A chapel in the Basilica of the Virgin Basil in the center of Rome houses a flagstone pillar. According to legend, when Jesus was scourged, he was tied to this stone pillar. Christians of all ages paid homage to this stone pillar enthusiastically, reflecting on the deep meaning of this holy object.
(Vatican News Network)The Basilica of the Virgin Basil, located in the center of Rome, opened its doors to accept Christians as early as the early days of the church. In the chapel on the right side of the main hall, there is a small stone pillar of sesame black and white granite stone, and the reliquary box protecting it is made into the shape of a gilded temple. It is believed that Jesus was tied to this stone pillar when he was scourged.
special building materials
This small stone pillar is only 63 centimeters high, slightly tapered, and has a base diameter of about 40 centimeters. It is a type of granite that comes from the northern part of the Eastern Desert of Egypt. It was a remote, inaccessible and inaccessible desert. The quarry workers were probably among the poorest segments of society, thrown there to labor without hope. The transportation of stones is time-consuming and difficult, and mining and processing are not easy, so the price is high. Local stones were mainly brought to Rome in the first century AD. The shape of the small stone pillars is reminiscent of table legs and basin columns, and the stone can be reused later. Such stone pillars were also aids in whipping.
whipping, cruel punishment
Flogging was a common form of punishment in ancient Rome. Cicero pointed out that every nobleman’s house had a stone pillar where he bound his own slaves and punished them. It is well known that flogging was often followed by death, especially crucifixion. None of the four Gospels mention any stone pillars, but all three clearly state that Christ was scourged (cf. Mk 15:15; Mt 27:26; Jn 19:1), while St. Mention of punishment (cf. Lk 23:22).
first witness
Egeria first mentioned the Whiplash Column in her book “The Journey”. She described the rituals of Holy Friday in Jerusalem in 383: “The sun has not yet risen; after saying goodbye, everyone climbed Mount Zion and prayed in front of the moss pillar.” The location of the Church of the Apostles.
Whiplash Columns in Rome
Centuries later, the Lapis Stelae was probably brought to Rome from Jerusalem in 1223 by Cardinal Giovanni Colonna during the Fifth Crusade. The surname of Cardinal Colonna means stone pillar. His act of bringing this relic back to Rome can be interpreted in two ways: it may have been a deliberate creation to please the Pope and Onorio III; A gift from God, as the Cardinal himself believed. This stele with moss is placed in the leading church of Cardinal Colonna, the Basilica of the Virgin Basil. With the approval of the Holy See, the Feast Day of the Whip Moss Pillar is the fourth Sunday of Lent.
The question of the authenticity of this sacred object has been debated for many years
The first argument against its authenticity is its height of only 63 centimeters. If tied to this stone pillar and whipped, the victim’s posture must be very unnatural. However, it is precisely this point that is particularly convincing: every lash of whipping should not be hit on vital organs, so as not to increase the risk of death. For example, caning must not harm the heart area. Strapped to such a low support, the victim was forced to curl up so that the body he was meant to protect was not exposed to the whip. On this level, the mossed pillars of the Basilica of the Virgin Basil meet such height requirements.
Whip moss stone column in artwork
The scourging scene was the subject of many artists, such as paintings by Piero della Francesca, Bramante and Caravaggio. In their paintings, the whip moss stone pillars are tall and upright pillars. The San Angel Bridge in front of the Roman Castle of the Angels is different. Every angel on the Angel Bridge holds an item from the Passion of Jesus in his hand, and one of them holds the conical whip moss stone pillar preserved in the Basilica of the Virgin. The base of this statue of an angel is written with a line: “My throne is above the cloud pillar.” (De XXIV 7) This statue is Bernini (Bernini) apprentice Raj (Antonio Raggi) based on Bernini’s drawings.
the meaning of this relic
The pillar itself is an object that provides no further information. It does not have writing like the “Charge Plaque,” nor does it have pictorial details like the Shroud. However, the flagpole is not out of the ordinary in the history of the Passion of Jesus. The Basilica of the Virgin Basil is closely related to the life of the saint. The young saint dedicated her life to hiding persecuted Christians and burying martyrs in the second century. According to legend, she wiped away the blood of the martyrs and collected it in the well in the center of the church. The well is now sealed with stones.
Therefore, the meaning contained in the flagstone column itself is to bear witness to Christ and his passion, and also to reflect the sacrifice of the martyrs. The large number of holy relics and relics kept in the hall seem to make people keep this connection in mind. As for the enthusiastic salute to the mossed stone pillar in the Basilica of the Virgin, it has nothing to do with historical evidence, but the true memory of history.
Other Whip Moss Columns
The Lapel Column in Rome is not the only one thought to have been used at Jesus’ crucifixion. Another pillar is in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, written by an anonymous pilgrim in Bordeaux, whose manuscripts date back to 333. St. Cyril of Jerusalem mentions this pillar in his catechesis in 348. Other scholars have attempted to connect the two, pointing out that Jesus was scourged twice: once at Pilate’s governor’s palace, and twice at the high priest of Caephas.
In addition, there are two other stone pillars believed to be the pillars of the crucifixion: one in Istanbul and the other in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Bologna.
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