Scholars: Crucifixion Portrayal Inaccurate

AP News ^ | Feb 19th,2004 | PETER ENAV

[madison10]

I don't see what difference it makes whether there were nails; the gospels do not mention nails.

They don't mention nails, but they seem to be understood. As in John 20:27 where Jesus told Thomas: "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here and put it into My side..."

The Apostle Paul understood it as well: "...and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Colossians 2:14b

The whole "argument" is nothing but an attempt, as it has been down through history, to make Jesus & Christianity look false. Hasn't worked, has it?

[Godzilla]

If one was tied at the wrists, after hanging for some period of time, vessels could burst, and bones could even break.

However, the source document does not indicate that, nor has any study/reading I've done confirm this.

Death would come quickly with nails; the Romans designed their form of crucifixion precisely so that death would NOT come quickly.

Nails didn't necessarly speed up the process, the key was nailing/fixing the feet to the post. The victim would hang by their arms to relieve the pain to the feet/legs until they could not breath (the normal cause of death was asphyxiation), then push up to allow the lungs to breath for as long as possible until the pain in the feet/legs took over. This cycle would continue for days until the victim was too exhausted to continue, then they would succum to asphyxiation.

[Clintons a commie]

I don't see what difference it makes whether there were nails; the gospels do not mention nails.

Read John Chapter 20. The pertinent quote is on this page. Jesus was nailed to the cross.

[Republican Wildcat]

the gospels do not mention nails.

"One of the twelve disciples Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe." John 20:24-25 (GNT)

[Campion]

I don't see what difference it makes whether there were nails; the gospels do not mention nails.

Yes, they do. John 20:24 says very clearly that Jesus was nailed through the "hands" (which could also mean that he was nailed through what we would call the wrist).

The technique was probably to nail through the space between the forearm bones next to the wrist in such a way as to sever the nerves (resulting in intense, shooting pain when the victim tried to breathe) but keep the major vessels intact (so the victim didn't bleed to death quickly).

[stylin19a]

I consulted a huge number of theologians, scholars, priests, spiritual writers," Gibson wrote. "The film is faithful to the Gospels but I had to fill in a lot of details - like the way Jesus would have carried His cross, or whether the nails went through the palms of His hands or his wrists ... Since the experts canceled each other out, I was thrown back on my own resources to weigh the different arguments and decide for myself."

It seems the disputes noted in this article justifies Gibson's handling of this.

[Just mythoughts]

Oh, so the "Scholars" got to get their two cents in.

Very few "Scholars" are believers, most make their living disproving what is WRITTEN.

Christians should be very aware who does their translating and Bible studies for them. Some preachers are so lazy they must rely on the organization to pass down to them a print-out of what to preach.

Scholars have "PEER REVIEW" as well.

[missyme]

I would like to ask them UH! So could you tell me what was the depth and the width of the Sea that G-d seperated for Moses?? also what direction were the waves going in? Uh! let's see? Oh and what kind of sand was the Israelites crossing? was it wet were there fish on the ground? any sharks? maybe they have all these cozy little details...

[safisoft]

Back in the 70's our Sunday School teacher was a surgeon. He was also president of the local medical society. He once told the class in detail of the medical results of crucifixion. One thing I remember was that he said the accounts in the gospels were medically accurate.

I teach a Bible study class each week, and one of my students is a world-reknown heart surgeon. His research into this shows not only that the Gospel accounts accurately reflect the physiology, but that there is no worse ways to die.

Having said that, those who know Him, know full well that the struggle the night before indicated that the biggest horror for Him was not the method of torture and death - it was the weight of my sin.

[Rome2000]

The dearth of information about Jesus' crucifixion

Excuse me if ABCCBSNBCNYTLATWPCNNNPR were not on the scene to file a report.

The Bible works for me.

[Petronski]

"... the gospels do not mention nails."

John 20:25-27

25 The other disciples therefore said to him: We have seen the Lord. But he said to them: Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the place of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.

26 And after eight days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said: Peace be to you.

27 Then He said to Thomas: Put in thy finger hither and see my hands. And bring hither the hand and put it into my side. And be not faithless, but believing.

[madison10]

I teach a Bible study class each week, and one of my students is a world-reknown heart surgeon. His research into this shows not only that the Gospel accounts accurately reflect the physiology, but that there is no worse ways to die.

It's going to be difficult to watch, no?

[sinkspur]

Here's a pretty good sight that details crucifixion with medical experts from Mayo.

I'll withdraw my comments on nails. I was incorrect, obviously.

[Warlord David]

After reading many of the comments.

I think Mel wasted his money on the so call experts. He should have pocketed his money and join us on the internet for advise. O'well, maybe the next time.

[Tempest]

I say a program on the History channel awhile back that showed that person cruxified by having nails driven through their hands AND their feet could remain suspended on a cross for several days. Due to the support provided by the nail being driven through the feet.

[tbpiper]

So the scars he showed the disciples were what, make up? Or do you think Jesus just lied about the whole experience?

[Tempest]

say=saw

[missyme]

I saw that too! also the Author of this story didn't...

[safisoft]

It's going to be difficult to watch, no?

Yes. My suspicion is that it will most difficult for those who have pledged their lives to Him. Those of us who call ourselves His disciples, know that He has called us to follow Him - to imitate Him. Although we are not called to die in the way He did, for the Eternal purposes He did - we are still called to love like He did; to endure like He did; and to live righteously like He did. Seeing His death graphicly portrayed will simply be reminding us of the cost.

He said, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

Mt 10:38-39.

Bless His Name.

[Jeff Gordon]

While I do not accept the Bible as the Word of God, I do accept it as a reasonably accurate history document. The fact the story of the nailing to the cross comes directly from Christ's contemporaries tells me that there must be some truth to the story.

I also understand that there is a lot of historical evidence that Roman crucifixion was performed with nails through the wrist and shin bones. My guess is that the nails through the hands and feet were inventions of latter biblical transcribers.