Crucifixion of Jesus
 

 

The Crucifixion of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely between AD 30 and AD 33. Jesus' crucifixion is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and is established as a historical event confirmed by non-Christian sources, although there is no consensus among historians on the exact details.Christopher M. Tuckett in The Cambridge companion to Jesus edited by Markus N. A. Bockmuehl 2001 Cambridge Univ Press  pp. 123–124

According to the canonical gospels, Jesus was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin, and then sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally crucified by the Romans.Studying the Historical Jesus: Evaluations of the State of Current Research edited by Bruce Chilton, Craig A. Evans 1998  pp. 455–457The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009  pp. 104–108Evans, Craig A. (2001). Jesus and His Contemporaries: Comparative Studies  p. 316Wansbrough, Henry (2004). Jesus and the Oral Gospel Tradition  p. 185 Jesus was stripped of his clothing and offered vinegar mixed with myrrh or gall (likely posca), to drink after saying "I am thirsty". He was then hung between two convicted thieves and, according to the Gospel of Mark, died by the 9th hour of the day (at around 3:00 p.m.). During this time, the soldiers affixed a sign to the top of the cross stating "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" which, according to the Gospel of John (John 19:20), was written in three languages (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek). They then divided his garments among themselves and cast lots for his seamless robe, according to the Gospel of John. According to the Gospel of John, after Jesus' death, one soldier pierced his side with a spear to be certain that he had died, then blood and water gushed from the wound. The Bible describes seven statements that Jesus made while he was on the cross, as well as several supernatural events that occurred.

Collectively referred to as the Passion, Jesus' suffering and redemptive death by crucifixion are the central aspects of Christian theology concerning the doctrines of salvation and atonement.

New Testament narrative

The earliest detailed accounts of the death of Jesus are contained in the four canonical gospels. There are other, more implicit references in the New Testament epistles. In the synoptic gospels, Jesus predicts his death in three separate places.St Mark's Gospel and the Christian faith by Michael Keene (2002)  pp. 24–25 All four Gospels conclude with an extended narrative of Jesus' arrest, initial trial at the Sanhedrin and final trial at Pilate's court, where Jesus is flogged, condemned to death, is led to the place of crucifixion initially carrying his cross before Roman soldiers induce Simon of Cyrene to carry it, and then Jesus is crucified, entombed, and resurrected from the dead. His death is described as a sacrifice in the Gospels and other books of the New Testament.  In each Gospel these five events in the life of Jesus are treated with more intense detail than any other portion of that Gospel's narrative. Scholars note that the reader receives an almost hour-by-hour account of what is happening.Powell, Mark A. Introducing the New Testament. Baker Academic, (2009). 

thumb|upright=0.9|A depiction of the Raising of the Cross, by Sebastiano Mazzoni, 17th century, Ca' Rezzonico

After arriving at Golgotha, Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh or gall to drink. Matthew's and Mark's Gospels record that he refused this. He was then crucified and hung between two convicted thieves. According to some translations of the original Greek, the thieves may have been bandits or Jewish rebels.Reza Aslan (2014). Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. Random House. . According to Mark's Gospel, he endured the torment of crucifixion from the third hour (between approximately 9 a.m. and noon), until his death at the ninth hour, corresponding to about 3 p.m. The soldiers affixed a sign above his head stating "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" which, according to the Gospel of John, was in three languages (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek), and then divided his garments and cast lots for his seamless robe. According to the Gospel of John, the Roman soldiers did not break Jesus' legs, as they did to the two crucified thieves (breaking the legs hastened the onset of death), as Jesus was dead already. Each gospel has its own account of Jesus' last words, seven statements altogether.Ehrman, Bart D. (2009). Jesus, Interrupted. HarperCollins.  In the Synoptic Gospels, various supernatural events accompany the crucifixion, including darkness, an earthquake, and (in Matthew) the resurrection of saints. Following Jesus' death, his body was removed from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and buried in a rock-hewn tomb, with Nicodemus assisting.

thumb|upright=0.9|left|Bronzino's depiction of the Crucifixion with three nails, no ropes, and a hypopodium standing support, c. 1545.

According to all four gospels, Jesus was brought to the "Place of a Skull" – "place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull)";  (same as Matthew);  – "place that is called The Skull";  – "place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha" and crucified with two thieves,; ; ;  with the charge of claiming to be "King of the Jews", – "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.";  – "The King of the Jews.";  – "This is the King of the Jews." Some manuscripts add in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew;  – "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." "... it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek." and the soldiers divided his clothes; ; ;  before he bowed his head and died.; ; ;  Following his death, Joseph of Arimathea requested the body from Pilate,; ; ;  which Joseph then placed in a new garden tomb.; ; ; 

The three Synoptic gospels also describe Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross,; ;  a crowd of people mocking Jesus; ;  along with the thieves/robbers/rebels,; ;  darkness from the 6th to the 9th hour,; ;  and the temple veil being torn from top to bottom.; ;  The Synoptic Gospels 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 mentioned in a single gospel account. For instance, only Matthew's gospel mentions an earthquake, resurrected saints who went to the city and that Roman soldiers were assigned to guard the tomb,;  while Mark is the only one to state the time of the crucifixion (the third hour, or 9 a.m. - although it was probably as late as noon) 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.; 

According to the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 15:4), Jesus was raised from the dead ("on the third day" counting the day of crucifixion as the first) and according to the canonical Gospels, appeared to his disciples on different occasions before ascending to heaven.; ;  The account given in Acts of the Apostles says that Jesus remained with the apostles for forty days, whereas the account in the Gospel of Luke makes no clear distinction between the events of Easter Sunday and the Ascension.Geza Vermes, The Resurrection (Penguin, 2008), p. 148.E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus (Penguin, 1993), p. 276. However, most biblical scholars agree that St. Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a follow-up volume to his Gospel account, and the two works must be considered as a whole.Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction (Intervarsity, 1990), pp. 125, 366.

thumb|Christ on the Cross between two thieves. Illumination from the Vaux Passional, 16th century

In Mark, Jesus is crucified along with two rebels, and the sun goes dark or is obscured for three hours.Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar (1998). The Acts of Jesus: The Search for the Authentic Deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. "Mark", pp. 51–161. . Jesus calls out to God, then gives a shout and dies. The curtain of the Temple is torn in two. Matthew follows Mark, but mentions an earthquake and the resurrection of saints.Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar (1998). The Acts of Jesus: The Search for the Authentic Deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. "Matthew," pp. 129–270. . Luke also follows Mark, although he describes the rebels as common criminals, one of whom defends Jesus, who in turn promises that he (Jesus) and the criminal will be together in paradise.Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar (1998). The Acts of Jesus: The Search for the Authentic Deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. "Luke", pp. 267–364. . Luke portrays Jesus as impassive in the face of his crucifixion.Ehrman, Bart D. (2005). Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. HarperCollins.  . John includes several of the same elements as those found in Mark, though they are treated differently.Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar (1998). The Acts of Jesus: The Search for the Authentic Deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. "John", pp. 365–440. .

