Isn't it physically impossible......?

Question

for Jesus to have had his arms spread out on the cross.
His body weight would have ripped him right off.
After all, he was only hanging by nails in his hands.
His head, upper body, torso and legs were UNattached.
That's alot of weight for 2 little nails in the hands to hold up.

Answer 1

Chances are, based upon medical evidence, he would have been nailed between the ulna and radius, the two bones of the forearm that join at the wrist. His feet probably would have been nailed as well but I seriously doubt it would have held.

Some experts suggest that the arms and ankles would have been bound by rope and his feet would have rested on a small ledge of sorts.

No one really knows how he was crucified, but there's alot of medical research that's ongoing regarding the way and time it would have taken to die in that manner. Either way, it was brutal.

Peace,

Beki

PS: Here's a website with medical and historical information regarding crucifiction. I'm not Catholic, not even Christian, I'm a nurse and it's a fascinating read. http://catholiceducation.org/articles/facts/fm0027.html

Answer 2

Well, the "Little Nails" were wrought iron spikes about 6" long with a diameter of at least 3/8" that were driven through both the hands & the cross then bent over so they wouldn't pull out. The forearm was tied first to the cross to hold the person from moving, which also helped support their wieght. The intent of the Romans was that of a very slow agonizing death by suffocation. This was accomplished by the sag of the body keeping the diaphram from working normally. This meant that the crucified had to push up to get a breath. This of course made the feet & hands feel great to say nothing of the shredded back of our Lord against the rough hewn wood of the cross. At the Pagan Easter Holiday in South America each year we see many of questionable sanity professing the Catholic Dogma who have themselves nailed to a cross like Christ & they stay there!!! Nope, it's real, of course Scripture said so didn't it! john

Answer 3

In all likelihood he was nailed through the wrist. Medical doctors claim that the wrists will support the body when spikes are nailed through the wrists. These nails were actually spikes, which were think and strong. It is also possible that his body was supported by ropes tied beneath his arm pits. Also, a spike was driven into his feet and there was a support on which he could push himself up. Jesus was crucified in the standard way for that time. The Romans were experts at executing people and had plenty of experience at the art of crucifixion; therefore, we must assume that they did the job right the first time.

Answer 4

No, actually, that was a form of execution the Romans used a lot. They would not have used two small nails in the hands. They used big spikes through the bones of the wrists, and then tied the wrists too.

Hanging with arms spread like that actually causes asphyxiation. The lungs and diaphragm can't function properly like that.

Whether or not there was actually a person named Jesus that this was done to is debatable as far as I'm concerned, but that wasn't your question.

Are you by chance a Jehovah's Witness?

Answer 5

Got a fine question wonder why the Romans would put so many people on the cross to die like that imagine all the bodies falling down and having to be put back up again, again, and again you would/could die from the fall makes you wonder? If the nails were just a few inches up " along the wrist would that make a difference for body weight?

Answer 6

They've done studies both ways. But a lot of it depends on the placement of the feet. With the feet nailed down, especially with a support block of some sort, then it is possible.

Plus we don't know Jesus' dimensions. I think it would be difficult to disprove.

Answer 7

he was nailed through his hands or wrists.and through his feet. He also had a foot rest,witch was unusually for the time. He got the royal treatment. So to answer you question no the weight would not rip his arms out, because he had a foot rest.

Answer 8

Yep.

That's why he was killed on an upright stake, not a cross.

The crucifix is a pagan symbol predating Christianity by thousands of years (Egyptian ankh, etc.) It was adopted around the same time as the doctrines of the trinity, hellfire and the immortal soul (also pagan in origin.)

Nice question :0)

Answer 9

Roman crucifixions actually had put nails through your arms near your wrists, not through hands. If you feel right around there, there are lots of bones and tendons.

EWww.. *shiver*

Answer 10

I think he had a little ledge thing to stand on.

Don't forget that Jesus wasn't the only one crucified. Thousands of people were crucified before and after Jesus. It was a "perfected science" at the time and a good means of torture.