Who Tortured Jesus?

10 Horrifying Tortures Of Early Christians

Early Christians were subjected to persecution and even death as a result of their religious convictions.Some were tormented initially, while others were not.Peter, Simon the Zealot, Phillip, Jude the brother of James, and Andrew were all crucified in different places of the globe, making a total of 11 disciples (not counting Judas) who were crucified with Jesus.Peter had requested that he be crucified upside down, and the Romans were only too delighted to oblige him in his request.An X was drawn on Andrew’s cross, which has since become known as St.Andrew’s Cross and is shown on the Scottish national anthem.

This list comprises ten of the most strange and terrible techniques of torture that were inflicted on Christians throughout history, from antiquity to the Early Middle Ages.A great deal of this material has been collected from John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and has been confirmed by other sources.

10Cooked To Death

Saint Lawrence of Rome is better renowned for the way in which he died than for his ministry during his lifetime.A Roman prefect ordered that the tithes of the Catholic Church be turned over to the Roman state.Lawrence responded by calling his destitute congregation, whom he claimed were the tithes because the money had been given to them for food.The prefect was arrested and sentenced to death.To appease the outraged prefect, he ordered that metal plates be placed over a bed of coals and heated until they were red hot.Lawrence was then shackled and placed face down on the ground, nude.

Lawrence’s body sizzled, smoked, and burnt until it was completely black, yet he made no protest or begged for mercy from the prefect.Eventually, he said in a clear voice, ″I’m finished with that side.″ ″Turn me over and give me something to eat.″ He has since been designated as the patron saint of chefs.Peter, a eunuch of Diocletian’s household, was revealed to be a Christian and was cooking in the same fashion as Lawrence when he was discovered.

9Dragged To Death

Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark, was the founder of the Christian Church in Alexandria, where he preached to the people about the need of abandoning their worship of Egyptian gods and goddesses.We don’t know how long he was able to maintain this level of activity, but he did convert a significant number of people before an irate crowd wrapped a rope around his neck and carried him through the streets for two days without interruption.Even after his death, the dragging continued until his bones could be seen through his clothing.The older Hippolytus of Rome, who served under Pope Pontian, is said to have been carried to death behind a wild horse on the island of Sardinia, according to certain traditions.He has since been designated as the patron saint of horses.During a bullfight in Toulouse in 257, Saturninus of Toulouse was carried throughout the city until the bull was chased down a flight of stone stairs, where Saturninus’s brain was shattered.

Constantius II (who had previously succeeded his father, Constantine the Great) died in 361 and his son Julian the Apostate succeeded him in 361.Julian re-established pagan cults across the empire and persecuted Christians to the point of death.It took him less than two years to command that they be hunted out and dragged to death in every city and along the caravan routes across Palestine.

8Skinned

The process of removing the skin is so terrible that victims almost always pass out many times throughout the torture.In order to avoid this, they were typically hung upside down so that the increased blood flow to their brains forced them to remain aware.When removing the skin, it is difficult, and torturers rarely made an effort to remove it in one piece unless they were looking for a trophy.A knife was usually used to slice the skin into strips, and then each strip was peeled away from the body with the help of the other strips.The skin was frequently thrown into a fire or fed to animals, or it was dangled in front of the victim’s eyes.This is how Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles, was assassinated by Armenians, who were angry because he had translated Matthew’s Gospel into their language.

The Armenians were adamant in their refusal to give up their idols, and they executed Bartholomew by executing him upside down on a cross and skinning him.

7Sewn Into Skins And Eaten By Dogs

This punishment was invented by Nero himself, not just to inflict suffering on Christians, but also to provide entertainment for him and his guests.Christians were said to have been crucified on trees in Nero’s gardens, where they were smeared with wax and then lit on fire to provide light for his nighttime walks (he didn’t seem to mind the stink, apparently).Others he had sewed into skins—any big animal was skinned and the prepared skin was stitched around the victim, with the exception of the victim’s head, hands, and feet—and others he had stuffed inside hides.Then a swarm of voracious dogs was unleashed.As if she were a crab, the victim could only scurry around on all fours.Dogs are reported to have gnawed at Nero’s skin as if it were a bone, and Nero was said to have laughed gleefully.

Julian of Antioch was tormented every day for a whole year and then paraded through the streets of every town in Cilicia, drawing adoring crowds (a southern coastal region of what is now Turkey).Then he was sewed into a skin that was stuffed with asps and scorpions and thrown into the Aegean Sea, where he died.He is reported to have sailed all the way across the Mediterranean Sea to Alexandria, Egypt, before being captured.

6Starved To Death

Imperial Rome existed from 249 until 251, when Emperor Decius was assassinated at the Battle of Abrittus in Bulgaria.During his brief reign, he ordered the construction of a temple at Ephesus and the sacrifice of all Christians for the benefit of the emperor (rather than ″to″ the emperor, because to do so would be to assign divinity to Decius, who was still alive).This was against Roman law, but most Christians regarded any comparable sacrifice to be incompatible with their religious beliefs and refused to participate, even after being informed that they would be tortured to death.Pope Fabian himself was beheaded as a result of the controversy.In the next year, it was revealed that seven of Decius’s best troops, Constantinus, Dionysius, Malchus, Martianus and Maximianus, as well as Joannes and Seraion, had become Christian converts.With the promise of an extended vacation while he was abroad, Decius endeavored to persuade them to return to the Roman faith.

