Mel’s “Realistic” Jesus Movie
Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of The Christ” has gotten a lot of credit for being the “most realistic portrayal of the suffering of Jesus” that’s even been captured on film. Well, not to be nitpicky, but I’ve already noticed two things they’ve gotten wrong.
If you watch this extended preview, near the end when they nail him to that big wooden “T”, you can see the Roman guy place the spike into the center of Jesus’s palm, but according to a 1986 article from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) about the medical aspects of crucifixion, that just wouldn’t work :
The hands could be nailed or tied to the crossbar, but nailing apparently was preferred by the Romans. The archaeological remains of a crucified body, found in an ossuary near Jerusalem and dating from the time of Christ, indicate that the nails were tapered iron spikes approximately 5 to 7 in (13 to 18 cm) long with a square shaft 3/8 in (1 cm) across. Furthermore, ossuary findings and the Shroud of Turin have documented that the nails commonly were driven through the wrists rather than the palms.
With arms outstreched but not taut, the wrists were nailed to the patibulum. It has been shown that the ligaments and bones of the wrist can support the weight of a body hanging from them, but the palms cannot. Accordingly, the iron spikes probably were driven between the radius and the carpals or between the two rows of carpal bones, either proximal to of through the strong bandlike flexor retinaculum and the various intercarpal ligaments. Although a nail in either location in the wrist might pass between the bony elements and thereby produce no fractures, the likelihood of painful periosteal injury would seem great. Furthermore, the driven nail would crush or sever the rather large sensorimotor median nerve. The stimulated nerve would produce excruciating bolts of fiery pain in both arms. Although the severed median nerve would result in paralysis on a portion of the hand, ischemic contractures and impalement of various ligaments by the iron spike might produce a clawlike grip.
. . .
Although scriptural references are made to nails in the hands, these are not at odds with the archaeological evidence of wrist wounds, since the ancients customarily considered the wrist to be a part of the hand.
Secondly, let’s face it : Jesus wasn’t a white guy. Through the work of forensic anthropologists, Popular Mechanics compiled a picture a couple years ago of what Jesus probably looked like :
Not exactly Brad Pitt in “The Legends of the Fall”, huh?
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Actually, from literature I’ve read, the arms were tied to the cross, and then the hands were nailed. So it is likely that’s the way it was done. Of course that if that’s the largest problem you can find with the gospel stories, you aren’t trying very hard :)
Comment by andrew — February 20, 2004 @ 2:17 pm
How true. Speaking of, I wonder what Mel’s gonna have Jesus’s last words be?
Of course, since it’s Mel Gibson, I’m kinda hoping Jesus’s last words will be “I’m gettin’ too old for this shit!”
Comment by greg — February 20, 2004 @ 3:22 pm
There?s also another possibility for the nails in the hands. If the feet are also nailed to the cross, the hands don’t have to support the entire weight of the body.
I personally believe the wrist story, but I just thought I would throw that out there.
Comment by ex.tempore — February 20, 2004 @ 5:26 pm
Interestingly enough it was actually Leonardo DaVinci that first came up with the idea that the nails had to be in the wrists. Way to go Leo!
Comment by ML — February 20, 2004 @ 6:44 pm
Your Jesus photo kind of reminds me of “Clan of the Cave Bear.”
Comment by dAnimal — February 20, 2004 @ 6:59 pm
Maybe they were driven into his hand and his wrists.
Comment by Joseph — February 21, 2004 @ 5:17 am
Is there any word on who plays Bigus Dickus in the movie?
Comment by Patrick Taylor — February 22, 2004 @ 4:55 am
Most anthropological evidence of the Roman practice of crucifixion points to the fact that the arms were tied to a cross at the wrists (with enough slack for the body to hang). Then the feet were nailed together (one foot resting on top of the other) to the cross with the knees bent. Nails were then driven through the wrist between (or through) the coils of rope. When the cross was stood upright, this configuration allowed the body to hang with the legs bent. This helped to keep the victim from relieving the tension on both chest and arms by performing any sort of standing motion. The bodies weight also made breathing difficult. With the desert sun beating down during the day and the deep chill at night, this made for a dandy form of torture. Not to mention the insects, carrion birds, etc. attracted by the blood. The most accurate Hollywood interpretation to date has been from Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ”.
Comment by benjamin — February 22, 2004 @ 11:31 pm
Having seen a few more commercials, it looks like the crucifixion in Mel’s movie may follow the “rope on the wrists, spikes through the hands” model (which is something I’ve never seen in a church, by the way). That seems odd though. If a nail through the wrists would do the job, why waste the rope?
Don’t let Pat Robertson hear you say that.
I was just hanging out with a friend tonight and he was telling me about how he was a tour guide at Universal Studios when that movie came out and there were thousands of protesters blocking his entry into work. Get a grip people, it’s not like the Bible was written by God or something.
Comment by greg — February 23, 2004 @ 12:03 am
If a nail through the wrists would do the job, why waste the rope?
You ever tried nailing someone to a cross who didn’t want to be?
The arms were tied to restrain the victim, then the feet nailed, then the arms nailed. Makes sense as a process. And besides, you’re questioning the Romans about a waste of rope?
Comment by benjamin — February 23, 2004 @ 12:11 am
I’ve got an entire top 10 list of the ways Mel’s Passion is “as it was” at my blog. I haven’t posted the last one yet, but here are the other nine:
10. Nails in the wrist, not in the hands.
9. Mary the mother of Jesus had other sons.
8. Koine Greek, the most common language of the day, isn’t used in the film.
7. Roman soldiers were present when Jesus was arrested.
6. The cross is wrong.
5. The Jews who spoke with Jesus were trying to intercede on Jesus’ behalf, not railroad him.
4. It wasn’t blasphemy to identify yourself as the Messiah or the Son of Man.
3. Pilate was not the sensitive, thoughtful ruler portrayed in the film.
2. Pilate was the instigator of the death of Jesus, not Caiaphas.
Comment by boloboffin — February 23, 2004 @ 12:53 am
Isn’t that the whole purpose of the scourging?
Comment by greg — February 23, 2004 @ 9:54 am
I’m sure scourging can make one compliant, but who isn’t going to try and fight back when having a 7 inch nail put through the wrist? And it’s a bit hard to continue scourging someone as others are attempting to lash and nail them to a cross. The logistics of the whole scenario are difficult at best. Hence anything to help keep the victim restrained.
Comment by benjamin — February 23, 2004 @ 1:13 pm
Here ya go
Comment by Rowdy — February 23, 2004 @ 7:11 pm
Ummm, typo above. I meant to say that the top ten list is how Mel’s Passion isn’t as it was. Sorry about that.
Comment by boloboffin — February 23, 2004 @ 9:16 pm