Other accounts and references

thumb|Crucifixion, from the Buhl Altarpiece, a particularly large Gothic oil on panel painting from the 1490s.

An early non-Christian reference to the crucifixion of Jesus is likely to be Mara Bar-Serapion's letter to his son, written some time after AD 73 but before the 3rd century AD.Evidence of Greek Philosophical Concepts in the Writings of Ephrem the Syrian by Ute Possekel 1999  pp. 29–30The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009  p. 110 The letter includes no Christian themes and the author is presumed to be neither Jewish nor Christian.Jesus outside the New Testament: an introduction to the ancient evidence by Robert E. Van Voorst 2000  pp. 53–55 The letter refers to the retributions that followed the unjust treatment of three wise men: Socrates, Pythagoras, and "the wise king" of the Jews. Some scholars see little doubt that the reference to the execution of the "king of the Jews" is about the crucifixion of Jesus, while others place less value in the letter, given the ambiguity in the reference.Jesus and His Contemporaries: Comparative Studies by Craig A. Evans 2001  p. 41

In the Antiquities of the Jews (written about 93 AD) Jewish historian Josephus stated (Ant 18.3) that Jesus was crucified by Pilate, writing that:

Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, ... He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles ... And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross ...

Most modern scholars agree that while this Josephus passage (called the Testimonium Flavianum) includes some later interpolations, it originally consisted of an authentic nucleus with a reference to the execution of Jesus by Pilate. James Dunn states that there is "broad consensus" among scholars regarding the nature of an authentic reference to the crucifixion of Jesus in the Testimonium.Dunn, James (2003). Jesus remembered. . p. 141.

Early in the second century another reference to the crucifixion of Jesus was made by Tacitus, generally considered one of the greatest Roman historians.Van Voorst, Robert E (2000). Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence. Eerdmans Publishing. . pp. 39–42.Ferguson, Everett  (2003). Backgrounds of Early Christianity. . p. 116. Writing in The Annals (c. 116 AD), Tacitus described the persecution of Christians by Nero and stated (Annals 15.44) that Pilate ordered the execution of Jesus:Theissen 1998, pp. 81–83

Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.

Scholars generally consider the Tacitus reference to the execution of Jesus by Pilate to be genuine, and of historical value as an independent Roman source.Jesus as a Figure in History: How Modern Historians View the Man from Galilee by Mark Allan Powell, 1998, . p. 33.Jesus and His Contemporaries: Comparative Studies by Craig A. Evans. 2001. . p. 42.Ancient Rome by William E. Dunstan 2010  p. 293Tacitus' characterization of "Christian abominations" may have been based on the rumors in Rome that during the Eucharist rituals Christians ate the body and drank the blood of their God, interpreting the symbolic ritual as cannibalism by Christians. References: Ancient Rome by William E. Dunstan 2010  p. 293 and An introduction to the New Testament and the origins of Christianity by Delbert Royce Burkett 2002  p. 485Pontius Pilate in History and Interpretation by Helen K. Bond 2004  p. xi Eddy and Boyd state that it is now "firmly established" that Tacitus provides a non-Christian confirmation of the crucifixion of Jesus.Eddy, Paul; Boyd, Gregory (2007). The Jesus Legend: A Case for the Historical Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition Baker Academic,  p. 127

Another possible reference to the crucifixion ("hanging", cf. ; Galatians 3:13) is found in the Babylonian Talmud:

Although the question of the equivalence of the identities of Yeshu and Jesus has at times been debated, many historians agree that the above 2nd-century passage is likely to be about Jesus, Peter Schäfer stating that there can be no doubt that this narrative of the execution in the Talmud refers to Jesus of Nazareth.Jesus in the Talmud by Peter Schäfer (2009)  pp. 141 and 9 Robert Van Voorst states that the Sanhedrin 43a reference to Jesus can be confirmed not only from the reference itself, but from the context that surrounds it.Van Voorst, Robert E. (2000). Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. . pp. 177–118. However, Sanhedrin 43a relates that Yeshu had been condemned to death by the royal government of Judea – this lineage was stripped of all legal authority upon Herod the Great's ascension to the throne in 37 BCE, meaning the execution had to have taken place close to 40 years before Jesus was even born.L. Patterson, "Origin of the Name Panthera", JTS 19 (1917–18), pp. 79–80, cited in Meier, p. 107 n. 48

Muslims maintain that Jesus was not crucified and that those who thought they had killed him had mistakenly killed Judas Iscariot, Simon of Cyrene, or someone else in his place.George W. Braswell Jr., What You Need to Know about Islam and Muslims, p. 127 (B & H Publishing Group, 2000). . They hold this belief based on various interpretations of , which states: "they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them [or it appeared so unto them], ... Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself".

Some early Christian Gnostic sects, believing Jesus did not have a physical substance, denied that he was crucified. In response, Ignatius of Antioch insisted that Jesus was truly born and was truly crucified and wrote that those who held that Jesus only seemed to suffer only seemed to be Christians.William Barclay, Great Themes of the New Testament. Westminster John Knox Press. 2001. . p. 41.

Historicity

thumb|right|Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, medieval illustration from the Hortus deliciarum of Herrad of Landsberg, 12th century
The baptism of Jesus and his crucifixion are considered to be two historically certain facts about Jesus.Jesus of Nazareth by Paul Verhoeven (2010)  p. 39 James Dunn states that these "two facts in the life of Jesus command almost universal assent" and "rank so high on the 'almost impossible to doubt or deny' scale of historical facts" that they are often the starting points for the study of the historical Jesus.Jesus Remembered by James D. G. Dunn (2003)  p. 339 Bart Ehrman states that the crucifixion of Jesus on the orders of Pontius Pilate is the most certain element about him.A Brief Introduction to the New Testament by Bart D. Ehrman (2008)  p. 136 John Dominic Crossan states that the crucifixion of Jesus is as certain as any historical fact can be. Eddy and Boyd state that it is now "firmly established" that there is non-Christian confirmation of the crucifixion of Jesus. Craig Blomberg states that most scholars in the third quest for the historical Jesus consider the crucifixion indisputable.Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Blomberg (2009)  pp. 211–214 Christopher M. Tuckett states that, although the exact reasons for the death of Jesus are hard to determine, one of the indisputable facts about him is that he was crucified.The Cambridge Companion to Jesus by Markus N. A. Bockmuehl (2001)  p. 136

