    stocks are devices used internationally, in medieval, renaissance and colonial american times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. the stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by. ==form and application== the stocks are similar to the pillory and the pranger, as each consists of large, hinged, wooden boards; the difference, however, is that when a person is placed in the stocks, their feet are locked in place, and sometimes as well their hands or head, or these may be chained. with stocks, boards are placed around the legs and the wrists in some cases, whereas in the pillory they are placed around the arms and neck and fixed to a pole, and the victim stands. however, the terms can be confused, and many people refer to the pillory as the stocks. since stocks served an outdoor public form of punishment its victims were subjected to the daily and nightly weather. as a consequence it was not uncommon for people kept in stocks over several days to die from heat exhaustion or hypothermia. the practice of using stocks continues to be cited as an example of torture, cruel and unusual punishment. insulting, kicking, tickling, spitting and in some cases urinating and defecating on its victims could be applied at the free will of any of those present. ==historical uses==  one of the earliest reference to the stocks in literature appears in the bible. paul and silas, disciples of jesus, were arrested. their treatment by their jailer was detailed in the book of acts: "having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks."bible, acts 16:24. this most likely occurred around the year 57, now nearly 2000 years ago. paul the apostle the old testament's book of job also describes the stocks, referring to god: "he puts my feet in the stocks, he watches all my paths."job 13:27. biblical scholars are unable to agree on when job lived. but, it is most likely that he lived somewhere between 2350 b.c., and 1400 b.c. -- a period between 4300 and 3700 years ago.  the stocks were also popular among civil authorities from medieval to early modern times, and have also been used as punishment for military [[desertion|deserter
European_instruments_of_torture Medieval_instruments_of_torture Modern_instruments_of_torture Physical_punishments Physical_restraint