Here's a site my husband found about the whips, etc. in the Passion movie. We thought the scourging and beating seemed over done. We thought there would only have been thirty nine stripes, but apparently that is Jewish law and the scourging at the cross was by Romans.

http://www.naturesdesignsonline.com/Cat-of-nine-tails.htm

My Son in Law says that the Roman soldiers who were in Jerusalem at that time were actually the criminal element from the Roman Army who had been sent there as punishment. Maybe that is why they are portrayed as so purely evil in the movie.

If the movie was intended to inspire further research, it seems to be working-at least in our family.

smile