How did Pilate try to get out of dealing with Jesus?

Answer 1

A:There are three ways in which the New Testament gospels tell us that Pilate tried to get out of dealing with Jesus:

The gospels tell us that there was a Jewish custom to release a condemned man for the Passover. Believing that the Jews would rather have Jesus released than Barabbas, a robber, Pontius Pilate asked whom he should release, but the mob told him to release Barabbas. Scholars of first-century Jewish customs can find no evidence that a condemned man was ever released for the Passover, but the story does parallel a known Jewish custom of releasing a lamb for the Passover and of sacrificing a second lamb. If this story was intended as an allegory, the Jews simply had the wrong 'lamb' released.

Luke's Gospel introduces a second way, in which Pilate sought to have Jesus tried by Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, who was conveniently in Jerusalem at the time.

John's Gospel has Pilate tell the Jews to try Jesus in their own court, but the Jews replied that they did not have the authority to condemn a man to death. Once again scholars have questioned whether this restriction on the Jewish courts really existed. A counter-argument is in Acts of the Apostles, which tells us the Sanhedrin condemned Stephen to be stoned to death.

It is hard to tell which of these ways in which Pilate tried to avoid dealing with Jesus is historically true.