They took refuge in a cave after fleeing the area.When Decius returned, he was informed of their positions, and he immediately had the cave shut.All seven of them perished as a result of malnutrition or dehydration.As with Rip van Winkle’s story, it is said that these seven men fell asleep and woke up 360 years later, when they emerged from the cave and astounded everyone in town.

5Boiled To Death

Boiling water produces first-degree burns nearly immediately and third-degree burns after 10 minutes if not treated immediately.Death is commonly signaled by the color of the water turning crimson as it ultimately breaks the blood vessels, which is caused by the flesh sloughing away deep into the muscle.Tradition relates that John the Apostle, who penned the Gospel of John, survived after being cooked in a pot of oil, and that he was exiled to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea as a result.It is said that in the year 222 an unnamed lady, presumably St.Cecilia, was tortured in a bathtub over an open fire for more than two days and a half after she converted her husband and brother.As a result of their boldness, they were decapitated, as was the captain who led them to their deaths.

He converted as a result of the victims’ courage.Cecilia is claimed to have sung a hymn of thanks to God after she was brought back to life from her bath tub, which is why she is known as the patron saint of music.After that, she was beheaded.The Second Nun’s Tale, which appears in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, was inspired by this story.

4The Inquisition’s Auto Da Fe

By the 13th century, everyone anticipated the arrival of the Spanish Inquisition.Inquisitions were established in every country in Western Europe, but the Spanish inquisition was the most violent and hated of all.Anyone found guilty of anything, even if it was only reading the Bible in his or her native language, was prosecuted, convicted, and frequently killed.The ceremonial of execution and torture was referred to as a ″Auto do Fe,″ which means ″Act of Faith″ in Portuguese.This criterion was routinely disobeyed by the Inquisition, which was under strict orders not to drop any blood while carrying out its tortures.The most typical procedure was for the victim to be stripped down to his underpants and positioned face-up on a raised platform, which was usually made of wood or metal.

Thin ropes were threaded through holes in the victim’s body and wrapped around his or her limbs before being dragged so tightly that they sliced through the flesh to the bones.It was possible to repeat the process up to four times if no confession was made.However, if this did not produce a confession, the next stage involved folding the arms backward behind the victim with the palms outward, then both arms were tied together with a winch that gradually ratcheted the arms closer and closer until the backs of the hands came into contact with each other.This yanked both shoulders out of their sockets with such force that blood sprayed out of the lips of the victim.

1. After that, a surgeon would fix the joints and the sufferer would be sentenced to two months in prison to heal.
2. Two months later, the last torture consisted of a thick chain being shackled around the victim’s torso and both ends being hooked to a winch.
3. The arms were pinned straight at the sides, and the chain was looped around the wrists to secure the position.
4. Then it was tightened as if it were a tourniquet until the shoulders and wrists were forced out of place.
5. The joints were then reset, and the torture was inflicted for a second time on the victim right away.

• If the victim continued to refuse to confess, he was sentenced to death by burning at the stake.
• The penalty for doing so was another month or two in prison, followed by parole as a crippled person.

3Ground To Death In A Mill

Saint Victor Maurus may have died the most agonizing death of all during the reign of Emperor Maximian in the first century AD.From approximately 303 until he was found, he discreetly ministered to his parishioners in Milan before being taken through the streets behind a horse as the mob stripped him naked and beat him before demanding that he repent.He refused and was forced to be stretched on a rack for a day, during which time he prayed to God for the ability to remain patient.He was then arrested and imprisoned, where he instantly converted three of his jail guards.After hearing this, Maximian ordered the guards to be killed and Victor tortured once more as the torturers beat him mercilessly with clubs.He was told to retract his statement, which he refused to do for the third time.

Victor was commanded to offer incense on a Roman altar erected by Maximian, who then ordered the altar to be dedicated to Jupiter.Victor became infuriated and kicked the altar to the ground.Maximumin fiercely ordered that the offending foot be amputated; following that, the torturers threw Victor into a stone mill that was meant to grind wheat into flour, where he was crushed to death by the stone mill’s rollers.

2Broken On The Wheel

The breaking wheel is a type of torture in which the prisoner is tied to the side of a wheel that has been set flat on the ground.It is extremely painful.Afterwards, one of two ways was utilized: either the torturer used a sledgehammer to shatter every limb to pulp, or the wheel was forced to revolve in transection with another, like gears, resulting in the victim’s body being crushed between the two wheels.Except for the chest and head, no bone or portion of bone was spared in the effort to keep the person alive.Occasionally, the genitals were shattered in this manner.The victim was then abandoned in this state, where he or she may succumb to exposure, blood loss, or being devoured by birds and ants.

The destiny of a guy named Peter, who lived in Lampsacus, Mysia (now Lapseki in Turkey), about the year 250, was similar.He was killed together with three other Christians, namely Paul, Andrew, and Dionisia, for their faith.Dionisia was sentenced to be raped to death, but according to legend, an angel intervened and the three rapists who had been nominated fled in terror.She eventually managed to get out of prison, but she wanted to be martyred like her companions, so she agreed to enable the authorities to apprehend her.

1. Paul and Andrew were stoned to death, and she was decapitated.
2. Peter was shattered on the wheel, and then he was decapitated.

