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Crucifixion of Jesus



 
 
The crucifixion of Jesus is an event described in all four gospel
Gospel

In Christianity, a gospel is generally one of the first four books of the New Testament that describe the birth, life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus....
s which takes place immediately after his arrest
Arrest of Jesus

File:Weckmann Gefangennahme.jpgThe arrest of Jesus is a pivotal event recorded in the Canonical Gospels. The event ultimately leads, in the Gospel accounts, to Crucifixion of Jesus....
 and trial
Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus

The Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus is an event reported by all the Biblical canon Gospels of the Bible. These accounts report that after Jesus Christ and his followers celebrated Passover as their Last Supper, Jesus was betrayed by his Twelve apostles Judas Iscariot, and Arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane ....
. In Christian theology
Christian theology

Christian theology is discourse concerning Christianity faith. Christian theologians use biblical exegesis, rationality analysis and argument to understanding, explanation, test, critic#critique, defend or promote Christianity....
, the death of Jesus by crucifixion is a core event on which much depends. It represents a critical aspect of the doctrine of salvation
Soteriology

Christian Soteriology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation. It is derived from the Greek language soterion + English -logy....
, portraying the suffering and death
Passion (Christianity)

The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering ? physical, spiritual, and mental ? of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion....
 of the Messiah
Messiah

Messiah literally means "anointed ".In Jewish messiah tradition and Jewish eschatology, messiah refers to a future monarch of United Monarchy from the Davidic line, who will rule the people of Israelite#The Twelve Tribes, and herald the Messianic Age of global peace....
 as necessary for the forgiveness of sins. According to the New Testament, Jesus rose from the dead after three days and appeared to his Disciples
Resurrection appearances of Jesus

The major Resurrection appearances of Jesus are reported in the New Testament to have occurred after his death of Jesus and burial of Jesus and prior to his Ascension of Jesus Christ....
 before his ascension to heaven.

In Mark, Jesus is crucified along with two rebels, and the day goes dark for three hours.






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The crucifixion of Jesus is an event described in all four gospel
Gospel

In Christianity, a gospel is generally one of the first four books of the New Testament that describe the birth, life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus....
s which takes place immediately after his arrest
Arrest of Jesus

File:Weckmann Gefangennahme.jpgThe arrest of Jesus is a pivotal event recorded in the Canonical Gospels. The event ultimately leads, in the Gospel accounts, to Crucifixion of Jesus....
 and trial
Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus

The Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus is an event reported by all the Biblical canon Gospels of the Bible. These accounts report that after Jesus Christ and his followers celebrated Passover as their Last Supper, Jesus was betrayed by his Twelve apostles Judas Iscariot, and Arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane ....
. In Christian theology
Christian theology

Christian theology is discourse concerning Christianity faith. Christian theologians use biblical exegesis, rationality analysis and argument to understanding, explanation, test, critic#critique, defend or promote Christianity....
, the death of Jesus by crucifixion is a core event on which much depends. It represents a critical aspect of the doctrine of salvation
Soteriology

Christian Soteriology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation. It is derived from the Greek language soterion + English -logy....
, portraying the suffering and death
Passion (Christianity)

The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering ? physical, spiritual, and mental ? of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion....
 of the Messiah
Messiah

Messiah literally means "anointed ".In Jewish messiah tradition and Jewish eschatology, messiah refers to a future monarch of United Monarchy from the Davidic line, who will rule the people of Israelite#The Twelve Tribes, and herald the Messianic Age of global peace....
 as necessary for the forgiveness of sins. According to the New Testament, Jesus rose from the dead after three days and appeared to his Disciples
Resurrection appearances of Jesus

The major Resurrection appearances of Jesus are reported in the New Testament to have occurred after his death of Jesus and burial of Jesus and prior to his Ascension of Jesus Christ....
 before his ascension to heaven.

In Mark, Jesus is crucified along with two rebels, and the day goes dark for three hours. Jesus calls out to God, then gives a shout and dies. The curtain of the Temple is torn in two. Matthew follows Mark, adding an earthquake and the resurrection of saints. Luke also follows Mark, though he describes the rebels as common criminals, one of whom defends Jesus, who promises that the two of them will be together in paradise. Luke portrays Jesus as impassive in the face of his crucifixion. John includes several of the same elements as those found in Mark, though they are treated differently.

Jesus' redemptive suffering and death by crucifixion are referred to as the Passion
Passion (Christianity)

The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering ? physical, spiritual, and mental ? of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion....
, from the Latin verb patior, to experience. In the Christian tradition, Jesus is said to have died for the sins of the world, a doctrine generally known as atonement
Atonement

The atonement is a doctrine found within both Christianity and Judaism. It describes how sin can be forgiven by God. In Judaism, Atonement is said to be the process of forgiving or pardoning a transgression....
, and in some cases as substitutionary atonement
Substitutionary atonement

Substitutionary atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology which states that Jesus died – intentionally and willingly – on the Christian cross as a propitiation, or substitute, for sinners....
. Jesus' suffering is said to be foretold in Hebrew scripture, such as in Isaiah's songs of the suffering servant.

Historians regard Jesus' crucifixion under Pontius Pilate as a historical event. Early Christians are considered unlikely to have invented Jesus' crucifixion because it embarrassed them (see criterion of embarrassment
Criterion of embarrassment

The criterion of embarrassment is a tool used by some Biblical criticism to help determine whether certain actions or sayings by Jesus in the New Testament are historically probable or not....
).

