Crucifixion in Early Christianity

The twelfth century was a period of significant development and change in the religious and secular world of Western Europe. One area of transition occurred in depictions of Christ’s crucifixion. In both writing and art, the triumphant living Christ of the early Middle ages, was transformed into the dying, suffering, and yet majestic savior of the twelfth century.  This essay examines images and written sources from the fourth to the twelfth centuries, and seeks to determine how the twelfth century renaissance and reformation—based on the discovery of the individual— influenced this evolution.

This is a study of two examples from the Abbasid age on a debate on the crucifixion of Jesus in the early dialogues between Christians and Muslims. It focuses specifically on how Timothy I and Theodore Abū Qurrah understand the Christian theology of the cross in the light of the Qurʼān’s denial of the crucifixion of the Messiah in sūrat an-Nisāʼ 4:157-158. Many others have reflected on how early Christian mutakallims tried to deal with the Qurʼān’s denial of the crucifixion. Yet the interpretation of sūrah 4:157-158 in the text of al-Muĝādalah in al-Maʼmūn’s court and in Timothy’s conversation with the caliph al-Mahdī are two very interesting demonstrations of some of the hermeneutical and (theo)logical strategies Christians opted for to make the Christian belief in the crucifixion understandable for Muslims.

The Swoon Theory, or as it is sometimes called the Apparent-Death Theory asserts, that Christ did not die on the cross, but swooned or fell unconscious and was revived after being placed in the tomb. How this was achieved is under great speculation, even among the swoon theorists themselves, but with the historicity of Jesus’ crucifixion all but settled, they must claim that “Jesus’ reappearance wasn’t a miraculous resurrection but merely a fortuitous resuscitation.” 

In this paper, I will focus on the physiological burden of the crucifixion on Christ’s body. I will appeal to historical, eye-witness accounts of the treatment of victims of crucifixions, modern medical examinations of the psychological and physiological effects of being crucified and examine the physical evidence that Christ was dead when he was removed from the cross.

More than 20 years after presenting his first interpretation of the mosaic from the House of Aion in a paper entitled “Uwagi na temat mozaiki z Domu Aiona w Nea Paphos (Cypr)” (Meander 9/10, 1987, p. 421-438, in Polish, and translated to English: « The Immortality of the Human Soul and the Dionysiac Mysteries in the 4th Century Allegory [in Connection with the Interpretation of the Mosaic from the “House of Aion” at Paphos in Cyprus]»), where he proposed reading the five mythological panels (1. Leda and Zeus; 2. Dionysus on Mount Nysa; 3. The Dionysian thiasos; 4. Apollo and Marsyas; 5. The Apotheosis of Cassiopeia) as an allegory of the destiny of the human soul and body, starting with conception and ending with the liberation of the soul and its apotheosis, the author now enhances his initial interpretation with numerous reflections concerning the historical context of this work of art, created in the years 320-360.
If, according to the author, the mosaic is a “Hymn” in honour of the pagan gods, Man (his soul) and his place in the (pagan) universe, then at the same time it polemicises with the Christian faith and its God, Jesus Christ.
The author puts forward numerous new solutions relating to the mosaic’s iconography and iconology. Analysis of the mosaic also leads him to propose a solution to the as-yet unanswered question regarding the absence of images of the crucified Christ in Christian art of the 3rd and 4th centuries, up until 420/430, when the first images of Christ on the cross appear.
CONTENTS:
Introduction
1. Research to-date (recap)
2. Description of mosaic (recap)
2.1. Composition of five mythological scenes
2.2. Brief iconographic description of mythological panels
2.3. Outline of individual iconographic elements and their respective roles
2.4. The pagan gods’ air of majesty and dignity as an expression of piety
3. A few words about the pagan reaction
4. An apology of pious human life according to pagan principles and a polemic on the Christian model of Man and his theological idol, Jesus Christ
4.1. Divine intervention in the act of human conception (allusion to/polemic on the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary)
4.2. The Epiphany of Dionysus (an allusion to the Epiphany of Christ – Theou Pais)
4.3. The procession and dissemination of Dionysian order (allusion to/polemic on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem)
4.4. The error of Marsyas (polemic on/allusion to the error of Jesus the Messiah): arrest, sentencing for arrogance and lack of piety (asebeia) and condemnation to a martyr’s death
4.5. The anabasis (or anagoge psyches) of a ‘beautiful soul’ (allusion to/polemic on the Ascension of Christ)
5. A few words on the mosaic programme prior to final conclusions
Final conclusions

