The chief men of Samaria appealed to Vitellius, the governor of Syria and accused Pilate of this murder.
The chief men of Samaria appealed to Vitellius, the governor of Syria and accused Pilate of this murder. They denied that this assembly at Tirabatha was any revolt from the Romans but a refuge from the tyranny of Pilate. Thereupon Vitellius sent his friend Marcellus to take charge of Judea and ordered Pilate to go to Rome to answer before Caesar to the crimes the Jews alleged he had done. He had lived ten years in that province to which would be added the little time of 4 or 5 months, unless he deferred his voyage through fear of storms. (The fast of the seventh month was past. (ACT 27:9}) He may have been detained by contrary winds or by some delay that made him prolong his journey. Before Pilate came to Rome, Tiberius had died. {Josephus, Antiq., 1. 18. c. 5. <c. 4. 1:482>}