CRUCIFIXION IS A HORRIBLE METHOD OF EXECUTION

Crucifixion is a horrible method of execution, the most famous being that of Jehoshua Ben Yusef- or Jesus.
In 71 BC Marcus Crassus crucified over 6,000 slaves on the road from Capua to Rome after the defeat of Spartacus in honour of his victory and as a warning to any slaves who thought insurrection was a good idea.
But classic images of Christ on the Cross tell a lie about the methods used for he has nails through the top of his feet and in the palms of his hands- and all the evidence shows this is not the way it was done.
The evidence regarding Roman crucifixion is actually scarce- and other than the Bible there is no evidence whatsoever that Jesus suffered this fate. It was a means of execution reserved for Treason and Mutiny, a crime for which Jesus was never accused.
The victim did not carry an entire cricifix to their place of execution but instead just the cross member- the upright stayed in place and was re-used much like a gallows, and like a gallows it also served as a symbol of power and law.
If the victim was nailed to the cross member, the nails were driven through the wrist between the bones of the forearm- the Radius and Ulna. Nails through the hand would just tear out. More often than not the victims arms were stretched backwards and looped over the cross piece and then lashed down with rope.
The victim was then lifted and the cross piece mounted onto the upright. Their legs were straightened and the feet placed either side of the vertical beam and nailed into place from the sides, through the heel bones or ankles.
It could take several days to die- usually of a combination of exposure, exhaustion and finally drowning as the victim’s lungs filled with fluid. Given the stress position the victim was in, it was almost impossible for them to cough and clear the fluid as it slowly built up.
There are many accounts of people surviving crucifixion. In the Bible, Pontious Pilate decrees that Jesus’ legs would not be broken. This seems like a mercy, but in fact the opposite is the case. To ease the suffering and breathing of the victim, they could push up against the nails through their ankles and relieve the stress upon their chests for time- taking longer to die. But breaking the victim’s legs was seen as a mercy and without the ability to push against the ankle nails they would die within hours.
As late as WW2 crucifixion was known to have been practiced by the Japanese as a method of executing Prisoners of War and criminals.

Post Views : 137