* Being only ἃ procurator, Pilate had no qumstor, and there- fore con —_— 8 αν, ἘΞ τ at
t This narrative of John’s is absolu’ necessary explain the Synoptic account of Pilate’s conden
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because the relations between him and Herod had been strained, and he desired to show his friendli- ness. But Herod, perhaps out of compliment te Pilate, refused to accept jurisdiction, only indi- cating by his mockery of Jesus his contempt for the prisoner’s claims (Lk 237:), Pilate thus found himself compelled to adjudicate. He again declared his conviction of the prisoner’s innocence, and appealed to Herod’s refusal to pass sentence in confirmation of his own judgment. He proposed therefore to please the Jews by chastising ae but his own conscience by releasing Him (Lk 23'*), It was a weak compromise, and certain to satisfy noone. Meanwhile the multitude, doubtless in- creased by new arrivals, some of whom hardly understood the purpose of the assemblage, beran to clamour (Mk 15°) that Pilate should, according to his custom at the feast,* set free some notable risoner. Knowing the popularity of Jesus, Pilate
oped through this custom to prevent the purpose of the chief priests, and asked if he should release Jesus. But he was foiled by the priests per- suading the people to demand the release of a certain Barabbas, who was probably popular as a leader of sedition against the government (Mt 27”). It was apparently at this point that Pilate, having taken his seat on the chair of judgment (see GABBATHA),t received the message from his wife, + which doubtless added a superstitious feeling to the force of his conviction that Jesus ought to be released (Mt 27"). But he had already yielded his true ground and could not recover it. When again he asked whom they would choose for re- lease, they unitedly cried ‘Barabbas.’ When he next inquired what they wanted him to do with Jesus, the ery arose, at the instigation of the priests, ‘Crucify him.’ Shocked by their fierce- ness, the governor protested against so extreme a penalty - ‘Why? What evil hath he done? 1
ave found no cause of death in him. I will chastise and release him’ (Lk 23%). But they clamoured for crucifixion. Pilate appears to have been simply overborne by their fierceness and the threatening aspect of affairs. His fault was moral weakness. Yet the peculiar character of his government and the known tolerance of Rome toward Jewish prejudices make it quite intelligible that unwillingness to anger the Sanhedrin should outweigh with such a man the feeble sense of duty. His handwashing (Mt 27%, ef. Dt 21°8 though the act was a natural symbol) was but the weak device of a superficial mind, as he sought to
* The origin of this custom is unknown. Schiirer (HJ P 1. ii. 60) states that it ‘was grounded on a special authorization of the emperor, for the right of remitting a sentence was not otherwise given to the governors.’ e cites Hirschfeld, Sitzungsb. ἃ. Berl. Akad, 1889, Ὁ. 439 ; and Merkel, Abhandl. aus ἃ. Gebiete des. rom. Rechts, 1 Heft, 1881. Friedlieb (Archéiol. 110) thinks it was done at every feast, but St. John (1889) limits it to the passover. Some sup it was a Jewish custom re- tained by the Romans, and Pilate’s language in Jn (‘ Ye have a custom,’ etc.) seems to confirm this view. Others think it was of Roman origin, and connect it with Livy’s statement (v.15) exes the feast of the gods called Lectisternium, prisoners were freed.
t The βῆμα (Mt 2719), which had been put on ‘a place called the Pavement, but, in the Hebrew, Gabbatha’ (Jn 1913), Those who identify Pilate’s residence with the fortress Antonia suppose this place to have been the elevated, paved ground between the fortress and the temple (see Prarorivm). hose who identify Pilate’s residence with Herod's palace suppose the Siu« to have been placed on a mosaic floor (λιθόστρωτον, ‘spread with stones’), which was called in Aram. Gabbatha (xp3) ‘ elevation’) from the elevated position which it, with perhaps the βῆμα upon it, occupied. Cwsar (Suet. Jud. 46) is said to have carried a port- able pavement on which to place his judgment-seat; and St. John’s mention of the pavement with the Syua seems to imply that it had some connexion with the delivery of a judicial sentence, and gave formality to Pilate’s final decision. See " GABBATHA,
t Originally strates were not allowed to take their wives to the pena ut the rule had ceased to be observed, as is shown by the failure of an effort to enforce it mentioned by Tacitus (Ann. iii. 33, 84).
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calm his conscience by throwing the guilt of the transaction upon others.
But, though Pilate yielded to their request, and delivered Jesus to his soldiers to be scourged preparatory to crucifixion, St. John’s narrative (191-16) shows that the governor’s conscience was not yet silenced. Once again he sought to satisfy the Jews by the spectacle of Jesus bleeding and mocked, declaring that even yet he had discovered in the prisoner, cect under torture, no cause of death. When they still cried ‘ Crucify him,’ Pilate became sullen and angry. In bitter satire, and as though about to dismiss the whole case, he bade them do the foul deed themselves. Then first ey brought forward a religious charge, apparently reeling that now they needed only to work on the governor's sentiments and make him realize how serious the case appeared to them. ‘We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.’ But the words roused afresh Pilate’s super- stition. Again, and now with evident anxiety and fear (Jn 19°), he privately examined Jesus, this time concerning His origin. The silence of Jesus to these inquiries further wrought on Pilate’s mind, and, though he tried to induce Jesus to speak by boasting of his own power, he again made an effort to release Him. But the Jews, now fully realizing that they must conquer the impression which Jesus had made on Pilate by bringing to bear a stronger motive, taunted the governor with infi- delity to the emperor in favouring a pretended king ; and this appeal to Pilate’s political ambitions proved decisive. He resolved to silence his con- victions. Resuming his seat on the Bema, he satirically and sullenly presented Jesus to them as their king. ‘I‘hereupon he had at least the grim satisfaction of hearing his turbulent subjects vigorously forsweir their political freedom and