Is there any evidence that being nailed or roped to a cross-like structure causes organ failure due to the extended period by which the arms are extended and the internal organs “drop” lower than they are supposed to?
I heard that as a rumor, always wondered if it were true.
Not impaled, but still nailed, only to a single vertical stake rather than a cross composed of two pieces.
And here I was thinking, ‘getting impaled–now that’s torture’. But turns out the jehovah’s witnesses just want to be smartasses.
That sounds ridiculous. The only thing you’ll get from being roped to a cross is sore shoulders. Of course if you’re on there for a few days, then you’ll die of dehydration.
Historically, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are a breakaway sect of the Bible Student movement, which specialized in neo-literalism of this sort.
Nail 'em up, I say!
Nail some sense into 'em!
Is this in addition to or in place of the contention that Joseph used the term for living body when asking for Jesus?
It’s not in the form of a quotation – not even an indirect quotation. The word (“σομα” – “soma”) is the word of the writers speaking in their own voice, not the word, even the imputed word, of Joseph.
It should also be noted that the gospels are not written in high-quality literary Greek; no argument based on such niceties of vocabulary can be reliable here.
That sounds ridiculous. The only thing you’ll get from being roped to a cross is sore shoulders. Of course if you’re on there for a few days, then you’ll die of dehydration.
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Alex – I don’t have a citation for this, but I once heard that in standard Roman crucifixions, the victim’s arms were tied to the cross bar, then they were tied also at the ankles. The victim’s legs were then broken at the thighs, so that the legs could not be used to support the victim’s weight. Hanging tied to the cross then caused the pectoral muscles to carry all of the victim’s weight, and would slowly make it impossible for the victim to breath, slowly strangling them to death. Sure sounds like torture to me, if it is accurate.