Overview

The following picture is what emerges from taking jointly the (non-identical, but often overlapping) accounts in the four gospels. Following the Last Supper
Last Supper

In the Christian Gospels, the Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles and Disciple before Crucifixion of Jesus. The Last Supper has been the subject of many paintings, perhaps The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci....
 with the twelve Apostles
Twelve Apostles

In Christianity, apostles were missionaries among the leaders in the Early Christianity and, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesus Christ himself....
, Jesus was arrested
Arrest of Jesus

File:Weckmann Gefangennahme.jpgThe arrest of Jesus is a pivotal event recorded in the Canonical Gospels. The event ultimately leads, in the Gospel accounts, to Crucifixion of Jesus....
 in Gethsemane
Gethsemane

Gethsemane is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem believed to be the place where Jesus and his disciples prayed the night before Crucifixion of Jesus....
 and forced to stand trial before the Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus

The Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus is an event reported by all the Biblical canon Gospels of the Bible. These accounts report that after Jesus Christ and his followers celebrated Passover as their Last Supper, Jesus was betrayed by his Twelve apostles Judas Iscariot, and Arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane ....
, Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate was the Roman_governor#Equestrian_procurator of the Roman Empire Iudaea Province from the year AD 26 until AD 36. He is typically known as the sixth Procurator of Judea, but some sources cite him as the fifth....
, and Herod Antipas
Herod Antipas

Herod Antipas After inheriting his territories when the kingdom of his father Herod the Great was divided upon his death in 4 BC, Antipas ruled them as a client state of the Roman Empire....
, before being handed over for crucifixion. After being flogged
Flagellation of Christ

The Flagellation of Christ, sometimes known as Christ at the Column, is a scene from the Passion of Christ very frequently shown in Christian art, in cycles of the Passion or the larger subject of the Life of Christ....
, Jesus was mocked by Roman soldiers as the "King of the Jews
King of the Jews

King of the Jews may refer to:History:Ruler of historic Jewish kingdoms and client states:* Kingdom of Israel * Kingdom of Judah * Hasmonean dynasty ...
", clothed in a purple robe, crowned with thorns, beaten and spat on. Jesus then had to make his way to the place of his crucifixion.

Once at Golgotha
Calvary

Calvary or Golgotha are the English language/Western Christian names given to the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem?s early 1st century walls, ascribed to Jesus's crucifixion....
, Jesus was stripped and nailed to the beam and hung for some hours, from the third hour (Mark 15:25) to the ninth hour (Mark 15:34-37), between two convicted thieves. The soldiers affixed a sign above his head stating "King of the Jews" in three languages
INRI

INRI is an acronym of the Latin language inscription IESVS?NAZARENVS?REX?IVD?ORVM , which translates to English language as "Jesus Nazarene, King of the Jews." The Greek equivalent of this phrase appears in the New Testament of the Christian Bible in the Gospel of John ....
, divided his garments and cast lots for his seamless robe, and offered him wine mixed with gall to drink, before eventually piercing his side with a spear to be certain that he had died. The gospels mention a total of seven statements that Jesus made while he was being crucified, as well as several supernatural events that occurred. Following his death, his body was removed from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea

Joseph of Arimathea was, according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared sepulchre for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion of Jesus....
 and buried in a rock-hewn tomb
Sepulchre

A sepulchre, or sepulcher, is a type of tomb or burial chamber. In ancient Hebrew practice, sepulchres were often carved into the rock of a hillside....
, with Nicodemus
Nicodemus

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, who, according to the Gospel of John, showed favour to Jesus. He appears three times in the Gospel: the first is when he visits Jesus one night to listen to his teachings ; the second is when he states the law concerning the arrest of Jesus during the Sukkot ; and the last follows the...
 assisting.

Accounts of the crucifixion

That Jesus was crucified is a well-attested event of Roman history. All four Gospels attest to its historicity by recording in great detail the events surrounding the crucifixion. Although almost all ancient sources relating to crucifixion are literary, the 1968 archeological discovery just north east of Jerusalem of the body of a crucified man dated to the first century provided good confirmatory evidence of the gospel accounts of crucifixion. The crucified man was identified as Yohan Ben Ha'galgol and probably died about 70AD, around the time of the Jewish revolt against Rome. The analyses at the Hadassah Medical School estimated that he died in his late 20s. These studies also showed that the man had been crucified in a manner resembling the Gospel accounts. Another relevant archaeological find, which also dates to the first century AD, is an unidentified heel bone with a spike discovered in a Jerusalem gravesite, and is now held by the Israel Antiquities Authority
Israel Antiquities Authority

The Israel Antiquities Authority [???? ???????] is an independent Israel governmental authority responsible for enforcing the 1978 Law of Antiquities by regulating excavation and conservation, and by promoting research....
 and displayed in the Israel Museum
Israel Museum

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem was founded in 1965 as Israel's national museum. It is situated on a hill in the Givat Ram neighborhood of Jerusalem, near the Knesset, the Israeli Supreme Court, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
.

Gospel narratives

The earliest detailed historical narrative accounts of the death of Jesus are contained in the four canonical gospel
Gospel

In Christianity, a gospel is generally one of the first four books of the New Testament that describe the birth, life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus....
s: Matthew
Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a synoptic gospel. It narrates an account of the New Testament view on Jesus' life and Ministry of Jesus of Jesus of Nazareth....
 , Mark
Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark is the second of the four canonical gospels in the New Testament and was probably the first of the three synoptic gospels to be written....
 , Luke
Gospel of Luke

The Gospel of Luke is a Synoptic Gospels, and is the third and longest of the four Biblical canonical Gospels of the New Testament. The text narrates the life of Jesus of Nazareth....
 , and John
Gospel of John

The Gospel of John is the fourth gospel in the Biblical canon of the New Testament, traditionally ascribed to John the Evangelist. Like the three synoptic gospels, it contains an account of some of the actions and sayings of Jesus of Nazareth, but differs from them in ethos and theological emphases....
 . There are other more implicit references in the New Testament epistles.

According to all four gospels, Jesus was brought to the "Place of a Skull" and crucified with two thieves, with the charge of claiming to be "King of the Jews", and the soldiers dividing his clothes before he bowed his head and died. Following his death, Joseph of Arimathea requested the body from Pilate, which he then placed in a new garden tomb.

The three synoptic gospels also describe Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross, the multitude mocking Jesus along with the thieves, darkness from the 6th to the 9th hour, and the temple veil being torn from top to bottom. The synoptics also mention several witnesses, including a centurion, and several women who watched from a distance two of whom were present during the burial.

Luke is the only gospel writer to omit the detail of sour wine mix that was offered to Jesus on a reed, while only Mark and John describe Joseph actually taking the body down off the cross.

There are several details that are only found in one of the gospel accounts. For instance, only Matthew's gospel mentions the earthquake and resurrected saints and that Roman soldiers were assigned to guard the tomb, while Mark is the only one to state the actual time of the crucifixion (the third hour, or 9 am) and the Centurion's report of Jesus' death. The Gospel of Luke’s unique contributions to the narrative include Jesus' words to the women who were mourning, one criminal's rebuke of the other, the reaction of the multitudes who left "beating their breasts", and the women preparing spices and ointments before resting on the Sabbath. John is also the only one to refer to the request that the legs be broken and the soldier’s subsequent piercing of Jesus' side (as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy), as well as that Nicodemus assisted Joseph with burial.

Other accounts


Since crucifixion was a common punishment for first century Jews thought to be traitors against Rome, it is not surprising that only a few secular historians record the event (and then without much commentary). For instance, Roman historian Tacitus
Tacitus

Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a Roman Senate and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories —examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those that reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors....
, in his Annals
Annals (Tacitus)

The Annals is a history book by Tacitus covering the reign of the four Roman Emperors succeeding to Caesar Augustus. The parts of the work that survived from antiquity cover the reigns of Tiberius and Nero....
 (c. A.D. 116), mentions only in passing that "Christus...suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators
Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate was the Roman_governor#Equestrian_procurator of the Roman Empire Iudaea Province from the year AD 26 until AD 36. He is typically known as the sixth Procurator of Judea, but some sources cite him as the fifth....
..." (see also: Tacitus on Christ)

Additionally, first-century Jewish historian Josephus
Josephus

Josephus , also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu and, after he became a Roman citizenship, as Titus Flavius Josephus, was a first-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived and recorded the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70....
 (in a disputed passage) records:

Another possible Jewish reference to the crucifixion ("hanging" cf. ; ) is found in the Babylonian Talmud
Talmud

The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Halakha, Jewish ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
:

Although the question of the equivalence of the identities of Yeshu and Jesus has at times been debated, many historians agree that the above passage is likely to be about Jesus.

Date, place and people present

The exact time, date and place of the crucifixion, and the list of people present, have been the subject of a wide range of research and speculation.

Date of the crucifixion

Although there is no final consensus regarding the specific year or day, it is generally agreed that it occurred during the governorship of Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate was the Roman_governor#Equestrian_procurator of the Roman Empire Iudaea Province from the year AD 26 until AD 36. He is typically known as the sixth Procurator of Judea, but some sources cite him as the fifth....
 (between AD 26 and AD 36 ) on a Friday
Good Friday

Good Friday, also called Holy Friday, Great Friday or Black Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday . It commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Golgotha....
 on or near Passover
Passover

Passover is a Jewish and Samaritan holy day and festival commemorating God sparing the Israelites when He killed the first born of Egypt, and is followed by the seven day Feast of the Unleavened Bread commemorating the Exodus from Ancient Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites from Judaism and slavery....
 (Nisan
Nisan

Nisan is the seventh month of the civil year and the first month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to a stage in the ripening of barley which occurs during the month....
 15). (Thursday or even Wednesday crucifixion scenarios have also been suggested.) John's Gospel implies that at the time of the trial the Jewish leaders had not yet eaten the Passover meal and explicitly states just prior to his sentencing "Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour." This places the crucifixion on Nisan
Nisan

Nisan is the seventh month of the civil year and the first month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to a stage in the ripening of barley which occurs during the month....
 14
Quartodecimanism

Quartodecimanism refers to the custom of some early Christians celebrating Passover or Easter beginning with the eve of the 14th day of Nisan , which at dusk is Biblically the "'s passover"....
, since the law mandated the lamb had to be sacrificed between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm and eaten before midnight on Nissan 14. This understanding fits well with Old Testament
Old Testament

In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christianity Bible Biblical canon. These works correspond to the Hebrew Bible , with some variations and additions....
 typology
Typology

"Typology" is the study of types. More specifically, it may refer to:*Typology , division of culture by races*Typology , classification of things according to their characteristics...
, in which Jesus entered Jerusalem to identify himself as the Paschal lamb
Korban Pesach

Korban Pesach also known as the "Paschal Lamb" is the Korban that the Torah mandates to be brought on the eve of Passover, and eaten on the first night of the holiday with marror and matzo....
 on Nisan 10, was crucified and died at 3:00 in the afternoon of Nisan 14, at the same time the High Priest would have sacrificed the Paschal lamb, and rose before dawn the morning of Nisan 16, as a type of offering of the First Fruits
First Fruits

First Fruits are a religious offering of the first agricultural produce of the harvest. In classical Ancient Greek religion, Religion in ancient Rome, Judaism and Christianity religions, the first fruits were offered to the temple or Church ....
.

The chronology presented by John is problematic in reconciling with the Synoptic passages and the tradition that the Last Supper
Last Supper

In the Christian Gospels, the Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles and Disciple before Crucifixion of Jesus. The Last Supper has been the subject of many paintings, perhaps The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci....
 was a Passover meal, placing the crucifixion instead on Nisan 15. However, the apparent contradiction may be resolved by postulating differences in how post-exilic Jews reckoned time. For Jesus and his disciples, the Passover could have begun at dawn Thursday, while for traditional Jews (following ), it would not have begun until dusk that same day. Another potential solution is that Jesus chose to celebrate the Passover meal a day early with his disciples.

Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton, Fellow of the Royal Society was an English people physicist, mathematician, Astronomy, Natural philosophy, Alchemy, and Theology and one of the the 100 in human history....
 was one of the first scientists to estimate the date of the crucifixion by calculating the relative visibility of the crescent of the new moon between the Hebrew
Hebrew calendar

The Hebrew calendar or Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar used by Jews, now predominantly for religious purposes. It is used to reckon the Jewish New Year and dates for Jewish holidays, and also to determine appropriate Torah reading of Torah portions, Yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses....
 and Julian calendar
Julian calendar

The Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, and came into force in 45 BC . It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year, known at least since Hipparchus....
s. Newton suggested the date as Friday, April 23 AD 34 . Yet, using similar computations, in 1990 astronomer Bradley Schaefer arrived at the date Friday, April 3 33 AD. In 2003, using a computer program, astronomers Liviu Mircea and Tiberiu Oproiu estimated that Jesus died at 3 pm on Friday, April 3, 33
33

Year 33 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar....
 AD, and rose on Sunday, April 5, dates that agree with Schaefer, but not with Newton. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society

The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomy research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV of the United Kingdom....
 in 1991, John Pratt argued that Newton's reasoning was effectively sound, but included a minor error at the end. Pratt suggested the year 33 AD as the accurate answer. Another computer calculation suggests somewhat different dates.

Path to the crucifixion


The three Synoptic Gospels
Synoptic Gospels

The synoptic gospels are three gospels in the New Testament the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, and the Gospel of Luke, that display a high degree of similarity in content, narrative arrangement, language, and sentence and paragraph structures....
 refer to a man called Simon of Cyrene
Simon of Cyrene

Simon of Cyrene was the person compelled by the Roman Empire to carry the cross of Jesus as Jesus was taken to his crucifixion, according to the Gospel of Mark , Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Luke :...
 who is made to carry the cross, while in the Gospel of John, Jesus is said to "bear" his own cross.

Luke's gospel also describes an interaction between Jesus and the women among the crowd of mourners following him, quoting Jesus as saying "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

Traditionally, the path that Jesus took is called Via Dolorosa
Via Dolorosa

Via Dolorosa is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. Traditionally, it is held to be the path that Jesus walked, carrying his cross, on the way to Crucifixion of Jesus....
 (Latin for "Way of Grief" or "Way of Suffering") and is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is marked by nine of the fourteen Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross

Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St....
. It passes the Ecce Homo Church
Ecce Homo (church)

Ecce Homo Church is a Roman Catholic church on Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. It is under the care of the Sisters of Zion.The church borders and merges with a Roman arch that crosses the Via Dolorosa....
 and the last five stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre , also called the Church of the Resurrection, by Eastern Christianitys, is a Christianity Church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem....
.

There is no reference to the legendary Saint Veronica
Saint Veronica

Saint Veronica or Berenice, according to the "Acta Sanctorum" published by the Bollandists , was a pious woman of Jerusalem who, moved with pity as Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, gave him her veil that he might wipe his forehead....
 in the Gospels. But according to the Acta Sanctorum
Acta Sanctorum

Acta Sanctorum is an encyclopedic text in 68 folio volumes of documents examining the lives of Christian saints, in essence a critical hagiography, which is organised according to each saint's feast day....
 published by the Bollandist
Bollandist

The Bollandists are an association of scholars - originally all Society of Jesus, but now including non-Jesuits -- philologists and historians -- who since the early seventeenth century have studied hagiography and the cult of the saints in Christianity....
s, Saint Veronica
Saint Veronica

Saint Veronica or Berenice, according to the "Acta Sanctorum" published by the Bollandists , was a pious woman of Jerusalem who, moved with pity as Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, gave him her veil that he might wipe his forehead....
 was a pious woman of Jerusalem
Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its List of Israeli cities in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if Positions on Jerusalem East Jerusalem is included....
 who, moved with pity as Jesus
Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and is revered by most Christian churches as the Son of God and the Incarnation ....
 carried his cross to Golgotha, gave him her veil that he might wipe his forehead. Jesus reportedly accepted the offering and after using it handed it back to her, the image of his face miraculously impressed upon it. This reported image then became known as the Veil of Veronica
Veil of Veronica

The Veil of Veronica, or Sudarium , often called simply "The Veronica" and known in Italian as the Volto Santo or Holy Face is a Catholic relic, which, according to legend, bears the likeness of the Face of Jesus not made by human hand ....
 (in Italian as the Volto Santo) and was the starting point for the devotions to the Holy Face of Jesus
Holy Face of Jesus

The Holy Face of Jesus is a title for specific images which some Catholics believe to have been miraculously formed representations of the face of Jesus Christ....
 by Roman Catholics.

Place of the crucifixion

The precise location of the crucifixion remains a matter of conjecture, but the biblical accounts indicate that it would have been outside the city walls, accessible to passers-by, and observable from some distance away. Eusebius
Eusebius of Caesarea

Eusebius of Caesarea became the bishop of Caesarea Maritima c 314. He is often referred to as the Father of Church History because of his work in recording the history of the early Christianity church, especially Chronicon and Church_History_....
 identified its location only as being north of Mount Zion
Mount Zion

Mount Zion is a hill just outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The term "Zion" became a synecdoche referring to the entire city of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel....
, which is consistent with the two most popularly suggested sites of modern times.

Calvary
Calvary

Calvary or Golgotha are the English language/Western Christian names given to the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem?s early 1st century walls, ascribed to Jesus's crucifixion....
 is an English name derived from the Latin word for skull (calvaria), which is how Jerome translated the Aramaic word Gûlgaltâ which identifies the place where Jesus was crucified. Although the text does not indicate why it was so designated, several theories have been put forward. One is that as a place of public execution, Calvary may have been strewn with the skulls of abandoned victims (which would be contrary to Jewish burial traditions, but not Roman). Another is that Calvary is named after a nearby cemetery (which is consistent with both of the proposed modern sites). A third is that the name was derived from the physical contour, which would be more consistent with the singular use of the word, i.e. the place called "a skull". While often referred to as "Mount Calvary", it was more likely a small hill or rocky knoll.

The traditional site, inside what is now occupied by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre , also called the Church of the Resurrection, by Eastern Christianitys, is a Christianity Church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem....
 in the Christian Quarter
Christian Quarter

The Christian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the ancient, walled Old City of Jerusalem, the other three being the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter and the Armenian Quarter....
 of the Old City, has been attested since the 4th century. A second site (commonly referred to as Gordon’s Calvary), located further north of the Old City near a place popularly called the Garden Tomb
Garden Tomb

The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem is considered by some to be the site of the burial and resurrection of Jesus. It was first put forward as Jesus' tomb by Major-General Charles George Gordon Order of the Bath, who spent time in Palestine in 1882-83....
, has been promoted since the 19th century, mostly by Protestants.

