Ok, by "GodsGrace", here we go.
According to WTS theology, Jesus died on a 'torture stake' [pole. "i"] (also pagan by the way, the 'stella', 'maypole', 'yule log', 'obelisk', 'phallus', 'pyramid', 'needle', (they have a 'log" in their eye, and worry about a 'splinter', a 'cross beam' in others, etc), and not a "Cross" ["t"], when they say:
"... The Imperial Bible-Dictionary says that the word
staurosʹ “properly signified a stake, an upright pole, or piece of paling, on which anything might be hung, or which might be used in impaling a piece of ground.” The dictionary continues:
“Even amongst the Romans the crux (Latin, from which our cross is derived) appears to have been originally an upright pole.” Thus, it is not surprising that
The Catholic Encyclopedia states:
“Certain it is, at any rate, that the cross originally consisted of a simple vertical pole, sharpened at its upper end.” ..." - [
1]
Let's begin with WTS/JW deception in their own sources, and they know it, because of where they use ellipses and partially give evidences.
“... the Watchtower's 1985 Kingdom Interlinear Translation, of which the above woodcut is shown as an illustration:
"`Cross'" is only a later meaning of crux. A single stake for impalement of a criminal was called in Latin crux simplex. One such instrument of torture is illustrated by
Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) in his book De cruce libri tres, Antwerp, 1629, p. 19, which we here present. ... Crux simplex illustrated."” -
[1]
In this example, the Watch Tower and Tract Society, cites Justus Lipsius' work
“De Cruce Liber Primus” [
1] and cite merely one small section of the work, pointing to a possible type of crucifixion that was historically known, this being the Crux Simplex, Page 19, seen here -
http://brooklyn.org.pl/00000003.gif or here -
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Justus_Lipsius_Crux_Simplex_1629.jpg , which is also seen in a more modern rendition, in the WTS material “
What does the Bible really Teach?”, Page 52 [to which I had been given a copy of from a Jehovah's Witness, whom I knew briefly, and fully read and still have here with me], and also may be seen here -
http://download.jw.org/files/media_books/97/bh_E.pdf
Yet
Justus Lipsius work cites many types of crucifixions, that were historically known and used, not simply the one pointed out by the WTS, and
he also
does not point to the Crux Simplex as the one Jesus was crucified upon,
but rather to another, being one
with a cross beam, as may be seen here [Begin on Scanned Pages 1157-1234] -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1172/mode/2up
I included each individual page for any interested.
Page 1174 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1173/mode/1up
Page 1176 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1175/mode/1up
Page 1177 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1176/mode/1up
Page 1179 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1178/mode/1up
Page 1182 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1181/mode/1up
Page 1203 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1202/mode/1up
Page 1216 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1215/mode/1up
Page 1218 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1217/mode/1up
Page 1220 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1219/mode/1up
Page 1222 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1219/mode/1up
Page 1223 -
https://archive.org/stream/operaomniapostr00lipsgoog#page/n1222/mode/1up
Now, that we have seen what the WTS/JW state, would you like to see what the
Imperial Bible Dictionary and
the Roman Catholic Encyclopedia actually say in their context? I will share it next if you want to see it, so let me know. We can then begin to look at the Bible also once that is done.