Caleb Foster
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is a central tenet of the Christian faith. It is believed that Jesus was nailed to a cross and left to hang until death. The exact duration of Jesus' crucifixion is not known, but it is estimated that he endured this slow and painful death for about six hours. The Bible provides a timeline of events for Jesus' final hours, and scholars have analysed the history and pathology of crucifixion to better understand the circumstances of his death.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time of crucifixion | 9:00 A.M. |
| Time of death | 3:00 P.M. |
| Total time on the cross | 6 hours |
| Date of crucifixion | 1st-century Judaea, AD 30 or AD 33 |
| Day of the week | Friday, Thursday, or Wednesday |
| Number of nails | 4 or 3 |
| Nail placement | Hands, wrists, or feet |
| Cause of death | Asphyxiation, blood loss, tissue and vein damage, heart constriction, suffocation |
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What You'll Learn
Jesus was nailed to the cross at 9 a.m
Jesus' crucifixion took place in 1st-century Judaea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. The event is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, and later attested to by other ancient sources. Scholars nearly universally accept the historicity of Jesus' crucifixion, although there is no consensus on the details.
Jesus was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin, and then sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally crucified by the Romans. At Golgotha, he was then hung between two convicted thieves.
The exact method of crucifixion is unclear, with some sources saying Jesus' hands and feet were nailed to the cross, while others suggest they were tied with rope. The Gospel of John does report wounds in the risen Jesus' hands, which has led to the tradition that his hands and feet were nailed. However, the earliest gospels make no mention of nailing, and the use of nails was not always necessary in crucifixions, as death could come through suffocation from suspension by ropes.
The crucifixion of Jesus was designed not only to kill but to dissuade others from criminal actions and to publicly humiliate the victim. Victims were often left to hang completely naked, and the cross carried a stigma, with Jewish Law saying it brought a curse.
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He died at 3 p.m., after six hours
Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross and left to die in 1st-century Judaea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. The exact time Jesus spent on the cross is not clear due to the two systems of marking time used in the Gospels. However, it is believed that Jesus was on the cross for about six hours, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus was nailed to a wooden beam and hung on the cross at about 9 a.m. This timing is supported by the Gospel of John, which mentions that Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate was held at about 6 a.m. according to the Roman system of time. The crucifixion would have started three hours later, at 9 a.m., using the Jewish system of time.
During those six hours, Jesus uttered a total of seven recorded times from the cross. He prayed, spoke to a thief, talked to his mother and John, and shared that he was thirsty. In his final seconds, he cried out in a loud voice, gasping for breath as his body weight bore down on the nails.
The cause of death for those crucified is believed to be a combination of factors, including suffocation, tissue and vein damage, blood leakage into the lungs and heart, and the body's failing processes due to lack of oxygen. The position of the body on the cross eventually makes it impossible to hold oneself upright, leading to asphyxiation.
Jesus' crucifixion lasted a relatively short time compared to some who endured up to four days on the cross. The Roman soldiers were adept at prolonging their torture methods, and it was common for victims to remain on their crosses for two or three days. The reason for Jesus' quicker death is uncertain, but it may have been due to the extensive torture and abuse he endured before the crucifixion.
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Jesus' crucifixion occurred in 1st-century Judaea, likely in AD 30 or 33
Jesus' crucifixion is a significant event in the Christian faith, and it is nearly universally accepted by scholars that the event occurred. The crucifixion took place in 1st-century Judaea, during the governorship of Pontius Pilate, who ruled from AD 26–36.
The exact date of the crucifixion is a subject of debate, with no clear consensus. However, it is generally agreed upon by biblical scholars that it occurred on a Friday, on or near Passover (Nisan 14), during Pilate's rule. Various approaches have been used to estimate the year, including the canonical Gospels, the chronology of the life of Paul, and different astronomical models.
Calculations based on astronomical data and the Gospels' narrative of Jesus celebrating a Passover meal before his crucifixion have led some to propose two likely dates: April 7, AD 30, or April 3, AD 33. These dates correspond with the two possible occasions when a Friday Passover could be celebrated on Nissan 14 during Pilate's governorship.
The date of April 3, AD 33, gains further support from historical accounts of a lunar eclipse. Christian historian Sextus Julius Africanus and theologian Origen refer to Greek historian Phlegon, who wrote about an eclipse during the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Modern biblical scholarship identifies this as a lunar eclipse that occurred on Friday, April 3, AD 33, in the region of ancient Judaea. This aligns with the Gospel of John's account, which places the crucifixion after noon, following the start of the official "Jewish" Passover at nightfall.