People present at the crucifixion


The Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke

The Gospel of Luke is a Synoptic Gospels, and is the third and longest of the four Biblical canonical Gospels of the New Testament. The text narrates the life of Jesus of Nazareth....
 (Luke 23:28-31) states that on the way to Calvary Jesus spoke to a number of women within the crowd of mourners following him, addressing them as "Daughters of Jerusalem". Biblical scholars have produced various theories about the identity of these women, and those actually present during the Crucifixion itself, including among them the Virgin Mary and Saint Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene

Saint Mary Magdalene or Mary Magdalene is described, both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted Disciple of Jesus....
.

Luke's Gospel does not mention that the Virgin Mary was present during crucifixion. However, the Gospel of John
Gospel of John

The Gospel of John is the fourth gospel in the Biblical canon of the New Testament, traditionally ascribed to John the Evangelist. Like the three synoptic gospels, it contains an account of some of the actions and sayings of Jesus of Nazareth, but differs from them in ethos and theological emphases....
 (John 19:26-27) does place the Virgin Mary at the Crucifixion and states that while on the Cross: Jesus saw his own mother, and the disciple standing near whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son".

The Gospel of John also places other women (The Three Marys
The Three Marys

The Three Marys refer to the three bible Marys that came to the sepulchre of Jesus in the Gospels and are companions of Mary, the mother of Jesus....
), at the Cross. John 19:25 states that Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. It is uncertain whether the Gospel of John
Gospel of John

The Gospel of John is the fourth gospel in the Biblical canon of the New Testament, traditionally ascribed to John the Evangelist. Like the three synoptic gospels, it contains an account of some of the actions and sayings of Jesus of Nazareth, but differs from them in ethos and theological emphases....
 totally refers to three or four women at the Cross. References to the women are also made in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 (which also mentions Salome) and comparing these references they all seem to include Saint Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene

Saint Mary Magdalene or Mary Magdalene is described, both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted Disciple of Jesus....
.

The Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark is the second of the four canonical gospels in the New Testament and was probably the first of the three synoptic gospels to be written....
 states that Roman soldiers were also present at the Crucifixion: And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!".

Last words of Jesus

The gospel writers record seven statements uttered by Jesus while he was on the cross:
  • "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
  • "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
  • "Woman, behold, your son!"
  • "E'li, E'li, la'ma sa?bach?tha'ni?" (; ) (Aramaic
    Aramaic language

    Aramaic is a Semitic languages with a 3,000-year history. It has been the language of administration of empires and the language of divine worship....
     for "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?")
  • "I thirst."
  • "It is finished."
  • "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!"


These are all short utterances. See the section below on the Medical aspects of crucifixion, on how in the face of exhaustion asphyxia
Asphyxia

Asphyxia is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking....
, obtaining enough air to utter any words on the cross can be very tiring and painful for the victim.

Phenomena during the crucifixion

Mark mentions darkness in the daytime during Jesus' crucifixion and the Temple veil being torn in two when Jesus dies. Matthew follows Mark, adding an earthquake and the resurrection of saints. Luke also follows Mark. In John, there are no such miraculous signs. Instead, Jesus' triumph over death is the only sign revealing Jesus' divinity.

Darkness

In the synoptic narrative, while Jesus is hanging on the cross, the sky is "darkened for 3 hours," from the sixth to the ninth hour (noon to mid-afternoon). Both Roman orator Julius Africanus
Julius Africanus

Julius Africanus was a celebrated orator in the reign of Nero, and seems to have been the son of the Julius Africanus, of the Gaul state of the Santones, who was condemned by Tiberius in 32....
 and Christian theologian Origen
Origen

Origen was an Early Christianity scholar, theology, and one of the most distinguished of the early Church father of the Christian Church. According to tradition, he is held to have been an Ancient Egypt who taught in Alexandria, reviving the Catechetical School of Alexandria where Clement of Alexandria had taught....
 refer to Greek historian Phlegon
Phlegon of Tralles

Phlegon, of Tralles in Asia Minor, Greece writer and freedman of the emperor Hadrian, lived in the 2nd century.His chief work was the Olympiads, an historical compendium in sixteen books, from the 1st down to the 229th Olympiad , of which several chapters are preserved in Eusebius' Chronicle, Photios I of Constantinople and Syncellu...
 as having written "with regard to the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place" Julius Africanus further refers to the writings of historian Thallus
Thallus (historian)

Thallus was a historian who wrote in Greek. It is uncertain when he wrote, but it was probably in the middle of the first century . His works are all lost, but a few fragments have reached us in later Ancient and Medieval writers....
 when ruling out the possibility of a solar eclipse: "This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun. For the Hebrews celebrate the passover on the 14th day according to the moon, and the passion of our Saviour falls on the day before the passover; but an eclipse of the sun takes place only when the moon comes under the sun." A solar eclipse concurrent with a full moon is a scientific impossibility. Christian apologist Tertullian
Tertullian

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian, was a prolific and controversial early Christian author, and the first to write Christian Latin literature....
 wrote "In the same hour, too, the light of day was withdrawn, when the sun at the very time was in his meridian blaze. Those who were not aware that this had been predicted about Christ, no doubt thought it an eclipse. You yourselves have the account of the world-portent still in your archives."

Temple veil, earthquake and resurrection

The synoptic gospels state that the veil
Veil

A veil is an article of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, that is intended to cover some part of the head or face. As a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space....
 of the temple
Temple in Jerusalem

The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to a series of structures located on the Temple Mount in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two temples were built at this location, and a The Third Temple features in Jewish eschatology....
 was torn from top to bottom. According to Josephus, the curtain in Herod's temple would have been nearly high and thick. According to , this curtain was representative of the separation between God and man, beyond which only the High Priest was permitted to pass, and then only once each year (cf. ) to enter into God's presence and make atonement for the sins of Israel . Bible expositors agree that the rending of the veil is symbolic of Jesus establishing a new and living way of access to God .

