• World Vision Lanka National Director Dr. Dhanan Senathirajah on how the Romans popularised this barbaric form of execution

Always espousing religious coexistence in our ethos of inclusivity, which also leads us to embrace the practices and histories of religions around the world, Kaleidoscope pondered on some aspects of the holy week in its last programme focusing on the origins of the cross. In the Christian faith, Good Friday is thus called because it is deemed the day that Jesus Christ died for mankind’s sins. He was crucified, in a practice not unusual but only reserved for criminals, on Golgotha or Calvary, a skull shaped hill. It is also important to remember that the story of Jesus is deeply rooted in historical specifics where experts have deemed that Jesus was crucified in 33 Anno Domini (AD) and that seismic activity was prevalent in the area at the time. The cross gained fame due to it being centric to the crucifixion of Christ. But, how much do we know about the cross which forms the axis of an event that shaped the world? Romans, while not the inventors of crucifixion, are those responsible for the cross design that has become a popular symbol of Jesus’ sacrifice. 

World Vision Lanka National Director Dr. Dhanan Senathirajah who is also a bit of a history buff, explains the background and history behind the use of the cross on Kaleidoscope.

Following are excerpts of the interview:

There is so much spoken about the cross but generally only in the context of Jesus’ crucifixion. What are the origins of the cross?

It was the Babylonians who began crucifixions but the Romans perfected the art. In between that part of history, the Assyrians, the Carthaginians, and the Greeks mastered the art as well. From about the 6th Century Before Christ, up to the 4th Century AD, crucifixion was quite common. This was until Constantine, the first Christian Emperor, did away with it. There have also been instances of crucifixion throughout history, even up to the 20th Century. 

Were there any distinctions on how people were crucified then, such as based on class, race, creed, etc.? 

Generally, most societies crucified those who were rebellious, those who rose up against governmental authorities, highwaymen, and murderers. At the same time, they didn’t usually crucify their own people, so if you were a Roman citizen, the Romans would not have crucified you. 

Was Golgotha, the place of skulls, a common ground for executions like these? Were there others? 

It seems so, as Golgotha was perhaps the only place reserved by the Romans to execute and crucify people during their period of rule in Jerusalem. 

Via Dolorosa is a buzzing hub of humanity. Jesus walked this route to Golgotha on the way to his crucifixion. Was this the common route taken or did each prisoner have their own journey mapped out for them?

It is likely that there were very few instances of a prisoner carrying his cross and walking through Via Dolorosa. The primary reason was that the Roman Governor who gave the order to execute Christ – Pontius Pilate – did not live in Jerusalem. He was only visiting Jerusalem at that time in order to oversee security arrangements for the Passover. It is most likely that most of the orders for execution would have been passed in Sicilia (Sicily), which is where the Roman Governor had his office and palace, so Via Dolorosa might have been an exception, where Jesus was asked to carry his cross and walk through the streets of Jerusalem as a punishment and an example to other “rebels”.

Do you have any idea as to how the people who lived in and around Via Dolorosa reacted when these doomed men walked past them?

Most would have probably been in shock. The Romans would have carried out these executions as an exemplary form of punishment, in order to say “if you mess with us, this is what you get”. When a person who is to be crucified walks down the street, carrying his own cross, it is supposed to be a lesson for the people watching and a warning that if anyone tries to go against the rule, that this is the punishment that they will undergo. I believe that the people in and around Via Dolorosa would have been in shock and in tears, as it really is a very difficult thing to see. 

Who was responsible to make sure that those crucified, have died? Did they ever speed up the process?

The world record for hanging on a cross alive was six days, which would have been extremely painful. Most of the time, the guards would take pity on the victims and break their legs with an iron rod. The reason for this is that when you’re hanging with your arms, you have to move your body up and down in order to breathe because of the weight of the cross, for which you use your legs. But the moment that the legs are broken, the person would asphyxiate, so the victims would die much faster in that event, most of the time. Even at Christ’s crucifixion, the legs of the two thieves who were crucified alongside him were broken; Jesus was already dead when they approached him, so they did not break his legs.

Were there different types of crosses or is it just the one that we know?

The one that was most popular was the one that we see in Christianity. However, there were other models. There was one in the form of a “T”, another that took the shape of an “X”, and there was also a simple vertical pole that was used as a cross to hang people from.

Do crucifixions happen even in today’s context and does Golgotha still exist?

Golgotha is now a place of worship and that’s where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre stands. It is a place of veneration today and is visited by thousands of Christians. Interestingly, there have been instances in the 20th and 21st Centuries where in Middle Eastern countries, people have been crucified, but the crucifixion happened only after beheading the victims. It was only after beheading that the body was nailed to the cross. Also, there have been instances as late as the middle of the 20th Century, where crucifixions have taken place. In Japan for instance, 26 Christians were crucified in the 1920s. 

What do we learn from the cross?

The cross, or crucifixion, is where the English word “excruciating” originated. It means “unbearable pain”. Crucifixion is perhaps the most painful and humiliating death. Romans crucified their victims stark naked; the men were crucified facing outward and the women were crucified facing the cross. Sometimes, even children were crucified. During the religious upheavals in Europe during the 15th Century, a 13-year-old girl was crucified in Spain where she was beaten, crucified, and beheaded. It is a very cruel form of killing a person and causes extreme pain. Every bit of dignity that the victim has is taken away. 

(The writer is the host, director, and co-producer of the weekly digital programme ‘Kaleidoscope with Savithri Rodrigo’ which can be viewed on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. She has over three decades of experience in print, electronic, and social media.)