Took a break from reading Jerusalem as there were so many violent deaths. Too much atrocity to absorb.
Queen Jezebel torn apart by dogs....
Then Absalom, with his lustrous head of hair and a physique without a blemish, wrenched from his horse when his hair snagged in the branches of an oak.
And of course the crucifixion.
Crucifixion was an excruciating death, designed to demean the victim publicly. Nails were driven through the forearms (not hands) and ankles. Nails from crucifixion victims were worn as charms around the neck to ward off illness (rope from the hangman was similarly - much later - thought to protect against evil).
Men were crucified facing outwards; women facing inwards.
The skill for the executioner was in ensuring that the crucified man or woman did not die too quickly. A ledge supported the feet. The idea of a support to prolong the dying - the cruellest of touches.
Queen Jezebel torn apart by dogs....
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| Andrea Celesti/Jezebel torn apart by dogs |
And of course the crucifixion.
Crucifixion was an excruciating death, designed to demean the victim publicly. Nails were driven through the forearms (not hands) and ankles. Nails from crucifixion victims were worn as charms around the neck to ward off illness (rope from the hangman was similarly - much later - thought to protect against evil).
Men were crucified facing outwards; women facing inwards.
The skill for the executioner was in ensuring that the crucified man or woman did not die too quickly. A ledge supported the feet. The idea of a support to prolong the dying - the cruellest of touches.
