Preparations for the scourging are carried out. The prisoner is stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Roman legionnaire steps forward with the flagrum in his hand. This is a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached to the ends of each.<\/span><\/p>\nThe heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus\u2019 shoulders, back and legs.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nAt first the heavy thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continue, they cut deeper into subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles.<\/span><\/p>\nThe small balls of lead first produce large, deep bruises which are broken open by subsequent blows. Finally the skin of the back is hanging in long ribbons and the entire area is an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue.<\/span><\/p>\nWhen it is determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner is near death, the beating is stopped.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nTHE MOCKERY<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nThe half-fainting Jesus is then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with His own blood.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Roman soldiers see a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They throw a robe across His shoulders and place a stick in His hand for a scepter.<\/span><\/p>\nA small bundle of flexible branches covered with long thorns is pressed into His scalp. Again there is copious bleeding (the scalp being one of the most vascular areas in the body).<\/span><\/p>\nAfter mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers take the stick from His hand and strike Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tire of their sadistic sport and the robe is torn from His back.<\/span><\/p>\nThe robe had already started sticking to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, cause excruciating pain – almost as though He were again being whipped, and the wounds again begin to bleed.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nTHE WALK TO CRUCIFIXION<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nThe heavy beam of the cross is then tied across His shoulders, and the procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves and the execution detail, begins its slow journey.<\/span><\/p>\nThe weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious blood loss, is too much. He stumbles and falls. The rough wood of the beam gouges into the lacerated skin and muscles of His shoulders. He tries to rise, but human muscles have been pushed beyond their endurance.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nThe centurion, anxious to proceed with the crucifixion, selected a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross.<\/span><\/p>\nJesus followed, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650-yard journey from the Fortress Antonia to Golgotha was finally completed. The prisoner was again stripped of His clothing except for a loin cloth which was allowed by the Jews.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nTHE NAILS OF CRUCIFIXION<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nAt Golgotha, the beam is placed on the ground and Jesus is quickly thrown backward with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nQuickly, he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The beam is then lifted in place at the top of the posts and a sign reading \u201cJesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews\u201d is nailed in place.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nTHE PAIN OF CRUCIFIXION<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nThe left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each. As he pushes Himself upward to avoid the stretching torment, He places His full weight on the nail through His feet.<\/span><\/p>\nThere is searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the metatarsal bones through the feet.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nAs Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nAs He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of this feet.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nTHE MEDICAL EFFECTS OF CRUCIFIXION<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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