Where Did Jesus Die? — Page 62
? 62 … this letter contains so many interesting events, singu- larly corresponding with the account of the gospel, and recorded without any apparent motive of the author, in a pious, simple and in no way excited manner. (p. 133) … But of particular importance is the minute record of the sufferings of Jesus, and the way in which he con- ducted himself on the cross. The gospel records that Jesus really died on the cross, and thereby it stamps his recovery as a miracle, which the intelligent man considers a myth, and from which he extracts the allegorical meaning. But in this letter we are informed of events in their simple rep- resentation that contains so much that is probable, and with the circumstances corresponding, that it actually will be a necessity to believe on it. (p. 140) In the old letter is recorded that he did not die on the cross, but passed into unconsciousness. Even the way in which Jesus appeared to die on the cross makes the prob- ability of apparent death possible. First, he lost conscious- ness very early, so that even Pilate doubted his death. Secondly, by the then existing mode of crucifixion, was it not uncommon that the crucified could be brought to life. (p. 141) We are also informed by the historians of that date that it was not an uncommon thing that crucified crimi- nals were brought back to life after being taken down from the cross. It is also proved that these unfortunates, among nations that did not have the Jewish custom of not allow- ing the crucified to hang on the cross over night, often