A 32-by-26-inch limestone block, discovered in 1961 reused in the steps of a theater in Caesarea Maritima. The Latin inscription reads "[…]TIVS PILATVS / […]ECTVS IVDA[…]E" — Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea — naming him by office and dating to the 30s AD. Pilate had dedicated the original Tiberium (a temple to Tiberius) and the block was repurposed centuries later.
Why this matters
Direct extra-biblical confirmation that Pontius Pilate was a real Roman official governing Judea at the time the Gospels place him there, with the exact title (prefect, not procurator) the Gospels imply. Settled a long-running skeptical question about Pilate's historicity.
Scripture references
Matthew 27:2Mark 15:1Luke 3:1John 18:28-19:22
Location
Caesarea Maritima, Israel