A close relationship exists between Jesus’ death on the cross and the fact that Jesus was a carpenter. Wood, from which the tool of Jesus’ execution was fashioned, was also the dominant element of the Son of God’s everyday experience. In the light of this correspondence one can see God’s plan, according to which there is a strong link not only between Nazareth and Golgotha, but also between the „cross” carried by a Christian and the content of his everyday life.

This research examines the apostle Peter’s life from the time Jesus called him into ministry until his death. A chronological approach to Peter’s travels clarifies his location at key places along his timeline. Key historical events, artifacts, and individuals corroborate the biblical record. Some specific alternative viewpoints also illustrate the difficulties encountered when attempting to accurately evaluate Peter’s movements. Scholars differ regarding certain details, but by synthesizing all the available data a clearer Petrine timeline appears. This paper seeks to establish Peter’s entire ministry journey using a chronological structure developed through available archaeological discoveries and literary records.

This is the third chapter of my contextual introduction to the New Testament, From Crisis to Christ (Nashville, TN: 2014), 51-74. It was published on the Bible and Interpretation site, May 2015 as an example of my new approach to biblical studies, which I call "second criticality." That essay is also posted on the Bible and Interpretation site.

More than 20 years after presenting his first interpretation of the mosaic from the House of Aion in a paper entitled “Uwagi na temat mozaiki z Domu Aiona w Nea Paphos (Cypr)” (Meander 9/10, 1987, p. 421-438, in Polish, and translated to English: « The Immortality of the Human Soul and the Dionysiac Mysteries in the 4th Century Allegory [in Connection with the Interpretation of the Mosaic from the “House of Aion” at Paphos in Cyprus]»), where he proposed reading the five mythological panels (1. Leda and Zeus; 2. Dionysus on Mount Nysa; 3. The Dionysian thiasos; 4. Apollo and Marsyas; 5. The Apotheosis of Cassiopeia) as an allegory of the destiny of the human soul and body, starting with conception and ending with the liberation of the soul and its apotheosis, the author now enhances his initial interpretation with numerous reflections concerning the historical context of this work of art, created in the years 320-360.
If, according to the author, the mosaic is a “Hymn” in honour of the pagan gods, Man (his soul) and his place in the (pagan) universe, then at the same time it polemicises with the Christian faith and its God, Jesus Christ.
The author puts forward numerous new solutions relating to the mosaic’s iconography and iconology. Analysis of the mosaic also leads him to propose a solution to the as-yet unanswered question regarding the absence of images of the crucified Christ in Christian art of the 3rd and 4th centuries, up until 420/430, when the first images of Christ on the cross appear.
CONTENTS:
Introduction
1. Research to-date (recap)
2. Description of mosaic (recap)
2.1. Composition of five mythological scenes
2.2. Brief iconographic description of mythological panels
2.3. Outline of individual iconographic elements and their respective roles
2.4. The pagan gods’ air of majesty and dignity as an expression of piety
3. A few words about the pagan reaction
4. An apology of pious human life according to pagan principles and a polemic on the Christian model of Man and his theological idol, Jesus Christ
4.1. Divine intervention in the act of human conception (allusion to/polemic on the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary)
4.2. The Epiphany of Dionysus (an allusion to the Epiphany of Christ – Theou Pais)
4.3. The procession and dissemination of Dionysian order (allusion to/polemic on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem)
4.4. The error of Marsyas (polemic on/allusion to the error of Jesus the Messiah): arrest, sentencing for arrogance and lack of piety (asebeia) and condemnation to a martyr’s death
4.5. The anabasis (or anagoge psyches) of a ‘beautiful soul’ (allusion to/polemic on the Ascension of Christ)
5. A few words on the mosaic programme prior to final conclusions
Final conclusions
Key words: mythological mosaic, House of Aion, Nea Paphos, Late Antiquity, Roman art, allegorical narrative, allusive language of mythological pictures, wordplay (Marsyas-Messias), Jesus Christ, anti-Christian polemic, Dionysos, Cassiopeia, Apollon, Nereides, Abstract Personifications, Greek Mythology, ΚΥΠΡΟΣ

