St Matthew Passion – then the cock crows. In the morning (No. 41) Jesus is sent to Pontius Pilate while Judas is overcome by remorse and kills himself. Pilate interrogates Jesus (No. 43), is impressed and is inclined to release him, as it was customary to release one prisoner for the holiday, supported in this by his wife. But the crowd, given the choice to have Jesus released or Barabbas, a thief, insurrectionist and murderer, asks with one voice "Barrabam!". They vote to crucify Jesus, Pilate gives in, washing his hands claiming his innocence, and delivers Jesus to torture and crucifixion. On the
Pontius Pilate an "Epistle of Herod to Pilate", and an "Epistle of Pilate to Herod", spurious texts that are no older than the 5th century. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church recognized Pilate as a saint in the 6th century, based on the account in the "Acts of Pilate", as it does his wife, named Procla, whose strange dream of Jesus Christ induced her to try to stop his crucifixion. There are many other legends about Pilate in the folklore of Germany, particularly about his birth, according to which Pilate was born in the Franconian city of Forchheim or the small village of