What did the sign on Jesus’ cross say?
When someone was crucified by the Romans, a sign would be affixed above them giving the reason for their execution. Each of the gospels gives a different account of what the sign above Jesus said. In...
View ArticleWhat colour robe did the soldiers put on Jesus, scarlet or purple?
After Jesus had been brought before Pontius Pilate, Pilate gave the people a choice: he would release either Jesus or Barabbas. The crowd chose Barabbas, and the soldiers then mocked Jesus by dressing...
View ArticleWho carried Jesus’ cross?
When Jesus had been sentenced to crucifixion, he was marched out to the place of his execution, Golgotha. The gospels disagree, however, as to who it was that carried Jesus’ cross. The synoptic gospels...
View ArticleWhat was mixed with the wine offered to Jesus before he was crucified?
Before Jesus was crucified, he was offered wine to drink, but refused it. Both Matthew and Mark describe this, but each says that the wine was mixed with something different. According to Matthew, the...
View ArticleAt what time was Jesus crucified?
Both Mark and John indicate the approximate time at which Jesus was crucified. Unfortunately, their accounts don’t agree on when this was. The Jews measured time by counting the hours from dawn...
View ArticleWas Jesus crucified on a cross or a tree?
Just as you stone someone with stones, so you crucify them on a cross, or so you would think. However, the Bible isn’t consistent on the question of what Jesus was crucified on: In Acts when Peter and...
View ArticleDid both bandits mock Jesus on the cross?
Jesus was crucified with two bandits, one on either side. As he died, the crowd mocked him, calling on him to come down from the cross if he could. Depending on which synoptic gospel you believe,...
View ArticleWhat were Jesus’ last words?
All four of the gospels describe Jesus last moments on the cross, and have him crying out before he dies. What he cries out, though, varies between the gospels. Matthew has Jesus shout “My God, my God,...
View ArticleWas the temple curtain torn before, or at the moment of, Jesus’ death?
In the synoptic gospels, Jesus’ death is accompanied by the tearing of the temple curtain from top to bottom. This curtain was a barrier between the Holy of Holies, God’s dwelling place which only the...
View ArticleHow far from the cross did the women stand?
In all four gospels, the crucifixion is witnessed by women who have followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem. There is some inconsistency between the accounts, however, concerning how close to the...
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