Alvin Lai

What does it mean to die on a cross? It sounds so trivial - just nail your hands and feet to wood and stay that way till you die.

I found a better description..

"Death by crucifixion seems to include all the pain and death can have of horrible and ghastly - dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleepiness, traumatic fever, tetanus, shame, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds, all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give to the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness.

The unnatural position made every movement painful; the lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the arteries - especially at the head and stomach - became swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood."