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What is the significance of the wrists being nailed as opposed to the palms
It is very interesting is that the man of the Shroud was crucified with large spikes driven through his wrists and not through the palms of his hands. It is significant because it contradicts all iconography of medieval and pre-medieval periods. This is evidenced by both the image and the bloodstains.
Nailing through the wrists is more historically and medically plausible. It was not before the first part of the 20th century, that medical experts first realized that nails driven through a man’s palms would not support a his weight – even if his feet were nailed or supported – and that the nails would tear out. The Romans crucified victims by driving nails through the wrist area of the forearm.
If indeed the Shroud is a medieval forged relic, the craftsman who produced it knew how to do it right even if the nailing defied sensibilities of the time.
See: What is the significance of the human remains found at Giv’at ha-Mivtar? What features of the images defy the sensibilities of the medieval era?
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© 2004 Daniel R. Porter, Bronxville, New York
