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Crucifixion could go wrong?

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Ive always wondered what would happen to the victim whos having her wrists being nailed down if the executioner accidentally hammered down too much and the head of the nail entered inside the wrist wound. I mean it is possible especially if using thinner diameter nails like alexarts 3d used on martas art.

A fair question, Crux_fan. Below are two purported crucifixion nails. The first one I think was the most likely employed, and couldn’t have entered a wrist wound. The second one could, but would probably been used in conjunction with wooden washers.

Keywords: "most likely," "I think," "could," and "probably." We just don’t know, dammit. So let your twisted imagination run free! :D
 

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Yes, while I think a broad-headed nail, or failing that a 'washer' would have been used, so it could be hammered down firmly onto the wrist, almost crushing it, if the nail were correctly placed, there'd be little chance of the wrist pulling off it.

This is quite a good medical account - albeit from a Christain apologetics site:

However... the wrist was considered to be part of the hand ... At the base of the wrist bones, the strong fibrous band of the flexor retinaculum binds down the flexor tendons. Iron spikes driven through the flexor retinaculum easily could have passed between bony elements and held the weight of a man. This location would require that the nail be placed through either: (1) the space between the radius and carpal bones (lunate and scaphoid bones); or (2) between the two rows of carpal bones...

A spike driven through this location, however, almost certainly would cause the median nerve or peripheral branches to be pierced (see Figure 2),

crux nail.jpg

resulting in a condition known as causalgia. The median nerve is a major nerve that passes directly through the midline of the wrist and services all but one-and-one-half of the muscles in the anterior portion of the forearm. It passes directly under the flexor retinaculum of the wrist as it supplies motor innervation to the three thenar (thumb) muscles and the first and second lumbrical muscles. This large nerve also provides sensory innervation to the palm, as well as to digits two and three in the hand. Any damage to this nerve would have caused extraordinary pain to radiate up the arm, then through the axilla, to the spinal cord, and finally to the brain. Primary arteries travel on the medial and lateral aspects of the wrist, and therefore would be spared if the spike had been driven into this location. [Scientific studies—using volunteer college students—have shown that people suspended from crosses with their arms outstretched in the traditional manner depicted in religious art have little problem breathing ... Thus, the oft’-quoted idea that death on the cross results from asphyxiation would be a factor only if the hands were nailed in an elevated fashion above the head of the victim.] And so, with His hands firmly nailed to the cross and His back bleeding and emaciated, Christ was hoisted onto the rough-hewn, upright stake.

full article:
http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?article=145
 
Points for style for using the Codero Helena art; it’s definitely one of his best. I think that washers may have been used to prevent the wood beneath her wrist from splitting and releasing her prematurely from her cross, not so much to prevent the nail from going in too far. I think that the possibility of a poorly secured victim is more likely than depicted here, were we often privilege the assumption of roman era lead or iron nails matching the capabilities of modern well-machined round steel nails. Although I do appreciate the sort of finality that comes with a nailing, the sense that once they are in, they don’t come out, no matter how much she struggles. I think we could afford to see a few more crucifixion mishaps. Not every worker is in the unions, and they might make mistakes. It’s not like you can un-nail the girl, even a poorly performed crux is still a girl on a stick, mission accomplished, and there’s certainly no undo button on a hammer.

In addition to the Cordero, Algabal et al tendency towards adding old wooden washers between the nails and wrists, I appreciate the extra insurance you see in Skatingjesus renders, with lots of additional binding ropes, securing the victims during and after their nailings. In fact, it’s very much a part of his style to include ropes with his nails. As for the rest, I would say thinner nails and less or no rope support are just a bit of reality stretching for the service of a good image or story. The only one of us who could legitimately lay claim to totally understanding the vector forces involved would be Jastrow. And even he has made a few concessions for weight.

I would love to see more failed or nearly failed crucis.
 
I would love to see more failed or nearly failed crucis.
Forget the nails. Make sure the wood is strong.
Embarrassing, but it could happen to anyone. :D

the_girl_who_beat_the_crucifix_by_makar013.jpg
 
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