The Gospel of Matthew states that there were earthquakes, splitting rocks, and the graves of dead saint
Saint

A saint in Christianity is a human being who has been called to holiness. The term is used differently by various denominations, with some, such as the Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans distinguishing between Saints and saints....
s were opened (and subsequently resurrected
Resurrection

Miraculous resurrection of one sort or another has been a recurrent theme or central doctrine of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and other Abrahamic religions....
 after the resurrection of Jesus). The fate of these resurrected saints is never elaborated upon.

In the synoptic accounts, the centurion
Centurion

Centurion may refer to:...
 in charge, witnessing these events, says: "Truly this was the Son of God
Son of God

Son of God is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the Christian Bible. In the Tanakh, according to Judaism religious tradition, Son of God has many possible meanings, referring to angels, or humans or even all mankind....
!" ; or "Truly this man was the Son of God!" ; or "Certainly this man was innocent!" .

Death of Jesus: Theological significance

The theological significance of death by crucifixion is at times discussed in terms of the cross being a curse. The Heidelberg Catechism
Heidelberg Catechism

The Heidelberg Catechism is a Protestant confessional document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed churches Christian doctrine....
 suggests that the special meaning behind Jesus' death by crucifixion rather than some other method is that the believer is "assured that He took upon Himself the curse which lay on me, for a crucified one was cursed by God" (Q & A 39). Similarly, Galatians 3: 13 quotes Deuteronomy 21: 23 in its assertion that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

Atonement

Jesus' death and resurrection underpin a variety of theological interpretations
Soteriology

Christian Soteriology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation. It is derived from the Greek language soterion + English -logy....
 as to how salvation
Salvation

In religion, salvation is the concept that God saves humanity from death. As commonly conceived, He has both Will of God and omnipotence to realize human salvation....
 is granted to humanity. A common feature of all these interpretations is that they place greater emphasis on the death and resurrection than on his words.

To most Christians, Jesus willingly sacrificed himself as an act of perfect obedience as a substitutionary atonement
Substitutionary atonement

Substitutionary atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology which states that Jesus died – intentionally and willingly – on the Christian cross as a propitiation, or substitute, for sinners....
, a sacrifice of love which pleased God. Many modern branches of Christianity embrace substitutionary atonement as the central meaning of Jesus' death on the cross. These branches however have developed different theories of atonement. The Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian communion in the world with an estimated 225 million members worldwide. It is considered by its adherents to be the Four Marks of the Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles nearly 2000 years ago....
 and Eastern Catholics incorporates substitutionary atonement as one (relatively minor) element of a single doctrine of the Cross and Resurrection, the Roman Catholic church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
 incorporates it into Aquinas' Satisfaction doctrine
Atonement (satisfaction view)

The satisfaction view of the atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology related to the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus and has been traditionally taught in Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Calvinism circles....
 rooted in the idea of penance
Penance

Penance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession....
, and Evangelical
Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestantism Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s.Most adherents consider its key characteristics to be: a belief in the need for personal conversion ; some expression of the gospel in effort; a high regard for Biblical authority; and an emphasis on the death and resurrection of Jesus....
 Protestants interpret it largely in terms of penal substitution
Penal substitution

Penal substitution is a theory of the atonement within Christian theology, especially associated with the Calvinist tradition. It argues that Christ, by his own sacrificial choice, was punished in the place of sinners , thus Atonement the demands of justice so God can justly forgive the sins....
.

In the Roman Catholic tradition this view of atonement is balanced by the duty of Roman Catholics to perform Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ
Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ

Roman Catholic tradition include specific prayers and devotions as Acts of Reparation for insults and blasphemies against Jesus Christ and the Holy Name of Jesus....
 which in the encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor
Miserentissimus Redemptor

Miserentissimus Redemptor is the title of an encyclical by Pope Pius XI, issued on May 8 1928. This encyclical deals with the concepts of Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ and atonement....
 of Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI

Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, reigned as Pope from February 6, 1922, and as sovereignty of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on February 11, 1929 until his death on February 10, 1939....
 were defined as "some sort of compensation to be rendered for the injury" with respect to the sufferings of Jesus. Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II John Paul II is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century. He has been Pope_John_Paul_II#Role_in_the_fall_of_Communism in bringing down communism in Eastern Europe, as well as significantly improving the Roman Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and A...
 referred to these Acts of Reparation
Acts of reparation

In the Roman Catholic tradition, an Act of Reparation is a prayer or devotion with the intent to repair the "sins of others", e.g. for the repair of the sin of blasphemy, the sufferings of Jesus Christ or as Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary....
 as the "unceasing effort to stand beside the endless crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified."

The Christus Victor
Christus Victor

Gustaf Aul?n's Christus VictorThe term Christus Victor comes from the title of Gustaf Aul?n's groundbreaking book first published in 1931 where he drew attention back to this classic early Church understanding of the Atonement....
 view, which is more common among Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian communion in the world with an estimated 225 million members worldwide. It is considered by its adherents to be the Four Marks of the Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles nearly 2000 years ago....
 Christians, holds that Jesus was sent by God to defeat death and Satan
Satan

Satan is a term that originates from the Abrahamic religions, being traditionally applied to an angel in Judeo-Christian belief, and to a Genie in Islamic belief....
. Because of his perfection, voluntary death, and Resurrection, Jesus defeated Satan and death, and arose victorious. Therefore, humanity was no longer bound in sin, but was free to rejoin God through faith in Jesus.

Medical aspects of the crucifixion

A number of theories that attempt to explain the circumstances of the death of Jesus on the cross via medical knowledge of 19th and 20th century have been proposed by a range of people, including physicians, historians and even mystics.

