Community | June 28, 2010 | 12 comments

Christ Did Not Die on Cross -Theologian

source: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2010/06/you-couldnt-make-this-up-dept-jesus-did-not-die...

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Jesus may not have died nailed to the cross because there is no evidence that the Romans crucified prisoners two thousand years ago, a scholar has claimed. The legend of his execution is based on the traditions of the Christian church and artistic illustrations rather than antique texts, according to theologian Gunnar Samuelsson.

He claims the Bible has been misinterpreted as there are no explicit references the use of nails or to crucifixion - only that Jesus bore a "staurus" towards Calvary which is not necessarily a cross but can also mean a "pole".

Mr Samuelsson, who has written a 400-page thesis after studying the original texts, said: "The problem is descriptions of crucifixions are remarkably absent in the antique literature.

"The sources where you would expect to find support for the established understanding of the event really don't say anything."
The ancient Greek, Latin and Hebrew literature from Homer to the first century AD describe an arsenal of suspension punishments but none mention "crosses" or "crucifixion."

Mr Samuelsson, of Gothenburg University, said: "Consequently, the contemporary understanding of crucifixion as a punishment is severely challenged.

"And what's even more challenging is the same can be concluded about the accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus. The New Testament doesn't say as much as we'd like to believe."
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12 comments // Christ Did Not Die on Cross -Theologian

  • Robotic091
    • 0
      Robotic091  

    • In fact thomas jefferson tried to create a book without all the divinity, claiming being the son of god, and named it the something like "teaching of morality from the life of jesus" or something like that

    • 1 year ago
  • mitekillem
    • 0
      mitekillem  

    • The title makes it sound like maybe he didn't DIE on the cross. Voted down.
      Who cares if it was a pole, a spire, a dogwood tree, or a fence. I don't think the object of his death was as important as his life and teachings.

    • 1 year ago
  • Robotic091
    • 0
      Robotic091  
    • mitekillem:

      Thats the thing the christain religion is based on his death, "he died for YOUR sins" type of deal to say other wise is kinda an insult. but i agree with you that the teachings are more important.

    • 1 year ago
  • JanforGore
    • +1
      JanforGore  
    • Image

    • http://www.joezias.com/CrucifixionAntiquity.html

      Crucifixon was a common torture and form of humiliating death conferred on Roman slaves, Jews, and all those who were enemies of Rome. The crucifixon of those who followed Spartacus after the slave revolt is common knowledge in Roman history. And Christ was said to have been affixed to a cross made from a dogwood tree so to say he was crucified on a tree is simply a roundabout way to say the same thing. So what exactly is the point of saying he wasn't crucified on a cross? What is saying that trying to prove?

    • 1 year ago
  • jubal
  • JanforGore
  • MoonLoon
    • 0
      MoonLoon  
    • JanforGore:

      I suspect that it has some basis in Old Testament prophesy's that referred to an olive tree being cut down, yet having a still leaving root to bring forth new life. The olive tree was being compared to the then expected Messiah. This analogy is being used to compare prophesy to the death and resurrection of Jesus. This would enforce the need to claim a cruxifixon without using a cross.

    • 1 year ago
  • jubal
  • jubal
    • 0
      jubal  

    • Jehovah's Witnesses have made this claim for over one hundred years. Jesus was nailed to a tree and not a cross.

    • 1 year ago
  • MoonLoon
  • MoonLoon
    • +1
      MoonLoon  

    • What an ignorant post regarding Roman crucifixion!!! Crassus crucified thousands of slaves following the crushing of the Spartacus led rebellion. The Appian Way had a crucified slave about every 1/2 mile on the way to Rome. If I remember correctly, over 6,000 men were crucified. Even I know in my limited knowledge that the Bible predicted the death of Jesus, by being nailed to a tree, which refers to a simple pole, there is no mention of a "cross".
      Crassus was determined to win a triumphal march into Rome, yet he miscalculated, and Pompey got the Triumph. Pompey marched his prisoners through Rome to the enjoyment of the people. Crassus, greedy, ambitious, fool that he was, had crucified most of his captives, thus looked like a failure compared to Caesar and Pompey.
      You will all note that Roman texts were never mentioned in the above "news release". Cicero left some good texts on Rome and it's politics. Samuelsson claims are not supported by the Roman texts. Crucifixtion was used as a punishment! Next, we will hear that Vlad was not an impaler.

    • 1 year ago
  • Varex_Sythe
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