I’ve been interested lately in the various medical accounts as part of a study series for my church. Searching around, I have found various accounts that agree in many areas, but disagree in others.

For example, many accounts believe that when Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane he prayed so intensely that blood became mixed with his sweat. This medical condition known as hematridosis has appeared in medical literature. Many notable cases include a British woman during the bombing of England during WWII and Civil War soliders during amputation. However, there are some, including Douglas Jacoby, that believe the phrase “like drops of blood” is more a metaphor than a literal mixing of fluids.

The punishment during Jesus’ trials has also been characterized differently. More than one account believes that the Roman lictors had training in Jewish law. In other words, that they delivered forty minus one lashes. The Romans had no such law that I’ve seen, but it does appear in Jewsih law, Deut 25:3. Some accounts make mention of the repeated blows to the head, but no one seems to agree on the size of the staff used. To further complicate matters, despite many Christians urging the use of The Passion as a coversion tool, there is controversy that the movie over dramatized the beatings and exaggerated Jesus’ endurance.

Lastly, the effects of crucifixion are in doubt. Most accounts believe that the victim suffocated due to an inability to exhale. Dr. Frederick Zugibe and others disagree. With a book detailing methods that seem to be from CSI, he detailed the various physical tests and the specially crafted crosses used for measurements. He contends that victims on the cross could breathe just fine. He also believes that Jesus was crucified through the hands, not the wrists.

In any case, I want to take a look at it for myself. I hope to produce two versions, an investigative one and a narrative one. In the meantime, here are some accounts:

Dr. C. Truman Davis
Joe Zias
On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ by William D. Edwards, MD; Wesley J. Gabel, M Div; Floyd E. Hosmer, MS, AMI
Appearing in the JAMA Vol. 255 No. 11 March 21, 1986
An animated look
David Terasaka, M.D.
Keith Maxwell M.D.
Dr. Frederick Zugibe

and of course, CSI Jerusalem