30 Pieces of Silver by Carolyn McCray

Author:Carolyn McCray [McCray, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Action & Adventure, Thriller
Publisher: Off Our Meds MultiMedia
Published: 2010-12-22T06:00:00+00:00

* * *

Okay, now the prick was just pissing him off, but Brandt stopped shy of saying that. Instead he looked at Rebecca, but she shrugged.

“I hate to say it, but Lochum is right. The rest is pretty straightforward.”

Now when she suggested it, it did not sound that demeaning. Easily he called up the story of the crucifixion, turning the events over in his own mind to find that, sure enough, if Rebecca hadn’t been right.

“If anyone was alive before they were brought down, the Romans would break their legs,” Brandt said, answering his own question.

The doctor nodded solemnly. “By sledgehammering the femurs—causing enough pain, blood loss, or more likely fatal fat embolisms. The point of the crucifixion was actually to torture with a slow, agonizing death, but if push came to shove, they could execute a man efficiently.”

Still, this information only led to more questions. “Okay. He was crucified with two others. The Romans broke their legs, but not Jesus’.”

“Because?” Lochum asked.

Brandt shot a scathing look to the professor, but the older man had risen and was pacing behind Rebecca. And she was strangely grinning at Brandt.

“What happened just before they broke the other two’s legs?”

Mind racing, he spoke as he recited the story in his head. “Jesus asked for water but was given vinegar instead.” Finally the proposed scheme gelled in his mind. “After a sip, Jesus fell dead.” He looked at Rebecca. “You are suggesting he was purposefully drugged to mimic death?”

“Either that, or I’m sorry to be blasphemous, but Jesus was a wimp. The other two, being crucified, were in pain but hale and hearty to the point they had to be killed before they were taken down.”

“But Jesus was scourged before he was taken to the cross,” Brandt retorted hotly. Somehow this had gone from a detached academic discussion to a defense of his faith. Jesus had given up his spirit to God, not startled to death like a scared rabbit.

“Like you said yourself, Brandt, men survived days on the cross. Sometimes they were still alive when scavengers began eating their extremities, and yet Jesus dies after only a few hours?” She hurried along. “Even if you don’t believe our timeline, he was up there for a maximum of ten hours. Still not very long in terms of the times.”

“He gave his spirit up,” Brandt said through clenched teeth.

Rebecca’s face softened, and she placed a hand over his. “But the whole purpose of being crucified was to suffer for his people. Why would he just give up? That version of the story just doesn’t track with the rest of the crucifixion saga.”

As much as he wanted to argue, Brandt found the words sticking in his throat. He had never thought of the crucifixion in such a way. Who would? It was Jesus’ final sacrifice that mattered to the faithful, not esoteric concerns like timelines and tonics.

“Do not forget the wound to the ribs,” Lochum pointed out. Almost sounding gleeful that Brandt’s beliefs were being unwoven.

Rebecca shrugged sympathetically.

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