I was kind-of dreading the ending of Killing Jesus, for I felt sure it would involve graphic details concerning death by crucifixion. But, actually the most gruesome part of the book was the description of scourging, the prelude to crucifixion. Bill OReilly says death by crucifixion is a slow journey into suffocation. Each time a victim takes a breath he must fight his own body weight and push his torso upward using his legs, thus allowing his lungs to expand. In time, the victim, exhausted, can breathe neither in nor out. Ready? The scourging was known by the Romans by the Latin, verberatio. Low scourging posts were permanently positioned for this task. Affixed to the top of each post was a metal ring. Each condemned man was brought forth with his hands tied. The executioners stripped him of his clothing and then forced him to his knees, before binding his hands over his head to the metal ring. The wrists were also shackled to the ring. This locked the body in position, preventing any squirming or other attempts to dodge the blows of the flagellum. Even before the first lash was laid against a mans back, it was common for the victim to tense every muscle in his body and grit his teeth against the horrible pain soon to be inflicted. The key to the executioners art was not how hard they whipped a man but the effort with which they yanked the whips metal-and-bone-flecked tendrils away from the flesh after each blow. For this is when the primary damage to the body was done. To prove themselves superior, the professional killers strived to grip the wooden handle of the flagellum a little harder than their peers and lean into a lash with just a bit more strength. If they did their jobs exceptionally well, they might expose the victims internal organs. As the historian Eusebius wrote of the spectacle, Bystanders were struck with amazement when they saw them lacerated with scourges even to the innermost veins and arteries, so that the hidden inward parts of the body, both their bowels and their members, were exposed to view. Romans could put as many lashes on a man as they chose, but Jewish law specified a limit to the number of lashes. The Romans left just about enough life in a man to be able to carry the crossbar, the patibulum, of his cross. But, Pilate didnt want to crucify Jesus but punish him and let him go, so, rather than bits of metal or sheep bone, the executioners affixed to the tips of the flagrum small lead weights known as plumbatae. The choice was strategic. These dumbbell-shaped implements did not rip flesh and muscle as quickly as the sharper scorpiones tips. There was no gap between the blows. The instant one executioner pulled back his whip, the other unfurled his lash across Jesuss back. Even when the tendrils of leather and lead got tangled, the soldiers didnt stop. Pilate ordered Jesus to be lashed, but not until He was dead but physically broken. OReillys book is an excellent account of the historical background of the Gospels account of the crucifixion. History of the Roman Empire is important to understanding the NT. Nat Geo is working on making OReillys book into a movie.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 16:07:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015