Excursus on Pilate’s Wife
One of the earliest
interpretations of the Barabbas narrative is found in Matt 27:15-26. Matthew or
the source informing him makes two major additions: Pilate’s washing his hands
to show that he is innocent of Jesus’ blood (v 24), and the dream of Pilate’s
wife (v 19), also designed to show Jesus’ innocence. The latter probably also derives
from the Esther narrative, which would indicate that Matthew was already aware
of the origin of the Barabbas episode in Judaic interpretation of Esther.
Pilate’s wife,
called Caludia Procula or Procla in legendary expansion of this material,
advises her husband to “have nothing to do with the righteous man [Jesus], for
I have suffered much over him today in a dream.” This recalls Judaic interpretation
of Est 5:14 regarding the advice of Zeresh to her husband Haman, not to do anything
evil to Mordecai, frequently called “righteous” in rabbinic sources. She cannot
prevail, however, against Haman’s friends, who convince him to hang/crucify
Mordecai, frequently also called the redeemer of Israel. This incident takes
place just before the next verse Est 6:1, which relates that King Ahasuerus
could not sleep during the same night. Judaic interpretation also speaks here
of his being “disturbed” and of his dreaming.
If Zeresh’s
advice stands behind that of Pilate’s wife to him, as seems probable, this is
yet one more indication of the continuing influence of Judaic Esther traditions
on the Barabbas narrative. (Roger David Aus, “The Release of Barabbas (Mark
15:6-15 par.; John 18:39-40), and Judaic Traditions on the Book of Esther,” in Barabbas
and Esther and Other Studies in the Judaic Illumination of Earliest Christianity
[Studies in the History of Judaism; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1992], 22)