1Having Their Guts Eaten By Pigs

Saint Marcus served as Bishop of Arethusa, a town in modern-day Apameia, Syria, in 363, during the reign of Julian the Apostate.Julian had ordered Marcus to rebuild a crumbling pagan temple, but Marcus instead demolished it and fled the city with his family.He quickly recognized that if he did not return, his Christian followers would be forced to pay the price for what he had done, and so he did.His furious townmates dragged him through the streets, stripped him naked, stabbed him all over his body with their pencils and quills, smeared him with honey, and hung him in a basket outside the town square, where wasps and bees would descend on him and devour him.He died as a result of their actions.Following his discovery, some of his supporters were dragged down by the crowd, which ripped their tummies apart with their bare hands.

Corn was stuffed into their stomachs, and pigs were placed on top of them.The pigs gobbled up the corn—as well as their own guts.FlameHorse is a writer who contributes to Listverse.

What the torture and execution of Jesus did to his body

1. As an RSL Sub-Branch funeral officer, I have the opportunity to go to a variety of churches and chapels to perform the ex-servicemen and women’s burial rites.
2. The artwork and statues in the older and more traditional churches catch my eye.
3. They are beautiful.

Statue of the Crucifixion Those of Jesus on the cross during his crucifixion are of particular importance to me.One of the Catholic churches contains a life-size figure of Jesus on the crucified, complete with a crown of thorns, a spear wound in his side, and nails in his feet, all of which are visible from the outside.One thing that isn’t shown is the severe wounds He received during the scourging or flagellation that took place before He was brought back to Pilate for final judgment.Because ″I have discovered in him no fault deserving of death,″ I was taught as a child that Pilate ordered Jesus to be scourged, but not severely.(See Luke 23:22 in the New Testament.) The inverse appears to be true, since Pilate sought to pacify the throng by ordering Jesus to be scourged in a particularly severe manner.Flagellation Roman flagellation was one of the most dreaded of all punishments, and it was especially loathed by women.

1. Generally, it was carried out by Roman soldiers using the most hated device of the day, the flagrum, in a manner that was both violent and terrible to the victims.
2. Essentially, this was a whip with three or more leather tails, each of which held plumbatae, small metal balls, or sheep bones attached to the end of each tail.
3. These plumbatae tore the skin to shreds, causing internal damage to the kidneys, liver, and lungs, as well as breaking ribs.
4. The prisoner was stripped of all his clothing and tied to a pillar, which was placed low down so that he was in a kneeling posture, which allowed the torturer to exert more pressure with the flagrum.
5. The tormentor would alternate sides in order to guarantee that all portions of the body were treated in the same manner.
6. After then, the ‘Crown of Thorns’ appeared.

As Dr.Michael Evanari, Professor of Botany at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has pointed out, the Syrian Christ Thorn, which was readily accessible in Jerusalem, appears to have been the plant that was most likely to have been utilized for the crown of thorns in the biblical story.It wasn’t just for show either.The thorns were intended to penetrate well into the scalp, causing nerve damage and blood vessel damage, as well as severe facial discomfort.The pain may also be accompanied by spasmodic bouts of stabbing, lancinating, and explosive sensations, according to Dr Evanari.The Jewish holiday of Passover in Jerusalem was a flashpoint.

The men who crucified Jesus had been hired to put down a repeated uprising in Palestine, which had led to his death.Their responsibility was to protect public order, and they would do just that.Obviously, this scourging did not pacify the mob, nor did the mob agree to Jesus’ being exchanged for the terrorist Barabbas; as a result, Pilate, scared once more by the mob during the Passover, ordered Jesus’ crucifixion.The Short Cross is a type of cross that is short in length.

The cross itself was the ultimate form of torture, with many victims suffering for several hours before succumbing to their injuries.In reading what Dr Evanari and others had to say about the cross and the crucifixion, I discovered something else.A T-shaped cross weighing between 175 and 200 pounds could not have been carried by an embittered, beaten, bleeding, mangled mess of a man who was already suffering from respiratory difficulties as well as hypovolemic and traumatic shock.

• The short answer is that He did not.
• The cross used in Roman crucifixions was composed of two parts: ″the upright or mortise, which is referred to as the stipes, or staticulum, and the tenon or crosspiece, which is referred to as the patibulum, or antenna,″ and ″the tenon or crosspiece, which is referred to as the patibulum, or antenna.″ The crosspiece was borne by Jesus.
• The palms of his hands, rather than the wrists, were nailed to a crosspiece on the ground during His death on the cross.

• It was then inserted into a rectangular slot or mortice that had been cut onto the end of each of the stipes’ stipes.
• Because it was simpler to hoist the crosspiece and the victim into place on a shorter cross, according to Dr Evanari, Roman crosses stood between seven and seven-and-a-half feet in height.
• ″It was also easier to remove the corpse from a small cross after death,″ he continued.
• Shorter bridges also made it simpler for wild animals to finish off their prey when they were wounded.
• According to Dr Evanari, ″They then bent His knees until His feet were flush with the cross and nailed His feet to the upright.″ It is impossible to understand the agony our Lord was experiencing, but He knew from the beginning that this was what He needed to do in order to pay the penalty for man’s sins.
• Because of what Jesus did, we have the opportunity to experience everlasting life.

Paintings and monuments of the Resurrected Christ are my personal favorites.Thanks to Press Service International for their assistance.

The Torture of Jesus – knowtruth

1. Messianic Prophecy: A Survey of the Evidence The Crucifixion of Jesus (Page 6).
2. Following Jesus’ betrayal and incarceration, He was subjected to six trials, as well as many beatings, humiliation, and mockery.
3. These occurrences were documented more than 800 years before they really occurred.

