Was Christ Crucified Through the ARMS or the PALMS?
[Editorial Comment: This is a MUST READ article composed of several letters]

REVIEW AND HERALD, March 2, 1972

The First Archeological Evidence for Crucifixion
Sifgfried H. Horn
[Sifgfried H. Horn is professor of archeology and history of antiquity at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan.]

WORKING on a housing project on the Giv'at ha-Mivtar area, north of Jerusalem in June, 1968, bulldozers accidentally laid bare rock-cut tombs that by pottery and inscriptional evidence can be dated as having been used during the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. When the Israeli Department of Antiquities was informed of this discovery, it instructed the Greek-born Israeli archeologist Vasilius Tzaferis to direct careful excavation of four of these tombs. In the course of his excavation, he made one of the most exciting finds of recent times—he discovered the skeletal remains of a man who had died by crucifixion, the first such skeletal remains ever to be discovered. What makes the find particularly significant is the fact that this crucifixion occurred about the time Jesus was crucified.

In June, 1970, I had the privilege of traveling with Mr. Tzaferis from northern Galilee to Jerusalem, during which time he did a certain details of that startling discovery that the brief news reports had omitted. When the discovery was reported two years earlier. Since then a detailed report has been published in the Israel Exploration Journal (vol. 20, nos. 1-2). This contains all the necessary information so that I no longer needed hole in confidence the information given to me previously. In the journal report Mr. Tzaferis describes the four excavated tombs and their contents; the well-known epigrapher J. Naveh studies the inscriptions; and Dr. Nicu Haas, professor of anatomy at Hebrew University's Hadassah Medical School, an authority in the field of human skeletal material, discusses the bone material.

In three of the four tombs, all dating before A.D. 70, a total of 15 ossuaries were found, which contained the skeletons of 35 humans. Ossuaries are stone receptacles used principally by Jews in the time of Christ to preserve the bones of decomposed human bodies. After the deceased had been buried, usually in underground rock-hewn tombs, and the fleshy parts had disintegrated, the bones were collected and placed in ossuaries. The 15 ossuaries discovered in the Giv'at ha-Mivtar tombs each contained the ones of from one to five bodies.

Of the 35 skeletons, nine belonged to adult males ranging from 26 to (>5 years of age; ten to women, ages 23-55; four teenagers, two of which were male and two female. Eleven children from less than a year to six years of age and an unborn fetus were represented, testifying to the high infant mortality rate prevalent some 2,000 years ago. The skeletons also revealed that many people in Christ's lime—a period of great political stress—died of unusual causes, including violent deaths. Professor Haas found that three persons had died probably from lack of proper medical attention, three children of starvation, one woman from blows with a blunt instrument, perhaps a mace, one child from a wound inflicted by an arrow, one woman and a youth from burns, perhaps from accidental fires, and one woman in childbirth. Certainly of a period in which one third of the population died violent deaths it could be said as did the contemporary apostle Paul, that "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together" (Rom. 8:22).

A Unique Skeleton

By far the most interesting skeleton of those unfortunate victims from a painful period in Jewish history was that of Johanan, son of Chagqol, who was crucified at an age somewhere between 2-4 and 28 years. Professor Haas and his colleagues made a most careful study of the bones of this man. Unfortunately, they had to do their work quickly because for religious reasons they were forced to reinter the bones soon after their discovery. Fortunately, however, they were granted extra time for this particular skeleton, and were therefore able to do a more thorough study on the crucified man than on the other skeletons.

Dr. Haas found that the man had a slightly malformed head, a condition he claims was caused by a change in his mother's diet during pregnancy. However, such a malformation would hardly have been noticeable in adulthood, since in common with all Jews of that time, the man most probably wore a beard. He was five feet seven inches tall, an average-si/ed man for the people of that time and area. His bones showed that he had never engaged in heavy physical work, had never been seriously injured, and had no pathological deformations. He must have had a healthy constitution. In fact. Dr. Haas says that his body was of a "gracious, almost feminine allure," and reminded him "of the Hellenistic ideal ephebe [Greek cphebos, "youth"]."

