Pilate's term serves as a reliable historical benchmark for Jesus' death.

As he wrote in the Institutional Investor of July 1987: One of the most remarkable things that happened in the 1980's was [the] sharp explosion in debt, way beyond any historical benchmark.

To provide a useful perspective on how alternative levels of national saving affect future living standards, we also compared our simulation results to a historical benchmark.

We can't chase these guys everywhere because Iowa and New Hampshire are reliable historical benchmarks - we don't know what winning the Ohio primary really means.

Thus by historical benchmarks, joblessness might have been expected to be approaching double digits by 1992.

Since growers would be delighted to sell far more at the mandated price, quotas for sales at 34 cents a pound are parceled out to peanut growing states, thence to counties and individual growers within counties based on historical benchmarks.

It was a revolution in its day and remains a historical benchmark for the olfactory concept of fresh .

At least for the moment, the economy's recovery has overwhelmed concerns about corporate accounting as well as worries that stocks remain expensive by many historical benchmarks.

"It was more of a historical benchmark than any analysis of what a conflict today might entail."

Diplomats who have witnessed the dramatic events since April expressed optimism that Nepal has indeed reached an important historical benchmark.