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Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage
I wasn't trying to say that the crucifixion wasn't portrayed accurately.
In fact, I don't think I tried to indicate that the brutality of the movie did not reflect what might have actually occurred.
While we will never know for sure just how brutal it was, I have no issue with what was portrayed in Gibson's movie, and can fully accept what he put on the screen could have easily occurred. Well, except for the fact that most men would have been dead before time came to carry the cross. And most men, even if still conscious when it came time to carry his cross, would have NOT been able to carry something, that in the movie, required at LEAST two to three NON BEATEN/WHIPPED HALF TO DEATH men. I thought that was quite unbelievable.
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A few thoughts on the crucifixion: The Romans were anything but saints. In some ways, they were more brutal and violent than the barbarians they often fought. Rome didn't have any laws on their books that prohibited cruel and unusual punishment. Quite the contrary. The Romans dreamed of ways to make capital punishment as cruel, horrific, torturous and violent as possible. "Cruel and unusual" punishment was very much in vogue 2,000 years ago.
And there are a few eye-opening texts in the the Book of the Isaiah that speaks to Christ's death, specifically the lengthy messianic prophecy in Isa 52:13 - 53:12. Verse 14 of chapter 52 reads:
Isa 52:14
14
As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
KJV
The word translated "marred" literally means disfigured. Probably to the point of being unrecognizable. In fact, in 53:3, it states:
Isa 53:3
He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face,
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
NASB
Whenever we see something that is most unpleasant or highly offensive to our eyes, the first reaction we have is to avert our gaze away from that object. So, I think Gibson's movie was probably the most accurate portrayal of the crucifixion that was ever brought to the screen.
Boxcar
