That is basically what the did though - compare the historical account of Pilate to the New Testament account. The historical account has him being pretty ruthless, but in the New Testament he lets himself get bullied around by some second rate citizens, and yelled at by a crowd?
The biblical account does not have Pilate being bullied around. Pilate was a consummate politician who played the potentially explosive situation very well. The jewish religious authorities where trying to get the Romans to kill Jesus without taking a share in the decision because they feared the populace (many of whom thought Jesus was a prophet) Pilate played it hard and well. He only changed his resistance to the execution of Jesus until the jewish crowd said:
Matthew 27
19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
They said, “Barabbas!”
22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”
They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”
23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”
24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.
That’s what Pilate was waiting for. He wanted to cover His and the roman authorities ass by forcing the jews to take their share of responsibility for the execution of Jesus. That way the jewish religious authorities could not later direct the anger of the jewish common people against the roman occupiers for the execution of Jesus. Once they said that "
“His blood be on us and on our children.”" Pilate had no trouble sending Jesus to His death.
Look into what Philo and Josephus have to say about him. This is the man, who, according to Josephus, spent temple money to build an aquifer, and when the Jews protested, had roman soldiers dressed as drews infiltrate the crowd, and at a signal, had his soldiers beat and kill people.
Beating a crowd is one thing. Walking into a trap that would see Him facing the possibility of a popular jewish uprising over the death of a significant religious figure is another. Do you think Pilate and the romans had no idea about what was goin on with Jesus? They knew He was a significant figure. He was the Hot potato they wanted to get out of their hands.
And we're supposed to believe that, according to accounts written 50 to 300 years after the fact, during the roman persecution of christianity, that Ponitus Pilate reluctantly executed a jewish trouble maker and rabble rouser, after being bullied into it by the Jewish priests, who held a trial during the passover, and being yelled at by a crowd of Jews?
Isn't that a little hard to swallow?
Well to give the jewish religious authorities credit they nearly played a perfect game with Pilate. They even insinuated that if Pilate did not execute Jesus he was guilty of treason to Caesar. Now that would have put Pilate in the hot seat. But Pilate had a lot of intestinal fortitude and lucky for him the jewish authorities mob got a bit too enthusiastic and blurted out "
“His blood be on us and on our children.”".
I don't think Pilate gave a rats ass about Jesus. Pilate was a man who was dealing with a potentially explosive situation and He needed all his political nous to make it through it unscathed.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
