Legion near Judea at time of Jesus

[Frank]

Since Pilate was a Roman Knight, and he could not command legions, couldn't the legion be place under its senior tribune or camp prefect? Didn't Egypt follow this pattern?

There was no legion permanently deployed to Iudaea in Jesus times. If legions from Syria acted in Iudaea in order to deal with revolts, they have been under command of the legatus augusti pro praetore of Syria.

The special command structure of the egyptian legions was not repeated until Severus, who raised Legio Parthica I-III. Of course a single legion could always be led by a simple legatus legionis, or if absent by the tribunus laticlavius or the praefectus castrorum. But such a legion commander would never report to an equestrian prefect.

Well, there was another exception: the praefectus legionis agens vice legati. The equestrian commander, who was sent to Mauretania, in order to defeat the revolt over there, had this title. Also some legion commanders during the Marcoman Wars. But that is all 2nd century and rather an exception until Gallienus. Such a construction was never used in Iudaea in the 1st century. The big syrian army was near and could always help, if needed.

I am also not sure, if Pontius Pilatus was already a fully independent praefectus provinciae like later procuratores, reporting directly to the emperor. Or if he was just another praefectus gentis reporting to the governor of Syria. Roman provinces were not all governed the same way. Especially in Syria the legatus Augusti pro praetore often fully delegated the civil administration of regions to legati legionis or praefecti. In this case everybody in Iudaea reported to the syrian governor anyways.

When the Flavians (?) finally deployed a legion to Iudaea permanently, the province was governed by a legatus augusti pro praetore of praetorian rank, iirc. Social rank had a strong meaning in the roman world; at least in the 1st century AD.