John P. Meier views the crucifixion of Jesus as historical fact and states that Christians would not have invented the painful death of their leader, invoking the criterion of embarrassment principle in historical research.John P. Meier "How do we decide what comes from Jesus" in The Historical Jesus in Recent Research by James D. G. Dunn and Scot McKnight (2006)  pp. 126–128 Meier states that a number of other criteria, e.g., the criterion of multiple attestation (i.e., confirmation by more than one source) and the criterion of coherence (i.e., that it fits with other historical elements) help establish the crucifixion of Jesus as a historical event.John P. Meier "How do we decide what comes from Jesus" in The Historical Jesus in Recent Research by James D. G. Dunn and Scot McKnight (2006)  pp. 132–136

While scholars agree on the historicity of the crucifixion, they differ on the reason and context for it. For example, both E. P. Sanders and Paula Fredriksen support the historicity of the crucifixion but contend that Jesus did not foretell his own crucifixion and that his prediction of the crucifixion is a "church creation". Geza Vermes also views the crucifixion as a historical event but provides his own explanation and background for it.A Century of Theological and Religious Studies in Britain, 1902–2007 by Ernest Nicholson 2004  pp. 125–126 Link 126

Although almost all ancient sources relating to crucifixion are literary, in 1968, an archeological discovery just northeast of Jerusalem uncovered the body of a crucified man dated to the 1st century, which provided good confirmatory evidence that crucifixions occurred during the Roman period roughly according to the manner in which the crucifixion of Jesus is described in the gospels.David Freedman (2000), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, , p. 299. The crucified man was identified as Yehohanan ben Hagkol and probably died about AD 70, around the time of the Jewish revolt against Rome. The analyses at the Hadassah Medical School estimated that he died in his late 20s. Another relevant archaeological find, which also dates to the 1st century AD, is an unidentified heel bone with a spike discovered in a Jerusalem gravesite, now held by the Israel Antiquities Authority and displayed in the Israel Museum.Article on the Crucifixion of Jesus

Details of the crucifixion

Chronology

There is no consensus regarding the exact date of the crucifixion of Jesus, although it is generally agreed by biblical scholars that it was on a Friday on or near Passover (Nisan 14), during the governorship of Pontius Pilate (who ruled AD 26–36). Various approaches have been used to estimate the year of the crucifixion, including the canonical Gospels, the chronology of the life of Paul, as well as different astronomical models. Scholars have provided estimates in the range 30–33 AD,Paul L. Maier "The Date of the Nativity and Chronology of Jesus" in Chronos, kairos, Christos: nativity and chronological studies by Jerry Vardaman, Edwin M. Yamauchi 1989  pp. 113–129The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009  p. 114Jesus & the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times by Paul Barnett 2002  pp. 19–21 with Rainer Riesner stating that "the fourteenth of Nisan (7 April) of the year A.D. 30 is, apparently in the opinion of the majority of contemporary scholars as well, far and away the most likely date of the crucifixion of Jesus."Rainer Riesner, Paul's Early Period: Chronology, Mission Strategy, Theology (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1998), p. 58. Another preferred date  among scholars is Friday, April 3, 33 AD.

The consensus of scholarship is that the New Testament accounts represent a crucifixion occurring on a Friday, but a Thursday or Wednesday crucifixion have also been proposed.The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009  pp. 142–143 Some scholars explain a Thursday crucifixion based on a "double sabbath" caused by an extra Passover sabbath falling on Thursday dusk to Friday afternoon, ahead of the normal weekly Sabbath.Cyclopaedia of Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical literature: Volume 7 John McClintock, James Strong – 1894 "... he lay in the grave on the 15th (which was a 'high day' or double Sabbath, because the weekly Sabbath coincided ..." Some have argued that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, not Friday, on the grounds of the mention of "three days and three nights" in  before his resurrection, celebrated on Sunday. Others have countered by saying that this ignores the Jewish idiom by which a "day and night" may refer to any part of a 24-hour period, that the expression in Matthew is idiomatic, not a statement that Jesus was 72 hours in the tomb, and that the many references to a resurrection on the third day do not require three literal nights.

In Mark 15:25 crucifixion takes place at the third hour (9 a.m.) and Jesus' death at the ninth hour (3 p.m.).The Gospel of Mark, Volume 2 by John R. Donahue, Daniel J. Harrington 2002  p. 442 However, in John 19:14 Jesus is still before Pilate at the sixth hour. Scholars have presented a number of arguments to deal with the issue, some suggesting a reconciliation, e.g., based on the use of Roman timekeeping in John, since Roman timekeeping began at midnight and this would mean being before Pilate at the 6th hour was 6 a.m., yet others have rejected the arguments.Death of the Messiah, Volume 2 by Raymond E. Brown 1999  pp. 959–960Colin Humphreys, The Mystery of the Last Supper Cambridge University Press 2011 , pp. 188–190 Several scholars have argued that the modern precision of marking the time of day should not be read back into the gospel accounts, written at a time when no standardization of timepieces, or exact recording of hours and minutes was available, and time was often approximated to the closest three-hour period.Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 Harmony of the Gospels  pp. 323–323New Testament History by Richard L. Niswonger 1992  pp. 173–174The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009  p. 538

Path to the crucifixion

thumb|Andrea di Bartolo, Way to Calvary, c. 1400. The cluster of halos at the left are the Virgin Mary in front, with the Three Marys.
The three Synoptic Gospels refer to a man called Simon of Cyrene whom the Roman soldiers order to carry the cross after Jesus initially carries it but then collapses,, ,  while the Gospel of John just says that Jesus "bears" 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?"

The Gospel of Luke has Jesus address these women as "daughters of Jerusalem", thus distinguishing them from the women whom the same gospel describes as "the women who had followed him from Galilee" and who were present at his crucifixion. and 

Traditionally, the path that Jesus took is called Via Dolorosa (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. It passes the Ecce Homo Church and the last five stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

There is no reference to a woman named VeronicaLavinia Cohn-Sherbok, Who's who in Christianity, (Routledge 1998), p. 303. in the Gospels, but sources such as Acta Sanctorum describe her as 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.Notes and Queries, Volume July 6–December 1852, London, page 252The Archaeological journal (UK), Volume 7, 1850 p. 413Alban Butler, 2000 Lives of the Saints  p. 84

Location
thumb|300px|A diagram of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the historical site
The precise location of the crucifixion remains a matter of conjecture, but the biblical accounts indicate that it was outside the city walls of Jerusalem,  accessible to passers-by  and observable from some distance away. Eusebius identified its location only as being north of Mount Zion, which is consistent with the two most popularly suggested sites of modern times.

Calvary as an English name for the place is derived from the Latin word for skull (calvaria), which is used in the Vulgate translation of "place of a skull", the explanation given in all four Gospels of the Aramaic word Gûlgaltâ (transliterated into the Greek as Γολγοθᾶ (Golgotha)), which was the name of the place where Jesus was crucified.; ; ;  The text does not indicate why it was so designated, but 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 of "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 in the Christian 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, has been promoted since the 19th century.