La prima parte della corrente tesi di laurea magistrale è stata ampliata e approfondita e utilizzata come punto di partenza per la stesura del libro

La Crocifissione di Cristo tra arte, fede, e scienza
Un'indagine sulla Passione di Cristo attraverso le opere degli artisti, la tradizione cristiana, e le ricerche scientifiche

In vendita su Amazon:
Ebook Kindle: https://amzn.to/3Jpdy44
Libro cartaceo: https://amzn.to/49G3U85

La seconda parte è liberamente consultabile.


Nella seconda parte vengono identificati una serie di elementi figurativi specifici, tipici della Crocifissione. Da questa selezione viene costituita la struttura di un database che verrà popolato con un campione di opere  – Crocifissi e Crocifissioni – di un’area geografica circoscritta. Verranno quindi presentati gli elementi costitutivi della struttura del database, la ragione della scelta geografica, l’elenco dei luoghi e delle opere incluse, e l’analisi dei dati raccolti.

Taking a cue from the African American Theologian James Cone, who argues that contemplating the crucifixion of Jesus makes possible a fuller understanding of Christian identity, white supremacist violence, and the legacy of slavery in the contemporary U.S. context; I argue that the inverse relationship also holds: scholars of the ancient Roman Empire might consider modern lynching practices, as a means to understand more fully the workings of ancient crucifixion. This paper focus on the speech of the Good Thief from the cross in Luke, who states that while Jesus has been crucified unjustly, his own crucifixion is just and meritorious. It searches for analogues in ancient literature for this understanding that crucifixion is an appropriate punishment in certain cases, and asks why biblical scholars as a whole have never been troubled by this Lukan framing of ancient Roman torture.

Il supplizio come forma suprema della punizione ha percorso la storia dell'occidente dalle sue prime configurazioni antiche fino al suo tramonto come spettacolo pubblico nel corso del XIX secolo. Questo studio si propone di indagare la logica e i modi della sua rappresentazione, ricostruendone la genealogia all'incrocio tra forme del diritto, figure del potere e strutture mitiche e narrative, a loro volta attraversate dalle forze che ne ordinano il nesso con la scena penale e che ne mettono in azione il meccanismo spettacolare: violenza e ludibrium. L'analisi di questo complesso nodo concettuale procede attraverso l'esame di alcune delle più rilevanti determinazioni storiche assunte dai termini che vi sono implicati (Roma antica, il primo cristianesimo, l'era moderna e l'epoca vittoriana), indagate attraverso le lenti del metodo archeologico. ANNA MONTEBUGNOLI ha conseguito il Dottorato di ricerca in Studi umanistici interculturali (XXX ciclo) presso l'Università di Bergamo nel 2018. Si è occupata in particolare della storia della rappresentazione dei sistemi penali e del concetto di materia nella storia dell'arte e nel pensiero estetico, temi su cui ha pubblicato in riviste italiane e internazionali. Ha collaborato al progetto Macro Asilo presso il Museo d'arte contemporanea di Roma, curando un seminario sul concetto di materia. SUPPLIZIO Collana della Scuola di Alta Formazione Dottorale-13-Anna Montebugnoli LA RAPPRESENTAZIONE DEL SUPPLIZIO Per un'archeologia dello spettacolo punitivo 2020 13

The Vatican pilgrim casket (sometimes referred to as the Sancta Sanctorum pilgrim
box), containing relics from the Holy Land, reveals important changes in the history of devotional art. In revisiting the increasing use since late antiquity of a linear narrative
in Christian decorations,1 the author relates the three modes of representation in and on the pilgrim casket to three concepts of time—history, memory, and vision—testifying to the establishment of a new pictorial and iconographic Christian tradition, shaped by vision- ary experiences at holy sites, favoring narrative scenes. Beginning in the sixth century, pilgrims’ reliquaries increasingly showed events from the holy sites from which the relics came, images that gained impact as a medium in themselves, as an aid to memory and/or to meditation. The author demonstrates how the visionary experiences that took place at holy sites, recorded in early pilgrim accounts, shaped these iconographic traditions.

