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Re: orion Orion: Commentary on Nahum- "hanging alive upon a tree"




-----Original Message-----
From: Judith Romney Wegner <jrw@Brown.edu>
To: orion@mscc.huji.ac.il <orion@mscc.huji.ac.il>
Date: Wednesday, December 31, 1997 1:48 AM
Subject: Re: orion Orion: Commentary on Nahum- "hanging alive upon a tree"


>
>>can one go as far to assert that crucifixion was an approved method of
>>punishment according to Jewish law during the first century bce?
>>I ask this because it seems that there is no consensus amongst scholars on
>>this matter; some assert that the act of crucifixion was forbidden under
>>Jewish law.
>>
>
>>Vernon Chadwick
>>Charlotte, NC
>
>I would say that one  most certainly cannot "go so far, etc."   In fact,
>it's news to me that any scholar thinks crucifixion was a Jewish method of
>execution at any time anywhere.   I've never heard this asserted --  let
>alone documented --  by anybody.   Such evidence as we have points rather
>in the opposite direction; for instance, it's well known that crucifixion
>is not among the four methods  of execution mentioned in what is presented
>as a comprehensive list in the Mishnah.  Also, even a pretty casual reading
>of the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion  makes it prettt clear that the
>execution was carried out by Romans
>
>I wonder to which "scholars" you were referring exactly?
>
>Judith Romney Wegner
>jrw@brown.edu
>
>
I refer, of course, to the crucifixions effected by Alexander Jannaeus.
E.M. Cook in _The Dead Sea Scrolls, A New Translation_:  "[the DSS]
community wholly approved of this method of punishing God's enemies; they
believed it was prescribed by the Bible".  These comments made in his
commentary of 4Q169.  I am a bit confused over the nature of your comments,
however.

Best Regards,

Vernon Chadwick
Charlotte, NC
chadwick3@msn.com