How Many Times Was Jesus Whipped? A Thorough Examination
The whipping of Jesus Christ is one of the most iconic images from the story of his crucifixion. But how many lashes did he endure before being led to the cross? This is a question that has fascinated scholars and Christians alike for centuries.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: based on Biblical accounts and historical records, Jesus was likely whipped 39 times under Roman law before his crucifixion.
The Biblical Account of Jesus’ Flogging
Jesus Predicted He Would Be Flogged
The gospels record that Jesus predicted the authorities would flog him. For example, in Mark 10:34 (NRSV) Jesus stated plainly: “They will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him.”
Christ understood that suffering and death awaited him in Jerusalem at the hands of both Jewish and Roman authorities. Though innocent of any crime, Jesus was determined to fulfill his messianic mission, even if it meant brutal torture and execution.
Jesus Was Scourged by Roman Soldiers
As Jesus stood trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, the crowds cried out for his crucifixion. Wanting to appease them, Pilate had Jesus scourged by his soldiers (Mark 15:15).
This severe flogging was meted out as a grim foretaste of the agony Christ would endure on the cross just hours later. The gruesome spectacle likely left Jesus bleeding profusely in Pilate’s judgment hall.
Roman scourging, known in Latin as flagellatio, was a terrifying punishment used against non-citizens. The victim was tied to a post or overhanging beam and beaten with a multi-lashed whip studded with bits of bone or metal.
It literally tore the flesh off a person’s back, often leaving it shredded and exposed to the bone.
The Severity of Roman Flagellation
Many victims died from Roman scourging alone. Yet Jesus somehow survived this savage flogging and staggered on to his crucifixion. The book of Isaiah foretold of the Messiah: “by his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Each agonizing welt left by his floggers was a wound he willingly bore for humanity’s transgressions.
Though the Bible gives only brief details on Jesus’ scourging, most scholars believe the roman soldiers subjected Christ to the horrific verberatio level of flagellation.
This involved two soldiers (known as lictors) beating the victim with the flagrum whip concurrently. Alternating side-to-side lashings increased the pain and blood loss substantially.
The fact that Jesus endured such a savage beating yet still managed to carry his cross and hang in agony for six hours on the crucifix is a testimony to his supernatural fortitude.
As the divine Son of God, no amount of horrific torture could stop him from achieving his atoning sacrifice on Calvary.
Roman Laws Regarding Flogging
Limits on Lashes to Prevent Death
In the Roman judicial system, flogging was a common punishment used on criminals, rebels, and errant slaves. However, Roman law did impose limits on the number of lashes that could be inflicted to prevent accidental death from occurring.
According to the Valerian and Porcian laws enacted in the early Roman Republic, a judge could sentence a Roman citizen to no more than 40 lashes with the flagellum whip.
This limit aimed to prevent the intense scourging from becoming fatal.
Later, under the emperors, this limit was extended to apply to all free men within the empire, not just Roman citizens.
The 40 lash limit became well established in Roman law. In 2 Corinthians 11:24, the apostle Paul mentions receiving 39 lashes from the Jews, one short of the maximum allowed under Roman law.
The 40 lash limit was also mentioned in other ancient sources, including Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews 4.238.
However, slaves and foreigners not protected by citizenship could be sentenced to more lashes, even to the death penalty by continuous whipping. Harsher limits were also sometimes applied during times of war on captured enemies or rebellious provinces.
But Roman jurists generally tried to restrain abuses to maintain at least somewhat consistent standards.
The Flagellum Whip and Its Effects
The type of whip used in Roman floggings was called a flagellum. This was much different and more brutal than regular whips.
The flagellum consisted of several leather thongs or ropes, between 3 and 9 feet long, attached to a handle. The ends of the thongs were knotted or studded with pieces of bone or metal to greatly increase the pain and potential injury inflicted by the whip.
Sometimes small lead balls were also attached for even more painful effect.
When vigorously applied to a person’s bare back, a flagellum could tear the skin and cause deep bloody gashes, severe bruising, and even exposing bone.
In addition to extreme pain, this amount of trauma often led to bleeding, dehydration, infection, fever, and even possible organ damage or death in severe cases.
Historical records describe people fainting, going into hypovolemic shock, or even dying during prolonged Roman floggings. However, under the limits imposed by Roman law, most victims would survive the ordeal, though likely with permanent scars and health effects.
Jesus was sentenced to a Roman scourging as part of his crucifixion punishment (Matthew 27:26). Given the brutal nature of the flagellum whip, this horrific beating undoubtedly contributed greatly to his suffering on the day of his crucifixion.
Artistic Depictions Through History
Early Christian Art
The earliest known artistic depictions of Jesus being flogged date back to early Christian art from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Frescoes and mosaics found in Roman catacombs and churches portrayed biblical events like the flagellation of Christ in a relatively simple style.
These early depictions often showed Jesus tied to a pillar or post and being whipped by one or two Roman soldiers.
The focus was more on the suffering and humiliation of Jesus rather than realistic details of the whipping itself.
Later Byzantine iconography from the Middle Ages expanded on these early Christian artistic themes. Works produced in this era depict Jesus being brutally flogged by groups of Roman soldiers, with some icons showing as many as five flagellators.
There is increased attention to spurting blood and ripped flesh to heighten the graphic suffering of Jesus. However, the number of lashes and other specific details are still largely stylized rather than anatomically accurate.
European Religious Paintings
During the Renaissance and into the Baroque period, the flagellation of Jesus became a markedly more gruesome event in European religious art.
Paintings from the 15th-17th centuries, such as those by Hieronymus Bosch and Caravaggio, portray the whipping episode in extremely visceral detail.
Blood streams down Jesus’ body as the Roman soldiers mercilessly tear his back to shreds. The torture is emphasized through chiaroscuro lighting effects and emotional expressions.
The movement towards greater realism led to artists depicting specific details like the flagrum whip with multiple thongs striking Jesus’ body. Peter Paul Rubens’ 17th century painting The Flagellation of Christ shows distressed onlookers reacting in horror to over a dozen bloody wounds crisscrossing Jesus’ skin.
However, the true number of lashes often remained ambiguous or was condensed due to artistic space limitations. There also tended to be just one to three soldiers doing the whipping at a time.
Modern Film Portrayals
Recent film portrayals of Jesus’ flogging scene strive for unflinching authenticity using practical makeup effects and editing techniques.
The defining sequence shows Jesus enduring over 100 grueling blows that expose muscle tissue and bone.
This reflects updated archaeological evidence that criminals at the time were subject to repeated floggings that often proved deadly.
While the number varies, other Jesus biopics like Son of God (2014) and Mary Magdalene (2018) also feature similar intensely brutal whipping montages with convincingly ripped skin and splattering blood.
Dario Argento’s The Phantom of the Opera (1998) controversially depicts over 500 lashes onto Jesus’ shredded back.
So modern film portrayals now reflect a more accurate range of whip strikes, unlike symbolic early Christian art or condensed Renaissance-era paintings.
Conclusion
The Biblical accounts clearly describe Jesus being severely flogged by Roman soldiers, but do not give an exact number of lashes.
Based on Roman laws and practices limiting flogging, as well as theological views, most modern scholars estimate Jesus received the maximum 39 lashes.
The intense scourging was only the beginning of Jesus’ physical suffering before his death by crucifixion. But according to Christian belief, Jesus willingly endured this brutality out of love and obedience to God the Father, setting an example of redemptive suffering.