as to its presence there may be found in the Latinised name of the Scots King, Metallanus. For it is known that the mining of metal ores, such as iron, took place in this area in past times and no doubt the Romans would have been particularly interested in accessing these metals. In nearby Glen Lyon is to be found an old bridge which traditionally has been known as the Roman Bridge.

Could Pontius Pilate have eventually come to Rome as a result of this Scottish Roman connection? Later being appointed the Roman Procurator of Judea at the time of the crucifixion of Christ. Curiously, one of the oldest military regiments in the British Army is the Royal Scots, who claim to be descended from Pontius Pilate's bodyguard, thus providing another Scoto-Roman link with the Pilate Scottish enigma.

At Caesaria in Palestine is to be found an ancient stone slab which is called the Pilate Stone due to a Latin inscription inscribed upon it which appears to read "Hiberieum Pontius Pilatus". At the time of Pilate the gaelic northerly regions of the British Isles, including Ireland, were known to the Romans as Hibernia. Does this Latin inscription reinforce the story that Pontius Pilate originally came from Scotland according to the old Glen Lyon oral tradition?

As an aside, could it be that Pontius Pilate was schooled in the Celtic Druid tradition so prevalent in Scotland at that time? The Druid motto was "Truth against the world". Does this explain Pilate asking Jesus "What is truth?", possibly a Druidic password given by one initiate to another? With His possible association with the Druids during His legendary visits to Britain, perhaps Jesus responded with a secret sign, hence His apparent non verbal reply as indicated in the Gospel of John.

© copyright 2003 Barry Dunford.


The Pilate Stone at Caesaria in Palestine

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Did Jesus Visit Scotland?  Scotland's Past Links with Ancient Egypt
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