It is possible to find predictions concerning Jesus’ crucifixion in a variety of locations throughout the Bible.Here are only a few illustrations.My back was exposed to those who struck Me, and my cheeks were exposed to those who plucked out my beard; I did not shield My face from shame and spitting.″ Isaiah 50:6 (The Bible) He was pierced through for our trespasses and crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and it is through His scourging that we are healed.″ Even though he was oppressed and afflicted, he did not open His mouth; He was like a lamb being taken to slaughter, and like a sheep being mute before its shearers, in that He did not open His lips.″ (See Isaiah 53:5 and 7) The LORD delights in him, and those who see him scoff at him; they separate with the lip and wave their heads, saying, ‘Commit yourself to the LORD, and He will deliver you; let Him rescue you, for He delights in him.’″ (7:7-8) in Psalm 22:7-8 ‘Because hounds have surrounded me; a gang of nefarious individuals has encircled me; they have punctured both my hands and my feet.’ I’m able to count every one of my bones.They take a peek at me, they stare at me;″ Psalm 22:16-17 is a passage from the Bible that says Only the most vivid imagination can convey the agony and misery of being nailed to that cross, with one’s wrists and feet punctured and bones being ripped from their joints in such a visible manner that they might be counted.The fulfillment of each of these prophecies is documented in Matthew 27 in the manner that was predicted.When comparing the accuracy of the following prophesy to the fulfillment recounted by John, take note of the precision.

1. Were the clothes of Jesus shared among the soldiers, or did the soldiers draw lots to determine who would get them?
2. Both are indicated by John, precisely as the prophesy indicates: ″They divide my clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for my apparel.″ Psalm 22:18 says that ″Then, after they had crucified Jesus, the soldiers divided His outer clothes into four parts, one for each soldier, as well as the tunic, which was seamless, having been sewn in one piece.
3. As a result, they replied to one another, ″Let us not pull it apart, but rather cast lots for it, to choose who will get it,″ in order to fulfill the Scripture.″ (See also John 19:23-24.) Once again, particular detail as recounted by John is foreshadowed by the Psalmist: ″They likewise gave me gall for my meal, and they gave me vinegar to drink for my thirst.″ ‘I am thirsty,’ Jesus said after this, knowing that all things had already been achieved in order to fulfill the Scripture.″ (Psalm 69:21) ″After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished in order to fulfill the Scripture,″ Because there was a jar full of sour wine nearby, they placed a sponge full of the sour wine on a branch of hyssop and carried it up to His lips.″ (See also John 19:28-29)

Why Did Pontius Pilate Have Jesus Executed?

1. ″What is truth?″ Pontius Pilate asks Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospel of John, and Jesus responds with a question.
2. It’s a question that may be raised regarding Pilate’s own personal background as well.
3. As told in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, the Roman ruler of Judea appeared to be a shaky judge who originally exonerated Jesus before bowing to public pressure and executing him on the orders of the mob.

Non-Biblical sources, on the other hand, present him as a barbaric commander who wilfully rejected the traditions of the Jewish people under his command.Which version of the truth was correct?WATCH: JESUS: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Vault

Pilate’s early life is a mystery.

1. Before his time as Roman governor of Judea, from 26 and 36 A.D., nothing is known about Pilate’s early life and career.
2. It is believed that he was born into an equestrian family in Italy, however some tales indicate that he was actually born in Scotland, rather than Italy.
3. From the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria emerges one of the earliest—and most damning—accounts of Pilate’s reign as governor.

Around the year 50 A.D., he denounced the prefect for ″briberies, insults, robberies, outrages and wanton injuries, executions without trial, constantly repeated, endless and extremely severe brutality,″ among other things.The early Christian historian Stephen J.Patterson, who teaches early Christianity at Willamette University and is the author of several books including The Forgotten Creed: Christianity’s Original Struggle Against Bigotry, Slavery, and Sexism, says that Philo describes Pilate’s rule as ″corrupt and full of bribery.″ Although such behavior would not have been out of the norm in the case of a Roman emperor, Pilate appears to have done so with greater ruthlessness than usual.″ But, as Helen Bond, dean of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Divinity and author of Pontius Pilate in History and Interpretation, points out, it’s difficult to determine how historically accurate Philo’s tale truly was in the first place.″Philo is a really dramatic writer,″ she observes, ″and one who has very apparent biases: persons who maintain Jewish rules are documented in highly favorable ways, whereas people who do not uphold Jewish laws are represented in quite bad ways.Given Pilate’s resistance to Jewish law, Philo depicts him as ″very severe″ in his description.READ MORE: The Bible Claims That Jesus Was a Real Person.

1. Is there any further evidence?

Pilate clashed with the Jewish population in Jerusalem.

1. As part of his account, Philo claims that Pilate allowed a pair of golden shields emblazoned with the name of the Roman Emperor Tiberius to be brought into King Herod’s former residence in Jerusalem, in defiance of Jewish tradition.
2. Writing more than a half-century later, the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus related a similar story, claiming that Pilate let troops bearing military standards with the likeness of the emperor into Jerusalem, despite Jewish law prohibiting the carrying of images in the holy city.
3. A large number of people journeyed to the Judean city of Caesarea to express their displeasure, and they laid prostrate outside Pilate’s palace for five days until he finally yielded.

