[Reader-list] Jesus did not die on cross, says scholar

[Pawan Durani]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7849852/Jesus-did-not-die-on-cross-says-scholar.html

The legend of his execution is based on the traditions of the
Christian church and artistic illustrations rather than antique texts,
according to theologian Gunnar Samuelsson.
He claims the Bible has been misinterpreted as there are no explicit
references the use of nails or to crucifixion - only that Jesus bore a
"staurus" towards Calvary which is not necessarily a cross but can
also mean a "pole".


Mr Samuelsson, who has written a 400-page thesis after studying the
original texts, said: "The problem is descriptions of crucifixions are
remarkably absent in the antique literature.
"The sources where you would expect to find support for the
established understanding of the event really don't say anything."
The ancient Greek, Latin and Hebrew literature from Homer to the first
century AD describe an arsenal of suspension punishments but none
mention "crosses" or "crucifixion."
Mr Samuelsson, of Gothenburg University, said: "Consequently, the
contemporary understanding of crucifixion as a punishment is severely
challenged.
"And what's even more challenging is the same can be concluded about
the accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus. The New Testament doesn't
say as much as we'd like to believe."
Any evidence that Jesus was left to die after being nailed to a cross
is strikingly sparse - both in the ancient pre-Christian and
extra-Biblical literature as well as The Bible.
Mr Samuelsson, a committed Christian himself, admitted his claims are
so close to the heart of his faith that it is easy to react
emotionally instead of logically.
Mr Samuelsson said the actual execution texts do not describe how
Christ was attached to the execution device.
He said: "This is the heart of the problem. The text of the passion
narratives is not that exact and information loaded, as we Christians
sometimes want it to be."
Mr Samuelsson said: "If you are looking for texts that depict the act
of nailing persons to a cross you will not find any beside the
Gospels."
A lot of contemporary literature all use the same vague terminology -
including the Latin accounts.
Nor does the Latin word crux automatically refer to a cross while
patibulum refer to the cross-beam. Both words are used in a wider
sense that that.
Mr Samuelsson said: "That a man named Jesus existed in that part of
the world and in that time is well-documented. He left a rather good
foot-print in the literature of the time.
"I do believe that the mentioned man is the son of God. My suggestion
is not that Christians should reject or doubt the biblical text.
"My suggestion is that we should read the text as it is, not as we
think it is. We should read on the lines, not between the lines. The
text of the Bible is sufficient. We do not need to add anything."