Re: The Jews were allied with the Romans???
[link|http://www.robotwisdom.com/science/jesus.html|http://www.robotwisd...cience/jesus.html]
[link|http://cc.usu.edu/~fath6/Nazarenes.htm|http://cc.usu.edu/~fath6/Nazarenes.htm]
Kuehl also makes interesting use of statments by the apostle Paul to support the stoning hypothesis. Paul was stoned at Antioch [Acts 14:19; 2 Corinthians 11:25]. He was so severely wounded that he was left for dead. Although he recovered, he apparantly bore the scars of this treatment for the rest of his life. In Galatians he wrote, "Howbeit ye know that by reason of a weakness of the flesh I myself announced the glad-message unto you formerly; and your trial in my flesh ye despised not, neither spat ye in disgust...For I bear you witness -- that if possible your eyes ye would have dug out and given unto me [Galatians 4:13-15]. Since the head is a major target in stoning, damage to the eyes was not uncommon.
When Paul wrote, For I, the brandmarks [i.e., scars] of Jesus in my body am bearing [Galatians 6:17],
his statement would have been literally true had Jesus been stoned. The word "brandmarks" here is the Greek word stigma (from the root stizo), meaning "to make incised or punched marks that have resulted in scars".
Since Roman crucifixion did not involve stoning, these statements by Paul suggest that it was the Jewish form that was imposed on Yashua. Since this form also results in a quicker death than did the Roman form, a Jewish execution would also explain why Pilate, who had assumed the execution would be by the Roman method, was surprised at how quickly Jesus had died. Pilate "wondered whether already he was dead," and even "calling near the centurion, questioned him -- whether he had already died" [Mark 15:43-44].
Kuehl gives two other arguments in support for the claim that Yashua underwent stoning and hanging rather than simple crucifixion. In Revelation 5:6 Jesus is called the "Lamb as it had been slain". The Greek word translated "slain" in this verse is sphazo. It means "to butcher, slaughter, maim, mangle, or wound". Again, the meaning is very apt for the effects of stoning. Finally, the disfiguring effects of stoning would explain why Jesus was not initially recognized by his disciples on various occasions when he appeared to them after his resurrection.
-drl