When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).
“Pavement” (lithostrotos) means a stone pavement or a mosaic pavement. This is the only place in the New Testament where this word is found. The term “pavement” is also found once in the Old Testament and there may be a link between the two. In the OT reference Ahaz’s action is his abject surrender to idolatry and apostasy (2 Kings 16:17). In the NT, Pilate’s action is one of surrender to the will of the Jews. In the former a Jewish ruler is dominated by a Gentile idolater, and in the latter, a Gentile idolater is dominated by Jews who reject their rightful ruler, the Messiah. (AWP)
2 Kings 16:17 (AV) And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.
The action of Pilate in sitting upon the judgment seat appears as the preparation for the end of the case, since the sentence was usually announced in such a manner.