A Physician's View of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

CBN.com ^ | 4-11-04 | Dr. C. Truman Davis

[CAPPSMADNESS]

Thank you for this very fascinating (and heartbreaking) medical glimpse at the crucifixion of our Lord.

[lainde]

This article is very upsetting...Like the Passion. But it's Easter and a joyful day and He was triumphant over his brutal death!

[swilhelm73]

Our Lord died not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure (a broken heart)

I guess that rather makes sense.

[Eala]

ping

[arepublicifyoucankeepit]

Amen!

[upchuck]

Heartrending but uplifting at the same time. Thanks for posting this.

[Cicero]

I have heard most of these details before. It's true that the wrist and hand could be considered as one part. The Shroud of Turin shows wounds in the wrists. Many years ago I heard that nails through the palms would not hold the weight of a body. One would have to postulate ropes around the wrists in that case, because nails through the palms would not hold.

It was usual for criminals to carry only the cross piece. If we work from the gospel account, however, one could postulate one possible reason why Jesus might have carried the whole cross. The two thieves crucified with him were scheduled to die, so the uprights would have been in place at Golgotha. But there may not have been a third upright in place because only two criminals were expected to die. Jesus was brought before Pilate at the last moment, and even after that it seems evident that Pilate hoped that a scourging would satisfy the Jewish leaders and He would not have to be crucified.

That would explain why Jesus had to carry the whole cross, if He did. Either that extra burden or the prior scourging would also explain why He needed help to carry the cross.

It seems likely that a Roman cross was used, because the gospel accounts say that some wrote and affixed to the cross over Jesus' head "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum." That implies that the upright piece went above the cross piece, as it is usually portrayed with INRI written on it.

[JoeFromSidney]

Barbet's book, A DOCTOR AT CALVARY, gives a much more detailed description, including details of his experiments on cadavers.

The business of the victim alternately pushimg himself up on the nail in is feet and hanging from his wrists shows clearly in the Shroud of Turin. The nail-marks are in the wrists, and there are two trails of blood, at different angles, from the nail-marks.

[Centurion2000]

My God in Heaven. What he went through for us.

[Congressman Billybob]

Almost alone among media writers who are not in the medical profession, I included the main points this writer discusses, in my column on FR and on ChronWatch, "The Passion of the Christ, and of Mankind." The movie is gruesome, but it is correctly gruesome. It has only one historical error, showing the nails driven into His palms, rather than his wrists.

Truth is the proper starting point for the understanding of any subject, including His passion.

Congressman Billybob

Click here, then click the blue CFR button, to join the anti-CFR effort (or visit the "Hugh & Series, Critical & Pulled by JimRob" thread). Please do it now.

[curmudgeonII]

... only two criminals were expected to die.

Probably three were scheduked to die, which includes Barabbas.

[miele man]

Thank you very much for posting this. Dr. Davis was a close friend and spiritual advisor to me. He was one of the holiest men I've ever had the priviledge of knowing. He told me that it was doing the research on this very topic that converted him. He later was consecrated an Anglican Church bishop.

[truthandlife]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing the information.

[Aracelis]

Remembering the price paid...

[alexandria]

I'd like to post this observation made by David Terasaka, M.D. http://www.new-life.net/crucify2.htm. Where he states,

"While many of the physical signs preceding death were present, Jesus did not die from physical causes.
Jesus gave up His life of His own accord. All of the final statements that Jesus makes on the cross leave one with the impression that Jesus chose His time to die. His last statement, "Into your hands I commit my Spirit" shows that Jesus' death occurred by giving Himself up. John's gospel records Jesus' death in this way: "With that He bowed His head and gave up His spirit" (John 19:30b). Matthew writes: "And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit" (Matthew 27:50).

Earlier in Jesus' ministry, Jesus made it clear that only He has the power to lay down His life (John 10:17-18). He proved His power over death by His resurrection. Jesus gave up His life of His own accord.

And by doing so made possible our salvation thru him. Praise the Lord God for his everlasting and unconditional love.

[skr]

Thank you for posting this. A dramatization can convey a lot, but not like this. It makes it even harder to conceive that anyone would willingly go through this horror. But He did, and we can never, ever repay Him. We'll have all of eternity to thank Him in a perfect language and it will never be enough. Praise a most merciful God!

[Swordmaker]

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This article is not specifically about the Shroud but rather about the effects of crucifixion.

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Swordmaker

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[gcruse]

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