CHAPTER FIVE
HOW DID JESUS DIE - CROSS OR STAKE?
The Watchtower Society believes that Jesus died on an upright 'stake', rather than upon a 'cross'. They teach that the 'cross' is a pagan symbol from Babylon and make this issue one of their central controversies with the Christian Church. In support of their viewpoint, we find in the KINGDOM INTERLINEAR TRANSLATION OF THE GREEK SCRIPTURES (KIT), same rather obscure sources have been quoted, making it difficult for their members to verify these 'facts'. In the KIT article (pages 1155-1157)we find their reference to a book written by a 16th century, Catholic scholar, named Justus Lipsius. His book DE CRUCE LIBER PRIMUS, page 647, featured the picture of a man who had died on an upright stake. In their article, the Society implied that this is how Lipsius believed Jesus died with their statement, "This is the manner in which Jesus died." However, one of the pages in this book has been translated and shows that Lipsius believed that Jesus died on a cross.
The Society also maintains that the Greek words "STAUROS" and "XYLON" primarily mean a 'simple stake'. Since either the cross or stake were made from a tree, that argument means nought as BOTH words also mean "WOOD" or "TREE ", which only describes what the death implement was made of, not its shape. Historians tell us that BOTH the upright stake and the cross were used for execution, and that the 'cross' could be a variety of shapes.
BIBLICAL EVIDENCE
It was the Roman custom at the time of Jesus' death to write the name, address and the crime for which the man was being executed on a notice board and place this above him. We know that in Jesus' case that this was done in three languages, Hebrew, Greek and Latin. This would have entailed a large notice board. The Bible tells us that this notice was placed "ABOVE HIS HEAD" which poses a problem for the Society who believe that Jesus had his hands above Him. Surely, if Jesus' hands had been above Him, it would have been a single matter for the inspired writers to state quite clearly that the notice was 'above His hands'?
ONE 'NAIL' OR TWO?
If Jesus died with His hands fastened above Him only one nail would have been necessary to fix His hands to the 'stake'. Yet we find that Thomas said that he would not believe Jesus had risen from the dead unless he could put his fingers in the prints of the NAILS in Jesus' hands! (John 20: 24, 25). Thomas made NO reference to ' feet ', only the hands, and by using NAILS (Plural), it is clear that more than one nail was used to fasten Jesus' hands.
HISTORICAL EVIDENCE
WHAT DID JESUS CARRY?
Did Jesus carry the full cross or the full stake as the witnesses believe? History shows that Jesus probably carried neither, only the crossbeam which would be attached to the upright. According to the BIBLICAL QUARTERLY, Vol XIII, No.4, October 1959,p. 442, it was common among Roman authors to use the words "CRUX" and "PATIBULUM" synonymously and it was virtually an everyday experience to see a man carry his 'crux' or 'patibulum' to his place of execution. This was the crossbeam which would later be attached to the upright, not the full cross. Other evidence shows that many times the Romans installed permanent uprights to take these crossbeams. This is noted in DE CRUCE LIBER PRIMUS, the BIBLICAL QUARTERLY, DE VITA BEATA, EPISTDLA 101-12 and also in TACITUL'HISTORIAE IV, 3'.
THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS
We also find evidence in the writings of the very early church fathers such as Iranaeus and Justin. Iranaeus spoke of Jesus having died on across with a cross-beam and Justin in his letter to Trypho the Jew tried to overcame Trypho's natural Jewish abhorrence to the cross by using the example found in Exodus 17:10-12 as a 'type' of the cross of Christ. The account in Exodus tells of the time when Moses stood with his arms stretched out all day during a battle, obviously in the shape of a cross. Although these are only two examples of the early church writings, there are many more dated wells before 200 AD, which also speak of the manner in which Jesus, died.
HOW HEAVY WAS IT?
Further evidence that Jesus probably only carried the crossbeam and not the full cross or even the stake is evident when you consider the weight of what He carried. The Watchtower Society gives us some idea in their explanation of how heavy the stake itself would have been....."..Six inches (15 centimetres) in diameter and twelve feet (3.6 metres) long, it probably weighed little more that a hundred pounds (45 kilograms). "AID TO BIBLE UNDERSTANDING, p. 825 However, they must have been weighing a light soft wood because taking the average Australian hardwood, of the same dimensions, we found that the weight was closer to 100 pounds (62 kilograms). This would be closer to the weight of those dimensions as the wood in Israel was predominantly hardwood. This would been the equivalent of a bag of potatoes and very few men could carry that after being without sleep for at least 36 hours and having been scourged until the bones on your back were bare. It is more reasonable that Jesus only carried the crossbeam which weighing about 70pounds (31 kilograms) and the Biblical evidence indicates that even this was too much for Him physically as he collapsed under its weight.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
In the KIT article, they quote from a book by an obscure German author who wrote over a century ago. His observations were made on the evidence available to him then and not on currently available evidence. The KIT then says..."The evidence is therefore completely lacking that Jesus Christ was crucified on two pieces of timber placed at a right angle. ... The passing of time and further archaeological discoveries will be certain to prove its correctness."
These words were being printed in Brooklyn, New York, but meanwhile, in Israel...
In Giv'at ha Mitvar, north of Jerusalem, June 1969, some workers on a housing project unearthed an amazing discovery. Unearthed was the skeleton of a man named Yehohanan (John), son of Chaffol, who had been CRUCIFIED between the ages of 24-28 at about the same time as Jesus died. He was executed on a cross with a crossbeam! Copies of the articles reporting this are found on the following pages, along with reports of earlier discoveries. One of these reports shows that a family tomb was discovered in 1945 and the ossuries (coffins) bore the name 'Jesus" in Greek and CROSSES were drawn on them! These tombs are dated no later than the middle of the first century, before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A. D., which indicates that the symbol of the cross was used to identify those who followed the 'crucified one' even at that early date.
"DE CRUCE LIBER PRIMUS"
By quoting from this obscure source, the Society hoped their members would be unable to discover for themselves what this book actually says. However, there is one here in Australia, at the Victorian State Library in Melbourne! Copies concerning the relevant pages can be obtained by anyone through their own State Library or Local Municipal Library for those not living in the State capitals. On the following pages> are the other pictures found in this book which the Society neglected to tell its members about. They cited ONE picture, which seemed to uphold their positions and then said, "This is the manner in which Jesus was impaled", ignoring the fact that Lipsius believed, based on the evidence that Jesus died on a cross.
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