Was Jesus Crucified with Nails?

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Scholars know that nails were used at least sometimes. In 1968, a Greek Orthodox monk turned archaeologist excavated a tomb in Jerusalem and found the remains of a Jewish man in his 20s. A nail—about seven inches long—held his heel bones together. It was the first time anyone had found anything like that.

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Archaeologists found another example of a crucified heel 49 years later in Cambridgeshire, England, in a grave in an ancient Roman settlement. A man in his late 20s or early 30s appears to have been buried with a dozen nails, and a 13th “passed horizontally through his right heel bone,” according to an official report.

“While this cannot be taken as incontrovertible proof that the man was crucified,” the archaeologists said, “it seems the only plausible explanation.”

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The Jewish writer Josephus, who was born around the time Jesus died, is also explicit about the Romans use of nails in crucifixion, García said. He emphasizes the horror of death on the cross. Unlike generations of Roman writers, he wasn’t vague about how it worked.

But García thinks it’s also possible that Josephus is describing an evolution in the practice of crucifixion. The shift in vocabulary could reflect a shift in real-world methods.

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,^[d] was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The article does discuss John 20, albeit only vs. 27-29. While not definitive, it seems at the very least that Thomas expected that nails were used to crucify Jesus. Further, Paul's discussion in Colossians 2 of the record of debt being set aside through Christ's "nailing it to the cross" seems to be a pretty clear allusion to nails being used in his crucifixion.

Certainly the scholar quoted in the article does likely accurately note that the use of nails was not pervasive in crucifixion. But it seems the Biblical data points to the use of nails in Christ's crucifixion.

As Mr. Osborne notes, there's plenty of evidence that His crucifixion really did occur, and that the scars He had are consistent with what the ancients tell us was the usual method--nailed to the cross. We need to be careful that we don't confuse "it's not said verbatim" with "it's not an inescapable conclusion from the text, as understood in light of history." The first may be true, the second is false.

Besides the fact that John 20:25 refers to nail wounds specifically, I wonder how Jesus' death could be a real blood sacrifice if he were just strapped to the cross? Jesus was already dead when the Romans stabbed him with a spear.

Besides the fact that John 20:25 refers to nail wounds specifically, I wonder how Jesus' death could be a real blood sacrifice if he were just strapped to the cross? Jesus was already dead when the Romans stabbed him with a spear.

I believe the crown of thorns would have been rather bloody, so his blood was being shed even before the nails were used.