3 reasons Christians can be assured Jesus was crucified with nails
Historical, medical insights support nail-driven crucifixion
Historical records and medical analyses provide further evidence that nails were used in Jesus' crucifixion. Roman crucifixion was a deliberately torturous method designed to prolong the agony, and nails were a standard tool.
Dr. Alexander Metherell, a physician interviewed in Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ, explained the medical implications of crucifixion with nails. In the book, he noted that nails were driven through the wrists, not the palms, as the wrist bones could support the body's weight without tearing. This placement crushed the median nerve, causing unbearable pain akin to "squeezing the funny bone with pliers."
Metherell's analysis aligns with Roman practices documented by historians like Josephus, who described crucifixion's brutality in the first century.
The nails, typically five to seven inches long, ensured the victim remained fixed to the cross, forcing them to push up against the nailed feet to breathe, leading to eventual asphyxiation. This historical and medical consensus underscores the use of nails in Jesus' execution, as they were integral to the mechanics of Roman crucifixion.
