Z-24. The Romans MOCKED Christians for Worshiping a CRUCIFIED Man!

Here is a quote from the website called BiblicalArchaelogy.org. The emphasis is mine.

“The Cross in the Roman World

The word “cross” was OFFENSIVE to Romans. One Roman insulted another by using it on a graffito discovered in the Stabian baths of Pompeii: “May you be nailed to the cross!” Classical texts similarly use the term “cross” in curses.”

Thus, it should be clear that the Romans did NOT use the cross as an IDOL to worship their false gods as the governing body of the Jehovah’s Witnesses IMPLY and strongly insist that Jesus died on a straight upright stake with no CROSSMEMBER. Here is another quote from the same website linked above. In this quote they have a drawing on a man with OUTSTRETCHED arms that was severely flogged hanging on a cross. If the picture is gone, then click on the above links or this link to go to BiblicalArchaelogy.org. Again, the emphasis is mine.

“As the most extreme penalty in the Roman world, a person could suffer crucifixion in several ways. Seneca recalls seeing victims with their head down to the ground, others who had their private parts impaled, and still others with outstretched arms (De Consolatione ad Marciam 6.20.3). When not impaled, the condemned person usually carried the horizontal beam called the patibulum to the place of execution outside the city walls. Either a soldier or public executioner fastened the condemned person who was naked or wearing a loincloth to the cross with ropes or nails.

Material evidence suggests that a person’s feet were nailed separately on each side of the vertical beam of the cross. A crucifixion image discovered in Puteoli, Italy, for instance, shows a man, who had been severely flogged, with outstretched arms and feet nailed separately to the vertical beam.

The crucifixion image from Puteoli, Italy.

An ankle bone pierced with a nail found at Giv'at ha-Mivtar likewise attests to the practice of using one nail per foot. Finally, after the humiliating procession to the place of execution and the preparations for crucifixion were completed, the Romans raised the cross high in the air, so as to allow people to see the condemned person die from a long distance.

Now, from what we learn as Christians from the Bible in John 19:32-37, the legs of the two thieves were broken by the Roman soldiers to speed the death and make sure they were DEAD. But when they saw that Jesus was ALREADY DEAD, then they did NOT break the legs of Jesus so that the PROPHECIES would be FULFILLED. So, instead of breaking the legs of Jesus, the Roman soldier used his SPEAR to pierce the side of Jesus to CONFIRM that He was DEAD.

So then, HEIGHT from the ground of the feet of Jesus would have been at a COMFORTABLE height for the Roman soldiers to NAIL His feet to the cross. In other words, it does not seem logical to me for the Roman soldiers to KNEEL down so they could nail the feet of Jesus that were only a foot off of the ground.

So, let us assume that the FEET of Jesus were around waist high off of the ground, around 3 feet. That would be a reasonable height for the LEGS of the two thieves to be broken.

And that would ALSO make the side of Jesus to be above the head of the soldier, but not too high so that the SPEAR could easily reach to PIERCE the side of Jesus.

So then, to me, the pictures in the Watchtower publications showing feet of Jesus nailed to their VIEW of torture stakes barely a foot off of the ground, would make the SIDE of Jesus too LOW to use a SPEAR to pierce his side.

For you see, the point of the 6 foot seven inch long Roman spear was above the HEAD of the Roman soldier. Sorry for not having a PICTURE, I guess you have to join the Jehovah’s Witnesses in order to be able to USE the pictures that they have on their website.

So if you want to see how LOW the SIDE of Jesus would be in relation to a 6 foot 7 inch long Roman spear, then click on the above link or on this link showing pictures in the Watchtower publications that would make the SIDE of Jesus too LOW to use a SPEAR to pierce his side.

The Bible ITSELF said a SPEAR was used and NOT a knife or short Roman sword. Can you not see that the SIDE of Jesus would barely be around four feet off of the ground? So even the PICTURES in the Watchtower publications CONTRADICT what the Bible ITSELF teaches.

Here is another quote from showing that NON Christians MOCKED Christians for following a man that had been CRUCIFIED. Please notice the OUTSTRETCHED ARMS of the man hanging on the CROSS. Also, notice the MOCHERY showing the man having a head of a DONKEY. Again, the emphasis in the quotes are mine, and I also changed the first link to the article on “Alexamenos graffito” in Wikipedia.

“A famous piece of early-third century Roman wall art, the “Alexamenos graffito,” depicts two human figures, with the head of a donkey, arms stretched out in a T-shaped cross, with the caption “Alexamenos worships his god.” Christianity was outlawed at the time in the Roman Empire and criticized by some as a religion for fools.

The caricature of “Alexamenos,” offering prayers to this crucified figure, was a way of depicting Christ with a donkey’s head and ridiculing his god. But for Christians, the cross had deep meaning. They understood Christ’s death on the cross to be “completed” by God’s raising him from the dead three days later. This Resurrection was a sign of Christ’s “victory” over sin and death.”

