but the name of ponchos pilate will live on. pilate s tragic flaw was that he was so loyal to the roman emperor who was considered a god that he couldn t see the true god standing right in front of him. this place was the defining event of jesus ministry. it s where he was crucified by the romans. it s where he was said to have raised from the dead. if you think of the impact that christianity has had on the world, it all comes back to one spot. golgoffa, the church. of the holy accesepelker. we often interpret the death of jesus as a saving act, and yet the paradox here is that without pilate, there is no saving act. without the death of jesus, there is no christianity.