(NAB)Matthew
Chapter 27
16
9 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called (Jesus) Barabbas.
17
So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release to you, (Jesus) Barabbas, or Jesus called Messiah

They said that this is actually how it is written in many of the oldest manuscripts!

And BTW Barabbas is Bar Abba, which simply means- ‘Son of the Father”, by which name Jesus was known! And as you may know the Word “Messiah” simply means anointed, such a title was also given to other characters in the Bible, such as the pagan emperor of Persia Cyrus.

Here again we see much controversy.

Was our Lord Jesus the son of the Father, (Bar Abba), the savior actually freed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As we would expect, Bibles dropped the Jesus from barabas, to protect their idea/principles/wishes.

Here are many other links to confirm, Jesus Barabas’ name:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barabbas

“…In the Christian narrative of the Passion of Jesus, Barabbas, according to some texts Jesus bar-Abbas, ( Aramaic Bar-abb?, “son of the father”),….

…..According to the United Bible Societies’ text, Matthew 27:17 reads: “…whom will ye that I release unto you? Jesus Barabbas [Greek: Iesous ton Barabban] or Jesus which is called Christ (Iesous ton legomenon Christon)?

Some early Syriac manuscripts of Matthew present Barabbas’ name twice as Jesus bar Abbas: manuscripts in the Caesarean group of texts, the Sinaitic Palimpsest, the Palestinian Syriac lectionaries and some of the manuscripts used by Origen in the 3rd century, all support the fact that Barabbas’ name was originally Jesus Barabbas…”

http://www.freelaunch.com/museum/cross1.html

By the way, know some of the sources of your todays Bible
The Syriac texts-

http://www.cavemanart.com/osroene/syriac.htm