Barabbas was released by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus, as the crowd chose to free him during the Passover festival. The Bible does not provide details about his life after his release.
In the context of the New Testament, Barabbas is a figure whose fate is briefly intertwined with that of Jesus Christ. His full name was likely Jesus Barabbas, with “Barabbas” meaning “son of the father” in Aramaic. He is mentioned in all four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—during the account of the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea.
Barabbas is described as a notorious prisoner who had been involved in a rebellion in the city and had committed murder. During the Passover festival, it was customary for the Roman governor to release to the people a prisoner of their choice. Pilate, aware of the innocence of Jesus and hoping to avoid condemning him, offered the crowd a choice between releasing Jesus or Barabbas, hoping they would choose Jesus. However, the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas’s release and for Jesus to be crucified.
Pilate, seeking to appease the crowd, consented to their demands. He released Barabbas and handed Jesus over to be crucified. The Gospels do not provide any further information about Barabbas after his release, leaving his subsequent fate unknown. His release is often interpreted as a symbol of the choice between sin and righteousness, with Barabbas representing the sinful path and Jesus the path of salvation.
