Paul 1.11

Nicanor lived in the Second Quarter, where many Greek-speaking Jews did. Although the Fish Gate to the north was the quickest way in, Barnabas and I went south along the outer wall toward Herod's Palace. We wanted to worship the Lord at Golgotha and Joseph's empty tomb. Of course there had been no Herod living in the palace for about five years, since God judged Herod Agrippa for thinking himself a god. Worms ate his stomach until it exploded on the inside. It was a fitting end for the one who put James the son of Zebedee to death, the first apostle to die.

Cumanus was now procurator of Judea and lived in the palace when he was in town. The brothers in Caesarea had already warned us that he was in Jerusalem. Apparently he made the previous procurator, Tiberius Alexander, look really good. The Judeans had despised Alexander because he was born a Jew and then had apostacized from the faith. But he was at least sympathetic and competent.

By contrast, Cumanus seemed like another Pilate, all too quick to shed Jewish blood. So although we were taken aback, we were not too surprised to find someone hanging on a cross at Golgotha. Barnabas wanted to head back the other way to the Fish Gate. But I wouldn't let a cadre of Roman soldiers make me change course. The cross had become my glory. I would glory in the shame they meant to heap on us Jews.

The crucifixions had abated for a while after Pilate. Alexander had not used them, and even Cuspius Fadus before him had beheaded Theudas when he had claimed to be the Messiah. Maybe he was afraid it would only create another messianic movement like the Way.

But Cumanus clearly preferred the way of force rather than negotiation. I wouldn't be surprised if he instigated some kind of wholesale revolt before he finished his tenure.

Golgotha was just outside the Gennath Gate. It was placed so that Jews leaving the city toward the west would see anyone crucified there in plain view. The victim looked to be already dead, or almost. He was completely naked from head to toe, his legs buckled to the side in the shape of a V. A single nail through his ankles pinned him at the bottom, then one through each wrist at the top.