The crucifixion of Jesus is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, and later attested to by other ancient sources. According to these accounts, Jesus was arrested, tried by the Sanhedrin, sentenced by Pontius Pilate, scourged, and finally crucified by the Romans. Jesus was stripped of his clothing, offered vinegar mixed with myrrh or gall to drink, and hung between two convicted thieves. The Gospel of Mark specifies that the crucifixion began at "the third hour" (9 a.m.), and Jesus died by "the ninth hour" (around 3 p.m.), after enduring a total of six hours on the cross.
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The Romans were adept at prolonging torture
Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment used by the Romans, among others, from the 6th century BCE to the 4th century CE. The Romans perfected the practice over 500 years until it was abolished by Constantine I in the 4th century CE. The practice was intended to be a gruesome spectacle, designed to be a slow, humiliating, and agonizing death.
The Romans would often scourge and maim the condemned before the crucifixion, and during the crucifixion, they would strip the victim naked and put them on public display. The Romans sometimes tied the victim to the cross, but they also used nails. The typical places for nails were the wrists or hands, and feet. The Greek word "cheir" for hand may have included the wrist, and the Romans were trained to place nails through Destot's space without fracturing any bones. However, the Romans would also sometimes use a large number of nails, with some artistic depictions showing as many as 14 nails.
The Romans would also use a seat, or "cornu", fastened to the stipes to support the body of the crucified, prolonging their suffering and humiliation. The cornu may have been pointed to torment the crucified person. This is consistent with Seneca's observation of victims with their private parts impaled.
The cause of death in a crucifixion was often a combination of factors. One theory is that the condemned would suffer from asphyxiation when their whole body weight was supported by their stretched-out arms. This would cause hyper-expansion of the chest muscles and lungs, making it difficult to inhale. The condemned would then have to pull themselves up by their arms, leading to exhaustion, or have their feet supported. When they were no longer able to lift themselves, they would die within a few minutes. However, the Romans would also sometimes hasten death by deliberately fracturing the tibia and/or fibula, stabbing the heart with a spear, striking the front of the chest with a sharp blow, or building a smoking fire at the foot of the cross to asphyxiate the victim.
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Jesus may have been crucified on a stake, not a cross
The crucifixion of Jesus is described in the four canonical gospels and referred to in the New Testament epistles. It is widely accepted that Jesus was crucified by the Romans in 1st-century Judaea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. However, there is no consensus on the details of his crucifixion, including the shape of the structure he was nailed to.
The Bible does not specify the exact shape of the structure Jesus was nailed to, and the Romans crucified people on a variety of shapes, including ''X' and 'Y' shapes, and by attaching people to trees. The word used in the New Testament can refer to a stake, and the Greeks used the word 'staurus' to refer to a stake, but also to a cross. The most common shapes of Roman crosses were:
- Crux simplex: a simple stake in an I shape
- Crux commissa: a capital T shape with a crossbar on top of the vertical stake
- Crux immissa: a lower-case t shape with a crossbar transecting the vertical stake
Some researchers say Jesus may have been crucified on a stake, or crux simplex, instead of a cross. If this were the case, only one nail would have been used, whereas the use of two nails in the hands suggests a traditional cross. However, it is also possible that the Romans used ropes to fasten Jesus' hands in addition to nails.
The Gospel of John and the writings of Thomas suggest that Jesus was crucified on a cross, rather than a stake. The Gospel of John refers to Jesus 'stretching out his hands', which indicates a crucifixion on a cross. However, some have interpreted this as a reference to the way in which Jesus would have held out his hands to dress himself, rather than a description of his crucifixion.
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Frequently asked questions
Jesus was nailed to the cross for about six hours, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There are differing opinions on the day of the week of Jesus' crucifixion. Some sources claim it was a Friday, while others suggest a Thursday, and some even propose a Wednesday.
The cause of death for those crucified is believed to be a combination of factors. One theory suggests that the body's weight pulls the shoulders out of their sockets, making it impossible to breathe. This lack of oxygen can lead to tissue and vein damage, causing blood to leak into the lungs and heart, ultimately resulting in death.
The cross that Jesus was crucified on is traditionally depicted as a two-beamed cross in the shape of a "T". However, some sources suggest that it may have been a single stake, or that other shapes were used as well, such as an "X", a "Y", or an inverted "T".
Jesus spoke a total of seven recorded times while on the cross. One of His final utterances was "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani", which translates to "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?".
