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THE STONING OF THE SAVIOUR 
I have asked a few people recently, how did Yahshua die. A couple said He died by Crucifixion. And when I suggested He died by stoning they were adamant that he was crucified. Another said if He did not die by crucifixion then show me the scriptures that said He died another way.
This second approach is what I call the Berrean attitude. It is an attitude that says maybe I do not know it all. And if you know something and can prove it by scriptures, then I might listen. I enjoy discussing things with people like this. We end up teaching each other.
If you are of the opinion that you might like to learn a deeper truth to the crucifixion, then this paper might be of interest to you. If you already know it all, then now is the time to hit delete.
May I suggest you do as we did so many years ago, and open our minds and our bibles and step outside our comfort zone and out side of our own little safe boxes. And see if we can’t learn something more profound as we approach Passover in a very short time.
I wish I could say I have discovered this new thinking on my own. I can not though. Since coming back from Israel I have been ingrossed in a number of books by Ernest L. Martin. In one book entitled Secrets of Golgatha, Mr. Martin claims that the Messiah was killed by Stoning and did not died by crucifixion. This was extremely different to my understanding. So I read on. And now having read this book and two others by him, I wish to share the high points with you and encourage you to get and read these books.
So lets get started.
One of the big misbeliefs that we have in our modern times is that The Jesus we think we follow is muscular, and strong, and as many pictures now show us, very handsome. Even in the recent movie The Passion, he was portrayed as a good looking man. Was He?
Mr. Martin shows that by reading the suffering servant prophesy in Isaiah, we can see that the Messiah was not handsome. He was not muscular. In fact He was ‘a tender twig’, ‘Comely’ and ‘a root out of dry ground’. This is a description of the Messiah from His birth and not just at his last days on earth.
A tender plant is not strong, or robust, but weakly, and feeble. A root out of dry ground, is one that is undernourished, thin, not fully muscular but skinny and weak.
Comely is a polite word for ugly. And the Messiah would be sickly and be sick. He was sick and suffered the trials of sickness just as we all do and yet never sinned. Heb 4:15. Infirmities is also translated sicknesses in other translations.
Matt 8: 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.” The implication here is that he bore our sicknesses all His life. Not just on the tree He was crucified on.
Isaiah 52:13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; 15 So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider.
Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our grief’s And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked– But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
In the book titled The Fifty-Third Chapter of Isaiah by S.R Driver and A.Neubauer, printed by Ktav Publishing, NY, are the writings of Jewish scholars from the past 22 centuries describing the Messiah’s sufferings. And because of their understanding of Isaiah 53 and the misinterpretation of Christians of this same chapter, we now have so many Jews refusing to believe Jesus is the Messiah. Because Christians relate sickness to sin, and the Messiah never sinned there for He could never have been sick. But the Jews know he was sickly from birth.
I’ll let Mr. Martin finish this part of the study with more proofs when you read his book.
Now I’ll just mention briefly about the Centurion that had stuck the spear into Yahshua. When you read it in Matt 27:51-54 you’ll see that he saw the curtain torn from top to bottom. I went to the traditional Golgatha site, while in Jerusalem, where Ron Wyatt claims he found the three cross holes and the ark of the covenant. I wanted to believe Mr. Wyatt. I wanted to believe him dearly, but when you stand at this site near the traditional garden tomb, and look towards the Temple area, you realize something very quickly. You are looking at the back of the temple. No matter which temple site you are believing in, whether the Dome of the Rock site or between the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, or south of the Southern wall over the Gihon Spring, all of them face east towards the Mount of Olives and you are standing here looking at the back of where the Temple was. It is not possible to have seen the curtain from this location. Yahshua had to have been killed on the mount of Olives.
Now consider the fact that the Red Heifer, which was a sin offering and the Atonement Goat which was a sin offering, had to be taken out of the temple area and burnt. Numbers 19, and Lev 16, Lev 4:12, 21; 6:11.