Here is some more from the above link called BiblicalArchaelogy.org. “Fronto asserted that "the religion of the Christians is foolish, inasmuch as they worship a crucified man, and even the instrument itself of his punishment. They are said to worship the head of an ass, and even the nature of their father" (IX).

And Tacitus recounts how the Jews, expelled from Egypt, wandered in the desert, exhausted and dying of thirst, when, following a herd of wild asses, they were led to water. So, in the temple at Jerusalem, "they consecrated an image of the animal which had delivered them" (The Histories, V.3).

Even though Pompey, upon entering the temple, found its sanctuary to be empty (V.9), it must have been from this story, supposes Tertullian, that the notion derived that Christians were "devoted to the worship of the same image" and that "our god is an ass's head" (Apology, XVI). Josephus, too, is obliged to refute the same charge in Against Apion (II.8ff).”

Now, Tertullian was BEFORE Constantine, who SUPPOSED started the reverencing the CROSS. But as you can see, Christians were MOCKED and PERSECUTED for worshiping the CRUCIFIED man and revering the CROSS upon which Jesus was crucified LONG before Constantine was ever born.

Here is another quote from the same website BiblicalArchaelogy.org. The emphasis is mine. Tertullian refers again to this notion that "our god is actually the head of an ass" in To the Nations, where he accuses pagans of being no better. "You in fact worship the ass in its entirety, not just the head. And then you throw in Epona, the patron saint of donkeys and all the beasts of burden, cattle, and wild animals. You even worship their stables. Perhaps this is your charge against us that in the midst of all these indiscriminate animal lovers, we save our devotion for asses alone" (XI)!

He also defends Christians against the charge of a Roman Jew who "would carry around a picture directed against us with the heading 'Onocoetes,' meaning Donkey Priest. It was a picture of a man wearing a toga and the ears of the donkey with a book in hand and one leg ending in a hoof" (XIV).

The earliest representation of the Crucifixion is the Alexamenos graffito, scratched on plaster about AD 200 and found in 1856 in the Paedagogium on the Palatine Hill, possibly a school to train servants in the imperial household. One sees from the caricature that the cross is low to the ground and in the shape of a T (a tau cross or crux commissa, after the Greek letter, rather than the Latin cross, crux immissa, that traditionally is depicted).

Indeed, Tertullian remarks "Now the Greek letter tau and our own letter T is the very form of the cross, which He predicted would be the sign on our foreheads in the true Catholic Jerusalem" (Against Marcion, V.22; cf. Ezekiel 9:4, "set a mark upon the foreheads of the men"). There is a bar to support the feet and the hands are tied to the cross beam, which would have prolonged the agony of crucifixion. The Greek inscription scratched in the stone reads "Alexamenos worships [his] God."

Here is a PICTURE of the graffiti that MOCKS Christians for worshiping the now highly exalted GLORIFIED crucified MAN, Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Again, notice the MOCKERY of Jesus having that head of a donkey or ass.

If the picture is taken down and is no longer there, then please view the picture on other websites by searching the phrase Alexamenos graffito or the word “Alexamenos,”.

Here is a DRAWING of the ABOVE picture.

Also, notice the MOCHERY showing the man having a head of a DONKEY.

Again, the emphasis in the quotes are mine, and I also changed the first link to the article on “Alexamenos graffito” in Wikipedia.

Christianity was outlawed at the time in the Roman Empire and criticized by some as a religion for fools.

The caricature of “Alexamenos,” offering prayers to this crucified figure, was a way of depicting Christ with a donkey’s head and ridiculing his god.

But for Christians, the cross had deep meaning. They understood Christ’s death on the cross to be “completed” by God’s raising him from the dead three days later. This Resurrection was a sign of Christ’s “victory” over sin and death.”

Here is some more from the above link called BiblicalArchaelogy.org.

“Fronto asserted that "the religion of the Christians is foolish, inasmuch as they worship a crucified man, and even the instrument itself of his punishment.

They are said to worship the head of an ass, and even the nature of their father" (IX).

Now, Tertullian was BEFORE Constantine, who SUPPOSED started the reverencing the CROSS.

But as you can see, Christians were MOCKED and PERSECUTED for worshiping the CRUCIFIED man and revering the CROSS upon which Jesus was crucified LONG before Constantine was ever born.

Here is another quote from the same website BiblicalArchaelogy.org. The emphasis is mine.

Tertullian refers again to this notion that "our god is actually the head of an ass" in To the Nations, where he accuses pagans of being no better. "You in fact worship the ass in its entirety, not just the head. And then you throw in Epona, the patron saint of donkeys and all the beasts of burden, cattle, and wild animals. You even worship their stables. Perhaps this is your charge against us that in the midst of all these indiscriminate animal lovers, we save our devotion for asses alone" (XI)!

