CRUCIFIXION In ancient times criminals were executed by crucifixion. /It is said that Darius crucified some two hundred people when conquering Babylon; and Alexander the Great, crucified two thousand when conquering Tyre]. Crucifixion was also common means of capital punishment for the Romans. It was a Roman technique of execution: the word “crucify” in Latin means “fix 10 a cross.” In our days capital punishment is rare. Criminals are executed by electric chair, hanging, gas chamber, lethal injection or firing squad. But the Romans crucified. ‘The idea was to have the condemned man die as publicly and terribly as possible. So it had to be a public spectacle. The condemned was scourged first, to make him a bloody figure. A procession of death moved through the city streets, with a sign advertising why this man was being executed. The place of his dying had to be public — for example, near the city gates or on a hill — with the sign over the dying man’s head as a lesson to all. When fixed to the cross by nails or ropes, the dying man would be elevated. His feet were at about head level of passers-by. So in pitiable state he would await death, looking out at the passing crowd, out of reach of all but their stones and insults. He could live for days ~ unless weakened or unless death was hastened by beating, stabbing or fire-induced suffocation. In earlier days the dead body was left to decay on the cross, carrion food for birds. But later special permission was given to bury the body. In this way Jesus Christ was crucified, died and was buried — for us sinners.THE CRUCIFIXION Crucifixion was the most painful torture the ancient world had devised. Besides the pain from scourging, beating, loss of blood and lack of vital fluids, when one’s arms and legs were fixed to a cross by tying with rope or nailing, the victim began a slow process of asphyxiation. As the muscles of the upper body rigidly tightened in prolonged contraction, breathing became more and more difficult and painful. The only relief was to push oneself up by using one’s legs. When the legs could no longer lift the body up, breathing stopped and the victim died. Thus, death could be hastened by breaking the victim’s legs (cf. John 19: 31-32).