Claudia

The wife of Pilate, she remains unnamed in the Scripture. Nonetheless, her story is significant, as she uses her voice to speak up on behalf of Jesus.  

When Jesus was brought to court to be judged for his statements of being God’s son, Pilate was sitting on the judgement seat. During the trial, Pilate’s wife sent a message, pleading with her husband to release Jesus. She told him that she was tormented by dreams the night before that convinced her of Jesus' innocence.

Her gut told her that this man was not deserving of his sentence, and she was deeply troubled.

Her petition seemed to have an effect on Pilate, as he washed his hands of the matter. He didn't want to be the one responsible for the fate of Jesus, and he turned the decision over to the crowd.(Matthew 27)

Named Procula in the apocryphal gospel of Nicodemus, or Claudia Procula in other historical writings, this woman was noteworthy and significant because of her faith and her courageous voice. Believed to have become a Christian, Pilate's wife was the only person who declared the innocence of Jesus in the Gospel account of Matthew. 

Claudia is recognized as a saint in the Eastern and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches.

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