In the humongous, neglected oversight department, a ring is making headlines as belonging to Pontius Pilate:
The ring, made of copper alloy and depicting a krater, a large vessel used for holding wine, bears an inscription that reads ΠΙΛΑΤΟ (“Pilato”) in Greek. It was discovered in the late 1960s during excavations at Herodium, an ancient palace and fortress in Israel. Archaeologists only recently tried to interpret the inscription. source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2044111/archaeology-pontius-pilate-ring-found-2000-year-old
In Luke 23: 8-12 we find the relationship between Herod and Pilate:
8 When Herod saw YHSVH, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but YHSVH gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
After putting the Messiah through a ‘humiliation ritual’ Herod and Pilate became friends. This ring, then, might have symbolized that friendship. The depiction on the ring might tell us about what was being symbolized:
It is made of copper alloy and depicts a krater, a large vessel used for holding wine. The inscription is positioned around the krater, forming a single word resembling “Pilato.” source: https://greekreporter.com/2025/04/19/ring-of-pontius-pilate-found-in-spectacular-bethlehem-discovery/
So drinking, partying, and having a good time is probably the meaning here. The location where the ring was found also is suggestive:
The artefact was one of several items found in Herod’s burial tomb. Herod ruled Judea and in the Bible it says he initiated a murder of all the infants in Bethlehem in attempt to get rid of the baby Jesus. source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2044111/archaeology-pontius-pilate-ring-found-2000-year-old
Both Herod and Pilate were responsible for deaths that were unjust. In Herod’s case it was directly, whereas with Pilate it was from not using his power to render justice and trying to outsource the decision to the crowd and trying to absolve himself of the misdeed. It would make sense, then, that the friendship between Herod and Pilate would begin to blossom at the point the Messiah was mocked. It likewise stands to reason that this ring would have been buried with Herod as a kind of memento of friendship. As to why it is no one bothered trying to translate it until now, the disinterest is puzzling except that perhaps nobody wanted to know. The 1960‘s were a period of unsettled change and global war. Maybe nobody looked because the climate was such that people did not want to be reminded of Pilate because they were afraid they might recognize something of him in themselves. Or maybe someone did look, was reminded, and decided not to release the result. The fact the ring is seeing the light of day now might be a reminder from the kingdom that though people eat, drink, and are merry, it is not always because they are living the “good life”. Rather, they might be living a very dark, disturbing life serving the kinds of agendas that Pilate and Herod served.