One sees from the caricature that the cross is low to the ground and in the shape of a T (a tau cross or crux commissa, after the Greek letter, rather than the Latin cross, crux immissa, that traditionally is depicted).

There is a bar to support the feet and the hands are tied to the cross beam, which would have prolonged the agony of crucifixion. The Greek inscription scratched in the stone reads "Alexamenos worships [his] God."

Here again is perhaps a better PICTURE of the graffiti that MOCKS Christians for worshiping the now highly exalted GLORIFIED crucified MAN, Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Again, notice the MOCKERY of Jesus having that head of a donkey or ass.

If the picture is taken down and is no longer there, then please view the picture on other websites by searching the phrase Alexamenos graffito or the word “Alexamenos,”.

In the previous study, Z-23 The First Century HIDDEN Symbols of the CROSS, we learned that the picture of the cross was HIDDEN in the SYMBOL of the ANCHOR.

Let us read an excerpt from that study to refresh your memory concerning the early disciple FLEEING for REFUGE for worshiping a CRUCIFIED man.

I want you to notice that Jesus is the ANCHOR of our soul.

But more specifically, I want you to see that one of the meanings of the Greek word “stauros” is STOCK.

The English word “stock” has several meanings as well as “STAUROS” having more than just one meaning.

And the meaning of the word “STOCK” in relation to the ANCHOR of our soul means CROSS MEMBER.

In other words, within the SYMBOL of the anchor there is a HIDDEN picture of the CROSS.

Here is the excerpt from my previous study.

“And Jehovah’s Witnesses ALSO need to know that other concordances define the Hebrew word “aster” as meaning PIECES of wood in the PLURAL.

Here is how the concordance in E-Sword defines the Hebrew word “‛êts” pronounced as “ates”.

H6086

עֵץ

‛êts

ates

From H6095; a tree (from its firmness); hence wood (plural sticks): - + carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, STOCK, timber, tree, wood.

Total KJV occurrences: 329.

It is blatantly obvious that gallows are NOT not out of a SINGLE piece of wood.

Also, one of the definitions of the Greek word “stauros” is STOCK.

And one of the meanings of the English word “STOCK” is the CROSS member of an ANCHOR.

And the ANCHOR is another SYMBOL for the resurrected Jesus, the anchor of our soul, according to Hebrews 6:18,19.

Let us go ahead and read that passage of Scripture.

Hebrews 6:18,19.

“That by TWO immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have FLED for REFUGE to lay hold upon the hope set before us: (Speaking of the hope of the first resurrection at the coming of Jesus.

And there was no RESURRECTION in 1914.

And if the governing body tries to argue that there was an INVISIBLE resurrection, then THEY cannot possibly be a PART of the 144,000.

For you see, according to their own doctrine, ONLY 144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses will be worthy enough to go to heaven to rule and reign with Jesus.

And according to Revelation 20:4-6 those resurrected at the COMING of Jesus will rule and reign WITH Jesus.

Therefore, Jesus will NOT REIGN over the earth UNTIL after the FIRST RESURRECTION at his COMING)

Hebrews 6:19. Which hope we have as an ANCHOR of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which enters into that within the veil;”

So, as you can see, your governing body is picking and choosing only the meanings of the Greek and Hebrew words to TRY to support ALL of their false teachings.

Notice the meaning of the Hebrew word “astes” Strong’s number H6086, translated as TREE in Deuteronomy 21:22,23, ALSO means STOCK., according to the concordance on BlueLetterBible.org.

Yes, a stock can mean a single piece of wood, and a SINGLE piece of wood can be CARRIED by the person being crucified.

And then that SINGLE piece of wood called a “Stauros” in the Greek is then used as the CROSS piece to which the HANDS of Jesus were NAILED using TWO NAILS, according to John 20:25.

And AFTER the hands of Jesus were nailed to the STAUROS that he CARRIED to Calvary, THEN Jesus was lifted up and hung on the “stauros” or STAKE that was already FIXED in the ground.

Thus, the COMPLETE instrument of execution forms the SHAPE of a CROSS.

So, to me, one of the most SOUND Biblical reasons for WHY Jesus was crucified on a CROSS is the the Bible ITSELF clearly states as a FACT the Jesus CARRIED his STAUROS, translated correctly as CROSS in most every Bible translation.

Please read John 19:16,17.

“Then delivered him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

John 19:17. And he BEARING his ( Or he CARRYING his STAROUS correctly translated as) CROSS went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:”

And on the WAY to Golgotha, they COMPELLED a man, one named Simon, a Cyrenian to BEAR or carried the STAROUS or the CROSS piece the rest of the way to Golgotha.

Luke 23:26-33.

“And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they LAID the cross, (STAUROS) that he might BEAR it after Jesus.