The evidence of his crucifixion became obvious the minute his bones were removed from Ossuary •1, of Tomb f, a bone receptacle he shared with the remains of a child two to six years of age. Among his bones were his two heel bones pierced by a seven-inch-long iron nail. Between the nail's head and the bones was a plaque of acacia wood, and around the bent tip of the nail was a knotted piece of olive wood. This piece of knotted olive wood had been part of the upright shaft of the cross. The nail had hit the knot and thus had been bent. The radius of the crucified man's right arm, that is the shorter of the two bones of his forearm, showed a scratch at its lower end where the nail had been driven through his forearm between the two bones just above the wrist. His leg bones had been broken as was usually done some hours after crucifixion so the victims would be unable to leave the cross after nightfall. This custom is mentioned in the Bible, which tells us that the two criminals crucified with Christ suffered this additional torture, while Christ was spared because He had already expired (John 19:31-33). Furthermore, it was found that the feet of the crucified man had been cut off from the body, perhaps because those who took the victim from the cross were initially unable to extract the nail bent in the knot. Finally they must have succeeded in extracting the nail by breaking from the cross the knotty piece of wood attached to the iron nail. Everything—nail, feet, acacia plaque, and knotted piece of olive wood— detached from the cross was then buried with the corpse and finally recovered, still in this form, almost 2,000 years later by the modern archeologist.

The study of the pierced heel bones and their relationship to each other provided a surprise, for it showed that the crucifixion was not carried out as it has been pictured since A.D. 440—from which time the earliest picture of the crucified Christ dates—in an erect cruciform. The evidence shows clearly that the man's two heels had been pierced sideways in such a way that he could have been crucified only in a bent position while sitting on a crosspiece of wood, called a [*scdc-cula,] which would prevent him from sagging and perhaps getting loose from the cross.

Nails Through Arms, Not Palrns

As far as the upper limbs are concerned, it had been known for a long time that the nails were not driven through the palms of the hands, but rather through the arms. The weight of the body would have been so heavy that the ligaments in the hands would have torn open. The evidence of this crucified man proves that the nails went through the arms and not through the hands of the victim.

The question is naturally raised, Would this have been true also in the case of Jesus? The words of doubting Thomas recorded in John 20:25 give the impression that the nails left their marks on the risen Saviour's hands. However, scholars point out that the Greek word cheir, "hand," is also used for arm (see W. F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament [Cambridge, 1957], p. 888b). The Biblical evidence therefore is inconclusive.

When was our man crucified? Tzaferis examines the historical evidence and comes to the conclusion that it probably happened about A.D. 7, when crucifixions were carried out by the Romans during
a revolt against the census. Mass crucifixions took place in Jerusalem in 88 B.C. under Alexander Jannaeus, the Maccabean ruler, and during the siege of the city in A.D. 70 under Titus. However, the first is too early and the second too late to fit the date of our tomb. Occasionally common, as well as political, criminals were crucified, and our man may have belonged to one of the two categories, so that an exact date for his death cannot be ascertained. According to the pottery found in the tomb, his death
occurred either in the last part of the first century B.C. or during the early years of the first century A.D., hence approximately during the lifetime of Jesus Christ.

Letters to the Editor
Review and Herald, April 27, 1972

CRUCIFIXIONS

After reading "The First Archeolo-. gical Evidence for Crucifixion" [March 2], I feel forced to conclude that there definitely wcie different ways of fastening victims to a cross. We know Peter was crucified head down, and now we have evidence of a man whose feet were nailed sideways and whose arms rather than palms were nailed. We cannot conclude, however, that Jesus was crucified in like manner. Mrs. While says plainly:

"From His hands and feet the blood fell, drop by drop, upon the rock drilled for the foot of the cross. The wounds made by the nails gaped as the weight of His body dragged upon His hands."—The Desire of Ages, p. 700.

