Friday, March 29, 2013

A 1st C. nail in a foot bone

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A heel bone with a spike driven through it.
Found inside a 1st century  ossuary in a burial cave in Jerusalem.
Our only archaeological evidence (so far)  of a crucifixion.


The Israel Museum sign for this gruesome discovery says

In a burial cave in north Jerusalem, an ossuary was discovered inscribed with the name "Yohohanan son of Hagkol."
The iron nail embedded in the right heel bone indicates that Yehohanan was put to death by crucifixion, the torturous and humiliating method used by the Romans to execute rebels, murderers, and thieves.
Even though thousands of people were executed in this manner, this is the only archaeological evidence that has reached us.
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The bones of the deceased allow us to reconstruct the method used for his crucifixion:
his legs were nailed to the sides of the crucifixion post, while his hands were tied or nailed to the crossbar.
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You can watch a live telecast on your computer soon of the Way of the Cross of Good Friday, from the Colosseum of Rome, at http://www.vatican.va/video/index.html 
Pope Francesco will preside.
The meditations for each station of the cross were written this year by Lebanese Christians.
It starts a little after 21.05 Rome time (7.05 in Sydney, 13.05 in California, 10.05 in Hawaii).
Afterwards it will be available on video at the same Vatican Player website.

The printed Way of the Cross meditations are online now.  Very appropriate for the Middle East.
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14 comments:

  1. Shabbat shalom,Dina. And good pesach, too!

    Thank you for this. Your blog is a generous and grace-filled page of good will.

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  2. This is very interesting. There is a lot of teories about how a crusifixion was done. But one thing is certain it is a terrible way to die..
    By the way, I saw a torture camber today full of torture tools in a castl.

    Wish you a blessed weekend Dina:-)

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  3. Very interesting. I knew about this but never seen it until now.

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  4. How moving a find. An entry, that will remain much in my mind.
    Yes, miss following the Way of the Cross telecast, as I saw it for nearly a decade before moving.
    Easter will 'arrive' here in about a month.
    Please have you all a good weekend ahead.

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  5. WOW! This is really something. Thanks Dina for this posting, makes you think and helps that ancient story of Jesus become real.

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  6. Robert's choice of words is excellent. This is very moving.

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  7. If we were to execute rebels, murderers, and thieves here now, we will soon run out of nails and crosses...

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  8. That's a surprising artifact! From the 1st century....wow! I hope you're enjoying the Passover celebrations, Dina!
    Warm regards from rainy, snowy Minnesota

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  9. On Good Friday I watched and listened to the Passion of St. Matthew by Bach and as always I was moved and felt a bit of the pain of the disciples of Jesus. His mother must have felt the agony of his suffering in the deepest of her soul.To see your child dying is terrible, let alone by this cruel way.

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  10. Wow - what a sobering post. What's a shame is that people around the world are still so cruel to others. You'd think we would have learned by now...

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  11. Oh how awful! I can't even imagine just how terrible a way that was to die. It's so cruel.

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  12. It is such an extreme of torture, humiliation, tearing apart from their family, their faith tested,while no doubt gawkers did nothing.Although I have seen statues, paintings. This makes it more real and more hideous than I could imagine.Wow.Mary

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