http://www.answers.com/topic/pontius-pilate Pilate, Pontius (pon-shus peye-luht)
The governor of the Jews at the time of the Crucifixion of Jesus; he was an official of the Roman Empire, to which the Jewish nation belonged at that time. According to the Gospels, Pilate did not consider Jesus guilty and wanted to release him. Under pressure from the crowds in Jerusalem, however, Pilate sentenced Jesus to death on the cross, having first washed his hands to indicate his lack of responsibility for Jesus' fate.
-----------
On one occasion, when the soldiers under his command came to Jerusalem, he made them bring their ensigns with them, upon which were the usual images of the emperor. The ensigns were brought in secretly by night, but their presence was soon discovered. Immediately multitudes of excited Jews rushed to Caesarea to petition him for the removal of the obnoxious ensigns. He ignored them for five days, but the next day he admitted the Jews to hear their complaint. He had them surrounded with soldiers and threatened them with instant death unless they ceased to trouble him with the matter. The Jews then threw themselves to the ground and bared their necks, declaring that they preferred death to the violation of their laws. Pilate, unwilling to kill so many, succumbed and removed the ensigns.[
-------------
According to the New Testament, Jesus was brought to Pilate by the Sanhedrin, who had arrested Jesus, and questioned him themselves. The Sanhedrin had, according to the Gospels, only been given answers by Jesus that they considered blasphemous, and Pilate's main question to Jesus was whether he considered himself to be the King of the Jews, and thus a political threat.
Though not a claim made by the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John states that Jesus said to Pilate that he is a king and came into the world ... to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice, to which Pilate famously replies, What is truth?.
---------
The Gospel of Luke deviates from the others by reporting that in the presence of Pilate, the priests repeatedly accused Jesus of things, but Jesus remained silent, causing Pilate to hand Jesus over to the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas. Although initially excited at meeting Jesus, about whom he had heard, Luke states that Herod ended up mocking Jesus, and so sent him back to Pilate.
-----------------
The Synoptic Gospels and John then state that it had been a tradition of the Jews to release a prisoner at the time of the Passover. Pilate offers them the choice of an insurrectionist named Barabbas or Jesus, somewhat confusing because Barabbas had the full name Jesus Barabbas, and Barabbas (bar-Abbas) means Son of the Father, so the crowd had been given the choice of Jesus Son of the Father or Jesus. The crowd state that they wish to save Barabbas (i.e. Jesus Son of the Father). According to the Synoptics, Pilate is aware that the priests had handed Jesus over because they considered him a threat, but Pilate himself does not feel that Jesus is any threat to the Roman Empire, and, upholding a Roman tradition of sparing the subjugated, asserts that Jesus is innocent of the charges.
Pilate is forced to condemn Jesus to crucifixion, due to the pressure of the crowd, who according to the Synoptics had been coached to shout against Jesus by the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Gospel of Matthew adds that before condemning Jesus to death, Pilate washes his hands with water in front of the crowd, saying I am innocent of this man's blood; you will see.
Pages: 1 2
God or Madman ? (Read 5387 times)