My appearance in the Bible is brief, only 38 words. But I am remembered because I testified to Jesus' righteousness and innocence at the time of His trial and approaching crucifixion. These are the words: "When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him" (Matt. 27:19). Unfortunately, even though I was the governor's wife, my voice was not strong enough to overcome the forces of evil represented by the corrupt priests and elders, who had taken counsel against Jesus to put Him to death.
The night when armed men in the employ of the chief priests arrested Jesus, I had a dream. The hearing before my husband, Pilate, began in the early hours of the next morning. Pilate, as the Roman governor of Judea, received my message while he was sitting on the judgment seat. The Roman judgment hall was part of the Tower of Antonia erected by Herod the Great, situated in the Upper City of Jerusalem at the northwest of the Temple Hill. It was near the path which has later become known as the Via Dolorosa or Sorrowful Way. Although I spent most of my time at our palace at Caesarea Philippi by the sea, I had come to Jerusalem with Pilate for the yearly festival of the Feast of the Passover.
I came to know something of this Jesus and to hear of the wonders He had performed. I sensed that my husband was about to put a just man to death, and I tried to save my husband from a terrible decision. But the mob shouted stronger and louder and Pilate was afraid of the mob. I feared that Pilate would be inviting disaster if by reason of his authority he should take action against Jesus. And I was right. My husband's administration ended abruptly; as you know, history reports he was banished to the south of France and ultimately committed suicide.
On the strength of a tradition that I was a secret follower of Jesus, the Greek Orthodox Church canonized me and set aside October 27 as my feast day. Ethiopian Christians also pay special honor to me.
Copyright ©2004. Beverly Whitaker
Pilate's Wife
Matthew 27:19