Jeff Bridges

Pilate’s Hand Washing Stopped More than Just Germs

I’ve always felt a bit odd about the part of the Nicene Creed where we single out Pontius Pilate for his involvement in the crucifixion. According to most traditional readings of the Gospel, Pilate actually tried to stop the whole thing. In any case, he literally washed his hands and declared himself “innocent” (ἀθῷος) of the act before handing Jesus over to be crucified (Matt. 27:24).

While the Council of Constantinople (not, in fact, Nicea) found Pilate worthy of mention, the physical washing of hands may have given the governor, at least, a sense of moral distance. A recent New York Times piece, This Is Your Brain on Metaphors, mentioned an interesting study by Chen-Bo Zhong of the University of Toronto and Katie Liljenquist of Northwestern University:

Volunteers were told to recall an immoral act of theirs. Afterward, subjects either did or did not have the opportunity to clean their hands. Those who were able to wash were less likely to respond to a request for help (that the experimenters had set up) that came shortly afterward. Apparently, Lady Macbeth and Pontius Pilate weren’t the only ones to metaphorically absolve their sins by washing their hands.

So while history may have judged him guilty, at least we know Pilate was less troubled thanks to the cathartic power of a good scrub.