Pontius Pilate was the Prefect of Judaea from the year 26 until 36. The details of his life before and after his appointment to Judaea are not known, but tradition has it that his wife's name was Claudia, and she has been canonized as a saint in the Greek Orthodox Church. Best known as the man who presided over the trial of Jesus and ordered his crucifixion, Pilate appears in all four of the canonical Gospels. Matthew portrays him as washing his hands of Jesus, reluctantly sends him to the cross. In Mark. we see him as not wanting to execute Jesus, and as blaming the Jewish hierarchy for His death. And according to Luke, Pilate agrees that Jesus did not conspire against Rome.