The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-04-01

like a cross, which was regarded as the
sign Of life. felicity and safety.
Yet the cross was not always q SYM
boil Of honor. Among the Phoenicians
and syrians and later among the Ro-
mans 1t was a punishment inflicted on
slaves, robbers, assassins and rebels
among which last Jesus was. reckoned.
on account of His proclaimtng Himself
King, or Messiah. The person sem
fenced to this punishment was stripped
of his clothes, except a covering
around the loins. In a state of nudity
he was beaten with whips. Such was
the severity of this f%iagellation, that
numbers died of it. Jesus was crown
ed with thorns, and was made the sub
ject Of mockery; but insults of this
kind. were not common. In this In
stance they were owing to the petu-
lance of the Roman soldiers.
The criminal, having beer beaten,
was condemned to the further suffer-
ing of carrying the cross to the place
of punishment, which was commonly
a hill near the public highway, and out
Of the city. The place of cruciixion at
Jerusalem was a hill to the northwest
Of the city. The cross, otherwise call
ed the "post"-the u%npropitious, or ON
nous tree-consisted of a piece OF
wood erected perpendicularly, and in
tersected by another n at right an
giles, near the top. The crime for
which the culprit suffered was inscrib-
ed on the transverse piece, near the
top Of the perpendicular one. There is
no mention made by the ancient writ
ers Of anything on which the feet OF
the crucified person rested. 1t. Is
known, however, that near the base of
the perpendicular beam there projected
a piece of wood, on which he. sat, and
which answered as 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 raj elevated, and
his hands were bound by a rope
around the transverse beam and nail
ed through the palm. His feet were
also nailed. He thus remained fasten-
ed until death ended his sufferings.
While he exhibited any signs Of life he
was watched by guards; but they left
him, when it appeared that he was
dead. If there was nj prospect that
the victim would die on the day of
execution the executioners FASTENED the
end by kindling a fire at the foot of
the cross, so as to SURROGATE him with
smoke; or by letting loose upon him
wild beasts; or occasionally, when in
particular haste, by breaking his bones
upon the cross with a mallet, as upon
an anvil. 1t was at one time custom
airy to offer the criminal, before the
commencement of his sufferings, a
medicated drink, compounded of wine
and myrrh. The object Of this was to
produce intoxication, and thereby to
lessen the suffering.
C%rucidxion was not only the most
ignominious, 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 times with our Savior were brok-
en- with mallets on the same day; and
In order to ascertain the condition of
Jesus a lance was thrust in His side,
but no signs of life appeared.
Cicero says the very lame Of the
cross should be removed afar. mot
only from the body, but from the
thoughts, the eyes, the ear Of Ro-
man citizens, for all these things, not
only the actual occurrence and endur-
ance, but the very contingency and ex-
p~ectation, nay, the mention itself, are
unworthy Of a Roman citizen and a
free man" Hence the force Of st.
Paul's frequent illusions to the humili-
alton which Christ endured when He
suffered death upon the cross.
It. 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 hallowed for all
time. The medieval Christians, desir-
ing to see the cross identified still
more closely with the Jewish church.
inserted a legend to supplement. the
Old Testament.
The story runs that Seth received
from the angels three seeds Of the
forbidden tree that he saw standing,
though blasted. upon the spot whore
sin had been first committed. Taking
the seeds away with him. he put them
in the mouth OF the dead Adam, and
90 buried them. The young trees that
grew from them. on the grave OF Adam
in Hebron. were carefully tended by
Abraham, Moses and David. After
they were removed to Jerusalem the
Psalms were composed beneath them.
and finally they slowly grew together
and formed q single giant tree. This
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