Varavva ( aram. בר אבא , Greek Βαραββᾶς ) is a biblical character, a criminal released by Pontius Pilate on the occasion of the celebration of the holiday by the Jewish people . Alexander Lopukhin in his famous publication , commenting on Matt. 27:15 [3] , mentions the absence of the word Easter in early sources, which simply says “for the sake of the holiday,” without specification. The historically established tradition of interpreting the lines of the New Testament, liberation is considered the custom of Passover .
| Barabbas | |
|---|---|
| aram. בר-אבא [1] | |
 "Barabbas." Painter James Tissot , watercolor, 1886-1894 | |
| Floor | Male |
| Name interpretation | The name Barabbas ( ancient Aram. Bar-Abba) consists of "bar", which means son, and "abba", which means father. He was the son of a father, that is, someone's son [2] |
| Occupation | |
| Mentions | John 18:40, Luke 23:19, Matt 27:15, Mark 15: 6-15, Acts 3:14, |
| Related Events | Pilate's Court |
| Related characters | Jesus Christ , Pontius Pilate |
Content
Canonical texts
The robber of Barabbas is mentioned by all four evangelists in their description of the Passion of Christ , as well as in the Book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles where the apostle Peter speaks of him ( Acts 3:14 ).
| Gospel | Text |
|---|---|
| From Matthew ( Matt. 27: 15-21 ) | On the holiday of [Easter], the ruler had the custom of letting the people out of the prisoner they wanted. Then they had a famous prisoner, called Barabbas; so, when they gathered, Pilate said to them: who do you want me to let you go: Barabbas, or Jesus, called Christ? for he knew that they had betrayed him out of envy. <...> But the high priests and elders excited the people to ask Barabbas, and to destroy Jesus. Then the ruler asked them: which of the two do you want me to let you go? They said: Barabbas. |
| From Mark ( Mark 15: 6-15 ) | For every holiday, he let them go of one prisoner, about whom they asked. Then there was a bond [of someone], named Barabbas, with his accomplices, who during the rebellion committed murder. And the people began to scream and ask [Pilate] for what he always did for them. He answered them: Do you want, I will release the King of Judea to you? For he knew that the high priests betrayed him out of envy. But the high priests aroused the people [to ask] to let them go better than Barabbas. Pilate, answering, again said to them: what do you want me to do with the One whom you call the King of Judea? They again cried out: Crucify him. <...> Then Pilate, desiring to do what was pleasing to the people, released Barabbas to them, and Jesus, beating, put him to the crucifix. |
| From Luke ( Luke 23: 17-25 ) | And he needed to release one [prisoner] for the holiday. But all the people began to shout: death to Him! and let us go to Barabbas. Barabbas was put in prison for indignation and murder in the city. Pilate again raised his voice, wanting to let Jesus go. But they shouted: Crucify, crucify Him! He said to them a third time: What evil did He do? I did not find anything worthy of death in Him; so, having punished him, I will let go. But they continued with a great cry to demand that He be crucified; and overcame the cry of them and the high priests. And Pilate decided to be at the request of them, and let them go to prison, set out for indignation and murder, which they asked; but he betrayed Jesus to their will. |
| From John ( John 18: 39-40 ) | But you have a custom that I let you go alone on Easter; Do you want, I will release the King of Judea to you? Then again everyone cried out, saying: not Him, but Barabbas. Barabbas was a robber. |
Apocryphal Texts
Of the New Testament apocrypha, the Gospel of Nicodemus tells about Barabbas, which repeats the story of the canonical Gospels about the tradition of giving freedom to a prisoner on Easter: “ I have in prison a famous robber named Barabbas and Jesus, in whom I did not find a single sin: whom I will let go you? " [4] .
In a number of later Greek manuscripts, the Gospel of Matthew Barabbas is called "Jesus Barabbas" [5] . According to Origen, in his time, most Gospel texts contained just such a form of name. Many scholars acknowledge that this is the original form of the name of Barabbas, which was then reduced so as not to be confused with the personal name of Christ [5] .
Gospel Story Analysis
Barabbas was a criminal, but the exact scope of his criminal activity still causes controversy. The Gospel does not say directly whom and for what he killed and what character (in relation to whom) he sowed unrest. Therefore, Barabbas is considered both as a rebel against Roman rule , and as a common criminal element (a murderer and a robber without political goals).
One way or another, but in the end he was captured by the Roman occupation authorities, sentenced to death, imprisoned and awaiting execution, but, fortunately for him, the eve of execution coincided with the Jewish celebration of Passover , where the Jewish people were given the right according to the established tradition to release one of the sentenced from criminal punishment ( death penalty ). Judging by the actions of the prefect Pilate , he was guided by good intentions and a common law, when he allowed this plebiscite to be implemented, expecting the public to come to their senses and ask for Nazareth Jesus , because with the same success he could not authorize the holding of this event if Barabbas indeed constituted a threat to Roman power in the region. But the choice of the Jewish public was unequivocally for Barabbas, which brought him freedom.
The subsequent life of Barabbas is not reflected in the Gospels.
Image in Literature
- Corelli Maria . "Barabbas", 1893.
- Per Lagerquist . "Barabbas", 1950.
- Arturo Uslar Pietri. "Barabbas", 1928.
Notes
- ↑ Languages of Scripture - Translation of Bible Names from Hebrew and Their Meaning
- ↑ Kiyoylaxogloy Anastasios “Barabbas: Who Was He?” (Bible Truths)
- ↑ Alexander Lopukhin - Explanatory Bible. Book 3. New Testament - Volume 8. The Gospel of Matthew. Ch. 27.
- ↑ Gospel of Nicodemus. 9.
- ↑ 1 2 Barabbas // Orthodox Encyclopedia . - M .: Church Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia" , 2003. - V. VI. - S. 553. - 752 p. - 39,000 copies. - ISBN 5-89572-010-2 .
Literature
- Barabbas // Jewish Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron . - SPb. , 1908-1913.