EASTER BONUS 2/3: The crucifixion of Jesus

The deaths of JesusMark 15 21-41Being the earliest account, we would expect Mark to be the simplest, with the least detail.This account contains the key elements we are familiar with, Simon of Cyrene (who the hell is this guy anyway and why is he not mentioned anywhere else?) It feels like this is an inserted character to help create the narrative of Jesus being special. Even with early accounts we have suspicious detail. Has anyone ever pinpointed where Golgotha is?There is the familiar bit about Jesus' clothes being divided up. The note about Jesus being king of the Jews.The two people crucified with Jesus are called rebels. They both mocked him.All versions have the sun darkening, some suggest this is an eclipse, but that's not possible because of the length of time indicated and the point in the moons phase when Passover happens. The temple curtain being torn is also in all accounts.Reading Marks account, it's easy to see how even early versions of stories will contain fictionalised detail.Matthew 27 32-55Matthew is very similar to Mark, much of it considered to be a straight copy. Yet even here we see new details being inserted.The note about being king of the Jews gains words, it is placed above Jesus' head. Jesus gets two drinks. The mocking of Jesus has more words, those being crucified with him are still rebels and they also both still mock him.The tearing of the temple curtain isn't enough, so an earthquake is added, but that's still not enough, so rocks are split and dead people come back to life. I wonder why the earthquake didn't topple the crosses.This time it's not the centurion who declares him the son of god, but multiple people who were there watching.Luke 23 26-49Jesus gains a few lines of dialogue during the journey to the crucifixion. And while he is on the cross. We are introduced to the phrase "father forgive them for they know not what they do", you'd think that such a memorable phrase would have been included in all accounts. The mocking of Jesus has changed. The notice above his head has changed, again.We also have the significant change of only one of those being crucified with Jesus mocking him. You'd think that all accounts would have a detail as critical as this. This is exactly the sort of difference that indicates a narrative that is evolving over time.The post death phrase recognising Jesus as being righteous is back to just the centurion saying it. The earthquake has disappeared, but Jesus death is a little more dramatic. It's this kind of subtle detail differences that lead scholars to suggest that those who wrote Luke and Matthew copied from Mark. Each using Mark as a base and adding their own embellishments. John 19 16-36Simon of Cyrene is dropped, as though he's taking too much attention from Jesus and instead Jesus carried his own cross.The note is still there, the text has changed again, and this time it's in multiple languages to really drive the point home. The writers obviously could not agree on what it was that had been written about Jesus. Pilot gets a chance to justify what he wrote. Who had a contact with the chief priests to find this out? Yet another detail that feels like it's inserted fiction.The separating of Jesus clothes gains new detail. What happened to that untorn garment, that would have been very valuable. There is extra detail testing for the death of Jesus with the spear in his side. This is a crucial detail that seems to be forgotten by the earlier accounts, is this another addition?When you read the different accounts of Jesus crucifixion and death, there is clear progression in the narrative, details are added to increase drama and mundane parts are removed. This is exactly the kind of changes that happen when stories evolve over years and decades of retelling.

This is why I, and others, simply can not accept the gospels, or the bible as anything other than a human book telling human stories.

EASTER BONUS 2/3: The crucifixion of Jesus

Still Unbelievable!

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