Crucifixion

Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment where the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden beam and left to hang, possibly for several days, until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It has been used in various parts of the world and is most famous for its use by the Roman Empire, which crucified the Jesus of Nazareth.

History

Crucifixion was used among the Seleucids, Carthaginians, and Romans from about the 6th century BC to the 4th century AD. In the year 337, Emperor Constantine the Great abolished it in the Roman Empire out of veneration for Jesus Christ, the most famous victim of crucifixion. It was also used as a form of punishment among the Persians, Indians, Assyrians and Scythians.

Procedure

The condemned was usually stripped naked and scourged, a process which involved a short whip with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals. The scourging could be severe enough to cause death.

In Christianity

In Christianity, the crucifixion of Jesus is a central event. According to the New Testament, Jesus was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally crucified by the Romans.

See also

• Capital punishment
• Jesus
• Roman Empire
• Constantine I

References

Crucifixion Resources
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