Section 161
Third Roman phase, before Pilate
Jerusalem, at the Praetorium (the place of the Roman governor)
| Matthew 27:15-26 | Mark 15:6-15 | Luke 23:13-16, 18-25 | John 18:39-19:16a |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner for the crowd, whomever they wanted. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. | 6Now at the feast Pilate would release one prisoner for the people, whomever they requested. 7And there was a man named Barabbas who was in prison with his fellow insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. 8So the crowd cried out and began to ask Pilate to do what he had always done for them. | ||
| 13Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And behold, after examining him before you, I have found no fault in this man with respect to the accusations you are making against him, 15and neither has Herod, for I sent you to him. Clearly he has done nothing that deserves death. 16Therefore I will have him flogged and then release him.” | |||
| 17So when the crowds were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ?” 18(For he knew they had handed Jesus over out of envy.) 19While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” | 9Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” 10(For he knew that the chief priests had handed Jesus over out of envy.) | 39But you have a custom that I release for you one man at the Passover. So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” | |
| 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be executed. | 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release for them Barabbas instead. | ||
| 21In response the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” They said, “Barabbas.” | 18So they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” 19(This was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) | 40They all cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was an insurrectionist.) 1Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and then clothed him with a purple garment. 3They kept saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. 4Once again Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Behold, I am bringing him out to you so that you may know that I find no fault in him.” 5Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment, and Pilate said to them, “Behold, the man!” | |
| 22So Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let him be crucified!” | 12In response Pilate said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with the man you call King of the Jews?” 13They cried out again, “Crucify him!” | 20Wishing to release Jesus, Pilate addressed them again, 21but they kept on shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no grounds for death. So I will have him flogged and then release him.” | |
| 23Then the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out all the more, “Let him be crucified!” | 14Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify him!” | 6When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify, crucify him!” But Pilate said to them, “You take him and crucify him, for I find no fault in him.” 7The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law he must die, for he made himself out to be the Son of God.” 8When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid. 9He went back into his headquarters and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10So Pilate said to him, “You do not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to crucify you, and authority to release you?” 11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over me if it had not been given to you from above. Therefore he who handed me over to you has greater sin.” 12From that point forward Pilate was seeking to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar0x3B everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.” 13When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement (or in Hebrew, Gabbatha). 14It was about the sixth hour on the day of Preparation for the Passover, and he said to the Jews, “Behold, your king!” | |
| 24When Pilate saw that he was achieving nothing and that a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man. See to it yourselves.” 25All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” | 23But they continued insistently with loud voices, demanding that he be crucified, and their voices prevailed, along with those of the chief priests. | 15But they cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” | |
| 26Then he released for them Barabbas, but he scourged Jesus and handed him over to be crucified. | 15Then Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas. But he scourged Jesus and handed him over to be crucified. | 24So Pilate rendered his decision that their demand be granted. 25He released the man they had been asking for, who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he handed Jesus over to their will. | 16aThen Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. |
Notes
The Trial Before Pilate and Herod
One of the most difficult topographical problems of Jerusalem is to identify the location of the Praetorium where Jesus stood before Pilate, and where he set out carrying the cross to Golgotha. One thing is certain; it was one of three palaces used by Herod the Great - the Antonio Fortress (north of the Temple), the ancient Royal Palace of the Hasmoneans, or the new Upper Palace of Herod (next to the Jaffa Gate).
Since Crusader times it was always identified with Antonio Fortress, where the traditional 14 Stations of the Cross evolved over the years. When new archaeological evidence suggested that the pavement was from Hadrian’s time in 130 A.D., many scholars felt compelled to abandon this old, traditional location.
Many researchers moved the Praetorium to Herod’s Upper Palace as the next likely location. The problem with this location is that there has never been a Christian tradition that it was used as the place where Jesus was sentenced.
A third location is the old Hasmonean Palace. No one knew where this was located until after 1970 when archaeologists could dig in the recently recovered Jewish quarter. They found a magnificent building which is designated as the Palatial Mansion, leading many scholars to identify it as the Hasmonean Palace used by Herod, and later on by Pilate.
Herod Antipas had probably come from Tiberius for the Passover. There is no way of knowing today where he stayed in Jerusalem.