Most theories proposed by trained physicians (with specialties ranging from forensic medicine to ophthamology) conclude that Jesus endured tremendous amounts of pain and suffering on the Cross before his death. In 2006, general practitioner John Scotson reviewed over 40 publications on the cause of death of Jesus and theories ranged from cardiac rupture to pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the pulmonary artery or one of its branches, usually occurring when a deep vein thrombosis becomes dislodged from its site of formation and travels, or embolism, to the pulmonary artery blood supply of one of the lungs....
.

As early as 1847, drawing on John 19:34, physician William Stroud proposed the ruptured heart theory of the cause of Christ’s death and it influenced a number of other people. The asphyxia theory has been the subject of several experiments that simulate crucifixion in healthy volunteers and many physicians agree that crucifixion causes a profound disruption of the victim’s ability to breathe. A side effect of exhaustive asphyxia is that the crucifixion victim will gradually find it more and more challenging to obtain enough breath to speak. This provides a possible explanation of the fact that the last words of Christ were short utterances.

The cardiovascular collapse theory is a prevalent modern explanation and suggests that Jesus died of profound shock. According to this theory, the scourging, the beatings, and the fixing to the cross would have left Jesus dehydrated, weak, and critically ill and that the stage was set for a complex interplay of simultaneous physiological insults: dehydration, massive trauma and soft tissue injury (especially from the prior scourging), inadequate respiration, and strenuous physical exertion, leading to cardiovascular collapse.

In her 1944 book Poem of the Man God
Poem of the Man God

The Poem of the Man God is a multi volume book of about four thousand pages on the life of Jesus Christ written by the Italian mystic Maria Valtorta....
 Italian writer and mystic Maria Valtorta
Maria Valtorta

Maria Valtorta was an Italian writer and poet, considered by many to be a mystic. Her work centers on Catholic Christian themes. Her followers believe that she had personally conversed with Jesus Christ in her visions of Jesus and Mary....
 (who had no medical education) provided a very detailed account of the death of Jesus that supports the cardiovascular collapse theory, compounded by partial asphyxiation, and she wrote that the account was dictated to her by Jesus himself in a vision. Endocrinilogist
Endocrine system

The endocrine system is a system of small organs that involve the release of extracellular signaling molecules known as hormones. The endocrine system is instrumental in regulating metabolism, human development , and tissue and also plays a part in determining Mood ....
 Nicholas Pende expressed agreement with Valtorta's account and expressed surprise at the level of detail in which Valtorta depicted Christ's spasms in Crucifixion..

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of the American Medical Association

JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association is an international peer-reviewed general medical journal, published 48 times per year by the American Medical Association....
, physician William Edwards and his colleagues supported the combined cardiovascular collapse (via hypovolemic shock) and exhaustion asphyxia theories, assuming that the flow of water from the side of Jesus described in the Gospel of John, 19:34 was pericardial fluid
Pericardial fluid

Pericardial FluidSurrounding the heart is a sac known as the pericardium, which consists of two membranes. The outer layer being the fibrous parietal pericardium and the inner layer being the serous visceral pericardium....
. Some Christian Apologists
Christian apologetics

Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a reason basis for the Christianity, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views....
 seem to favor this theory and maintain that this medical anomaly would have been a fact that the author of the Gospel of John would have been tempted to leave out, had he not been interested in accurate reporting.

In his book The Crucifixion of Jesus, physician and forensic pathologist Frederick Zugibe
Frederick Zugibe

Dr. Frederick Zugibe is the former chief medical examiner of Rockland County, New York New York. He is well known for his research on the crucifixion and Shroud of Turin, which contradicts the theories of Pierre Barbet and the Catholic Church ....
 provides a set of theories that attempt to explain the nailing, pains and death of Jesus in great detail. Zugibe carried out a number of experiments over several years to test his theories while he was a medical examiner. These studies included experiments in which volunteers with specific weights were hanging at specific angles and the amount of pull on each hand was measured, in cases where the feet were also secured or not. In these cases the amount of pull and the corresponding pain was found to be significant.

Pierre Barbet
Pierre Barbet

Pierre Barbet was the main pseudonym used by French science fiction writer Claude Avice. Claude Avice, a Physician in Pharmacy, also used the pseudonyms of Olivier Sprigel and David Maine....
, a pharmacist and science fiction writer, advanced a set of detailed theories on the death of Jesus. He hypothesized that Jesus would have had to relax his muscles to obtain enough air to utter his last words, in the face of exhaustion asphyxia. Barbet hypothesized that a crucified person would have to use his pierced feet to lift his body in order to obtain enough breath to speak. Some of Barbet's theories, e.g. location of nails, are disputed by Zugibe.

Ophthalmologist and pastor C. Truman Davis also published a physician's view of the crucifixion, agreeing with Barbet, but his analysis is far less detailed than Zugibe.

Orthopedic surgeon Keith Maxwell not only analyzed the medical aspects of the Crucifixion, but also looked backed at how Jesus could have carried the cross all the way along Via Dolorosa
Via Dolorosa

Via Dolorosa is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. Traditionally, it is held to be the path that Jesus walked, carrying his cross, on the way to Crucifixion of Jesus....
.

In an article for the Catholic Medical Association
Catholic Medical Association

File:Luke Evangelist.jpgThe Catholic Medical Association is an organization of Catholic physician, dentists and health care professionals in the United States and Canada....
, Phillip Bishop and physiologist Brian Church suggested a new theory based on suspension trauma
Suspension trauma

Suspension trauma , also known as harness hang syndrome , or orthostatic incompetence is an effect which occurs when the human body is held upright without any movement for a period of time....
.

In 2003, historians FP Retief and L Cilliers reviewed the history and pathology of crucifixion as performed by the Romans and suggested that the cause of death was often a combination of factors. They also state that Roman guards were prohibited from leaving the scene until death had occurred.

