12. Impalement was a method of Persian torture and execution
Impaling a criminal upon a sharp stake was a method of execution practiced by the Persians, as well as most of the ancient world, several western European nations well into the 16th century and in some cases beyond. When the Persian King Darius conquered Babylon he impaled more than 3,000 prisoners, an act reported by Herodotus, and confirmed in records of Darius himself. The Bible is confused over whether Haman, a Persian minister, was impaled or hanged along with his ten sons. Different translations and revisions contribute to the confusion, but the use of impalement by the Persians as a manner of execution is well-documented.
Numerous crimes could lead to execution by impalement, including cheating customers at business deals (regarded as theft through lying, which made it a capital offense) and other seemingly trivial crimes. The manner of impalement was a matter of choice of which there were several. One of the considerations when selecting the manner of impalement was how long the accusers and judge wanted the miscreant to suffer before allowing him to die. All manners of impalement were conducted publicly, adding the emotional pain of humiliation to the considerable physical agony as the victim awaited death, which sometimes eluded him for two days or more.
