According to the Gospels, when Pontius Pilate was to pardon one Jewish prisoner in honor of the Passover, he offered the people a choice between Barabbas the Zealot and a rabbi known as Jesus the Nazarene. Though this was an actual historical event, their choice was symbolic as well. Under the yoke of Roman oppression, Barabbas responded with violence; in contrast, Jesus was willing to forgive. The Zealot vowed to free the nation; the rabbi showed how to free the soul. Whom did the people choose? They made the same choice that we continue to make even today: