Evening star., 1896-03-28
DEATH ON THE CROSS.
How 1t Was Inflicted in the Time of
the Romans.

From the New York Herald.
1t was only natural tnat the early ana
mediaeval Christians. finding the cross
symbol of life among the nations OF an
tiouity, should look curiously into the Old
Testament to see Whether there were not
foreshadowings in it of the wood where
by righteousness cometh. Nor was thsir
search unrewarded. In Isaac leaving the
wood of the sacrfice tEey saw preiigured
be tn Christ and the cross. They saw the
cross in Moses with arms expanded on the
Mount in the pole. with transverse bars,
upon which was wreatfed the braZen ser
rent in the two sticks gathered by the
widow of Sarpcta. But plalnest OF an they
re ad it in Ezekiel, tx, 4. 6. Go through the
midst of the city, through the midst OF Je-
RI salem. and set a mark upon the fore
heads of the men, that are to be saved
from destruction by the sword. The word
here rendered mark" is in the Eulgate
sigma thau" The Ttau was the old He
lrew character. shaped like cross. which
vas regarded as the sign of life, Felicity
ard safety.
Yet the cross was not always symbol
of honor Among the Phoenicians and
Syriaps and later among the Romans, II
vas punishment inflicted on slaves. rob
bers, assassins and rebels-among which
last Jesus was reckcned. on account % fls
proclaiming Himself King. or Messiah.
The person sentenced to this punishment
was stripped of his clothes. except cover
ing around the loins. In a state of nudity
severity Of this fiagellaton that numbers
died of it. Jesus was crowned with thorns.
and was made the subject of mockery; hut
/, suits Of this kind were not common. tn
this instance they were owing to the petu-
lance Of the Roman soldiers.
The criminal, having been beaten. was
condemned to the further suffering of car
rying the cross to the place of punishment
u hich was commonly hill near the public
highway and out of the city. The place OF
crucifixion at Jerusalem was a hill to the
northwest of the city. The cross, other
wise called the .'post''-the unpropitious or
ominous tree-consisted of a piece of wood
erected perpendicularly, and intersected by
another one at right angles, near the top
The crime fer which the culprit suffered
vas inscribed on the transverse piece, near
the top of the perpendicular one. There is
nc mention made by the ancient writers of
anything on which the feet of the crucitied
person rested. 1t is known, however, that
rear the base of the perpendicular beam
| there projected a piece of wood, on which
| he sat, and which answered a support
| to the body-since the weight OF the latter
might have otherwise torn the hands by
| the nails driven through them.
The cross, when driven firmly in the
| ground, rarely exceeded ten feet in height.
| The victim was elevated, and his hands
were bound by rope around the trans-
! verse beam ard nailed through the palm.
His feet were also nailed. He thus re-
mained fastened until death ended his suf-
| ferings. While he exhibited any signs CT
| left him when it appeared that he was
| dead. If there was no prospect that the
victim would die on the day Of execution,
| the executioners hastened the end by kim
ding a fire at the foot of the cross, so as to
| suffocate him with smoke; or by letting
| loose upon him wild beasts; or occasional
| ly, when in particular haste, by breaking
his bones upon the cross with a mallet as
| Upon an anvil. 1t was at ore time custom
| ary to offer the criminal before the COM
| n.encement of his sufferings, medicated
| drink compounded of wine and myrrh.
| The object of this was to produce intoxica-
| ton and thereby to lessen the suffering.
| Crucifixion was not only the most igno-
| minious, but by far the most cruel, mode
| of punishment. The victim sometimes lived
| until the seventh day. The thieves who
| were executed at the same time with our
| Savior were broken with mallcts on the
| same day; and IN order to ascertain the
| condition of Jesus lance was thrnst in
His side, but no signs of life appeared.
| Cicero says the very name of the cross
! should he removed afar, not only from
| the body, but from the thoughts. the eyes,
| the ears of Roman citizens, for of all these
| things, Eot only the actual occurrence and
| endurance, but the very contingency and
i unworthy of Roman citizen and free
| man." Hence the force of St. Pads fire.
| quent illusions to the humiliation which
| Christ endured when He suffered death
| upon the cross.
1t was precisely this Idea which made the
early Christians seize upon the cross as the
| emblem of their faith. That which had
| been the symbol of shame now became
| their glory. The instrument of Christ's
| passion. by His death upon it, became hal
| lowed for all time.
General Experience.
From It'd Bits.