Luke 23:27. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

Luke 23:28. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

Luke 23:29. For, behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

Luke 23:30. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

Luke 23:31. For if they do these things in a green TREE, (Translated from the Greek word Xulon) what shall be done in the dry?

Luke 23:32. And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

Luke 23:33. And when they came to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the RIGHT HAND, and the other on the LEFT.”

Now, it is believed by most Christian that Jesus was beaten so severely with stripes, he was the near point of death before they laid his cross on him to bear.

And if the pictures are accurate, INCLUDING the Watchtower pictures of large upright POLES that look to be no less that ten to twelve feet tall, CONSIDERING how much of the STAROUS is in the ground to make it stand upright, then that would be an EXTREMELY heavy POLE or STAKE for one man to bear.

I mean a 6x6x12 foot weighs on average 216 pounds.

Plus, the hole would have needed to be dug deep enough to be sure it would stay upright with the weight of the person hanging on the STAUROS.

And the Bible does not say that Jesus DUG the hole for his cross to be placed in.

I mean it makes no sense to spend all that time digging holes in the ground to lift the POLE into and then fill the hole around the pole and pack the dirt to keep the pole upright.

So, to me, the history, and most every other Christian, the MAIN unright STAKES were ALREADY fixed firmly in the ground and the ones being executed CARRIED a CROSS MEMBER that would be fixed to the stake.”

So then, the STOCK of an ANCHOR is defined as a CROSS MEMBER on the anchor.

Here is a picture of an anchor. If Google removes it again, then go to this other website or search the word ANCHOR.

Here are the PARTS of the anchor listed from the top of the anchor down.

#1. The ring.

#2. The STOCK. The CROSS MEMBER.

#3. The shank. The vertical piece to which the STOCK is attached.

#4. The bill.

My point is that the early disciples in the New Testament FLED for REFUGE and used the ANCHOR as a SYMBOL pointing to Jesus being crucified on the CROSS.

I mean if the picture in the minds of the EYEWITNESS of the crucifixion of Jesus was a STRAIGHT pole with NO CROSS piece, then they would have written in Hebrew 6:19 saying, “the SPEAR of the soul”, because the SHAPE of a spear is straight.

The first century Christians were MOCKED and heavily PERSECUTED by the Romans for worshiping a crucified man.

And thus, the preaching of the CROSS was foolishness to them, because they did not BELIEVE that God RESURRECTED Jesus from the dead and SEATED him on his THRONE at his right-hand side to rule as God over the whole earth during the world to come.

LINK for image of anchor

Definition of STOCK : the crosspiece of an anchor

see anchor illustration.

The Bible itself also uses another Greek word to PICTURE the crucifixion of Jesus.

And that Greek word is translated as Jesus was hung on a TREE.

1 Peter 2:24

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

And the PROPHECY in the Old Testament is ALSO translated as TREE.

Deuteronomy 21:22.

“And if a man have committed a sin WORTHY of death, and he be to be put to death, and you hang him on a tree: (But Jesus was NOT found worthy by Pontius Pilate to be crucified)

Deuteronomy 21:23. His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that your land be not defiled, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance.”

Now, please notice that this Hebrew word that is translated as TREE also means STOCK.

H6086

עֵץ

‛êts

ates

From H6095; a tree (from its firmness); hence wood (plural sticks): - + carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.

Total KJV occurrences: 329.

So then, WHICH STAUROS was Jesus NAILED to, the straight upright stauros or the STAUROS that Jesus carried to the place of the straight upright stauros?

The SOUND Biblical answer is that Jesus was nailed to BOTH pieces of STAUROS.

The RIGHT and LEFT hands of Jesus were STRETCHED OUT to the sides and nailed to the STAUROW that Jesus CARRIED.

And then Jesus was LIFTED up HIGH on the upright STAUROS that was already fixed firmly in the ground pointing UP into heaven where Jesus would be HIGHLY EXALTED when God raised him from the DEAD never to die again.

In the next study in this series of studies, I will list the verses in the Bible that, to me, prove the SHAPE of the STAUROS was TWO pieces of wood that formed the shape of a CROSS.

And thus, one thief was crucified on the RIGHT HAND of Jesus, while the other thief was crucified on the LEFT HAND of Jesus.

So please be sure to read the last study in this series on the TRUE shape of the STAUROS called Z-25. The WHOLE Picture and Meaning of the STAUROS!

You can also find ALL of the studies on the subject of the errors of interpretation made by the GOVERNING BODY of the Jehovah’s Witnesses under the **Z-0. WHY the Jehovah’s Witnesses Are NOT Biblical! **

Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.

And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.

Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.

And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.

Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.

For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.

More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.

If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.

For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1, In the BEGINNING!

And also read the study called D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!

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Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.

And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.

And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **

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Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,

Brother Mark.

My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.

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