Barabbas
Barabbas (Greek Bαραββᾶς ) was after all Gospel accounts the trial of Jesus, a man who was at the time of the Passion in Roman custody. According to these reports Pontius Pilate to have the people assembled offered the alternative of either release him or Jesus. From this episode in all the Gospels immediately before the crucifixion of Jesus reported (Matthew 27.15-26 EU, EU Mt 27.18 to 25, 15.6 to 15 EU Mk, Lk 23,18 EU, Jn 18.16-26 EU).
The name
The traditional in today's versions of the Passion of Jesus Barabbas name is probably a patronymic, for the Aramaic form of the composition abbas cash or cash Rabba ( s) ( " son of Abbas " or " son of the Lord" or " son of our Lord " ) is assumed.
Some codices contained in locations 27,16.17 EU of Matthew's Gospel the name Jesoûs (HO) Barabbas. Even if the witnesses for this reading of the passage are neither numerous nor old, is often assumed in the New Testament exegesis from the fact that the name Jesus was in Mt 27,16.17 to the original stock of the text, as it is considered unlikely that the name Barabbas had changed in the offensive for Jewish Christians variant Jesus bar Abbas. Easy to imagine, however, was that they had removed from these places Jesus. The already advocated by Origen view, the name Jesus was not originally included in the text, but continue to be represented.
Historical findings
For some historians is the fact that the traditions of the name in the form of Jesus Barabbas have existed, an indication that Barabbas was not a fictitious person. Further insights into the circumstances of his capture, the accusations made against him and his legal situation, however, are not to gain from the Gospel accounts. According to Mark 15.7 EU Barabbas had been together with some rebels who had committed murder, caught or imprisoned. This passage of Mark's Gospel, however, is not apparent whether Barabbas had consulted the rebels. In the Gospel of Luke ( 23.19 EU) riot and murder are given as the cause of his arrest. The passage of Luke's Gospel but is regarded as borrowing from the Gospel of Mark. In Matthew 27:16 EU Barabbas is merely referred to as " distinguished prisoner " and in John's Gospel ( 18.40 EU) is only that he was a " Bandit " (Lestes ).
According to one of the French theologian Alfred Loisy beginning of the 20th century established thesis Barabbas is not the name of a person, but a role in a masquerade. Loisy resorted to a narrated from Philo of Alexandria episode that should have taken place during a visit by Herod Agrippa I in Alexandria. To mock Agrippa, a mob of Alexandria residents have a " poor devil " named Karabbas with a rug over his shoulder and a basket covered on the main than king, mocked and finally defeated. Because of the similarities of this episode with the abuses that were inflicted upon the Passion of Jesus reports of the Roman soldiers, and because of the " extreme improbability " of the episode of Barabbas was, according to Loisy conceivable " that Pilate Jesus as Karabbas " have to be treated.
The Protestant Passion reports are not just the only sources that have been handed down notes about Barabbas. Even in the Christian tradition known as privilegium paschale custom of the Romans to release one prisoner at Passover, is mentioned only at these points of the Gospels. That ever was in the Roman governors in Palestine such a custom is considered unlikely: Nothing like survives in Roman and Jewish sources, and also the basis of Jn 18,39 EU held view that this is a Jewish custom acted, finds no confirmation.
Other interpretations
According to Hyam Maccoby and some other scholars Jesus was because of his habit of praying and preaching to refer to the God as " Abba ," as " bar - Abba " was known. Then Jesus, the Jewish party could when writing before Pontius Pilate to free " bar Abba ", have meant. It is further alleged that anti-Semitic elements of the Christian Church have changed the story so that the desire an Other ( robbers or rebels ) was considered, namely " Barabbas ". This was part of the intention to shift the blame for the crucifixion by the Romans to the Jews.
Benjamin Urrutia, one of the authors of the work "The Logia of Yeshua: The Sayings of Jesus ," claims, Yeshua Bar Abba or Jesus Barabbas is identical with the Nazarene, Jesus, and the choice between the two prisoners is a fiction. However, Urrutia contradicts the view that Jesus had led or planned a violent riot. In his view, Jesus is a strong representative of the resistance through nonviolent, but open disobedience. Thus Jesus was the founder and leader of the nonviolent resistance to Pilate's plan for the establishment of the Roman eagle standards in Jerusalem's Temple Mount. The story of this successful resistance is described in Josephus, who, however, the leaders are not mentioned, but tells the crucifixion of Jesus just two paragraphs on it in a controversial credible passage.
The Swedish writer Hjalmar Söderberg has come into his religion scientific researches to the conclusion that Jesus and Barabbas have been identical. This Jesus Barabbas is not have been a purely peaceful resisters for him because he was a leader of a violent attack on the Temple in Jerusalem arrested by the Romans ( in protest against the sacrificial cult ) and rightly condemned. After Söderberg most evidence points then points out that there has actually been a release at the request of the Jewish crowd. Thus Jesus was not crucified in reality. In his books, Jesus Barabbas and The transformed Messiah. Jesus Barabbas II Söderberg has set out in detail his ideas.
Barabbas in art
- Music "Jesus or Barabbas? " Antal Dorati of, melodrama ( about 15 min) for recitation, chorus and orchestra, based on the book by Frigyes Karinthy, order in Budapest on December 10, 1987.
- 2002-2003: " Barabbas muunnelmia " Aulis Sallinen of chamber music V in 7 Variations, Opus 84 for piano Schiffer, Piano, Clarinet and Strings
- 2009: " Barabbas " by Caleb & Sol - " Afloat (2009) "
- In Québec, the term " être connu comme dans la Passion Barabbas " originated from the story of Barabbas.