The No-Burial Theory

Michael Fisher mwfisher@cts.com
Tue, 09 Feb 1999 23:02:06 -0800 (00918651726, 36C12EED.AA988067@cts.com) 


>     <snip>

>

> ===================

> Joe Alward:

>

> When you spend most of your time making personal observation, one is tempted

> to believe that you don't have the evidence to back up your claim.  You say

> that "the EVIDENCE is nearly unanimous on the point."

>

> Of which evidence do you speak?


ELF    Some of the primary evidence has been posted right here.

    Seeing as such secondary sources as mention crucifixion in antiquity also
report nailing as the method of choice (no, I'm not digging through my copy of
"The Story of Civilization" to see precisely what Will Durant said, nor trying to
recall and locate every other ancient history I've read in the past) any contrary
assertion is tantamount to an Ad Hominem "poisoning the well" type attack on
historians of antiquity in general since you are accusing them all (at least all
the ones who talk about crucifixion) of duplicity or incompetence.

    I am simply not aware, after a lifetime of reading such things, of any
assertions to the contrary anywhere.

JOE


>  If it's not evidence which shows that at

> least ONE governor of ONE province decreed that nailing was to be the method

> of crucifixion, then we have only a handful of historians who note that nails

> were used in the crucifixions they reported.


ELF    Unfortunately for your, they happen to be everyone of the historians we
have from antiquity who mention crucifixion at all.


JOE


>  Can you tell me how many

> historians reported nail use, and how many times they're aware of its use?


ELF    Nope. Sure can't.

    Since there doesn't seem to be any dissension among modern historians as to
the methods of crucifixion, why would I even be tempted to bother?

    YOU'RE the one making the Argument Ad Ignorantiam, YOU'RE the one with no
affirmative evidence in your favor.

    I see about as much need to undertake such a project as there is need to prove
that Julius Caesar was really the author of (if memory serves) "The Gallic Wars".

    Unless and until you can produce something better than an Argument Ad
Ignorantiam, the obvious consensus of opinion of those who ought to know such
things is that crucifixion was by nailing, and that the victims were universally
denied burial.

JOE


>  If

> you can't find a decree, or answer that question, then why not?


  ELF
    Well, I answered the question, and I can't find any such decree because either
no such decree exists to be found, or I simply lack both the resources and the
motivation to find it.