Description
This comprehensive article challenges the Jehovah’s Witness teaching that Jesus died on a simple torture stake, revealing how the Watchtower organization misused historical evidence—most notably by misquoting 16th-century scholar Justus Lipsius. In their 1969 Kingdom Interlinear Translation, the Watchtower selectively used an image from Lipsius’ De Cruce Libri Tres that depicted impalement, while deliberately ignoring his clear illustration of Christ crucified on a traditional cross with a crossbeam (page 47).
To set the record straight, this article not only clarifies what Lipsius actually taught, but also presents overwhelming archaeological and historical evidence affirming that Jesus was crucified on a cross of the crux immissa (†) form, commonly used in Roman executions for crimes like sedition.
Highlights include:
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1st–2nd century mosaic crosses discovered in a Judeo-Christian synagogue in Nazareth, showing traditional Christian cross forms like the Tau-Rho, Chi-Rho, and Jerusalem Cross.
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A Greek inscription from Beth Loya reading “Jesus Christ is Present,” found alongside an early Christian Chi-Rho cross symbol.
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Cross artwork from the ruins of Beth Shean, Israel—visible remnants of early Christian worship.
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Scholarly input from archaeologist Dr. Titus Kennedy, who confirms that these symbols and inscriptions reflect authentic early Christian belief in the cross.
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Quotations from early Christian writers like Justin Martyr and Tertullian, who explicitly describe the cross shape and its significance in Christian life and worship.
By combining historical texts, Roman execution practices, early Christian theology, and hard archaeological data, this article provides a powerful and well-documented rebuttal to the Watchtower’s “torture stake” theory. The conclusion is clear: the traditional cross is not a pagan later invention—it is the historical and theological truth of how Jesus gave His life for the world.
