l'chaiim, y'all. I get the dubious honor of making the 100th post on a thread I started.There is a big difference, in my mind, between "run through" and "pierced". Pierced doesn't have the connotation of complete penetration, and the n.t. doesn't seem to indicate that the sword came out the other side, assuming the hebrew and greek translations are correct.
I still suspect that many elements of the n.t. were taken from the career of Bar Kochba, btw. I have to say thanks to you guys. You have been saying it mush more eloquently than I.