Horace Abram Rigg, Jr. Source: Journal of Biblical ... - YoYo.pl

RIGG: BARABBAS
421
made clear, nor is the exact kind of release to be made clearly
indicated.'5
But since there is, in general, a common approach to the story,
it would appear that the main theme had been set out by the
time the texts now extant were being fixed in their final form.
But the traditional presentation of the story, on closer analysis,
warrants the inference that it was not clearly known and under-
stood, or else that the early attempts to fill in what might be
called errors of enclosure had not been quite successful. The
evidence for this conclusion is convincing. As early as Origen,
it is clear that the exact nature of the incident was not surely
known, for he had to combat expressions of doubt concerning it.
See Migne, PG 13, 1771 121: sic enim quasdam gratias praestant
gentes eis, quos subjiciunt sibi, donec confirmetur super eos
jugum ipsorum; cf. Beda, ad Luc. xxiii in Migne, PL 92, 612.
Note, too, that Origen's first comments on the incident are to
reject a reading, not uncommon in the Mss. known to him (for
which see below) which, after the strictures, never again appears
in the basic uncials.
It is admitted that the Barabbas incident stands alone. No-
where has there ever been found an extra-biblical parallel to
or precedent for the so-called "custom" basic to the incident-
nor has any other biblical warrant ever been found.'6 The
problem has therefore been, assuming the incident traditionally
recorded as integral to the Gospel accounts, to find even indirect
warrant or parallel. It has been a fascinating field for the play
of what John of Salisbury might have called nugiloqui ventilatores
(see his Metalogicon 864b). Attempts have been made, for
'S Cf. Merkel, op. cit. 293 ff. It should be added that any variations due to
"translation Greek" (see C. C. Torrey, Documents of the Primitive Church
[New York-London, 1941]) do not affect the point. For translations - going
back to an idea of J. G. Eichhorn, Allgemeine Bibliotek d. biblischen Lit. 5
(Leipzig, 1794) 784 - such as Torrey, The Four Gospels, 4th ed. (New York-
London, 1933) do not change any element in the story.
16 From all quarters the verdict is the same. Thus, for modern summaries,
besides Merkel, op. cit.; J. H. Bernard, John (ICC, New York, 1929) 613 and
Strack-Billerbeck, Kommentar z. N. T. aus Talmud u. Midrasch I (Munchen,
1922) 1031.