Judgment hall

The judgment hall — the Greek praetorium — was the official residence and administrative headquarters of a Roman governor, used for judicial proceedings and executive functions. In the Gospels the term designates the palace or headquarters of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem where Jesus was brought after his arrest and tried before sentence of crucifixion was pronounced. The praetorium may have been the Antonia Fortress adjacent to the temple or Herod's palace on the western hill of Jerusalem, a question debated by archaeologists.

Paul uses the same Greek term in Philippians to indicate that his imprisonment had become known throughout the whole praetorian guard, likely referring to the imperial household troops in Rome.