People present
thumb|left|upright=1.25|The dead Christ with the Virgin, John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalene. Unknown painter of the 18th century

The Gospel of Matthew describes many women at the crucifixion, some of whom are named in the Gospels. Aside from these women, the three Synoptic Gospels speak of the presence of others: "the chief priests, with the scribes and elders";; cf. ,  two robbers crucified, one on Jesus' right and one on his left,;  whom the Gospel of Luke presents as the penitent thief and the impenitent thief; "the soldiers", "the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus";; cf.  passers-by;;  "bystanders",; ; cf.  "the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle"; and "his acquaintances".

The Gospel of John also speaks of women present, but only mentions the soldiers,  and "the disciple whom Jesus loved".

The Gospels also tell of the arrival, after the death of Jesus, of Joseph of Arimathea, , ,  and of Nicodemus.

Method and manner

thumb|180px|Crucifixion of Jesus on a two-beamed cross, from the Sainte Bible (1866)
thumb|200px|right|Torture stake, a simple wooden torture stake. Image by Justus Lipsius.
Whereas most Christians believe the gibbet on which Jesus was executed was the traditional two-beamed cross, the Jehovah's Witnesses hold the view that a single upright stake was used. The Greek and Latin words used in the earliest Christian writings are ambiguous. The Koine Greek terms used in the New Testament are  () and  (). The latter means wood (a live tree, timber or an object constructed of wood); in earlier forms of Greek, the former term meant an upright stake or pole, but in Koine Greek it was used also to mean a cross. The Latin word  was also applied to objects other than a cross.

However, early Christian writers who speak of the shape of the particular gibbet on which Jesus died invariably describe it as having a cross-beam. For instance, the Epistle of Barnabas, which was certainly earlier than 135,For a discussion of the date of the work, see Information on Epistle of Barnabas and Andrew C. Clark, "Apostleship: Evidence from the New Testament and Early Christian Literature," Evangelical Review of Theology, 1989, Vol. 13, p. 380 and may have been of the 1st century AD,John Dominic Crossan, The Cross that Spoke (), p. 121 the time when the gospel accounts of the death of Jesus were written, likened it to the letter T (the Greek letter tau, which had the numeric value of 300),Epistle of Barnabas, 9:7–8 and to the position assumed by Moses in ."The Spirit saith to the heart of Moses, that he should make a type of the cross and of Him that was to suffer, that unless, saith He, they shall set their hope on Him, war shall be waged against them for ever. Moses therefore pileth arms one upon another in the midst of the encounter, and standing on higher ground than any he stretched out his hands, and so Israel was again victorious" (Epistle of Barnabas, 12:2–3). Justin Martyr (100–165) explicitly says the cross of Christ was of two-beam shape: "That lamb which was commanded to be wholly roasted was a symbol of the suffering of the cross which Christ would undergo. For the lamb, which is roasted, is roasted and dressed up in the form of the cross. For one spit is transfixed right through from the lower parts up to the head, and one across the back, to which are attached the legs of the lamb." Irenaeus, who died around the end of the 2nd century, speaks of the cross as having "five extremities, two in length, two in breadth, and one in the middle, on which [last] the person rests who is fixed by the nails."Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, II, xxiv, 4

The assumption of the use of a two-beamed cross does not determine the number of nails used in the crucifixion and some theories suggest three nails while others suggest four nails.The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia by Geoffrey W. Bromiley 1988  p. 826 However, throughout history larger numbers of nails have been hypothesized, at times as high as 14 nails.Encyclopedia of Biblical Literature, Part 2 by John Kitto 2003  p. 591 These variations are also present in the artistic depictions of the crucifixion.Renaissance art: a topical dictionary by Irene Earls 1987  p. 64 In the Western Church, before the Renaissance usually four nails would be depicted, with the feet side by side. After the Renaissance most depictions use three nails, with one foot placed on the other. Nails are almost always depicted in art, although Romans sometimes just tied the victims to the cross. The tradition also carries to Christian emblems, e.g. the Jesuits use three nails under the IHS monogram and a cross to symbolize the crucifixion.The visual arts: a history by Hugh Honour, John Fleming 1995  p.  526

The placing of the nails in the hands, or the wrists is also uncertain. Some theories suggest that the Greek word  () for hand includes the wrist and that the Romans were generally trained to place nails through Destot's space (between the capitate and lunate bones) without fracturing any bones.The Crucifixion and Death of a Man Called Jesus by David A Ball 2010  pp. 82–84 Another theory suggests that the Greek word for hand also includes the forearm and that the nails were placed near the radius and ulna of the forearm.The Chronological Life of Christ by Mark E. Moore 2007  pp. 639–643 Ropes may have also been used to fasten the hands in addition to the use of nails.Holman Concise Bible Dictionary Holman, 2011  p. 148

Another issue of debate has been the use of a hypopodium as a standing platform to support the feet, given that the hands may not have been able to support the weight. In the 17th century Rasmus Bartholin considered a number of analytical scenarios of that topic. In the 20th century, forensic pathologist Frederick Zugibe performed a number of crucifixion experiments by using ropes to hang human subjects at various angles and hand positions. His experiments support an angled suspension, and a two-beamed cross, and perhaps some form of foot support, given that in an  form of suspension from a straight stake (as used by the Nazis in the Dachau concentration camp during World War II), death comes rather quickly.Crucifixion and the Death Cry of Jesus Christ by Geoffrey L Phelan MD, 2009  pp. 106–111

Words of Jesus spoken from the cross

thumb|right|Crucifixion, seen from the Cross, by James Tissot, c. 1890, Brooklyn Museum
The Gospels describe various "last words" that Jesus said while on the cross,Thomas W. Walker, Luke, (Westminster John Knox Press, 2013) p. 84. as follows:

Mark / Matthew
    (Aramaic for "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?").  However, as Aramaic linguist Steve Caruso of AramaicNT.org explains, Jesus most likely spoke Galilean Aramaic, which would render the pronunciation of these words as follows: .http://aramaicnt.org/2015/03/31/my-god-my-god-why-have-you-forsaken-me/

The only words of Jesus on the cross mentioned in the Mark and Matthew accounts, this is a quotation of Psalm 22. Since other verses of the same Psalm are cited in the crucifixion accounts, some commentators consider it a literary and theological creation; however, Geza Vermes points out that the verse is cited in Aramaic rather than the Hebrew in which it usually would have been recited, and suggests that by the time of Jesus, this phrase had become a proverbial saying in common usage.Geza Vermes, The Passion (Penguin, 2005) p. 75. Compared to the accounts in the other Gospels, which he describes as 'theologically correct and reassuring', he considers this phrase 'unexpected, disquieting and in consequence more probable'.Geza Vermes, The Passion (Penguin, 2005) p.  114. He describes it as bearing 'all the appearances of a genuine cry'.Geza Vermes, The Passion (Penguin, 2005) p. 122. Raymond Brown likewise comments that he finds 'no persuasive argument against attributing to the Jesus of Mark/Matt the literal sentiment of feeling forsaken expressed in the Psalm quote'.Raymond Brown, The Death of the Messiah Volume II (Doubleday, 1994) p. 1051

Luke
 "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." [Some early manuscripts do not have this]
 "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
 "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!"