"Their companion spreads forth His hands in exactly the same way as their Master used to do. They look again, and lo, they see in His hands the print of nails."— Ihid., p. 800. (Sec also Karly Writings, pp. 176, 179.)

Perhaps the Biblical evidence is inconclusive, but the Spirit of Prophecy makes it plain.

Martha ford
Greenwich, New York

——————————

I have no contradiction with the
archeological evidence presented on the
bones of a certain man, but when it comes
to my Lord, we have Spirit of Prophecy
proof that His hands were pierced by the
nails.

Virgilene Earley
Apopka, Florida

——————————

It has inspired me to see what Mrs. White has said about the manner of Christ's crucifixion. I have searched in vain lo find any mention of the nail prints in His palms. I am still searching. Rut I would like to share with you one statement I found that seems to support the idea of the nails being driven through the arms.

"The thieves were taken by force, and after much resistance on their part, their arms were thrust back and nailed to their crosses. But Jesus meekly submitted. He needed no one to force his arms back upon the cross."—Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, p. 59.

Exactly where the nails pierced our Lord may never be proved conclusively, but if the article docs nothing more than to get people to study what happened on Calvary, it will have been worth the investigation. It has been worth it to me.

George R. Kendall
Columbia, Kentucky

March 23, 1972

Siegfried H. Horn
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, Michigan

Dear Sir:.

I was intrigued by your article on page 4 of the March 2 issue of the R.& H.

The paragraph heading 'Nails Through Arms, Not Palms' caught my eye, and the statement 'it had been known for a long time that the nails were not driven through the palms of the hands, but rather through the arms', brought me up short.

It is true the word cheir, "hand" is also used for arm, as is the word yad used for "hand" in the Chaldee-Aramaic Lexicon and I agree it seems that the Biblical evidence, therefore, is inconclusive.

Yet, it still seemed to be an enigma when there dawned in my mind that perhaps the conclusions that you have come to have great significance in a negative manner; even further, strike at one of the very foundations of the SDA Church.

From your positive statement, I drew the idea that 'for a long time' you have believed that Christ was not crucified with nails in his hands.

A simple search of EGW brings to view the following statements:

AT 462 — We see in the midst of the throne One bearing in hands, and feet, and side the marks of suffering endured to reconcile man to God, and God to man . . .We should have these special appointments for the purpose of keeping fresh in our thoughts everything which we receive from God, and of expressing our gratitude for his great love, and our willingness to trust everything to the hand that was nailed to the cross for us.

EW 53 — They will see the prints of the nails in His hands and in his feet, and where they thrust the spear into His side.

DA 800 — He puts forth His hands to bless the food. The disciples start beck in astonishment. Their companion spreads forth His hands exactly the same way as their Master used to do. They look again, and lo, they see in His hands the prints of nails.

1SM 56 — They must rejoice in the hope of the Glory of God. Christ h*a engraved the names of His people on the palms of His hands.

PK 589 — They are graven upon the palms of my hands'

If, then, the Spirit of Prophecy is so plain about the 'nail prints in His pains* then your article very subtlety undermines Its positive statements and makes statements diametrically opposed. _x

Are you really saying that you disagree with the S of P? What, then, can be gained by the subtle doubts that have already been implanted by your article.

I would appreciate your stand on the above excerpts.

Raymond B. Sansonetti
38789 Vineland
Beaumont, California 92223

cc: Robert Pierson
   Kenneth R. Wood
   Herbert E. Douglass

ANDREWS UNIVERSITY
BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN 49104
Telephone: (616) 471-7771

29 March 1972

Mr. Raymond B. Sansonetti
38789 Vineland
Beaumont, CA 92223

Dear Brother Sansonetti:

I received your letter of March 23. I was glad to see from it that the Review is read by people who do not blindly accept everything printed even if it appears in our own church publications. And that is very good. I am glad that you wrote me for further clarification concerning a statement I made in connection with the description of the finding in Jerusalem of the remains of a man crucified in the time of Christ.