Because Josephus was born in Jerusalem the year Pilate resigned, Bond believes he would have had ″pretty good information,″ according to the historian.This account has the ring of a rookie governor experimenting with his powers and entirely underestimating the depth of local opposition to graven images.However, Bond points out that the incident demonstrates his readiness to back down and to heed public opinion in the long run.Josephus related another event, this one with a bloodier conclusion, in which Pilate used cash from the Temple treasury to construct an aqueduct to provide water to Jerusalem.When demonstrators gathered again, Pilate despatched plain-clothed soldiers to enter the mob.They were successful.

1. When he gave the signal, they withdrew clubs disguised in their clothing and beat many of the demonstrators to death with the clubs they had removed.
2. More information may be found at Where is the Head of Saint John the Baptist?

The Gospels portray an indecisive Pilate.

1. Josephus also referred to Pilate’s well-known role in agreeing to Jesus’ death, which he had played previously.
2. After being profoundly concerned about the danger that Jesus’ teachings posed to the Jewish people, the Sanhedrin, an elite council of priestly and lay elders imprisoned him during the Jewish holiday of Passover, according to the Gospels.
3. They hauled Jesus before Pilate to be prosecuted for blasphemy, accusing him of claiming to be the King of the Jews, which they said was false.

And they exerted pressure on Pilate, the only person who had the authority to sentence someone to death, to order his crucifixion.In contrast to Philo and Josephus’ portrayals of Pilate as a ruthless dictator, the four Gospels show him as a vacillating judge who is unable to make a decision.According to the Gospel of Mark, Pilate intervened on Jesus’ behalf before caving in to the demands of the mob.Because he wrote the Gospel during the failed Jewish Revolt against Roman rule, which took place between 66 and 70 A.D., Patterson theorizes that Mark had an ulterior motive, given that the Christian sect was undergoing a bitter break with Judaism at the same time as it was seeking to attract Roman converts.MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: Discovering the Early Christian Church’s Conversion Tactics from Within ″Mark’s goal isn’t truly historical in nature,″ Patterson explains.″Its purpose is to throw a specific light on the Jewish War.

1. Mark blamed the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem for the city’s collapse since the high priests and officials had turned their backs on Jesus when he had arrived in the city.
2. It is less about Pilate in Mark’s portrayal of the tale of Jesus’ trial than it is about transferring responsibility on the Jewish leaders.″ Following this, according to the Gospel of Matthew, Pilate washed his hands in front of the assembled throng before declaring, ″I am innocent of this man’s blood; take care of yourself.″ When the Jewish people heard this, they yelled out, ″His blood be on us and our children.″ For millennia, it would be used to punish the Jewish people, and it is still being utilized now.
3. As Bond explains, ″Matthew claims that, while Romans were accountable for carrying out the action, the Jews were liable—a line of thought that, of course, has had fatal ramifications ever since.″ When Jesus was making problems during a gathering like Passover, when the city was packed to capacity, I don’t believe Pilate would have spent much time worrying about what to do with him.
4. What happened next was totally up to the governor, and after hearing the evidence, he no probably concluded that removing Jesus from the picture was the wisest course of action.″ The offer by Pilate to commute the death sentence of a prisoner by popular vote, which according to the Gospel writers was an annual Passover practice, is yet another part of the New Testament tale that has not been proven historically accurate to the present day.
5. According to the Gospels, the people preferred the criminal Barabbas than Jesus.
6. The so-called custom of freeing a prisoner on Passover has been investigated by scholars, but so far, according to Patterson, ″they have not discovered anything in regard to this so-called ritual.″ READ MORE: New research demonstrates that early Christians did not always interpret the Bible literally.

Pilate disappears from history after his rule.

1. After employing disproportionate force to quell a possible Samaritan uprising, according to Josephus and the Roman historian Tacitus, Pilate was dismissed from office and exiled to the city of Rome.
2. Pilate vanished from the historical record as soon as he arrived in Rome.
3. His execution by the Emperor Caligula or his suicide, with his body being thrown into the Tiber River, are two theories that have been floated around.

In fact, the early Christian author Tertullian said that Pilate had become a disciple of Jesus and had attempted to convert the emperor to Christian beliefs.Archaeologists in Caesarea uncovered concrete proof of Pilate’s presence in 1961, according to the Associated Press.A portion of a carved stone with Pilate’s name and title etched in Latin on it was discovered face down in an antique theater, where it had been used as a stair.According to the evidence available, the ″Pilate Stone″ was initially intended to be used as a dedication plaque for another construction.According to a November 2018 article in the Israel Exploration Journal, improved photography showed Pilate’s name engraved in Greek on a 2,000-year-old copper alloy ring found at Herodium, which was previously thought to be a Roman coin.

What Happened to the Soldiers Who Killed Jesus?

1. It is impossible for those who have never been in war to comprehend what troops go through in the course of their duties.
2. It is tough to live with the reality of death all of the time, and to recognize that you are an agent of death—even if it is for a good cause.
3. Soldiers’ lives are rarely simple, and they are often dangerous.

Not now, and not two thousand years ago, nor will it ever be.However, even warriors who have been hardened by the heat of combat and the trials of military duty can be restored to hope and serenity through God’s saving grace.Look into the life of one soldier, the Centurion who was in charge of the execution of Jesus Christ, and see how this redemption came about.Crucification was an execution procedure in which offenders were attached to a cross of wood and then left to perish in their own blood.God, on the other hand, provides all of us peace, hope, and security via the death of His Son, Jesus, which takes place as a result of this horrible execution.The Life of a Centurion Our eldest son has been serving in the army for a number of years now.

1. We have been reminded that troops are dedicated to placing the task and their commands ahead of their own comfort, as well as their colleagues and their own well-being.
2. It is a way of life characterized by discipline, organization, and collaboration.
3. The same might be said with Centurions.
4. A Centurion was a Roman officer who was in command of a squad of 100 soldiers.
5. The position of centurion was the highest rank attainable in the Roman army, and it was held by the most distinguished soldiers.
6. Just as in the modern military, Centurions were promoted as they progressed through ranks and assumed more responsibilities.

It was an extremely prestigious post.The elevation of a soldier to the rank of Centurion was nearly always based on his or her aptitude and good conduct.Centurions were usually the ones to lead the assault into combat.Away from the battlefield, Centurions maintained order in the ranks, provided security and protection, directed police operations in occupied territories, and oversaw executions.Centurions were not friends with the Jews while they lived in Israel.They were professional troops tasked for upholding the law of Rome in the conquered territory of Israel.

The dreaded Roman invaders were ruthless in their attitude to any and all difficulties they encountered.In addition to their bravery and knowledge, centurions were renowned for their dedication and devotion to the Roman cause.Centurions were considered to be the best soldiers in the Roman army, according to legend.The Centurion at the Cross is a Roman centurion who stands at the foot of the cross.

From midday till three o’clock in the afternoon, the entire country was enveloped in darkness.A loud cry came from Jesus at three o’clock in the afternoon, saying, ″Eli, Eli, lema Sabachthani?″ (Lord, have mercy on us).(which literally translates as ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’)…

• And when Jesus cried out in a loud voice for the third time, he surrendered his spirit.
• The temple’s curtain was split in half from top to bottom at that same time.
• The ground trembled, the rocks cracked, and the tombs burst into flames.

• Many pious persons who had died were brought back to life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• They…
• appeared to a large number of individuals.
• It was terrifying for the Centurion and others with him who were guarding Jesus when they witnessed the earthquake and everything that had transpired.
• They cried, ″Surely he was the Son of God!″ (Matthew 27:45-54, New International Version).
• ″There was no doubt that he was the Son of God!″ What a powerful statement!

These were not the comments of a terrified new recruit, but rather the opposite.This was the decision of a seasoned warrior who had been seen soldiers die horrendous deaths for many years before making this choice.Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, gave the Centurion the order to put Jesus to death by firing squad.Although the Centurion disagrees with the authorities that Jesus merited punishment, he does agree with them that Jesus is actually God, according to his own remark.

1. Why?
2. We must keep in mind that this soldier has most likely witnessed a number of crucifixions.
3. However, there was something odd about this particular execution.

What exactly did he see?Several events surrounding Jesus’ arrest, trial, and execution persuaded the Centurion, including his death on the cross.This is what the Centurion observed So, just what did the Centurion witness was a mystery.What was it that caused him to disagree with the authorities and instead honor the man who had been executed by firing squad?Following His awful torture at the hands of Roman soldiers and His own countrymen, Jesus responds in the following way:

1. , Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?
2. Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.
3. But this has all taken happened that the writings of the prophets could be fulfilled.’ Then alldeserted him and fled.

(MATT.26:55-56, EMPHASIS ADDED) Then the governor’s troops…braided together a crown of thorns and put it on his head.They put a staff in his right hand.Then they knelt in front of him and insulted him.‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said.

1. They spat on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.
2. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him.
3. Then they led him away to crucify him.
4. (27:27-31).
5. Jesus’ mercy towards the mob and the soldiers, including the Centurion.
6. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them!” (LUKE 23:34).

As they sat down to gamble (MATT.27:35-36) for His few possessions and watch Him die, Jesus prayed for their forgiveness, not His own escape.That is amazing!

The response of Creation to the death of the Creator. A witness stated that they ″saw the earthquake and all of the events that were taking place″ (Matt. 27:54). They seen the sun go dark, they felt the force of the earth move beneath their feet, and they witnessed all of these miraculous phenomena come to an abrupt halt as Jesus delivered a loud yell and was crucified.

1. This Centurion was naturally taken aback by the events that transpired in the days leading up to Christ’s death.
2. He and his guys were ″terrified″ since they had never seen anything like it before.
3. The Centurion and his company of battle-hardened warriors had been accustomed to dealing with dread, but they were suddenly confronted with panic.

They had good reason to be afraid, for the events that were unfolding were out of the usual in almost every respect.There will be no ordinary execution.The soldiers were sure that this was no ordinary execution because of the darkness, the earthquake, and the shout of Christ from the cross.They were scared and realized they were seeing the death of God as a result of the occurrences.What a dawning realization!They had put God’s Son to death, had done it!

There is no ordinary power. These individuals did not get their conclusions because of some ‘explanation.’ It was only after seeing the power of God on show in Jesus’ replies and in nature that they came to this conclusion (the earthquake and dark sky).

This isn’t your typical confession. The Centurion’s confession teaches us something very important: it is through His death that Jesus is revealed to us as our Saviour and God in the fullest sense.

1. According to Matthew Henry, we should respond in the same way as the Centurion did: ″Let us, with an eye of faith, look upon Christ and Him crucified, and be that tremendous love with which He loved us.″ Why?
2. The reason is because what we see on the cross, as the Centurion did, is the perfect Son of God dying a horrific death on our behalf.
3. We deserve the death He died because we reject and neglect our Creator (which is what’sin’ is).

He died because we deserve it.The crucifixion represented Jesus accepting all of God’s wrath against us for the way we had lived, in order for Him to reconcile us with God.Allow us to commit ourselves to Him voluntarily.What Comes Next?The people who witnessed Christ’s death and resurrection observed something that cannot be adequately described in words.They overheard stuff that we can only speculate about.

1. However, what they saw is something we can also’see’ in the Bible.
2. In spite of the fact that we have never seen Jesus in his bodily form, we may view Him through the pages of God’s Word, gaining strong reason for believing that He is God’s Son.
3. As the book of Romans defines it, ″Faith comes via hearing, and hearing comes through the word of Christ″ (10:17).
4. This implies that when we read the narratives of Christ’s life and death in the Bible (also known as the ″Word of Christ″), we will discover compelling reasons to place our faith in Him.
5. It is not necessary for us to have been present at the moment in order to be certain of what He accomplished.
6. His just indignation and judgment are due to us because of the way we live, neglecting our Creator and living without Him.

That verdict can only bring us to our death, as we have already proven.However, on the cross, Jesus, the perfect Son of God, took on all of God’s wrath on our behalf, so releasing us from all of God’s judgment.When we put our faith in Him, we surrender our life to Him and become His eternal possession.Jesus’ death on the cross secured the salvation of everyone who believes in him.Soldiers who have returned from war, such as the Centurion, are included.The cross represents God’s ability to rescue anybody who puts their confidence in Him.

At the foot of the cross, the earth is always flat and level.There, poor and rich, old and young, good and evil, generals and centurions, all find level ground on which to bow before the Christ who died for them—and for us—as well as for all people.He is, without a doubt, the Son of God!

Bible Gateway passage: Mark 15:16-32 – New International Version

New International Version(NIV) Version

The Soldiers Mock JesusA)″>(A)

1. 16 The soldiers escorted Jesus away into the palaceB)″>(B) (that is, the Praetorium) and summoned the entire company of soldiers to stand at his side.
2. 17 They dressed him in a purple robe and then twisted a crown of thorns together and placed it on his head.
3. In the meantime, they began to yell out to him, ″Hail, king of the Jews!″C)″>(C) 19 They continued to hit him in the head with a stick and spit on him over and over again.

They bowed their heads and bowed their heads in tribute to him.20 And when they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of his purple robe and dressed him in his own garments.After that, they brought him outD)″>(D) to be crucified.

The Crucifixion of JesusE)″>(E)

1. When a particular man from Cyrene named Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus,F)″>(F), happened to pass by on his way into town from the country, they compelled him to carry the cross.
2. H)″>(H) 22 They took Jesus to a site known as Golgotha (which literally translates as ″the place of the skull″).
3. 23 Then they brought him wine that had been laced with myrrh,I)″>(I), but he refused to drink from it.

24 And then they nailed him to the cross.In order to find out who would get what from his garments, they divided him up and cast lotsJ)″>(J).25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they nailed Jesus on the cross.26 The printed notice of the indictment against him said that he was ″the ruler of the Jews.″ K)″>(K) 27 They nailed him on the cross with two other rebels, one on his right and one on his left.29 Passersby shouted curses at him, shaking their headsL)″>(L) and exclaiming, ″So!Come down from the cross, you who are planning to demolish the temple and rebuild it in three days,M)″>(M) 30 and rescue yourselves!″ The leading priests and professors of the law treated him in a similar manner, and they laughed at him between themselves.

1. It was stated that he had saved others, but that he couldn’t save himself.
2. 32 We implore you to come down from the cross right now, so that we may see and believe in this Messiah,O)″>(O) this ruler of Israel,P)″>(P).″ Those who were crucified with him hurled obscenities at him as well.
3. Read the entire chapter.

Footnotes

15:28 (Matthew 15:28) Some manuscripts feature terms that are similar to those found in Luke 22:37.

dropdown New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

Questions for Bible study groups

1. What was the nature of the scourging torture?
2. What was the reason for Pontius Pilate scourging Jesus?
3. What was it about the military that made them so harsh to a political prisoner?

1. In a nutshell: Pontius Pilate ordered Jesus, a Galilean teacher and miracle worker, to be cruelly beaten on the instructions of the Roman governor.
2. The soldiers then clothed him in purple and placed a thorn-woven crown on his head, mocking him and referring to him as the ″King of the Jews.″ It is pretty evident that Pontius Pilate attempted to save Jesus by presenting the mob an unappealing option, Barabbas, in order to divert their attention away from Jesus.
3. As we all know, this ruse did not work.

He then tried something else.To solicit sympathy from the mob, he had Jesus brutally flogged and then paraded him before them in an attempt to win their sympathy.It was obvious to him, and he reasoned that it should also be obvious to the rest of the audience, that this pitiful creature in front of them could not be regarded seriously as a monarch.Even though scourging was a cruel punishment, it was customary practice before the crucifixion.The whip, known as the flagellum, was made up of numerous thongs, each of which was linked to a piece of bone or metal.The body of a guy was reduced to a bloody pulp.

1. Pedro de Mena’s The Man of Sorrows, a carved wooden figure with a painted surface, was created in 1673.
2. To be whipped, the person to be whipped was stripped of his clothing, bound to a stake or pillar, and beaten until his flesh was torn apart.
3. There was no limit to the amount of strikes that might be administered; the flogging may continue for as long as the soldier giving it desired.
4. As a result of a flogging, men commonly collapsed and died on the spot.
5. The Jewish historian Josephus claims with a certain amount of pride that he beat rebels in Galilee until their intestines were visible.
6. The following verse is noteworthy because it demonstrates what Pilate may have had in mind when he sentenced Jesus to be scourged: ‘…And when their commanders entered the home, Josephus led them to the most private section of the house and locked the door behind them, after which he lashed them until every one of their inside parts was exposed.

While this was going on, the crowds gathered around the home, believing that he was engaged in a lengthy discussion with people who had entered the house about what they had said about him.He then ordered the doors to be opened quickly, and he sent the men out covered in blood, which so horrified those who had threatened him that they put their arms over their necks and fled the building.Book 2, Chapter 2 of Josephus’ Wars, verse 5 Gospel texts can be found in the blue text at the bottom of the page.As soon as the soldiers finished flogging Jesus, they began engaging in some nasty horseplay with their hapless prisoner.The charge leveled against Jesus was that he addressed himself as ‘King of the Jews,’ and as a result, the disciples concocted a ludicrous charade in which Jesus pretended to be some sort of royal ruler.They fashioned a crude crown out of thorny twigs and placed it atop his head.

Traditionally, this is shown as a crown of thorns, although the Greek term for ″crown of triumph″ that is used to describe it in the gospels is more accurately translated as ″wreath of victory″ — the kind of wreath worn by winning athletes during ancient Olympic games.The insignia worn by Rome’s vassal kings included a gilded wreath of leaves, which was likewise gilded.The ‘crown of thorns’ may have been intended more as a kind of ridicule than as a form of torment.Following the coronation of their ‘king,’ they wrapped him in what seemed to be a dark crimson chlamys, similar to the one worn by officers in the army.

Obtaining this would have been a simple task for the military.Purple fabric was highly expensive, and it is unlikely that regular troops would have had access to such a luxury.According to John’s account, the soldiers ‘came at’ Jesus.

• ‘Hail, Caesar,’ for example, was a common way of greeting, but it was also used when speaking to royalty, as in ″Hail, Caesar.″ It is likely that they assumed he was a king and that they were courtiers coming forward to pay homage.
• The sadistic laughing at the cost of their victim, as they beat him with reed canes, mocking his helplessness, was without a doubt a large part of their performance.
• There is no question that the troops were harsh, but they were also under a great deal of stress and strain.

• Passover in Jerusalem was a tense period in which anything may happen at any moment.
• It should be noted that these men were not Roman soldiers, but rather auxiliary troops who had been enlisted to put down a repeated insurrection in Palestine.
• Their responsibility was to protect public order, and they would do just that.
• There is little question that their treatment of Jesus was harsh, but it was most likely directed at the Jewish population and their leaders rather than at the unfortunate man who stood before them.
• For gospel passages, please see the green text at the bottom of the page.
• What occurred after that?

See Ishrahel van Meckenem’s Death Sentence Crowning with Thorns for further information.

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What  the  Gospels say

1. First, read the blue paragraph about the scourging of Jesus.
2. 2 The soldiers make fun of Jesus, as shown in the green writing.
3. Matthew 27:26-31 is a biblical passage.

26 After that, he freed Barabbas for them, and after scourging Jesus, he handed him over to the Romans to be executed.27 After that, the governor’s troops led Jesus into the praetorium, where they collected the entire battalion in front of him for protection.Then, after removing his clothes, they draped him in a crimson robe, 29 and plaiting a crown of thorns around his head, they placed a reed in the right hand of the man they had undressed.They bowed their heads before him and cried out, ″Hail, King of the Jews!″ as they did so.30 And they spit on him, and then they seized the reed and hit him on the head with it.When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of his robe and placed his own clothing on him before leading him away to be crucified.

1. Mark 15:16-20 is a passage of Scripture.
2. 16 And the soldiers took him away into the palace (that is, the praetorium), where they summoned the entire battalion to follow them.
3. 17 And they wrapped him in a purple garment and placed a crown of thorns over his head, plaiting the thorns together.
4. They proceeded to salute him with the words, ″Hail, King of the Jews!″ 18 Afterwards, they bowed their heads to him with a reed and spat on him, and they prostrated themselves before him in adoration.
5. 20 And when they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of his purple robe and dressed him in his own garments.
6. And then they brought him out to be crucified.

Luke 23:20-22 (KJV) 20 Pilate addressed them once more, expressing his desire to release Jesus; 21 but they responded with cries of ″Crucify, crucify him!″ 22 A third time, he addressed them, saying, ″Why, what evil has he committed?″ My investigation has revealed that he has committed no crimes worthy of execution, and I will consequently have him flogged and released.″ John 19:1-5 is a passage from the gospel of John.1 After that, Pilate bound Jesus with a scourging rod.He was clothed in purple, and the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns on his head and dressed him in a purple robe; 3 they walked up to him and greeted him with shouts of ″Hail, King of the Jews!″ before striking him with their fists.4 Pilate went out again and told them, ″See, I’m bringing him out to you so that you may see that I have found no evidence of wrongdoing in him.″ 5 Jesus then emerged from the tomb, adorned with thorns on his head and dressed in purple.″Look, here’s the man!″ Pilate said to them.Caravaggio’s The Flagellation of Christ at the Column is a masterpiece.