The Gospel of Luke does not include the aforementioned exclamation of Jesus mentioned in Matthew and Mark.John Haralson Hayes, Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner's Handbook (Westminster John Knox Press, 1987) pp. 104–105. The author suggests this possibly was designed to play down the suffering of Jesus and replace a cry of desperation with one of hope and confidence, in keeping with the message of the Gospel in which Jesus dies confident that he would be vindicated as God's righteous prophet.

John
 "Woman, behold, your son!" 
 "I thirst."
 "It is finished."

The words of Jesus on the cross, especially his last words, have been the subject of a wide range of Christian teachings and sermons, and a number of authors have written books specifically devoted to the last sayings of Christ.David Anderson-Berry, 1871 The Seven Sayings of Christ on the Cross, Glasgow: Pickering & Inglis PublishersRev. John Edmunds, 1855 The seven sayings of Christ on the cross Thomas Hatchford Publishers, London, p. 26Arthur Pink, 2005 The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross Baker Books Simon Peter Long, 1966 The wounded Word: A brief meditation on the seven sayings of Christ on the cross Baker BooksJohn Ross Macduff, 1857 The Words of Jesus New York: Thomas Stanford Publishers, p. 76Alexander Watson, 1847 The seven sayings on the Cross John Masters Publishers, London, p. 5. The difference between the accounts is cited by James Dunn as a reason to doubt their historicity. James G. D. Dunn, Jesus Remembered, (Eerdmans, 2003) pp. 779–781.

Reported extraordinary occurrences
The synoptics report various miraculous events during the crucifixion.Scott's Monthly Magazine. J.J. Toon; 1868. The Miracles Coincident With The Crucifixion, by H.P.B. pp. 86–89.Richard Watson. An Apology for the Bible: In a Series of Letters Addressed to Thomas Paine. Cambridge University Press; 2012. . pp. 81–.  Mark mentions a period of darkness in the daytime during Jesus' crucifixion, and the Temple veil being torn in two when Jesus dies. Luke follows Mark; as does Matthew, additionally mentioning an earthquake and the resurrection of dead saints. No mention of any of these appears in John.Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. "John" pp. 302–310

Darkness

thumb|Christ on the Cross, by Carl Heinrich Bloch, showing the skies darkened
In the synoptic narrative, while Jesus is hanging on the cross, the sky over Judea (or the whole world) is "darkened for three hours," from the sixth to the ninth hour (noon to mid-afternoon). There is no reference to darkness in the Gospel of John account, in which the crucifixion does not take place until after noon.Edwin Keith Broadhead Prophet, Son, Messiah: Narrative Form and Function in Mark (Continuum, 1994) p. 196.

Some ancient Christian writers considered the possibility that pagan commentators may have mentioned this event and mistook it for a solar eclipse, pointing out that an eclipse could not occur during the Passover, which takes place during the full moon when the moon is opposite the sun rather than in front of it. Christian traveler and historian Sextus Julius Africanus and Christian theologian Origen refer to Greek historian Phlegon, who lived in the 2nd century AD, 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".

Sextus Julius Africanus further refers to the writings of historian Thallus: "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." Christian apologist Tertullian believed the event was documented in the Roman archives."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."

Colin Humphreys and W. G. Waddington of Oxford University considered the possibility that a lunar, rather than solar, eclipse might have taken place.Colin J. Humphreys and W. G. Waddington, The Date of the Crucifixion  Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 37 (March 1985) Colin Humphreys, The Mystery of the Last Supper Cambridge University Press 2011 , p. 193 (However note that Humphreys places the Last Supper on a Wednesday) They concluded that such an eclipse would have been visible, for thirty minutes, from Jerusalem and suggested the gospel reference to a solar eclipse was the result of a scribe wrongly amending a text. Historian David Henige dismisses this explanation as 'indefensible' and astronomer Bradley Schaefer points out that the lunar eclipse would not have been visible during daylight hours.Schaefer, B. E. (March 1990). Lunar visibility and the crucifixion. Royal Astronomical Society Quarterly Journal, 31(1), 53–67Schaefer, B. E. (July 1991). Glare and celestial visibility. Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 103, 645–660.

Modern biblical scholarship treats the account in the synoptic gospels as a literary creation by the author of the Mark Gospel, amended in the Luke and Matthew accounts, intended to heighten the importance of what they saw as a theologically significant event, and not intended to be taken literally.Burton L. Mack, A Myth of Innocence: Mark and Christian Origins (Fortress Press, 1988) p. 296; George Bradford Caird, The language and imagery of the Bible (Westminster Press, 1980), p. 186; Joseph Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke, X–XXIV (Doubleday, 1985) p. 1513; William David Davies, Dale Allison, Matthew: Volume 3 (Continuum, 1997) p. 623. This image of darkness over the land would have been understood by ancient readers, a typical element in the description of the death of kings and other major figures by writers such as Philo, Dio Cassius, Virgil, Plutarch and Josephus.David E. Garland, Reading Matthew: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the First Gospel (Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 1999) p. 264. Géza Vermes describes the darkness account as typical of "Jewish eschatological imagery of the day of the Lord", and says that those interpreting it as a datable eclipse are "barking up the wrong tree".Géza Vermes, The Passion (Penguin, 2005) pp. 108–109.

Temple veil, earthquake and resurrection of dead saints

The synoptic gospels state that the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom.

The Gospel of Matthew mentions an account of earthquakes, rocks splitting, and the opening of the graves of dead saints and describes how these resurrected saints went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

In the Mark and Matthew accounts, the centurion in charge comments on the events: "Truly this man was the Son of God!" or "Truly this was the Son of God!". The Gospel of Luke quotes him as saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!"

The historian Sextus Julius Africanus in the early third century wrote, describing the day of the crucifixion, "A most terrible darkness fell over all the world, the rocks were torn apart by an earthquake, and many places both in Judaea and the rest of the world were thrown down. In the third book of his Histories, Thallos dismisses this darkness as a solar eclipse. ..."George Syncellus, Chronography, chapter 391.

A widespread 6.3 magnitude earthquake has been confirmed to have taken place between 26 and 36 AD. This earthquake was dated by counting varves (annual layers of sediment) between the disruptions in a core of sediment from En Gedi caused by it and by an earlier known quake in 31 BC. The authors concluded that either this was the earthquake in Matthew and it occurred more or less as reported, or else Matthew "borrowed" this earthquake which actually occurred at another time or simply inserted an "allegorical fiction".