Recently the walking, talking cross in the Gospel of Peter has been interpreted as a popular belief or a common apocalyptic motif, irrelevant for understanding the gospel’s christology. I argue that the animated cross should be understood as a manifestation of the resurrected Lord. This is demonstrated through a comparative study of epiphanies from Greek, Roman, and Jewish literature in which gods are identified and manifest by their unique signs, including talking trees. Since this cross appears simultaneously with the Lord’s enormous resurrected form, I conclude that the Gospel of Peter represents a polymorphic christology.

Gegenwärtig wird das gehende und sprechende Kreuz im EvPet gern als Element eines Volksglaubens oder als verbreitetes apokalyptisches Motiv gedeutet, das irrelevant für die Christologie des EvPet sei. Demgegenüber wird hier argumentiert, dass das belebte Kreuz als Manifestation des auferstandenen Herrn verstanden werden sollte. Dies wird an einem Vergleich von Erscheinungserzählungen aus griechischer, römischer und jüdischer Literatur gezeigt, in denen Götter anhand ihrer individuellen Zeichen, darunter als sprechende Bäume, identifziert werden. Da das Kreuz gleichzeitig mit der übergroßen Gestalt des Auferstandenen auftritt, wird geschlussfolgert, dass das EvPet eine polymorphe Christologie repräsentiert.

The Gentle Answer to the Muslim Accusation of Biblical Falsification was published in 2015 as a friendly appeal to Muslim readers to reconsider any prohibitions to reading the Bible and an invitation to Muslims to "read and reason" together with Christians about our scriptures. Tang Soo Yugh then translated the book into Mandarin. This chapter is about the importance of history to the New Testament, compared with the Quran and Islamic thought generally.

Ausgabe: April/2016
Spalte: 329-331
Kategorie: Bibelwissenschaft
Autor/Hrsg.: Cook, John Granger
Titel/Untertitel: Crucifixion in the Mediterranean World.
Verlag: Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2014. XXIV, 522 S. = Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, 327. Lw. EUR 69,00. ISBN 978-3-16-153124-8.
Rezensent: Gunnar Samuelsson

"THE CRUCIFIX OF POZZUOLI
Gino Fusco
[roughly translated by "Google translate"]
Scholars working on a graffiti via Pergolesi: the oldest evidence of a torture similar to that inflicted on Jesus
The crucifix of Pozzuoli
"It remember the Shroud ago and know the techniques of the time, Puteoli even more tied to Christ""

I was blessed to be able to attend Sunday School at a young age. My Chinese father was a Buddhist and my mother, of Chinese, Spanish and Filipino descent, was a Roman Catholic. Although they were nonChristians then, they allowed me, together with my four siblings, to go to an evangelical Christian church. I am grateful for the Western
missionaries who founded and pastored my church. They faithfully taught us the Word of God, and enhanced our skills in studying the Scriptures. However, I could have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of Scripture if I had seen it from the standpoint of my own worldview, which is quite similar to the worldview of the Mediterranean culture in the first century.

My Huffington Post review of the fifth CNN "Finding Jesus" episode (03/31/2015); while relics of the cross of Jesus came to be proliferated during the Byzantine era and later during the Crusades, most of these relics are dated later using Carbon 14 dating; nonetheless, the death of Jesus on the cross is a historical near certainty.

