Some quick points about the cross:
- Authoritative lexicons give the definition of "stavros" as "a stake sunk into the earth in an upright position; a cross-piece was often attached to its upper part." (Greek-English Lexicon, Arndt and Gingrich, p.772)
- Archaeology has firmly established that a cross with a cross-piece was used for crucifixion in the first century AD. (see this article and this article)
- Archealogical digs have produced 1 st century cross symbols associated with Christians. For instance, digs in Herculaneum, the sister city of Pompeii (destroyed in 78 A.D. by volcano) produced a house where a wooden cross had been nailed to the wall of a room.
- The writings of the earliest church fathers repeatedly and conclusively describe a cross of the type with a cross-piece attached to it, and make numerous references to Jesus crucified with arms outstretched.
- Above Jesus was placed the title: JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Matthew 27:37 says "Above His HEAD they placed the charge." (NOT "above His hands")
- John 20:25: "The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the NAILS, and put my finger into the print of the NAILS, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." (caps mine) Why does this picture show one nail through both hands?
- Reasoning from the Scriptures, p.89 : *** rs 92 Cross ***
"The Imperial Bible Dictionary acknowledges this, saying: "The Greek word for cross, (stauros), properly signified a stake, an upright pole, or piece of paling, on which anything might be hung, or which might be used in impaling (fencing in) a piece of ground...Even amongst the Romans, the crux (from which the word cross is derived) appears to have been originally an upright pole."
The Imperial Bible Dictionary ACTUALLY says: (WT portion is italicized): "The Greek word for cross, (stauros), properly signified a stake, an upright pole, or piece of paling, on which anything might be hung, or which might be used in impaling (fencing in) a piece of ground. But a modification was introduced as the dominion and usages of Rome extended themselves through Greek-speaking countries. Even amongst the Romans, the crux (from which the word cross is derived) appears to have been originally an upright pole, and always remained the more prominent part. But from the time that it began to be used as an instrument of punishment, a traverse piece of wood was commonly added...about the period of the Gospel Age, crucifixion was usually accomplished by suspending the criminal on a cross piece of wood." - Published in 1989, medical research conducted by Frederick T. Zugibe, a professor of pathology at Columbia University concluded that:
- An impaled man with arms stretched straight over his head (as depicted in this photo) would suffocate in 6 minutes, due to the inability of the lungs to expand and contract in such a position (confirming what was concluded by previous researchers).
- A man with hands outstretched at an angle of 60 o -70 o (as in a cross) could live for hours without suffocating.
- The account of the Gospels shows Jesus could not have died of asphyxiation, but rather from shock and trauma, due to a combination of exhaustion, pain, and loss of blood.
- Luke 23:44 and Matthew 27:45,46 show that Christ was alive on the cross for about 3 hours.
While the Jews may have considered the cross a shameful thing, the Apostle Paul boasted of the cross of Christ. In Galatians 6:14 he says:"But may it never be that I would boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."