The sin offering had to be taken out the eastern gate to the mount of Olives and totally burnt at the Miphkad Altar. Type and anti-type.
One little problem, Yahshua was not burnt up. But he was killed on the Mount of Olives near the same place the Burnt offering was made. Why was he not burnt? Why should he have been burnt?
We read in Joshua 7:15, 25, 26 about Achan and how he was accursed for taking of the things from Jerico. Therefor he and all his possessions were cursed and to be burnt by fire. To purify the Israelites from the curse.
To be in compliance with the law Yahshua, who was accursed, Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”*), which is taken from Duet. 21:23. his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.
Notice a couple of things here before I go on. No where in the law of God are we told to hang a person on a tree and kill him. But only here in Duet. 21:22-23 are we told that if we do hang a dead man on a tree that we are not to leave him there over night. I found this rather interesting. Also note that it says tree, not a cross. And it also said to bury the dead man. So you could both burn the entire accursed objects according to the law or bury the man and burn the accursed things that had come in contact with the accursed person.
In Mark 15:23 the Greek says that Joseph went to Pilate with the utmost urgency to claim the body of Yahshua. Why because the Jews were going to burn the tree and everything on it because it was accursed. From this place of execution, it would take about 15-20 minutes to walk down Golgatha across the bridge to the Temple and across the causeway joining the temple to Fort Antonio where Pilate was near the present Dome of the Rock.
But now make note of what Pilate says in the next verse of Mark 15:44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.
Why was Pilate so marveled that our Messiah was ALREADY dead when the other two criminals were not yet dead? Yahshua died at 3 PM. But the other criminals were not expected to die until an hour before sunset when they’re legs were broken.
Please understand, this is not meant to be a point of contention or arguments. But it is to show you just how much our saviour actually did go through on our behalf.
In Isaiah 52:14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men.
Psalms 22: 11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. 13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.
What kind of punishment could do this to our Messiah. A whipping? This is more than the whipping he took before. Because Pilate was going to let him go after that, so it could not have been the whipping that killed Him. Luke 23:22 This is more than just being nailed to a tree. Yes he was nailed to a tree as if to be crucified, but he did not die from crucifixion.
His appearance was so badly marred. His bones were out of joint but not broken, and he could see all his bones sticking out of his skin.
There is only one type of execution that fits the description we have. And it was a common form of execution, at this time. And it was the only type of Execution that the Law of Moses allowed for capital offenses.
In John 18:31 we are told that Pilate said “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”
And the Law says in Lev 24: 13 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Take outside the camp him who has cursed; then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 And whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall be put to death.
This was a law, and if we look in John 8:59, and 10:31-33, and even in John 11:8, we can see that the Jews were trying to stone Yahshua many times.
When you read Psalm 38:4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness. 6 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. 7 For my loins are full of inflammation, And there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. 9 Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. 10 My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me. 11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, And my relatives stand afar off.
12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long. 13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth. 14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth is no response.
When a person is being stoned, the target is usually the head. Mark 12:4. And with repeated volleys being thrown at our Messiah, he would have been hit many time in the head and groin area. His feet were nailed to the tree, and his hands. He was naked and exposed in the front to the repeated volleys of stones hurled at Him and he could not move out of the way or protect Himself . His loins would no doubt be on fire in pain or full of inflammation and swelling and bleeding. His hearing would be ringing from the repeated blows to the head. His eyes would be swelled shut and bloodied. Junks of flesh would have been cut open and torn off by the sharp stones ripping through Him. 
The apostle Paul knows full well what the Messiah went through. Acts 14: 19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city.
And 4 years later Paul wrote to the Galatians and said 17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. He said in Gal 6 he bore the scars of Jesus, because he was also stoned and left for dead. And in Gal 4:13-15 Paul talks about his vision being impaired and again in Gal 6:11. This is because Paul was stoned and the main target in a stoning is the head. Paul’s eyes were injured and his flesh was scared from the cuts.
We are also told that Stephen was martyred by stoning in Acts 6.
Yahshua, our Messiah was hung on a tree with two other criminals, and stripped naked and suffered repeated volleys of sharp stones thrown at him non stop for that whole time.
One last source as proof. And it comes from the Sanhedrin 43a of the Talmud
” On the eve of the Passover Yahshua the Nazarean was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth To Be Stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Any one who can say anything on his favor, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.’ But since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of Passover.”
Mr Martin goes on to show how the tree on which Yahshua was killed is represented by the Menorah. The seven arms are representing the six arms of those killed on the tree and the Head of Yahshua.
He also explains the reason the Fig tree is cursed and what tree our Messiah was killed on.
I won’t tell you everything the book says, but I do highly recommend it to every one. Especially in respect to Passover soon being here. A must read before Passover by all.
So the next time you turn on the TV and see a mob of people throwing stones. Imagine them doing it to our Messiah for six hours non stop. Kids trying to have a competition aiming at certain parts of the anatomy, and the crowd cheering when they got a bulls eye. This Passover count the cost paid by our Redeemer, to redeem you from the captivity of Satan. Count ! AND LEARN! Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin
Folio 43a
And the children of Israel did as the Eternal had commanded Moses.1 If so,2 what is the purpose of the sentence, And they stoned him with a stone?3 — This is needed for what was taught: And they stoned him with a stone,4 — him,5 but not his garments. With a stone,6 — [to teach] that if he was killed by a single stone the commandment is fulfilled.7 And it was necessary to write [in this instance], 'stone', and [in another], 'stones'.8 For had the Divine Law written [only] 'a stone', I might have said: In case he does not die through one stone, no more are to be brought to kill him. The Divine Law therefore states, 'stones'. Again, had the Divine Law written 'stones' [only], I might have said that at the outset two must be fetched. The Divine Law therefore states, 'a stone'.9
But this Tanna states, 'Here it is written [etc.],'10 — He meant, If it were not written, i.e., even if this verse11 were not found,12 I could have adduced a gezerah shawah; seeing, however, that this verse is written, a gezerah shawah is not necessary.
R. Ashi said; Where did Moses reside? In the camp of the Levites And God said to him: Bring forth him that hath cursed, — i.e., without the camp of the Levites; without the camp, — i.e., outside the camp of the Israelites.13 And they brought forth him that had cursed,14 — this stands for the actual fulfilment [of the command]. But the fulfilment is expressly stated: And the children of Israel did as the Eternal had commanded Moses! — That is necessary to indicate that hands were laid [on the culprit]15 and that he was hurled down.16 Whereupon the Rabbis asked R. Ashi: How, according to you, do you interpret all the expressions; 'briny forth', in connection with the bullocks that are [wholly] burned?17 This is a difficulty.
A MAN WAS STATIONED. R. Huna said: It is obvious to me that the stone with which one is stoned, the gallows on which one is hanged, the sword with which one is decapitated, and the cloth with which one is strangled, are all provided by the Community. And why so? Because we could not tell a man to go and fetch his own property to kill himself. But, asked R. Huna, who provides the flag for signalling and the horse on which one rides to stop them?18 Seeing that they are for his protection, must they be provided by him, or rather, since the court is bound to endeavour to save him, by them? Again, what of R. Hiyya b. Ashi's dictum in R. Hisda's name; When one is led out to execution, he is given a goblet of wine containing a grain of frankincense, in order to benumb his senses, for it is written, Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter in soul.19 And it has also been taught; The noble women in Jerusalem used to donate and bring it. If these did not donate it, who provided it? As for that, it is certainly logical that it should be provided out of the public [funds]: Since it is written. 'Give', [the implication is] of what is theirs.