Studiosi al lavoro su un graffito a via Pergolesi: la più antica testimonianza di un supplizio simile a quello inflitto a Gesù
IL CROCIFISSO DI POZZUOLI
«Ricorda la Sindone e fa conoscere le tecniche dell’epoca, Puteoli ancor di più legata a Cristo»

Sentiamo una donna gridare. I suoi bambini sono piccoli e
tranquilli nei giubbottini e giocano tra loro, fratellino e sorellina,
a rincorrersi. Fila alla cassa, kebab e moretti. Non si trovano
le valigie: non si trovano, le hanno prese, per questo la donna è
nel panico, e per questo vedo Youssef alzarsi dal nostro tavolino
e raggiungere il proprietario. Bisogna risolvere perché la donna
e piccoli tra poco hanno l’autobus per Roma. Hanno appena lasciato
il CARA di Mineo, e queste valigie bisogna che tornino,
bisogna che si sappia chi le ha prese, con i tablet e i soldi, e per
questo chiedono a Youssef, buono e perduto, tunisino malacarne,
magrissimo lupo, che è violento quando serve, in difesa di, per tirare
a campare senza annegare. Annegare qui, nel ventre magro
della città, che tutti contiene, sfama e affama.

A cutting taken from a luxurious early fifteenth-century Venetian choir book depicts what some scholars have referred to as a ‘scene of sacrilege,’ or a ‘scene of iconoclasm’ (Musée de Cluny, Cl. 22713). The choir book, to which this cutting once belonged, was part of a series made for the Camaldolese monastery of San Mattia di Murano, located in the Venetian lagoon. Scholarly attempts to identify the figure have neglected important iconographic details in the image as well as the liturgical context in which the image was produced. In this paper, through a close visual reading of certain iconographic and stylistic features, I will suggest that this is not a depiction merely of iconoclasm but of a specific narrative: the rarely depicted legend of the Beirut Miracle,  which tells the story of an icon of the crucified Christ that bled miraculously after being attacked by the Jews of the city of Beirut in Lebanon. I will also consider the Cluny cutting in the context of the original Camaldolese liturgy in order to link it with an important thirteenth-century panel painting, featuring the same narrative, and made for another Camaldolese monastery, the abbey church of San Salvatore della Berardenga near Arezzo.

Thank you for the feedback. I hope you read it in full. My research scope was Christianity bound.  Christianity serves as a perfect example of the intended purpose. The publication focuses on the criticism of idolatry within Christendom, which lays bare the hypocrisy of the prosecution of paganism and its uses of amulet and sorcery.  It is an odyssey that points ultimately to the promotion of humanity and humanism.
The research takes an uncommon approach that challenges traditional scholars of religious scriptures, theosophists, and theologians on complacency and impunity misconduct, and the pervasive misdirection.

If you pay attention correctly, you will notice the herculean task of this effort's intended purpose, which serves, among other things, to awaken, or induce sobriety, or perhaps validate the dangerous and toxic misdirection of the unabated trend and unbridled movements of radical Christianity in the African worlds, and elsewhere. This was my impetus. However, it turned out to be more encompassing.

All along, I felt accompanied throughout this research and writing. The dedication page expresses my gratitude. This had to be done, and it took precedence. I remain grateful to God for whom only the glory is due for the endowment of knowledge as the light that rids the darkness that abounds.

In summary, all religions are selfish, naive, covetous, and predisposed to human folly. They all seek to systematize routines that affirm group sorcery, just like a sport's fans collectively rooting for their side in the performance of a few participating in a competition. Yet, every religion professes the golden rule. So why these contradictions? It is either they don't know, or they are they know and thus deliberately misleading.
It is time to have this discussion, openly and candidly. Religion is supposed to bring salvation to the soul. What then has religion achieved if the soul is unsatisfied. "What is truth?"

This Publication is ready and can be read here for free.

https://www.academia.edu/s/e26e114168

Topics covered:

Why are the Cross and Crucifix the Symbols of Christianity?
What is Truth?
Judaism
Herod Antipater
The Lynch Mob
The Crucifixion
Prosecution & Martyrdom
Constantine, I.
The Profession of Faith: The Apostles’ Creed
Councils of Nicaea (The Origin of Religious Institution)
Cathedral Architecture, Arts, and Power
The Protestant Reformations ( Irrational Exuberance)
The Origin of the Cross and the Crucifix
Hypocrisy, Superstitions, and Prophecies
Belief and Worship
The Golden Rule
Recognition of God
A Voce: Quest for Meaning
Bibliography
The Writer's (Author) Dedication

2020 was a very peculiar year. Many will look back to it with awe, But It will be the year of reflection, atonement, and correction. For seekers and thinkers, it was great because the lockdown provided a much-needed sabbatical.

