Pilate saw that something must be done. It was customary at the feast of the Passover to set at liberty one prisoner, whom the people might choose. The Roman soldiers had recently captured a noted robber, named Barabbas. He was a degraded ruffian and a murderer. So Pilate turned to the crowd, and said with great earnestness:

Pilatus indså, at der måtte gøres noget. "Ved højtiden plejede landshøvdingen at give mængden en fange fri, hvem de ønskede". De romerske soldater havde nylig pågrebet en berygtet røver, som hed Barabbas. Han var en nedrig bandit og en morder. Pilatus vendte sig derfor til mængden og sagde med stort alvor: