Jewish laws stipulated that if a man was stoned to death he must be allowed to wear a loincloth. Throughout the Roman world, men were crucified naked – though this may not have been the case when Jesus died. The crucified man was tortured and demeaned in every possible way. The suffering in this form of execution is still reflected in the English word ‘excruciating’.įor a Jew, crucifixion had an extra, terrifying dimension: according to Deuteronomy 21:22-23 a man who was crucified was cursed by God: ‘And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death and you hang him on a tree his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is accursed by God…’ No Roman citizen could be crucified without the personal authorization of the emperor himself. Crucifixion was a shameful punishment inflicted on slaves, criminals and rebels.
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