2. Forensic Evidence
Photo credit: biblicalarchaeology.org
Analysis of the bones of a crucifixion victim published in the Israel Exploration Journal has revealed a form of crucifixion that is rarely displayed on paintings or mentioned in literary sources. In this case, the bone injuries showed that the nails penetrated the side of the heel bone.
Rather than the traditional position of the legs that we see in many depictions of crucifixion victims, the study suggests that “the victim’s legs straddled the vertical shaft of the cross, one leg on either side, with the nails penetrating the heel bones.”
This study also explains why the remains of crucifixion victims are sometimes found with the nails. Apparently, the condemned man’s family found it impossible to remove the nails, which were normally bent due to the hammering, without destroying the heel bone. “This reluctance to inflict further damage to the heel led [to his burial with the nail still in his bone, and this, in turn, led] to the eventual discovery of the crucifixion.”
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