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Bible Question: Can
you provide me with any historical facts about the cross?
Bible Answer: Ancient
writers have left us with comments and descriptions about the cross. These
comments come to us from Cicero, Josephus, Tertullian, and Seneca
to name a few. The cross as a tool for torture was borrowed by the
Roman Empire from the Phoenicians. Here is a summary of some of the
information that is available.
Punishing The Victims. The cross was used by the
Romans to execute slaves, robbers, assassins, people in rebellious provinces,
and only rarely for citizens. The victims were first abused with whips. After
the victims' sentence was declared, they were flogged with leather whips which
had metal, rocks, and bones embedded in the leather. The victim was then required
to carry his or her cross to the place of death. A sign was also hung from the
victim's neck declaring the reason for the torture. Once they arrived at the
place of the crucifixion, they were stripped naked and then either tied or nailed
to the cross. There were different types of crosses, including the use of trees.
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Ancient
Eye Witnesses. The use of crosses to kill men, women, and children
was common. Here are some quotes from Josephus.
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. . they were first whipped, and then tormented with all
sorts of tortures before they . . . were then crucified before
the wall of the city. This miserable procedure made Titus
greatly to pity them. While they caught every day five hundred
Jews . . . So the soldiers, out of the wrath and hatred they
bore the Jews, nailed those they caught, one after one .
. . by way of jest; when their multitude was so great, that
room was wanting for the crosses . . . |
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Flavius,
Josephus. War of the Jews. 5.11.1 |
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.
. . so the citizens fled along the narrow lanes, and the
soldiers slew those that they caught, and no method of plunder
was omitted; they also . . . brought many before Flarus,
whom he first chastised with stripes, and then crucified.
Accordingly, the whole number of those that were destroyed
that day, with their wives and children (for they did not
spare the infants themselves), was about three thousand six
hundred . . . |
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Flavius,
Josephus. War of the Jews. 2.14.9 |
Conclusion:The
Romans were cruel. It is at their hands that Jesus died a horrible
death for our sins. He did it so that we could live with Him some
day. All He asks us to do is to believe Him
and turn our life over to Him (Rom. 10:9). Thank you Jesus! Thank
you . . . |
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