Envisioning Crucifixion: Light from Several Inscriptions and the Palatine Graffito

Abstract

Abstract The Palatine graffito of a crucified man with an ass's head, a graffito that uses crucifixion as an obscenity, and the remnant of a crucified man's foot transfixed by a nail provide visual imagery of ancient Roman practice. Less well known to NT scholars are two Latin inscriptions that mention crucifixion. One describes a contract for a public undertaker that includes a number of references to crucifixion and the torture that accompanied it. Private individuals, for example, could have their slaves crucified for a modest sum. Another inscription includes a reference to an alleged crucifixion of a Roman centurion by Piso. It helps indicate how rare crucifixion was in the case of citizens. The inscriptions and graffiti illuminate crucifixion—a central focus of NT texts and NT theology.