The first time that I learned that the nails of crucified people were driven through the lower part of the forearms behind the wrists or through the wrists themselves was many years ago, when I was still a child. An uncle of mine had been an S.D.A. missionary to Turkey before World War I when Turkey was still in possession of several of the Balkan countries. At that time execution of criminals by crucifixion was practiced in Romania and my uncle saw that the nails pierced the victims' wrists and not their hands. On inquiry he was told that the nails would not hold the body weight if driven through the hands, but would tear out. It was for this reason that they were driven through the forearms just behind the wrists or through the wrists themselves.

Experiments have been made in this regard with corpses and the same results were obtained. The results of these experiments have been published in various places of which I will list three for you, all written by medical doctors: P. Barbet, M.D. , A Doctor at Calvary (New York: Doubleday, 1954), pp. 41-67; A. F. Sava, M.D., "The Wounds of Christ," Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Vol. l6 (1954), pp. 438-443, Figures 1-4; C. T. Davis, M.D., "The Crucifixion of Jesus," Arizona Medicine, Vol. 22, No. 3 (March, 1965). It is noteworthy that the first two mentioned authors are Catholics. Catholic crucifixes hang in hundreds of thousands of churches and in millions of homes, and traditionally show Christ's hands pierced. Yet even the Catholics frankly admit that their painters and sculptors have been wrong in some details of presentation.

Now you ask me how I explain this fact in view of several statements made by Ellen G. White in which she describes the crucified Saviour as having had the palms of his hands pierced. Ellen White, as I understand her writings, communicates to us divinely given messages, be they exhortations, rebukes, counsels, or spiritual edification. Frequently she describes historical events, biblical and non-biblical, as bases for her lessons or to make her point clear. In these descriptions she uses terms that are commonly understood, terms vith which her readers are generally familiar, even if they are not scientifically accurate in every detail. When she speaks of a sunset she does not deny the fact that the earth and not the sun moves. When she mentioned a ce rt ainnumb e r of rooms in the Paradise Valley Sanitarium — and someone cjieckin^~Tdun'd the number to be inaccurate — her spiritual lesson in that statement did not" depend upon the absolutely accurate number of rooms. And her beautiful pen picture of the redeeming death of our Saviour is not marred in my mind if the cruel nails of Roman soldiers pierced his body two inches away from the place she describes it.

We should not forget that all divine messages are transmitted by humans and everything human is imperfe ct , including_the inspirej3~Wgrd of Go d , as Ell en White has said so well in Great Controversy, "Introduction," pT^vii. With regard to her own writings in this respect, I would like to quote a statement made by W. C. White, her son and closest assistant for many years, while his mother was still living. In writing to Elder W. W. Eastman on November 4, 1912 he wrote: "Regarding Mother's writings and their use as authority on points of history and chronology, Mother has never wished our brethern to treat them as authority regarding details of history or historical dates."

I therefore believe that nothing of Christ's atoning work for you and me is lost even if we may have to admit that the nails pierced his forearms or wrists instead of his hands, as we — and evidently also Ellen White — with so many other Christians, influenced by "paintings and sculptures have long believed.

Allow me to send copies of this letter of further explanation to the three brethern to whom copies of your letter to me were mailed.

Sincerely yours,

Siegfried H. Horn SHHrk

SHH:k

CC: Robert Pierson
       Kenneth H. Wood
      Herbert E. Douglass

ANDREWS UNIVERSITY
BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN 49104
Telephone: (616) 471-7771

The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
Office of the Dean

February 25, 1974

Mr. R. Sansonetti
38789 Vineland
Beaumont, CA 92223

Dear Mr. Sansonetti,

A few days ago I received a second copy of the letter which you had written to me under the date of October 30, 1972. Since I had made my views known to you in a previous letter and had nothing to add to it I did not feel that a reply to your letter of October 30 was needed. Therefore , I simply filed that.

