Crucifixion of Joachim of Nizhny-Novgorod

Archbishop Joachim of Nizhny-Novgorod was crucified upside down on the Royal Doors of the Cathedral in Sebastopol in the Ukraine (Soviet Union) in 1920.

Joachim was born John Ioakimovich Levitsky on March 30, 1853 in the village of Petrushek, Kiev. In August 1910, he was appointed Bishop of Nizhny-Novgorod and Arzamas. On May 6, 1916 he was raised to the rank of Archbishop. On March 22, 1918 he was retired from his see at his own request and was appointed administrator, with the rights of superior, of the Resurrection monastery at New Jerusalem in Moscow diocese.

In the autumn, Joachim went to visit his son and his family in the Crimea. He was often invited from there to serve in the churches of Sebastopol. Once, when all the inhabitants of the house had gone out and he was alone, some unknown people who were supposedly robbers, but were in fact sent by the local Bolsheviks, appeared. According to the witness of a Crimean priest, he was martyred by being hanged with his head down on the royal doors of the Sebastopol cathedral.

Crucifixion of Polycrates by Oroetes

Herodotus, writing about 450 BC, mentions crucifixion three times in his histories, including the death by crucifixion after torture, of the tyrant of the island of Samos, Polycrates, around 522 BC at the hands of Oroetes, the Persian governor of Sardis.

(painting by Salvator Rosa, The Crucifixion of Polycrates, c. 1663-64)

Crucifixion of Jews by Flaccus

In his Against Flaccus, Hebrew historian, Philo of Alexandria wrote that on July 28, 38 CE the Hebrew king, Herod Agrippa, visited Alexandria (Egypt) on a mission from the Roman emperor, Caius Caligula. The story goes that Herod was insulted. The Roman governor of Egypt, Aulus Avilius Flaccus, did nothing to punish those guilty.

The city's Greek elite class, which hated the Romans and despised the Jews, demanded that statues of Caligula be erected in the Jewish synagogues as a sign of allegiance to the emperor. The move was trick designed to cause trouble for Flaccus. If Flaccus built the statues, the Jews would be enraged, and he would have to use violence to control them. If he didn't, then he'd have to explain himself to Rome.

Flaccus was forced to install the statues, which encourage the mob to attack the synagogues, destroying the gardens and burning the buildings. Philo noted that the attacks were well organized, planned. Flaccus contained the Jewish in their quarter of the city. Many were stoned, clubbed, or burned and the dead bodies were mutilated. Members of the Jewish council were arrested and whipped in the amphitheater to celebrate the birthday of the emperor; others were crucified to entertain the citizens of Alexandria (Against Flaccus 72.84 85). All of this took place during August-September 38 CE.

"[Jews] were arrested, scourged, tortured and after all these outrages, which were all their bodies could make room for, the final punishment kept in reserve was the cross... [Flaccus] ordered the crucifixion of the living... And he did this after maltreating them with the lash in the middle of the threatre and torturing them with fire and the sword (Against Flaccus 72, 84)."

During the first week of October 38 CE, Flaccus was arrested by a Roman officer sent by Caligula.

Crucifixion of 3,000 Babylonians by Darius

According to the Greek historian, Herodotus, King Achaemenid Darius (ca. 549 - 486 BCE), known as Darius I the Great, of Persia had 3,000 of the leading citizens of Babylon crucified in about 519 BCE.

In Iran, there is a town called Behistun where there are several ancient monuments, including one with a famous insription by Darius I. The inscription reads:

" While I was in Persia and in Media, the Babylonians revolted from me a second time. A certain man named Arakha, an Armenian, son of Haldita, rebelled in Babylon. At a place called Dubâla, he lied unto the people, saying: 'I am Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabonidus.' Then did the Babylonian people revolt from me and they went over to that Arakha. He seized Babylon, he became king in Babylon. Then did I send an army unto Babylon. A Persian named Intaphrenes, my servant, I appointed as their leader, and thus I spoke unto them: 'Go, smite that Babylonian host which does not acknowledge me.' Then Intaphrenes marched with the army unto Babylon. Ahuramazda brought me help; by the grace of Ahuramazda Intaphrenes overthrew the Babylonians and brought over the people unto me. On the twenty-second day of the month Markâsanaš [27 November] they seized that Arakha who called himself Nebuchadnezzar, and the men who were his chief followers. Then I made a decree, saying: 'Let that Arakha and the men who were his chief followers be crucified in Babylon!' "

Notes: Arakha Urartian, son of Haldita, was also known as Nebuchadnezzar IV. His rebellion, the second against Darius, started on 25 August 521 BCE and was suppressed by Darius' bow carrier Intaphrenes on 27 November. The first Babylonian insurrection was led Nidintu-Bêl and was suppressed by Daris during October-December 522 BCE.

(carved image of Arakha from Behistun)

Crucifixion of 2,000 Tyrians by Alexander

Roman senator Quintus Curtius Rufus wrote the History of Alexander the Great, in which he tells that Alexander the Great had 2,000 citizens of Tyre crucified on the shores of the Mediterranean after he had conquered that city in 332 BCE.

"The extent of the bloodshed can be judged from the fact that 6,000 fighting-men were slaughtered within the city's fortifications. It was a sad spectacle that the furious king then provided for the victors: 2,000 Tyrians, who had survived the rage of the tiring Macedonians, now hung nailed to crosses all along the huge expanse of the beach."

Crucifixion of 3,600 Jews by Vespasian

According to the Roman historian Josephus, during the first Jewish War against the Romans in 66-70 CE, the Roman commanders Vespasian and his son Titus both ordered thousands of crucifixions as public warnings and deterrents. During the Titus's siege of Jerusalam in 70 CE, Roman soldiers crucified up some 3,600 Jews over the course of several months... up to 500 in a single day. So many Jews were crucified outside of the walls that "there was not enough room for the crosses and not enough crosses for the bodies" (Wars of the Jews 5:11.1).

Crucifixion of 800 pharisees by Alexander Jannaeus

The Roman historian Josephus wrote in Antiquities 13:14:2 that in 88 BCE, the Hasmonean king, Alexander Jannaeus (in office 103-76 BCE), ordered the crucifixion of 800 Pharisees.

"As he was feasting with his concubines, in the sight of all the city, he ordered about eight hundred of them to be crucified; and while they were living, he ordered the throats of their children and wives to be cut before their eyes."

Alexander Jannaeus (also known as Alexander Jannai/Yannai) was the son of John Hyrcanus. His likely Hebrew name was Jonathan, and he may have been the High Priest Jonathan. In the Talmud, he appears as a wicked tyrant under the name King Yannai, reflecting his conflict with the Pharisee party.

(painting by Willem Swidde, The Execution of the Pharisees, c 17th century)