DIOCESAN MUSEUM DISPLAYS 15th CENTURY CRUCIFIX

THE CRUCIFIX ATTRIBUTED TO ITALIAN SCULPTOR MICHELANGELO FOUR YEARS AGO, MEASURES 16.52 INCHES AND WAS BOUGHT BY THE ITALIAN STATE FOR AN ESTIMATED $4,347,997. THE CRUCIFIX WAS DISPLAYED AT THE ITALIAN LOWER CHAMBER BEFORE IT BEING DISPLAYED AT THE DIOCESAN MUSEUM. THE CRUCIFIX IS A POLYCHROME WOOD SCULPTURE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN FINISHED IN 1492. THE WORK IS ESPECIALLY NOTABLE FOR THE FACT THAT THE CHRIST FIGURE IS PORTRAYED NUDE. A NUDE CHRIST ON THE CROSS IS NONETHELESS KEEPING TRUE TO SCRIPTURE. HIS CLOTHING BEING REMOVED BY ROMAN SOLDIERS WAS THE FULFILLMENT OF PSALM 22:18, 'THEY PART MY GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND CAST LOTS UPON MY VESTURE.' ALL OF THE GOSPEL WRITERS SUGGEST THE NAKEDNESS WHILE JOHN SUPPLIES THE DETAILS: 'THEN THE SOLDIERS, WHEN THEY HAD CRUCIFIED JESUS, TOOK HIS GARMENTS, AND MADE FOURPARTS, TO EVERY SOLDIER A PART; AND ALSO HIS COAT: NOW THE COAT WAS WITHOUT SEAM, WOVEN FROM THE TOP THROUGHOUT. THEY SAID THEREFORE AMONG THEMSELVES, LET US NOT REND IT, BUT CST LOTS FOR IT, WHOSE SHALL IT BE: THAT THE SCRIPTURE MIGHT BE FULFILLED, WHICH SAITH, 'THEY PARTED MY RAIMENT AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY VESTURE THEY DID CAST LOTS.' THESE THINGS THEREFORE THE SOLDIERS DID.' UNIQUE TO THE CRUCIFIX IS THE SIGN ATTACHED TO THE CROSS. IT INCLUDES JESUS' ACCUSATION INSCRIBED IN HEBREW, GREEK AND LATIN. THE WORDING IS 'JESUS OF NAZARETH KING OF THE JEWS'. ALL OF THE EVANGELISTS RECORD THIS INSCRIPTION WHICH VARIES SLIGHTLY AMONG THEM. HERE THE ARTIST FAVORED THE RENDERING FROM JOHN'S GOSPEL. ALSO PRESENT IS THE SPEAR WOUND INFLICTED INTO JESUS' SIDE BY A ROMAN SOLDIER. THE FULFILLMENT OF ANOTHER SCRIPTURE WHICH SAITH, 'THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED'. HIS BLOOD IS SEEN DRIPPING FROM THE WOUND. A WOUND INFLICTED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS SOON AFTER JESUS DECLARED 'IT IS FINISHED', BOWED HIS HEAD AND GAVE UP THE GHOST. IF THE CRUCIFIX IS TRULY BY HIGH RENAISSANCE MASTER, MICHELANGELO, HIS PORTRAYAL OF THE NUDE JESUS, ALONG WITH THE ACCURACY OF OTHER DETAILS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BIBLICAL RECORD.