Was Jesus really crucified? (1)

Good Friday is almost upon us and Christians will be remembering the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. But is it true that Jesus was crucified at all, as Christians claim? Are the facts on the side of Christianity or against it?  And even if Jesus was crucified, what significance does the death of a Jewish cult leader have for the rest of the world?

Horror of crucifixion

If you have any knowledge of the details of the ancient Roman execution method called crucifixion, you will admit that it is one of the cruelest and most horrific forms of killing ever invented by man.  Some scholars suggest that crucifixion likely originated with the Assyrians and Babylonians. Apparently, it was also later used by the Persians in the sixth century BC and Alexander the Great transported the idea from there to the eastern Mediterranean countries in the fourth century BC. Later on, the Phoenicians also introduced it in Rome in the third century BC and the Romans perfected the ar