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| Nailing of wrists.
Left, Size of iron nail, Center, Location of nail in wrist, between carpals
and radius. Right, Cross section of wrist, at level of plane indicated at left,
showing path of nail, with probable transection of median nerve and impalement
of flexor pollicis longus, but without injury to major arterial trunks and without
fractures of bones.
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He was usually naked, unless this was
prohibited by local customs. (11) Since the
weight of the entire cross was probably well over
300 lb. (136 kg), only the crossbar was carried.
(11) The patibulum, weighing 75 to 125 lb. (34 to
57 kg), (11,30) was placed across the nape of the
victim's neck and balanced along both shoulders.
Usually, the outstretched arms then were tied to
the crossbar. (7,11) The processional to the site
of crucifixion was led by a complete Roman
military guard, headed by a centurion. (3,11) One
of the soldiers carried a sign (titulus) on which
the condemned man's name and crime were
displayed. (3,11) Later, the titulus would be
attached to the top of the cross. (11) The Roman
guard would not leave the victim until they were
sure of his death. (9,11)
Outside the city walls was permanently located the heavy upright wooden stipes, on which the patibulum would be secured. In the case of the Tau cross, this was accomplished by means of a mortise and tenon joint, with or without reinforcement by ropes. (10,11,30) To prolong the crucifixion process, a horizontal wooden block or plank, serving as a crude seat (sedile or sedulum), often was attached midway down the stipes. (3,11,16) Only very rarely, and probably later than the time of Christ, was an additional block (suppedaneum) employed for transfixion of the feet. (9,11) At the site of execution, by law, the victim was given a bitter drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall) as a mild analgesic. (7,17) The criminal was then thrown to the ground on his back, with his arms outstretched along the patibulum. (11) the hands could be nailed or tied to the crossbar, but nailing apparently was preferred by the Romans. (8,11) The archaeological remains of a crucified body, found in an ossuary near Jerusalem |
and dating from the time of Christ,
indicate that the nails were tapered iron spikes
approximately 5 to 7 in (13 to 18 cm) long with a
square shaft 3/8 in (1 cm) across. (23,24,30)
Furthermore, ossuary findings and the Shroud of
Turin have documented that the nails commonly
were driven through the wrists rather than the
palms. (22-24,30) After both arms were fixed to the crossbar, the patibulum and the victim, together, were lifted onto the stipes. (11) On the low cross, four soldiers could accomplish this relatively easily. However, on the tall cross, the soldiers used either wooden forks or ladders. (11) Next, the feet were fixed to the cross, either by nails or ropes. Ossuary findings and the Shroud of Turin suggest that nailing was the preferred Roman practice. (23,24,30) Although the feet could be fixed to the sides of the stipes or to a wooden footrest (suppedaneum), they usually were nailed directly to the front of the stipes. (11) To accomplish this, flexion of the knees may have been quite prominent, and the bent legs may have been rotated laterally (23-25,30) When the nailing was completed, the titulus was attached to the cross, by nails or cords, just above the victim's head. (11) The soldiers and the civilian crowd often taunted and jeered the condemned man, and the soldiers customarily divided up his clothes among themselves. (11,25) The length of survival generally ranged from three or four hours to three or four days and appears to have been inversely related to the severity of the scourging. (3,11) However, even if the scourging had been relatively mild, the Roman soldiers could hasten death by breaking the legs below the knees (crurifragium or skelokopia). (3,11) |
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