torture - What evidence is there for the severity of Roman scourging . . . a scary-looking "flagrum": , But many of these online sites don't really reference, in my view, a reliable account, primary source, or any extant "flagra" from the ancient Roman era In fact, according to this article by Dr Andrea Berlin and Dr Jodi Magness Two Archeologists Comment on The Passion of the Christ , the scourging was just done