Medical aspects

A number of theories to explain the circumstances of the death of Jesus on the cross have been proposed by physicians and Biblical scholars. In 2006, Matthew W. Maslen and Piers D. Mitchell reviewed over 40 publications on the subject with theories ranging from cardiac rupture to pulmonary embolism.Medical theories on the cause of death in Crucifixion  J R Soc Med April 2006 vol. 99 no. 4 185–188. 

thumb|left|180px|Bronzino's Deposition of Christ
In 1847, based on the reference in the Gospel of John () to blood and water coming out when Jesus' side was pierced with a spear, physician William Stroud proposed the ruptured heart theory of the cause of Christ's death which influenced a number of other people.William Stroud, 1847, Treatise on the Physical Death of Jesus Christ London: Hamilton and Adams.William Seymour, 2003, The Cross in Tradition, History and Art 

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 this would have led to cardiovascular collapse.The Physical Death Of Jesus Christ, Study by The Mayo Clinic  citing studies by Bucklin R (The legal and medical aspects of the trial and death of Christ. Sci Law 1970; 10:14–26), Mikulicz-Radeeki FV (The chest wound in the crucified Christ. Med News 1966; 14:30–40), Davis CT (The Crucifixion of Jesus: The passion of Christ from a medical point of view. Ariz Med 1965; 22:183–187), and Barbet P (A Doctor at Calvary: The Passion of Out Lord Jesus Christ as Described by a Surgeon, Earl of Wicklow (trans) Garden City, NY, Doubleday Image Books 1953, pp. 12–18, 37–147, 159–175, 187–208).

Writing in the Journal of 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 was pericardial fluid.Edwards, William D.; Gabel, Wesley J.; Hosmer, Floyd E; On the Physical Death of Jesus, JAMA March 21, 1986, Vol 255, No. 11, pp. 1455–1463 

In his book The Crucifixion of Jesus, physician and forensic pathologist Frederick Zugibe studied the likely circumstances of the death of Jesus in great detail.Frederick Zugibe, 2005, The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Forensic Inquiry Evans Publishing, JW Hewitt, The Use of Nails in the Crucifixion  Harvard Theological Review, 1932 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, a French physician, and the chief surgeon at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Paris,New Scientist October 12, 1978, p. 96 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, Pierre. Doctor at Calvary, New York: Image Books, 1963. Some of Barbet's theories, e.g., location of nails, are disputed by Zugibe.

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

In an article for the Catholic Medical Association, Phillip Bishop and physiologist Brian Church suggested a new theory based on suspension trauma.Catholic Medical Association, Linacre Quarterly, August 2006 

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.

Theological significance
thumb|Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (detail of the Ghent Altarpiece, Jan van Eyck, c. 1432). Christ is represented as the sacrificial Lamb of God.

Christians believe that Jesus' death was instrumental in restoring humankind to relationship with God. Online: https://books.google.com/books?id=tVJXcOVY2UgC Online: https://books.google.com/books?id=l3rDtUQRdKAC Christians believe that through Jesus' death and resurrection Online: https://books.google.com/books?id=UU9Ygc_c5woC people are reunited with God and receive new joy and power in this life as well as eternal life. Thus the crucifixion of Jesus along with his resurrection restores access to a vibrant experience of God's presence, love and grace as well as the confidence of eternal life. Online: https://books.google.com/books?id=13QRjJjhEqkC “In the Cross is salvation; in the Cross is life; in the Cross is protection against our enemies; in the Cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness; in the Cross is strength of mind; in the Cross is joy of spirit; in the Cross is excellence of virtue; in the Cross is perfection of holiness. There is no salvation of soul, nor hope of eternal life, save in the Cross.”

Christology of the crucifixion

The accounts of the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of Jesus provide a rich background for Christological analysis, from the canonical Gospels to the Pauline epistles.Who do you say that I am? Essays on Christology by Mark Allan Powell and David R. Bauer 1999  p. 106 Christians believe Jesus' suffering was foretold in the Hebrew Bible, such as in Psalm 22, and Isaiah's songs of the suffering servant.

In Johannine "agent Christology" the submission of Jesus to crucifixion is a sacrifice made as an agent of God or servant of God, for the sake of eventual victory.The Christology of the New Testament by Oscar Cullmann 1959  p. 79The Johannine exegesis of God by Daniel Rathnakara Sadananda 2005  p. 281 This builds on the salvific theme of the Gospel of John which begins in John 1:29 with John the Baptist's proclamation: "The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world".Johannine Christology and the Early Church by T. E. Pollard 2005  p. 21Studies in Early Christology by Martin Hengel 2004  p. 371 Further reinforcement of the concept is provided in Revelation 21:14 where the "lamb slain but standing" is the only one worthy of handling the scroll (i.e. the book) containing the names of those who are to be saved.Studies in Revelation by Martin Ralph DeHaan, 1998  p. 103

A central element in the Christology presented in the Acts of the Apostles is the affirmation of the belief that the death of Jesus by crucifixion happened "with the foreknowledge of God, according to a definite plan".New Testament christology by Frank J. Matera 1999  p. 67 In this view, as in Acts 2:23, the cross is not viewed as a scandal, for the crucifixion of Jesus "at the hands of the lawless" is viewed as the fulfillment of the plan of God.The speeches in Acts: their content, context, and concerns by Marion L. Soards 1994  p. 34

Paul's Christology has a specific focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus. For Paul, the crucifixion of Jesus is directly related to his resurrection and the term "the cross of Christ" used in Galatians 6:12 may be viewed as his abbreviation of the message of the gospels.Christology by Hans Schwarz 1998  pp. 132–134 For Paul, the crucifixion of Jesus was not an isolated event in history, but a cosmic event with significant eschatological consequences, as in 1 Corinthians 2:8. In the Pauline view, Jesus, obedient to the point of death (Philippians 2:8) died "at the right time" (Romans 4:25) based on the plan of God. For Paul the "power of the cross" is not separable from the Resurrection of Jesus.

