Posted on 02/29/2004 11:44:03 PM PST by Salvation
Finally found it.
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Please see #7. You mentioned looking for documentation. Outside of Scripture and St. Bridget, THE DOLOROUS PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST by Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) is probably the most important. It is on-line at http://www.emmerich1.com/DOLOROUS_PASSION_OF_OUR_LORD_JESUS_CHRIST.htm
I heard Mel Gibson mention Emmerich often as a major source, but not St. Bridget.
The image below is from the movie & must have been based on the images from St. Bridgets book (post7). They are too similar--IMO.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/articles/news/?id=040227potc.htm
And none of this compares to His Spiritual & Mental Suffering.
http://www.intermirifica.org/lent/passion3.htm
Scourging. Left, Short whip (flagrum) with lead balls and sheep bones tied into leather thongs. Center left, Naked victim tied to flogging post. Deep stripelike lacerations were usually associated with considerable blood loss. Center right, View from above, showing position of lictors. Right, inferomedial direction of wounds.
Health of Jesus
The rigors of Jesus' ministry (that is, traveling by foot throughout Palestine) would have precluded any major physical illness or a weak general constitution. Accordingly, it is reasonable to assume that Jesus was in good physical condition before his walk to Gethsemane. However, during the 12 hours between 9 PM Thursday and 9 AM Friday, he had suffered great emotional stress (as evidenced by hematidrosis), abandonment by his closest friends (the disciples), and a physical beating (after the first Jewish trial). Also, in the setting of a traumatic and sleepless night, had been forced to walk more than 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to and from the sites of the various trials. These physical and emotional factors may have rendered Jesus particularly vulnerable to the adverse hemodynamic effects of the scourging.
SCOURGING Scourging Practices
Flogging was a legal preliminary to every Roman execution, (28) and only women and Roman senators or soldiers (except in cases of desertion) were exempt. (11) The usual instrument was a short whip (flagrum or flagellum) with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals. Occasionally, staves also were used. (8,12) For scourging, the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post. (11) The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged either by two soldiers (lictors) or by one who alternated positions. (5,7,11,28) The severity of the scourging depended on the disposition of the lictors and was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death. (8) After the scourging, the soldiers often taunted their victim. (11)
Medical Aspects of Scourging
As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim's back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. (7) Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. (27,25) Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock. (12) The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross. (3)
This conforms with the image on the Shroud of Turin.
I've looked at this image hundreds of times, but never "saw" the lash strokes, at least not in the same way that I do now after having seen "The Passion of the Christ." They're there.
The image on the Shroud corresponds exactly with the movie's depiction of the scourging. It's breathtaking. My previous understanding of the scourging and crucifixion has simply been obliterated.
The impossibly high number of lashes can be accounted for by the fact that the Romans were using a flagrum, the equivalent of a "cat o' nine tails." Additionally, The Shroud of Turin shows not only the horrific number of strokes inflicted on Christ's body, but also marks left by the small, dumbell-shaped pieces of iron tied to the end of each flagrum whip which were designed to tear out pieces of flesh.
Interestingly, this specific characteristic of the flagrum was unknown to medieval society.
Yes. You know, I used to look down on those "grisly" crucifixes. You know the ones I'm talking about. They seem pretty sanitized now, don't they?
Even my understanding of Jesus' arrest has been transformed. I always pictured Peter walking over to a guard, taking his sword and slicing off his ear. Pretty weird image. And it doesn't make much sense, if you think about it at all. Mel's rendering of the scene certainly makes much more sense.
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