Jesus death due to crucifixion

            a) New Testament Creeds

                        Phil 2:8 pre-Pauline creed (Habermas 1996, pg 145)

…and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.

                        Acts 2:23 pre-Pauline creed (Habermas 1996, pg 150)

…put him to death on a cross

            b) Gospel sources

                        Mark 14:21-37 (gospel dated 65 – 70AD) (Habermas, 1996, pg 42).

…And they crucified him.

                        Matt 27:32-50 parallels Mark .

                                    …When they had crucified him…

                        Luke 23:26-45 parallels Mark

…and put the cross on him [Simon from Cyrene] and made him carry it behind Jesus.                           

John 19:19 (gospel's Jewish-Christian source dated to 66-80 AD) Van Voorst 2000, pg 153, 154).

            Pilot had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross.

            c) Early Christian writings

                        Trallians: "was truly crucified"   (dated 110-115 AD) (Habermas 1996, pg 231)

                        Barnabus "suffer on a tree" (dated 126-155AD). (Habermas 1996, pg 234)

            d) Jewish writings

b. Sanhedrin 43a  "hanged him before Passover" (400-700AD)

(Van Voorst 2000, pg 114)

Josehpus' Antiquites "condemned him to the Cross" (93 AD)(Van Voorst 2000, pg 93)

            e) Secular Writings:

Tactius' Annals "suffered the extreme penalty" (116 AD) (Van Voorst 2000, pg 41)

Thallus (quoted by Julius Africanus in ca 220) describes darkness of the sun at time of Jesus death. Dated 55AD (Van Voorst 2000, pg 20).

f) Archeology

           Skeletal remains of a Crucified Man from Giv'at ha-Vivtar corroborates crucifixion was a method of execution in 1^st Centry Palestine.

http://www.joezias.com/CrucifixionAntiquity.html

Crosses found inscribed in cave outside of Jerusalem. Cave was in use from 1^st Century through 6^th Century. Places early tradition of Jesus crucifixion in Palestine.

http://www.bib-arch.org/ Volume=36 Issue=1 ArticleID=12

Another cave-- with crosses inscribed in headstones-- places the tradition of Jesus crucifixion to Jerusalem. It is dated to the first part of the first century.

            http://www.leaderu.com/theology/burialcave.html

 
Pilot inscription dated 26-37 AD. Confirms Pilot was in charge of Judea during crucifixion time period

Image courtesy of  www.bible-history.com

 

Caiaphas ossuary corroborates New Testaments claim he was high priest at time of Jesus' Crucifixion

 

http://www.formerthings.com/caiaphas.htm

 

The "Nazareth Inscription" is an imperial edict found in Nazareth, belonging either to the reign of Tiberius (A.D. 14-37) or of Claudius (A.D. 41-54). And it is an invective, backed with heavy sanctions, against meddling around with tombs and graves!

http://www.formerthings.com/nazareth_inscription.htm

             
Golgotha is a real place. The following links are the leading contenders.

Image courtesy of www.gci.org Hill outside Jerusalem's walls Golgotha Wayne McLean. Golgotha enshrined inside the church of the Holy Sepulcher  Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Image courtesy of www.gci.org  Garden Tomb  Image courtesy of www.HolyLandPhotos.org The more likely tomb located at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  Holy Sepulchre. Note the "Authenticity" article on this page.

In summary, direct references to Jesus crucifixion can be dated to the earliest of Christian traditions within less than 10 years of the actual event and can be traced back directly to the Jewish Christian community in Palestine and Jerusalem. The crucifixion is attested to by those who claimed to by eyewitnesses (both Matthew and John), and subsequently investigated by Luke. Jewish historian Josephus mentions Jesus crucifixion, and early Christian writers confirm crucifixion tradition at turn of century. There are no contradictions in the various sources from different geographical regions among the different accounts in any of the creeds or gospel sources which the New Testament documents regarding Jesus being crucified (Hung on a tree, etc are all consistent with crucifixion). Secular historians record the event (albeit probably as a response to Christianity), with references to Christian traditions which can be dated as early as 55 AD. Based on the latest archeological evidence, all the places and people existed within the correct timeframe, as well as the method for which execution was carried out. Although there are some potential differences in the posture in which Jesus was crucified from the "Man from Giv'at" there is precedence from Josephus (Jewish War 5.11 & 451) which indicates Roman soldiers experimented with different postures.