It is important to note that a crucified person dies by suffocation, as his arms are no longer able to hold his body, his lungs will tighten until he suffocates.
The crucified person could not reduce the pressure on his lungs by raising his heels because they were blocked by nails (as shown in the back image of the Shroud) . The only way for the crucified to delay his death is to try to straighten himself by a continuous movement of the knees.
This is why when the Romans wanted to accelerate the death of a crucified person, they used to break his legs. Jesus had the peculiarity of being a crucified man whose legs were not broken because he was already dead when the Roman soldiers aimed to do so. Instead, to ascertain his death, they pierced his side with a spear. Jesus died on the cross “earlier than expected” (before the Romans had to break his legs) because he had been flogged before the crucifixion, which had greatly weakened him.
This element is also particular to Jesus, since it was not tradition to flog those who were condemned to crucifixion. The reason for this peculiar double torture is that Pilate had initially decided only to scourge Jesus, as he saw no reason to crucify him. It is later, under the pressure of the high priests, that he changed his mind and ordered his crucifixion. That’s why Jesus suffered this uncommon double torture: flogging + crucifixion.
The Crucified of the Shroud presents all the characteristics that are UNIQUE to Jesus’ crucifixion including the flogging, the crown of thorns, the mark of the spear, and the unbroken legs.