The publication argues that the world is not an accident. There is a purpose.

'Begin to reckon that the beginning of the beginning begins with every chance to begin from the beginning, with every beginning of the day, of each month when the year begins. With this, I wish you a new beginning when the new year begins. Therefore, I look forward to happiness with joy at the beginning of great happiness.

With love, always from yours truly, a friend of man and woman of any kind. (this virtue was taught to us from an early age at school, and it remains till this day, a tall order :))
Sincerely,

Store dele af den moderne evangelieforskning såvel som den nutidige debat i kirken kan føres tilbage til, hvordan vi skal forstå de to helt centrale begreber i evangelierne: Gudsriget og korset. Er det sådan som det teoretisk set er blevet hævdet af den formkritiske skole, at vi står over for to forskel- lige traditionslag – en gudsrigemessias i herlighed over for en korsfæstet nederlagsmessias? Eller er det snarere sådan, som det i praksis ofte har taget sig ud i kirkelige traditioner og strømninger, at det ene perspektiv er vigtigere end det andet? I denne artikel skal vi læse os igennem Markusevangeliet, der vil være vores særlige fokus, med et spørgsmål for øje: Hvordan beskrives forholdet mellem guds- riget og korset? På den baggrund vil vi til slut kort spejle vores egen praksis i hvad, vi finder.

Violence nestles cozily and intimately at the very heart of the Christian story. From the execution of a Jewish man named Jesus through the Pauline letters, passion narratives, and martyrologies, violence appears at the crux of what came to define Christianity for many in the ancient world, and plays a central role in soteriological ideas that distinguished Christianity from neighboring belief systems at a very early date.  This story of violence is intimately connected to one of power and empire, collective-identity, and narrative. As so many scholars have shown, it is also embedded in discourses of gender: concerns about the relationship between gender, power, and authority weave themselves through early Christian writings, both canonical and extra-canonical. This chapter will interrogate the associations and implications of violence and gender in what came to be regarded as early Christian writings, including some that were eventually rejected as heretical by the imperially sanctioned church.

Apresentação introdutória da figura de Jesus de Nazaré no Corão e na tradição islâmica, com ênfase especial para seu papel no processo de interação entre cristãos e muçulmanos ao fim do primeiro milênio da era cristã. Jesus de Nazaré é um personagem eminente no Corão, na espiritualidade, na escatologia e no folclore islâmicos, que o consideram como profeta, atribuindo-lhe os títulos de Messias e Palavra de Deus, mas negando que seja Deus ou Filho de Deus, ou que tenha sofrido a morte na cruz. As principais fontes de informação a seu respeito no interior da tradição islâmica são as menções que lhe são feitas no Corão e as parábolas e ditos que se lhe atribuem em várias obras de exegese, jurisprudência e história produzidas em contextos muçulmanos. Este curso objetiva fazer uma apresentação sinóptica de como Jesus é figurado no Islã, perguntando-se sobre as fontes desta imagem e sobre o seu papel no processo inicial de interação entre cristãos e muçulmanos.

I maintain that 1 Corinthians represents Paul’s written attempt at imparting the identity and vocation which arise from knowing Christ crucified. Paul uses his own self-portrayal, as an extension of embodying the gospel with his life, to impart a way of thinking and living that makes space for God’s power in the midst of weakness and sacrifice. This impartation of Christ crucified seems to be the heart of what Paul has in mind when he calls believers to imitate him. For the apostle, “making sense of Jesus” means coming to know Jesus Christ in such a way that his crucifixion (and life and resurrection) becomes our way of life. Writing 1 Corinthians was Paul’s attempt to transfer this same reality from himself to the Corinthians, so that knowing Christ crucified would shape the Corinthians even as it had shaped his own life.

