Crown Of Thorns Stock Image

The wreath of briers or thorns was used to punish and humiliate Jesus during His sacred passion. The crown was mockingly put on the head of Christ by the Roman soldiers (Mt 27:29, Mk 15:17, Jn 19:2). This instrument of torture, fashioned from a plant with thorns growing near Jerusalem, was used for convicted criminals and was shaped as a ringlet or helmet and placed on the head of the accused. Some traditions indicate that the thorns placed on Jesus have survived to this day. In the 13th Century, St. Louis IX constructed a shrine for it in Paris, Sainte-Chapelle. The crown’s authenticity is uncertain, but its veneration continues to the present day.