Chapter 283 of 404

Jesus’ Scourging

In the Synoptic tradition Pilate orders the preliminary scourging that, whether with rods or whips, generally preceded crucifixion and other forms of capital punishment.²³⁷ Unlike some lesser forms of beatings, flogging and scourging regularly accompanied the death sentence.²³⁸ In contrast to Jewish synagogue discipline, Romans did not limit the number of lashes, hence sometimes victims not even sentenced to death died or were disabled under cruel supervisors. ²³⁹ Indeed, Josephus had opponents scourged “until their entrails were visible” ²⁴⁰ and reports a procurator laying bare a man’s bones, though the man survived.²⁴¹ This form of scourging also proved more severe than most Roman public corporal disciplines as well (cf. Acts 16:22; 2 Cor 11:25);²⁴² sometimes this kind of scourging caused death directly.²⁴³ Whereas Romans used rods on free persons and sticks on soldiers, they used scourges on slaves or provincials of equivalent status.²⁴⁴

Following custom Jesus was presumably stripped²⁴⁵ and tied to a pillar or post,²⁴⁶ then beaten with flagella — leather whips “whose thongs were knotted and interspersed” with pieces of iron or bone, or a spike.²⁴⁷ This torture left skin hanging from the back in bloody strips.²⁴⁸ Various texts²⁴⁹ attest the horror with which this punishment was viewed. It was soldiers who normally executed this task in the provinces.²⁵⁰ Some felt that the flagellum was merciful because it so weakened the prisoner as to hasten his death on the cross.²⁵¹ That the Gospels mention but do not describe the practice makes them read more like official reports than rhetorical documents with a heavy element of pathos at this point.²⁵²

A scourging is independently attested by John and the Synoptics, although the sequence differs.²⁵³ Moreover, even Paul seems aware of the tradition of Jesus’ abuse (Rom 15:3, citing Ps 69:9).²⁵⁴ Jesus’ abuse also fits the criterion of embarrassment; public beatings produced shame as well as physical pain.²⁵⁵ Given abundant ancient attestation for the abuse of prisoners coupled with the known tendency of humans to abuse power, the gospel account is plausible.²⁵⁶

The other abuse reported in the Gospels, such as soldiers ridiculing Jesus’ “kingship,” is not implausible.²⁵⁷ That soldiers would take the opportunity to taunt a captive for entertainment should not surprise us; although one cannot prove that they did so, evidence suggests that such events were not unusual.²⁵⁸ Public abuse of victims, even adorning someone as a king and beating him, occurred on other occasions.²⁵⁹ Games of mockery included the game of king,²⁶⁰ and theatrical mimes were common as well.²⁶¹

Although soldiers sometimes scourged the prisoners en route to the crucifixion, the practice is not mentioned in the Gospels, presumably because Jesus was already scourged.²⁶² Since crucifixion sometimes lasted days,²⁶³ the swiftness of Jesus’ death (probably multiply attested: Mk 15:44; Jn 19:33) reinforces the notion that Jesus was already quite weak.²⁶⁴ Given the unlikelihood that the soldiers would simply show mercy to a condemned prisoner, scholars are probably correct to suppose that Jesus was too weak to carry the cross himself, and that his executioners preferred to have him die on the cross rather than en route to it.²⁶⁵

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