“There they crucified Him and two others with Him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign over Him reading, ‘Jesus of Narazereth, The King of the Jews.’ The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and the signboard was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so many people read it” (John 19:18-20 TLB).
Crucifixion was designed to produce a slow death with a maximum degree of pain and suffering. It was one of the most disgraceful and cruel methods of capital punishment, and was usually reserved exclusively for revolutionaries and notorious criminals.
Upon arriving at the site of crucifixion, the prisoner was typically stripped of his clothing and bound with ropes or nailed to the crossbar he had carried. Those who were nailed to their crosses, as Jesus was, were secured with large spikes. Those spikes were estimated to be approximately 7 inches (18 cm) long and 1/3 inch (.75 cm) wide at the head.
Following this, the horizontal portion of the cross (or patibulum) was secured to a vertical pole. Then the victim’s feet were nailed into it. During this time, a statement of charges against the crucified prisoner was typically hung above the victim’s head. In Jesus’ case, it read: “The King of the Jews,” the description of His alleged crime.
“And the people passing by hurled abuse, shaking their heads at Him and saying, ‘So! You can destroy the Temple and build it again in three days, can you? Well then, come down from that cross if you are the Son of God!’ And the chief priest and Jewish leaders also mocked him. ‘He saved others,’ they scoffed, but He can’t save Himself!
So, you are the King of Israel, are you? Come down from the cross and we’ll believe you! He trusted God- let God show His approval by delivering Him! Didn’t He say, ‘I am God’s Son?'” (Matthew 27:39-43 TLB).
As the prisoner hung on his cross, his respiratory muscles would slowly lose their ability to function. While air could be drawn into the lungs, it could not be exhaled properly. To breathe, the victim would have to push himself up against the nail that held his feet. If he failed to do so, suffocation would result.
Crucified prisoners typically suffered from extreme thirst and and muscular cramping. Insects might gather around the victim, especially if he had been hanging for an extended period. Birds of prey might swoop down and peck at the wounds of the defenseless victims. These horrific scenes depict the way in which the crucified would spend their final hours.