R. Aha son of R. Huna inquired of R. Shesheth: What if one of the disciples said, 'I have a statement to make in his favour,' and there and then becomes speechless?20 R. Shesheth blew into his hand,21 and said; [You ask, what] if one becomes speechless! Why there may also be some one in the farthest part of the earth [who could make such a statement]!22 — In the latter case, however, no one has actually said so, but in the former case, such a declaration has been made! [Hence the problem,] What then? — Come and hear! For R. Jose b. Hanina said: If one of the disciples who argued for acquittal died, he is regarded as though alive and in his place.23 Thus, it is so only if he had actually spoken in favour of acquittal,24 but not otherwise.25 [That does not solve it:] where one has actually argued for acquittal, I have no doubts; but the problem arises if he only declared [that he could do so].26
AND EVEN IF HE HIMSELF etc. Even the first and second time?27 But it has been taught: 'The first and second time, whether his statement has substance or not, he is brought back; thereafter, if there is substance in his statement, he is brought back, but not otherwise'? — Said R. Papa: Interpret it, from the second time28 onwards.
Dilling Exhibit 46
Begins
How do they [the judges] know?29 — Abaye said: Two Rabbis are sent with him; if his statement has substance, he is [brought back]; if not, he is not [brought back]. But why not do so in the first place?30 — Because being terrified, he cannot say all he wishes.31
MISHNAH. IF THEN THEY FIND HIM INNOCENT, THEY DISCHARGE HIM; BUT IF NOT, HE GOES FORTH TO BE STONED, AND A HERALD PRECEDES HIM [CRYING]: SO AND SO, THE SON OF SO AND SO, IS GOING FORTH TO BE STONED BECAUSE HE COMMITTED SUCH AND SUCH AN OFFENCE, AND SO AND SO ARE HIS WITNESSES. WHOEVER KNOWS ANYTHING IN HIS FAVOUR, LET HIM COME AND STATE IT.
GEMARA. Abaye said; It must also be announced: On such and such a day, at such and such and hour, and in such and such a place [the crime was committed], in case there are some who know [to the contrary], so that they can come forward and prove the witnesses Zomemim.32
AND A HERALD PRECEDES HIM etc. This implies, only immediately before [the execution], but not previous thereto.33 [In contradiction to this] it was taught: On the eve of the Passover Yeshu 34 was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, 'He is going forth to be stoned because he has practised sorcery and enticed Israel to apostacy. Any one who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.' But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover!35 — Ulla retorted: 'Do you suppose that he was one for whom a defence begins could be made? Was he not a Mesith [enticer], concerning whom Scripture says, Neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him?36 With Yeshu however it was different, for he was connected with the government [or royalty, i.e., influential].'
Our Rabbis taught: Yeshu had five disciples, Matthai, Nakai, Nezer, Buni and Todah. When Matthai was brought [before the court] he said to them [the judges], Shall Matthai be executed? Is it not written, Matthai [when] shall I come and appear before God?37 Thereupon they retorted; Yes, Matthai shall be executed, since it is written, When Matthai [when] shall [he] die and his name perish.38 When Nakai was brought in he said to them; Shall Nakai be executed? It is not written, Naki [the innocent] and the righteous slay thou not?39 Yes, was the answer, Nakai shall be executed, since it is written, in secret places does Naki40 [the innocent] slay.41 When Nezer was brought in, he said; Shall Nezer be executed? Is it not written, And Nezer [a twig] shall grow forth out of his roots.42 Yes, they said, Nezer shall be executed, since it is written, But thou art cast forth away from thy grave like Nezer [an abhorred offshoot].43 When Buni was brought in, he said: Shall Buni be executed? Is it not written, Beni [my son], my first born?44 Yes, they said, Buni shall be executed, since it is written, Behold I will slay Bine-ka [thy son] thy first born.45 And when Todah was brought in, he said to them; Shall Todah be executed? Is it not written, A psalm for Todah [thanksgiving]?46 Yes, they answered, Todah shall be executed, since it is written, Whoso offereth the sacrifice of Todah [thanksgiving] honoured me.47
THE SAVIOUR DIED BY STONING
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