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
Cool.
To be blunt: I’ve never used or liked the medical accounts.
It seems important that others have suffered far greater physical torture than Jesus did. It also seems important that this aspect was not emphasized so much by the earliest writers. Mostly, I really want folks to feel gratitude for the cross and for forgiveness, not be driven to follow Jesus by a misguided sense of guilt or some corollary thereof…
That’s a very good point, Mark. I’ve seen people so on and on about the physical violence as if that was the point. One of the reasons I would like something by Zugibe is that he makes a similar point.
Thanks for the post, hope to see you around more.
I believe that Mel Gibson’s portrayal of “The Passion of Christ” was very well written and created. Mel simply gave the audience a rude awakening. We live in a society where people tend to dose off and on about life in general. Most in society do not opt to live by faith alone but feel that they have to see FIRST to then believe. And that’s where the media comes into play. This movie was simply a buldozer right in our faces. Whether or not Jesus suffered tremoundously. The fact of the matter is that he did not commit any crime yet had to endure, to what ever level, this gruesome punishment. He did this to save us.
If Mel went over board on the physical violence/graphics it was simply to make a huge statement and that he did.
God was willing to go overboard by giving up His only Son so that all that was said and written would be accomplished for the sake of human kind. And still to this day some people just don’t get it!
Physical violence in this case plays a very important role. This is physical violence that ONE was willing to take for the sake of saving others.
There are people in this world today, willing to die for a cause (whether good or bad) and go through such lengths to do so. I feel that I am a good cause and to that I am very grafeful for my Savior. As far as I’m concern PHYSICAL VIOLENCE in this matter…is a HUGE EXCLAMATION POINT!!!!!!!
Thanks