It is a dialogue between Jesus and Pilate that well expresses two very distant cultures: the worldview of the Jews and that of the Romans of that time. One gets the impression that Pilate is unable to fully understand the gravity of the sins attributed to Jesus. After all, the culture of the Romans bears no resemblance to that of the Jews. In fact, we must remember that the vision of the life of that prisoner named Jesus is far from Pilate, a vision too different from Latin culture and in fact Pilate will decide to “wash his hands”, that is, to leave the blame for the massacre of Jesus to the judgment of the Jews. After all, with their conquests the Romans had encountered different cultures and religions and possibly tried not to get involved as long as the conquered people respected Roman laws and paid the contributions demanded by Rome.
Pilate tries to understand the fault of that prisoner named Jesus. He wants to know what harm he has done and what damage he has caused. It is within Pilate’s right to ask questions and give penances. In fact, he asks Jesus: “What have you done?”.
Jesus gives an answer that really couldn’t help but surprise. He says: «My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it belonged to this world, my servants would have fought to keep me from handing me over to the authorities.” I imagine Pilate’s amazement as he perhaps thinks: “But what world is he talking about?”.
And perhaps he feels a little sorry for Jesus as a “strange” or confused human being. He asks him: «Well, are you a king?». Jesus’ response is even stranger: «I am a witness to the truth […] he who belongs to the truth listens to me.” And Pilate asks: “But what is truth?”. Their dialogue ends here, it couldn’t be otherwise. Pilate, a practical and political man, knows well that “truth” is an instrument in the hands of politics and that each power plays it in its own way. And as a politician he must have thought: “This is a poor guy who’s a bit strange, perhaps a bit out of his mind, even though it seems he has quite a few followers.” And so, to keep himself out of useless local issues, he “publicly” washes his hands of them, so that it is clear that the affairs of that prisoner do not concern the interests of the Romans.
I don’t think it was common for Pilate (Roman governor) to have a dialogue with someone condemned to death, but on this occasion he is present. He certainly intended to speak of Jesus, but perhaps as a disturber of social rules.
Jesus at this moment is the one who knocked over the banks of the moneylenders who were in front of the temple. In fact there had been a fight. But could he deserve a death sentence?
Certainly Jesus had made many enemies over time, but did he deserve death? In fact, Pilate asks Jesus: “What have you done?”. Jesus does not respond in kind, he only says that his kingdom is not of this world. Pilate asks: «Are you a king?». Jesus replies: «I came into the world to bear witness to the truth». Amazed, Pilate asks him: “But what is the truth?”. It is interesting that Pilate asked this question: “What is truth?” He is a politician consumed by power intrigues to the point that he distrusts the truth; he’s almost afraid of it. Maybe he thought: «Of course, it’s nice to defend the truth like you do! But it’s so risky.”
The episode ends here and perhaps wants to point out that the truth is a very rare fact, which is often ignored or denied. In fact, Jesus said of himself: “I am the way, the truth, the life”. And not everyone liked this.
by Liliana Cavani
Interviewer: Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Today we have with us two esteemed guests, Dr. Laura Marchi and Professor Roberto Di Mattei, to discuss the historical and cultural significance of the encounter between Pilate and Jesus as described in the article “The Encounter Between Pilate and Jesus in the Gospel of John”. Thank you both for joining us.
Dr. Marchi: Good day.
Prof. Di Mattei: Thank you for having us.
Interviewer: Let’s begin by exploring the cultural differences between the Jews and Romans at the time of Jesus’ trial. Dr. Marchi, as a historian, could you elaborate on the worldview of the Jews during that period and how it contrasted with the Roman culture?
Dr. Marchi: Certainly! The Jews had a monotheistic religion centered around their God’s promises and covenant with their ancestors. They believed in strict adherence to the law and upheld a strong sense of national identity. On the other hand, the Romans were polytheistic with a more secular outlook on life. Their culture valued practicality, political stability, and the rule of law upheld by the emperor. This disconnect between these two cultures added an extra layer of complexity to the interaction between Pilate and Jesus, as their perspectives on life and justice were vastly different.
Interviewer: Professor Di Mattei, how did the Roman occupation of Judea influence their perception of the Jewish people and their religion?
Prof. Di Mattei: The Romans viewed the Jews as a conquered people who needed to be controlled and taxed. They were not interested in their religious beliefs as long as the Jews obeyed Roman laws and paid their taxes. However, when tensions arose, the Romans were quick to crack down on any uprising or insurrection, which sometimes led to violent clashes. This created a sense of resentment and distrust between the Roman occupiers and the Jewish population.
Interviewer: Moving on to the specific encounter between Pilate and Jesus in the article, we see Pilate trying to understand the fault of the prisoner named Jesus. He asks what harm he has done and what damage he has caused. How did this interaction highlight these cultural differences?
Dr. Marchi: Pilate