Crucifixion in art, symbolism and devotions

Since the crucifixion of Jesus, the cross has become a key element of Christian symbolism
Christian symbolism

Christian symbolism invests objects or actions with an inner meaning expressing Christian ideas. Christianity has borrowed from the common stock of significant symbols known to most periods and to all regions of the world....
, and the crucifixion scene has been a key element of Christian art
Christian art

Christian art is art produced in an attempt to illustrate, supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity. Virtually all Christian groupings use or have used art to some extent....
, giving rise to specific artistic themes such as Ecce Homo
Ecce Homo

File:Titian - Christ Shown to the People .jpg.Ecce Homo are the Latin words used by Pontius Pilate in the Vulgate translation of the , when he presented a scourged Jesus Christ, bound and crown of thorns, to a hostile crowd shortly before his Crucifixion of Jesus....
, The Raising of the Cross, Descent from the Cross
Descent from the Cross

The Descent from the Cross , or Deposition of Christ, is the scene, as depicted in art, from the Gospels' accounts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross after his Crucifixion of Jesus ....
 and Entombment of Christ
Entombment of Christ

File:Gotland-Dalhem Kyrka Glasmalerei 12.jpgThe Entombment of Christ, or just Entombment, is the term in art history for the subject of Jesus being placed in his tomb....
.

The symbolism of the cross
Christian symbolism

Christian symbolism invests objects or actions with an inner meaning expressing Christian ideas. Christianity has borrowed from the common stock of significant symbols known to most periods and to all regions of the world....
 which is today one of the most widely recognized Christian symbols was used from the earliest Christian times and Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr

Saint Justin Martyr was an early Christian apologetics and saint. His works represent the earliest surviving Christian "apologies" of notable size....
 who died in 165 describes it in a way that already implies its use as a symbol, although the crucifix
Crucifix

A crucifix is a Christian cross with a representation of Jesus' body, or corpus. It is a principal symbol of the Christianity religion. It is primarily used in the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican churches, and Eastern Orthodox churches, and it emphasizes Christ's sacrifice— his death by crucifixion, which they believe brought about th...
 appeared later. Masters such as Caravaggio
Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, was an Italian people artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta and Sicily between 1593 and 1610, considered the first great representative of the Baroque school of painting....
, Rubens
Rubens

Rubens is often used to mean Peter Paul Rubens , Flemish artist.Rubens may also refer to:*Paul Rubens , co-lyricist of Florodora*Alma Rubens , American actor...
 and Titian
Titian

File:Tizian 090.jpg Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio, born 1473/1490 , died 27 August 1576, better known as Titian , was the leading painter of the 16th-century Venice school of the Italian Renaissance....
 have depicted the crucifixion scene.

Devotions based on the process of crucifixion, and the sufferings of Jesus are followed by various Christians. The Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross

Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St....
 follows a number of stages based on the stages involved in the crucifixion of Jesus, while the Rosary of the Holy Wounds
Rosary of the Holy Wounds

The Rosary of the Holy Wounds is a specific form of Roman Catholic prayer, said on the usual rosary beads. Like some other rosary based prayers it uses the usual rosary beads, but does not include the usual mysteries of the rosary....
 is used to meditate on the wounds of Jesus as part of the crucifixion.

The presence of the Virgin Mary under the Cross, as stated in the Gospel of John
Gospel of John

The Gospel of John is the fourth gospel in the Biblical canon of the New Testament, traditionally ascribed to John the Evangelist. Like the three synoptic gospels, it contains an account of some of the actions and sayings of Jesus of Nazareth, but differs from them in ethos and theological emphases....
 (John 19:26-27), has in itself been the subject of Marian art
Roman Catholic Marian art

The BVM has been one of the major subjects of Christian Art, Art in Roman Catholicism and Western Art for many centuries. Literally hundreds of thousands of pieces of...
, and well known Catholic symbolism such as the Miraculous Medal
Miraculous Medal

The Miraculous Medal, also known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, is a medal created by Saint Catherine Labour? following a Visions of Jesus and Mary....
 and Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II John Paul II is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century. He has been Pope_John_Paul_II#Role_in_the_fall_of_Communism in bringing down communism in Eastern Europe, as well as significantly improving the Roman Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and A...
's Coat of Arms bearing a Marian Cross
Marian Cross

The Marian Cross is an informal name applied to a Roman Catholic cross design. It consists of a traditional Latin cross with the crossbar extended on the right, and a letter "M" in the lower right quadrant....
. And a number of Marian devotions also involve the presence of the Virgin Mary in Calvary, e.g. Pope John Paul II stated that "Mary was united to Jesus on the Cross". Well known works of Christian art by masters such as Raphael
Raphael

Raphael Sanzio, usually known by his first name alone was an Italy Painting and architect of the High Renaissance, celebrated for the perfection and grace of his paintings and drawings....
 (e.g. the Mond Crucifixion
Mond Crucifixion

The Mond Crucifixion is a painting by the Italy renaissance artist RaphaelAn early work influenced by Perugino, it was originally an altarpiece in the San Domenico church in Citt? di Castello, near Raphael's hometown Urbino....
), and Caravaggio
Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, was an Italian people artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta and Sicily between 1593 and 1610, considered the first great representative of the Baroque school of painting....
 (e.g. his Entombment
The Entombment of Christ (Caravaggio)

The Entombment of Christ is a painting by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. It was painted for Santa Maria in Vallicella, a church built for the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, and adjacent to the buildings of the order....
) depict the Virgin Mary as part of the crucifixion scene.

Gallery of art

For larger galleries, please see: Icons of crucifixion and Paintings of crucifixion


Further reading



See also

  • Atonement
    Atonement

    The atonement is a doctrine found within both Christianity and Judaism. It describes how sin can be forgiven by God. In Judaism, Atonement is said to be the process of forgiving or pardoning a transgression....
  • Passion (Christianity)
    Passion (Christianity)

    The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering ? physical, spiritual, and mental ? of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion....
  • Descent from the Cross
    Descent from the Cross

    The Descent from the Cross , or Deposition of Christ, is the scene, as depicted in art, from the Gospels' accounts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross after his Crucifixion of Jesus ....
  • Acts of Reparation
    Acts of reparation

    In the Roman Catholic tradition, an Act of Reparation is a prayer or devotion with the intent to repair the "sins of others", e.g. for the repair of the sin of blasphemy, the sufferings of Jesus Christ or as Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary....


External links