You, as well as I, are sincerely endeavoring to understand the Scriptures as well as the inspired writings of Ellen G. White to the best of our knowledge. We all want to be saved and do the best we can to get others saved also, although we may not always see eye to eye in every detail of Scriptural interpretation, especially in matters which are not important for salvation.

I pray that the Lord may bless you in your continued studies of His Word, and remain

Sincerely yours,

Siegfried H. .Horn, Dean

SHH/ilh

April 9, 1975

Michael A. Jones
Insight
Review & Herald Pub, Assoc.
6856 Eastern Ave.
Washington D. C., 20012

Dear Mike:

When I received your letter, I anxiously opened it to see what you would say. Disappointment is the only word that describes my reaction,.. yet, I do appreciate you taking time to write.

You suggest that since you are resigning you may not be able to reply. Why? what is your reason for resigning? What difference does it make whether you resign or not? Surely, youre being editor, you shouldered all the responsibility that that implies. And getting out of the harness does not relieve you of the situation that remains.

Is your abdication of these responsibilities to be similar to Elder Pierson's, who anxiously awaits "Vienna"? Where is that person or persons who will speak for God and not hold back?

Still very concerned for God's honor,

Raymond B. Sansonetti
38789 Vineland
Beaumont, California 92223

Dear Marjorie Lewis Lloyd:

Having just read your issue of Insight "Dear God" I want to tell you that I appreciate your attempt at bringing "Righteousness by Faith" to the attention of young people, I also appreciate very much your using EGW exclusively in POTPOURRI. Her writings appeal to me so very much.

There are two sections to this letter. One section deals with the pictures and the other with the content of the articles.

The picture-use of the hands made for a unique attention getter. And this is what caught my eye. Especially the picture of a hand with a nail through the wrist.

Perhaps you may have made this picture because of recent research revealed in the R&H by Prov. Siegfried H. Horn, in which Christ was supposirgly crucified through the wrists. This cannot be. I have searched EGW and found many references to the fact that He was not crucified through the wrists which I relayed to Prof. Horn. Enclosed you will find copies of our correspondence. You may come to your own conclusions. Also included are many other references which reveal our stand in times past. Study them carefully and prayerfully. You see, she said she saw these things; she was shown these things by her messenger, etcetera. The question we must ask ourselves is "Did she, in fact, see truth, or did she see falsehood?*¹

Now my premise is this - EG White was shown these things by God and they are true - - and the idea revealed by Prof. Horn's article and in your picture subtly undermines the Spirit of Prophecy. I realize that you have unwittingly gone along with this thought without fully examining the evidence to the contrary. It is also interesting to note that EGW states in 34 Bk 1, ' that the S of P will be undermined and that this is also one of the signs we are in the very close of time.

Now for the second part of this letter, I will give a number of personal observations and opinions concerning the thoughts presented in the articles:

1. Text used on page 9 "Gal 5:22, 23 RSV".

This translation says "self-possessed". This is not a good translation. Should it not rather be said that he was possessed by His Father, and that He relinquished all thoughts of "self-possession"? And are not we to do the same, that is, relinquish all thoughts of our "self-possession" and be possessed by Christ? EGW says that not one* iota of self is to remain. He said of Himself, "Of mine own self, I can do nothing".

2. On Page 9 you stated "we have caused Him pain " (Past Tense) -- Could it not be true that we are still causing Him pain and a revealing of the present reality of "Crucifying Him afresh" would motivate us even more to stop sinning? Don't we want to stop sinning so that we can stop the pain that now exists in His Heart because of our present rebellion (Lukewarmness)?

3. Also on Page 9 you stated "as we see how much He loved us".

This is also in the past tense - is not Christ now presenting His blood because of His present love - and isn't He making atonement now because of His love - - Doesn't EGW say that in His great love He is trying in every conceivable way to save us and that no one will go to hell that hasn't trampled Him and His love in the dust?

