The Other Two
Jesus' supporters arranged the murder of the two men being crucified on either side next to him on Golgotha, Dismas and Gestas.
DEATH BY CRUCIFIXION:
HASTENED by the breaking of the legs, so that the victim could not push up to take a good breath.
John 19:32-33: The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
The Romans had no motive to be act out of mercy - except for shekels.
"In the particilar case of the three crucified of the Golgotha (Jesus with the two thieves, Dismas and Gestas ), Jews had an important reason to hasten their deaths.
Their religion did not allow them to see three corpses being left hanging from the crosses during the celebrations of the holy Sabbath.
[ It was also the Passover holiday weekend, so this was more than just a case of honouring the regular Shomar Shabbat ]
So, the executioners broke the bones of the legs of The Two Thieves, but on seeing that Jesus was already dead, they left his legs unbroken. Gestas screamed in agony as his legs were shattered with dreadful blows, while Dismas endured the punishment as a final liberation.
Death of both followed quickly."
No living witnesses.
