Though films such as the Passion of the Christ tried its hardest to depict the absolute cruelty of the crucifixion, nothing can quit capture the barbaric systems that were in place 2000 years ago to punish anyone that went against the laws of the land.

Everything that could be used to inflict pain and suffering on a human being was used as a consequence to breaking even the most minor laws. Crucifixion in particular was probably the most popular, as it brought with it a public spectacle that fed the masses.

The crucifixion was the most cruel method of execution, usually used against insurgents, runaway slaves and people without Roman citizenship. It is also hard to understand why Jesus Christ, a man filled with love and kindness could have been submitted to such a horrible death.

The Roman execution procedure usually began with a public flogging, which was an integral part of a Roman crucifixion, and was often carried out so brutally that the condemned died well before the actual crucifying. The mockery by the Roman soldiers by placing a sig over the head of Jesus that read “King of the Jews” is one of the most prominent stories in the bible.

After the flogging, Jesus was forced to carry his own cross from outside the city walls, all the ways to the site of the crucifixion. It was here, that a total stranger helped carry the cross, as Jesus had already been flogged so much that he was barely able to stand.

According to Mk 15.27 Jesus was crucified along with two “robbers” (Zealots or “social bandits”) on the hill Golgotha. Usually, those that were crucified died swiftly, although sometimes, as in Jesus’s case, the pain and suffering went on for hours. The soldiers that carried out the killings were usually well prepared for cruelty, which can be witnessed when they offered Jesus water, only for it to be Vinegar. Even after he had died, they tore his clothes and cast them in lots.