Crucifixion was invented by the Persians between 300-400 B.C. It is quite possibly the most painful death ever invented by humankind. The English language derives the word “excruciating” from crucifixion, acknowledging it as a form of slow, painful suffering.
The victim would have no choice but to bear his weight on his chest. He would immediately have trouble breathing as the weight caused the rib cage to lift up and force him into an almost perpetual state of inhalation. Suffocation would usually follow, but the relief of death could also arrive in other ways.
Death, usually after 6 hours--4 days, was due to multifactorial pathology: after-effects of compulsory scourging and maiming, haemorrhage and dehydration causing hypovolaemic shock and pain, but the most important factor was progressive asphyxia caused by impairment of respiratory movement.
Apparently there is only one extant account (in Josephus) of one person surviving crucifixion out of the hundreds reported in ancient literature. (And that case was only when excellent medical care was immediately provided by the Romans, and even so, only one out of three who were so rescued actually survived!)
Greco-Roman texts show that in certain cases the bodies of the crucified were left to decompose in place. In other cases, the crucified bodies were buried.
Crucifixion was invented by the Persians between 300-400 B.C. It is quite possibly the most painful death ever invented by humankind.
Crucifixion lasted from 6 hours to 4 days. It was preceded by a brutal scourging. A Roman soldier would strike the victim 39 times with a whip whose leather straps were laced with slivers of sharp bones and small metal balls that severely cut into the body, exposing bones and internal organs.
The Romans did not lack for ways to kill their enemies, but crucifixion allowed for two things — humiliation and a slow, painful death. The punishment was a method of intimidation that the Romans raised to an art form.
These witnesses to the resurrected Jesus include the Apostle Peter, James the brother of Jesus, and, most intriguingly, a group of more than 500 people at the same time. Many scholars believe that Paul here is quoting from a much earlier Christian creed, which perhaps originated only a few years after Jesus' death.
More recently, however, researchers have come around to the view that the nailed feet provided enough support for the body, and that the hands could have been merely tied. "Quest for Truth" uses the Visible Human Project to show that putting nails through the palms would have resulted in maximum nerve damage and pain.
One story tells of a husband and wife in AD 213 who were said to have endured crucifixion for an incredible ten days before snuffing it.
DEAR N.G.: The Bible clearly states that after His resurrection Jesus repeatedly appeared to His disciples over a period of 40 days, and then miraculously ascended into the presence of God. The Bible says, "He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight" (Acts 1:9).
Luke's gospel also records that Jesus wept as he entered Jerusalem before his trial and death, anticipating the destruction of the Temple.
There is an ancient record of one person who survived a crucifixion that was intended to be lethal, but was interrupted.
Today, a punishment referred to as "crucifixion" can still be imposed by courts in Saudi Arabia. "Crucifixions take place after the beheading," says Amnesty International, which campaigns against all forms of capital punishment.
9 Now when he was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
The question is asked: “Did Judas go to heaven?” Yes, if going to heaven was a matter of good works. Judas had a lot of good works. He traveled with Christ for three years without a salary or any certain dwelling place. He was one of the 12 who helped Christ feed the multitude (Matthew 14) to name a few.
Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” John 13:31–38.
before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face.
He may have stood about 5-ft.-5-in. (166 cm) tall, the average man's height at the time.
The crucifixion darkness is an event described in the synoptic gospels in which the sky becomes dark in daytime during the crucifixion of Jesus for roughly three hours.
Crucifixion is not a quick method of execution; it is a slow and cruel death meant to give the victim time to reflect on their crimes. Although the wounds from being nailed to a cross are painful, they are not believed to have caused a quick death from blood loss.
Most experts agree, though, that what ultimately kills a crucified person is suffocation. Either the body loses so much oxygen that the person smothers, or the carbon dioxide level in the body goes up so much that the body tissues turn acidic and destroy their own cells. How fast it happens depends on a lot of factors.
God sent His own Son, Jesus, to divert sins' punishment from us to Himself. God “loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation”—the wrath absorbing substitute—“for our sins” 1 John 4:10. Jesus died accursed so that we would escape the curse of the law.