If Jesus died on a stake, then how do Jehovah's Witnesses account for this?
Alexamenos graffito, an inscription carved in plaster on a wall near the Palatine Hill in Rome, among the earliest known pictorial representations of the Crucifixion of Jesus, late 1st to the late 3rd century. It depicts a human-like figure affixed to a cross, has the head of a donkey, clearly he's being mocked. One other figure, just human, below is seen offering some action to this donkey headed victim on a CROSS.
Carved also is a crude Greek: Αλεξαμενος ϲεβετε θεον ϲεβετε, meaning "Alexamenos worships [his] God."
Oh sure, Jehovah's Witnesses can go on about how "Stauros" (σταυρός) actually means "stake" not "cross" even though the majority of real scholars disagree. They can erroneously claim that Romans highjacked Christianity, adopting "the pagan symbol of the cross." Out of all the disputes over whether Jesus died on an upright pole or cross, however, how do the Jehovah's Witnesses account for the mockery of Jesus on the CROSS being worshiped as God by an early Christian (who is also the subject of ridicule), if the Romans between the 1st to the late 3rd century, who would have known how crucifixion was done, put Jesus on a stake?
Suzy2014-09-11T08:55:21Z
I'm more concerned that someone put a horses head on the person.
I went to an article about this subject and it differed from what you said. It said that they were unsure of the age of this piece of grafitti. You left out that detail. It said that it was SUGGESTED that it was from the first to third century but they favored the third century. So it was more likely from the third century, a time when Christianity was well on its way to being corrupted. In fact, it was the earlier part of the third century that the Trinity idea began taking shape.
Also keep in mind that this is grafitti. I would be more impressed if it was a painting than the works of a hoodlum.
I read more about it in Wikipedia. It says: "Others have suggested that the grafitto depicts worship of the Egyptian gods Anubis or Seth, or the young man is actually engaged in a gnostic ceremony involving a horse-headed figure..."
It further says: "There is some controversy about whether the veneration of the crucifix depicted in the grafitto was actually practiced by contemporary Christians, or whether, like the ***'s head, it was added to the image to ridicule Christian beliefs. According to one argument, the alleged presence of a loincloth on the crucified figure, in contrast to usual Roman procedure in which the condemned was completely naked, proves the artist must have based his illustrations on an activity he had observed Alexamenos or others performing. Against this, it has been argued that the cross was not actually used in worship until the 4th and 5th centuries.
"Oh sure, Jehovah's Witnesses can go on about how "Stauros" (σταυρός) actually means "stake" not "cross" even though the majority of real scholars disagree."
Do they? I think you will find that "real scholars" readily acknowledge that the Latinized Koine Greek word "stauros" means "stake."
That's like saying that the Latin "crux crucis" doesn't really mean "cross" because real scholars will tell you it means "stake."
I dont think a bit of graffiti some hundreds of years after Jesus died can have any relevance. It would take a long stretch of the imagination to think that is a picture of Jesus??? Why would you think so? Anyways, that looks like a winged horse to me. Pegasus? the greek god? Alex is a greek name too.
The Romans used both forms of killing people however, wood was pretty much at a premium in the country and if one bit of wood does the job, why would they bother with two? The cross is the fertility and good luck symbol of Tamuz and as such is worn and kissed by those in christendom who have adopted the pagan charm.
First how do we know this is not a picture you carved in to your counter top?
Second , those could be wings
Third we have seen many fraudulent "holy relics" and things of that nature surface. Look at the shroud of Turin, a fake!
Fourth it proves.. absolutely nothing other then the fact that you are missing out on important teachings of the Christ and his Father Jehovah God.
Jesus chastised the viper like Pharisees,“blind guides, who strain out the gnat but gulp down the camel.” (Matthew 23:24) Do you know what he meant by this illustration?
He meant that the Pharisees meticulously complied with the smallest of the Law’s requirements, but they disregarded the weightier matters—“justice and mercy and faithfulness.” (Matthew 23:23)
I am only making a comparison about 'the weightier matters "not saying you are like the wicked Pharisees.