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10 Facts About Jesus’ Death

Jesus’ story is one of the most fascinating stories that anyone has ever heard, He is the man that we celebrate during Easter holidays (for Christians)we mostly know the part where He was crucified for our sins or the part where He was betrayed but not many of us are aware of the corruption, power struggles and the extensive cultural context of his death and resurrection.

Crucifixion at the time was quite popular but the difference was that He was the son of God who chose to be human to redeem us and that He rose from the dead changing everything, so what else should we know about His death?

1. Jesus was crucified at a place called Golgotha

The New Bible claims that Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, a location outside of Jerusalem, Israel. Golgotha, named because it resembled a skull-shaped hill, was called the “place of the skull” in the Judean language of Aramaic. The precise location of Golgotha is still up for debate today.

2. Historical experts believe that Christ was crucified on Friday, 3rd April 33 AD

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Historical authorities agree that Christ was killed on April 3, 33 AD, on a Friday. The most likely possibility is 33 AD because of a number of factors, including written contextual evidence and geological considerations, including an earthquake. Several dates have been proposed, including 7th April 30 AD and 25th April 31 AD.

3. An earthquake actually happened

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The Bible claims that an earthquake took place as soon as Jesus breathed his last. Matthew, Chapter 27, states: ‘And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open.’

Geologist Jefferson Williams claims that there was seismic activity around the time of Jesus’ death. Although it is hard to know whether the earthquake occurred at the exact time when Jesus passed away, however, it is a historical fact that there was seismic activity in the region at the time.

4. Pilate initially found Jesus innocent

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The Roman ruler Pontius Pilate is infamous for ordering the execution of Jesus by crucifixion. It is less commonly known, though, that Pilate initially believed Jesus was innocent in accordance with Roman law.

According to Jewish law, it was the Jewish leaders who claimed that he had committed the extremely grievous religious offence of blasphemy. They argued that Jesus’ statement that he was the Son of God was an insult to the Almighty. Pilate reversed his first decision and executed Jesus out of fear of retaliation.

5. Cruxification can be traced back to the Assyrians

The practice of tying or nailing a victim to a wooden plank or post was not one of the many inventions the Romans made for the world. As one of the world’s oldest known civilizations, the Assyrians are actually responsible for this cruel method of execution.

The Persians began regularly using the crucifixion in the sixth century BC, and the practice spread across the Mediterranean after Alexander the Great invaded Persia in the fourth century BC. The Romans first learned about the practice of crucifixion during the Punic Wars in the third century BC, and they then spent the following few hundred years refining it.

6. The Romans pierced Jesus’ body

Jesus was publicly whipped, humiliated, and spat on, as recorded in the gospels, before being forced to wear a crown of thorns and bear the crucifixion. For those who were subject to Roman crucifixion death sentences, this was standard procedure. The majority of victims were initially stripped naked, flogged, taunted, and tortured. It was also quite typical to abuse the victim’s family. The cruel and barbaric execution technique was completed by the crucifixion.

The Roman troops occasionally acted with mercy when they broke the legs of people who were hanging to speed up their death. Jesus was already dead when the soldiers arrived to check on him, so this did not happen to him. Instead, they stabbed him in the side to make sure he was dead.

7. Romans can be credited with introducing the cross design

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Even though the crucifixion was not invented by the Romans, it is known that they created the cross’s final design, on which Jesus was hung. Although they executed people regularly, they mostly employed the crucifixion as a tactic to suppress uprisings by doing it with subjects in the provinces as opposed to their own populace.

But, the Romans actually went above and beyond the bounds of intimidation by carrying out mass executions, none more famous than that of Spartacus’ slave uprising in 71 BC. Following the putdown of the rebellion, 6,000 crosses were placed along the Via Appia (the road connecting Rome to Capua).

8. It’s probable that Jesus was nailed through His wrist and not His hands

Although the Bible claims that Jesus had hand wounds, contemporary scientific research questions whether this method would have kept Jesus in place, even if his feet had also been nailed. With the stress of his body weight, the nails would have likely come off through his fingers.

It has been proposed that Jesus was actually held in position by being nailed through his wrists, which are a stronger body portion. This, however, goes against the gospels and the common depiction of Jesus’ crucifixion. Without any eyewitness accounts, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever be able to be certain.

9. Judas was greedy long before he betrayed Jesus

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This was hardly a last-minute choice. Judas was secretly stealing money from the disciples while serving as the money box’s treasurer, pocketing it for himself (John 12:6). After many years of greed, he ultimately experienced betrayal and death. When Jesus stated, “You cannot serve God and money,” perhaps he was also targeting him personally.

10. Peter’s denial was within earshot of Jesus

Peter sat in the house’s courtyard and watched Jesus’ trial. Peter disowned Jesus by cursing himself after being singled out three times for being a disciple. Jesus then turns to face the man. Peter, embarrassed, sobs uncontrollably (Luke 22:60-62). Jesus learned that one of his closest friends had abandoned him in the middle of his unfair trial.

You can also read 15 Historical Facts about Jesus Christ