An ancient ring found in Bethlehem belonged to the man who crucified Jesus, scientists believe.

The bronze ring was discovered 50 years ago during a dig at Herodion near the West Bank’s Bethlehem by Professor Gideon Forster from the Hebrew University.

It had an inscription on it which included a picture of a wine vessel surrounded by Greek writing but it was unclear who it had belonged to.

Five decades after its discovery, the identity of the owner appears to have been established: the Roman governor of Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate – the man who ordered that Jesus be crucified and then ran the subsequent trial.

The name was deciphered after a thorough cleansing, when it was photographed with the use of a special camera at the Israel Antiquities Authority labs, according to Haaretz.

It is thought the item is a “stamping ring”, which would have been used to symbolize the status of the cavalry in Roman times.

As the governor, Pilate, who was also known as Pilatus, would have worn a ring of this nature.

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