Torture stake
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According to the belief of Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus was impaled on a single-beamed "stake". The New World Translation of the Bible refers to the instrument of Christ's death as a "torture stake".
From the available New Testament manuscripts, this translation's use of "torture stake" corresponds the Greek words stau·ros´ and xy·lon in the case of the instrument used to execute Jesus. They claim that while the connotation of stau·ros´ can communicate the idea of a cross or crucifix, this was not the case during the time of Jesus and his apostles; only long after Christ's death did the term come to be primarily associated with the cross. Additionally, it is claimed that xy·lon never refers to a double-beamed cross and is sometimes translated as "tree", depending on the context, in ancient Greek documents.
[edit] External links
- "Cross or Stake?"--Article discussing use of cross by early Christians
- PBS Article on crucifixion