The Dream of the Rood constitutes one of the most intriguing products of Old English literature, both in terms of its highly imaginative, heroicised depiction of Christ and the Cross and on account of its numerous Christian and pre-Christian intersections. One of the most arresting issues in it, however, particularly as regards the poem's cultural background, is its mention of a sorhleoð (l. 67), the 'sorrow-song', or 'dirge' that the disciples begin to sing once they have placed the body of the Saviour in the sepulchre. Given that there is no mention of any songs being chanted at the time of Christ's burial in the canonical Gospels, it seems rational to suggest that the anonymous poet must have supplied this 'missing' information on the basis of his own, perhaps somewhat antiquarian, knowledge of the burial customs in Anglo-Saxon England.

Б. А. Успенский
Никодимово евангелие и культ св. Лонгина

Культ св. Лонгина в западной и восточной христианской традиции обнаруживает существенные отличия. На христианском Востоке, прежде всего в греческой традиции, под Лонгином понимается сотник, который присутствовал при казни Христа и уверовал в Него после Его смерти (Лонгин Сотник, память 16 октября — Мк. XV, 39, 44, 45; Мф. XXVII, 54; Лк. ХХІІІ, 47). На христианском Западе Лонгином называется воин, пронзивший ребра Христа (Лонгин Воин, память 15 марта — Ин. ХІХ, 34–35). У католиков имя Лонгин ассоциируется прежде всего с этим воином, хотя вторичным образом оно может связываться и с сотником, тогда как у православных это имя связывается исключительно с сотником. Культ Лонгина Сотника, независимый от фигуры Лонгина Воина, на Западе не наблюдается. Почитание Лонгина Сотника (отдельное, независимое от фигуры Лонгина Воина) считалось вообще на Западе греческим явлением. В работе показывается, что отождествление обоих Лонгинов восходит к апокрифическому Никодимову евангелию, где впервые появляется имя Лонгин (Λογγῖνος), причем в одних версиях Никодимова евангелия так называется Лонгин Воин, в других — Лонгин Сотник. Это отождествление не получило развития в Византии; судя по всему, оно было отвергнуто греческим богословием, которое сосредоточилось в соответствии с евангельским повествованием исключительно на культе Сотника; Лонгин воин воспринимался у греков как безусловно отрицательная фигура (распинатель Христа). Напротив, на Западе развивается культ Лонгина Воина, который связывается здесь с культом св. Крови и, тем самым, с Евхаристией. В поздневизантийский период западное богословие начинает оказывать влияние на византийское. Это отражается в действиях священника на проскомидии, когда он, пользуясь литургическим копьем, прободает Агнца (агничную просфору), уподобляясь воину, прободшему тело Христа. Нет основания думать, что священник непосредственно изображает при этом Лонгина Воина как распинателя Христа; действия священника более всего напоминают западные изображения Распятия, на которых фигура Лонгина Воина превращается в женскую фигуру, символизирующую Церковь: она копьем открывает тело Христа, прообразуя Евхаристию (ср. комментарий бл. Августина к Евангелию от Иоанна).
Работа сопровождается иллюстрациями.

Documentary maker Simcha Jacobovici has said of two nails in his possession: "...the nails of Jesus’ crucifixion have been identified – and there’s still bone residue and slivers of ironized wood adhering to the nails!" In this essay several questions are offered that should be answered before such an assertion of ostensible fact should be publicly made.

In this article, I will discuss several aspects of Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ” including its graphic violence, its anti-Jewish tendencies, and its sources. In particular, I will show that an important feature of the movie has not been discussed so far: how the movie depicts the meaning of Christ’s passion. While Gibson usually claims that his movie is but a literal reproduction of the biblical passion accounts, I want to compare how the movie actually interprets the passion as a salvific event for humans – and how this is done in the New Testament. The result is that Gibson, inspired by extra-biblical sources and influenced by his traditionalist Catholicism, stage-managed his own interpretation of the passion story which is significantly different from that of the New Testament. Gibson’s interpretation rather reflects his struggle during his own life, and therefore his personal “passion.”