October 28, 2023
Human Torture- (Some information may be too graphic for small children)
“Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him.” John 19:1 (NASB)
The human body is an amazing creation of God. It can withstand some pretty intense abuse. In my years in law enforcement, I have seen some pretty gory situations. Some were victims of violence, accidents, and/or natural disasters. Some individuals looked as if they would have died, yet were alive and talking. I recall one. A man had bought a WWII German plane. He took a short flight to determine if he would buy it. The plane had an inoperative fuel gauge and he stalled about a mile from takeoff. When the plane crashed, he survived. To help rescuers locate the scene in a wooded area, he crawled back to the plane and spread a parachute on the ground so he would be seen from above. I was the first to arrive after running a mile into the woods with a fire extinguisher. When I arrived, he was barely conscious. His left arm was nearly severed. Yet he still had the strength to spread out the parachute. What an amazing story.
“Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him.” In the hope of appeasing them, Jesus was led away into the palace, where they called the whole band of troops (Mark 15:16). All would witness the beating Jesus was about to suffer or take part in delivering the punishment. In this scourging (or flagellum- meaning to scourge), Jesus would take place in a mock coronation. “Scourging was the legal preliminary to crucifixion, but, in this case, was inflicted illegally before the sentence of crucifixion was pronounced, with a view of averting the extreme punishment, and of satisfying the Jews (Luke 23:22). The punishment was horrible, the victim being bound to a low pillar or stake, and beaten, either with rods, or, in the case of slaves and provincials, with scourges, called scorpions, leather thongs tipped with leaden balls or sharp spikes. The severity of the infliction in Jesus’ case is evident from His inability to bear His cross.”[1] The only people who were exempt from this torture were women, Roman senators, or soldiers (except in cases of desertion). “For scourging, the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post. The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged either by two soldiers (lictors) or by one who alternated positions. 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. After the scourging, the soldiers often taunted their victim… 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. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock. The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross.”[2] The number of lashes allowed was 39. This was Jewish law. It was said that to receive one more lash would bring about death. In extreme cases “The cruelty didn't stop there. Sometimes, the Roman soldiers would hurt the victim further, cutting off a body part, such as the tongue, or blinding him. In another heinous turn, Josephus reported how soldiers under Antiochus IV, the Hellenistic Greek king of the Seleucid Empire, would have the victim's strangled child hung around his neck.”[3]
What is mentioned here today is graphic. Yet it is what Jesus suffered for you and me…
[1] Vincent, M. R. (1887). (Vol. 2, p. 277). Charles Scribner’s Sons.
[2] https://www.livescience.com/65283-crucifixion-history.html.
[3] Ibid.