What It Was Like The Day Jesus Died

Few days have resonated for so long and so profoundly in world history as the day of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, an event that set in motion the transition of a small Middle-Eastern breakaway sect of Judaism into Christianity, the largest religion in modern times, with followers that eventually numbered in the billions. While biblical scholars may disagree over the facts, whether there were any eyewitnesses, or if the Crucifixion even happened, there's no denying that the day as commonly understood would have been momentous as it was horrific to many in attendance.

According to the Christian Bible, around two thousand years ago, the Roman authorities of Jerusalem, then within a province of the Roman Empire, sentenced Christ to death by one of the cruelest methods of execution at their disposal: crucifixion. It took place on an auspicious date, too, during the Jewish festival of Passover, and near Judaism's holiest site, the Second Temple of Jerusalem.

Many cultures throughout the ages since have viewed and depicted the Crucifixion through their own unique lens, but what would that day have actually been like? Let's slip on some sandals, step into a time machine, and travel back to the dawn of the first century, to see what it was like the day Christ was crucified.

Exact dates notwithstanding, the New Testament is quite clear that Jesus Christ died in Jerusalem during Passover, and for that city, it was a busy period indeed.

In the early A.D. 30s, as it is now, Jerusalem was a Jewish holy site and host to many pilgrims from regions far and wide. It was also a bustling city, although its estimated population of 80,000 in Christ's time was a small fraction of today's, which in mid-2024 is estimated to be a little shy of 1 million (per World Population Review). Nevertheless, while modern-day Jerusalem is on the smaller side for a Middle Eastern city, in the first century, it was one of the largest. And during Passover, when pilgrims arrived en masse, its population may have as much as tripled.

Such an influx of people over a relatively short period would tax most modern cities, but for one in classical antiquity, without modern conveniences, one might think it would have been overwhelming. However, while Jerusalem may not have had 21st-century plumbing in the first century, it did have well-constructed sewers, and in the preceding century, the city had undergone major renovations under King Herod the Great, before his own brutal death. And all those pilgrims? It turns out that many of them probably would have happily camped out in the surrounding hills. Either way, for a first-time visitor at the time, Jerusalem would have been hopping.

The Romans didn't invent crucifixion, with the practice dating back well before them, but they certainly made it their own. As forms of execution go, nailing someone to a cross and leaving them to die is exceptionally cruel. But with crucifixion, the Romans were not just seeking to kill the condemned victims; they were also making a spectacle and an example of them. For the intended audience of Roman subjugates, it was true psychological warfare.

While Jesus Christ's experience largely agrees with other historical examples, there are a few aspects that may not be so familiar to everyone. For starters, depictions of Christ during the Crucifixion allow him some modest clothing, but this was unlikely to have been allowed, as victims were typically stripped to humiliate them. Scourging — a vicious whipping and beating — was followed by another public debasing, where the condemned had to carry the instrument of their doom to their place of execution. But this was not the entire cross that they had to carry, along a path lined with spectators, it was just the crossbeam.

After being crucified, death did not come quickly. It could take as long as four days,  with the victim's breathing becoming increasingly difficult due to their hung position. It was also typical for the dead to be left on the cross, denied a proper burial, and left for the elements. Although crucifixion was reserved for the lowest non-Roman citizens, such as enslaved people, thousands still met this grisly fate, especially in Judea during the first century. So while people passing by might not have been shocked by the event itself, the reality of it would have been harrowing.

Normally the crucified were left to rot and be eaten by animals, and their remains thrown into a pit alongside common refuse. This was a deliberate act and in line with the intent to publicly humiliate the victims of crucifixion. But according to the Gospels, Joseph of Arimathea — a wealthy and prominent member of the Jewish community — got permission from the Roman authorities to take Jesus Christ's body down and bury him before the Sabbath, which was the next day.

Some biblical scholars have doubts about this account by the Gospels, as there is little to suggest that the Romans would about-face on their own traditions and give consideration for local customs. But even in a political hot-spot like first-century Judea, it is not impossible.

The Gospels describe how, out of the three men crucified that day, only Christ died before the Roman troops decided to break his legs, so his body was removed from the cross intact. As scripture further relates, his body was then wrapped in linen, and placed with a large amount of fragrant spices into its intended final resting place. According to the Gospels, this was in a tomb, located outside of the city — not unusual in the region at that time, at least for those who could afford it, like Joseph of Arimathea.