However, the belief in the redemptive nature of Jesus' death predates the Pauline letters and goes back to the earliest days of Christianity and the Jerusalem church.Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity by Larry W. Hurtado (2005)  pp. 130–133 The Nicene Creed's statement that "for our sake he was crucified" is a reflection of this core belief's formalization in the fourth century.Christian Theology by J. Glyndwr Harris (2002)  pp. 12–15

John Calvin supported the "agent of God" Christology and argued that in his trial in Pilate's Court Jesus could have successfully argued for his innocence, but instead submitted to crucifixion in obedience to the Father.Calvin's Christology by Stephen Edmondson 2004  p. 91The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures by Hughes Oliphant Old 2002  p. 125 This Christological theme continued into the 20th century, both in the Eastern and Western Churches. In the Eastern Church Sergei Bulgakov argued that the crucifixion of Jesus was "pre-eternally" determined by the Father before the creation of the world, to redeem humanity from the disgrace caused by the fall of Adam.The Lamb of God by Sergei Bulgakov 2008  p. 129 In the Western Church, Karl Rahner elaborated on the analogy that the blood of the Lamb of God (and the water from the side of Jesus) shed at the crucifixion had a cleansing nature, similar to baptismal water.Encyclopedia of theology: a concise Sacramentum mundi by Karl Rahner 2004  p. 74

 Atonement 

Jesus' death and resurrection underpin a variety of theological interpretations as to how salvation is granted to humanity. These interpretations vary widely in how much emphasis they place on the death of Jesus as compared to his words.For example, see . See also Sermon on the Mount According to the substitutionary atonement view, Jesus' death is of central importance, and Jesus willingly sacrificed himself as an act of perfect obedience as a sacrifice of love which pleased God. By contrast the moral influence theory of atonement focuses much more on the moral content of Jesus' teaching, and sees Jesus' death as a martyrdom.A. J. Wallace, R. D. Rusk Moral Transformation: The Original Christian Paradigm of Salvation, (New Zealand: Bridgehead, 2011)  Since the Middle Ages there has been conflict between these two views within Western Christianity. Evangelical Protestants typically hold a substitutionary view and in particular hold to the theory of penal substitution. Liberal Protestants typically reject substitutionary atonement and hold to the moral influence theory of atonement. Both views are popular within the Roman Catholic church, with the satisfaction doctrine incorporated into the idea of penance.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that the Crucifixion of Jesus was part of the Atonement. "The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the foreordained but voluntary act of the Only Begotten Son of God. He offered his life, including his innocent body, blood, and spiritual anguish as a redeeming ransom (1) for the effect of the Fall of Adam upon all mankind and (2) for the personal sins of all who repent, from Adam to the end of the world. Latter-day Saints believe this is the central fact, the crucial foundation, the chief doctrine, and the greatest expression of divine love in the Plan of Salvation." 

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 which in the encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor of Pope Pius XI were defined as "some sort of compensation to be rendered for the injury" with respect to the sufferings of Jesus. Pope John Paul II referred to these Acts of Reparation as the "unceasing effort to stand beside the endless crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified."

Among Eastern Orthodox Christians, another common view is Christus Victor.See Development of the Christus Victor view after Aulén This holds that Jesus was sent by God to defeat death and Satan. 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.

Denial of crucifixion

Docetism
In Christianity, docetism is the doctrine that the phenomenon of Jesus, his historical and bodily existence, and above all the human form of Jesus, was mere semblance without any true reality... Broadly it is taken as the belief that Jesus only seemed to be human, and that his human form was an illusion.

Nag Hammadi Manuscripts
According to the First Revelation of James in the Nag Hammadi library, Jesus appeared to James after apparently being crucified and stated that another person had been inflicted in his place:

Islam

Most Islamic traditions, save for a few, categorically deny that Jesus physically died, either on a cross or another manner.

Professor and scholar Mahmoud M. Ayoub sums up what the Quran states despite interpretative arguments:

The below quranic verse says Jesus was neither killed nor crucified:

Contrary to Christian teachings, some Islamic traditions teach that Jesus ascended to Heaven without being put on the cross, but that God transformed another person to appear exactly like him and to be then crucified instead of him. This thought is supported in misreading an account by Irenaeus, the 2nd-century Alexandrian Gnostic Basilides when refuting what he believes to be a heresy denying the death."Wherefore he did not himself suffer death, but Simon, a certain man of Cyrene, being compelled, bore the cross in his stead; so that this latter being transfigured by him, that he might be thought to be Jesus, was crucified, through ignorance and error, while Jesus himself received the form of Simon, and, standing by, laughed at them. For since he was an incorporeal power, and the Nous (mind) of the unborn father, he transfigured himself as he pleased, and thus ascended to him who had sent him, deriding them, inasmuch as he could not be laid hold of, and was invisible to all" (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, book I, ch. 24, 4).

 Gnosticism 
Some scriptures identified as Gnostic reject the atonement of Jesus' death by distinguishing the earthly body of Jesus and his divine and immaterial essence. According to the Second Treatise of the Great Seth, Yaldabaoth (the Creator of the material universe) and his Archons tried to kill Jesus by crucifixion, but only killed their own man (that is the body). While Jesus ascended from his body, Yaldabaoth and his followers thought Jesus to be dead.John Douglas Turner, Anne Marie McGuire The Nag Hammadi Library After Fifty Years: Proceedings of the 1995 Society of Biblical Literature Commemoration [in Philadelphia] Brill 1997  p. 54Tuomas RasimusParadise Reconsidered in Gnostic Mythmaking: Rethinking Sethianism in Light of the Ophite Evidence Brill, 2009  p. 13 In Apocalypse of Peter, Peter talks with the savior whom the "priests and people" believed to have killed.John Douglas Turner, Anne Marie McGuire The Nag Hammadi Library After Fifty Years: Proceedings of the 1995 Society of Biblical Literature Commemoration [in Philadelphia] Brill 1997  p. 55

Manichaeism, which was influenced by Gnostic ideas, adhered to the idea that not Jesus, but somebody else was crucified instead. Jesus suffering on the cross is depicted as the state of light particles (spirit) within matter instead.Willis Barnstone, Marvin Meyer The Gnostic Bible: Revised and Expanded Edition Shambhala Publications 2009  p. 596

According to Bogomilism, the crucifixion was an attempt by Lucifer to destroy Jesus, while the earthly Jesus was regarded as a prophet, Jesus himself was an immaterial being that can not be killed. Accordingly, Lucifer failed and Jesus' sufferings on the cross were only an illusion.Willis Barnstone, Marvin Meyer The Gnostic Bible: Revised and Expanded Edition Shambhala Publications 2009  p. 751

 Others 
According to some Christian sects in Japan, Jesus Christ did not die on the cross at Golgotha. Instead his younger brother, Isukiri, took his place on the cross, while Jesus fled across Siberia to Mutsu Province, in northern Japan. Once in Japan, he became a rice farmer, married, and raised a family with three daughters near what is now Shingō. While in Japan, it is asserted that he traveled, learned, and eventually died at the age of 106. His body was exposed on a hilltop for four years. According to the customs of the time, Jesus' bones were collected, bundled, and buried in a mound. There is also a museum in Japan which claims to have evidence of these claims.

