How Long Would Crucifixion Take (And Why)?

How Long Would Crucifixion Take (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 2-3 days

Crucifixion was once a brutal and inhuman method to kill someone. It remains one of the most brutal methods of killing to date. Crucifixion refers to the method of killing someone by affixing his body parts with any wooden beam or tree or any such standing structure mostly known for capital punishment.

The affixing process is carried out with the help of nails. It makes it one of the worst punishments in the history of mankind. The most popular example of crucifixion was of Jesus Christ.

The method of crucifixion was an old practice undertaken since the time of Babylonians. Then, it reached Rome after years. The Romans were the ones most popular for practicing crucifixion during their time’s empires. This method got abolished thousands of years ago.

How Long Would Crucifixion Take

How Long Would Crucifixion Take?

AmountTime
Minimum gap6 hours
Maximum gap4 days

As per historians and records from the past, crucifixion takes a minimum of 5-6 hours to a maximum of 3-4 days. Sometimes, it may take a week-long as per some reports. The amount of pain is unimaginable. A person suffers from unbearable pain, asphyxiation, and exhaustion for hours before dying.

Many artists, historians as well as authors have mentioned this horror in their works very precisely and in a detailed manner. From their works, people get an idea of the inhumanity during those times. Many rulers used crucifixion to kill people who were against them. Many used them to punish the slaves or prisoners.

During the siege of Jerusalem, the Romans killed many people using this method and they used different kinds of crosses for this massive killing. In some cases, the legs of the person were broken before the crucifixion process.

Crucifixion

The brutality also increased during the times when people used to throw stones at the person getting crucified. Also, the crucifixion was the ultimate punishment because it was a slow process of death which feeds horror inside the hearts and minds of people watching it so that they don’t do anything that the ruler or the king hates.

During the rule of Constantine, the abolition of crucifixion took birth. Darius-1, a famous Persian leader executed nearly 3000 political opponents by using the method of crucifixion.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ remains the most famous case of crucifixion in history. His clothes were stripped off. He was given a crown with thorns attached to it. He nearly suffered for 6 hours before death as written by famous authors and historians.

Why Does Crucifixion Take So Long?

During the crucifixion of a person, he suffers from extreme pain and asphyxiation. Hemorrhages may also occur during the process. As the person was also suffering from Dehydration as well as hunger, it becomes worse.

Cardiac arrest may also take place due to severe pain from breaking of bones as well as a body shock. Blood circulation increases due to fear. The body becomes restless.

Though the time of death varies from person to person, a person who gets brutally beaten before crucifixion might die earlier than the one who was not. There is no perfect explanation for this question but there are multiple examples from history as mentioned in history textbooks and documentaries. Also, people can get many movies and tv shows available online on this topic or related to this topic indirectly.

Crucifixion

The political opposition, the slaves or suppressed people, and the religious agitators were the categories of human beings who were killed in ancient times using this inhuman method. It was moreover humiliation and generation of fear among the public rather than just killing a person.

Conclusion

Crucifixion is such a painful punishment that it is difficult to imagine the suffering of those people tortured to death. Ancient punishments were too brutal, not only crucifixion.

History shows us the truth of mankind. The greed and hunger for power always made people blind and inhuman. They became worse than wild animals during that time. It’s essential to stay within limits and maintain humanity to be alive and also others.

References

  1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27638347
  2. https://www.nature.com/articles/306743a0
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22 Comments

  1. It’s hard to fathom the brutality of these ancient times, but we must not forget how cruel humans can be.

  2. The details about the length of suffering during crucifixion are truly frightening. We’ve clearly come a long way.

  3. Wow, I had no idea how long the process of crucifixion took. It is insane to think people suffered for so long before they died.

  4. I think it’s important for people to understand the inhumanity of these ancient practices in order to appreciate how far we’ve come.

  5. This article brings so much perspective to the history of crucifixion. It’s unbelievable to think such practices existed.

  6. I’m glad this article brings attention to such a dark part of human history. It’s crucial to remember these painful truths.

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