Crucifixion of Jesus

==Historicity==
[[File:Hortus Deliciarum, Die Kreuzigung Jesu Christi.JPG|thumb|right|''Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth'', medieval illustration from the [[Hortus deliciarum]] of [[Herrad of Landsberg]], 12th century]]
{{See also|Historicity of Jesus|Quest for the historical Jesus}}

In scholarship on the historical Jesus, the [[baptism of Jesus]] and his crucifixion are considered to be the two most certain historical facts about Jesus.{{sfnp|Dunn|2003|p=339}}{{sfnp|Ehrman|2008|p=136}}{{sfnp|Blomberg|2009|p=211–214}}{{sfnp|Meier|2006|p=126–128}}{{sfnp|Verhoeven|2010|p=39}}{{refn|group=note|Historicity:
* {{harvtxt|Dunn|2003|p=339}} states that these "two facts in the life of Jesus command almost universal assent" and "rank so high on the 'almost impossible to doubt or deny' scale of historical facts" that they are often the starting points for the study of the historical Jesus.}} [[Quest for the historical Jesus#Methods|Various criteria]] are used to determine the historicity of the elements of the New Testamentical narratives, and help to establish the crucifixion of Jesus as a historical event.{{sfnp|Meier|2006|p=126–128}} The [[criterion of embarrassment]] argues that Christians would not have invented the painful death of their leader.{{sfnp|Meier|2006|p=126–128}} The criterion of [[multiple attestation]] is the confirmation by more than one source,{{sfnp|Meier|2006|p=132–136}} including multiple non-Christian sources,{{refn|group=note|Non-Christian sources:
* {{harvtxt|Crossan|1995|p=145}}: "That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be, since both Josephus and Tacitus&nbsp;... agree with the Christian accounts on at least that basic fact.
* {{harvtxt|Eddy|Boyd|2007|p=127}} state that it is now "firmly established" that there is non-Christian confirmation of the crucifixion of Jesus.}} and the criterion of coherence argues that it fits with other historical elements.{{sfnp|Meier|2006|p=132–136}}

While scholars agree on the historicity of the crucifixion, they differ on the reason and context for it.{{sfnp|Tuckett|2001|p=136}} For example, both [[E. P. Sanders]] and [[Paula Fredriksen]] support the historicity of the crucifixion, but contend that Jesus did not foretell his own crucifixion and that [[Jesus predicts his death|his prediction of the crucifixion]] is a "church creation".<ref name=Ernest125/>{{rp|126}} [[Geza Vermes]] also views the crucifixion as a historical event, but provides his own explanation and background for it.<ref name=Ernest125>''A Century of Theological and Religious Studies in Britain, 1902–2007'' by [[Ernest Nicholson]] 2004 {{ISBN|0-19-726305-4}} pp.&nbsp;125–126 [https://books.google.com/books?id=E-UkAAAAYAAJ Link 126] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123113214/https://books.google.com/books?id=E-UkAAAAYAAJ |date=November 23, 2022 }}</ref>

Although almost all ancient sources relating to crucifixion are literary, in 1968, an archeological discovery just northeast of Jerusalem uncovered the body of a crucified man dated to the 1st century, which provided good confirmatory evidence that crucifixions occurred during the Roman period roughly according to the manner in which the crucifixion of Jesus is described in the gospels.<ref>David Freedman (2000), ''Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible'', {{ISBN|978-0-8028-2400-4}}, p. 299.</ref> The crucified man was identified as [[Yehohanan ben Hagkol]] and probably died about AD 70, around the time of the [[First Jewish–Roman War|Jewish revolt]] against Rome. The analyses at the [[Hadassah Medical School]] estimated that he died in his late 20s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/arch-nt.html|title=Archaeology and the New Testament|website=www.leaderu.com|access-date=February 18, 2009|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109021512/http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/arch-nt.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/crucifixion.htm|title=Crucifixion|website=AllAboutJesusChrist.org|access-date=April 2, 2022|archive-date=April 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405051505/https://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/crucifixion.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Another relevant archaeological find, which also dates to the 1st century AD, is an unidentified heel bone with a spike discovered in a Jerusalem gravesite, now held by the [[Israel Antiquities Authority]] and displayed in the [[Israel Museum]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Are These Nails From Jesus' Crucifixion? New Evidence Emerges, but Experts Are Unconvinced |url=https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2020-10-12/ty-article/jerusalem-nails-jesus-christ-crucifixion-romans-caiaphas-tomb/0000017f-e579-da9b-a1ff-ed7f1cd90000 |access-date=2024-02-20 |work=Haaretz |language=en}}</ref>