Judgment Hall
Fausset's Bible Dictionary [1]
Latin Praetorium Graecized ( John 18:28; John 18:33; John 19:9; Acts 23:35). It is translated Matthew 27:27; Mark 15:16, "common hall"; and in Philippians 1:13 "palace." It is Pilate's residence when at Jerusalem, where Jesus was examined, scourged, and mocked. The Jews, to avoid defilement before the Passover, waited outside, near the judgment seat which was erected on the pavement before the Praetorium, and on which Pilate sat in pronouncing sentence. Probably the tower of Antonia was the Praetorium of Pilate.
Herod was then at Jerusalem, doubtless in his father's palace, which therefore is distinct from the Praetorium ( Luke 23:7). However Josephus (B. J. 2:14, section 8) represents the Roman governor as sometimes residing in Herod's palace, and setting up his judgment seat in front of it. (See Jerusalem .) In Acts 23:35 Herod's Praetorium was part of the magnificent buildings erected by king Herod (Josephus, Ant. 20:9, section 6, B. J. 1:21, section 5-8), used as the official residence and head quarters of Felix at Caesarea. "Palace," in Philippians 1:13, means the quarters of praetorian guards immediately attached to Caesar's palace on Mount Palatine (compare Philippians 4:22; Acts 28:16).
People's Dictionary of the Bible [2]
Judgment Hall. The word Prætorium is so translated five times in the A. V. of the New Testament, and in those five passages it denotes two different places. 1. In John 18:28; John 18:33; John 19:9, it is the residence, R. V., "palace," which Pilate occupied when he visited Jerusalem. The site of Pilate's prætorium in Jerusalem has given rise to much dispute, some supposing it to be the palace of king Herod, others the tower of Antonia; but it was probably the latter, which was then and long afterward the citadel of Jerusalem. 2. In Acts 23:35 Herod's judgment hall (R. V. reads palace) or prætorium in Cæsarea was doubtless a part of that magnificent range of buildings the erection of which by king Herod is described in Josephus. The word "palace," or "Caesar's court," in the A. V., Philippians 1:13, R. V., "prætorian," is a translation of the same word prætorium. It may here have denoted the quarter of that detachment of the prætorian guards which was in immediate attendance upon the emperor, and had barracks in Mount Palatine at Rome.
Smith's Bible Dictionary [3]
Judgment Hall. The word praetorium is so translated five times in the Authorized Version of the New Testament, and in those five passages it denotes two different places.
1. In John 18:28; John 18:33; John 19:9, it is the residence which Pilate occupied when he visited Jerusalem. The site of Pilate's praetorium in Jerusalem has given rise to much dispute, some supposing it to be the palace of King Herod, others the tower of Antonia; but it was probably the latter, which was then and long afterward the citadel of Jerusalem.
2. In Acts 23:35, Herod's judgment hall or praetorium in Caesarea was doubtless a part of that magnificent range of buildings the erection of which by King Herod is described in Josephus. The word "palace," or "Caesar's court", in the Authorized Version of Philemon 1:13 is a translation of the same word praetorium. It may here have denoted the quarter of that detachment of the praetorian guards which was in immediate attendance upon the emperor, and had barracks in Mount Palatine at Rome.
Easton's Bible Dictionary [4]
John 18:28,33 19:9 Matthew 27:27 Mark 15:16 Acts 23:35
The trial of our Lord was carried on in a room or office of the palace. The "whole band" spoken of by Mark were gathered together in the palace court.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [5]
juj´ment hȯl ( τὸ πραιτώριον , tó praitṓrion , "Then led they Jesus ... unto the hall of judgment ... and they themselves went not into the judgment hall" ( John 18:28 the King James Version); "Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again" ( John 18:33 the King James Version); "(Pilate) went again into the judgment hall" ( John 19:9 ); "He commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall" ( Acts 23:35 )):
"Judgment hall" is one of the ways in which the King James Version translates praitōrion , which it elsewhere renders "Praetorium" ( Mark 15:16 ); "the common hall" ( Matthew 27:27 ). In this passage the English Revised Version renders it "palace"; in John 18:33; John 19:9; Acts 23:35 , "palace" is also given by the English Revised Version; in Philippians 1:13 , the King James Version renders, "palace," while the Revised Version (British and American) gives "the praetorian guard." Praitōrion accordingly is translated in all these ways, "Praetorium," "the common hall," "the judgment hall," "the palace," "the praetorian guard." In the passages In the Gospels, the American Standard Revised Version renders uniformly "Praetorium."
The word originally meant the headquarters in the Roman camp, the space where the general's tent stood, with the camp altar; the tent of the commander-in-chief. It next came to mean the military council, meeting in the general's tent. Then it came to be applied to the palace in which the Roman governor or procurator of a province resided. In Jerusalem it was the magnificent palace which Herod the Great had built for himself, and which the Roman procurators seem to have occupied when they came from Caesarea to Jerusalem to transact public business.
Praitōrion in Philippians 1:13 has been variously rendered, "the camp of the praetorian soldiers," "the praetorian guard," etc. For what is now believed to be its true meaning, see Praetorium .
