The AD33 crucifixion detail in Judea

[Matthew Amt]

"....and when Jesus said ' I thurst,' the CRUEL Romans passed a
sponge, soaked in VINEGAR, to his lips." Well, from what I was able to find, the vinegar was
"gall", and that is merely wine turned to vinegar from exposure to the air. That was probably all the soldier had, and his act was one of mercy, not "cruelty."

What they said about the drink itself (though the reference may simply be to acetum, the cheap/sour wine normally drunk by soldiers and civilians alike). The *cruel* part is the sponge, which really has to be a toilet sponge! Don't worry, the soldiers are not being nice.

Centuries of mistranslations and misinterpretations have certainly muddied the waters, but Truth can still be found.

Vale,

Matthew