The Tomb of Jesus — Page 17
17 last three hours of his life, from the sixth to the ninth hour, the sun was obscured, and that in the much hotter climate of Central Africa crucified persons usually live three days on the cross. ' ,,18. Pilate, desirous of escaping, and of pleasing the Rabbis, told them to act through their. Sanhedrin; but they (falsely) accused Jesus of being a rebel against Caesar; and much against his will Pilate ordered him to be scourged, and gave him over to be crucified. Crucifixion did not of necessity entail death; and Pilate marvelling at his death gave the body very willingly to his friends even ordering a guard perhaps to protect the followers of Jesus through, as we are told, at the request of the Jews, among whom it was commonly reported that the disciples stole him away. Of the death of Christ we should have no evidence considering how difficult it is to establish the fact of death in many cases but for the very definite statement found in a single gospel: for after six hours of crucifixion the two thieves were found to be still alive. The death of. Christ is attributed to his being speared by a soldier― according to the fourth Gospel; but it is remarkable that nothing about this is found in the other three detailed accounts of the Crucifixion. If 18. Stroud, On The Physical Cause of the Death of Christ,pp 123, 124.