Wednesday, November 7, 2007


Was Jesus Crucified Nude?
People who were condemned to death during the time of Jesus, whether by hanging, stoning, or crucifixion, were commonly stripped of all clothing and publicly exposed.

There can be little doubt that Jesus was crucified nude. His clothes had been removed and soldiers cast lots for them (John 19:23,24; Mark 15:24).According to the noted commentator Barnes, it was customary to crucify a person naked. Billy Graham, pointing out the "shame" of the cross, has repeatedly mentioned this in his crusades over the years. The Catholic Encyclopedia makes the same point.

When Jesus was crucified, "many women were there beholding afar off" (Matthew 27:55). Why did they stand afar off? Clarke explains:




As all malefactors were crucified naked, perhaps this may account for the distance at which these modest women stood.