The religious leaders in Jerusalem brought Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor (prefact) in Judea (which was then a Roman province). They charged him with a treasonous offense - claiming to be king of the Jews - against Rome.
This detail of the painting "Christus before Pilate," by Hans Multscher, artistically interprets the Biblical scene. Multscher created this oak-panel work in 1437. It is currently owned by the Staatliche Museen in Berlin, Germany.
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Image online, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.