In Yazidism, Jesus is thought of as a "figure of light" who could not be crucified. This interpretation could be taken from the Quran or Gnostics.Zeitschrift für Religionswissenschaft. Jahrgang 1997 diagonal-Verlag Ursula Spuler-Stegemann Der Engel Pfau zum Selbstvertändnis der Yezidi p. 14 (German)

In art, symbolism and devotions
thumb|right|200px|Detail of the countenance of Christ just dead, by José Luján Pérez, 1793, Las Palmas Cathedral

Since the crucifixion of Jesus, the cross has become a key element of Christian symbolism, and the crucifixion scene has been a key element of Christian art, giving rise to specific artistic themes such as Ecce Homo, The Raising of the Cross, Descent from the Cross and Entombment of Christ.

The Crucifixion, seen from the Cross by Tissot presented a novel approach at the end of the 19th century, in which the crucifixion scene was portrayed from the perspective of Jesus.James Tissot: the Life of Christ by Judith F. Dolkart 2009  p. 201

The symbolism of the cross which is today one of the most widely recognized Christian symbols was used from the earliest Christian times and Justin Martyr who died in 165 describes it in a way that already implies its use as a symbol, although the crucifix appeared later. Masters such as Caravaggio, Rubens and Titian have all depicted the Crucifixion scene in their works.

Devotions based on the process of crucifixion, and the sufferings of Jesus are followed by various Christians. The Stations of the Cross follows a number of stages based on the stages involved in the crucifixion of Jesus, while the Rosary of the Holy Wounds is used to meditate on the wounds of Jesus as part of the crucifixion.

The presence of the Virgin Mary under the cross has in itself been the subject of Marian art, and well known Catholic symbolism such as the Miraculous Medal and Pope John Paul II's Coat of Arms bearing a Marian Cross. 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 (e.g., the Mond Crucifixion), and Caravaggio (e.g., his Entombment) depict the Virgin Mary as part of the crucifixion scene.

 Textual comparison 

The comparison below is based on the New International Version.
  Matthew  Mark  Luke  John Way of the Cross  Matthew 27:32–33
 Soldiers had Simon of Cyrene carry Jesus' cross. Mark 15:21–22
 Soldiers had Simon of Cyrene carry Jesus' cross. Luke 23:26–32
 Soldiers had Simon of Cyrene carry Jesus' cross.
 Jesus said to wailing women: 'Don't weep for me, but for yourselves and your children.' John 19:17
 "They"In verse 19:17 and 19:18, only a third person plural verb is used ("they"), it is not clear whether this refers to the high priests (οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς) to whom Pilate delivered Jesus in 19:15–16, or to the soldiers (οὖν στρατιῶται) who crucified Jesus according to 19:23. had Jesus carry the cross. Crucifixion  Matthew 27:34–36
 Jesus tasted wine mixed with gall, refused to drink more.
 Soldiers crucified Jesus, casted lots for his clothes and kept watch.
 [No time indicated] Mark 15:23–25
 Jesus refused to drink wine mixed with myrrh.
 Soldiers crucified Jesus and casted lots for his clothes.
 This happened at nine in the morning on the day of Passover (14:12, 15:25). Luke 23:33–34
 [No drink mentioned]
 Soldiers crucified Jesus and casted lots for his clothes.
 Jesus: "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing."In some manuscripts of Luke, these words are omitted. Annotation Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling (2004).
 [No time indicated] John 19:18, 23–24
 [No drink mentioned]
 "They" crucified Jesus and four soldiers each took a garment, casting lots over the undergarment (this fulfilled a prophecy).
 This happened after noon on the Day of Preparation before Passover (19:14, 31) Mocking  Matthew 27:37–44
 Sign: "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews".
 Passersby, high priests, teachers of the law, elders and both rebels mocked Jesus. Mark 15:26–32
 Sign: "The king of the Jews".
 Passersby, high priests, teachers of the law and both rebels mocked Jesus. Luke 23:35–43
 Sign: "This is the king of the Jews".
 The people's rulers, soldiers (offered wine vinegar) and one criminal mocked Jesus.
 The other criminal defended him, and asked Jesus to remember him.
 Jesus: 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.' John 19:19–22, 25–27
 Sign: "Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews".
 High priests complained to Pilate: 'Don't write "King of the Jews", but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.' Pilate: 'Quod scripsi, scripsi.'
 [No mockery mentioned]
 Jesus' mother Mary, Mary of Clopas and Mary Magdalene stood near the cross.
 Jesus told Mary: 'That is your son', and told the beloved disciple: 'That is your mother.' Death  Matthew 27:45–56
 At noon, a three-hour-long darkness came across the land.
 About three, Jesus cried out loud: 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachtani?'
 Bystander offered Jesus wine vinegar, others said: 'Now let's see if Elijah saves him.'
 Jesus cried out again and died.
 Temple curtain ripped, earthquake.
 Tombs broke open, many dead came back to life and appeared to many people in Jerusalem.
 Centurion and soldiers terrified: 'Surely he was the Son of God.'
 Many women from Galilee looked on from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of James and Joseph and the mother of Zebedee's sons. Mark 15:33–41
 At noon, a three-hour-long darkness came across the land.
 At three, Jesus cried out loud: 'Eloï, Eloï, lema sabachtani?'
 Bystander offered Jesus wine vinegar and said: 'Now let's see if Elijah comes to take him down.'
 Jesus cried out loud and died.
 Temple curtain ripped.
 Centurion: 'Surely this man was the Son of God.'
 From a distance, the women from Galilee looked on, including Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of James and Joses and Salome.Based on other Biblical verses, it is often concluded that this Mary was Jesus' own mother, and that James and Joses/Joseph were his brothers, see brothers of Jesus. Luke 23:44–49
 About noon, a three-hour-long darkness came across the land.
 Temple curtain ripped.
 Jesus called out loud: 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,' and died.
 Centurion: 'Surely this was a righteous man.'
 Bystanders beat their chest and went away.
 Those who know him, including the Galilean women, stood at a distance. John 19:28–37
 [No darkness mentioned, no time indicated]
 To fulfill Scripture, Jesus said: 'I am thirsty.' 
 "They" let Jesus drink wine vinegar.
 Jesus said: 'It is finished,' and died.
 [No mention of reaction from bystanders or effect on temple curtain]
 Soldiers broke the legs of the other two crucified men, but not Jesus' legs (this fulfilled a prophecy), but did pierce his side with a spear (this fulfilled another prophecy).

See also

 The penitent thief and impenitent thief, crucified alongside Jesus
 Descriptions in antiquity of the execution cross
 Empty tomb
 Feast of the Cross
 Feast of the Sacred Heart
 Life of Jesus in the New Testament
 Seven Sorrows of Mary
 Swoon hypothesis

 References 

Further reading
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

External links

 
Category:1st century in Jerusalem
Category:30s in the Roman Empire
Category:Christology
Category:Jesus and history
Category:Passion of Jesus
Category:Public executions
Category:Sorrowful Mysteries
Category:Stations of the Cross