4. No law is presented - Did not Christ come to reveal the Love of God and is not the character of God - Love; and is not His Character revealed in His Law? Can you present the Love of God and not the Law? Did not Christ come to vindicate God's wonderful Law of Love?

Perhaps you night see light in the law of God as a marriage contract. For instance: we couldn't take someone else's name if we were married to Christ. He is our lover and husband. We couldn't commit adultery if we were married or espoused to Christ. We couldn't covet our neighbors wife if we were married to Christ. We would honor our parents because we are all part of the same Family. And we would meet our Lover, because He has made a date with us once a week, if we really were in love with Him and concerned about Him.

Your statement to look to Him and at Him on the cross and keeplooking until we see ourselves in the light of the law and allow ourselves to be broken so that He can inspire His"love in us and to inspire Faith in us, is just what we should and can do. He doesnot want you or I to come under the condemnation of His law so He found a way to separate us from sin. This He demonstrated in this one Great Act of Love. It is" true that I believe in works, but all these works have been His Works.

$. On Page 15 entitled "Why was God So Slow" - I believe you left out one of the most precious, one of the most important, one of the most revealing, one of the most heart affecting, one of the most heart motivating aspects of Christ's life. And that is that Christ took our sinful nature. He showed us the way, in fact He is the Way.

In sinful flesh He lived a sinless life to demonstrate how we are to do the same thing. By combining His divinity with sinful humanity, sinless living in sinful flesh in not only a possibility, but a needful reality.

How did He do this? He demonstrated that complete dependence on God and complete renunciation of self and an admission of utter inability of and in our sinful nature to accomplish God-like-ness was necessary on His part. This, of course, led Him directly to the cross, which will lead us directly to the cross and He there covers us with His Righteousness and that is how we obtain peace regardless of trials or tribulations.

He gives His confidence when He says that we may be overcomes even as He overcame, and also that He is able to keep us from falling.

Note Rom 5:10 very closely, "V.^:e were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Read this over and over.

Just what did He do in His Life that saves us? By uniting His Divine Sinless Nature with man's sinful nature He perfected a Perfect Human Character. And this is NOT a sinless nature with a BODY that was degenerated by 6000 years, but a sinful nature and form. "It was in the order of God that Christ should" take upon himself, the FORM AND NATURE of FALLEN man that he might be made perfect through suffering and endure himself the strength of Satan's temptations

that he might the better know how to succor those who should be tempted,"

And we give Him glory by allowing His mind to be our mind; His will to be our will; His Life to be our life; His Character to be our character. How? Exactly as He did it. Each day He crucified sinful nature's call and did His Father's will and not His Own. Therefore He really is our example to do as He has done, AND, this is the best part, He enables us to do just that. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phil 2:13

We then are His Bride-to-be, He states in confidence that the Bride hath made herself ready. How do we do that? We wash ourselves daily in the. blood of the Lamb, and present Him as our daily sin-offering and then He presents us to the Father clothed with His Righteousness. What a wonderful Gospel Just think, it IS possible to live as Christ lived because He first proved it was possible and then gives us the power to do the same thing! It also leaves us without excuse.

He has promised to do it in each one of us if we will just submit. We also can live a sinless life in sinful flesh all to the glory of God. Then will be fulfilled the prophecy "The last ray of light to illumine the world is the revelation of God's love in His people". After all, isn't that really what we want to do?

All has been said in the spirit of love and with Christian concern. Please accept it as such.

Sincerely Yours,

Raymond B, Sansonetti
38789 Vineland
Beaumont, California 92223

Encl: 1. 1st letter to Prof. S. H. Horn    Mar 23, 1972
        2. Reply from     "      "        "        Mar 29, 1972
        3. Large letter to "      "       "        Oct 30, 1972
        4. Reply from     "      "       "         Feb 25, 1974
        5. a) Excerpts from SDA authors confirming "Christ's Sinful Nature".
            b) Excerpts from EGW
            c)     "            "    Scripture

PS   Please excuse errors in spelling. I would like to hear from you, please write.